During a recent discussion with the Let Us Reason podcast, Bible scholar and archaeologist Mondo Gonzales laid out the eternal relevance of God’s promise to Abraham.
This was no ordinary agreement. As Gonzales explained, it was unilateral and everlasting.
“God called him and said leave your land, leave your parents… I’m going to take you to a land that I will show you,” Gonzales said, referencing Genesis 12. “He makes promises specifically to Abraham—these [are] what theologians will describe as unconditional promises.”
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The land promise isn’t just an Old Testament relic. Gonzales pointed out that even the apostle Paul, writing in Romans 9 and 11, affirmed that “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable,” emphasizing that Israel’s national rejection of Jesus did not cancel out God’s covenants.
“The promises still belong to them. They have never been revoked,” Gonzales said. “Rebellion in the first century—they didn’t lose the promises. Rebellion currently—they still haven’t lost the promises.”
So what are the specifics of this divine land grant? Gonzales broke it down using the biblical and historical records:
Biblical Boundaries of the Promised Land:
- South: “It does not refer to the Nile River… it refers to a brook that was just south of what is modern-day Gaza Strip.”
- North: “The boundaries go all the way up to Tyre and Sidon in Lebanon.”
- East: “To the Euphrates River… but not following it all the way to Iraq.”
- Southeast: “When you get down towards the southeast part of the Dead Sea… anything below that is considered Edom or even into Moab.”
Despite popular maps that stretch the territory to the full length of the Euphrates, Gonzales noted, “I’ve never seen any [atlas] go and follow that all the way… to Iraq.”
Even Israel under Solomon never occupied all of this territory. Gonzales explained why: “Israel has never possessed even under Joshua and Solomon and others… every last inch of the original Promised Land… I don’t anticipate that they will enjoy those until the coming Millennial period.”
That’s the part many overlook. These promises aren’t about politics—they’re about prophecy.
As debates rage on about the legitimacy of Israel’s modern borders, Gonzales reminds us that it’s not a matter of modern policy, but of ancient promise. “It’s a covenant that doesn’t depend on Israel doing anything good or bad,” he said. “It was a unilateral covenant.”
In the end, if you want to understand the headlines in the Middle East, you might need to go back to Genesis.
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
