A Question About Replacement Theology
Ask a Bible Teacher

Q. I found an article on a Christian site where the author claims that the Old Testament contains many prophecies that cannot be fulfilled and promises that have been forfeited because God's promises to Israel were conditional. He uses Exodus 19:4-6, Leviticus 26, Rom. 9-11 and Matthew 21:42,43; 23:38,39 to back up his teaching.


He states,"God has implemented a "new" covenant or Plan B, because "Plan A" (the original promises and prophecies given to ancient Israel) could not be accomplished because of Israel’s apostasy. Plan B is a bigger and better plan. It contains a brighter set of promises and prophecies and unlike Plan A, it is unconditional!

He also makes this statement: "There is no prophecy in the Bible indicating a third temple will be built and the reason for this silence is simple. God abandoned the nation of Israel at the end of the seventy weeks (Daniel 9) and He has no need for a third temple." I thought only 69 weeks had been fulfilled.

Am I correct in interpreting his teaching as replacement theology? What would you say in a rebuttal to this? I personally don't believe in repalcement theology and think it is a heretical teaching and was interested in your view. Thanks for your wonderful insight.



A. Yes, you've come across a website that teaches Replacement Theology. This view holds that when the Jews rejected the Messiah, all the promises to Israel were transferred to the Church. It's at the root of much of Christian anti-Semitism and is held by a significant portion of the main line protestant church as well as their more extreme counter parts in the Christian white supremacy movement.



Advocates of Replacement Theology have frequently departed from a literal interpretation of Scripture, especially where the Old Testament is concerned, and in the New Testament they often re-interpret passages about Israel, saying they're really written to the Church. Therefore, offering a satisfactory rebuttal is often difficult. But there are a number of passages that clearly deny its validity, and if you take God at His Word, you'll reject Replacement Theology. Jeremiah 31:35-37 is representative.



This is what the LORD says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the LORD Almighty is his name: "Only if these decrees vanish from my sight," declares the LORD, "will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me." This is what the LORD says: "Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done," declares the LORD.



And in the New Testament, there's Romans 11:25-27.



"I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."



This sounds pretty unconditional to me. There are literally scores of other similar promises.



As far as prophecies that cannot be fulfilled, this idea goes against the very heart of God's most powerful claim to authority. The way He validates Himself as being worthy of our obedience to Him is by His faithfulness in keeping His promises to us. You've staked your eternal destiny on this. Listen to Isaiah 46:8-10.



"Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please."



And where the Temple and Daniel's 70 weeks come in, they've again reinterpreted the passage to say that all were fulfilled in history and there is no coming 70th week. If we're reading the signs of the times correctly, we'll soon see that they're mistaken.



No matter what they say, advocates of Replacement Theology are asking us to believe that God didn't know that Israel would disobey Him and therefore had to come up with a plan B when they did. They say that Israel's unfaithfulness to Him justifies His unfaithfulness to them. If so, what's to prevent Him from changing His mind about us? The Churchy has certainly been unfaithful. Like I said, if you take God at His Word, you'll reject Replacement Theology.
By Gracethrufaith.com..............................................benny

There's obviously SOMETHING wrong with Replacement theology, so it's wrong.

Notice,
in Deut 28, God promised to THE JEWS blessings for obedience, and curses for dis-obedience.

BUT!
Mark 12;41-44
the widow who put two copper mites into the Temple Treasury,..........was she poor because she was un-righteous and dis-obedient? I doubt it.



Perhaps,
the blessings and curses in Deut 28 apply NOT TO INDIVIDUALS, but to the nation as a whole.

In the OT,
Israel was an ELECT NATION
with an Elect Land , with defined boundaries,
with promised PHYSICAL blessings and curses,
with a PHYSICAL TEMPLE,
with HEIRARCHY, (the Priests were of BLOODLINE descent, not selected for SPIRITUAL reasons, they were selected by BLOODLINE DESCENT)
anointing and baptism was done with PHYSICAL olive oil and water (NOT with the Holy Spirit),
etc



In the NT,
the Church has no ELECT (physical) NATION, PHYSICAL LAND, TEMPLE, HEIRARCHY by bloodline descent,
no promised blessings and curses for faith (as in Deut 28),
much of the PHYSICAL things from the OT, are converted to SPIRITUAL things in the NT.




if there were no poor,..........i would never mature in pity, compassion, understanding, patience, grace, love, forgiveness, Spiritual maturity, etc

same thing for,..........if there were no sick, dull, slow, mean, un-educated, etc

we "need" to struggle with God and man , to mature and grow in the Lord.

not all sick people are faithless, or sinful,...........look at Job.
there were righteous sick people in Paul's day, which were not healed by "faith-healing",..........Timothy had stomach illnesses, which paul did not heal with a miracle.

What causes the confusion, is the fact that God created everything and everyone, for His own purpose.

What is God's ultimate goal or intention?

To bring everyone to the full understanding, and knowledge of the Gospel. There are many reasons that Jesus died on the cross for us. One of them was that He was the Son of God. Doesn't this go to saying, that the real issue of rebellion was against God, and not Jesus?

And if upon the resurrection of Christ, when God sealed his foreordained people, the luke warm in the Gospel remained luke warm.


Gal 6:15

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Always with a promise of redemption, but ever challenged by a past refusal to hold God true in their hearts. Christ came to save, those Christian's, for God's purpose.

Understanding this, along with continual prayer and supplication, is the only way to clear the spirit in eternal hope.

Rev 5:13

And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, [be] unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.


Everlasting





Moon over Key Biscayne

There has always only been Plan A. God does not make mistakes. The church cannot replace Israel, because the church has a better Covenant. The church definitely do not want Israel's deal.Israel was held responsible for keeping all the Laws , and were guilty if they broke one (even if they did not know it was a law, they were still guilty)
What IS true is that God calls the church Israel today.Look
: Rom 9:6 But it is not as though the word of God hath come to nought. For they are not all (spiritual)Israel, that are of (Physical)Israel:
Rom 9:7 neither, because they are Abraham's seed, are they all children[/u]:(meaning, they are not all part of spiritual Israel, just because they have Abraham as a father) but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Rom 9:8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; [u]but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed.

So God is clear and man is confused.

God clearly states that what HE calls Israel today are the children of the promise. (Those that come to God through faith)

Rom 9:25 As he saith also in Hosea[/b],(Notice that this comes from the Old Testament, God spoke this very early throughout the Old Testament....it was Plan A ) I will call that my people, which was not my people; And her beloved, that was not beloved. (This refers to the Gentiles)
Rom 9:26 And it shall be, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, There shall they be called sons of the living God. (So those Gentiles who were NOT His people are now called SONS of the living God)
Rom 9:27 And Isaiah crieth concerning Israel, If the number of the children of (Physical )Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the [b]remnant that shall be saved:

So we can see that God disagrees that ALL physical Israel will be saved. He tells us only a remnant will be saved.

To Physical Israel He says:Rom 10:21 But as to Israel he saith, All the day long did I spread out my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. Rom 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Rom 11:6 But if it is by grace, it is no more of works:(The Law is dead) otherwise grace is no more grace.Rom 11:7 What then? that which(Physical) Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it,(God has always been the One who elected those who must come to Him) and the rest were hardened:
Rom 11:8 according as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this very day.


Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in;
Rom 11:26 and so all (Spiritual)Israel shall be saved: even as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer; He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

Yes, there are some of our brothers and sisters still in physical Israel. We must pray that they will come out and join spiritual Israel.So ALL spiritual Israel will be saved. The rest will not. Because if anybody(even a Jew of physical Israel) rejects Jesus as the Lord and Saviour they cannot come to God.

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: Rom 2:29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Praise God, its always been Plan A: The church of the elect, spiritual Israel, where the Jew is the one who is a Jew inwardly and the circumcision is of the heart (cutting off of the fleshly nature)

Are you a Jew
love C


Question is: Can God break a promise.
Answer : Yes, if it is conditional to faith.

To Physical Israel He says:Rom 10:21 But as to Israel he saith, All the day long did I spread out my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

I will tackle this in Bible Study , under Myth Buster 4 later, when I get a chance

We are told in Hebrews that there was a problem with the first covenant.

Heb 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

There are 2 houses that this is concerned with; the house of Israel and the house of Judah; A and B.

The first covenant was that of FAITH.

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

'By faith Abel . . .' 'By faith Enoch . . .' 'By faith Noah . . .' 'By faith Abraham . . .' Isaac, Jacob, Moses. . .

Heb 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

There is a statement in the bible that says about the resurrection, 'We shall not preceed those that have died.'

In the resurrection we receive a perfect body. The new covenant is the perfect body, but we will already have the perfect body, but it is Israel that will have the word of the Lord enscribed on their mind and in their hearts. Israel, who has died, learns no more until the resurrection and it is us who has been around who has learned the word of the Lord that will perfect Israel, 'that they without us should not be made perfect.'

What about Judah?

Gen 29:35 And she conceived again, and bore a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

Judah, B, is the praise of the Lord!

A = Faith.
B = Praise!

PROGRESS!!!!!!!!! From A to B!

Shalom,

Jn 3:16 For YHVH so loved the world that HE gave....
YHVH does not love only part of the world at a time!
HE does not leave or forsake any part of it!
Before this was said...
Hbr 13:5 [Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
it was said...
Deu 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
&
Deu 31:8 And the LORD, he [it is] that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
YHVH does not give up on HIS creation!
YHVH's hand of salvation is ever extended to all humans and nothing can take them from HIM except that individual.
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
No other creature but that individual can separate you from YHVH. Only your personal choice can do this. No nation, no leader, no other creature can deny you the love of YHVH.
The choice is yours and it is the same for each and every Jew.

Rom 11:17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Some, many, have been removed but the same basic plant in the ground!

Amen, Replacement Theology says that a tree can prosper and live without a root. It is still Plan A but it is a work in progress. God Bless. offgrid.

There is nothing new under the sun - if he who calls himself a follower of God but in his heart hate Gods chosen people - he will want to change the meaning of the word of God to suite his purpose.

We are not however here to use Gods word for evil - and Jesus told us not to hate - but to love.

Even the Ku Klux Klan were churchgoers - and they proporbly ignored some part of the Bible that did not suit their evil cause.

Beleive in the word of truth - and let no man teach you otherwise.

Shalom,

togarma you mentioned, "Gods chosen people" So let me explain this just a bit.
What were the Jews "chosen" for? Exactly the same thing we are "chosen" for.
Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. KJV
In the book of Jonah the Jews were told (basically) to become a witness for YHVH just as Y'SHUA tells HIS disciples (of which all CHRISTians are "supposed" to be) to do as well.
That is what we are "chosen" to do.
That is what we are all "called" for!
Rom 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God [are] without repentance. KJV
Notice that the "calling" is singular. There is only one and it is for all of YHVH's people. It is to salvation. With that comes the simple obligation to spread the word (James 2:20) of that same available salvation for all the world that YHVH loved enough to send Y'SHUA to die for. Notice also that YHVH will not repent of that calling, it is, "without repentance" as well as the "gift" of The MESSIAH.

Replacement theology like all other Doctrines or Statements of Faith (SoF) serve only the individual and not YHVH. They set this or that individual apart as a member of this group of people. This is what happened to my forefathers as well when they heard the call to be YHVH's "Chosen people" but did not hear what they were chosen to do. Contrastingly YHVH "so loved the world that HE gave" in an attempt to bring all of HIS creation, HIS children together.

YHVH gave us the only SoF that we need and it is found in...
1Cr 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. KJV

Thank you Semachiah - Jews and the Church are two different people on different timelines comming together at the end.


God choose the Jews to be his people (The first Olive tree)

I choose the Jews God as my God (The second Olive tree)


I am not jewish - I am Togarma - as they are not Togarma, they are Jewish.

When the word of God hit the Norwegian mountains - the people started to repent, and to cleanse our land - we burned and killed ba´al magicians, astarte-whiches etc. - you know the story?

To cleanse our country - we killed people like him - because Evil spirits always bring sickness and deciese. - In Norway we had the plague "Black Death" in 1349 and a lot of people died.


My point is, as always - I beleive the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth - so Help me God!

Shalom,

That is part of the misconception that we need to get over for YHVH made sure we understood this when HE had Paul state that...
Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. KJV
I am Jewish by birth but that means absolutely nothing any more. YHVH has only one Family Tree and it consist of ALL of HIS created children without distinction for YHVH is...
Act 10:34 Then Peter opened [his] mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

YHVH has called ALL of us to be HIS witness and to lead others to HIS salvation in order that ALL of us may partake of HIS gift of salvation. Those who do not bear fruit are removed. They are dead branches and they will not grow. They have chosen not to do what they are created to do. Those who were not a part of the original plant but are willing to do that which they have been created for are then grafted into the vine. If they change their stripes, however, once they are in and fail to produce, they too will be removed (Rev 3:14-16).

When we believe in two trees, as you have called them, then we can come to agreement with 'replacement theology' because one is replacing the other. This is not to be seen as the case however. This was never YHVH's intention. YHVH tried to make this clear through the Prophet Ezekiel as well when HE stated...
Eze 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
Eze 18:21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Eze 18:22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
Eze 18:23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: [and] not that he should return from his ways, and live?
Eze 18:24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, [and] doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked [man] doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
Eze 18:25 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?
Eze 18:26 When a righteous [man] turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
Eze 18:27 Again, when the wicked [man] turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
Eze 18:28 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Eze 18:29 Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?
Eze 18:30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn [yourselves] from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
Eze 18:31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Eze 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn [yourselves], and live ye. KJV

There is not two trees there is only one. It is the olive tree called Israel.

The Jews because of their hardness and unbelief were cut off the tree and the believing gentiles (the wild branches) were grafted into the tree. So perhaps you could say that some branches are being replaced but the tree is not being replaced.

Nor should we be associating the Olive tree with the Old Covenant. The Olive tree of Israel began with Abraham Isaac and Jacob. The Olive tree existed for 400 years before there was an Old Covenant. The Olive tree of Israel is founded upon the promises God made to Abraham. We learn that the law was "added
because of transgression"
Galatians 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator

It was only ever designed as a stop gap measure to prevent Israel entirely spiralling into sin in the first five minutes of being a nation. In fact the whole purpose of the law was to demonstrate how inadequate rules and regulations in the letter are, and how essentially we needed a Saviour. In this it was glorious in its task of pointing us to the need for a saviour. So we should never believe that God failed with the law (Plan A) so then he tried out the New Covenant (Plan . Although we call it a New Covenant in that it is replacing the administration of the Old Covenant, it is not in fact new 1 John 2:7. It was in existence at the time of Abraham under the priesthood of Melchizadek and has continued unbroken to this day. All those Jews under the Old Covenant could only be saved if they worshipped God in the Spirit of the Law, obeying and believing as Abraham did, even as the obeyed the letter of the Old Covenant law. When they did this their physical sacrifices under the Old Covenant were imputed for righteousness and paid to Melchisadek through the loins of Abraham. Hebrews 7:9.

Now this priesthood of Melchisidec is an eternal priesthood.
Hebrews 7:3 Without father, without mother, without descent, [1] having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

Let us not think like temporal men here but think after the pattern of the spirit. We are talking about things which are outside of time and space here. So the Word came and dwelt as flesh dieing on the cross SO THAT Melchisadek could be a priest for Abraham. So that Melchisadek could be the Son of God for Abraham.
So therefore we see that the priesthood of Melchisadec is a continual priesthood reigning from Abraham to the end of time. So the Old Covenant and the Levitcal priesthood were temporary whereas the priesthood of Melchisadec was eternal. Therefore it was necessary for the Levitical priesthood to be replaced with the priesthood of Melchisadec. The temporary priesthood and covenant only gave temporary relief from sin. Showing how essential it was needed for there to be a permanenet and eternal priest who could permanently atone for sin.

So when we talk about replacing something what we mean is we are replacing something temporary with something Eternal. However we should not think that therefore the Eternal priesthood and covenant DID NOT EXIST before the temporary priesthood and covenant. Absolutely not. If it did not exist before the temporary priesthood and covenant then it is NOT ETERNAL. The Eternal thing therefore replaces the temporary thing for all ages of men.

This takes a little bit of getting used to. The flesh tells us that Eternity is time continued on from this point onto forever.
Not so Eternity is outside human measurements of time. It is a divine and spiritual thing unbounded by our 3 dimensions.
Try to read all of Hebrews 7 in this light and see if it does not come to life.

Read all of Hebrews 7

Thank you for your enlightment - I´ve read the whole letter from chapter one to thirteen, and focused on Hebrews 7 as you told me to - and you are right, I was wrong - and I repent.


Thank you LORD for giving excubitor the strength and knowledge to teach the Gospel of your servant Paul - I was blinded, but my eyes where opened as I read your holy word of truth. You LORD is the only Way the only Truth and the only Life - And nobody comes to the Father without beleiving in you oh LORD.


Hebrews 12,7-8:

[7] If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
[8] But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Wow,

God has blessed you Togarma with insight because you have a humble and teachable heart. Many others would read the same words that I wrote and it would make no impression on them. So what you have learned is a gift from the Holy Spirit. Being prepared to say "I was wrong" is the only way we can grow and learn. To make a public confession is also a rare example of the workings of the Spirit.

From my perspective, I get a lot of criticisms for my views on this forum and others, so to get an expression of thanks which you gave me is a rare gem and makes all my efforts worthwhile.