Who does the bible say are 'BORN AGAIN'?

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten [born, birthed] us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Peter mentions the fact that 'us', in reference to the Jews (Israel), have been begotten (or birthed) AGAIN! Born again? Firstly, what exactly does Peter mean by this, and second, does it line up with what the modern church and many Christians say today? So, in other words, what does 'born again' REALLY mean in the true biblical context, and does it REALLY have any significance in this grace dispensation? You might be very surprised at the findings.

In the scripture passage below, Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus. We are all familiar with this well-known piece of dialogue as Jesus mentions to Nicodemus that to enter the Kingdom, one must be born again. As always, it is crucial to read and understand any scripture in a rightly divided context.

This is the dialogue of Jesus with Nicodemus,

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him [Nicodemus], Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see [partake in] the kingdom of God ... 5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water [natural/baptism] and the Spirit [Holy Spirit], he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye [plural, in ref to Israel] must be born again.

Firstly, 'the kingdom of God' is a reference to the Millennial Kingdom, Christ's 1000-year reign on earth, ruling from Jerusalem on David's throne. This is not a reference to being saved and going to heaven. Read Jer.31:31-34 and Ezek.36:25-28. These are prophecies about the salvation (or the rebirth) of the Jewish remnant as the Holy Spirit is poured out on them when Christ comes at His second coming at the end of the Tribulation.

Secondly, in the context of this passage, Jesus is not talking about a specific individual being born again, but He is referring to Israel; "Ye" (the plural form of you) is in reference to Israel, the entire nation —God wants every Jew to be born-again, so that the whole nation will be "born again" into the new covenant and they can be the vessel God can use to minister to the lost Gentile world (see 1 John 2:26-29). God's relationship with Israel has always been as a nation, not an individual person. 

So, since Jesus is saying that Israel must be born AGAIN, where in scripture did Israel get born the first time?

In Exodus the nation of Israel was born the first time when God delivered them out of Egypt and took them through the Red Sea. 

Exodus 4:22-23 "And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: And I say unto thee, let my son go, that he may serve me…" 

Numbers 11:11 So Moses said to the Lord, "Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favour in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me? 12 "Have I conceived all these people? Have I begotten [Heb. yalad, birthed] them…?", that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,

Now that we've identified Israel's first birth, where do we find in God's plan where Israel is born a second time?

This will happen between the midpoint and end of the Tribulation, during Jesus Second Coming over the Remnant of Israel and when He pours out His Spirit on them. Have a look at this incredible scripture in Isaiah,

Isaiah 66:8 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labour, she gave birth to her children. 9 "Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?" says the Lord. "Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?" says your God.

So, how does all this apply to us in this day and age. If it is Israel that gets 'born again', what about us who are believers today? To identify what happens to us when we get saved, we must look at what the scriptures say about us, and what we, the members of the Body of Christ, are in this grace dispensation.

The members of "the Body of Christ" today are not 'born again', but rather, we are "regenerated" [to revive; make alive] in our "spirit man" by having received the resurrected "Spirit of life in Christ Jesus." 

2 Cor.5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Just as Adam was not born but was rather created, so we go from the old creation (a dead spirit) into becoming a new creation as we go from being in Adam into being placed in Christ!

Eph.2:1 "… You hath He quickened [to revive; make alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins" ... "

Eph.2:5 "… when we were dead in sins, [God] hath quickened us together with [by the resurrected Spirit of] Christ.

Eph.2:10 "we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus" ...

Eph.4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 

"Rebirth" and "Regeneration" are not the same thing, and these are associated with God's two programs; one for the Nation Israel and one for the church, called "the Body of Christ."

1. Rebirth for a Jew in the Kingdom program made them a part of a 'born-again' Nation of Israel
   
2. Regeneration for a grace-believer during today's "dispensation of the grace of God" (Eph.3:2) makes them a part of "the Body of Christ," an entirely 'new creation.'

How does one get saved (regenerated)? See here.