Replacement Theology
Written by: Betty McKenny
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my thoughts; and see if
there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)
There is a doctrine found throughout many branches of the traditional Christian church.
It is called, “Replacement Theology.” It basically states that God has rejected Israel and
the Jews for all time, and that He has put the Gentile church in their favored place as
“Spiritual Israel.” The resulting conclusion is that the Scriptural promises once given to
Israel are now for the church alone, while the curses and messages of judgment are for
a now irrelevant Israel. A thorough study of church history can reveal how this theology
became injected into nearly every branch of the traditional Christian church. (Some of
the suggested books listed below would be a start).
Replacement Theology is a grievous and erroneous position which is not backed up by
an objective study of the Scriptures. A prayerful reading of Romans 9, 10 and 11 will
confirm that, in the heart of God, Israel is still Israel and the Church is the Church. God
has graciously opened the door for Gentile believers to be grafted into the everlasting
Covenant He made with Israel, that we may partake of the blessing and promises He
made to them, but He has not - for even one moment - cast off the nation and the
people of Israel. Though they have been living in unbelief and hardened for a time, God
is doing a unique, painstaking, methodical work with them.
He will bring them all back to their land. He will restore them to the place where they will
once again relate to Him from His capital city on earth, Jerusalem.
(Jeremiah 16:14-16; Jeremiah 31:8-10;16-18).
He will bring them spiritually to an encounter where they will look upon Him whom they
have pierced, and mourn and cry out to Him in repentance and recognition of Him as
their Promised Messiah (Zechariah 12:10).
He will bring them to the spiritual state of righteousness and unity with Him where He
will be able to drink that 4th cup of wine found in the Passover Seder - the cup of
acceptance (Matthew 26:29).
After much suffering and tribulation, the promises will literally be fulfilled for Israel
through a believing remnant of Jews at the end of the age. God has never broken His
covenant with Israel. They have always been, and remain the apple of His eye
(Zechariah 2:8).
As for promises and judgments, God has graciously brought Gentile believers into His
earthly family as adopted children, and there is an ongoing, continuous relationship
between Israel and the church. He often deals with Israel and the church in a similar
manner, just as a wise father would deal with a natural born child and an adopted child
in similar manner. Therefore, many of the beautiful promises and assurances of the Old
Testament apply to believers in Jesus the Messiah, as well. What is true for the natural
child is probably going to be true for the adopted child, because truth is truth - but the
adopted child does not take the place of the natural child. Both are to be found in the
heart of the Father. He loves both, and He disciplines both. He will be consistent in His
dealings with both of His children.
Though there has been a long season in human history during which, in biblical
language, Israel has been “broken off” (Romans 11:20), God has never broken His
eternal covenant with her. Even as He released strong judgment upon Israel,
dispersing her to Gentile nations, He made the amazing vows found in Jeremiah 31:35-
37 and Jeremiah 33:20-26. These vows declare that as long as the sun shines and the
moon is in its place and the stars appear in the sky, as long as the cycle of day and
night continue, God is keeping His covenant with Israel. They may be faithless, but He
is ever faithful to His covenant. All one needs to do is to look up into the night sky or
toward the noonday sun to be assured of God’s everlasting covenant with His people,
Israel. He will discipline Israel as a Loving Father, but He will never forsake or forget
her.
God is a covenant-keeping God. If He is not willing to keep His covenant with Israel,
how are we to think that He will keep it with us? In 1886, R. Kelso Carter wrote a well-
known hymn, “Standing on the Promises.” Perhaps you have sung this hymn in church:
Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring;
Glory in the highest I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.
Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God my Savior
Standing, standing, I’m standing on the promises of God.
If His promises to Israel are not dependable, how can we be sure that His promises to
us will hold up? God never changes. He cannot lie. His promises cannot fail. How can
we cling to such assurance for ourselves while believing that God has broken or
cancelled His promises to His covenant people, Israel?
To believe that God has put off Israel forever and replaced her with the Gentile Church
is not only to be arrogant, but to claim that God is a covenant-breaker and a liar. This
doctrine of “Replacement Theology” is not a benign thing - it is an assassination of the
very character of God and a very serious matter. Anyone who has been influenced by
its teaching, even in a subtle way, needs to prayerfully and humbly examine that
influence and put it out of his or her heart.
This truth is summed up in Yahweh’s definitive declaration to Abram in Genesis 12:1-3:
“Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country and from your relatives and
from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great
nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in
you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
The final sentence affirms that God’s intention in the first place was to bless (save,
redeem, bring into His family) all the “families of the earth” (the Gentiles) THROUGH the
everlasting covenant made with Abraham, not INSTEAD of that amazing, unbreakable
covenant.
This issue of “Replacement Theology” is perhaps one of the most important ones we
face in these days of war, division, chaos and confusion. I believe that we are living in
the last days, perhaps even the “last of the last days.” Biblical prophecy is unfolding
right before our eyes. The second coming of Jesus Christ to establish his everlasting
kingdom is the focal point of all Scripture, Old and New Testament. We can talk all day
long about different eschatological doctrines: the rapture of the church, the iming and
chronology of Biblical eschatological events, the geo-political players, etc. (One of my
favorite things to do). On many points, we can keep an open mind, continue to dig into
the Scripture for greater understanding and discernment, pray to keep learning, and
ultimately agree to agree to disagree in love.
However, this is a time when God is testing hearts, and there are some issues we dare
not question. One of these is the place of modern-day Israel, the Jews, the descendants
of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in the plan and heart of God.
I have no better way to end this blog than with the words of the Apostle Paul:
“But if some of the branches (Jewish people) were broken off, and you (Gentile
believers), being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with
them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you
are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports
you.
You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ Quite right,
they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited,
but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.
For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in
your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fulness of
the Gentiles has come in; and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘THE
DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM
JACOB.’ ‘AND THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR
SINS,’…..for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”
(Romans 11:17-21;25-27;29)
Betty McKinney
All Bible references from NASB, 1944, 1990
Suggested books:
How the Cross Became a Sword by Richard Booker
Blow a Trumpet in Zion by Richard Booker
Sinai to Zion by Joel Richardson
When a Jew Rules the World by Joel Richardson
The Mountains of Israel by Norma Parrish Archbold
