What happened to Israel in the Bible
What happened to Israel in the Bible
Israel’s story in the Bible is central to the overall narrative of Scripture. As God’s chosen people, the history of the nation of Israel spans several books of the Bible and involves key figures, events, promises, judgments, and prophecies.
The origin of Israel
The nation of Israel originated from the patriarch Abraham. God called Abraham out of Ur and made an everlasting covenant with him, promising to bless him and make his descendants into a great nation (Genesis 12:1-3). Abraham’s grandson Jacob, who was later renamed Israel (Genesis 32:28), had 12 sons who became the 12 tribes of Israel.
After settling in Egypt due to famine, the Israelites were later oppressed as slaves. God raised up Moses to deliver them out of bondage and bring them to the Promised Land of Canaan (Exodus 3). This marked the official birth of the nation of Israel around 1446 BC.
Israel under Joshua
After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness under Moses, Joshua became leader and brought Israel into Canaan, the Promised Land. They conquered Jericho and defeated 31 kings and took possession of the land (Joshua 1-12).
The 12 tribes settled across Canaan and Joshua allotted specific territorial inheritances to each tribe. This defined the geographical boundaries of Israel’s tribes, though there was still much land left unconquered (Joshua 13-21).
The period of the Judges
After Joshua and his generation died, Israel entered a chaotic period with no king and frequent oppression from enemy nations. God would raise up leaders called Judges to deliver Israel and govern them for a period of time, only for the cycle of Israel’s rebellion against God and subsequent oppression by enemies to repeat itself (Judges 2:10-23).
Yet even in Israel’s unfaithfulness, God remained faithful to His covenant promises. During this roughly 350-year period after Joshua, Israel experienced both times of peace and subjection from nations like Moab, Midian, Ammon, and Philistia.
Israel’s demand for a king
The final judge, Samuel, appointed Saul to become Israel’s first king around 1051 BC (1 Samuel 8-10). Yet Saul disobeyed God repeatedly. As punishment, God rejected Saul’s kingship and chose David to succeed him (1 Samuel 13, 15).
David was Israel’s model king – uniting, expanding and bringing prosperity to the nation. Under his reign, Israel grew into a regional power (2 Samuel 5-8). His son Solomon built up Israel into an empire and constructed the Temple in Jerusalem, establishing the kingdom’s spiritual identity (1 Kings 1-11).
Yet after Solomon, Israel divided into two rival kingdoms in 930 BC – the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah – which never reunified (1 Kings 12). This was part of God’s judgment on Solomon’s idolatry.
The fate of the northern kingdom of Israel
The northern kingdom of Israel had 19 kings, all of whom were evil. As God’s judgment for the nation’s idolatry and injustice, the Assyrian empire conquered and destroyed Israel in 722 BC, exiling its people (2 Kings 17). The ten northern tribes essentially vanished from history after being absorbed into Assyria.
Judah survived longer but was also eventually judged
In contrast to Israel, Judah in the south survived for over a century longer, spanning 20 kings – a mix of good and evil ones. Judah experienced revival under kings like Hezekiah and Josiah who instituted reforms and covenant renewal (2 Kings 18; 23).
Yet Judah also slid into idolatry and rebellion against God. As punishment, God allowed the Babylonian empire to conquer them, destroying Jerusalem and the Temple in 587-586 BC. They were deported into exile for 70 years (2 Kings 24-25).
God preserved a remnant of Israel
While the nation was under imperial rule – first by Assyria, then Babylon, then Persia – prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel reminded Israel of God’s promises. Despite their sin and exile, God gave hope that He would one day regather a purified remnant of Israel back to the land after a period of judgment (Isaiah 11:11-12; Jeremiah 31:31-37; Ezekiel 36:22-36).
Israel’s restoration was partial after their return from exile
After Babylon fell to Persia in 539 BC, King Cyrus allowed exiled Jews to return home over the next decades and rebuild the Temple under leaders like Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 1:1-4; 6:14-15).
While the returning remnant reestablished a Jewish presence in Israel led by Persian governors, full autonomy was never regained. Control of Judea changed hands until coming under Roman occupation by 63 BC.
So while the prophets spoke of a glorious spiritual restoration of Israel alongside an end to Gentile rule, the post-exilic period saw only a partial, smaller-scale physical return coupled with ongoing foreign control, not the full blessings promised by the prophets. Their prophecies pointed to a greater fulfillment beyond the immediate restoration.
Jesus brought a more definitive restoration of Israel
The nation of Israel was still under Roman rule in the 1st century AD when Jesus arrived as Israel’s long-awaited Messiah. Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God and performed miracles, presenting Himself as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about a coming Davidic king who would redeem Israel (Luke 1:31-33; 24:21).
Yet while Jewish expectation focused on political liberation from Rome based on misinterpreting the prophets, Jesus clarified that the more significant redemption concerned spiritual renewal and release from sin’s bondage. Israel had a more profound problem than Roman occupation – alienation from God under sin – needing payment of sin’s penalty to enable reconciliation.
So Jesus achieved Israel’s ultimate restoration by going to the cross to die and rise again as an atoning sacrifice for sin, inaugurating the New Covenant promised by Jeremiah (Luke 22:20). Through His death and resurrection, Jesus opened the way for both Jews and Gentiles to experience forgiveness of sins and new spiritual life in Him.
Both Jews and Gentiles are now part of God’s people through Christ
Jesus accomplished Israel’s definitive restoration on a deeper spiritual level as Savior and Lord. With the coming of Christ and His finished work, the distinction between Israel and the Gentile nations has been broken down. All who believe in Jesus become part of the global multiethnic community of God’s people, described as the ‘new Israel’, joined together in Christ as members of God’s household.
So Jesus achieved an ‘expanded’ restoration of Israel encompassing both Jews and non-Jews together as heirs of God’s promises, partakers of the covenants of promise, and fellow citizens in God’s kingdom (Ephesians 2:11-22). All spiritually renewed believers comprise worldwide ‘true Israel’ united under the Lordship of the Messiah Jesus.
This expanded people of God made up of believing Jews and Gentiles is elsewhere called “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16). So while the nation of Israel in the Old Testament centered around physical ethnic descent from Jacob, God’s true spiritual Israel now centers on faith union with Jesus, the offspring of Abraham (Galatians 3:29). Through Him, Abraham has become father of a multitude from all nations (Genesis 17:4-6; Romans 4:16-17).