What Is Replacement Theology?

Replacement theology is a doctrine (set of beliefs) that has been around nearly as long as the church.  Those who support the doctrine of replacement theology believe many of the following:

1. Israel (the Jewish people and the land) has been replaced by the Christian Church in the purposes of God, or, more precisely, the Church is the historic continuation of Israel to the exclusion of the former.


2. The Jewish people are now no longer a "chosen people."


3. Apart from repentance, the new birth, and incorporation into the Church, the Jewish people have no future, no hope, and no calling in the plan of God.


4. Since Pentecost of Acts 2, the term "Israel," as found in the Bible, now refers to the Church.


5. The promises, covenants and blessings ascribed to Israel in the Bible have been taken away from the Jews and given to the Church, which has superseded them. However, the Jews are subject to the curses found in the Bible, as a result of their rejection of Christ.

Replacement theology has caused much confusion, and we know who the author of confusion is, right? Satan is the author of confusion; "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." 1 Cor. 14:33.  Why does Satan  provoke such hatred for the Jews? Satan "knows something that many Christians have not yet discovered - that the promises of God will not be realized if Satan is successful in destroying Israel."  

The separation of Jews and Gentiles has been a gradual thing. In 400 A.D. a major error came into the church.  St. Augustine wrote a treatise called The City of God. Augustine concluded that God was through with Israel and the church was its replacement, this was the start of replacement theology as church doctrine.  One can hardly blame Augustine for this error in his writing as the Jews had been dispersed and there was not a Jewish Israel to be seen at this time.  Even the name of the land was changed in 135 A.D. to Palestine-"Philistia," after the Philistines. ("THIS NAME HAD NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH ARAB PEOPLES. THE MOSLEMS WEREN'T TO COME ON THE SCENE FOR 500 YEARS. THE ROMANS RENAMED THE LAND TO WIPE OUT JUDAISM.")  Arab Moslems are not the original Palestinians!

The church picked up on this replacement theology doctrine, and "the original Catholic church began to think that it was Israel.  This belief has been carried down through the centuries and has cut Israel and the Jews completely out of Christianity, even though the Jews were the original Christians!" How preposterous is that?  Martin Luther eventually called on Christians to return to the scriptures, unfortunately the idea of replacement theology continued.  With each new reformation, Christians split into various denominations. "By breaking from those who birthed us, the Church has produced one division after another. Every new movement has resulted in a new church; each reformation, a new denomination." There is still a "family resemblance, but a mutation has entered our bloodstream. Mutations may produce only a slight change in the first generation but can ultimately bring about "great changes such as severe deformities or diseases."  All of this confusion and rejection of the Jews because the Gentile Church assumed a superior position.  Didn't Paul warn us about taking this superior attitude? "Then don’t boast as if you were better than the branches!...Remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you." Romans 11.

Thankfully today there are "Bible Churches" beginning to emerge, churches that are getting back to verse-by-verse study of the Scriptures.  The Rapture has been uncovered again, and a greater understanding of the role that a physical Israel plays in this.  True Bible churches are actively involved and excited about the return of Jews to the land of Israel.  Israel is crucial, it is God's timepiece!  God has created an everlasting covenant in Genesis 17:7-8   

“I am establishing my covenant between me and you, along with your descendants after you, generation after generation, as an everlasting covenant, to be God for you and for your descendants after you.  I will give you and your descendants after you the land in which you are now foreigners, all the land of Kena‘an, as a permanent possession; and I will be their God.” 

 Although the Jews have been dispersed, this covenant did not end.  What we are seeing today is a fulfillment of God's covenant:  

"At that point, Adonai your God will reverse your exile and show you mercy; he will return and gather you from all the peoples to which Adonai your God scattered you.  If one of yours was scattered to the far end of the sky, Adonai your God will gather you even from there; he will go there and get you.  Adonai your God will bring you back into the land your ancestors possessed, and you will possess it; he will make you prosper there, and you will become even more numerous than your ancestors." Deut. 30:3-5

"God's covenant with Israel did not depend on their behavior, just as our salvation in Christ does not depend on our behavior.  God is not keeping score and trying to keep people out.  To be accurate, He said that He is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). He is trying to get people in, for heaven's sake! His love for Israel, His forbearance with them, is unshakable." As long as the sun, the moon and the stars are in the sky, the nation of Israel is still before the Lord!

Some people believe that modern day Israel is not the same nation as the biblical Israel. Fact is, the modern nation of Israel is the ONLY nation that "can trace by language, by religion, by prayers and songs and costumes -- by everything -- that it does go back to the biblical era."  Fascinating facts: America goes back 200 years, Englishmen 800-1000 years. "ONLY Israel goes back thousands of years to the Scriptures, saying the same words every Sabbath as written there 3,500 years ago.  This the biblical Israel and you cannot cast it out. God has NOT cast it out."  Paul saw the error of replacement theology in his own time and wrote about it in Romans 11:  "I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew."

Because of Israels falling away, there was room for the Gentiles to come in.  Israel is judicially broken off from the good olive tree called Christ, but they are to be grafted in again.  Israel also has a very specific role to fulfill in End Times prophecy.

I urge you to not be influenced by replacement theology, which leads to a twisted understanding of the Scripture. Open your Bible and read the word, pray and ask God to open your eyes to the debt we owe the Jewish people, and how we need to stand up for Israel now. Your future hope really does depend on this.

Shalom!

Kelly 

Quotes from: Your People Shall Be My People ~ Don Finto and Broken Branches ~ Zola Levitt