Biblical insights: The gospel and the land of the Bible

In this episode, Lauren and Philip examine the theology behind the popular Left Behind series of novels, specifically the Rapture, by which the church will be whisked away to escape the so-called Great Tribulation. For many of us, this scheme is “received orthodoxy” that we have absorbed by a process like osmosis and have never really examined – this episode provides an opportunity to do that.

In this episode, Lauren and Philip ask why so many Christians continue to support Israel. They explore a popular understanding of the end times, where some Christians believe that the formation of the state of Israel is a prelude to the Second Coming of Jesus. Is this really the case? Do the Palestinian Christians have to leave their homes so Jesus can return? And will Jesus really sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem for 1,000 years?

In this episode, we interview Dr Hanna Massad, former pastor of the Gaza Baptist Church. We were moved by his message of love, reconciliation, and forgiveness in the face of persecution, and learned of various aspects of his current ministry.

We remind ourselves of the importance of the land, Jerusalem and temple in ancient Israel and what the New Testament says about that. At the end of the episode, we consider what Paul the Apostle meant when he said, "In this way all Israel will be saved" (Romans 11:26).

We go back to the Old Testament and look at how God's people are to live in God's land, the exile as the consequence of disobedience, followed by the promises of the return from exile.