DOES THE CHURCH REPLACE ISRAEL? Part Two
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In June, I received an email from a website I had accessed earlier for information about toxicity in our food and drinking water, the history of the chemicals, and how these toxins can lead to cancer and other diseases. But this email, a post from their Substack, surprised me, and the title caught my attention: Biblical Israel vs. Modern Israel: A Christian Guide to the Conflict.[1]
I
respected the author, so I read the article. It referenced the Tucker Carlson
and Senator Ted Cruz interview, and it took us down the road of Israel’s
history and Zionism, complete with Scriptures they felt proved their belief in Replacement
Theology.
Pondering
a response, I opened the comment section. The most recent comment made my blood
boil. On June 20th, Ivan Phillips wrote: “Within the current
context, this may be the most important newsletter you have published thus far,
and the others have been meritorious, indeed. THANKS FOR THIS NEEDED
CLARIFICATION. It may help to save lives.” (Emphasis his)
I didn’t comment, but now you know what prompted
this current series of blog posts.
Justin
Martyr, an early Christian apologist, was the origin of Replacement Theology,
also known as Supersessionism. According to www.israelmyglory.org,
“Justin Martyr, a pagan Greek philosopher, converted to Christianity in AD 135.
In his AD 155 work entitled: Dialogue with Trypho, he debated a Jew
named Trypho by stating the true spiritual Israel, and descendants of Judah,
Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham…are we who have been led to God through this
crucified Christ. Martyr later added, “We who have been quarried out from the
bowels of Christ are the true Israelitic race.”
Supporters
of Replacement Theology do not accept the whole counsel of
God. Some consider the Old Testament irrelevant, ignore God’s plan set
forth before creation, or spiritualize the LORD’s literal
promises to Israel, His covenant people. In this age, Christians share
in Israel’s promises, but NOT at their expense. The New Testament Scriptures
used to prove the church is spiritual Israel are correct because, for this
Church Age, Israel has been set aside, but NOT cut off.
Think
about it. If God knows the end from the beginning, wouldn’t He have known all
Israel would do through the years of time? Of course. In fact, right before
Moses died, the LORD
said Israel would forsake Him and break His covenant, but the song of Moses
would witness against them. Why? God said, “…for I know the inclination of their behavior today,
even before I have brought them to
the land of which I swore to give them.”[2]
The Almighty knew exactly what Israel would do because of
sin.
But He chose them anyway.
And why?
To fulfill His plan.
Many
years later, the LORD of Hosts, the Holy One of Israel, called the God of the
whole earth, said to Israel through
Isaiah, “For your Maker is your husband…and
your Redeemer…”[3] Nevertheless, Israel was an unfaithful wife. So, the
Almighty, Israel’s Husband, spoke and demonstrated His love, but this time through Hosea. “Then
the LORD said to me, ‘Go again, love
a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the LORD for the children of Israel,
who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.’”[4]
Hosea,
the prophet, did as he was told. He bought back or redeemed
his wife, Gomer, for fifteen shekels of silver and one and one-half homers
of barley. Gomer would stay with Hosea many days as a faithful wife,
and God gave this illustration’s interpretation. He said, “For the children of Israel
shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice…” or
any of the items for worship. But afterward,
in the latter days,
they would return, seek the LORD their God, AND David
their king.[5] This prophecy saw partial fulfilment first in the
northern kingdom of Israel being taken captive by Assyria, and secondly, in
Judah’s Babylonian captivity. Yet when they returned in about 536 BC, it was not the latter days. Israel still
had one more dispersion in AD 70, at the hands of Titus and the Roman army.
Both
Daniel and Messiah Jesus prophesied the AD 70 destruction. However, Daniel
gave the timing. The first clue was after
Messiah was “cut off,” but not for Himself. Jesus, God the Son, died to pay the
sin penalty the LORD had set in Genesis for us.[6] Daniel continued writing about his people
and his city’s future—the one week of years remaining out
of the seventy,[7] known as the great Tribulation.
What does all this have to do with Replacement Theology?
Adherents
believe either the church goes through the Tribulation or that the Book of
Revelation is an insignificant allegory fulfilled with the AD 70 destruction.
Both, according to the whole Bible, are wrong because God’s plan
included a blinding of Israel.
Stay tuned for Part 3
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