God’s first dealings with man were with all of mankind. We have lost many historical records of ancient man but some archaeological evidences remain to show that early man built great civilizations. The Egyptian pyramids give us some insight of their technology.

But, in Genesis 6, we read the strange account in which the “Sons of God” cohabited with women and produced men of great strength and power called the Nephilim (literally, “fallen ones”). These “Sons of God” were fallen angels (Genesis 6.2, 4; Job 1.6. 2.1, 38.7) and their activity was Satan’s strategy to corrupt and destroy the human race and the line through whom the Messiah/redeemer would come. It was nearly successful. From these unions come our stories of gods, goddesses, demigods, etc. that have passed down through mythology and folklore. During this time the earth became so corrupt and “full of violence” (Genesis 6.5, 11-12) that God determined that to preserve the human race He had to destroy the existing world and began anew.

God found one righteous and genetically unpolluted family (Genesis 6.9), the family of Noah, and He instructed Noah how to build a great ship, the ark, to survive the flood that God would bring. This flood destroyed all of corrupted humanity, leaving Noah and his immediate family of eight souls.

From this family and Noah’s sons, Shem, Japheth, and Ham, came all the races and nations of the earth. Civilization thus began again. But instead of spreading forth across the world as God had commanded (Genesis 1.22, 9.1), the people settled and consolidated at a place called Babel. There they tried to set up a world government with a united religious system to worship the heavenly host (fallen angels) instead of the Creator God. This was the beginning of polytheism. The heavenly host are evil spiritual beings (fallen angels) behind all of false religion to this day. Babel (Babylon) is the source of all religion that does not acknowledge YHVH (the tetragrammaton for the name of God, ‘Yahweh,’ as the one true God). Then, in order to preserve the human race, God broke up this world government and religion by confusing mankind with different languages (Genesis 11.6-9). The language barriers that were created divided the people and they formed nations and created nationalism. Nationalism is a ‘divine institution’ which curbs evil through the balance of the power of nation states.

God’s Dealings with Israel:

Since humanity as a whole had rejected God, God changed His program. He began a new plan and revealed Himself to one man through whom He created a new race of people–the Jews. They would be the central actors in His plan to bless the world and defeat evil. God chose Abram, who became Abraham (Genesis 12.1-5), who responded to God in faith. God made a sovereign covenant with him (the Abrahamic Covenant, Genesis 12.1-3, 15.1-20). The elements of that covenant were that God would;

• make Abraham great,
• that he and his offspring would be a blessing to all mankind,
• that God would bless those who blessed him and curse him who cursed him,
• that Abraham would have innumerable offspring (physical and spiritual), and
• that God would give Abraham and his offspring the land, “from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.”

Satan has been and still is committed to defeating God’s plan and destroying His agents. This explains why the Jewish people have been the focal point of hatred and persecution throughout history. The Jewish people occupy the center of gravity in God’s strategic plan since all of God’s spiritual blessings are mediated through the Jews and in particular, through one Jew, the Lord Jesus Christ. Though he has made numerous attempts, Satan has failed to destroy God’s covenant people (Israel). His (Satan’s) evil plan is still in effect and will reach a crescendo during the period of time the Lord Jesus called the Tribulation (Matthew 24.15-22). Since God’s prophetic covenant promises remain unfulfilled (Abrahamic, Land, Mosaic, Sabbatic, Davidic, and New Covenant) Satan’s purpose to destroy the Jews remains in effect. If he accomplishes this, God’s plan fails. God would be a liar. Anti-Semitism is Satanic. One only has to look at the nations who vote against Israel in the United Nations to understand who is running the governments of this world.

The Abrahamic Covenant formed the basis of God’s future, sovereign covenants made with Israel: The Palestinian, Davidic, and New Covenants. God’s promises were made to Abraham through the line of Jacob (Israel). For hundreds of years, God dealt with Israel, blessing them for obedience and disciplining them for disobedience. God also fought for Israel.

His (God’s) greatest victory for them (Israel) was their deliverance from bondage in Egypt and its Pharoah. Through Moses, God gave the Mosaic Law (Exodus 20.1-17), which revealed God’s holiness and righteousness. The Levitical (Priesthood) sacrifices instituted under the Mosaic Law were pictures or types which pointed to Christ (the Messiah). The animal sacrifices “covered” sin until the death and resurrection of Christ who was the real ‘paschal [passover] lamb slain’ from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13.8).

So, when Christ was finally revealed, His death and resurrection defeated the power of sin, death, and Satan. All the festivals, buildings, the Tabernacle and Temple, and all its instruments were (external) symbols and pictures of Christ and His work.

When Jesus was born, He was proclaimed as Israel’s King by John the Baptizer. Both John and Jesus preached to Israel a message of repentance and acceptance of the King and His kingdom (Matthew 3.1-2, 4.17). Jesus’ first miracle (sign), making wine from water (‘wine’ throughout the Bible was a symbol of gladness and blessing) at the wedding of Cana, was a sign of this kingdom. (But) Rather than accept Jesus as the Messiah, the nation rejected and crucified Him.

God, however, (was) satisfied with the work of his Son, (and) raised him from the dead. Christ’s victory over sin and death is the basis of all spiritual blessing for those who have trusted in Christ. Christ’s victory is the basis for the future physical and spiritual blessings promised to Israel in the Abrahamic, Palestinian, Sabbatic, Davidic, and New Covenants (with Israel).

Despite repeated pleas by Jesus’ disciples for the nation to repent and accept Jesus as the Messiah after His resurrection, National Israel hardened its heart and continued to reject Him. After 40 years of testing, in 70 A.D., God judged the nation. The Romans destroyed Jerusalem, the Temple, and the nation. Israel ceased to be a nation and became scattered throughout the world (as a Diaspora). This status continued for almost 1900 years, until May 14, 1948, when the nation of Israel was reestablished.