The name Israel has three meanings. First, Israel is the name of Jacob. God changed Jacob's name after he wrestled with the angel of the LORD. Israel was Jacob's new name given to him by God which means the prince of God. Second, Israel is the name given to the descendents of Jacob. Israel are the elect children of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob and the twelve tribes including the two tribes of Joseph's children, Ephraim and Manasseh. The Jewish people get their name from the tribe of Judah. They are descendents and children of Israel. The word Jew has become a name now applied to all the children of Israel regardless of what tribe they are from.

   Third, Israel is the nation-state, called the holy land, located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. This is the promised land given to the children of Israel and named after themselves. The term Israelite refers to people of the old nation of Israel under the rule of the Hebrew kings. After king Solomon's reign the kingdom was split in two. The tribe of Judah was the southern kingdom and the Northern kingdom was referred to as the kingdom of the Israelites. The people of the modern-day nation of Israel are referred to Israelis and not Israelites.

   The apostle Paul was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin. As a religious Pharisee, zealot of the Jewish religion, he persecuted and killed Christians. After his conversion to the true faith Paul was a Christian now persecuted by religious Jews. Paul referred to his own people, the Jews, as enemies to the gospel but beloved for the election's sake. What Paul meant by this is the Jews still have a veil over their understanding. They oppose the gospel of the LORD Jesus Christ. One day the LORD is going to take away the veil and Jews will repent and believe the true gospel and accept Jesus Christ as their LORD, Saviour, and Messiah. The Jews are beloved to God because of the promise He made to Abraham.

   Christians are to love the Jewish people and evangelize them to the true gospel. The Bible says God told Abraham--I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Genesis 12:1-4. If any person wants a blessing on their life then bless the Jewish people, the children of Abraham, the Israelis. If anyone curses these people, the apple of God's eye, then they will be cursed.

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