LEARNING DAILY

 

John 1:10-11, He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not receive Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

 

The Lord Jesus came into the world He had made and the world did not recognize who He was because they were looking for another type of savior. “The ‘world’ refers to the whole of society organized and operating independently of God, His Word and His rule. The world will never recognize Christ; it will remain indifferent to or an enemy of Christ and His gospel until the end of the age” (notes from the LSSB). Because the Jews rejected Jesus Christ as their Savior, a movement began that said God had transferred the Old Testament promises from Israel to the “Church”. This is called Replacement Theology – a term I came across while doing some reading.

 

Before I continue, let me say this is false. A student of God’s Word needs to always remember that the covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 is still in effect. Yes, the Jewish people have made serious mistakes, including their rejection of the Messiah. But a close reading of Romans 9, 19, and 11 will establish that God has not rejected His chosen people; there has always been a remnant who have followed Him. One also needs to read and study carefully The Revelation as it reveals how God deals with unbelievers and the Jewish people. Multitudes of Jews will come to know and accept Jesus as the Messiah and their Savior at this time.

 

This Replacement Theology began about 1900 years ago when Christian antisemitism spread throughout the Christian Church. The belief was that without repentance and becoming a part of the Church there was no hope and no more calling for the Jewish people in God’s plan. The early Church taught the promises, covenants, and blessings to the Jews had been taken away from them and now were given to the Church.

 

Perhaps this explains the treatment of the Jews and the nation of Israel (since 1948). Today, we are seeing and the Jews are experiencing increased attitudes of anti-Semitism. Many are even teaching the horrors of the holocaust in Nazi Germany never happened. It also explains what the attempts to make peace between Jews and Palestinians have continually failed. We must understand God’s purpose for Israel in order to understand the Biblical prophecies being fulfilled in Israel today.

 

Once we understand that God’s plan for redeeming the world is a continued covenant relationship for Israel and the Jewish people, the Church can better participate in God’s plan for Israel. I am so thankful that the salvation Jesus Christ offers through the cross has been offered to Gentile people – you and me. We do need to pray for the nation of Israel and for the Jewish people to come to the saving knowledge of the cross. God will have His way and He gives to us the opportunity to be involved with what He is doing in Israel and the Jewish people. Don’t miss it.

 

Many of the thoughts above are teachings from the book Eye to Eye by William Koening.

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB.