The spread of Replacement Theology is alarming and dangerous. Replacement Theology teaches that the church takes the place of Israel and receives the promises of blessing given to the ethnic, geopolitical nation that God raised up through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It does not, however, teach that the church receives the judgments. Those still go to ethnic, geopolitical Israel.(1)
How can the promised judgments be literally fulfilled but the promised blessings be transferred to someone else without doing serious violence to the obvious intention of the original promise? Although the sweep of the text may be enlarged and expanded, the original promise must retain its validity or we have compromised not only the integrity of Scripture but the character of God.(1)
Through “marred in the hand of the potter” Israel will be “made again” (Jer. 18:4). Jesus promised the following:
The “names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel” will be inscribed on the gates of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:12. The Jewish cast of the Tribulation is clear in Revelation (7:4-8).(1)
These are God’s precious promises. And Israel is a sign of God’s fidelity to His eternal Word. Just as He is faithful to keep His promises to Israel, so is He faithful to us. Thus we revel in the grace and undeserved generosity of our God to Israel because it is that same lavish love and faithfulness that enfolds and encompasses us as those “accepted in the Beloved.” In the church that is Christ’s body. All praises be to God for His abundant mercy.(1)
I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable (Romans 11:25-29).
Paul adds the above verse to make sure that nobody misunderstands the New Church for being Israel.
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1). Written by David L. Larsen for Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Israel my Glory, July/August 2008 p.14. David L. Larsen is former chairman of the Department of Practical Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He is professor emeritus of preaching there and also the author of several books, including Jews, Gentiles and the Church.
