Who Is Israel? - 3:17 PM, 7/19/2009 |
Who Is Israel? Bernard Pyron A large number of denominations and churches teach that unsaved Jews are still God's chosen people, that God has two different groups he deals with in different ways, the Jews and the Christian Church, and that there will be a rapture of the Church off the earth before the tribulation begins, and then God will work to save the Jews. Traditionally, the Calvinists have taught that Christians are Israel, not unsaved Jews. The Calvinists held to the belief that born agan Christians are Israel long before dispensationalism and its Jewish supremacy doctrine came along in the 19th century. Here is a statement from Richard L. Pratt Jr. of the Reformed Theological Seminary on Christians being israel: http://www.mountainretreatorg.net/articles/jewsfirst.html "In the first place, separation theology views Israel and the New Testament church as two relatively separate peoples of God. This viewpoint has become popular in recent decades through Scofieldian Dispensationalism, and continues to varying degrees in many contemporary expressions of Dispensationalism. In general, separation theology radically distinguishes the divine program for ethnic Israel from that of the New Testament church." "In the second place, replacement theology holds that ethnic Israel has ceased to be special in the eyes of God. This outlook has dominated a number of denominations throughout the centuries. In this view, God has abrogated the special covenant status of ethnic Israel and replaced Israel with the Christian church. At times, this replacement is thought to be so categorical that Jews no longer have any special role whatsoever in the plan of God. " "...many Christians outside the Reformed tradition characterize the Calvinistic position as replacement theology. I suspect that this misperception stems largely from the strong rhetoric many Reformed theologians employ against the separation theology of Dispensationalism. It is important, however, to understand that the Reformed position differs from both separation and replacement theologies.... "It is more accurate to describe the Reformed view on the people of God as "unity theology." In this outlook, the New Testament church is one with Israel of the Old Testament. The promises to Israel are not abrogated, but extended and fulfilled through the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles in the New Testament community." "Calvin's interpretation of Paul's statement in Romans 11: 26 that "all Israel will be saved" points to this strong sense of unity. In Calvin's view, "all Israel" refers neither to believing Jews alone, nor to believers within the New Testament church alone. Instead, "all Israel" denotes the combined number of believing Jews and Gentiles from both the Old and New Testaments periods.... "In line with Calvin's view, it is common for Reformed theologians to speak of Israel as the church and the church as Israel."15 15 Clowney, Edmund P. The Church. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1995, pp. 42-44. Hodge, Charles. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1993, vol. 3, pp. 548-552" The Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, also holds that Christians are Israel, a teaching that contadicts that of dispensationalist churches. Romans 2: 28-29 says: "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29. 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." Would not traditional Calvinists interpret Romans 2: 28-29 as saying that born again Christians are inward Jews? Then there is Revelation 3: 9-10 which says "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 before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10.Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." To be consistent with the Calvinist interpretation of Romans 2: 28-29, a Calvinist should see those who say they are Jews, and are not but do lie as unsaved physical descendants of Abraham, the Jews. The true Jews are the Christian elect. There is some connection here between those who say they are Jews but do lie and keeping the world of the Lord's patience and the Lord's promise to keep the Church of Philadelphia from the hour of temptation which will come upon all the earth. James LLoyd of Christian Media Network has said that the hour of temptation of Revelation 3: 9-10 and the snare of Luke 21: 35-36 are the same thing in his recent broadcasts and in an essay called "The Snare." The snare of Luke 21: 35-36 is the same as the hour of temptation during the tribulation period according to LLoyd. Luke 21:34-36: "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36.Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." It may very well be that the hour of temptation and the snare during the tribulation is accepting the dispensationalist teaching that unsaved Jews are God's chosen people even now, that God has two distinct peoples, the Jews and the Church, he deals with differently, and that there is to be a pre-tribulation rapture of the Church before God then turns to saving the Jews. I Peter Chapter One, verses one and two say "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2.Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied." Peter is addressing Christians and calling them elect. Then Peter in I Peter 2:9 says "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." Again, Peter is addressing Christians as being a chosen generation. Christians, not unsaved Jews, are God's elect and chosen generation. We are Israel, born again in Jesus Christ. Could the snare during the tribulation be falling into the error of believing the unsaved Jews, not elect Christians, are God's chosen people? Luke 21: 36 tells us to watch and pray that we can be worthy to escape the snare and other things that are coming on us during the tribulation. |
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