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Lesson #4: Restoration of IsraelIntroduction: Premillennialist believe that Israel must return to its land and become a great nation. Christ will return to earth with the raptured saints, call the Jews back to Palestine (they will be in the process of returning, but this will complete the return), resurrect the righteous dead, and sit on David’s throne to establish the 1000-year reign in the millennium.From a Biblical perspective, we know that the kingdom of Israel was split after King Solomon’s death. Israel continues as a separate nation until taken into captivity by the Assyrians in 722 BC. Judah continues as a spate nation until taken into Babylonian captivity in 586 BC. God foreseen the captivity of His people and prophesied their return to the land of their fathers (Is. 1:5-9; 10:20-23; Je. 30:3).Every one of the restoration prophecies were spoken before or during the period of return of a remnant from exile in Babylon. One group returned with Zerrubbabel in 536 BC and a second group with Ezra in 486 BC. There is not a single New Testament prophecy of national Israel’s restoration. The land promise made to Abraham was fulfilled along with the promise to bring back a remnant after captivity. God has nothing more for the Jews except that which is in Christ through the gospel (Ro. 11:16-27). Conclusions:1. Paul’s preached the real hope of Israel, but it was not what they wanted to hear and caused them topersecute Christians (Ac. 26:1-7; 28:16-20). Israel was looking for an earthly Messiah and hoping for anearthly kingdom.2. Racial and national boundaries are removed in Christ (Ga. 3:26-29; 6:15-16; Ro. 2:28-29; 4:13-17). For nationalIsrael to be restored means the gospel, Jesus, His work, and the church – everything precious to Christians –would have to be removed.3. Jerusalem has been removed as a specific locale for worship (Jh. 4:19-24).4. National Israel cannot inherit with spiritual Israel (Ga. 4:21-31).