Is Israel today the apple of God’s eye?

The simple answer is “no”.  Daniel, by direct help from God, interpreted the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2. There would be four world powers beginning with Babylon.  In the days of the fourth world power, God would establish His kingdom on this earth.  Counting from Babylon, the fourth world power was Rome.  God, therefore, stated that during the time of the Roman empire, He would set up His kingdom (Daniel 2:44).  God does not lie, therefore the kingdom was set up during the time of the Roman empire (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18; Colossians 1:13). One thing Daniel showed the king of Babylon about this kingdom in the fourth world power was that it would not be left “…to other people”.  The call of the gospel of Christ is universal in nature.  Early on the reference was to Jews, their children and all those afar off, meaning the Gentiles (Acts 2:39).  No nation today can claim that it is what the prophets had in mind.

The church is what God had in mind (Ephesians 3:9-11).  This plan of God was kept hidden from the world for a time but now has been made known (Ephesians 3:4-6).  A person today born as a Jew, regarding his nationality, is not a child of God.  Paul points out the circumcision today is not of the flesh but of the heart (Romans 2:28,29).

Who then is the Jew today?  He is the person who has obeyed Jesus Christ by being baptized into Christ to remit his sins (Galatians 3:27).  This verse in Galatians calls it a putting on of Christ.  One cannot be saved before they are baptized.  This chapter of Galatians closes by telling us if we belong to Christ we are Abraham’s seed (Galatians 3:29).  The Israel of today, that is the apple of God’s eye, is the church His Son established on earth.  All who are in that church by having accepted the covenant of Jesus the Christ belong to Christ.  No covenant, no Jesus, no relationship with God. Those who teach the rapture deny what God was doing through all the ages.