Israel and the Church: See the Difference?

Adam Maarschalk 16 Comments

This graphic is very revealing (source unknown)**:

 

Israel and the Church

To elaborate on points 7-10, in the post “Who Are God’s Chosen People and Why Are They Chosen?” we saw clearly the parallel language between what was spoken to ancient Israel (Exodus 19) and what was spoken to the Church (I Peter 2):

The parallel language is unmistakable, and I have letter-coded the parallels (A, B, and C):

[1] To ancient national Israel: “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be [A] MY TREASURED POSSESSION among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to Me [B] A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS and a [C] HOLY NATION…” (Exodus 19:5-6).

[2] To the Church: “But you are a chosen race, [B] A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, a [C] HOLY NATION, a people [A] FOR HIS OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people…” (I Peter 2:9-10).

On this topic, see also:

[1] “Why I Stand With Israel” shows how Isaiah, Matthew, Luke, and John all demonstrate that what was said of ancient Israel in the Old Testament is now said of Jesus. In other words, Jesus is Israel, and it’s no surprise that Paul calls Jesus’ followers “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16).

[2] “Both Jews and Non-Jews Belong Equally to “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16)

[3] “God’s Promise of a New Covenant to the House of Israel”

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**I was told by someone on Facebook that Charles Provan may have created this graphic, but I have not been able to confirm this. Charles authored a book titled, “The Church Is Israel Now.“

16 thoughts on “Israel and the Church: See the Difference?”

    • Hi William. Yes, believing “Gentiles in the flesh” (Ephesians 2:11) and “the commonwealth of Israel” (Eph. 2:12) have been made into “one new man” (verse 15) and “one body” (verse 16). The enmity has been put to death (verse 16). And, as you said, there is no distinction between Jews and Greeks:

      [1] “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him” (Romans 10:12).

      [2] “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

      [3] “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all” (Colossians 3:9-11).

      To be clear, the point of this post is that the Church is the Israel of God. Jesus and His body are Israel, i.e. the Israel of God. National Israel today is not a divine entity, but simply one among many nations.

      When national Israel was destroyed in 70 AD, the Israel of God did not carry on as all Jews everywhere, regardless of whether they belong to Jesus or not, and eventually becoming national Israel again in 1948. Israel carried on in Jesus, the only One to fulfill the law perfectly, and in His followers, made righteous in Him.

      Would you agree with all that? Or do you see anything differently?

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      • Hi so where’s Jesus and the cross in all this then
        It’s all about the cross and looking back through the cross Jesus is the central figure in all this that’s why he died for us he’s the head of the church
        And gods plan is salvation through the cross no other way sorry

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      • Hi Dan. It looks like you’re taking a stance of disagreeing with me. However, I don’t see where we disagree. You asked, “Where’s Jesus and the cross in all this then?” As stated above, I believe that Jesus is Israel, and that outside of Jesus there is no Israel of God. I fully agree that there is no other way to salvation except through the cross.

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  2. Very, very good articles, Adam. I especially enjoyed, “Why I Stand With Israel”. I’m sure your title received a lot of raised eyebrows, until they read the article. Well written! N Brad Dodrill dodrill1@bex.net

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    • Thank you, Brad. Yes, I imagine some eyebrows were raised. A couple of months ago when I wrote the post, “Why I Believe Israel is the Apple of God’s Eye,” I noticed that several people were no longer my friends on Facebook (this article posted automatically to my Facebook wall). I don’t know if it’s because they would have agreed with me but were put off by the title, or if they liked the title and were offended by the content of the post.

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  3. Hebrews 8 shows clearly that the new covenant is made with the multitude of nations that Israel became and are represented by the House of Israel and the House of Juda. Israel is the church as they are the priestly nation. Romans 9 shows us that Israel whom was divorced in Jer 3 and Hosea 1 and called not his people are now again called His people and thus they are restored under one called Jesus. Jesus came to unify the kingdoms of Judah and Israel (so called pagans or goy)…thus we (not everyone) are physical descendants of Abraham and his spiritual children if we do and believe as he believed. Israel cannot be replaced by so called jews (revelation 2.9 and 3.9) pagans or other nations as they are selected and tho whom it belongs to be called children of God and tho whom the promises ans belongs according to the birth right. The deception is thick in our day…so much so that Christians would believe we must rebuild the temple and sacrifice animals when the NT strongly condemns such things even telling people who after they baptized themselves where deceived to cut their foreskins to be saved are away from Christ commanding them to follow the whole law which is impossible. There is no other truth but Christ. One believe, one baptism and one gospel of the Kingdom which will be known as the true New Jerusalem and which will come down from Heaven to earth.

    The text actually revers to the same things as the NT is the full bringing onto the lost sheep of Israel and promises which was made to Abraham the Father of our believe. It is actually talking about exactly the same thing, The only difference is that people replaced the original meaning with replacement theology. Thus they make it to what they want to believe and cancel out the connotative, this is what gives birth to the “spiritual Israel” “universalism” and “replacement theology” teachings. How vile must such a person be to change the simple and easy gospel to a difficult thing and twisted copy. Did the Bible not also teach us to be wary of the Devils lies as they are extremely subtle….

    “For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough”

    “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough”

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    • From my Bible reading it does seem that John writing after the temple destruction uses the term Jew or Jews to describe the followers of the Old Covenant.

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  4. This comparison is wonderful. I am going to print and keep with my bible in case the discussion comes up (as it often does). 🙂

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  6. Another excellent article. I was raised dispensationalist, attended Multnomah School of Bible in 1977. Used their library to read books by Oswald T Allis (Israel and the Church) and other works from Westminster and Calvin faculty. I have heard the best and the brightest of Dallas graduates–why they are holding on to this system is beyond my comprehension. In the old days 1988 was the end date 1948 plus 40 = 1988. Even got a book in the mail 88 reasons why Christ will return in 88.

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    • Thanks, Patrick. It is hard to comprehend, though I once bought into that system myself. I’ve heard plenty about that book, but never read it…nor do I plan to. 🙂 It’s been 27 years since 1988 came and went.

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  7. You are truly Blessed; for no one could have this knowledge less they be Born Again of Christ. My Stand with Israel is Jesus; for He is truly the Apple of God’s eye. They who are called unto Him are the Chosen Ones; for they know His voice and they follow Him. I use to Blog and post what God gave me to write down. It has been years since I have written anything. However it is truly a wonderful resounding of His voice each time I read something He gives to another to share among His people. He is my motivation, and my encourager. Thanking Jesus you heeded to share. Blessings be upon you always. In Christ, oxysmoron

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    • That’s well said, Oxysmoron, and amen to Jesus being Israel and the apple of God’s eye, and His followers being God’s chosen ones. Thank you for your heartfelt response, and blessings upon you as well.

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  8. Great article. Here is something important that was left out. Romans 7:1 identifies to whom is being addressed- “them that know the Law” (Israel). Then verse 4 teaches that Israel may be married to Christ. I have a chapter in my book, “Put Away But Not Divorced” entitled “Did Jesus Marry Israel? If so, What Does This Prove?” Here is a link to the article: http://www.totalhealth.bz/divorce-and-remarriage-did-jesus-marry-israel.htm

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