In Galatians 6:16, the apostle Paul refers to the church as the Israel of God, a name inspired by God Himself who first uttered the word Israel when He changed Jacob's name after a night of wrestling at Peniel. Jacob, originally meaning supplanter, was aggressive and cunning, exploiting circumstances to his advantage, as seen when he gained the birthright from Esau and later deceived Isaac for the firstborn's blessing. This deception forced Jacob to flee for his life to Padan Aram, where he sojourned with Laban for twenty years, during which he developed a stronger relationship with God, though slowly. God assured Jacob of His protection, commanding him to return to the land of his fathers, and with God's help, Jacob prevailed over Laban and later with God at Peniel, refusing to break off the wrestling match. Subsequently, he reconciled with Esau and took a stand against idolatry, recognizing God's work in his life and offering thanks to Him. God protected Jacob during his journey home, as the terror of God was upon the surrounding cities, preventing pursuit. The prophet Hosea contrasts the combative, self-reliant Jacob with the overcomer he became, Israel, meaning he prevails with God, a name reflecting his transformation through milestones like Bethel and Peniel on his road to conversion. Symbolically, Jacob represents a carnal person who has not overcome, while Israel represents a prevailing Christian, an overcomer who will inherit the Kingdom of God. Spiritually, the kings descending from Jacob are those who, like him, have overcome and will someday rule as God, making Israel an apt designation for God's church, whose members struggle to overcome and, remaining faithful, will prevail to rule as princes forever with Him.

God made significant promises to the patriarchs, including Jacob, who is also called Israel, and these promises serve as search criteria pointing to modern-day Israel. Isaac blessed Jacob with wealth and power, foretelling that peoples and nations would serve Israel, and that Israel's posterity would hold a preeminent place among nations. This blessing extends beyond Jacob's lifetime, pointing to future generations and the Israel of a later time. Jacob, like his father Isaac, was a prophet with insight into Israel's future, as recorded in Genesis 49 with prophecies concerning his sons in the last days. These prophecies are vital search criteria for identifying modern-day Israel. Israel blessed his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, by faith, understanding the substance of God's promises to him, his father, and his grandfather Abraham. He declared that Joseph's sons, born in Egypt, were his own, stating they would bear the name of Israel to establish their legal connection to the family of Abraham and the structure of God's promises. In blessing his grandsons, Israel crossed his hands, placing his right hand on the younger Ephraim and his left on the older Manasseh, knowingly bestowing the greater blessing on Ephraim, predicting he would become a multitude of nations, while reserving a lesser blessing for Manasseh. This act of crossing hands is crucial for understanding the whereabouts of modern-day Israel. The first appearance of the name Israel in God's Word occurs when Jacob, wrestling with God, requests a blessing, recognizing with whom he wrestles. He names the place Peniel, meaning the Face of God, for he saw God face to face and his life was preserved. Jacob understood that God could have prevailed but chose not to, sparing his life for other plans and purposes, empowering human beings to overcome. In Genesis 35:10, at Bethel, God reaffirms Jacob's new name as Israel, reiterating the promises made to Abraham. True Israelites are those who, like Jacob, are persuaded that God prevails and provides according to His purposes.