why are the Jews no longer the chosen people?
First of all the OT is about Israel - the 12 tribes. Secondly, because they (national Israel) have lost everything God told them to keep *in order to* maintain their relationship with Him.

They lost:

1. The Ark of the Covenant
2. The Temple of God
3. The 12 tribes (only Judah remains - and it was never about 1 tribe)
4. The Ephod of Manna from Heaven
5. The Ten Commandment tablets
6. Aaron's Staff (which blossomed)
7. The Treasury of Israel
8. The Tabernacle
9. The Furnishings of the Tabernacle
10. The Lamp, the Table, the Sea, the Altar,...
11. The Most Holy Place, the Holy Place,...
12. The Priesthood, the sons of Aaron were the only ones allowed to serve as priests, and the Levites, now gone, were the only ones allowed to help them.
13. The Daily Sacrifices
14. See 1 Chronicles 23:28-32 for a list of tasks they no longer perform.
15. There are no more prophets - the Word was cutoff for them.
16. They don't believe in the Word of God - only the "Law". This is truly amazing - because in the OT ("their" book), the people ignored what the prophets brought them, namely: *The Word of God*
17. God promised to save them *if* they obeyed. But if they didn't, He would bring the temple to destruction. (See 2 Chronicles7:19-22) And so in national Israel what do you see today? People walk by the "waling wall" in amazement at the site of the destroyed temple! This is an immediate and direct prophecy of what happens today.

So the Jews are *not* the chosen people - *Israel* *was* the chosen people - Israel - all TWELVE (12) tribes, not just one. It is clear that this way is religion, i.e. man-made - like gods (or idols) they have ears but do not hear; they have eyes but do not see; they have mouths but do not speak. I realized that this can also be said not only about statues (idols), but non-believers as well. All Glory to God!

It was never about "Law", rituals, or geneology, or even being a "Jew" (one of Judah's descendants). It is about the faith God gives you in your heart - if He pours His Holy Spirit into you (we are referred to as jars, wine skins, clay pots, etc.) then He will never let you go - you are one of His *FOREVER*. Thus you start to obey Him - because *He* is doing a good work in you. (See Ecc. 9:1-4)

in Ezekiel 19:14 God tells Israel that they r entirely cutoff... so much so that the Messiah will not b one of them. however, since God says that He will b their Saviour then it is clear that God must come in the form of flesh... since a man must pay for our sins (redeem us) then clearly the only perfect sacrifice is if God Himself comes in the form of flesh. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. - John 1:14

All of the above was found many years ago when I was young in the faith. But this passage was found just a few moments ago (12/29/04 10:15 AM EST USA) which adss to the evidence that Israel - national Israel - is no longer God's people:

Deuteronomy 31

24. After Moses finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end,
25. he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD:
26. "Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God. There it will remain as a witness against you.
27. For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the LORD while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die!
28. Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to testify against them.
29. For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster will fall upon you because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD and provoke him to anger by what your hands have made."

Sabbath, 12/24/05 12:09 PM EST USA
Praise God! I have been wanting to add this passage to my website for some time (I had it in my old, non-frame, website but never here... until now. Praise God! :)

How national Israel is cutoff:

Daniel 5:23
Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in His hand your life and all your ways.

2 Chronicles 7:17-22

17. "As for you, if you walk before me as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws,
18. I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to rule over Israel.'
19. "But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them,
20. then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples.
21. And though this temple is now so imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and say, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?'
22. People will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.' "

And to this very day people pass by the wall in wonder. Here it is - a prophecy from the OT which is evidenced in today's world ... and is ongoing. May God richly bless you, in Jesus' name, amen.

Feb. 24^th, 2008 at 08:30 AM EST USA

In John 8, Christ said to the Jews who questioned Him:
John 8:42-45

42. Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me.
43. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.
44. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
45. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!"If you do not know who I am, then I know who you are, you father is the devil."

I have known about the meaning of this ever since I read it. First of all Jesus is saying that God is the Father of Truth (aka His Son, and yes, even the elect - His followers). But what is clear is that if anyone does not believe that He, Jesus Christ, Yeshua Hamashiach, is not the Son of God, the promised Messiah of the Old Testament, then that person belongs to the world and their father is the devil - the father of lies. The point is that anyone who does not put their faith in Christ belongs to the devil - anyone - not just the Jews.

In my opinion this has been misunderstood and misinterpreted causing more pain for the Jews. since the emphasis seems to be that "only" the Jews are the sons of the devil. This is definitely not what Christ was saying. He was talking about all of mankind - no matter who they are - if they do not believe, then in the end they belong to Satan, the devil.