The Church Is Not Israel (A Refutation of Replacement Theology / Amillennialism)

Replacement Theology and the Church’s Distinct Identity

This is called replacement theology, this idea that the church replaces Israel. What are some of the differences? Those who hold to covenant theology or replace, we are what? What's the word that we would identify?

We are dispensational in our theology. Those who are covenantal in their theology or those who accept replacement theology, here are the differences. We only baptize believers by immersion. They oftentimes will baptize babies by sprinkling.

Why? Because to them baptism is the new circumcision. So you circumcise babies, you baptize babies. So they will often baptize infants. To them, many of them, there is no 1 ,000 year kingdom upon the earth.

There is no rapture in their view. There is no tribulation in their view. There is generally no future for Israel in their view. Why? Because we are Israel. The church is Israel. No rapture, no tribulation, no kingdom, no future for baptizing babies.

These are some very significant differences, right? Very, very significant. And because of all that, their view of the end times is totally different from our view. And what's important is their view is not the biblical view.

We'll be able to say, I told you so. Yeah, well, you know, saying I told you so is overrated. We want to win them over. Amen. All right, let's turn to Romans 11. But you're right, we will be, you would be able to do that, I suppose.

Romans 11 and the Future of Israel

So turn to Romans, Romans 11. Yeah. Another difference between dispensationalists like us and those who believe in covenant theology, and you know, I'm not trying to be disrespectful. I'm not questioning their faith.

But another big difference is they will allegorize the Bible where we take the scripture more literally. When the scripture says Israel, it means Israel. When the Bible says the church, it means the New Testament church.

The church does not mean Israel, and Israel does not mean the church. And yet that's what they believe. So let's try to prove this view with scripture. I think the biggest issue, if God doesn't keep his promises to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, if God doesn't keep his promises, you have an even bigger problem on your hands.

Because if God doesn't keep his promise to the Jews, maybe he doesn't keep his promise to us. Romans 11, verse 11. Hopefully this will clarify everything. Says, I say then that they, the Jews, stumbled.

He's asking a question. I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? What's the answer? Certainly not. Why? Because there's still a future for them. But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.

So God moved to the Gentiles, not because he's finished. He moved to the Gentiles to provoke them to jealousy. So that the Jews would see the blessing and the success of the New Testament church, and they, that eventually is going to lead them back, back to faith.

Then Paul gets into his illustration of the olive tree, which speaks of God's covenant blessings. The Jews are pictured as the natural branches. And what happened to the natural branches? They're, yeah, they're cut off.

So that the predominantly Gentile church, us, we get grafted in. So here's the tree, God's covenant blessings. They're cut off. We are, we are grafted in. Following along so far? Okay. Romans 11, 23, and they also, speaking of Israel, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in.

For God is able to graft them in again. I submit to you, Paul would not say this unless he knew it was going to happen. That God is going to graft Israel back, back in. We believe this happens when? I mean, you know, Marcus said that it's starting to happen.

And there's always been Jews who've believed in the Lord. There's always Jews getting saved at any moment in time. They'll be raptured. But this is the Jews of the seven-year tribulation. Yeah, so Jews in large numbers will start converting to Christ during the tribulation.

So once the Lord raptures the church, the church is now in heaven. Now, who is he going to deal with? Right. The Jews. Look at verse 25. But of course, if you don't believe in any rapture and you don't believe in any tribulation, guess what?

This never happens. You're right. It doesn't matter what someone believes. What matters is what does the Bible say? And this is, this is proof right here. Verse 25, he says, for I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until.

That's a very important word. Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved. As it is written, the deliverer will come out of Zion and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob for this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.

So Jesus was rejected and crucified in 30 AD or 33 AD. Paul is writing Romans and I forget the year. Let's say it's 58 AD. Most people were thinking God's done with them. He's, he's going to destroy the temple or the Romans will destroy the temple in 70 AD.

But you know what? The time is coming when all Israel will be, will be saved. Why? Verse 28, concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sake because they don't believe it, but concerning the election that is God chose them, concerning the election, they are beloved for the sake of the fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. What does that mean? Yeah, God is not going to change his mind. You say, yeah, but they, they rebelled again. They rejected Christ. What have we been reading in Exodus and Numbers?

This keeps happening. They keep rebelling. You know, the, the stiff neck is God done with them in Exodus when they rebelled? No. Is God done with them in Numbers when they rebelled? Remember God's, he, he threatened to start over, but did he do it?

No. So why do we think that? Okay. In the new Testament now he's really had it and God's finished and he's going to break his word and he's, he's, it's never going to happen because the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

You couldn't get any more clear. All Israel in the future, Paul's saying, will be saved. So for someone to say that God is finished with Israel, this, this is a very, very serious error and churches that are turning that way, they need to take this seriously.

Amen. Amen. So all Israel will be saved.