Posts
I have heard so many times the statement being made that we as a nation must support the nation of Israel because they are God's chosen people and that our own survival as a nation depends directly on how we support the nation Israel. But is that statement or idea true? Is it supported by scripture?
The proponents of the idea derive their evidence from the promise of God made to Abraham, the father of Israel. "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you."
But aren't we blessed through Christ? (Ephesians 1:3-14) Are nations not blessed as they follow Christ and not just because they support national Israel? Would Christ bless that unbelieving nation if he were to walk there now? Did he not curse them?
(Compare Isaiah 5:7 to Matthew 21:33-43 context [Lk 20:9-19; John 15:1-10]; Acts 3:17-23)
So who should our nation support/bless? Who are Abraham's true descendants according to the scriptures? (Rom 4; Gal 3-4)
I don't want anyone to think I'm against ethnic Israel. I think we should be loving them to Christ just like we should for every ethnic group but let's not deceive ourselves to think they are God's chosen people today just because they were His chosen before calvary. All of true Israel was redeemed on that day through that blood. Sure more have been added all through history since then. Our purpose today is be loving peacemakers for Christ. We are his ambassadors to them and the world to convince them that they can be at peace with God and with their neighbors as they learn the forgiveness that comes through Christ. We are never told to support huge zionist political movements but we should be supporting vast missionary/ambassador movements that can help change lives and thereby change nations. Don't be deceived. The US government will never have the solution to the middle east problems. Only Jesus can make people willing to forgive one another and live together in peace. When we pray for the peace of Jerusalem we must have a missionary movement in mind. True peace can only come through Jesus-the prince of peace.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Dispensation NOT
I have found it difficult to discus "Replacement Theology" with dispensationalists due to their own strict separation of the church from Israel thinking. In their minds they are two completely separate entities. In the scriptures however they have been combined. I will attempt to demonstrate how this took place.
First of all, the promises to Israel in the covenants were never meant for the unbelievers of that nation. Only curses pertain to unbelievers. Blessings are for believers only. However, these lines are blurred somewhat in ancient Israel because God is merciful and gracious. "All" the promises made to the Old Testament saints will be fulfilled to those saints, however, those promises can not be fulfilled under the conditions of the Old Covenant. Those saints must come into the New Covenant under the blood of Christ to receive their everlasting promises. That happened when Christ redeemed Israel on the cross. He fulfilled their hopes of redemption. It was a redeemed Israel that the Holy Spirit came to at Pentecost fulfilling the New Covenant promise of God to send His Spirit. Obviously not all ethnic Israel was saved nor did they all receive the Holy Spirit. Only the remnant was saved. Many more were added after Pentecost but the majority remained unbelieving. The believers were still Israel even after 70AD. Only the unbelievers were cut off (Acts 3:23) from Israel. Most of their religious and political leaders had rejected Jesus and they were therefore cut off from Israel. (John 11:49-53)
Then come the gentile believers who we learn from Romans 11:17 were grafted in "among" the believers of Israel. Notice in this passage that only the unbelievers are broken off and believing gentiles "replaced" the unbelievers of Israel. The tree is still Israel even though now it has masses of believing gentiles (perhaps even as many as the sands on the seashore). But it's still Israel! Israel was never rejected or set aside as some say. It still exist in exile (we are aliens and strangers in this world) in a spiritual form for now until Christ returns but when he returns all the promises to all the saints including the "former" Old Testament saints will be fulfilled in Christ's Kingdom on the renewed earth.
First of all, the promises to Israel in the covenants were never meant for the unbelievers of that nation. Only curses pertain to unbelievers. Blessings are for believers only. However, these lines are blurred somewhat in ancient Israel because God is merciful and gracious. "All" the promises made to the Old Testament saints will be fulfilled to those saints, however, those promises can not be fulfilled under the conditions of the Old Covenant. Those saints must come into the New Covenant under the blood of Christ to receive their everlasting promises. That happened when Christ redeemed Israel on the cross. He fulfilled their hopes of redemption. It was a redeemed Israel that the Holy Spirit came to at Pentecost fulfilling the New Covenant promise of God to send His Spirit. Obviously not all ethnic Israel was saved nor did they all receive the Holy Spirit. Only the remnant was saved. Many more were added after Pentecost but the majority remained unbelieving. The believers were still Israel even after 70AD. Only the unbelievers were cut off (Acts 3:23) from Israel. Most of their religious and political leaders had rejected Jesus and they were therefore cut off from Israel. (John 11:49-53)
Then come the gentile believers who we learn from Romans 11:17 were grafted in "among" the believers of Israel. Notice in this passage that only the unbelievers are broken off and believing gentiles "replaced" the unbelievers of Israel. The tree is still Israel even though now it has masses of believing gentiles (perhaps even as many as the sands on the seashore). But it's still Israel! Israel was never rejected or set aside as some say. It still exist in exile (we are aliens and strangers in this world) in a spiritual form for now until Christ returns but when he returns all the promises to all the saints including the "former" Old Testament saints will be fulfilled in Christ's Kingdom on the renewed earth.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)