Is Modern Israel Still God's Chosen Nation? (w/ Clifton Payne Jr.) - Ep. 165

What happens when a viral political debate meets centuries of biblical prophecy—and your kids are the ones asking the hard questions? In this pivotal episode, Catherine confronts a question that’s as theologically complex as it is culturally relevant: Is the modern nation of Israel the same Israel God promised to Abraham, or has the church replaced her in God’s plan?

This topic has taken center stage in cultural and theological debates, fueled by viral exchanges between commentators like Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz, as well as in the classroom, on college campuses, and around family dinner tables. Catherine welcomes back Jewish historical scholar Clifton Payne Junior for a deep dive into Israel’s biblical, historical, and genealogical identity.

Key moments include:

• The viral exchange between Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz that exposed how unprepared many believers—and national leaders—are to answer “Is the Israel of Genesis 12 the same as modern Israel?”
• Dinesh D'Souza’s fascinating breakdown of how the Jewish people have genetically, culturally, and historically preserved their identity despite centuries of exile and persecution.
• Powerful prophecies in Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Amos—read in synagogues on the very day Israel was reborn in 1948—that reveal God’s hand at work through history.
• The “dry bones” prophecy, dissected in real-time as evidence of God reviving both the physical and spiritual life of the Jewish nation, with numbers of Messianic Jews in Israel growing 100-fold since 1948.
• A behind-the-scenes look at why so many Christians (and their kids) misunderstand Israel’s role in God’s redemptive plan, and how replacement theology distorts our perspective and engagement with both history and scripture.
• The core of “replacement theology” and why it matters.
• Whether the modern state of Israel (established in 1948 and led by Benjamin Netanyahu) is truly the continuation of the nation God promised to Abraham.
• The mystery of partial spiritual blindness over the Jewish people, the rise of Messianic Jews, and scriptural explanations many Christians and Jews have missed.
• The danger of misunderstanding Israel’s significance, and how well-meaning Christians and secular thinkers alike have sometimes distorted or neglected the biblical narrative.

Special attention is given to Ezekiel 37’s “valley of dry bones” prophecy, the fulfillment of Isaiah 66’s “nation born in a single day,” and the astonishing coincidence that the scheduled synagogue reading on the Sabbath Israel was reborn included Amos 9’s promise of restoration—a detail highlighted from Jonathan Cahn’s Book of Mysteries.

Through scholarly insight, biblical exposition, and practical application, this episode equips parents to have intelligent, faithful conversations with their children about Israel, prophecy, and what it means to “bless” this nation. It concludes with a call to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and a reminder that God’s faithfulness to Israel is a testament to His faithfulness to all His people.

Meet the Guest:

Guest bio: Clifton Payne Junior is a gifted Bible teacher and Jewish historical scholar with advanced studies in Jewish history from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Author of “What the Bible Really Says About Tithing and Giving: It’s Different Than You Think,” he brings clarity and depth to some of the most misunderstood questions facing the Church today.

References:

One for Israel: “Israel’s Dry Bones Prophecy about Israel Coming Back to Life”

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