Christ Is Israel

Israel means to have power with God, or to be an overcomer in faith. Jacob received this name in type. Israel as a nation received this name in type. But they fell short of its meaning. They hardened their heart and turned away from God. But God had a remnant, who was the real Israel, or those whom He had a relationship with.

Remnant theology is throughout the Old Testament. These were the people of God.
Israel is a bit like the church today. The church as an organisation carries the name church, but it is not the church. The church is the body of Christ, those who are born again, who are in the household of faith, not in a brick building. The world thinks of the organisation, but the church is those who are in Christ. Israel is the same. It is not a nation. It is the people of God.

David’s house was considered the remnant after the ten northern tribes defected. This left Judah. But even Judah fell. David’s lineage itself fell away from God. At the end there was none that overcame in God’s faith. Even the remnant fell short. The Bible says that God looked and there was no man, therefore His arm brought salvation (Is 59:16). The prophets called Israel a cut down tree, totally cut off in judgement, with no man or remnant remaining (Is 11:1, 10).

This means that all from Jacob fell short of the faith that the term Israel portrayed. Was this to be the end? Israel had its hope in David’s offspring, but David’s house was in judgement. But God had one from David’s house who would not fail. He would overcome when tried. He would remain faithful. He would inherit the promises. He would fulfil everything meant by Israel and be the hope of our salvation.

It is at this point that Christ came forth, “the shoot”, “the root of the stem of Jesse” and the “branch”. Jesse was David’s father, or David’s house. His house had been cut down in judgement, so only the stump was left in the ground. There was no hope from any among man or from any remnant. So God brought forth Christ as a shoot from the stump and from Christ He brought salvation to His people.

When Israel fell and none could be counted as Israel, none had kept the faith. Christ alone was left. He alone overcame in His faith (John 14:31,16:33). This means that He perfectly obeyed the Father. Christ is God’s Israel. According to Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary Israel means “He will rule as God.”. He, as in one: seed, as in singular. This was not Jacob. Jacob was a type. Christ is Israel, the Servant of the Lord.

Read Isaiah chapter 42 onwards, which depicts Jesus as Israel the Servant, along with Jacob whom the Servant redeemed (us). Israel was to serve God spreading His word in the world, but failed, so Jesus becomes that Servant to succeed and to redeem mankind. Here Jacob means the people of the Servant, believers from the Jews and from all the Gentile nations, the total elect whom the Servant saved.
You are My Servant O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. (Is 49:3).

It is a light thing that You should be My Servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You may be salvation to the ends of the earth. (Is 49:6).

Israel is Jesus Christ, in whom are the restored and preserved (elect) of the nation Israel and the elect of all nations of the Gentiles, to the ends of the earth. This is Israel and Jacob, the family of God in Jesus Christ. The prophets could not have made it any clearer.