I got into a discussion on Twitter today with someone that was a bit interesting. Interesting in that the man’s bio line stated that he was a Christian, yet his “tweets” were harshly critical of Israel. I wondered why until I realized that he was an adherent of “Replacement Theology.” Have you heard of it before?
Basically, this theory teaches that the Church has replaced Israel and inherited the promises God made to her as a people and nation. Paul says differently in the book of Romans: “For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will remove ungodliness from Jacob..” Romans 11:25-26 God is not finished with Israel. Replacement Theology spiritualizes Scripture rather than following basic methods of interpretation~sometimes painfully so. While some of God’s promises to Israel were based on her obedience as a nation, key covenants were not. Why does it matter?
If God broke His promises to Israel, then what foundation do we have of placing our trust in Him for salvation through Christ? God does not lie. He keeps His promises. Twice in Romans 11 Paul insists that God has not rejected Israel. The Church’s role is to provoke Israel to faith in the Messiah, Jesus. There are two distinct groups in the Bible, Israel and the Church. All of God’s promises to Israel will meet their fulfillment: the promise for land, descendants and blessings. Rather than spiritualizing Scripture, it is best to interpret it in a consistent, literal way.