Israel has not been replaced by the church

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Jerusalem Blade

Puritan Board Professor
ISRAEL HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED BY THE CHURCH

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people
whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.
Psalm 33:12​

When Christ – the Messiah of Israel – came among His people, taught them and died for them, He came as the King anciently prophesied. Of Him Isaiah said, “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever” (9:7). Daniel saw in vision, “there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (7:14). Messiah, on the throne of David, shall rule a kingdom comprised of many nations.

When the angel Gabriel foretold His birth to Mary His mother, he said, “the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father, David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; And of his kingdom there shall be no end.” (Luke 1:32, 33)

We see here Messiah coming into the world to establish and order his kingdom; it is called by the angel “the house of Jacob”, and in this kingdom will be many nations, peoples, and languages; Micah said of Messiah, that He is “to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (5:2). We also see that Messiah, Jesus the Christ, extends the boundaries of His kingdom – the kingdom of Israel – to include all the earth, and this is fitting, for “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and all they that dwell therein.... For God is the king of all the earth.... [He] reigns over the heathen” (Ps 24:1; 47:7, 8). There is no doubt that this long-awaited kingdom – of which Daniel said the God of heaven would set it up and it would never be destroyed but rather would do away with all rival kingdoms (2:44) – this very kingdom was Israel; its king, Jesus of Nazareth, seed of the royal line of David; its capital, New Jerusalem: “And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their honour and glory into it” (Rev 21:24).

But many in ancient Israel would not hear Him, rather hated Him. Of such, God speaking through Moses declared, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him” (Deuteronomy 18:19), meaning, God would require his place in Israel and his life! The apostle Peter reiterated these words of Moses as follows, “every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people” (Acts 3:23).

In other words, the Lord – the King! – at this time ordered His kingdom by separating wheat from chaff, sheep from goats, and executed what He had earlier told the chief priests and elders of the people: “The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof” (Matt 21:43). The kingdom of God given to a nation other than Israel? No, rather the nation of Israel so ordered anew by its king as to remove its ties to the temple and its priesthood, and to the government – both of which were conspiring to slay Him! – and transfer it to a new government of His choosing, with twelve apostles instead of twelve tribal elders, and comprised of all true Israelites who would bow the knee to their King and God. The others – all the others – who refused to heed the word of the God of Israel through Messiah, were removed from the nation of Israel, as a butcher cleaves inedible gristle from the meat. Israel was now comprised of only those loyal to God’s Messiah. His body was now the true temple, His word the law, and His apostles the appointed rulers of the people. The land of Israel would be extended to include the entire earth, no more restricted by the geography of Palestine; the true Jerusalem would be the heavenly, the one from above, to be brought to the earth in the fullness of time.

What was the status of those Jews cut off from the people of Israel? Unabashedly modern Judaism states,

“...it was the tannaitic [Pharisaic-Rabbinic teaching] tradition which was almost completely representative of the Jewish community in Palestine and, to a great extent, of that segment of the Diaspora which remained loyal to its ancestral faith.... Indeed, it is the halakhah [the Jewish legal system founded by the Tannaim] which may be described as that which typifies Rabbinic Judaism.” [1]​

In other words, those Jews who refused to acknowledge Jesus as Messiah and were cut off by God from the nation – no more accepted as Israelites by the God of Israel, and by its messianic King – these renegades became rivals for the name and status of Israel and Jew. Though physical seed of Abraham, they were disowned by Jehovah. They murderously persecuted the true Israel when it was in their power.

What says Messiah of these? When giving John the letter for the church in Smyrna, Jesus says, “...I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan” (2:9). When the Greek word blasphēmia is used regarding humans it means reviling slander, and these Jews slanderously accused this small company of Messiah’s followers to the Roman authorities, causing their imprisonment and execution. Again, in the letter to the church in Philadelphia Jesus has John write, “Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship [bow down in humility] before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee” (3:9). This indicates that some of the church’s fiercest enemies were converted and won to their Messiah. But it also indicates that the King of Israel declared those Jews which were against Him (“He that is not with me is against me” Matt 12:30) were, in His eyes, not any longer Jews, but apostates.

The apostle Paul, by the Spirit of God, says the same:

“For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” (Rom 2:28, 29)​

Jeremiah concurs, for even in the Old Covenant uncircumcision of heart incurred God’s wrath, as it indicated wickedness and rebellion (Jer 9:25, 26). And again Paul says, “For they are not all Israel which are of Israel... but the children of the promise are counted for the seed” (Rom 9:6, 8), and “...if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal 3:29).

And yet again, in his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul says, “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Jesus Christ, and have no confidence in the flesh.” (3:3) To the Galatian churches he says, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.” (6:15)

Little wonder many in what is called Modern Jewry loathe Christ, the New Testament, Christians, and God for this pronouncement, even though it first came by Moses (Deut 18:15, 18, 19).

Paul says that in times past Gentile nations were looked upon as “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world…”, but now, in the fold of Messiah, they “are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Eph 2:12, 19). This household of God is the same spoken of in Hebrews, Moses being a faithful servant in it – the house of Israel – while Christ is no servant but the “son over his own house; whose house we are” (3:1-6).

The Israel of God has not been replaced, but it has been culled, the faithful Jews gathered and the unfaithful cast off by word of the King; the promise to Abraham that “in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Gen 12:3) is now being fulfilled, as is the prophecy of Daniel that “all people, nations, and languages should serve him” (7:14). Sometimes the kingdom of Israel is called the church, but this latter is a synonym, and no replacement! Only in this kingdom is this Scripture fulfilled: “In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory” (Isa 45:25), for justification before His presence is the gift of God through faith in Messiah; in true Israel alone are all the seed so blessed. The New Jerusalem which shall come down upon the renewed earth is its capital, and the glory of Israel is the Lamb who sits upon the throne of David, the divine Husband of that beloved Bride who shares His glory.
_____________________________

[1] Who Was A Jew? Rabbinic and Halakhic Perspectives on the Jewish-Christian Schism, by Lawrence H. Schiffman (KATV Publishing House, NJ 1985), Pages 4, 5.
 
Gonna resurrect this thread,

If we being reformed claim Israel has no longer any place in redemptive history now that the church is here,

How do we explain the modern state of Israel?
 
Gonna resurrect this thread,

If we being reformed claim Israel has no longer any place in redemptive history now that the church is here,

How do we explain the modern state of Israel?

Robert Reymond says in Who Really Owns the "Holy Land"? that,

1. The modern Jewish state is not a part of the Messianic kingdom of Jesus Christ. Even though this particular political state came into being on May 14, 1948, it would be a denial of Jesus' affirmation that his kingdom is "not of this world order " (John 18:36) to assert that modern Israel is a part of his Messianic kingdom. To put it bluntly, modern Israel is not true Israel at all, but is rather "the spiritual son of Hagar " (Romans 9:6-8; Galatians 4:24-25) and thus is "Ishmaelitish " to the core, due to its lack of Abrahamic belief in Jesus Christ. 21

[21. Modern Israel must face the fact that to be the physical descendants of Abraham and to have Abrahamic blood flowing in their veins means nothing as far as acquiring God’s approbation is concerned. As John the Baptist warned: ?Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our Father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham? (Matthew 3:9). To the Jews who said, "Abraham is our Father," but who were seeking to kill him, Jesus, said,: "If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did [that is, you would rejoice to see my day].... You are of your father the devil" (John 8:39-44, 56). Ethnic Jews must recall that Abraham had two sons, which means that "not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring"; rather, "it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise who are counted as offspring" (Romans 9:7-8).]
 
The appearance of modern unbelieving (for the most part) State of Israel might be a sign that God intends to graft the rest of the Jewish remnant back into the tree however.

I agree that Israel is just another nation. Oddly enough, so do the Orthodox, who believe that ONLY Moschiach can bring about the true nation of Israel. They don't believe that the current state of Israel is the Biblical one.
 
Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly , nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
NKJV
Gal 3:24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. NKJV

Note how Paul says we and our. It still is. This is the continuation of Israel.
The Jews who did not follow The Way or accept the Messiah are the ones who left Israel and God's people.
These are the Jews God will continue to work with, not those who departed from the faith and Israel.

Who is more of a Jew, one who stays in the land of Israel and rejects the faith and the messiah or one who accepts, whether he stayed in Israel as many did or moved?

The nation ended and the laws were dropped but the same Jewish faith continued as it spread more to all nations. Just the OT laws were dropped and signs changed. But it is the same faith Abraham followed.
Christian was a term heathen put on the Jews who continues in The Way; the foretold expansion of their faith.

Jesus did not start a new religion, distinct from the original faith in Jehovah creator. He is the partial fulfillment of the prophecies of that faith.

So in one sense we are all Jews of The Way and Israel of faith and the ethnic Jews who abandoned their faith are not Jews. They are just other middle eastern heathen.

They as well as any can be graft into Israel of faith.
 
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Great point Don.

I was really worried when I saw the title of the thread. Now not so much. Good discussion. Hopefully many misconceptions about who the true Israel of God is can be corrected in this thread.
 
Well how can anyone not get that this is the same religion and the unfaithful Jews forsook their religion when the fulfillments came?

This is the teaching of Judaism. It was never to be as those who left the faith, just because they continued to sacrifice and some stayed in Israel. Some didn't they moved to Germany Russia and New York.
So how are they the children of God?

Only the Jews who continued in the faith once for all proclaimed from the foundations of the earth, who were in the Ecclesia in the Wilderness, had the gospel preached to them are those Jews and Jewish proselytes who are the children of God.

If you are a Gentile you have simply become a Jewish proselyte and continue in the present day ministration of that faith.

1 Peter 4:6 For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. NKJV

Acts 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: KJV

Boy no one wants to translate that word church now days do they??

Romans reminds us clearly that just as in the time of Jacob and Esau though both were ethnic Jews both were not the children of God. Just as Issac and Ismael were both descendants of Abraham this does nothing. Don;t say that is because Ishmael was a mix-breed because this is the same argument to day. Those who call themselves sons of Abraham are mix-breeds.
The point is it was never ever to the ethnic descendants. This was the error of the Pharisees who said Abraham is our father and Jesus corrected them and said, no he isn't. If Abraham was your father in the sense I meant it, you would know me.

Jesus was correcting the error that the dispensationalists hold to today.
He taught them that just as it had been said do not murder, this meant do not be angry, so also to be a son of Abraham did not mean be a fleshy descendant. It meant be of the faith of Abraham because the prophecies were all to the seed of faith, the seed of promise which is by The One Seed, being in Christ.

Only those Jews or gentile proselytes who are in the faith of Abraham were and are children of God and children of promise and heirs with Abraham.
Why, because it was always by faith, not by flesh or by law. Don't get hung up on law. It is used in the same sense as flesh. Hear the word of this.

Gal 4:23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar — 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children — 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. NKJV

God tells us plainly these things were symbolic. They correspond to the elect, salvation of all who will be saved. The true Children of God. And those in bondage were not and are not now the children of promise, prophecy or of God. They are the ones he did abandon. now there may be some of them who will be saved but no differently any one else today who is saved. Not on the basis if their being ethnic Jews but because they are part of the elect of all nations.


The false Jews who remain in the land or form a new nation today have no part in God's plan.

There never was a complete restoration if the nation Israel on earth and God did not establish an earthly kingdom with Christ ruling in it.

All these prophecies failed or else they all pointed to the Heavenly kingdom and fulfillment of them Where Christ is reigning as King Supreme now and purging the land of the heathen as he continues to expand His kingdom, pulling people of all nations out of the bondage of satan breaking down the gates of hell as it were and saving them, grafting them into the root, Israel of promise, Israel of faith, the one body of Christ.

And ultimately the New Jerusalem will descend down from heaven to the new earth where the final fulfillment of all prophecy and Christ kingly reign will be fully established and all the heathen purged from this promised land.
So all Israel shall be saved and we have the fulfillment of prophecy.

BTW Steve: Excellent concise explanation. Who can resist this clarity and consistency and harmony of all scripture?
 
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Reflecting on the classical Dispensationalists view of Jews I wonder how they can think there can be a future for Jews who admittedly are mostly if not all mixbreed now in light of this scripture
John 4:9
How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) NASB
Mix Breeds were not considered Jews.
So who are the Jews that will come at the end times? Sons of Ishmael?
Sons of Esau or just sons of Judah? And will mix-breed sons be counted or are they not Jews?

And Was Jesus teaching Judaism or Christianity? Did he teach Old covenant Judaism or new covenant Judaism?
The new covenant with the House of Israel ? Or was He teaching for the church?

I say there is only one truth and Christ taught truth, the same truth. He taught the gospel Abraham got with the promises and taught the New covenant Judaism which is was the Gentiles get grafted into.
"I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!" (Psalm 22:22,23)

I am an intended descendant of Jacob, I am a descendant of Israel by promise and faith, one whom the promises of Abraham have come to

John 4:21-23
"Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father. 22 "You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. NASB

Jesus taught that No Longer will men worship in Jerusalem. That is done. Now we worship anywhere in Spirit.

To hold out a hope for Jerusalem is to oppose the clear teaching of Christ.
 
I always find it interesting when ppl question whether or not the Church replaced Israel WHEN IN FACT Israel was the Church first and then God brought in the Gentiles to be apart of the Church.
 
I always find it interesting when ppl question whether or not the Church replaced Israel WHEN IN FACT Israel was the Church first and then God brought in the Gentiles to be apart of the Church.

If you had simply posted this at the start of the thread, I wouldn't have to read through SOOO many lines. :p

Just kidding. :lol:
 
God has made us, those whom are His elect, Jew and Gentile, one nation and people in Christ. We are now the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16), true Jews circumcised in heart (Romans 2:28-29, Colossians 2) and of the seed of Abraham, which is Jesus Christ (Galatians 3). To claim that God has preference about race instead of by His grace is foolishness and plain wrong.
 
Wow...what a timely thread and good comments! I thank God for the PB.

I was listening to a sermon at church sunday and the pastor said that Israel was replaced by the church. He said it in passing and so fast that I almost didn't think I heard it...and I wondered how legit that view was.

I was planning on asking the Q here on the PB but now I don't have to!

thanks, :applause:
bob
 
According to Romans 11 God has cut the unbelieving Jews out of the Covenant people, and yet is still working with them in his providence and will re-ingraft them as a nation in his good time.

See also this thread which looks at Palmer Robertson's approach to Romans 11.


http://www.puritanboard.com/f45/o-palmer-robertson-romans-11-a-51401/

How do you think this will look like?

It'll look like the nation of Israel and the Jews becoming true Christians instead of being Judaistic or secular, etc.

When it'll happen? Who knows. I don't buy Robertson's attempt to deny that as well as an ongoing number of Jews in the Olive Tree, there will not be a future ingrafting of the Jewish people. Robertson seems to be addressing premils and Dispensationalists on Romans 11, rather than postmils and optimistic amils who believe in a future national conversion of the Jews. As a postmil, I believe in future national conversions of all nations - not just the Jews - in God's good time.

Otherwise Robertson's book seems very good; what I've read of it.
 
Richard Tallach
As a postmil, I believe in future national conversions of all nations - not just the Jews - in God's good time.

That's a good statement.

However, isn't it fair to say "amillennialism" believes that as well, but not to the extent of "Christianizing" broadly all the nations of the earth.

Isn't it also characteristic of "amillenialism" historically to see apostasy at the end, right before Christ's return? Also, that there is some distinction among "amillenialism" between that apostasy and at least a more or less equal advancement reflected right before the time of Christ's return?
 
The appearance of modern unbelieving (for the most part) State of Israel might be a sign that God intends to graft the rest of the Jewish remnant back into the tree however.

I agree that Israel is just another nation. Oddly enough, so do the Orthodox, who believe that ONLY Moschiach can bring about the true nation of Israel. They don't believe that the current state of Israel is the Biblical one.

The Talmud (Kesubos 111a) forbids the Jewish people from returning to the Land before the Messiah brings them back.
The modern state of Israel is just another new Nation like Croatia or East Timor, and will probably pass away like all other nations. The Jews did attempt to return in the 4th century under the Apostate Emperor Julian and rebuild their temple, but God brought it to nought and scattered them again. I believe this will be the fate of this new state of Israel(falsely called) as it goes about claiming covenantal rights for a covenant which it has breached long ago.
 
According to Romans 11 God has cut the unbelieving Jews out of the Covenant people, and yet is still working with them in his providence and will re-ingraft them as a nation in his good time.



Richard or someone please Please can you explain to me why you think the word fullness has two completely different or opposite meanings in this passage

Rom 11:12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! NKJV

Rom 11:25 blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. NKJV

Obviously fullness does not refer to some later influx a mass of Gentiles. It means a steady continual accumulation.

So how can fullness of Jews mean anything different than that same thing. The gradual continual engrafting of them through the ages?


Please help he have some understanding of how you can interpret these differently .
----------

What Jews?
Reflecting on the classical Dispensationalists view of Jews I wonder how they can think there can be a future for Jews who admittedly are mostly if not all mixbreed now in light of this scripture
John 4:9
How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) NASB
Mix Breeds were not considered Jews.
So who are the Jews that will come at the end times? Sons of Ishmael?
Sons of Esau or just sons of Judah? And will mix-breed sons be counted or are they not Jews?



How can anyone not get that this is the same religion and the unfaithful Jews forsook their religion when the fulfillments came?

This is the teaching of Judaism. It was never to be as those who left the faith, just because they continued to sacrifice and some stayed in Israel. Some didn't they moved to Germany Russia and New York.
So how are they the children of God?

Only the Jews who continued in the faith once for all proclaimed from the foundations of the earth, who were in the Ecclesia in the Wilderness, had the gospel preached to them are those Jews and Jewish proselytes who are the children of God.

If you are a Gentile you have simply become a Jewish proselyte and continue in the present day ministration of that faith.

1 Peter 4:6 For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. NKJV

Acts 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: KJV

Boy no one wants to translate that word church now days do they??

Romans reminds us clearly that just as in the time of Jacob and Esau though both were ethnic Jews both were not the children of God. Just as Issac and Ismael were both descendants of Abraham this does nothing. Don;t say that is because Ishmael was a mix-breed because this is the same argument to day. Those who call themselves sons of Abraham are mix-breeds.
The point is it was never ever to the ethnic descendants. This was the error of the Pharisees who said Abraham is our father and Jesus corrected them and said, no he isn't. If Abraham was your father in the sense I meant it, you would know me.

Jesus was correcting the error that the dispensationalists hold to today.
He taught them that just as it had been said do not murder, this meant do not be angry, so also to be a son of Abraham did not mean be a fleshy descendant. It meant be of the faith of Abraham because the prophecies were all to the seed of faith, the seed of promise which is by The One Seed, being in Christ.

Only those Jews or gentile proselytes who are in the faith of Abraham were and are children of God and children of promise and heirs with Abraham.
Why, because it was always by faith, not by flesh or by law. Don't get hung up on law. It is used in the same sense as flesh. Hear the word of this.

Gal 4:23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar — 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children — 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. NKJV

God tells us plainly these things were symbolic. They correspond to the elect, salvation of all who will be saved. The true Children of God. And those in bondage were not and are not now the children of promise, prophecy or of God. They are the ones he did abandon. now there may be some of them who will be saved but no differently any one else today who is saved. Not on the basis if their being ethnic Jews but because they are part of the elect of all nations.


The false Jews who remain in the land or form a new nation today have no part in God's plan.

There never was a complete restoration if the nation Israel on earth and God did not establish an earthly kingdom with Christ ruling in it.

All these prophecies failed or else they all really pointed to the Heavenly kingdom and eternal fulfillment of them Where Christ is reigning as King Supreme now and purging the land of the heathen as he continues to expand His kingdom, pulling people of all nations out of the bondage of satan breaking down the gates of hell as it were and saving them, grafting them into the root, Israel of promise, Israel of faith, the one body of Christ.

And ultimately the New Jerusalem will descend down from heaven to the new earth where the final fulfillment of all prophecy and Christ kingly reign will be fully established and all the heathen purged from this promised land.
So all Israel shall be saved and we have the fulfillment of prophecy.
 
Richard or someone please Please can you explain to me why you think the word fullness has two completely different or opposite meanings in this passage

Rom 11:12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! NKJV

Rom 11:25 blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. NKJV

Obviously fullness does not refer to some later influx a mass of Gentiles. It means a steady continual accumulation.

So how can fullness of Jews mean anything different than that same thing. The gradual continual engrafting of them through the ages?

Please help he have some understanding of how you can interpret these differently .
----------

See my link to my analysis of O.Palmer Robertson's exegesis of Romans 11. I agree that the question of the possible meaning(s) of the word "fulness" is a problem for this explanation of Romans 11.

I would venture that the view that the Apostle is only speaking of a small remnant of Jews being saved down through the ages has greater problems.

E.g. Rom 11:12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! NKJV

The fulness of the Jews that Robertson speaks of here - which is the full number of Jews converted down through the centuries - has not had, and will not have, a commensurate benefit for the world and the Gentiles to the Jewish apostasy, because according to Robertson when it comes in the world will end. This is although the end of the world/Second Advent is not mentioned in Romans 11, and when the world ends the state of the saved and unsaved is established, and converted Jews will not have opportunity to enrich the world, as their fathers did by their apostasy.

Quote from Don
So how are they the children of God?

I'm certainly not saying that modern Jews are the children of God or that the nation of Israel is God's country. What I am saying is that Jews become children of God by faith in Jesus Christ and repentance towards God, and that Romans 11 teaches not only an ongoing remnant of Jews that believe, but also that there will be a national conversion. I'm not a Dispensationalist, any more than Charles Hodge or Johnnie Murray were Dispensationalists.


Here's the link again:-

http://www.puritanboard.com/f45/o-palmer-robertson-romans-11-a-51401/
 
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Richard Tallach
As a postmil, I believe in future national conversions of all nations - not just the Jews - in God's good time.

That's a good statement.

However, isn't it fair to say "amillennialism" believes that as well, but not to the extent of "Christianizing" broadly all the nations of the earth.

Isn't it also characteristic of "amillenialism" historically to see apostasy at the end, right before Christ's return? Also, that there is some distinction among "amillenialism" between that apostasy and at least a more or less equal advancement reflected right before the time of Christ's return?

Amillenialism doesn't believe the Bible gives us warrant to say that all nations will be Christianised and recognise Christ and Christianity in their constitutions, that there will be a long, long period of international peace and relative blessedness as a result of this Christianisation. Postmils also believe that at the very end of the world there will be a short period of apostasy before Christ's Second Advent.

Amils tend to believe that good and evil will grow together throughout this age until at the very end the evil overcomes the good, just before Christ's Second Advent.

Postmils believe that the good will eventually overcome the evil in this world at every level, from the individual to the international, because Christ is ruling and reigning and can do this by His Word in the Gospel, by His Mighty Spirit, by His Invincible Church and by His Divine Providence by which He rules the nations with a rod of iron and progressively brings them under His subjection.
 
Judaism was always a religion, never a race. Descent from Abraham was always covenantal, never biological. That explains how a handful of Hebrews in Egypt became in 400 years a nation numbering millions. The classic Rabbinic Torah Commentaries state that Joseph converted large numbers of Egyptians to the Faith, These converts then became children of Israel, no longer considered as Egyptians.
Even in Rabbinic Judaism, many prominent rabbinic authorites consider being Jewish as Religious rather than racial. I know Maimonides believed that. The last Gaon of Babylonia, Saadia Gaon wrote""We exist as a nation only by virtue of our Torah""
 
Very helpful in understanding this, thank you. A few questions below.

Richard Tallach
As a postmil, I believe in future national conversions of all nations - not just the Jews - in God's good time.

That's a good statement.

However, isn't it fair to say "amillennialism" believes that as well, but not to the extent of "Christianizing" broadly all the nations of the earth.

Isn't it also characteristic of "amillenialism" historically to see apostasy at the end, right before Christ's return? Also, that there is some distinction among "amillenialism" between that apostasy and at least a more or less equal advancement reflected right before the time of Christ's return?

So, "amill" believes there will be some Christianization of whole nations, including even possibly ethnic Israel, but that it will go side-by-side with evil, with an apostasy at the end, right before Christ's return?

But certainly an "amill" could believe in a special redemptive work among people with some Jewish ancestry on the basis of Christ, before His return?


Amillenialism doesn't believe the Bible gives us warrant to say that all nations will be Christianised and recognise Christ and Christianity in their constitutions, that there will be a long, long period of international peace and relative blessedness as a result of this Christianisation.
Not sure I'm following this sentence (above)...

Postmils also believe that at the very end of the world there will be a short period of apostasy before Christ's Second Advent.
Really, a short apostasy, even though the nations are broadly Christianized?

Amils tend to believe that good and evil will grow together throughout this age until at the very end the evil overcomes the good, just before Christ's Second Advent.

Two questions:
1) Doesn't this reflect the "amill" understanding Satan will be "unbound" during that period right before His return?
2) Is there truly a difference between and "optimistic" and "pessmistic" amillennialist on this point?


Postmils believe that the good will eventually overcome the evil in this world at every level, from the individual to the international, because Christ is ruling and reigning and can do this by His Word in the Gospel, by His Mighty Spirit, by His Invincible Church and by His Divine Providence by which He rules the nations with a rod of iron and progressively brings them under His subjection.

Then how is there a short apostasy right at the end? (Not arguing a point, only trying to understand what you are saying
 
Very helpful in understanding this, thank you. A few questions below.

That's a good statement.

However, isn't it fair to say "amillennialism" believes that as well, but not to the extent of "Christianizing" broadly all the nations of the earth.

Isn't it also characteristic of "amillenialism" historically to see apostasy at the end, right before Christ's return? Also, that there is some distinction among "amillenialism" between that apostasy and at least a more or less equal advancement reflected right before the time of Christ's return?

So, "amill" believes there will be some Christianization of whole nations, including even possibly ethnic Israel, but that it will go side-by-side with evil, with an apostasy at the end, right before Christ's return?

But certainly an "amill" could believe in a special redemptive work among people with some Jewish ancestry on the basis of Christ, before His return?

Yes. I think some amils believe that there will be a national Jewish conversion, but they don't believe there is biblical evidence to show that it will lead to a long period of Gospel success and international peace among the Gentiles. They may stick it before the final apostasy.

Amillenialism doesn't believe the Bible gives us warrant to say that all nations will be Christianised and recognise Christ and Christianity in their constitutions, that there will be a long, long period of international peace and relative blessedness as a result of this Christianisation.
Not sure I'm following this sentence (above)...

Amillennialism totally spiritualises passages like Micah 4:1-5 or launches them into the eternal realm. Amillennialism doesn't expect the Gospel to be so successful that whole nations are converted to Christ with widespread economic and social benefits and international peace lasting for centuries. Some amils might say that that might happen, but they would not say like postmils that the Bible teaches it is going to happen.


Postmils also believe that at the very end of the world there will be a short period of apostasy before Christ's Second Advent.
Really, a short apostasy, even though the nations are broadly Christianized?

It's taught in Revelation 20 that at the end of the Millennium Satan will be released to deceive the nations again. The period will be relatively short. Christ will return and the world will end. Amillennialism does not have a Silver Age from which to apostasise.

Amils tend to believe that good and evil will grow together throughout this age until at the very end the evil overcomes the good, just before Christ's Second Advent.

Two questions:
1) Doesn't this reflect the "amill" understanding Satan will be "unbound" during that period right before His return?
2) Is there truly a difference between and "optimistic" and "pessmistic" amillennialist on this point?

1) Yes.

2) The terms can be confused. Some optimistic amils are just postmils who believe that the millennium started in the 1st century. E.g. I believe the millennium started in the 1st century because I believe that the binding of Satan began then. I believe that the better/best times of the millennium are still future, but that the millennium has started. Most postmils are like this now i.e. they believe the millennium has started. Therefore some postmils describe themselves as optimistic amils. I would call myself an amil-postmil.

Postmils believe that the good will eventually overcome the evil in this world at every level, from the individual to the international, because Christ is ruling and reigning and can do this by His Word in the Gospel, by His Mighty Spirit, by His Invincible Church and by His Divine Providence by which He rules the nations with a rod of iron and progressively brings them under His subjection.

Then how is there a short apostasy right at the end? (Not arguing a point, only trying to understand what you are saying

The Bible teaches it and Christ will permit it in His providence. It's an important reminder after this long period when most people are believers, that Demonic and Human sin are incorrigible unless they are defeated by God's grace.
 
Richard Tallach
Postmils also believe that at the very end of the world there will be a short period of apostasy before Christ's Second Advent.

Scott1
Really, a short apostasy, even though the nations are broadly Christianized?

Richard Tallach
It's taught in Revelation 20 that at the end of the Millennium Satan will be released to deceive the nations again. The period will be relatively short. Christ will return and the world will end. Amillennialism does not have a Silver Age from which to apostasise.

So, classically, both "amills" and "postmills" believe in a short apostasy before Christ's return?

Even "optimistic amillennialists" believe this?

So, the difference between "amills" and "postmills" is that the latter see the apostasy as a greater falling away (because the nations were broadly Christianized, compared to the "amills" who have seen good and evil advancing more or less in tandem through history before)?

Out of curiosity, you say
I would call myself an amil-postmil.
Why?
 
Quote from Trans4mr
I always find it interesting when ppl question whether or not the Church replaced Israel WHEN IN FACT Israel was the Church first and then God brought in the Gentiles to be apart of the Church.

Good point. I don't believe that unbelieving Jews are part of the Church. But I believe that in Romans 11 God has promised to reingraft the Jews as a nation into the Church by faith in Jesus Christ and repentance towards God.
 
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