“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!“ – Psalm 139:23-24
There is a doctrine found throughout many branches of the traditional Church. It is called “Replacement Theology.” It basically states that God has rejected Israel and the Jews for all time, and that He has put the gentile Church in their favored place as “spiritual” Israel. The resulting conclusion is that the scriptural promises once given to Israel are now for the Church alone, while the curses and messages of judgment are for Israel. A thorough study of church history can reveal how this theology became injected into nearly every branch of the traditional Christian Church (see the recommended reading and videos below for a start).
Replacement theology is a grievous and erroneous position which is not backed up by an objective study of the scriptures. A prayerful reading of Romans 9-11 will confirm that, in the heart of God, Israel is still Israel, and the Church is the Church. God has graciously grafted in gentile believers so that they may partake of the blessings and promises He made in covenant with Israel. At the same time, He has not cast off the nation and the people of Israel. Though they have been hardened for a time, God is doing a unique, painstaking, methodical work with them. He will bring them back to their land (Jeremiah 16:14-16). He will restore them to the place where they will once again relate to Him from His capital city on earth, Jerusalem. He will bring them spiritually to the place where they will look upon Him whom they have pierced and mourn and cry out to Him (Zechariah 12:10). He will bring them to the spiritual state of acceptance where He will be able to drink that 4th cup of wine—the cup of acceptance—in new covenant with them (Matthew 26:29). After much suffering and tribulation, the promises will literally be fulfilled for Israel through a believing remnant of Jews at the end of the age. While the Mosaic covenant (Exodus 19-24) was conditional and broken by the people of God, the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:1-3, 7; 13:14-17; 15:1-21) is unconditional and not wholly fulfilled yet. God has never broken this covenant with Israel because He does not lie (Numbers 23:19). They remain the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8).
As for promises and judgments, God has brought the gentiles into His earthly family as adopted children, and there is an ongoing, continuous relationship between Israel and the Church. He often deals with Israel and the church in a similar manner, just as a father would deal with a natural born child and an adopted child in similar manner. Therefore, many of the beautiful promises and assurances of the Old Testament apply to believers in Jesus the Messiah, as well. What is true for the natural child is probably going to be true for the adopted child because truth is truth—but the adopted child does not take the place of the natural child. Both are to be found in the heart of the Father. He loves both and disciplines both. He will be consistent in His dealings with both of His children.
Though there has been a long season in human history during which Israel has been “broken off” (Romans 11:20), God has never broken His eternal covenant with her. Even as He released strong judgment upon Israel, dispersing her to gentile nations, He made the amazing vows found in Jeremiah 31:35-37 and Jeremiah 33:20-26. These vows declare that as long as the sun shines and the moon is in its place and the stars appear in the sky, as long as the cycle of day and night continue, God is keeping His covenant with Israel. They may be faithless, but He is ever faithful to His unconditional covenant. All one needs to do is to look up into the night sky or toward the noonday sun to be assured of God’s everlasting covenant with His people, Israel. He will discipline Israel as a Loving Father (Hebrews 12), but He will never forsake or forget her.
God is a covenant keeping God. If He is not able to keep the Abrahamic covenant with Israel, how are we to think that He will keep it with us?
To believe that God has put off Israel forever and replaced her with the gentile Church is not only arrogant. Such belief accuses God of being a covenant breaker and a liar. The doctrine of “Replacement Theology” is not a benign thing. It is character assassination against God—a very serious matter. Anyone who has been influenced by its teaching, even in a subtle way, needs to prayerfully and humbly examine that influence and put it out of his or her heart.
Written by Betty McKinney
Recommended Resources
The Mountains of Israel: The Bible & the West Bank by Norma Parrish Archbold
How the Cross Became a Sword by Richard Booker
Restoring the Jewishness of the Gospel by David Stern
Abandoned by Stan Telchin
Betrayed! by Stan Telchin
Timely well written & sourced article. Hope to see more in the future.