human nation (species), and at other times about Israel, the people of God (genus). As a species Israel is both blessed and cursed, as the history recorded in the Scriptures makes plain. But the experience of the species is a picture of the promises made to the genus, which includes all the elect children of God. In other words, when the species is promised that it will return to its land and live there in peace for evermore, what the promise really means is that all the ransomed church of God will