Harmonizing Genesis 15 and Genesis 17

The two most important chapters in the Bible on covenant are Genesis 15 and Genesis 17. If you misunderstand these chapters, then you will fail to comprehend the covenantal language that pervades the rest of Scripture.

The most common error is to pit Genesis 15 against Genesis 17. Such an approach leads to the conclusion that Genesis 15 and 17 are speaking of different covenants.

Such a conclusion is unnecessary. There are differences between Genesis 15 and 17, but these differences should not be exaggerated. Often, passages that seem to be contradictory at first glance are, upon closer examination, found to complement one another. This is called harmonization.

Genesis 15 and 17 ought to be harmonized, not pitted against one another. These two chapters are speaking about the same covenant. The differences between these two chapters can be attributed to the fact that they are describing different aspects of the same covenant.

Genesis 15 highlights the promises of the covenant. God binds himself to fulfill the promises of the covenant. The dramatic ceremony illustrates God’s intense commitment to Abraham and his descendants.

If we only had Genesis 15, then we might conclude that God’s promises would be given to every single one of Abraham’s future offspring, without discrimination. However, this covenant is not perpetually unconditional. We see this in Genesis 17.

Genesis 17 highlights the succession of the covenant. How is the covenant passed down to future generations? Who inherits the promises of the covenant?

Genesis 17 reveals that the covenant is not unconditionally passed on to every single one of Abraham’s offspring without discrimination. God ordains circumcision to govern the succession of his covenant.
The introduction of circumcision reveals two foundational principles.

1) Abraham’s descendants must be circumcised to remain in the covenant. If they are not circumcised, then they are cut off from the covenant. They are no longer heirs of the promises. Not only is the uncircumcised individual cut off, but all of the subsequent offspring of the uncircumcised are cut off, as well. This is the pruning principle. The uncircumcised are pruned out of the covenant tree, regardless of their race.

2) Those unrelated to Abraham by blood must also be circumcised. Abraham’s household and other “strangers” who dwell among Abraham’s family must be circumcised. They are now heirs of the promises. Not only is each circumcised individual added to the covenant, but all of their subsequent offspring are added, as well. This is the grafting principle. The circumcised are grafted into the covenant tree, regardless of race.

The rest of the Bible reveals much more about the nature of this covenant, but Genesis 15 and 17 are the foundation. If you get these wrong, then you will misinterpret other covenantal texts.

Those who pit Genesis 15 against Genesis 17 misunderstand how the promises of God (Genesis 15) were mediated through circumcision (Genesis 17). Circumcision was the vehicle that caused God’s people to wax and wane through grafting and pruning.

A Stubborn Weed

Recently, reader dk recently asked this good question:

Lately, your posts have all been focused on the issue of what actually makes someone a Jew. In particular, you have been attacking what you consider to be a fundamental dispensensationalist tenet that Jewishness is only attained by being a blood descendant of Abraham. Not being an expert in dispensensationalist literature, I'm wondering if you could cite some specific references from dispensensationalists that establish that as a tenet of dispensensationalism. You have made a parenthetical reference to the book, "Christ's Prophetic Plan", but have established no other basis for your claim.

Why I am writing so many posts about the same topic? Why am I repeatedly attacking the Dispensational idea that the Israel of Promise is defined strictly by race? Is this an important part of Dispensationalism?

Yes! It is important. In fact, I believe that this is THE central issue that plagues Dispensationalism. While Dispensationalists are best known for their eschatology, their ecclesiology drives everything.

In Dispensationalism Today, Charles Ryrie identified a distinction between Israel and the church as one of his three sin qua non of Dispensationalism. This tenet is still emphasized in classic or traditional Dispensational circles.

I am most familiar with the Dispensationalism of John MacArthur. He insists on a hard distinction between Israel and the church. God made promises to the ethnic Jews, and these promises must be fulfilled for ethnic Jews.  Israel/Jew is defined exclusively by blood/ethnicity/race.

When I was at Master’s Seminary (1999-2004), they began to ramp up the rhetoric, charging non-Dispensationalists with “Replacement Theology” and “Supercessionism.” Promises made to Israel cannot be taken away and given to the church. Such language assumes that the Israel of Promise is defined by race, not religion.

TMS grad and professor Mike Vlach has written extensively on Supercessionism. All of his writings in this area revolve around the premise that God made specific promises to the ethnic descendants of Abraham that have not yet been fulfilled. Some of his writings can be found here.

Lately, my posts have focused on chipping away at this premise. It has been a bit laborious, but I am attempting to pull a stubborn weed that is entrenched deep in the soil of Dispensationalism.

Are the Jews Still "The People of God"?

One of the oddest features of Dispensationalists is their insistence that the Jews are still “the People of God.”

It is understandable to speak of a mass salvation of ethnic Jews in some future generation, calling that future generation of ethnic Jews part of the People of God.

And, it is understandable to speak of contemporary ethnic Jews who are Christians as part of the People of God.

But, Dispensationalists go further than this. They insist that the Jews are still “the People of God” right now. That is, all ethnic Jews living today are “the People of God,” regardless of their faith. Whether they are atheists or animists, it makes no difference. Race is all that matters.

What are the implications of this? Are unbelieving ethnic Jews in a different category than other unbelievers? In what sense can unbelievers be called the “the People of God”?

Such designations give a false impression about the current status of unbelieving ethnic Jews. But, let us be clear about this: an unbelieving ethnic Jew is just as lost as an unbelieving Gentile.

Unbelieving ethnic Jews will not be resurrected to life. They will not reign with Christ in a Jewish Millennium. They will not dwell in the Promised Land forever. They will not enter the Kingdom.

Millions and millions and millions of ethnic Jews have died as unbelievers. Are these millions of unbelieving ethnic Jews who have died still “the People of God”? Are there millions of God’s People in hell? Or, is this title revoked from unbelieving ethnic Jews at their death?

Furthermore, untold millions of ethnic Jews will be born before Christ returns. For those who are not elect, they will die as unbelievers and suffer the same judgment as all other unbelievers. Their race will not rescue them from God’s wrath. Their blood will not save them.

What’s the point of calling unbelieving ethnic Jews “the People of God”? This only promotes confusion.

What About Esther 8:17?

All Christians agree that God made promises to Abraham and to his descendants. Christians disagree on who exactly are Abraham’s descendants.

Dispensationalists insist that the only true heirs of these promises are the blood descendants of Abraham. While the blessings of these promises extend to the entire world, God must fulfill these promises for ethnic Jews.

Because Dispensationalists define Israel/Jew strictly according to blood, the categories of Israel/Jew are fixed from conception. You either have Jewish blood or you do not.

No one can ever change their genes. Once a Jew, always a Jew.

For Dispensationalists, religion plays no role in determining who is Jewish. An atheist Jew is still a Jew and therefore, an heir of the promises. A Gentile convert to Judaism is not a Jew and therefore, is not an heir of the promises.

The problem with this paradigm is that it does not fit the Scriptures. Even in the Old Testament, Israel was not a fixed entity based strictly upon blood. Israel was ALWAYS subject to grafting and pruning.

From the beginning, unbelievers were pruned out of Israel and lost their inheritance. Ishmael, Esau, Saul, Absalom, and countless others were cut off from the promises because of unbelief.

From the beginning, believing Gentiles were grafted into Israel and became heirs of the promises to Abraham. Rahab and Ruth are the preeminent examples, but entire groups of people were grafted into Israel: Abraham’s household servants and the Egyptians who fled during the Exodus.

Also, as a result of the events of the book of Esther, a large number of Persians became believers and were grafted into Israel. Look at how the Bible describes this in Esther 8:17:

“And in every province and city, wherever the king's command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them.”

These Persians “became Jews.” These Persians were grafted into Israel and became heirs of the promises to Abraham.

When it comes to Esther 8:17, Dispensationalists abandon their “literal” hermeneutic. They cannot accept this text at face value.

If you want a classic example of eisegesis, ask a Dispensationalist to explain Esther 8:17. They will go through tortuous gyrations to avoid the obvious implications of this text, namely, that converted Gentiles were grafted into Israel, even in the Old Covenant.

When Paul penned Galatians 3:29, he was not inventing a new truth. Grafting and pruning are not exclusively New Covenant principles. Paul was explaining a concept that operated in Old Covenant, as illustrated by many Old Testament texts, including Esther 8:17.

So, whenever you find yourself listening to a Dispensationalist wax eloquent about how Gentiles cannot inherit the promises to Abraham, simply ask, "What about Esther 8:17?"

Was Sammy Davis, Jr. a Jew?

Dispensationalists insist that the promises made to Israel must be fulfilled for the ethnic descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Israel of promise is strictly a matter of blood. Religion plays no role whatsoever in determining whether someone is a Jew who will inherit the promises.

I have been cataloguing the numerous problems with defining Israel/Jew strictly by blood. See here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here!

Interestingly, Dispensationalists stand alone in restricting the definition of Israel to ethnicity. Even Modern Judaism defines a Jew as any person who meets one of two criteria: 1) born of a Jewish mother; 2) a convert to Judaism. Thus, Modern Judaism allows for the in-grafting of Gentiles. Dispensationalism does not.

For example, Sammy Davis, Jr. famously converted to Judaism in the 1960’s. Davis was not a Jew ethnically, but he became a Jew religiously. Modern Judaism recognized Sammy Davis, Jr. as a Jew, but Dispensationalists did not. According to Dispensationalists, Sammy Davis, Jr. was not an heir to the promises because he was not an ethnic Jew. Thus, Sammy Davis, Jr. had no right to the land.

This disjunction puts Dispensationalists in an awkward political position, of which they show little awareness. While Dispensationalists support the modern nation of Israel, they fail to recognize that this nation contains a mixture of ethnic Jews and converted Gentiles. According to Dispensationalists, these Gentile converts are not Jews, and they have no right to the land.

Do Dispensationalists make a distinction in their support of the modern nation of Israel? Do they support only those who are blood descendants of Abraham?

According to Dispensationalists, the Promised Land no more belongs to these Gentile converts than it does to the Palestinians. Dispensationalists call for the removal of the Palestinians – where are the calls for the removal of Gentile converts to Judaism?

Dispensationalists demand virtually unconditional support for the modern nation of Israel, but if they were consistent, Dispensationalists would demand the removal of ALL non-ethnic Jews from the Promised Land, including Gentile converts to Judaism.

For Dispensationalists, neither the Palestinians, nor Sammy Davis, Jr., have a right to the land.

1 + 1 = 3

Dispensationalists believe that God made promises to ethnic Israel, to Jews who are blood descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God planned to bless Gentiles and the world, but he still owes promises to ethnic Jews.

This is the most fundamental tenet of Dispensationalism. However, it is a presupposition that presumed and never proved.

In recent posts, I have explored some of the problems of defining Israel strictly by blood. Dispensationalists seem blissfully unaware of these difficulties.

You will search Dispensational works in vain for any serious discussion of how to define Israel. Over and over again, you will only find bare assertions about promises made to ethnic Israel.

Yet, defining Israel was never strictly a matter of blood. It was always a matter of religion. Blood was a factor, but it was not the factor.

From the very beginning, there was always pruning and grafting. Apostates were pruned out of Israel. Believing Gentiles were grafted into Israel. It was never about the blood. From the beginning, it was always about religion.

When Dispensationalists insist that God made promises to ethnic Jews, they are making a critical, foundational error.

It is such a basic, simple error, that non-Dispensationalists have a hard time taking Dispensationalism seriously. This is not because Dispensationalists are stupid. Yet, they have made an elementary mistake.

It is like a brilliant mathematician who thinks he has solved a complex equation, only to be shown by a colleague that he has made a simple arithmetic mistake on page one.

When Dispensationalists continuously insist that God still owes promises to ethnic Jews, all I hear is 1+1=3.

Lately, Dispensationalists have ratcheted up the rhetoric, with charges like “supercessionism,” “replacement theology,” and “anti-Judaism.” I find none of these compelling in the least. They all depend upon defining Israel strictly by blood.

But 1+1≠3.

Were the Samaritans Jews?

Dispensationalists insist that God owes promises to ethnic Jews, those who are blood descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob.

However, defining an ethnic people is never an easy task, especially when dealing with intermarriage between Jews and Gentiles.

Some Dispensationalists have asserted that lineal descent defines Israel/Jew. At least one Jewish parent means that the children are Jewish.

In previous posts, I have explored some of the problems of using lineal descent to define an ethnic group. See here and here.

Let’s look at a real example, pertinent to both ancient and modern society: the Samaritans.

The Samaritans are generally regarded as the descendants of those Jews who survived the Assyrian attack on the Northern Kingdom. They inhabited Samaria, which is why they are called Samaritans.

The Samaritans were despised by the Jews because they may have intermarried with the other nations. Some considered them to be half-breeds. It is clear from the gospels that Jews hated Samaritans and did not consider them to be Jews (cf. John 4:9; 8:48).

However, if lineal descent defines Israel/Jew, then the Samaritans were still Jews. Dispensationalists insist that blood alone determines who is Israel/Jew. The Samaritans were still Jews and heirs of the promises to Abraham, regardless of what the Jews of that day thought.

The problem with this is that Jesus did not consider the Samaritans to be Jews. Jesus did not regard them as part of Israel. This is obvious from what Jesus said to his disciples:

“Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:5-6).

Jesus was often kind to the Samaritans (cf. Luke 10, John 4) and went out of his way to help them, but he did not regard them as Jews or part of Israel. They were in a different category.

All of this points to the fact that Israel/Jew was never defined strictly by blood. The Samaritans were blood descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, yet Jesus declared that they were not part of Israel. They were not Jews.

How do we explain this?

This is the “pruning” principle. The Samaritans were pruned off of Israel. They were cut off and no longer consider Jews.

What caused the Samaritans to be pruned? Were the Samaritans pruned off because they intermarried with non-Jews? Did the dilution of Jewish blood result in their pruning?

No, many Jews intermarried, and they, and their children, retained their status as Jews and part of Israel. Many Jews lacked pure Jewish blood, including Boaz and Jesus.

The Samaritans were pruned off when they abandoned the worship of the true God. They worshiped at their own place and in their own way (cf. John 4). They did not worship the one true God.

The Samaritans were not considered Jews because of their religious apostasy, not because of any dilution in their Jewish blood.

Interestingly, there are still Samaritans alive today. They are descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jewish blood runs through their veins. Ethnically, they have just as strong of a claim to the promises to Abraham as Modern Israel.

But, it was never about the blood. It was always about religion. The promises were not made to the blood descendants of Abraham but to the spiritual descendants.

Galatians 3:29 is not merely a truth for the church age. It is a truth for all ages.

How Jewish Is Jewish Enough?

Every Christian believes that God made promises to the descendants of Abraham (Genesis 12, 13, 15, etc). Every Christian also holds that believing Gentiles are descendants of Abraham (Galatians 3:29).

However, Dispensationalists insist that God still owes promises to ethnic Jews. Only the blood descendants of Abraham qualify as the true heirs to these promises, and so God must fulfill his promises to those who are blood descendants of Abraham, the ethnic Jews.

Who are these ethnic Jews? This seems like an easy question, but not so! It is complicated. There are a lot of moving parts.

Specifically, what happens in a mixed marriage between a Jew and a Gentile? Are the children Jewish? Are the children going to be part of the Israel who will inherit the promises made to Abraham?

In recent posts, I have showed the failure of defining Israel/Jew by matrilineal or patrilineal descent. See here and here.

In response, some Dispensationalists have emailed me and asserted that lineal descent is the answer. As long as one of the parents is Jewish, then the children are Jewish.

In my previous post, I began to explore the problems with using lineal descent to define Israel/Jew. Lineal descent works in a relatively closed community, but when the community is opened up or abandoned, then dilution renders lineal descent irrelevant.

Dilution of the blood pool is a real issue in defining an ethnic people. For instance, most Native American tribes have blood quantum laws requiring between one-half (1/2) and one-sixteenth (1/16) tribal blood for membership.

In the episode “Diversity Day” on The Office, Michael Scott claims he is two-fifteenths (2/15) Native American. When told that this is impossible, Michael replies, “It’s too painful to talk about.”

For those Dispensationalists who argue that lineal descent makes someone a Jew, is there ever a point at which the bloodline become too diluted to be of significance?

Consider the case of a Jew who marries a Gentile and then joins a Gentile community, so that all of their descendents marry Gentiles. According to lineal descent, all of their descendants would still be considered Jewish.

1. The child of a full Jew (100% Jewish) and a Gentile is 1/2 Jewish (50%). 
2. The child of a 1/2Jew (50% Jewish) and a Gentile is 1/4 Jewish (25%).
3. The child of a 1/4 Jew (25% Jewish) and a Gentile is 1/8 Jewish (12.5%).
4. The child of a 1/8 Jew (12.5% Jewish) and a Gentile is 1/16 Jewish (6.25%).
5. The child of a 1/16 Jew (6.25% Jewish) and a Gentile is 1/32 Jewish (3.125%).
6. The child of a 1/32 Jew (3.125% Jewish) and a Gentile is 1/64 Jewish (1.5625%).
7. The child of a 1/64 Jew (1.5625% Jewish) and a Gentile is 1/128 Jewish (0.78125%).

By the seventh generation of intermarriage, the children would have less than one percent Jewish blood, yet they would still be considered Jewish according to lineal descent.

In the one hundredth generation of intermarriage (3000-4000 years?), the children would have 0.000000000000000000000000000158 percent (1.58 x 10-30) Jewish blood. Yet, according to lineal descent, they would still be considered ethnic Jews who are going to inherit the promises.

Of course, this is ridiculous. No one would seriously consider such a person to be an ethnic Jew. No one … except those Dispensationalists who define Israel/Jew by lineal descent.

Because the Bible gives us no blood quantum law to govern mixed marriages, lineal descent fails as a mechanism to define Israel/Jew. Dilution of the blood pool renders lineal descent deficient in determining who is and is not a Jew.

All of this points to the fact that Israel/Jew was never defined strictly by blood. Being Jewish was never strictly a matter of ethnicity.

Dispensationalists are wrong on this foundational issue, and their whole system collapses under the weight of this miscalculation.

Galatians 3:29 is not simply a “New Covenant” truth. It was always true, even in Genesis 12.

Who Are the Descendants of Abraham?

Dispensationalists routinely insist that God made promises to the Jews, and these promises must be fulfilled for the Jews.

However, who are these Jews who will inherit the promises?

Dispensationalists dogmatically maintain that such a Jew is only someone who is ethnically descended from Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. Blood alone defines Israel.

However, what happens in a mixed marriage between a Jew and Gentile? Are the children Jewish? Who are the descendants of Abraham?

Some Dispensationalists have emailed me and asserted that, in a mixed marriage, as long as one of the parents is Jewish, then the children are Jewish. This is known as lineal descent.

Lineal descent avoids the problems of strict matrilineal descent. Boaz was a Jew because his father was a Jew.

Lineal descent also avoids the problems of strict patrilineal descent. Jesus was a Jew because his mother was Jew.

Lineal descent appears to be the answer to the Dispensational dilemma. As long as one parent is Jewish, then the children are Jewish.

However, lineal descent has an inherent problem: dilution through intermarriage. Lineal descent works in a relatively closed community, but it collapses when the community opens up or is abandoned.

Consider the case of a Jew who marries a Gentile and then joins a Gentile community, so that all of their descendants marry Gentiles. According to lineal descent, all of their descendants would still be considered Jewish, no matter how little Jewish blood ran through their veins.

By the seventh generation of intermarriage, the descendants would have less than one percent Jewish blood, yet they would still be considered Jewish according to lineal descent, and therefore, they would inherit the promises made to the descendants of Abraham.

This exposes the fatal flaw of Dispensationalism: insisting that God made unconditional promises to an ethnic group. God did no such thing.

Ethnic descent was a factor, but it was never the factor. Dispensationalism completely unravels when this fatal flaw is exposed.

Was Jesus a Jew?

Dispensationalists consistently emphasize that God made promises to the Jews, and these promises must be fulfilled for the Jews.

This raises the question: Who are these Jews who will inherit the promises?

Dispensationalists insist that a Jew is someone who is ethnically descended from Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. Blood alone defines Israel.

This raises the question: Is Israel defined by matrilineal descent (through the mother) or by patrilineal descent (through the father)?

In my previous post, I demonstrated that matrilineal descent alone is an invalid way to define Israel/Jew. This eliminates Boaz, Obed, and technically, even Judah, from Israel because their mothers were not Jewish.

Patrilineal Descent?

What about patrilineal descent?

This seems to make more sense. All genealogies in the Bible trace the male line. The promises were given to males and renewed with males. The male descendents were circumcised. Patrilineal descent seems more Biblical.

However, patrilineal descent alone is insufficient to define Israel/Jew because of one obvious exception: Jesus.

If being a Jew is defined by one’s father, then Jesus is not Jewish because his Father is not Jewish.

As Archie Bunker once retorted when reminded that Jesus was Jewish: “Yes, but only on his mother’s side.”

This one enormous exception means that patrilineal descent alone cannot be used to define Israel/Jew.

Was Boaz a Jew?

The most fundamental error that Dispensationalists make is in restricting their definitions of Israel and Jew to ethnicity. One who is born a Jew is always a Jew, and nothing can change this. Likewise, no one can become a Jew because blood alone determines whether one is a Jew. Blood alone defines Israel.

Dispensationalists continually pound this pulpit, yet they show little awareness of the difficulties surrounding such a definition. Specifically,

• How much Jewish blood makes someone a Jew?

• In a mixed marriage (Jew + Gentile), does it matter which party is Jewish?

I will deal with both of these questions in the next few posts.

Matrilineal Descent?

In a mixed marriage, does it matter which party is Jewish?

Some branches of Modern Judaism define Israel/Jew partly according to matrilineal descent. That is, one is a Jew if their mother is a Jew. Thus, a Jewish mother begets Jewish children, regardless of the ethnicity of the Father.

The problem with defining Israel/Jew according to matrilineal descent is that this excludes some famous Jews, such as Boaz.

Boaz’s mother was Rahab, who was a Canaanite. She was not Jewish, and thus, according to matrilineal descent, Boaz was not a Jew.

Also, Boaz married Ruth, who was a Moabite. Thus, their son, Obed, was not a Jew, according to matrilineal descent.

Technically, neither Judah nor any of the other sons of Jacob would be Jews, as Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpah were not Jewish. Thus, according to strict matrilineal descent, none of the twelve sons of Israel were Jewish.

Of course, Modern Judaism has an answer for this dilemma, which I will explore in a future post.

Also, I know of no Dispensationalist who defines Israel/Jew according to matrilineal descent. I am not suggesting or implying this in any way.

I am simply ruling out defining Israel/Jew according to strict matrilineal descent.

Was Ruth a Jew?

In my previous post, I argued that the fatal flaw of Christ’s Prophetic Plans is that the authors assume that Israel/Jew is defined strictly by ethnicity. In the next few posts, I want to explore the ramifications of such a presupposition.

If Israel is defined strictly by ethnicity, then no one could ever become a Jew. You were either born a Jew or you were not. Nothing that you ever did would change that.

What about Ruth? Ruth was a Moabite; she was not born a Jew. If Israel/Jew is strictly an ethnic designation, then Ruth could never become a Jew because no one can become a Jew. She was a Gentile who got in on the promises.

However, this is not what the Scriptures teach. Ruth herself claimed, “Your people shall be my people” (Ruth 1:16). She saw herself becoming part of Israel. She became a Jew.

The only way this is possible is if Israel/Jew is not strictly an ethnic designation. In the Bible, Israel/Jew is a religious designation with ethnic implications.

Was Ruth a Jew? Not by birth, but by conversion, Ruth became a Jew. She was grafted into Israel, and both she and all of her progeny became Jews.

The Fatal Flaw in "Christ's Prophetic Plans"

Okay, so I just finished my read/skim of Christ’s Prophetic Plans (CPP). This is not a full review but just a few thoughts on one aspect of the book.

CPP is a good primer on John MacArthur-styled Dispensationalism. MacArthur has carved out his own niche in Dispensationalism somewhere between Revised (Ryrie, Walvoord, Pentecost) and Progressive (Blaising, Bock, Saucy) Dispensationalism.

I mostly skimmed the chapters on eschatology because I quickly grow weary with detailed explorations of the pre-trib rapture, gaps in Daniel 9, a Jewish Millennium, etc. I did read the chapters on ecclesiology a little more closely.

When I was leaving Dispensationalism, it was ecclesiology, not eschatology, that kept me up at night. Distinguishing between Israel and the church had been drilled into me, and it took a lot of study to untangle the flaws in this presupposition.

CPP consistently appeals to the promises that God made to Israel. God made promises to Israel, and these promises must be fulfilled for Israel. Otherwise, God is a liar.

But, who is Israel? How do we define Israel? CPP gives little, if any, thoughtful reflection to this crucial question. Instead, CPP operates under the presupposition that Israel is defined strictly on the basis of ethnicity; God must fulfill his unconditional promises to ethnic Israel (p. 170).

However, this is the fatal flaw in Dispensationalism. God never made unconditional promises to ethnic Israel. Ever. Most of Dispensationalism is built upon this fatal flaw.

This fatal flaw causes Dispensationalists to suppress Biblical evidence, as I recently noted here, where I pointed out that in Acts 7:38, Stephen calls Israel the church (Check the Greek or the KJV or the ASV).

For this reason, most accusations of "Replacement Theology" and "Supersessionism" miss the mark. Instead, they simply reveal that the accuser is a Dispensationalist, or at least one who presupposes a fatally-flawed ecclesiology.

I have some more thoughts on this topic that I hope to unleash soon.

What about Acts 7:38?

I have been skimming Christ's Prophetic Plans, which is a primer on Dispensational Eschatology. I would like to write a review or a response at some point, but I can't let this pass:

Richard Mayhue asserts, "Furthermore, never in the whole New Testament is 'Israel' ever called 'the church'" (page 82).

This is patently false. Stephen refers to Israel as the church in his sermon:

"This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you" (Acts 7:38).

"The congregation" is the Greek word, ekklesia, which is the word for the church. Thus, Stephen calls Israel the church.

So, whenever you find yourself listening to a Dispensationalist wax eloquent about how Israel is never called the church, simply ask, "What about Acts 7:38?"

Against Anti-Supercessionism

I found this critique of Anti-Supercessionism helpful. Here are some good points:

"But Soulen is arguing that blood descent from Abraham was the backbone of the covenantal arrangements with Israel, and this point is simply false. Right from the beginning, the covenant embraced many who were not in anyway related to Abraham by blood. All the male members of Abraham's household were circumcised (Genesis 17:12-14), and in a household that included 318 men of fighting age (Genesis 14:14), this must have been a sizable number of men - far more than the blood descendants of Abraham, which at the time included only Ishmael!"

"When Israel came from Egypt, they came out as a 'mixed multitude' (Exodus 12:38), including thousands of Egyptians who did not want to hang around Egypt after it had been nearly destroyed by plagues. It was never the case that 'the family identity of the Jewish people as the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob' was the foundation of the faith of Israel."

"Within the covenant, those who are not blood descendants of Abraham have always outnumbered those who are."

I think this hits at the fundamental error in Dispensationalism, mistaking the Abrahamic Covenant as an ethnic covenant, rather than a spiritual covenant.

Someone recently asked me what I thought of Supercessionism as a label. There certainly are and have been Supercessionists within the church. That is, there are Christians who believe that the church replaces Israel.

However, "Supercessionism" or "Replacement Theology" is often applied to anyone who is not a Dispensationalist. There are other options besides Dispensationalism and Supercessionism.

Just to clarify my view, the church doesn't replace Israel. The church is Israel. They are different labels for the same group of people.

I'm sure that Mike Vlach will still label me a Supercessionist of sorts (perhaps a Practical Supercessionist?). Whatever.

Jesus and the Future of Ethnic Israel

Israel → Jesus → Church → World
We have been surveying the various relationships between Jesus, Israel, and the Church. We have examined four key aspects of these relationships: descendents, temple, law, and land of Israel. Each of these key aspects has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, shared with the church, and are now spreading throughout the world.

Descendents → Jesus → Church → World
The true descendent of Abraham is Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16). The church is related by faith to Jesus Christ and are now heirs of the promises to Abraham (Galatians 3:29). Our task is to now make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19).

Temple → Jesus → Church → World
The true temple of God is Jesus Christ (John 2:19). Because Christ dwells in us through the Spirit, the church is now the temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). This temple is being spread to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Land → Jesus → Church → World
The promised land was given to Israel (Joshua 21:43-45), but they failed to possess it because of their unbelief. God has now given the promised land and the rest of the world to Jesus (Matthew 28:18) who is sharing it with the church (Psalm 72:8).

Law → Jesus → Church → World
The law was given to Israel, but they did not keep it by faith (Romans 9:31-32). The law is fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:4). The church is now under the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). We are to teach this law to all the nations (Matthew 28:20).

Summary
All that was promised to Israel has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, shared with the church, and universalized to encompass the entire world.

2Cor 1:20 (NKJV) For all the promises of God in Him {Jesus Christ} are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

Shadows vs. Reality
What was the purpose of the Israel, the temple, the land, and the law? These were “copies” and “shadows.”

Hebr 8:5 (NKJV) who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

The Old Covenant system with the tabernacle, the temple, and the animal sacrifices were copies and shadows of heaven. Now that Christ has come, he has fulfilled all of these things, so that there is no longer any use for them.

Hebr 8:13 (NKJV) In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

The Old Covenant system was “becoming obsolete” and “growing old” and was “ready to vanish away.” This was accomplished in AD 70 when the temple was destroyed. With the destruction of the temple, the Old Covenant system has become obsolete.

The Old Covenant pointed towards Jesus Christ. Now we are in the New Covenant, God will not return to the Old Covenant system. That would be turning his back on Jesus Christ.

There is no going back to any of the unique characteristics of the Old Covenant:

· There will never again be a significance for an ethnic Israelite nation.

· There will never again be a literal temple of stone where God dwells.

· There will never again be a holy land.

· There will never again be an animal sacrifice securing forgiveness and atonement.

What about the OT Promises?
There are hundreds of OT promises regarding the nation of Israel, the temple, the land, and the law. What happens to these? Are they going to be fulfilled?

Yes, all the promises of God will be fulfilled. They are not all fulfilled at the same time and in the same way. Just as many were surprised at how prophecy was fulfilled at Jesus’ first coming, so we will likely be surprised at how prophecy is fulfilled at Jesus’ second coming. Thus, we need to be careful in assuming we have it all figured out.

Here are five suggestions for how the promises might be fulfilled.

1) Some Promises Were Conditional and Unfulfilled
Some Old Covenant promises were conditioned upon Israel’s faith. Since Israel lacked faith, the timeframe of fulfillment has passed. These promises will go unfulfilled, but this is not due to a failure on God’s part.

Remember, also, that conditions are not always stated or recorded in the text. Many times, repentance and faith are implicitly connected to a promise (e.g., the preaching of Jonah).

2) Some Promises Were Fulfilled in Jesus Christ
Some Old Covenant promises were fulfilled in the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is especially true of the ascension, which is often overlooked. Many of the promises such as 2 Samuel 7, Psalm 2, and Psalm 110, were fulfilled in the ascension of Jesus Christ.

3) Some Promises Were Fulfilled in the Early Church
Some Old Covenant promises were fulfilled in the early church as recorded in the book of Acts.

Pentecost is another event that is often disconnected from the OT, yet this was the rebirth of Israel, the reunion of Judah and Israel. The early church was the rebuilding of the tabernacle of David, fulfilling Amos 9:11, as James says:

Acts 15:14 (NKJV) “Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.
15 “And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
16 ‘After this I will return
And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down;
I will rebuild its ruins,
And I will set it up;
17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name,
Says the Lord who does all these things.’

4) Some Promises Are Fulfilled by the Church in History
Some Old Covenant promises are fulfilled by the church on earth in history up until the second coming of Christ. The church is the New Jerusalem and as such, she will fulfill many of the promises that ethnic Jews thought they were going to fulfill.

5) Some Promises Will Be Fulfilled by the Church in Eternity
Some Old Covenant promises are fulfilled in eternity by all believers from all ages. In the New Heavens and the New Earth, all of God’s people will live together in harmony. This will be the final fulfillment of some of the promises.

Thus, in eternity, we will be able to look back and say that all of the promises were fulfilled, either in Christ or his church, in history or in eternity. This gives us a Christ-centered expectation in how we look at the fulfillment of prophecy. All is fulfilled in Christ and his church.



The Future for Ethnic Israel/Jews
If all of the Old Covenant promises are fulfilled in Christ and his church, then is there a future for ethnic Israel? Yes!

Past Salvation of Ethnic Israel
In Romans 9-11, Paul defends the righteousness of God. Some are questioning the righteousness and the faithfulness of God because many ethnic Jews are perishing even after the coming of their Messiah. If God is faithful, how can he allow this?

Paul begins by saying that this is not God’s fault:

Roma 9:6 (NKJV) But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel,

God has not failed nor has God’s word has not failed. God never promised to save all of ethnic Israel.

Present Salvation of Ethnic Israel
Furthermore, God is presently saving some of ethnic Israel.

Roma 11:1 (NKJV) I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Paul is an example. He is an ethnic Jew, and God has saved him. In fact, there were many ethnic Jews in the early church. God continues to save ethnic Jews throughout the history of the church.

Nevertheless, many ethnic Jews are not saved. This is because Israel has been hardened. They have stumbled and fallen. Israel’s fall has brought salvation to the Gentiles.

Future Salvation of Ethnic Israel
However, look at what God’s purpose is in bringing salvation to the Gentiles:

Roma 11:11 (NKJV) I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.

God is saving Gentiles so that ethnic Israel will be provoked to jealousy. Paul describes this further:

Roma 11:12 (NKJV) Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

Notice that Paul speaks of the future of ethnic Jews. They will experience a “fullness.”

The Olive Tree
Paul uses the metaphor of the olive tree:

Roma 11:17 (NKJV) And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree,

Ethnic Israel was broken off of the olive tree. Gentiles were grafted in. Yet, Paul expects ethnic Israel to be grafted in again.

Roma 11:24 (NKJV) For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

Paul elaborates on the future of ethnic Jews.

Roma 11:25 (NKJV) For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

Paul indicates that ethnic Israel’s blindness is temporary. His expectation seems to be that when the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, then God will deal with ethnic Israel.

All Israel Will Be Saved
Paul then builds to his great conclusion:

Roma 11:26 (NKJV) And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”

Who is “all Israel”?
Some notable theologians, including Calvin, have argued that “all Israel” does not refer to ethnic Israel, but to the church. However, this goes against the entire context of Romans 9-11. “All Israel” must refer to ethnic Israel.

When will they be saved?
This could be fulfilled either gradually or cataclysmically.

1) “All Israel Will Be Saved” could refer to God’s plan to gradually save some ethnic Jews throughout the history of the church. Thus, at the end of time, God can say, “All Israel was saved. I did not lose one of my people.”

2) “All Israel Will Be Saved” could refer to God’s plan to save all ethnic Jews that are alive just before the second coming. Thus, there is a point in time when God will save a massive number of Jews.

Neither view is conclusive, and since this regards the future fulfillment of a prophecy, we don’t need to be dogmatic. God may surprise us.

Salvation
Nevertheless, notice that Paul is speaking of the salvation of ethnic Israel. This means that they will become part of the church. They will be part of the living temple of God. They will be co-heirs with us of the world. They will be under the law of Christ and in the New Covenant.
However, saved ethnic Israel does not and will not have a special status in the kingdom of God. Romans 11 says nothing about a return to the types and shadows of the Old Covenant. Ephesians 2-3 state that God has united Jew and Gentile in Christ.

Ephe 2:14 (NASB) For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,

Therefore, the final salvation of ethnic Israel is just that: salvation. In no way do we expect a return to an ethnic Jewish kingdom in the Middle East.

Israel Today
So, what is unbelieving ethnic Israel’s status for today?

Roma 11:28 (NKJV) Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.

They are enemies of the gospel in that they persecuted the early church. Yet, there will always be ethnic Israelites who become believers. Some ethnic Jews are elect. We don’t who they are. We must share the gospel with them. God will move the elect ones by jealousy to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

Conclusion
Thinking about the salvation of ethnic Jews brings Paul to his knees in praise of God.

Roma 11:33 (NKJV) Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has become His counselor?”
35 “Or who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?”
36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

This has to be the purpose of all of our studying. If we develop a smug attitude about understanding any truth in the Bible, then we are in sin. We understand nothing. The beginning and end of all of our studies should be for the glory of God, for the praise of God. The goal of all theology is doxology.

If our study of the Bible leads us to pride, to critical spirits, to judgmental hearts, or to boastful words, then we have utterly failed.

If at the end of this study, your thought is, “How stupid of anyone for not understanding this!” then you’ve reached a deadly conclusion. You’re in sin, and you need to repent.

We should remember Paul’s plea for humility:

1Cor 4:6 (NKJV) that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.
7 For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

If we understand anything, it is because of God’s grace to us. There is no room for pride or boasting.

As we think about God’s plan for the salvation of ethnic Jews, we should be driven to praise God. The goal of all theology is doxology.

Roma 11:33 (NASB) Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?
35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?
36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Jesus and the Law of Israel

The law is a broad, expansive topic that we could easily spend weeks or months or even years studying. This time, we are going to look at two issues:
1) How the sacrificial laws relate to Israel and to Jesus Christ
2) How the law relates to the church

Animal Sacrifices
One of the key issues that we need to understand is the role of animal sacrifices for Israel. The Bible is very explicit that a properly administered sacrifice would “make atonement” and secure “forgiveness”

Levi 4:20 (NKJV) ‘And he shall do with the bull as he did with the bull as a sin offering; thus he shall do with it. So the priest shall make atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them.

Levi 5:13 (NKJV) ‘The priest shall make atonement for him, for his sin that he has committed in any of these matters; and it shall be forgiven him. The rest shall be the priest’s as a grain offering.’ “

Seventy-three times in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, atonement is used in reference to animal sacrifices. How did these sacrifices “atone” for sin and secure “forgiveness” in light of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice?

Down Payment?
A frequently heard answer is that animal sacrifices were “down payments” until the sacrifice of Christ. However, a down payment is a partial payment. This would mean that animal sacrifices paid for some sins and Christ paid for the rest. This is obviously incorrect. Jesus Christ did not pay for some of sins. He paid for all of our sins.

Hebr 10:12 (NKJV) But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,

Covering?
Another frequently heard answer is that the word atonement means “covering.” Thus, the animal sacrifices atoned for sin in that they covered sin until complete atonement was secured through the death of Christ. Temporary forgiveness was earned through sacrifice until complete forgiveness was secured through the death of Christ.

However, this answer is inadequate. The word atonement does not mean “to cover.” It means “to appease” or “to expiate.” This fits with the idea of forgiveness. The language of atonement and forgiveness of sins is inescapable. So, what kind of “appeasement” and “forgiveness” did the Animal sacrifices bring?

Animal Sacrifice vs. Christ’s Sacrifice
Comparing the atonement of the animal sacrifices with the atonement of Christ reveals their differences. The value of the atonement of animal sacrifices was temporal, finite, and external. In contrast, the value of Christ’s atonement is eternal, infinite, and internal.

1) Temporal vs. Eternal
Animal sacrifices need to be repeated.

Hebr 10:11 (NKJV) And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

Animal sacrifices had to be repeated because they did not offer lasting benefits. Any benefit from animal sacrifices was only temporary or temporal because they did not permanently take away sin.

On the other hand, Christ’s sacrifice is eternal because He died once for all time.

Hebr 10:12 (NKJV) But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,

It does not need to be repeated because the benefits last forever.

2) Finite vs. Infinite
Animal sacrifices were finite because the sacrifices were only good for particular sins. The daily sacrifices, such as the sin offering and the guilt offering, were only good for one sin. They had to be repeated for each sin, as often as necessary. Likewise, the Day of Atonement only covered the sins committed for the previous year.

Hebr 10:3 (NKJV) But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.

On the other hand, Christ’s atonement is infinite because He paid for all of the sins of believers.

Hebr 9:28 (NKJV) so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Christ’s sacrifice is good for all of our sins that we have ever committed or ever will commit.

3) External vs. Internal
The animal sacrifices were external in that they did not necessarily produce a changed heart. On the other hand, the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice are internal. God regenerates believers, giving us a new heart.

The Purposes of Animal Sacrifices
There are at least two purposes for animal sacrifices.

1) Atonement and Forgiveness on Earth
If properly administered, the sacrifices provided a temporal, finite, and external exemption from physical death on earth.

Animal sacrifices provided temporal atonement in that they only excused the sinner from immediate stoning or burning, but they did not excuse him from eternal damnation. Forgiveness was temporal not eternal.

Animal sacrifices provided finite atonement in that they only excused the sinner from the immediate physical death of one sin at a time (the sin and guilt offerings) or one year at a time (the Day of Atonement). Each new sin required a new animal sacrifice. Forgiveness was finite not infinite.

Animal sacrifices provided external atonement in that they only pardoned the sinner from the external, physical consequences of sin, but had no impact on the sinner’s eternal destiny. Forgiveness was external not internal.

In summary, we might say that animal sacrifices were good for earthly atonement and earthly forgiveness. They allowed a sinner to remain alive on the earth.

In contrast, Christ’s sacrifice is good for heavenly atonement and heavenly forgiveness. It allows a sinner to remain alive in heaven.

2) Foreshadowing Christ’s Sacrifice
The author of Hebrews refers to the sacrificial system as a shadow.

Hebr 10:1 (NKJV) For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.

The sacrifices foreshadowed Christ’s death on the cross. Each animal sacrifice pointed to Jesus Christ. Now that Christ has come, there is no longer a need for animal sacrifices.

The Law and the Church
Is the church under law? We can answer this in two ways, depending upon our understanding of law.

Torah
Our English word “law” generally reminds us of rules. “Do this” or “don’t do that.” While rules are important, they don’t encompass all that God means by the word law.

Law comes from the Hebrew word Torah, which means “instruction.” When God gave his Torah to Israel, it did not just consist of a list of rules. Torah is not merely a legal code or a rule book. Torah includes much more.

The first five books of the OT are called the Torah. Yet, a perusal of these books shows that they are not all rules or “law.” Furthermore, even in the sections where there are heavy concentrations of “law” (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), God never gives just a list of rules. He intersperses history, prophecy, poetry, songs, and other genres of literature.

Thus, if we take a narrow understanding of Torah (rules, “laws”), then we will be mistaken when we speak of the Torah. It is much better to think of the Torah as instruction, part of which includes rules.

We err when we think of the Torah as a rule book. The Torah is not a rule book; it is a covenant book. The Torah is the instruction of God to Israel concerning their covenant together. We call this the Old Testament or Old Covenant. The Torah is the Old Covenant instructions for Israel.

Jesus Fulfills the Torah
Jesus came to fulfill the Old Covenant.

Matt 5:17 (NKJV) “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

Jesus did not come to do away with or to simply destroy the Old Covenant. He came to fulfill it. He lived a perfect life and died as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant.
A Change of the Law
Because the Old Covenant is fulfilled, the church is not under the Old Covenant. As the author of Hebrews states:

Hebr 7:11 (NKJV) Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?
12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.

The priesthood has changed from the sons of Levi to Jesus Christ. A change in priesthood requires a change of the law, a change in Torah, a change in covenant.

You are not under law
Thus, we should be able to say with Paul,

Roma 6:14 (NKJV) For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

We are not under the Old Covenant law. We are no longer required to sacrifice animals. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice, as Paul later states:

Roma 10:4 (NKJV) For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

The Old Covenant law has ended. Jesus Christ has fulfilled it. We are not under law.

You are under law
At the same time, we are under law. Paul calls this the law of Christ.

Gala 6:2 (NKJV) Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

One of the first things we notice is that Jesus repeats many of the commands of the Old Covenant. In fact, Jesus even summarizes the entire Old Covenant:

Matt 22:36 (NKJV) “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
38 “This is the first and great commandment.
39 “And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
40 “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

The Old Covenant is summarized by loving God and loving your neighbor. So, the essence of the Old Covenant is retained in the New Covenant. As Jeremiah prophesied:

Jere 31:31 (NKJV) “Behold, the days are coming, says Yahweh, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--
32 “not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says Yahweh.
33 “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahweh: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

The Old Covenant law is still present in the New Covenant. It has been transformed (e.g., the sacrificial laws are not literally binding).

Nevertheless, the church is now charged with bringing God’s law to the nations. Jesus makes this clear in the Great Commission.

Matt 28:18 (NKJV) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Part of making disciples is teaching them to observe all things that Christ has commanded.

Conclusion
In previous weeks, we have seen the pattern that the promises to Israel have been fulfilled in Christ, expanded to the church, and are spreading throughout the world.

Israel → Christ → Church → World

The descendents, or seed, of Israel was fulfilled in Christ, then expanded to the church, and are now spreading throughout the world.

The temple of Israel was fulfilled in Christ, then expanded to the church, and is now spreading throughout the world.

The land of Israel was fulfilled in Christ, then given to the church, and now encompasses the world.

The law of Israel was fulfilled in Christ, then given to the church, and is now taught throughout the world.

Jesus and the Land of Israel

Last time, we looked at how the tabernacle and temple are fulfilled in Jesus. We are not expecting or waiting for another temple to be built on earth. Jesus is building his temple, which is the church.

This time, we are looking at the land that was promised to Israel.

The “Promised” Land
God had Abraham move away from his family to a new land:

Gene 12:1 (NKJV) Now Yahweh had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.

God promised to give this “promised” land to Abraham’s descendents:

Gene 15:18 (NKJV) On the same day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates--

The land was indwelled by the Canaanites, but God was giving it to Abraham’s descendants:

Gene 17:8 (NKJV) “Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

God promised to give this land to Isaac and his descendents:

Gene 26:3 (NKJV) “Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.

The Promised Land is God’s
The reason that God can give the land is because it is his.

Levi 25:23 (NKJV) ‘The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.

Because the land is God’s, it is holy land. The holy land required holiness of the people who dwelled on it. The holy land would vomit out unholy people.

Levi 18:26 (NKJV) ‘You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you
27 ‘(for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled),
28 ‘lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you.
29 ‘For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be cut off from among their people.

Part of the reason for giving the people God’s law is so that they would be holy and be able to live in the land.

Entering the Promised Land
The promise of the land was secure. God does not lie. However, possession of the land was always conditioned upon faith.

For instance, God was ready to give Israel the land.

Numb 13:1 (NKJV) And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.”

Joshua and Caleb urged Israel to trust in God:

Numb 14:7 (NKJV) and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.
8 “If Yahweh delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’
9 “Only do not rebel against Yahweh, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and Yahweh is with us. Do not fear them.”

Unfortunately, the congregation rebelled and did not trust God, and so the entire generation was sentenced to death.

Numb 14:26 (NKJV) And Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
27 “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me.
28 “Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says Yahweh, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you:
29 ‘The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.
30 ‘Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in.

Of the generation that was led out of Egypt, only two people actually inherited the promised land. This does not nullify God’s promise. Remember, God’s promises are only inherited by those who are of faith. Abraham’s descendents are spiritual descendents. The heirs of the promise of the land are those who share Abraham’s faith.

God was faithful, but Israel as a whole was unfaithful. The promised land was to be possessed by faith, not grasped by strength.

This was a lesson that Moses’ generation did not learn. After they failed to trust God in entering the land, Israel foolishly attempted to seize the land by their own military might.

Numb 14:39 (NKJV) Then Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.
40 And they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place which Yahweh has promised, for we have sinned!”
41 And Moses said, “Now why do you transgress the command of Yahweh? For this will not succeed.
42 “Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for Yahweh is not among you.
43 “For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from Yahweh, Yahweh will not be with you.”
44 But they presumed to go up to the mountaintop; nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of Yahweh nor Moses departed from the camp.
45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah.
Israel tried to grasp the land by their own strength, but the land was to be grasped by faith. The Promised Land cannot be possessed by military might.

The Fulfillment of the Promised Land
God led the next generation of Israel into the promised land. Although the conquest was not perfect, Joshua summarizes it this way:

Josh 21:43 (NKJV) So Yahweh gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.
44 Yahweh gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; Yahweh delivered all their enemies into their hand.
45 Not a word failed of any good thing which Yahweh had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.

It is interesting to note that at the time that Joshua wrote this, Israel did not possess all of the promised land, nor had they driven out all of the Canaanites.

At the same time, we must note the comprehensiveness of this passage. “All” is mentioned six times, including the summary: “All came to pass.” How do these two facts fit together?

We need to understand that this passage is written from God’s perspective. From God’s perspective, he had given them the land. Any failure to fully possess the land or drive out the inhabitants was Israel’s fault. God was not at fault. He had given them all the land that he promised. If Israel had been faithful, they would have possessed the land perfectly and kept it forever, just as God promised.

The rest of the OT tells the story of how Israel disobeyed and distrusted God and lost the land. If at any time, Israel would have been faithful to the Lord, they would have possessed the land. Yet, time and time again, they were unfaithful.

NT and the Land
In the OT, “land” is one of the central themes, used 1493 times. However, “land” is used 52 times in the NT, most of which are the gospels and none are the epistles. There are many reasons for this, but one of the main reasons is that the land promised to Israel has been universalized into the earth.

The Great Commission
Jesus came to reach the lost sheep of Israel. He labored primarily within the historical boundaries of the Promised Land. At his ascension, Jesus was crowned as King, not just King of Israel, but King of the Universe.

Jesus has authority over not just Israel, but all heaven and earth.

Matt 28:18 (NKJV) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Because Jesus now has authority over the entire earth, the nations are to be discipled.

Pentecost
The disciples were still looking for the ethnic kingdom of Israel.

Acts 1:6 (NKJV) Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The disciples were correct in that the kingdom started with Israel. The timing was yet unknown, but the kingdom was going to start in Jerusalem, with three thousand Jews converted at Pentecost. The gospel would then proceed to Judea and Samaria, and eventually encompass the whole world.

The Land vs. The Earth
The promise to obedient children has changed from land to earth.

Exod 20:12 (NKJV) “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

Deut 5:16 (NKJV) ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

Ephe 6:2 (NKJV) “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise:
3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

This shows that the promised land has now become the promised earth. Furthermore, Gentiles now get in on the promises through Christ.

Abraham’s Understanding
Abraham understood that he was going to inherit the world:

Roma 4:13 (NKJV) For the promise that he would be the heir of the world {cosmos} was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

God promised Abraham a land, but Abraham understood this to also embrace the entire world.

Abraham and the City
Abraham did not put his hope in the land of Israel, but in the city of God.

Hebr 11:8 (NKJV) By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;
10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

“The city” is what Abraham was waiting for. Indeed, all the OT saints desired a heavenly country, or a city.

Hebr 11:13 (NKJV) These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.
15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Hebr 11:39 (NKJV) And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,
40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

“The city” is better than the land of Canaan. It is superior.

The Heavenly Jerusalem
What is this city that the book of Hebrews speaks of?

Hebr 12:22 (NKJV) But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,
23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

Notice this says, “you have come.” This is past tense. We have already come to Mount Zion and the heavenly Jerusalem. So, what is this heavenly Jerusalem?

The author of Hebrews is speaking of the church. The church is “Mount Zion,” “the city of the living God,” and “the heavenly Jerusalem.”

John uses similar language to describe his vision:

Reve 21:9 (NKJV) Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

The church is the bride of Christ, the Lamb’s wife. The church is called “the great city” and “the holy Jerusalem.” Notice also that the church is descending out of heaven from God. As the church grows, she continues to descend from heaven to earth. The Kingdom of Heaven is coming to earth.

Heaven and Earth
The relationship between heaven and earth is one of the keys to understanding the eschatological significance of Jesus and the land of Israel.

The Separation of Heaven and Earth
During the creation week, God blessed all the days of creation except for the second day (Genesis 1:4, 12, 18, 21, 31). God never said, “It was good” about the second day. Why is this? What happened on the second day?

Gene 1:6 (NKJV) Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”
7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.

On the second day, God separated the heavens from the earth. Why did he not bless this? Because this separation was temporary. God never intended the separation of heaven and earth to be permanent.

He created man to unite heaven and earth, or to bring heaven down to earth. Adam failed in the Garden. Israel failed in the Promised Land. Jesus Christ is now fulfilling this task through the church.

Uniting Heaven and Earth
Paul describes how heaven and earth are going to be united.

Ephe 1:10 (NKJV) that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together {unite, sum up} in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him.

Jesus rules not just over Israel, but over the whole world, and not just over the whole world, but also over the whole universe, and not just over the whole universe, but Jesus is the One who is going to unite the physical universe with heaven, and he will rule over this one realm as its king.

The Lord’s Prayer
In the Lord’s prayer, we learn more about the relationship between heaven and earth.

Matt 6:9 (NKJV) “In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.

We learn two things immediately:
1. God dwells in heaven.
2. God’s will is done in heaven.

We learn two more things after a little thought:
3. If God’s will is done in heaven, then God’s name must be hallowed in heaven.
4. If God’s will is done in heaven, then God’s kingdom must be in heaven. Matthew prefers to refer to God’s kingdom as “the kingdom of heaven.”

These four truths are basically synonymous. Where God dwells, his name is going to be hallowed, his kingdom exists, and his will is done. Or, where his will is done, his kingdom exists, his name is hallowed, and he must dwell there.

Notice how Jesus tells us to pray. We don’t have to pray for God to dwell on earth, because his temple is already spread over the earth. Jesus already does dwell through his Spirit in the church throughout the world. However, we are to pray for the other three requests.

2. God’s name to be hallowed on earth.
3. God’s kingdom to come to earth.
4. God’s will to be done on earth.

This is the task of the church. As we preach the gospel through the indwelling Spirit of God, God’s kingdom comes to earth, a little bit at a time. God’s name becomes regarded as holy, a little bit at a time. God’s will is done on earth, a little bit at a time.

This is the coming of the kingdom. The kingdom of God gradually descends from heaven to earth. As heaven and earth become one, the kingdom of Christ encompasses the whole earth.

The was prophesied in the OT.

Psal 72:8 (NKJV) He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.

Conclusion
We have seen a pattern with respect to Jesus, Israel, and the Church.

· The descendents of Abraham are narrowed to Jesus Christ, and then expanded to include both Jews and Gentiles, the church.

· The temple of God narrowed to Jesus Christ, and has now been expanded to include the church throughout the world.

· The land has now been expanded to include the whole earth because Jesus rules not just over Israel, but over heaven and earth.

Next time, we will look at Jesus and the Law of Israel.

Jesus and the Temple

The Temple in Heaven
The tabernacle or temple of God is the place where God dwells. John saw this temple in heaven.

Reve 11:19 (NKJV) Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

God’s primary dwelling place is in heaven. This is described as his temple.

The Tabernacle
After the Exodus, God gave his people instructions to build a tabernacle. The tabernacle was where God dwelled among his people.

Exod 40:34 (NKJV) Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of Yahweh filled the tabernacle.
35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of Yahweh filled the tabernacle.

The tabernacle was also the place of atonement. If God, the holy God, were to dwell in the midst of Israel, an unclean, unholy, and sinful people, atonement had to be made by sacrifice. God’s presence required cleansing from sin. Thus, the tabernacle was where God dwelled and where sacrifices were made.

A House for Whom?
David wanted to build a permanent residence, or a house, for God.

2Sam 7:1 (NKJV) Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and Yahweh had given him rest from all his enemies all around,
2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.”

However, God did not give David permission to build a “house” for God.

2Sam 7:5 (NKJV) “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh: “Would you build a house for Me to dwell in?
6 “For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle.
7 “Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ “ ‘

God has never asked to dwell in a house. Instead, God is going to build a house for David.

11 “since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also Yahweh tells you that He will make you a house.
12 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

God promised to build a house for David, and that one of David’s descendents would built a house for God’s name. Obviously, this is a long-term prophesy about Jesus.

The First Temple
In the meantime, David’s son, Solomon, builds a permanent house for God, the temple. The temple is patterned after the tabernacle and takes over its functions.

1Kin 8:10 (NKJV) And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of Yahweh,
11 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh.

Like the tabernacle, the temple was the place of God’s presence and also the place of atonement.
However, God warned that he would withdraw from the temple if Israel was unfaithful.

1Kin 9:6 (NKJV) “But if you or your sons at all turn from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them,
7 “then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them; and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight. Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
8 “And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and will hiss, and say, ‘Why has Yahweh done thus to this land and to this house?’

This is precisely what happened. Israel misunderstood the temple. The people thought that God’s presence was automatically guaranteed by the temple in Jerusalem. They thought that the city and temple could never be destroyed. The temple had become a guarantee of safety, an idol.

Jeremiah warned against such an attitude.

Jere 7:4 (NKJV) “Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of Yahweh, the temple of Yahweh, the temple of Yahweh are these.’

Israel did not heed Jeremiah’s warnings. Ezekiel records what happened.

Ezek 10:18 (NKJV) Then the glory of Yahweh departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim.

Ezek 11:22 (NKJV) So the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was high above them.
23 And the glory of Yahweh went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain, which is on the east side of the city.

Ichabod! The spirit of Yahweh departed, and then the Babylonians destroyed the temple and the city of Jerusalem.

The Second Temple
Ezra led the rebuilding of the temple. However, this paled in comparison to Solomon’s temple.

Ezra 3:12 (NKJV) But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy,

In the NT era, Herod remodeled and greatly expanded the second temple. This was a beautiful and magnificent structure.

Jesus and the Temple
Jesus indicated that, in his day, the temple still retained significance as the place of the presence of God.

Luke 2:49 (NASB) And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”

Matt 23:21 (NKJV) “He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple
Nevertheless, Jesus indicates that the temple was not what it should be.

Mark 11:15 (NKJV) So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.
17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ “

This passage is referred to as Jesus “cleansing” the temple. Usually, this is interpreted as Jesus protesting against the moneychangers who were ripping the people off. Actually, there was nothing wrong with having money changing and the selling of animals near the temple.

The sacrifices required animals that were pure. Most likely, those traveling to Jerusalem to make a sacrifice did not bring animals from their home. Instead, the travelers purchased such animals near the temple grounds. There’s nothing inherently wrong with such practices.

Now, there is something wrong with exploiting such situations, and perhaps some of Jesus’ actions were to correct this, but this was not his major intention.

Den of Thieves
Jesus says that the temple has been made into a “den of thieves.” “Den of thieves” is not necessarily a condemnation of the swindling of the moneychangers. The word for “thieves” is not the word for a swindler or an embezzler. The word is much more rogue. The word for “thieves” is a robber or a bandit.

Jesus is specifically referring to the leaders of the temple. They are thieves, robbers, and bandits. Remember, it will be the high priest that supported the release of Barabbas, the true criminal. Jesus was soon to be crucified between to robbers.

Certainly, Jesus is implicating the corrupt moneychangers, but the true guilt falls upon the leaders of Israel. They have turned the temple into a den of thieves.

House of Prayer for All Nations
Jesus says that the real purpose of the temple is that it would be a house of prayer for all nations. Jesus is quoting from Isaiah 56.

Isai 56:7 (NKJV) Even them I will bring to My holy mountain,
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
Will be accepted on My altar;
For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

Isaiah is prophesying what Israel will be like after the exile. Israel was supposed to fulfill this. Yet, here we find Jesus judging Jerusalem for falling from this standard. Jesus’ perspective seems to be that the foreigners were supposed to already be worshipping God on his holy mountain.

The Jewish leaders had restricted foreigners to the court of the Gentiles. Yet, believing foreigners were supposed to have the same access to the temple that Jews had. Leviticus 22 describes such a procedure.

However, at the time of Jesus, the Temple had a barrier that kept out the Gentile God-fearers. This barrier was an offense against God. Jesus is clear that the Temple was for all nations.

True Worship
As Jesus explains the woman at the well, worship is no longer going to be local, in the city of Jerusalem, and at the temple.

John 4:19 (NKJV) The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.
20 “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
23 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
24 “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

After Jesus’ resurrection, true worship is not localized at the temple in Jerusalem. The temple will no longer be the dwelling place of God. Jesus is the new temple of God.

Jesus is the Temple
Jesus claims to be superior to the temple.

Matt 12:6 (NKJV) Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.

How could Jesus be greater than the temple? Because Jesus is the true temple. He fulfills both functions of the temple:

1) God Dwells in Jesus

John 2:18 (NKJV) So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”
19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”
21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

Jesus was not just speaking metaphorically. When He refers to his body as the temple, he is saying that God dwells in him. Jesus is challenging the Jews by saying that He is the true temple.

John describes the incarnation as God dwelling among us.

John 1:14 (NKJV) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

When God took on humanity, this was a “tabernacling.” Jesus is the tabernacle and the temple because God dwells in him.

2) Jesus Forgives Sin
Jesus forgives sins directly, apart from temple sacrifice.

Mark 2:5 (NKJV) When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,
7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Jesus fulfills both functions of the temple. He contains the presence of God, and he forgives sins, through the sacrifice of himself. In Jesus, the temple becomes the sacrifice.

Ichabod – Part 2
At Jesus’ death, the temple ceased to be the dwelling place of God.

Mark 15:38 (NKJV) Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

The veil of the temple meant that God had departed from the temple. Icabod! Although the Jews continued to worship in the temple, God was not there. The temple was now a place of idolatry.

About forty years later, in ad 70, the temple was destroyed once and for all. It has never been rebuilt.

The Church and the Temple
After God left the temple in Jerusalem, God now dwells in his people.

1Cor 3:16 (NKJV) Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Since God dwells in us, we are the temple of God.

1Cor 6:19 (NKJV) Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

The church is being built into a living temple.

Ephe 2:19 (NKJV) Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

This is precisely what Jesus promised:

Matt 16:18 (NKJV) “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Jesus used “building” imagery to describe the growth of the church. As we grow, we are being “built” into a temple of God.

1Pet 2:4 (NKJV) Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,”
8 and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Peter uses Israelite language to refer to the church. The church is now the temple of God.

The Church is the Temple of Ezekiel
In between the first and second temple, Ezekiel saw a vision of a new temple, which he recorded in Ezekiel 40-48. We do not have time to address the details of those nine chapters, but we can summarize this by saying that the church is the fulfillment of the temple that Ezekiel saw.

Ezekiel 37 is a glorious description of the rebirth of Israel, the dry bones being brought to life. This is generally interpreted as setting the stage for temple of chapters 40-48. Ezekiel makes this statement near the end of chapter 37:

Ezek 37:27 (NKJV) My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

The apostle Paul quotes this exact verse and applies this to the church.

2Cor 6:16 (NKJV) And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”

Ezekiel saw a temple of glory in the midst of a new city and prophesied that God would dwell in the midst of his people. Now, in Jesus, God dwells with his people and creates out of the church a people who love one another. At the center of this community the glory of God becomes visible. Ezekiel’s temple is fulfilled in Jesus and his church.