The Apostle Paul in his defence before King Agrippa said these words Acts 26:6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. 7 To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. What is this hope and promise that Paul was referring to? Well to put it simply The Hope of Israel are the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob this is the true Gospel Galatians 3:8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed."
Galatians 3:8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed."
So we can see from the above that the gospel was preached by God to Abraham. Well let's take a closer look at what God said to Abraham. Genesis 13:14 And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are-northward, southward, eastward, and westward; 15 for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever." God said "I give it to You" this is a personal promise by God to Abraham. In Hebrews 6 the writer confirmed the promise to Abraham, Hebrews6:13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you." 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. 17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. It is quite clear from this that God has made a promise to Abraham. Well how is God going to keep this promise? Let us go back to the Apostle Paul who believes in the resurrection of the dead Acts 24:15 I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. Therefore the only way in which God's promise to Abraham can be fulfilled is by raising Abraham from the dead and giving him the land.
But wait a minute that is not all, it get's more exciting because God made similar promises to Isaac and Jacob. First of all the promise to Isaac. Genesis26:2 Then the LORD appeared to him and said: "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws." Here we have another personal promise this time to Isaac, the same applies as to Abraham, the only way in which God can keep this promise to Isaac is by raising him from the dead in the resurrection.
Genesis 28:13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: "I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.......".
And also to Jacob, God confirmed the promises to Abraham and Isaac, Genesis 28:13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: "I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants......."
Also besides the promises of the land, God also made promises of the 'seed' that would come through them, Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed", who is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
God also made promises to Jesus, Psalm 110:4 The LORD has sworn And will not relent, "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek." and in another place God says Luke 1:32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. So here we have Jesus a King and Priest after the order of Melchizedek (who was High Priest and King of Salem) being given the Throne of His father David (through the line of Mary)
So there you are, we have the Gospel - 'The Hope of Israel'
God also made promises to 'us' Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. So in order to be an heir (Sons of God) we need to have faith in God and believe in the things concerning Jesus and the Kingdom of God and be baptized into the saving name of Jesus.
So there you are, we have the Gospel - 'The Hope of Israel' - that God would raise the dead (Abraham, Isaac Jacob and their descendants by faith) to inherit the land. The seed, being Jesus, the promised Messiah as King and High Priest of Israel, ruling the world in righteousness from Jerusalem.
