LESSON 5 PART 1 ESCHATOLOGY AND REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY COVENANTS WITH ISRAEL

 LESSON 5 PART 1 ESCHATOLOGY REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY

LESSON 5 Part 1

A LOOK AT REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY

 

A Quick Look at “REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY” (CT) OR “SUPERSESSIONISM” (NCT)

Israel is replaced or Superseded by the Church.

 

Why is it important to hold to a position that God has not replaced or superseded Israel?

 

REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY (RT) Predominantly held by Covenant Theology

 

1. We lose the meaning of an “UNCONDITIONAL” covenant.

 

            a. The covenants that God made with Abraham and David were not reciprocal, rather, they were ONE WAY…from God to man…NO CONDITIONS.

 

            b. The covenants that God made with Abraham and David were UNEARNED...Nothing about Israel Glimmered in God’s eye. Nothing attracted God to them.

 

            c. The covenants that God made with Abraham and David teach us about the irrevocable nature of Gods gifts and His call (Romans 11.28b-29).

 

2. We lose the FIDELITY of God to any or all His Promises.

 

            a. The Character of God is on the line if Israel is rejected.

 

            b. The existence and dignity of man created in God’s image is at stake.

 

            c. God is reduced to the image of man.

 

3. For the Covenant Theology Community that believes God rejected His unconditional, irrevocable promises to Israel because they sinned against God:

 

            a. You are negating the very reason He chose them! He chose them because they are unlovely, weak, and sinful.

 

“Know, then, it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people.” (Deut 9.6)

 

             “…so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls…” (Rom 9.11-12)

 

v7 “The Lord did not set His love on you, nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples,

8 but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt”
(Deut 7.8ff)

 

He keeps His covenant because of HIMSELF, NOT because of YOU (Israel).

 

God chose a mouse of a people in order to magnify the attributes of His unconditional, eternal nature. 

 

The smaller we are, the greater He is.

 

In His striving with the rebellious nation of Israel, we see an unfolding, cascading adventure into a marvelous display of the progress of redemption from an Almighty God!

 

If one "kills" Israel, then one kills the very access to the redemptive heart of God.

 

4. For the NEW Covenant Theology Community that believes Israel just FADED away because it was a lesser, Older Covenant and the Church FADED in because it was the GREATER, Newer Covenant:

 

In promoting the belief that the Church “superseded” Israel has made salvation man-centered, not God-centered.

 

The society that rejects Truth is a society that embraces autonomy. Autonomy is idolatry. 

 

When the church believes that it has “outgrown” the unconditional, eternal covenants of God, it is autonomous.

 

Both Covenant and New Covenant Theologians hold to this view (Previous Lesson).

 

What is this view?

 

“New Covenant Theologian” RT’s argue that:

1. The NT has interpretive priority over the OT (whatever is in the OT is old news – not relevant any longer) …Hence “The New Testament/Covenant” – The Old Testament is GONE.

 

2. OT National Israel functioned as a type of the NT church but WAS NOT THE CHURCH!

 

5. The NT indicates that ALL OT PROPHECIES regarding National Israel are being fulfilled with the church now.

 

All OT PROMISES TO Israel regarding LAND are now obsolete and are now fulfilled “spiritually” to the church which is the greater…

“DWELLING IN THE PROMISED LAND = DWELLING IN CHRIST”. WHAT!!??

 

The premise of NCT’s replacement of Israel with the church is the greater has come and the lesser is gone. As a flashlight at night is replaced by the Sun in the day…no need any more for the lesser.

Israel is SUPERSEDED by the Church. The word comes from “Supersede – to sit on top of”

And “SUPER” – Bigger, better.

 

 

They are now trying to “re-label” themselves by emphasizing the term…

“Fulfillment Theology” or “The Continuation of Israel” or the church is Israel in a newly reformed and expanded phase of existence that now includes Gentiles.

 

“Covenant Theology” RT’s believe similarly but believe that the OT Israel was the Spiritual Church that the NT Church is the Spiritual Israel.

 

But in difference to NCT, they believe that OT Israel was DISINHERITED due to their rejection of the Messiah and idolatrous rebellion against God. (REPLACED)

 

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NCT AND CT IN REGARD TO ISRAEL…

 

New Covenant Theology 

OT Israel just faded away. The greater has come and the lesser is gone.

 

Covenant Theology 

OT Israel was DISINHERITED due to their rejection of the Messiah and idolatrous rebellion against God. (REPLACED)

 

There are many texts they use to support their position, but mainly there are 2-3 most elevated…

 

TEXT #1. Gal 3.8, 14, 16

 

1. If Abraham can have Gentiles as his “spiritual seed,” THEN,

Why can’t there be a spiritual Israel? 

In fact, Christians are called by the name “Israel” (Gal 6.16)

 

Ga 3:8* And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’’

Ga 3:14* so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Gal 6.16

And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

 

The first part of v16, which says “those who walk by this rule” refers to the rule Paul had just stated in v15 “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.”

 

This is a spiritual category referring to all believers, to which Paul pronounces a blessing: v16 “Peace and mercy be upon them” Which is then followed by his “copulative” (connects) comment (not an apposition), “and upon the Israel of God.”

 

There is no textual or exegetical basis for belief that Gal 6.16 teaches the “Israel of God” includes the church or Gentile believers in the present age.

This would be simply, “Replacement Theology” or “Supersessionism”.

 

Galatians is concerned with gentiles who were attempting or being forced to attain salvation through the law. The ones deceiving them were the Judaizers, who were Jews demanding adherence to the Law of Moses (or at least some of it). 

 

To them, a gentile first had to convert to Judaism before he was qualified for salvation through Christ. And one of these steps was circumcision.

 

Can you imagine how a Muslim would respond to that today!!!!

 

In fact, tell a Muslim that at his salvation he would become “Spiritual ISRAEL” … he would open a can of “ALLAHU AKBAR” on you.

 

In v15 Paul states that the important thing for salvation is FAITH, resulting in the new man – Salvation by faith has nothing to do with belonging to an ethnic race or national lineage. 

He then pronounces a blessing on TWO groups who would follow this rule of salvation by faith alone. 

 

The First Group is the “them”, the Gentile Christians who, to and of whom he had devoted most of the epistle. 

The Second Group is the Israel of God. These are Hebrew Christians who, in contrast with the Judaizers, followed the rule of salvation by faith alone. Again, a distinction between the two groups is seen, for the Hebrew Christians alone are the Israel of God. It is a matter of position which here acts out a definite function.

 

Israel means Israel. There is not a single instance in the entire Bible where Israel refers to anything other than the Jewish people.

 

Paul always means Jew when he uses Israel or means a part thereof. When he wrote, “of God”, he did not mean the Church, neither did he mean the whole nation of ethnic Jews, but he referred to the pious Israel that lived by faith, “the remnant” according to the election of grace:

 

Rom 11.5

So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.

 

TEXT #2. Gal 3.16-17,19

 

16* Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘‘And to offsprings,’’referring to many, but referring to one, ‘‘And to your offspring,’’ who is Christ.

 

There is more to this verse than the “quibbling” of whether a noun is singular or plural, it is obvious that there was more than a singular meaning of the covenant to Abraham than just one offspring – there was a specific lineage of descendants, if that wasn’t significant, then Isaac would have been the Messiah.

 

To the RT Community this “S” means “The lineage of Israel” – ethnic, National genealogical Israel…Abrahams physical descendants that came through ISAAC.

 

16* Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘‘And to offsprings,’’referring to many, but referring to one, ‘‘And to your offspring,’’ who is Christ.

 

To the RT’s, this “S”, “The lineage of Israel” – ethnic, National genealogical Israel…

 

means “SLASH”.

It Slashes National Israel from the Redemptive Plan and Purposes of GOD. The entire lineage between Abraham and Jesus is wiped away.

 

ABRAHAM AND JESUS ARE NOW THE ONLY MAJOR “PLAYERS” IN THE BIBLE.

 

RT’s say that This “offspring” was not just speaking of the Messiah, but meant the end of an entire physical lineage. 

 

BUT NO, NO, NO …

 

 ACTUALLY, IT MEANS The ultimate – climax of genealogy. 

IT DID NOT “X” OUT OR SLASH THE LINEAGE BETWEEN ABRAHAM AND THE MESSIAH – RATHER, THE MESSIAH WAS THE CRESCENDO OF THE LINEAGE WHICH WAS THE MESSIAH. 

 

PAUL WAS EMPHASIZING THE MEANS OF SALVATION, NOT NEGATING A WHOLE NATION, HE WAS STATING THAT SALVATION IS NOT THROUGH A NATION – IT IS THROUGH THE MESSIAH. HE WAS ATTACKING THE FALSE IDEA THAT SALVATION WAS ACCOMPLISHED VIA JEWISH CUSTOMS AND LAWS. HE WAS NOT ERASING THE JEWISH NATION – HE WAS REFUTING THE JUDAIZERS WHO SAID ONE MUST BE “JEWISH” AND FOLLOW THE LAW TO BE SAVED.

 

PAUL WAS TEACHING THAT SALVATION COMES BY FAITH…FAITH IN THE MESSIAH…

PAUL WAS TEACHING THAT SALVATION DOES NOT COME BY BEING A JEW OR BY FOLLOWING LAWS, TRADITIONS, AND CUSTOMS.

 

 

GAL 3.16

SALVATION DOES NOT COME BY NATIONAL IDENTITY

SALVATION DOES COMES BY ONE HEIR – THE MESSIAH

TO THE JUDAIZERS… “STOP TRYING TO MAKE THE GENTILES  ‘JEWS’ IN ORDER TO BE SAVED.”

 

SALVATION DOES NOT COME BY BEING ONE OF THE OFFSPRINGS  (A NATION)

 

SALVATION COMES THROUGH ONE SINGLE OFFSPRING AS PER THE COVENANT PROMISE

(THE MESSIAH)

 

ADDITIONALLY, IF ISRAEL IS “X’ed” OUT AND THE CHURCH IS IN…then, THE CHURCH HAS A PROBLEM.

 

ISRAELS ELECTION WAS BASED ON GOD’S ELECTION THROUGH COVENANT AND IF THEY WERE REJECTED DUE TO SIN… THEN IS THE CHURCH SAFE? IS ANYONE SAFE?

WERE THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL SUCKERS?

 

IF God "X'ed" out Israel:

1. THEN GOD IS A LIAR. (Because He “CUT” an unconditional covenant with Abraham)

2. THEN OUR SALVATION IS DEPENDANT ON WORKS BECAUSE GOD REJECTED HIS ELECT ISRAEL FOR SINS – WHAT ABOUT THE CHURCH WHEN IT SINS?

 

Is the condition of salvation based on my works or God’s Grace and His Person and Character?

NEXT LESSON WE’LL LOOK AT THIS MORE IN DETAIL AND SEE A NUMBER OF SPECIFIC PROMISES FOR THE “ISRAEL OF GOD”.