What About God’s Promises to Israel?

By David Ettinger

2 Commands
Admittedly, I’m stirring the pot here, but I’d like make some points.

There are only 2 commands in the Bible which extend a promise to those who obey them.

The first is: “Honor your father and your mother.” The promise is: “That your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:2).

Of course this command primarily applied to ancient Israel, but I believe the heart of the command remains: There are blessings for those who honor their parents, particularly for Christians.

Here’s the second command: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!” The promise with regard to praying for Israel is: “May they be secure who love you!” (Psalm 122:6). (In this verse, “Jerusalem” represents all of Israel.)

The Point
Here’s the point I want to make.

I would say that the majority of Bible-believing Christians regard themselves as prescribing to “Covenant Theology.” This large branch of Christianity believes that Israel – the Jewish People – are no longer God’s Chosen People.

Indeed, 1 Peter 2:9 does teach: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

So yes, Christians are indeed a chosen people. However, does this nullify the “chosenness” of the Jewish people (actually, a remnant of the Jewish people, as per Romans 11)?

I say, “No.” God is a promise-keeping God and will therefore keep His promises to Israel. Salvation comes through Christ alone, and for now the Church – Christianity – is the vehicle through which the Gospel (the Good News of Jesus Christ) is being communicated to the world.

However, during the 70^th Week of Daniel – the final 7 years of this era of human history (Daniel 9:24-27) – God will again deal with Israel, as per Roman 9, 10, & 11.

However, there is a large percentage of Christians who don’t believe this. They believe God is finished with Israel, and that all of God’s promises to Israel have been transferred to the Church. (That is, the good promises, not the bad promises.)

This group believes that the Church has replaced Israel; that Christians are the only people of God; and that the Jewish people – by denying Christ (“We have no king but Caesar!”, John 19:15) – have been “canceled” by God.

A Justified Theology?
This brings us back to the original point regarding the 2 commands of the Bible that extend a promise to those who obey them.

The first, again, is: “Honor your father and your mother.” The promise is: “That your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:2).

I doubt many Christians, regardless of Israel theology, would argue the relevance of this command and promise today and would therefore nullify it.

But what about the second verse: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!” The promise with regard to praying for Israel is: “May they be secure who love you!” (Psalm 122:6)?

What do Covenant Theologists, or Replacement Theologists – those who believe the Church has “replaced” Israel – make of this verse? Do they say it is no longer applicable and shouldn’t be prayed?

Would they reason that the Jews are no longer in God’s “program” of salvation and therefore this “God-breathed” scripture has no relevance today? In other words, would it be a waste of time praying it because it would yield no blessing seeing how the Jewish people are of no account?

Replacement Theologists might argue something to the effect of, “Well, the Mosaic Law is God-breathed and we don’t follow it any more, do we?” The answer to this is simple: The Mosaic Law has been fulfilled in Christ (Matthew 5:17). Therefore, this portion of Scripture is accounted for. Christians don’t regard the Mosaic Law passages as of no account, but that they find their relevance for believers in Jesus.

But what of the Replacement Theology belief that the Church has replaced Israel? The answer is that this view is implied by those who hold it, but nowhere stated in the New Testament. There is no verse where Jesus, Paul, or Peter tell us: “From now on, every time you read the word ‘Israel,’ you are to think ‘Christian’, or ‘Church.’”

No such teaching exists. In fact, in the New Testament, the word “Israel” appears 77 times, and every time references the land of Israel or the Jewish people.

The Heart of the Matter
With this in mind, does any Bible-believing Christian have a right to proclaim that Psalm 122:6 has no relevance whatsoever in this Church age, and therefore should be ignored?

Do they have a right to proclaim “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they be secure who love you!” (Psalm 122:6) null and void and useless to utter?

As I wrote earlier, I’m just stirring the pot. But considering the role Israel and the Jewish people will play in the soon-coming Last Days, I believe it’s a pot worth stirring!

David Ettinger is a writer/editor at Zion’s Hope, Inc., and has written for Zion’s Fire magazine since its inception in 1990.

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Tagged: Christianity, Covenant Theology, Israel, Israel and the Church, Practical, Replacement Theology, the New Testament, The Old Testament, theology

Posted in: Application, Bible study, Bible teaching, Christianity, Commentary, Editorial/Blog, God's Divine Plans, Israel, Making a Point, New Testament, Obeying God, Old Testament, The Last Days, theology