More about Israel.

[Churchgoer]

That's actually a good point, and I think it highlights why definitions matter.
Biblically speaking, Semite is a broader category than Jew.
A Jew is descended from Judah (or became part of the Jewish people), whereas "Semitic" traces back to Shem, one of Noah's sons.
If we're talking purely about ancestry, then yes, a great many people could trace their lineage back to Shem.
Abraham himself came from the line of Shem, but so did many other ancient peoples.
That's one reason I tend to be careful when people use terms like Jew, Israelite, Hebrew, and Semite interchangeably.
They're related terms, but they're not identical.
And honestly, I think that circles back to Paul's point in Galatians.
Whatever conclusions we reach about ethnicity, lineage, or national identity, the New Testament's emphasis shifts toward faith in Christ as the defining issue.
So while questions of ancestry can be historically interesting, I don't think they ultimately answer the spiritual question.
Paul can acknowledge Jewish ancestry and privileges in Romans 9, while also insisting that all stand on the same ground before God through Christ.
In other words, being a descendant of Shem, Abraham, Judah, or anyone else may tell us something about a person's history.
It doesn't settle their standing before God. That's where Christ becomes the dividing line.

That's the reason Jesus says unless one is born again, he will not see the kingdom of God.

Even in ot, many Israelites perished, not entering into heaven. Only few that have faith in YHVH enter into heaven. Ethnicity never saves anyone, not before, not now, not in future. Only Jesus saves, thank God.

 

[ThomasMatthew]

I think you're raising several important questions, but I'd probably separate them so we don't end up mixing distinct issues together.

First, yes, Jesus was a Jew.
He was descended from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David according to the flesh.
He lived under the Law and fulfilled it perfectly.

Second, Jesus certainly rebuked many of the religious leaders of His day.
But it's worth remembering that He wasn't condemning all Jews as an ethnic group.
His apostles were Jews.
The early church was overwhelmingly Jewish.
The first believers were Jews.

Third, I completely agree that being physically descended from Abraham was never enough.
John the Baptist said: "God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham" (Matt. 3:9).
Paul makes the same point in Galatians 3.
Those who belong to Christ are Abraham's seed by faith and heirs according to the promise.

Where I become cautious is when discussions about modern Judaism move from theological disagreement to broad conclusions about an entire people group.
There are religious Jews, secular Jews, Orthodox Jews, Reform Jews, believing Jews, unbelieving Jews, and countless variations in between.

As for the phrase "God's chosen people," Scripture itself uses that language for Israel.
The debate is not whether God chose Israel, but how the promises to Israel relate to Christ, the church, and the new covenant.

On the temple issue, I understand your concern.
If Christ's sacrifice was once for all, then any future sacrificial system cannot add to or complete what He accomplished at the cross. Hebrews is very clear on that point.

Ultimately, I think Galatians 3:28-29 brings us back to the center: "There is neither Jew nor Greek... for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Whatever conclusions we draw about Israel, the church, prophecy, or the end times, Christ remains the dividing line.
The fundamental question isn't, "Who can prove their ancestry?" It's: "What will you do with Jesus Christ?"
That's the question every Jew, Gentile, religious person, atheist, and Christian professor must ultimately answer.

Antisemite is a broad label, incorrectly applied, usually in place of a non-existent argument. An almost meaningless term anymore.
This is the world we live in today, when common sense or even disagreement is labeled hatred.
If Hitler had actually been running assembly line death camps I would have been as opposed to it then as I am opposed to the rape of Gaza now.

 

[Beekeeper]

The world is full of antisemitics, even courts. This is why the Bible says that the whole world will try to turn against Jerusalem AGAIN! That's why God/Jesus cuts down every nation that ever tried/tries to come up against it. Read your Bible.

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Well that puts you in a mental prison doesn't it?
Is it also blasphemous to question your teleported prophesy interpretations?