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Israel’s Redemption One-Day Pastors’ Conference
June 24, 2014
Raymond L. Gannon, Ph.D., Director
Session Two: Is God Restoring Israel?
What Have We Noticed?
*Is Being Pro-Israel Really Kingdom Friendly?
*Contemporary Theologies and Zionism
*Christian Zionism vs. Apostolic Christianity
1A. Is Being Pro-Israel consistent with the interests of the Kingdom of God?
1B. God’s promises to the Patriarchs
2B. God’s program for Israel revealed in the Psalms and Prophets
3B. God’s process for the Kingdom as recognized by the Apostles
2A. The Mother of Kingdom Catastrophe: Supersessionism
1B. Second century motivations for Church Replacement of Israel
2B. Pandering of Supersessionism in the Early Centuries
3B. The Fourth Century Conquest of Roman Replacement Theology
4B. The Immediate Impact Upon Jewish-Christian Relations
3A. Contemporary Christian Theologies and Israel
1B. Israel as Allegory and Temporary: Fully Supplanted by the Church
1C. National Israel has no inheritance nor legitimate claim to Land
2C. Christian support for national Israel is a blunder if not heretical
2B. Israel to Return to the Divine Economy in the Utopian Future
1C. Dispensationalist view that Israel will come to faith after the “Church Age.”
2C. Israel will yet experience all the biblical promises but God has resorted to a “Plan B” for the present.
3B. God is Always Ready to Respond to Jewish Faith in Jesus
1C. Most theological systems are satisfied that an occasional Jewish person will come to faith but have no expectation of a major Jewish faith response to Jesus at the present.
2C. Some view Scriptures as reading that “God is not willing that any should perish” and is ready to respond to anyone, including any Jewish person, or masses of Jewish people, who exhibit faith in the Messiah Jesus.
3C. God did not abandon His Chosen People but in space and time has remained ever-ready to redeem and spiritually restore Israel to a place of authentic divine usefulness to God’s glory in the earth.
4C. Israel must yield to God’s Appointed Anointed One who is eternally decreed to lead Israel into her biblical destiny.
3A. Christian Zionism
1B. There are many Christian Zionist organizations widely popular in Christian and Jewish circles.
2B. Christian Zionism revolves around:
1C. Humanitarian work that is Israel-focused
2C. Political activities to foster Israel’s national security
3C. Developing popularity in the Jewish establishment
4C. Interests that generally conflict with any association with Messianic Jews
5C. Either condemning or disassociating with any form or recognized need for Jewish faith in Jesus
3B. Whereas the Jewish community:
1C. Celebrates Christian Zionism, and
2C. Seeks to drive a wedge between Christians and Messianic Jews,
3C. It compels Christian Zionism to disavow the need for Jewish faith in Jesus and to disconnect from Jews who do become born-again believers.
4A. Apostolic Teaching
1B. There is no hermeneutically sound grounds for Supersessionism in the Gospels, e.g., Mt 21
2B. The apostles devoted their lives to proclaiming the Gospel to “the Jew first” because they understood the essential role Israel plays in the missio dei.
3B. The apostles recognize the partnership that Christian Gentiles are to perform as a spiritual extension “commonwealth of Israel.” Christians are to partner, not replace, Israel.
4B. As long as Israel continues its defiance of Jesus as King and Leader of Israel, Israel is in rebellion against God and God’s own purposes for Israel.
1C. But this does not change Israel’s destiny, it only prolongs it.
2C. There is no reason for delay nor any corresponding apostolic expectation for a long term hiatus before Israel comes to faith in Jesus. As soon as the Christians succeed at provoking Israel to spiritual jealousy, “All Israel Shall Be Saved.” Rom11.
3C. Note “fullness” in Romans 11:26 is not “arithmos” as in numerical count, but “pleroma” as in spiritual qualities, e.g., Col. 2:9 “For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form”