My last post (The New Culture) is a message on Ephesians 2:11-22. That section of Scripture tells us that there were two primary cultures – Gentile and Israel – and Jesus made “the two into one new man” (verse 15) by his death and resurrection. This one new man is a new culture, aka the Kingdom of God. Jesus did not call his followers to live in either the Gentile or Jewish culture nor a combination of the two, but to live in a real connection with the Trinity and to have our beliefs, customs, attitudes, values, goals, and practices shaped by that connection. I tried to explain how this means we don’t get life from other cultures or communities – ethnicity, lifestyle, career choice, philosophy or nationality. I spent some time describing how some Christians are attempting to make the United States of America a culture that is equal or near-equal to Christ’s Kingdom and thus a substitute for “the one new man.” Now I’ll say clearly – no nation on earth is the Kingdom of God; no nation (including the USA) is the culture that the followers of Jesus should set as their source of life, identity, and mission.
So, what about Israel? At the time of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the nation of Israel was one of the cultures that he made into one new man. What does that mean for Israel today?
I want to be absolutely clear. When I talk about Israel in this essay, including terms such as Jew and Jewish, I am not talking about race or ethnicity or particular individual people. I am talking about the nation Israel, the political/geographical state called Israel which was established in 1948 and continues today in the Middle East. Please keep that in mind – this is about the nation.
What I’ve written here is a summary of my conclusions. It is not an in-depth study or explanation. If you have questions or reactions, feel free to comment.
There is a system of belief, a theology, specifically an eschatology, which holds that modern Israel is the restored nation of the Old Testament and its existence is the fulfillment of prophecy about the “end time.” It is usually a feature of dispensationalism, which was developed by J. N. Darby in the 19th century. The system is frequently call Christian Zionism. 
It teaches that current Israel is still God’s chosen people inhabiting the promised land. John Hagee states: “This was a literal covenant for a literal land, therefore this title deed to Israel stands at the time it was made between God and Abraham and it stands today and forever… There is no leader on earth that can remove God’s blessing from Israel or the Jewish people. They are, and always will be, the apple of God’s eye. Israel is a chosen nation…” (https://www.jhm.org/Articles/2017-05-01-jerusalem-jubilee). The establishment of Israel in 1948 is seen to be a major sign of the soon second coming of Christ. The country is expected to be the location of the final battle – Armageddon – and afterward Jesus will reign in Jerusalem and bring blessing to the Jews. All this means that Israel is the most important place on earth. Dr. Adrian Rogers called it the “center of the world” (https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/love-worth-finding/read/articles/israel-and-bible-prophecy-what-does-the-future-hold-part-1-15760.html). This seems to indicate that God has an attitude and activity toward Israel that are separate from his work in Christianity (that is, salvation and new life by personal faith in Jesus).
If Jesus actually “made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity made the two into one new man” (Ephesians 2:14-16) then the idea that Israel continues to be the chosen nation cannot be true. He established his one kingdom for all people – not two groups, no barrier, no division.
Christian Zionism often explains that Israel’s status as God’s chosen nation is necessary in order for God to keep the promises he made to Abraham and repeated to his descendants. But that overlooks the reality that God did fulfill his promises to make Israel a great nation. Compare Genesis 15:18 and 22:17 with 1 Kings 4:20-21. Approximately 3,000 years ago God did exactly what he said he would do. The promises for possessing the land and being prosperous in it have already been fulfilled.
I think it is necessary to understand the purpose God had for choosing Israel. The goal was not merely for the Jews to have the land and be safe and prosperous in it. That was more the means to reaching the actual goal. The first step toward accomplishing God’s calling to Israel was to be established in the “promised land.” The first step, not the final conclusion. The land was to serve as the base of operations for accomplishing the God-given mission. The actual purpose was, in the Lord’s words to Abram, “And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Israel was chosen to dwell in the land and become a great nation in order to be the agency of God’s blessing to the world. In Scripture, the distinctive identity of Israel is not ethnic or racial or nationalistic. It is purposeful, missional. God chose Israel, not to be a distinct race but to have a distinct purpose, a calling in the world – be holy as he is holy (Exodus 19:5-6) so God can bless the entire world which is his. In Galatians 3, Paul explains that this blessing promised to Abraham was actually the gospel of Jesus Christ. Israel’s choosing was for the purpose of God bringing the Savior to the world. That promise has been kept. The deliverer has come from Zion (Romans 11:26).
In the New Testament nothing is ever said about Israel continuing as a nation or that her possessing the land will be a continuing (restored) reality. Dr. Irene Faulkes sums this up: “First of all, there cannot be found any verse that implicitly says Israel would be restored after Jerusalem and the temple were totally destroyed in AD 70 and her people killed, enslaved and scattered to the ends of the earth. Jesus did not say such a thing in either Matthew 24, Mark 13 or Luke 21. Paul omitted to say this in Romans 9-11. Peter does not mention it in his second epistle even in relation to the time when he said the earth would be consumed by fire. Its absence as an occurrence is noteworthy. A second restoration for the nation is not mentioned in the whole of the Old Testament” (“End Times and Israel” p17). I think this is because God has already kept the promises he made and completed the purposes he had for Israel.
My thinking about Israel has developed from what I have come to understand about the Law – the Old Testament Law which God gave to Israel in covenant (Exodus 19:5-6). The New Testament is clear that the Law has been abolished and so no longer is in effect because it was fulfilled by Christ. “When He said, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete” (Hebrews 8:13). “They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order ” (Hebrews 9:10 New International Version). “For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation” (Galatians 6:15). The Law has done what it was intended to do – basically prepare for the Messiah to come and bring eternal salvation for everyone. Since it has done what it was intended to do, there is no longer any need for it. The old law, the old covenant has been replaced by the new covenant. The covenant with Israel was completed and finished. The new covenant with all humanity has been put into operation – the new order, the new creation. So, Israel is no longer needed.
Let’s go back to Ephesians 2:15, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man… Jesus created a “new man” out of divided humanity. I take this to mean that humanity was restored in Christ to the original design – created in the image of God. In the original creation there was no ethnic designation or identity, no Jew or Gentile, no “Israel” or any other nation. In Christ, humanity is one; there is no place for any nationalism.
In the New Testament all people who are in Christ are specifically described with the designations given to Israel in the Old Testament: a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own possession, and the people who were once not God’s people now are (1 Peter 2:9–10; see Romans 9:25–26, Revelation 1:6). If these identities and descriptions still applied to Israel, how could they be assigned to Christians with no stipulation that they do still apply to Israel? Because they don’t. Now these titles specifically describe the new humanity, all who are in Christ.
Jesus is the fulfillment of Israel, the climax of that nation’s history and purpose. He is not merely the replacement for the nation because Israel failed to stay faithful. God’s purpose for the Hebrews was fulfilled. Israel was always pointing forward to Jesus, the Messiah/Redeemer/Lord. All that God put into Israel – the law, the temple, the land, the social order – was a “shadow” (Colossians 2:16-17; Hebrews 8:5 and 10:1) of reality, never actually the real thing. Israel’s job was to “prepare the way of the Lord” (Isaiah 40:3, Mark 1:1-20). She did, by God’s grace and sovereignty. Jesus came – the nation is fulfilled, the nation is not needed any longer.
Why is this important? Does it make any real difference whether or not we follow Christian Zionism? I think it does. Here, briefly, are a few results I see.
- Zionism can contribute to an attitude of separation based on nationality, race, ethnicity, instead of seeing God’s desire for all humanity to be united in Christ.
- Zionism promotes the treatment of Palestinians as the enemy of God’s chosen nation.
- Zionism results in a failure to acknowledge prophecy that God has actually fulfilled, such as the promise to give the Hebrews all the land (1 Kings 4:20-21).
- Zionism may produce a false hope for Jewish people. Rabbi Yechiel Z. Eckstein, founder of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, said, “Jesus, in some way, was sent by God in a divine appointment to bring what Christians call salvation to the Gentiles. He was a way to be grafted onto the olive tree of Israel. But the Jewish covenant continues to be valid. The roots support the branch” and, “I still don’t believe in Jesus as the Christ … I view him instead as a Jew who brought salvation to the Gentiles.”
- Zionism motivates a lot of time, money, and effort being wasted (books, websites, conferences, sermons, lessons) that could go to real ministry. For example, I looked around the website of Christians United For Israel – everything is about supporting and defending Israel (“the apple of God’s eye”); there are no resources, actions, or policies concerned about sharing the gospel with the people of Israel.
- Zionism diminishes the victory of Christ. If true, I think this system of belief means that God was not able to fulfill his purposes for Israel nor his intention to reconcile the world (2 Corinthians 5:19; not just Gentiles) to himself nor his promise of righteousness for all through the sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah (Romans 3:21-31; Gentiles and Jews).
There is nothing wrong with the Jewish people having a nation of their own in the Middle East. But that nation should not be thought of as “God’s chosen people.” It is one of the 195 countries in the world and exists with the same standards and expectations as all the others.
None of this means that God rejects the Jewish people. He loves Jews as much as he always has, along with Africans, Asians, Germans, Irish, Latinos – every nationality and race. He has a place for Jews (for everyone) in his Kingdom through Jesus Christ.
And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
“You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10)
If you are interested in reading more on this subject, here are a few resources (there are many available):
Erratum: Does the New Testament support Christian Zionism?, Philip La Grange Du Toit, https://indieskriflig.org.za/index.php/skriflig/article/view/2334 (download PDF)
End Times and Israel, Irene Faulkes D.D., https://www.academia.edu/ 8664727/ END_TIMES_AND_ISRAEL (download PDF; it’s an entire book)
Jew-Gentile Distinction in the One New Man of Ephesians 2:15, David B. Woods, https://www.academia.edu/9108922/Jew-Gentile_Distinction_in_the_One_ New_ Man_ of_Ephesians_2_15 (download PDF – a different interpretation than mine)
Christians United for Israel, https://www.cufi.org/
Christ at the Checkpoint, https://christatthecheckpoint.bethbc.edu/ (specifically the blog section)
The Israel of God, http://www.letgodbetrue.com/pdf/true-israel.pdf (I don’t agree with everything on this website, but it covers the subject of Zionism pretty well.)
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