Since the rebellion in Eden
God’s purpose has been to produce a seed. Because of his faith Abraham
was chosen as the one through whom the seed would eventually come.
Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, whose name God changed to Israel, had twelve
sons that produced the twelve tribes of Israel. For that reason in later
centuries God referred to the nation as “Jacob” and more commonly
“Israel.”
Eventually, Judah
produced the Christ and after that others were anointed to become part
of the seed along with Jesus. Because they are to be the actual seed of
blessing God promised would come through Abraham, the Christian seed is
the real Israel of God. Paul explained these things in his letter to the
Galatians.
At any rate, the
Christian Israel of God became corrupt too, just like Israel had before
it – even as the founding apostles foretold would occur. But before the
conclusion of the system a new generation of anointed persons would
appear in the world, thus constituting the Israel of God in modern
times. Since its inception the Watchtower Society has been the seedbed
for anointed Christians (and consequently the weed patch as well) first
called the International Bible Students and since 1931, Jehovah's
Witnesses; making Bethel a sort of capital city for the spiritual nation
that has formed.
​