Who do you think are the modern day gentiles and Israelites?

Question

This is something my own family can't agree with

Answer 1

That's okay no one else agrees either.

Even in Utah there are some crazy groups that claims that you are a Gentile if you aren't a Mormon, so you have Jewish Gentiles there!

The word "Gentile" comes from Latin and means "pagan" or "idolator". Obviously that usage of the term doesn't apply to all who are commonly called "Gentile".

The term "Israelite" came from "Israel" who was also call Yaakov or Jacob. Jacob was renamed to Israel and his descendants were called the "Children of Israel" or "Israelites". So in some respects all his descendants could be called Israelites.

The problem occured when Israel was split after King Solomon. The southern kingdom was called Judah and contained the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi. The northern kingdom was called Israel and contained the other tribes. Well the northern kingdom turned to idolatry and was divorced by G-d and then scattered by Asyria. Their descendants are probably genetically spread through every nation on earth, but no one kept track of who was who or who they married. So any more no one could claim that they are from that northern kingdom. Rabbi Akiva said that they will never return.

But some are returning, it has been in the news recently about a couple groups returning from India that have been seperated for 2000 years. Likewise there are black Ethiopian Israelites that have returned to Israel recently.

Also, Israel has always had people of other nation that converted - giving up false pagan idolatry. Once those non-Israelites give up idolatry and follow Torah they are considered to be Israelites.

So, the short answer to your question is that anyone can be an Israelite if they choose to be.

Answer 2

Sure I do. Hebrews have been the historic 12 tribes, descended from the legendary Jacob, whose nickname was once Israel (after he fought and beat an angel of god - that's the that means of the phrase Israel) Jews have been one tribe of the 12 Hebrew tribes - Judeans. The Hebrews have been divided into two kingdoms round 900 BC, the northern, enormous kingdom was once Israel, and the southern, small kingdom was once Judea - the dominion of Jews. The historic Israelites are the "misplaced 10 tribes", however much more likely so much of them stayed in the back of and joined then Judeans - the Jews, cutting-edge day Israelites are the residents of Israel, a democracy within the center East, with eighty% Jewish populace, and 20% non Jewish, customarily Palestinian Arabs.

Answer 3

Modern day iserialits would be those that believe and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour

Gentiles are those that refuse to believe in God.

Matthew 9:12-But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

Jesus came to save the sinners, not those that are already saved

Answer 4

Jews and non-Jews. What debate? These are the very definitions of the terms.