like yourself I also used to believe that the nation of Israel was central to understanding eschatology but by grace alone have been brought to see instead that it is Christ.
I can not stress how important eschatology is for it moulds a persons worldview and this is very prevalent with the current geopolitical situation which is because of your faulty view that the Israel of today which has no temple or sacrifices is the same as the Israel of old which was utterly destroyed as they stumbled upon the Rock as prophesied.
1Pe 2:4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
1Pe 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
1Pe 2:6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHIEF CORNERSTONE, ELECT, PRECIOUS, AND HE WHO BELIEVES ON HIM WILL BY NO MEANS BE PUT TO SHAME."
1Pe 2:7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE,"
1Pe 2:8 and "A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
1Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
1Pe 2:10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
The only true High Priest is Christ and His people are His temple and His priests!
Dear sir I don't disagree with any of these truths.
These things are true of the present situation.
I love the bible, I am sure you do too, in it everything you could ever wish to know about Israel is written, their history, not like British or American history which only records the great triumphs and success, feats of valour etc. The bible records the downside of Jewish history as well, their failures, and everything is prophesied well in advance. No Jew ever needed to be surprised at their defeat by the King of Babylon and their removal hence. And yet they were surprised.
They were surprised because they reading the wrong prophecies relating to a different time in their history, they were trusting in the wrong promises. Many Christians today are doing the same thing, believing the word of God that do not relate to them but which relate to a different time and a different epoch.
So far as prophecy goes and eschatology people take all the prophecies relating to Israel and mix them up into a massive stew as though all prophecies either relate to the past or to the future.
You say their stumble was a thing appointed unto them ... why are you surprised then that they did stumble? what have they done that they were not appointed or ELECT to do? YOU could not have been saved if they had not stumbled. Their greatest sin has turned out to be God's greatest triumph.
This is the summing up of Paul's lengthy teaching on the Jews in Romans.
Have they then stumbled so as to fall? God forbid! but through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles so as to make Israel jealous ..... [Paul recognises that there is still an Israel who God is dealing with]
Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles how much more will their FULL INCLUSION mean? Romans 11.
Their rejection has meant reconciliation for the world but their acceptance mean but life from the dead? People talking so much about the Rapture or the first resurrection life from the dead. Y'all hear me now, there will be no rapture until the Jews are ready to be brought in.
The coming of the Lord is for to reign and He will reign through Israel. He was crucified as King of the Jews and so He still is.
When people read prophecy related to Israel they must read those prophecies which relate to and generally start "it will come to pass in the latter days," all the other prophecies have come to pass, it is now history. How God smote the Shepherd and scattered the sheep. Jesus said that happened when He was arrested.
Now the prophecies relating to God's gathering of His sheep are the prophecies relating to Israel today ... and we see it with our own eyes.
Their time is coming and our time of redemption is coming. Glory for the Jews and greater glory for the Church. But you can't leave the Jews out of the equation. It is like taking a huge slice out of a cake.