ISRAEL IN GOD’S DESIGN

Zandy Yohanes Wenisa

#46
Bachelor of Economics, Cenderawasih University, 2002
MABS, 2nd year

POSITION PAPER

Gino Rinaldi A. Garcia, ThM

TS540: The Spirit and the Church
International Graduate School of Leadership
Quezon City, Philippines

Submitted, August 6, 2019

 Introduction
I was surprised when I read the cover of a book with a topic of Israelology: The missing

link in systematic theology by Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum. At first glance, that topic gives me an

idea of the reason why I heard the lack of teaching or preaching in the church about Israel in

God's design that Israel has long been forgotten in theology. Walvoord explained in detail the

reasons why it happened,

Liberal or neoorthodox theologians, who do not accept the infallibility of the Scriptures, tend to ignore
what the Bible teaches about Israel. Among conservatives there is a radical division concerning the
meaning of Biblical revelation in relation to Israel. Some contemporary amillenarians deny any future to
Israel as such and consider the promises to Israel as being fulfilled in the church in the present age. Other
believe that there will be a spiritual restoration of Israel, but tend to disregard the geographic and political
aspects of Israel’s promise.1

Based on my study on the Bible passages about Israel and my involvement in ministries

of stand for Israel for last fourteen years, I like to emphasis through this paper that to study what

the Bible says about Israel is very important since God's plans for Israel and for this world

through them is not being ceased. So it is implied to the church to not leave the calling for Israel

and take concrete steps in carrying out God’s commandments to blessing them.

I wonder about replacement theology which basically teaches that the Church has

replaced Israel in God's plan. What's more, this teaching tells us that Israel's existence as a nation

in God's plan has been stopped or God no longer has any business with them, or because of

extreme thought that Father hated them and left them forever because of their sins. However, that

mindset is different from what the Bible says about Israel. God never said that He stopped His

1
John F.Walvoord, Israel in Prophecy (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1962), 9.
1
love for them and replaced it with the existence of the church. Bernish gives an argument based

on Jeremiah 31: 31-34,

God acknowledges here that although the people of Israel have been rebellious and sinful, He will never
reject them. In essence, He says, ‘I have the right to reject the Jewish people because of all they have done,
but I will not. Period. Ever. Instead, I will give them a new and better covenant.’ How can anyone read
these passage with an open mind and believe that God has terminated His covenant with Israel? It simply is
not possibly. 2

Israel in the Old Testament

Israel name was given to Jacob by God3; this name attached to the 12 tribes of his

descendant which known by people around the world as Israel’s nation. In the Bible, the term of

Israel appeared in 2,295 verses in 46 books of the Bible which spreads out in 34 books of the Old

Testament and 12 books of the New Testament4. It is mean 87% of books in the Old Testament

and 44% in the New Testament mentions about Israel. That data giving signal that God talk a lot

about Israel in the Bible.

The story of Israel begins when God appointed Abraham as the Father of all nations, and

through his descendants, all nations will receive blessings. 5 Through Joseph, Jacob's son who

became a leader in Egypt, 12 Israeli tribes lived and multiplied more than one million. But, after

Joseph died, they lived under the oppression of the new king. So for this reason, God brought

them out of Egypt into the Promised Land by Moses to become His people who worshiped Him.

In their journey even in the land, they rebelled against God and did not want to be led by God.

This attitude hurt Him, so that He appointed the king to lead them. But because of the sin of

Saul, the first king, the kingdom was separated into two kingdoms and almost all the kings of the

2
Jonathan Bernis, Rabbi Looks at The Last Days (Michigan: Grand Rapids, 2013), 54-55.
3
English standard version (ESV)
4
Ibid
5
Gen 17, 26
2
two kingdoms led Israel worshiping idols. In the days of King Manasseh who committed more

crimes than other kings, God decided to throw them into the hands of their enemies. 6 During

their rebellion, God sent prophets to speak them to repent or they would be banished. 18 years

before the exile of Israel’s kingdom to the Assyrians, Isaiah the prophet spoke them to repent,

but they did not. But something amazing happens, in the midst of God’s plan to judge them, He

stated the promise of deliverance from exile, future redeemer and the new kingdom.7 Likewise,

while part of the kingdom of Judah was taken into Babylon, the prophet Jeremiah tells them God

loved them with everlasting love and He has continued His faithfulness to them.8

Bible tells that Judah Kingdom (Southern) went back to Jerusalem from exile, but did not

for the Northern Kingdom in Assyria. Bernis says about the possibility, “The Bible never tells us

what happened with to these people. They simply vanished or assimilated into the culture of their

captors. Many of these groups, however, are now appearing in various parts of the world,

claiming to be descendants of these ten lost tribes”.9 God says through Isaiah that He will bring

them back to their land from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the

coastlands of the sea.10 I attended the Aliyah Israel conference in Singapore last year and they

told about the Israelites who went back to their own land already more than 1 million people

from around the world for last 50 years; that is the part of fulfilling of that prophecy. God loves

Israel! No matter how evil and disobedience they are. The failure of Israel to perform of

6
2 Kgs 21:10-16
7
Isa 1-39
8
Jer 31:3-4a
9
Bernis, A Rabbi Looks at The Last Days, 48.
10
Isa 11:11

3
expectation cannot upset God’s plan. God still has the purpose to people in future, so that He will

not reject the descendants of Israel because of the nation’s unfaithfulness.11

Israel in The New Testament

In time of Jesus the Israelites who lives in Israel’s lands just 3 of 12 tribes because the

tribes from Southern Kingdom who returned to Jerusalem from Babylonia are Benjamin and

Judah mixed with many Levites, but the rest of the Northern Kingdom, they were dispersed. 12

The remain Israelites who were live in Jerusalem known as Jewish people who then rejected,

persecuted and crucified Jesus. But because of the amazing love of God, He still loves them and

shows the mercy to them.

In the synoptic Gospel, Jesus explains about the last days through the prophecy of Daniel

which talks about abomination of desolation, when it comes let those who in “Judea” flee to the

mountains.13 The place of Judea gives a sign that the abomination of desolation geographically

taking place in Israel Judea. So the Israelites will be the people who receive or the first one

experiencing that moment. In Romans chapter 10 Paul explains the reality that Israel people

reject God when He gives hand to save them. But begin of chapter 11 he gives an argument

through a question, “I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an

Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.”14 Paul want to say if

God rejected Israel, he will never be an Apostle. Then he reveals the secret of Israel's salvation in

11
Ronal E. Diprose, Israel and The Church, The Origin and Effects of Replacement Theology (USA:
Authentic Media, 2004), 12.
12
Bernis, A Rabbi Looks at The Last Days, 48.
13
Mat 24:15-16, Mark 13:14, Luke 21:20-22.
14
Rom 11:1

4
verses 25-27 that in the future He will cleanse them from all of their sins. Fuchs says about the

completely forgiveness days of Israel,

It must be borne in mind that the biblical Day of Atonement was for the forgiveness of sins, especially for
the nation of Israel rather than the individual Israelite. It was Israel’s national day of reconciliation. The
central thought of the day’s ceremony was not just expiation, it was the complete removal of the sins of the
nations. As we see later the Jews as a nation to repentance and forgiveness of sins which hindered them
from fellowship with God. 15

The Book of Revelation explains that John heard from the angel who talks about the

number of the sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel is 144,000 which 12,000 from every

tribe.16 Some theologian interprets that the number of 144,000 is a symbol of represent number

of people who will be saved. However, it is clear that the identity of the people who have the seal

on the forehead are Israel’s tribes. That is mean the existence of Israel will exist until this

prophecy is fulfilled. Bernis gives comments for Isaiah 11:11, “This amazing promise of

returning the children of Israel, who have been scattered to the most remote corners of the earth

to their homeland is being fulfilled today. And this Aliyah, or return of Jewish to their biblical

homeland, is yet another important sign that the Messiah’s coming is approaching.” 17

Replacement Theology
Theologians like Justin Martyr, John Calvin, Martin Luther, and John R.W Stott convey

their theological ideas that believers in the church today are Israel of God. This theology implies

that Israel has been repudiated by God and has been replaced by the Church in the working out

of His plan. This idea gives the effect of contempt and suspicion to the Jewish people for more

15
Daniel Fuchs, Israel’s Holy Days: In Type and Prophecy (New Jersey: Loireaux Brothers, 1985), 70.
16
Rev 7:4-8
17
Bernis, A Rabbi Looks at The Last Days, 47.

5
the nineteen century.18 One of the bible verses that used to support the replacement theology

taken from Mathew 21:42-44 which Jesus appointed to the leaders of Jewish who rejected Him.

Chrysostom states according to this passage that the whole parables gives a conclusion about the

repudiation of the Jews. But, Diprose argues the reality of the subject is not just about Jews

themselves, rather kingdom.19

Israel and the Church

The reason for Christian who has view about the elimination of biblical promises to

Jewish people based on the view that the Church has replaced ancient Israel.20 The church today

is not equal with Israel in God’s design, but each of them has distinctions. The Israel birth based

on physical birth, but the church is spiritual birth, the beginning of Israel began with Abraham

through Isaac and Jacob or Israel, but the Church at Pentecost, the nationality of Israel is one

nation (Israel), but the church is from all nations.21 Before Jesus lifted up to heaven, he told

disciples that they will be His witnesses from Jerusalem until the end of the earth after received

the power of the Holy Spirit.22 Then chapter 2 informs the result of the witnessing of disciples is

many Jewish who were in Jerusalem believe in Jesus and be part of the first church in Jerusalem.

18
Diprose, Israel and The Church, The Origin and Effects of Replacement Theology, 29.
19
English Standard Version (ESV)
20
Marvin R. Wilson, Our father Abraham Jewish Roots of The Christian Faith (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
1989), 264.
21
Gino Rinaldi A. Garcia, “The Spirit and The Church” (class notes, International Graduate School of
Leadership, Quezon City, Philippines, Trimester 1, SY 2019-20)
22
Acts 1:7-8
6
 Conclusion
What God’s design for Israel? Diprose quotes the answer of the world council of churches about

that question,

“In the design of God, Israel has a unique position. It was Israel with whom God made His covenant by the
call of Abraham. It was Israel to whom God revealed His name and gave His law. It was to Israel that He
sent His prophets with their message of judgment and of grace. It was Israel to whom He promised the
coming of His Messiah. By the history of Israel God prepared the manger in which in the fullness of time
He put the Redeemer of all mankind, Jesus Christ.” 23

Jesus built the church but never mention that the church will replace Israel calling. Israel

still in God’s plan because some prophecies about them has not yet be fulfilled. So based on

what the Bible says about Israel, what believers or the church should do to Israel? First, love

them as God loves them. Believers have to find God's heart to Israel so that can love them as God

loves them. In Rom 9:3 says that Paul loves them so much so that willing to be cursed for the

salvation of Israel. Second, bless them! Do not curse! Numbers 22-24 tells that it is good in

God's eyes to blessing Israel. In Genesis 27:29 God promises will pour out blessings for those

who bless Israel and will curse for those who curse them. Third, pray for Jerusalem. In Psalm

122:6 God commands to pray for peace in Jerusalem. Israel as a nation facing so many

challenges from their enemies. For the last 50 years 700 missiles fired to Israel. So believers

have to pray for everything happen in Israel they will find peace in Jesus Christ. Fourth, raising

up Israel jealousy.24 This task is not easy, even impossible to accomplish because of the hardness

of their heart. However, the commands have to do by the church with the faith that they will

come to Jesus one day and believe that He is the Redeemer who was promised and has come.

23
Diprose, Israel and The Church, The Origin and Effects of Replacement Theology, 27.
24
Rom 11:11-14
7
 Bibliography

Fruchtenbaum, Arnold G. Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, USA: Ariel
Ministries Press, 2001

Bernis, Jonathan. A Rabbi Looks at The Last Days. Michigan: Grand Rapids, 2013

Diprose, Ronal E. Israel and The Church, The Origin and Effects of Replacement Theology.
USA: Authentic Media, 2004.

Wilson, Marvin R. Our father Abraham Jewish Roots of The Christian Faith. Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1989.

“Student Handbook,” International Graduate School of Leadership, Quezon City, Philippines.

Walvoord, John F. Israel in Prophecy. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1962.
Fuchs, Daniel. Israel’s Holy Days: In Type and Prophecy. New Jersey: Loireaux Brothers, 1985.