Question
Gramps,
Who has a claim to the “Holy” Land (Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, whatever you want to call it) and how will the political landscape of that area look during the Millennium?
Peter
Answer
Peter,
Let’s begin with Abraham, to whom God promised the land of Canaan because of Abraham’s righteousness and obedience (Genesis 17). Canaan consisted of what is now Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, and parts of Syria and Lebanon. Isaac and Jacob continued to live in Canaan until a great famine caused Jacob’s family to search for respite in Egypt, where they were received by Joseph.
The “Israelites,” called after Jacob’s new name, Israel, were led out of Egypt back to the “Promised Land.” There, God dictated the borders of territories assigned to each of the tribes of Israel. The Tribe of Levi received no inheritance of land because they were chosen to be temple servants.
Exodus 23:31 describes the borders as the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, east to west, and the desert to the Euphrates, south to north. Ezekiel 47:19 describes the south boundary as running from Tamar to the waters of Meribah Kadesh, then along the Wadi of Egypt to the Mediterranean.
Here is a map of the land assigned to the Tribes of Israel:
Especially in the north and east, this map extends past the current borders of Israel into Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Today’s Jews expect to return to these borders eventually.
Prophecies concerning the land of Israel during the Millennium say that Jerusalem will be a holy city, one of two (Jerusalem and the New Jerusalem) from which Christ will reign. Jerusalem will have a temple to which all nations will come for worship. The tribes of Israel will inherit the territories that were anciently promised to them. (See Jer. 30:3; Ezek. 28:25; 1 Ne. 15:12–17; 1 Ne. 19:16; 2 Ne. 10:8.)
The “10 Lost Tribes” consist of two peoples: 1) citizens of the northern kingdom of Israel who were led away into Assyria and, from there, spread into the world, and 2) citizens of the northern kingdom of Israel who were being led into Assyria who repented as a group and were led away and hidden until their future return. This group will help to build the New Jerusalem and then receive their inheritance of land in the Holy Land. (See Isa. 43:6; Isa. 49:12; 1 Ne. 21:12; Jer. 3:18; Jer. 16:14–16; Jer. 31:8; 2 Ne. 29:12–13; 3 Ne. 17:4; 3 Ne. 21:26–29; D&C 133:26–32; A of F 1:10.)
Gramps
