Sam Waldron: The Church is the Israel of God, Amillennialism and National Israel, Gentile Age

In this clip, Dr Sam Waldron discusses Galatians 6:16, the Church as the Israel of God, Amillennialism and the gentile age, and the current events with National Israel

Full video here:

[russellhenckel]

Dr. Waldron had been invaluable in my transition out of pre millennialism to amillenialism

[ruthmayforth]

I love that - Israel MORPHED into the Church, not replaced

[BrotherInChrist]

I believe the concept of replacement theology needs to be scrutinized; there are really three distinctly separate issues:

1) Did the new testament ekklesia replace the old testament ekklesia?

2) Is the nation of Israel elect and restored to God at the return of the Son of man as King?

3) Are restored Israel, as well as the saints of God (all the saints in salvation history, resurrected/raptured, glorified), recipients of the promises to Abraham through the Seed?

The brick wall that most dispensationalists run into, leading to unnecessary confusion and division, is the denial that the new testament ekklesia replaced the old testament ekklesia [Note: ekklesia, the Greek New Testament word for "church, " or more precisely, "assembly, " "gathering, " or "congregation, " is used 60 times in 56 verses of the old testament (LXX), starting with Deuteronomy 4:10; ekklesia is found 114 times in 111 verses of the Greek New Testament].

Our Lord Jesus states this truth in the gospel of Matthew...

Matthew 21:43-44 "Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him."

Let me share some commentary with you (Note: I don't agree with everything the commentators state)...

"shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof—that is, the great evangelical community of the faithful, which, after the extrusion of the Jewish nation, would consist chiefly of Gentiles, until “all Israel should be saved” (Ro 11:25, 26). This vastly important statement is given by Matthew only." >>> Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 53).

"Our Lord tells them plainly, that God was removing his church from them to the Gentiles, which he calleth a people that should bring forth the fruits thereof." >>> Poole, Matthew (1853). Annotations upon the Holy Bible (Vol. 3, p. 102). Robert Carter and Brothers.

"The words foreshadow the appearance of the Christian church." >>> Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (p. 544). W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.


I want to address the language brother Heiser uses >>> "I think the church has replaced Israel."

I believe it would have been helpful if he would have stated, "I believe Christians replaced the nation of Israel as the church of God in the new testament, " or, "I believe the new testament church replaced the old testament church in God's economy, " or something to that effect.

You could also say the new testament ekklesia is a continuation of the ekklesia of God.

The eschatological revelation is multi-layered; we have to qualify Biblical truth with additional Biblical truths in order to gain understanding and see the big picture. It can be very, very difficult to articulate, and that is to the glory of God (Proverbs 25:2).


Where covenantalists are dangerously errant is in regard to Israel; some even state that the church is Israel (the truth is, I believe, the saints, all the saints in salvation history, and not the church, are the Israel of God).

Scripture bears out a dual fulfillment of the promises to Abraham through the Seed.

The fulfillment to the natural descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is a fulfillment to a remnant of regenerated Jews/Israelites (Zechariah 12:10-14) who cry out, "Baruch haba b'shem Adonai."

Matthew 23:39 "For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

These natural descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be saved when the Deliverer comes from Zion...

Romans 11:26-27 "And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, 'The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob;' 27 'and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.'"

This group is prophesied in Zechariah 13...

Zechariah 13:8-9 "And in all the land, declares the LORD, two-thirds will be cut off and perish, but a third will be left in it. 9 This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people, ’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’ ”

This group is the fulfillment of the prophecy in Ezekiel 36...

Ezekiel 36:24-29 "I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you."

This remnant of Jews/Isaelites will be regenerated and enter the Messianic kingdom as mortal men and women in the nation of Israel.

To summarize, both groups (restored, regenerated Israel, and the glorified saints) result from the promise to Abraham through the Seed. Scripture bears out a dual fulfillment of the promises to Abraham through the Seed regarding people (Israel/Israel of God), land (Israel/the whole earth), and blessing

Jesus is the only way!

Blessings

[contemplate-Matt.G]

It's Jesus who replaced Israel...thematically speaking. It was His inheritance all along.

[BrotherInChrist]

Scripture reveals that the saints of God (all the saints in salvation history), and not the church, will be New Jerusalem.

Read Hebrews 11:10, 11:13-16, and 13:24.

1) Identify who the verses pertain to.

2) What is the name of the city God is preparing for them in Revelation 21:2?

3) How does John reference the people who inhabit the city (adorned for Christ) in Revelation 21:2?

Blessings in Christ

[BrotherInChrist]

Sons of Abraham? Cultivated Olive Tree? Israel of God?

Are Gentile believers fellow citizens with the saints and members of the commonwealth of Israel? Who was grafted into the cultivated olive tree of Romans 11?

Paul wrote that a true Jew is one inwardly with a circumcised heart, and that circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, and not by the letter? Is the inward Jew a member of the cultivated olive tree?

In the epistle to the Romans, Paul writes, “Not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.” Is the Israel that Paul is referring to, the cultivated olive tree?

In the epistle to the Ephesians, Paul writes about a mystery—that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. Is this one body the cultivated olive tree?

Jesus said He has two folds and they will become one flock. Is the one flock of Jesus the cultivated olive tree?

Hebrews 11:39-40 informs us that the NT and OT saints are made perfect together. Are these perfected, glorfied saints the cultivated olive tree?

Hebrews 12:23, in a vision, identifies an assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, coming to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant. Is this assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, the cultivated olive tree? This prophetic vision meets fulfillment in Revelation 14:1-5, in the heavenly Mount Zion; the redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb. Cultivated olive tree?

Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 points to a group of people who Jesus Christ has redeemed by His blood, to be a kingdom and priests. Is this kingdom of priests, freed from sin by the blood of Christ, the cultivated olive tree? Revelation 7:9 prophesies this same group, resurrected and raptured, glorified, and standing before the throne of God and the Lamb, from every nation, tribe, and tongue, wearing white robes and holding palm branches. Cultivated olive tree?

Is there a spiritual Israel? What do you call the body of glorified saints who will rule and reign with Christ on earth? Are the glorified saints members of the cultivated olive tree?

Is the cultivated olive tree the Israel of God?

In Isaiah 49 the Messiah is referred to as Israel. Because Gentile believers are in the Messiah, Jesus, does that include them as members of the cultivated olive tree, the Israel of God?

Are the sons of Abraham the Israel of God? Who are the sons of Abraham?

The sons of Abraham, counted righteous by faith, comprise the cultivated olive tree; they are Jew, and Gentile—the “Israel of God…” All the saints in salvation history… The firstborn enrolled in heaven… The redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb… The eternal covenant community of YHWH redeemed by the Lamb… The bride of Christ.

The saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.

Blessings

[TammyWallace-rstmn]

Wow- he never acknowledged that Israel is Gods chosen people. The apple of Gods eye…..

[empese]

The only verse in the NT that says: and to the Israel of God (very important greek kai there meaning and) Galatians 6:16 is clearly referring to ethnic israelites who have believed in Jesus as the Messiah. In the context of the letter that makes perfect sense. No verse in the NT says that the church is the New Israel or the Israel of God.

[michaelfalsia]

PLEASE DOES ANYONE KNOW WHO SINGS THAT BEAUTIFUL SONG AT THE END? I MUST HAVE IT. I LOVE THIS TYPE OF PRAISE SONG. SO CONSISTENT WITH A SOUND AND SUBSTANTIVE FAITH.

[Gamelorian]

Israel is the Israel of God. The church is the bride of Christ.

[ruthmayforth]

Why is the belief in “replacement theology” associated with amillenialism? Is replacement theology compatible with historic premileenialism, and if not, why?