HARSH criticism directed towards Israel from among some Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox communities raises the question if they believe in the ‘Replacement Theology’.
Replacement theology, which is also referred to as Supersessionism, endorses the belief that Christianity or the “church” has replaced the Jews and Israel.
So, what does the Bible say?
In Genesis 15:18 God promised Abraham the land. Then in Genesis 17:7-8 and 17:19 the Lord gave Abraham His “everlasting covenant” which included blessing Abraham, his seed born from Sara, and to be their God.
The same covenant was confirmed to Abraham’s son Isaac in Genesis 26:3-4.
Next God established His covenant with Abraham’s grandson (Isaac’s son), Jacob in Genesis 28:13-15. Jacob was renamed Israel by God in Genesis 35:10.
Later, God reconfirmed the exact same covenant to Jacob (also called Israel) and to his seed in Genesis 35:12. Sons of Jacob (Israel) include Judah and generations later Jesus Christ was born from Judah’s family.
They all lived, as instructed by God (Genesis 12:1-3) in the land known today as Israel which bears the name God gave Jacob.
But does God guarantee His promise to the Jews and Israel despite the division (of Jesus Christ as Messiah) between Christianity and Judaism?
Old Testament prophecies have several examples of how God, near the end times, will forgive, bless, protect and avenge His chosen Jews (and Israelites). For example in Jeremiah 31:31-34, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:”
Then the Lord elaborates, “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
The Lord God repeats His prophetic promise in Ezekiel 39:25-29.
More confirmation is in Zachariah 8:23 “Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.”
Additional testimony which extends into the future is in Isaiah 14:1, 49:3-23, Jeremiah 16:14-15, Ezekiel. 36:1-15, 36:21-38, 37:1-14, and other verses in Joel and Zachariah.
Moreover, New Testament scripture comprehensively confirms the Jews and Israel are chosen by God and Jesus Christ, who is also referred to as ‘King of the Jews’, (Matthew 2:1-2, Luke 23:38), and contains warnings against arrogant (Gentile) Christian behavior.
Verses in Matthew 15:24, John 4:22, Romans 1:16-17, 9:4, 11:1-5, 11:16-21, 11:26, 11:29, Revelation 7:3-8, 12:13-17 and the description of New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:12 plainly describe the special place both the Jews and Israel have with the Lord.
God has made it perfectly clear. The Bible effectively verifies that the Jews are God’s chosen people and Israel is God’s chosen land. Prophecy as well affirms that the Jews, Israel and the Lord God will be reunited in their unbreakable bond.
Also, the Bible plainly states that Jesus Christ is Jewish (Hebrews 7:14), Jesus has a Royal Jewish birth line, He was born in Israel (John 7:42 and Micah 5:2) and in the latter days God will again bless His chosen people and their country Israel.
Thus, if a Christian from any domination believes the Bible is the concrete, protected Word of God yet dislikes Jews and maligns Israel, they might be in for a terrible shock at the Judgment Seat of Christ
Furthermore, rejection of the Jews and Israel might be the very cause of the tribulations and turmoil occurring in many churches, denominations and individuals’ lives.
As a result, Christians should be extremely wary of distorting what God chooses, does, says and promises.
Particularly, if individuals are using their Christian authority to spread their intolerance against God’s chosen people and land, and against Jesus Christ’s bloodline and birthplace.
