|
|
|
|
They say Gods word teaches - Israel (the nation) is no more; Israel is the Church What happens when protestants oppose Israel as a sovereign nation whom God covenanted with? An open letter that was on the Knox Theological Seminary Web site titled, “An Open Letter to Evangelicals and Other Interested Parties: The People of God, the Land of Israel, and the Impartiality of the Gospel” The founder, president, and chancellor of Knox Theological Seminary at the time this was signed (2002) is D. James Kennedy, called “the most listened-to Presbyterian minister in the world today” on his Coral Ridge Ministries’ Web site. Their websites statement of faith, there is nothing said about Israel, the rapture or the tribulation. New Hope Presbyterian Church still has this letter posted https://www.newhopefairfax.org/images/Open-Letter-To-Evangelicals-2002.pdf They are described as an “Evangelical Reformed congregation.” In the letter’s preamble “ large segments of the evangelical community, our fellow citizens, and our government are being misled with regard to the Bible's teachings regarding the people of God, the land of Israel, and the impartiality of the Gospel.” In this letter, they declare the Jewish people have no special title to any land in the Middle East: “some are teaching that God's alleged favor toward Israel today is based upon ethnic descent rather than upon the grace of Christ alone, as proclaimed in the Gospel Knowing that we may incur their disfavor, we are nevertheless constrained by Scripture…” Scripture, which one? They seem to have overlooked the prophetic Scripture in the Old Testament in many places to allow themselves to be misled by their flawed myopic reading. For it is God you need to be concerned with, not man. God made covenants with Israel and if he does not keep His word with them, he certainly is not obligated to keep his word to the church (made to both Jews and Gentiles). These c ovenants do not depend on mans obedience but on God’s promises, who keeps to His Word. Was the Church there when God promised Abraham in his covenant the land to Israel? Gen.12 For the Lord told Abraham, “To your descendants I will give this land” (Gen. 12:7; 26:3–4; 28:13–15, repeated in Gen.15:18. This was to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. the Jews wwho were called Israel, his descendents. Was this only temporary? Did this take place already? Apparently they think it is not applicable to our day. I have news for all you replacement teachers, God began with Israel and it will end with Israel being saved. Without Israel calling on the Lord to return there is no second coming! “hardening in part has happened to Israeluntilthe fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25.) Israel's national salvation is spoken of in the Old Testamentasall Israel shall be saved(Isa.45:17; Rom.11:26; Israel's fullness in Rom.11:12.) This refers to the time of the end, in the Tribulation, those who repent, who call upon the Lord.They say, “But to the church of Jesus Christ, the true Israel. The people of God, whether the church of Israel in the wilderness in the Old Testament 22or the Israel of God among the Gentile Galatians in the New Testament,23 are one body through Jesus.’ There was no Church in the wilderness, Israel is not the church. There is a nation called Israel, and that distinction is kept throughout the Scriptures. God is not calling the church back into the land of Israel today, but the Jews, whose land it was given to by God. When you substitute church for Israel throughout the bible you show that you are unqualified to be a Bible teacher or pastor; or the head of a seminary. Replacement teaching says the Church is now spiritual Israel (true Israel) and the nation of Israel is rejected. If you look this up, you’ll never find the term or concept of the Church called Israel or called spiritual Israel in the Bible. Paul made the distinction of Gentiles and Jews before their salvation and he continues this distinction afterwards. No gentile becomes a Jew (or israel) through Christ, they are a spiritual gentiles. Speaking to the Gentiles, Gal 3:29 “And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” He refers to one being of the seed of Abraham as one exercising faith. Jews are of the physical seed of Abraham, Isaac AND Jacob (who produced 12 tribes). The Gentiles said to be called by his name (Acts 15), are “Gentiles who believe” Acts 21:25). Paul never said Gentiles become Jews or Israel after they believe. This is nonsense, a lie to have the church ignore or be stalled on reaching the people of Gods covenant to whom gave us the Messiah. And what about Col. 3:10-11 “and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, wherethere is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian,slave nor free , but Christ is all and in all.” Gal. 3:28 “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.” What he is saying is that spiritually we have all become children of God, in the body of Christ and that any differences should not be used to divide us (2 Cor.12:13). Jew and Greek is a more specific substitute for the distinction of Jew and Gentile. There were still slaves and masters existing at the time just as there are still men and women today. This was to be overlooked in defining a person who is now in Christ, having them as equals. Eph. 3:6 “that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, andpartakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel .” Just as Gentiles were not called Jews when they worshiped God in the synagogue, they are not called Jews when they believe in Messiah Jesus. They are fellow heirs, not the only heirs, fellow heirs when they become believers, spiritual gentiles. This distinction continues through the Scripture. The church is not a nation, a country, nor a theocracy but is made up of people from every nation both Jews and gentiles who believe in Jesus - this is the mystery hid from the beginning of the world according to Eph. 1:9-10, 3:6,9 and Col.1:26 - Christ in you – the hope of Glory. Therefore the church could not have replaced Israel in prophecy, nor have the promises transferred to her. There is only one nation, one people whom God ever gave a land to with specific, perpetual promises to the Jews (Hebrews) alone. The church does not inherit the land. Many of the early Church Fathers were anti-Semitic which led them to be proponents of what is known today as Replacement Theology — the idea that God has replaced Israel with the Church. Israel’s distinction from the Church has to be learned again to have a correct view of eschatology. Or you will be very confiused in the end. If the Church is the kingdom on earth now reigning why is the condition of the world worse not better? Why are the influences of the world shaping the church? Scripture says that evil and lawlessness will increase not decrease in the end. Again the church is not called Israel. ‘replacement theology’ teaches all the promises to Israel are now given to the Church (but they neglect the punishments; why is that?) therefore there are no unfulfilled promises to Israel? Rom 10:1 “My heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” How can Israel be the church, is not the church saved? Paul is not confused, the replacement teachers are! The church is strictly a new covenant entity with both Gentiles and Jews in Christ. Israel is a nation of Jews who were promised the land. Sadly, many are confusing these covenants which has numerous repercussions to one’s view of the last days, to both the church and Israel. The church was never promised the land back in Abraham’s day, nor are they to possess the land today. God tells us he will regather his people into the same land of Promise at the end of the age. Who will be gathered? The people of Israel (Jews, Hebrews) that were scattered, not the church. This will fulfill the ancient prophecies. This is now taking place, however the Devil is using an ancient animosity to have them removed from the land. When you teach replacement, you are agreeing with Islam. It says in Gn.16:12-15 of Ishmael and his offspring “He shall be a wild man; His hand shall be against every man, And every man's hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” This describes the nature Ishmael and his descendants. He would attack those he comes in contact with and every man's hand against him; as he brings aggression, he also bring retaliation upon himself. “he will live in a state hostility ” among his brethren. The Arabs will live side by side with the Jews and will continually be hostile. The descendants of Ishmael lived in hostility toward all the tribes, his brethren, the church does not live this way. In Genesis 15:12-21 God signs and seals his covenant with Abraham. God spells out the future history of Abram's seed prior to their initial possession of the Land (vv. 12-16). The boundaries of the Land will (vv. 18-20) extend from the Euphrates River in the north to the River of Egypt in the south. Includes the modern Suez Canal. The Abrahamic Covenant is reconfirmed to Jacob in Genesis 28:13-15. “I will fix your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River Euphrates” (Exodus 23:31). The entire Land of Israel, includes Judea and Samaria (West Bank), Gaza, the Golan Heights, and all of Jerusalem. Lebanon is actually part of the land of Israel, the territory that God gave them back in Deut. 1:7-8; Deut. 11:24: "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the River Euphrates, even to the Western Sea, shall be your territory.” Josh. 1:4: “From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates” (also Gen. 15:18.) We need to understand that never in history have the Jewish people possessed all of the Promised Land. For this promise to be fulfilled, there must be a future Kingdom of Israel to occur. “ VIII. Simon Peter spoke of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus in conjunction with the final judgment and the punishment of sinners.Instructively, this same Simon Peter, the Apostle to the Circumcision,says nothing about therestoration of the kingdom to Israel in the land of Palestine. ” Why single out Peter, which makes this into a strawman argument. Its not just about what Jesus taught Peter but what he taught ALL his apostles. There is a whole New Testament written by other Jews reinforcing what the Old Testament spoke of with the covenant promises to God’s people. Before Jesus ascended, in Acts 1:6-7 they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel ?" And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.” Do you see where Jesus corrected them and said the kingdom would never be restored to Israel? Neither do I. The fact is that he tells them it is kept from them by the Father, He tells us, it will be restored, the exact opposite of what they are conveying in their document. Israel is told in Acts 3:19-22 “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive, until the times of restoration of all things.’ Gal 1:18-19 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days.” Peter 3:15-16 Peter refers to “ Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” And Paul Wrote in Romans 11:17-18 Gentiles are a partakers “of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, butthe root supports you .” To boast can be used in a good or a bad sense; In a bad sense, 2 Tm. 3:2 lists boasters, proud, blasphemers. In this Scripture Paul is saying it is in a bad sense. The word boast, with the accompanying ‘do not’ means to be in opposition, rejoice against, or be arrogant. Paul is cautioning them in no uncertain terms not to despise, or reject the Jewish people; whom they received the blessing by being grafted into their covenant. whom they received the blessing by their covenant, it is a privilege that does not involve exalting oneself, for the first believers in Christ were Jewish by which the message came to them. Does Peter disagree with all the Old Testament prophets or Jesus? What about his fellow apostles? No, He does not! 2 Peter 1:20-21 “t hat no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” All the prophecies on each topic agree. Israel’s removal from the land and dispersion throughout the world is not going to be permanent, because eventually God says there will be a regathering, as described in Deuteronomy 30:1-10. Ezekiel 36:24: “ For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.” Jer. 30:18, 31:8 "Behold I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the ends of the earth."Isa.43:5 “I will bring your descendants from the east and gather you from the west…” there are a tremendous amount of scriptures on the regathering. The Minor Prophets did not neglect to speak on the regathering. One such prophecy is in Amos 9:14-15. Amos speaks on permanency. Israel is to be regathered in order to rebuild the Land (v. 14). In the final regathering, God will plant them in the Land so that they will never again be uprooted and dispersed out of the Land (v. 15). God keeps his promises Deut. 4:30-31,"When you [Israel] are in distress and all these things have come upon you,in the latter days, you will return to the LORD your Godand listen to His voice. For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy younor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them” Paul writes in Rom. 11:1 “has God cast away His people? Certainly not!” GOD did not replace the Jews with anyone, certainly not the church. Rom. 11:17-19 “And ifsome of the branches were broken off , and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.” It doesn’t say all the branches are broken off, but some, so that wild branches can be grafted in. To say God is done with Israel is false, a teaching only the devil would approve of, and the people who say this have no Biblical understanding what they are repeating.
How do Jews who believe get grafted in again if God is done with Israel?
If only wild branches get grafted in, where is what they teach to be
found? They instead desire the all blessing promised to Abraham and his
seed to be transferred to them, which is absolutely shameful. What is still in effect are God's covenants, first given to Abraham the father of the faith in the true God. Genesis 12:3: “And I will bless them that bless you and curse him that curses you.” Remember this, because no matter what you think you are, what God sees you as is more important. Jesus states you are either for or against him.This would also apply to your stand on Israel who are God’s people whom Jesus said He was coming back to rescue and restore into the land. How the Church relates to Israel is key to her being blessed or judged (Mt.25:31-46). IXThe entitlement of any one ethnic or religious group to territory in the Middle East called the “Holy Land” cannot be supported by Scripture. In fact, the land promises specific to Israel in the Old Testament were fulfilled under Joshua. ” This so absurd that its hard to understand that it came from Protestant ministers who teach the Bible. There are many prophets that speak of the Jews return into the land as the fulfillment in the latter days, not under the time of Moses and Joshua. Israel never had the complete land under Joshua that is incorrect, anyone who looks at a map and uses the Scripture can know this. “Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, to which they are gone, and will gather them on every side,and bring them into their own land(Ezek. 37:21). That is after Joshua, is it not? Today we see Jews called from all four directions as Is. 43:5-6 states. Jews living in Israel today have come from more than one hundred nations. For this reason we should have confidence that we are witnessing the last-days regathering of Israel as stated repeatedly in scripture. Yet there are many, even in the church that are dismayed at this. Israel has been in the same land it was in for thousands of years and this will be the same land when the kingdom commences, ruled by Jesus the Messiah from Jerusalem. If Israel was cut off permanently by God in A, D. 70, the return of the Jewish people to their own land and the rebirth of Israel in 1948 and what is taking place today would mean nothing, it would have no significance at all. However, this is the fulfillment of biblical prophecies, and it becomes one of greatest events in modern mankinds history which these signers who claim to be scholars are not believing. IX. The New Testament speaks clearly and prophetically about the destruction of the second temple in A.D. 70.35 No New Testament writer foresees a regathering of ethnic Israel in the land, as did the prophets of the Old Testament after the destruction of the first temple in 586 B.C. 36 So then what God wrote in the Old Testament is no longer valid? In references to the restoration of the kingdom to Israel, Peter states, "God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:21). They disagree with the prophets. This becomes a matter of flawed eschatology that has a bias, even a prejudice contained with in it. IX. ...Moreover, the land promises of the Old Covenant are consistently and deliberately expanded in the New Testament to show the universal dominion of Jesus,37who reigns from heaven upon the throne of David, inviting all the nations through the Gospel of Grace to partake of his universal and everlasting dominion. 38 As the spirtual kingdom is within those who believe the gospel, he does not reign from heaven on Davids throne. Matt 5:34 Jesus tells us heaven, is God's throne. He also tells us he will return to reign from earth, specifically Jerusalem (Zion) in Israel. They take the old covenant and apply it to dominion of Jesus which makes no sense, Isa 9:7 “ Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice.” The throne of david is on earth, not heaven. Being the Son of David means he is king, but he is not yet ruling as king over the earth. Mark 12:36 “ For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: 'The LORD said to my Lord,"Sit at My right hand,Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."' Acts 15:15-16 “the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David , which has fallen down.” This takes place after the second coming.Matt 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.” X. Lamentably, bad Christian theology is today attributing to secular Israel a divine mandate to conquer and hold Palestine, with the consequence that the Palestinian people are marginalized and regarded as virtual "Canaanites."39 What did Daniel write of whom Jesus quoted on 70 heptads? It is they that have bad Bible theology. The Bible calls it Israel, the secularist call it Palestine. If they act like Canaanites then what is one to think of them as? “But what are we to make of the unbelief of Israel? Has their unbelief made the faithfulness of God without effect for them?46No, God has not completely rejected the people of Israel,47and we join the apostle Paul in his earnest prayer for the salvation of his Jewish kinsmen according to the flesh.48There always has been and always will be a remnant that is saved.49 While not all Israel will experience the blessing of participation in the Messianic kingdom, 50 yet Jews who do come to faith in Christ will share in his reign throughout the present age 3 and into eternity. In addition, it is not as though the rejection of some in Israel for unbelief serves no purpose.” This is speaking out of both sides of their mouth. The bible says ALL of Israel will be saved, meaning all who call on the Lord, which according to the bible is the remnant AT a certain time. “The present secular state of Israel, however, is not an authentic or prophetic realization of the Messianic kingdom of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, a day should not be anticipated in which Christ's kingdom will manifest Jewish distinctives, whether by its location in "the land," by its constituency, or by its ceremonial institutions and practices. Correct, Israel today is not the kingdom but it is a promise in Scripture for Israel to be brought back into the land otherwise numerous prophecy scriptures cannot be fulfilled. Jesus spoke of another temple as did John in the book of Revelation that will be physically be present in Israel in the millennium. “ To pray for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and to promise all humanitarian sympathy and practical support for those on both sides who are suffering in this current vicious cycle of atrocity and displacement. We also invite those Christian educators and pastors who share our convictions on the people of God, the land of Israel, and the impartiality of the Gospel to join their names with ours as signatories to this open letter. 55 This statement of theirs is not biblical. A Two-State Solution that many expect to be the result gives a portion of the Land of Israel to the Palestinians, however this letter, takes the position of the Palestinians, which is the position of Islam, that gives NO LAND to Israel! Scripture says pray for the peace of Jerusalem, which is Zion, the capital of Israel, not Palestine. You join with Islam and you are against The Lord. Joel 3:2 God gathers all nations, and will “bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; they have also divided up My land.”Notice he will punish them for their mistreatment of Israel (Mt.25), and dividing his land (two state solution) which keeps them from returning to their land to have peace. Rom. 11:25-30 “brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:"The Deliverer will come out of Zion,And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins." Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” The whole chapter of Romans 11 explains Israel being a separate entity than the church, being saved as a nation in the latter times. If one does not understand this chronology they should not teach on Israel. If you think God will overlook this you have another thing coming. You are wise in your own opinion. Heb. 8:8-11 He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- ...For this is the covenant that Iwill make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” To the Gentiles Eph 2:12-13 that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promis e, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Gentiles are grafted into the covenant God made with Israel, they do not have their own covenant. If you do not accept God’s numerous words on Israel you make yourself an enemy of God, God is for his people Israel and He wants his Church to be blessed by supporting them as a nation and individually. Again, Gen.12 is not the only place God speaks on those who bless or curse Israel, it will come upon them. Num. 24:9 “ God brings him out of Egypt; ... he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?'"Blessed is he who blesses you, And cursed is he who curses you." A lion goes after his prey, and that is what Jesus will do when He returns. What will happen to those who oppose Israel his people? What they do not understand is they are opposing God, which includes both the secular and religious (including Christian and liberal Jews). This is in Israel’s future that Daniel spoke on before the nation is saved. Rev 7:2 “Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God.”v:4 “ And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed” In the end we read Rev. 21:12 “ and a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel” The New Jerusalem gates has Israel's tribes on it, not the church written on it, why? Jer. 46:28 Do not fear, O Jacob My servant," says the LORD," For I am with you; For I will make a complete end of all the nations To which I have driven you, But I will not make a complete end of you. I will rightly correct you, For I will not leave you wholly unpunished." Jesus returns to save Israel to set up his kingdom there, why? Isa.25:9 And it will be said in that day:"Behold, this is our God;We have waited for Him, and He will save us.This is the LORD;We have waited for Him;We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." When is this? Zech 12:8-10 It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication ” It is the day Israel calls upon Jesus to save them. God keeps his promises. Israel is God’s inheritance (Isa.19:25) they will“Break forth into joy, sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem! For the LORD has comforted His people, he has redeemed Jerusalem . The LORD has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” (Isa 52:9-10)
|
|
