When God spoke to Abram concerning Jerusalem and the surrounding lands, God said: "I will give all the land that you see, on which you are walking, to you and to your Seed."

The Seed to whom God was referring is Christ and all those who belong to Christ. The land belongs forever to Christ and to the members of His body.

It is the will of God that Jerusalem be the ruling city of the earth, that it be adorned with the most marvelous glory and splendor—in fact, with the Glory of God Himself, that every one of its inhabitants be righteous and holy, and that the nations of the earth come regularly to pay homage to God in His city.

This is the eternal goal of the Lord God of Heaven. It never shall change.

God spoke of the land, of what today is known as Israel.

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: (Genesis 12:1)

God commenced working toward His goal by choosing a man—Abraham. God tested Abraham concerning his confident expectation of the fulfillment of God's promise, concerning walking perfectly with God, and concerning obedience to God. Abraham passed these three tests.

After the tests had been completed, God blessed Abraham with Isaac, Isaac with Jacob (Israel), and Jacob with twelve sons. From these sons came the nation of physical Israel.

Now there existed Jerusalem (made stupendously glorious during the reign of Solomon) and a nation of people. However, it was impossible for the purposes of God to be accomplished through a sinful and rebellious people. The Israelites were filled with sin and rebellion to the point that God delivered them into the hands of their enemies.

To the present hour the Jews are scattered over the face of the earth. The Prophets speak clearly, as we stated previously, that the children of Israel will return to their land in the closing days of the present age. We think that the return of Jacob to his land already is taking place.

Thus far we have presented two apparently conflicting facts. On the one hand we are stating that the race of Jews will return to the holy land in accordance with the declarations of the Prophets. On the other hand we are maintaining that true Israel consists of those who are part of Christ, the Son of God.

The two apparently conflicting facts are reconciled in that God will bring back the Israelites to their land, and then will pour out His Spirit on them so that they receive Christ and become members of the one Olive Tree.

Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. (Isaiah 32:15)

To be continued.