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Dr. Reagan: Is it true that the Jewish people stole the land of Israel from the Palestinians? Is it true that the Jewish people have no historical claim over either the land of Israel or the city of Jerusalem? The answer to these questions is very simple. The answer is — No!
The real truth is that these allegations against Israel are myths that are totally false. These myths have been propagated by both the Palestinians and the mainline press, both our national press and the international press.
These satanically-inspired myths have been perpetrated because God is fulfilling promises today that were made to the Jewish people thousands of years ago. These promises rest on a series of legal agreements, called covenants, made between God and the Jewish people, that center on the land of Israel.
Over the last two weeks on our television program Christ in Prophecy we've been taking a hard look at the world's accusation that the Jews stole the land of Israel from the Palestinians.
Now, this is a very emotional argument that is used to picture the Palestinians as an oppressed and denationalized people. That picture is the one that is being used on college and university campuses all across this nation to rally young people against Israel.
So, did the Jews steal the Palestinians' land?
Nathan Jones: You can not steal land that is already legally yours. The Jews own the land legally, first and foremost, because God created the Abrahamic Covenant. Genesis 13-17 and Psalm 105 and other biblical passages reiterate the covenant that God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob's descendants hold eternal ownership to the land of Canaan, and actually somewhat beyond, for God delineated Israel's borders from the Nile River to the Euphrates River.
Dr. Reagan: So, you're saying first off that the Jews have title to the land given to them by God Himself?
Nathan Jones: Yes, by God Himself. God said to Jacob and his descendants basically, "This piece of land is yours forever." Bear in mind, God also made a promise to Ishmael and his descendants — the Arabs — that his line would birth many, many people, and they would own very much land, just not the land of Canaan. True to prophecy, the Arabs possess more lands and countries than Israel will ever possess.
But, the Arabs are not satisfied with that arrangement. They want all of the land.
Dr. Reagan: Let me play the Devil's advocate here for a moment, because when you say God gave the Jews the land, true, there is no doubt about that. That's provided for in the Abrahamic Covenant, which is repeated over and over and over and over again in the book of Genesis.
Nathan Jones: Yes, the Abrahamic Covenant stands apart as an eternal covenant without any preconditions.
Dr. Reagan: The covenant was renewed with Abraham's son, Isaac. It was renewed with Isaac's son, Jacob, also called Israel. But, the Jewish descendants were disobedient to God, and so they were ejected from the land — twice. Therefore, because of the Jewish exile, they lost their title to the land of Israel, right?
Nathan Jones: No. While the Abrahamic Covenant exists as an unconditional covenant, God set up a conditional covenant with Israel called the Land Covenant, or the Canaan Covenant. This second covenant exists as a conditional covenant that depends on the Jewish people obeying God. Moses, before he died, as recorded in Deuteronomy 28-30, foretold all the blessings the Jews would have if they followed God with all their hearts. But, if they repeatedly rebelled against God, then all these curses would come: nations would invade their land and oppress them, there'd be economic problems, social problems, and political problems. And, if the Jews continued to rebel even after being disciplined, God promised the Jews would be exiled from the land for a period of time.
Dr. Reagan: Exile was to be the ultimate punishment for continued rebellion against God.
Nathan Jones: Right, exile became the ultimate punishment, and we saw God exercise that provision twice.
Dr. Reagan: But, and this is so vitally important, the Jews still retain the title deed to their land?
Nathan Jones: Yes, exactly! Again, the Abrahamic Covenant stands apart as an eternal covenant, and yet due to the Land Covenant the Jewish people have to live up to their promise to remain faithful in order to stay in the land. Even in exile, God's covenants provide for the Jews so that they never lose ownership of their promised land, just the right to use it for a time.
Dr. Reagan: That point is emphasized in a particular passage — Psalm 105. It's a passage that was written by King David. Psalm 105:8-11 reads, "He [God] has remembered His covenant forever. The word which He commanded to a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, His oath to Isaac, He confirmed it to Jacob, to Israel as an everlasting covenant. Saying, 'I will give you the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance.'"
I don't know how any passage could be any clearer than that.
Nathan Jones: The Jews may have been evicted from their land — twice — due to their rebellion against God. But, true, as Psalm 105 explains, God guaranteed in His Abrahamic Covenant that the land of Israel unconditionally and forever belongs to the children of Jacob. And, as the Apostle Paul argued in Romans 9–11, "Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself… Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all!" And so, no, God has neither disinherited the Jewish people nor revoked His land covenants.
In summary, first the Abrahamic Covenant grants the Jews the eternal deed to the land of Israel. Second, when the Jews began returning in the early 20th Century, there was no such thing as a Palestinian. The handful of Arabs living in that wasteland sold the land back to the Jews at exorbitant prices. And third, Israel was created legally in response to a United Nations declaration passed in November 1947, which authorized the establishment of a Jewish state in the land the Romans had renamed Palestine.
You can't steal land that's already legally yours.
Dr. Reagan: God gave the Jewish people the land of Israel. It's their land forever, no exceptions!
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