There are and have been many in the Church who erroneously teach that
the Church has replaced and is Israel. It is asserted that God abandoned
the nation of Israel and applied all promises and prophecies to the
Church. For those who believe this, promises to the land of Israel and
future promises of a restored kingdom of Israel no longer apply.
Therefore people who hold this view tend to be very hostile to the
present state of Israel and tend to present an eschatology very
different to the plain reading of the Bible. So what do we find in the
Bible about Israel? The videos below present the argument that God has
always had a faithful remnant in Israel and that while the remnant
exists so does the nation. During the years when Israel and Judah were
in apostasy there was a remnant of faithful Israel. The faithful remnant
focussed upon one man, Jesus the Messiah, who fulfilled all that Israel
was called to be and do. The nation rejected their Messiah but a
faithful remnant of Israel remained in the form of the early Jewish
believers. To these were added many among the Jewish Diaspora (those
living outside Israel) and believing Gentiles became sharers in the New
Covenant with faithful Israel. Down through the centuries and in spite
of much antisemitism there has been within the church a very small
number of those whom Paul refers to in Galatians 6:16 as 'the Israel of
God' and while the remnant remains God will not abandon unbelieving
Israel. He is returning them to his land. He will judge them there. The
'Last Days' remnant will repent as a nation and he will restore the
kingdom to Israel and Jesus will reign over Israel and the Earth as King
of the Jews.
