Did The Church Replace Israel?

Many Christians believe that the Church replaced Israel as God’s chosen people. Perhaps not so much in American Christianity, but throughout the world that belief is widely held. It might seem logical, since Israel rejected their Messiah, and insisted that Jesus be crucified on a cross like a common criminal. But what does God have to say about Israel?  

This question lies at the heart of amillennialism, a widespread belief about the end times that rejects the concept of Christ returning to establish a 1000-year kingdom on earth. They believe that Christ’s second coming will institute the final judgment and initiate the eternal kingdom. In that line of thought there is no room for the restoration of Israel as the prophets of old foretold. So they believe that all of Israel’s promises and blessings were transferred to the Church. In other words, the Church replaced Israel.

Paul anticipated this question and addressed it at length in Romans 11. He was probably motivated by the fact that he, himself, was a Jew, and he wanted his fellow Jewish brethren to understand that their calling and their place in the heart of God was not forever forfeited. But he also wanted the Gentile Church to not become arrogant, thinking that they permanently replaced Israel as the branches of the olive tree. God turned Israel over to disobedience so that He could have mercy on them, just He had mercy on the Gentiles (Rom 11:31). Furthermore, Paul says that God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable (Rom 11:29). Only if the sun and moon cease to shine, declares the Lord, “will Israel ever cease being a nation before me” (Jer 31:35-36). God is not fickle, like humans tends to be. He did not retract his gifts and calling from Israel and give them to someone who might appreciate them more.

The restoration of Israel in the Millennial kingdom is foretold over and over in the Old Testament prophecies. Whenever the Day of the Lord is mentioned, it included invasion of the holy land by the nations, ransacking and destruction of Jerusalem, and great loss of life in a massive war (Zech 14). That correlates to Revelation 17, the battle of Armageddon, where it is prophesied that an alliance of ten Arab nations will invade Israel, and then be defeated by Messiah at His second coming.

But the restoration of Israel is also included in the prophesies of the Day of the Lord (especially Jeremiah 31-33). The remnant that survives the cataclysmic destruction of Armageddon will stand in awe of their Messiah. They will believe in the one they rejected (Zech 12:10). In that sense they will all be saved (Rom 11:26). Their land will be restored and their temple rebuilt, by King Jesus. God’s glory will once again be bestowed upon Israel, and they will be a blessing to the nations.

Daniel's Legacy

The prophecies of Daniel were incredibly accurate in predicting the future that lay ahead for the Jews in Babylon.  So accurate, in fact, that many scholars cannot believe that the real Daniel wrote them in Babylon, in the 6^th century BC. They suggest that someone else, in the first or second century BC, must have written them. Those scholars simply do not have much faith that God could use a God-fearing man to foretell His plans and purposes, in order to guide and inform His chosen people.

Daniel is not only renowned for his prophecies, but also for his righteousness, faithfulness, prayers, and trusted leadership. His amazing stories of faith, alone, would be an honorable legacy. But his prophetic visions and interpretations are perhaps his greatest legacy.

Three visions, in particular, played a prominent role over the years as I re-examined prophecy. First, Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of a statue, representing five nations (chapter 2). Second, Daniel’s own vision of the five beasts (chapter 7), corresponding to the vision of the statute. The third vision is the vision of the seventy weeks (chapter 9), but I will discuss that vision in a separate article, “The Tribulation Hoax”.

Let’s consider, ever so briefly, the visions of the statue and the beasts. They both prophetically foretell four kingdoms which would be oppressive world-rulers (Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome). Each of those kingdoms would have a great impact upon the Jews over the next 600 years. But both of these dreams also predict a fifth nation, one which would rule in the distant future (compare Rev 17:10, “five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come”). Why this fifth nation receives so little consideration is beyond my understanding. It is haplessly misinterpreted, leaving its profound impact upon the end of the age woefully mired in a fog of ambiguity.

This fifth nation is America. In the statue vision America is prophesied by the feet of iron mixed with clay, and its description is far more detailed than the other four kingdoms. And it was the feet of the statue where the great rock struck. That rock represents a kingdom that will never be destroyed, a repetitive theme throughout Daniel’s writings. In the vision of the beasts, it is once again easy to identify the first four – same four as the statue. History has a way of clearly interpreting prophecy. But a fifth beast is uniquely envisioned by a little horn, a new nation, that rose up amongst ten horns, European countries that emerged from the old Roman empire. The little horn subdued three of the ten horns (i.e., England, France, and Spain) and became very powerful. Once again, this little horn is discussed at length (7:20-25).

The feet of clay and iron and the little horn are identical to the seventh head of the beast prophesied in Revelation 13. They are all three prophecies of America, the world-dominating nation of the last days. The importance of this identification is twofold. First, history confirms prophecy – we are in the last days. Secondly, we are warned that America will be destroyed – in the beast vision (Dan 7:11, 26) in the statue vision (Dan 2:34), and confirmed in Revelation 17 and 18. Accordingly, we need to prepare for great turmoil and distress. The destruction of America will surely happen – concurrent with the eighth beast rising up, before the battle of Armageddon, and before the rapture at the second coming of Christ. Jesus said, “Be ready, be prepared, don’t be caught unaware.” 

Reality Check

It seems that World War 3 could erupt any time now. Let’s call that war by its Biblical name, though -- Armageddon. There simply is not enough time left before the end of the age to pencil in two great wars. Armageddon is next, and it is soon. The “axis of evil” powers are becoming more and more emboldened. The era of American hegemony is coming to an end. Like Ralphie exploding and pounding the bully in the movie, “Christmas Story”, many suppressed nations are ready to unleash on America and NATO. Putin is no friend of America, he is the first Ralphie. But China, Iran, North Korea, and others will join the fight. Their patience with American domination is coming to an end.

Most people would seem to agree that world tensions are becoming explosive. That fear is amplified in America by a foreboding anticipation that America may soon crash due to extreme polarity, inflation, financial collapse, and nuclear threats. Furthermore, Christians know and understand that Armageddon will focus on Israel – Biblical prophecy makes that very clear. The escalation of the Israeli war with all its Arab terrorist neighbors is probably not going to subside. It is a pre-cursor to that great battle at the end of the age.

So maybe we need to do a reality check. How does this build-up to the end of the age reconcile with the theory of a seven-year Tribulation? Christians in America have been taught that they will be raptured before turmoil and judgment begins. Th first three and a half years of the Great Tribulation are supposed to be peaceful, a conciliatory one-world government under Antichrist. It is not until the midpoint of the Tribulation that Antichrist is supposed to become evil and destructive, and turn on Israel.

With world and national tensions at a flashpoint and buildups to war so ready to explode, can we really expect that all will simmer down and become calm for three and a half years before the lid comes off the boiling pot? This is a reality check, so be honest. That is not likely to happen.

What is more likely is that we have our theology misconstrued, and the timeline of the end of the age is different than what we have been taught to expect. What if there is no seven-year Tribulation? Then Christians, worldwide, will endure all the many trials and tribulations leading up to the end. Christians in America, particularly, will be caught in the crosshairs of God’s judgment upon their nation. America will be destroyed (Danel 7:11-12) – some time before the final buildup to Armageddon. We do not have a “Get Out of Jail Free” card. We will go through much suffering – even death, mourning and famine (Rev 18:8).

Jesus told us to be ready for his coming. He did not mean just the rapture, rather, the whole end of the age. In the Old Testament the end of the age is called the Day of the Lord. Amos criticized the Jews for looking forward to the Day of the Lord (Amos 5:2), because all they were looking forward to was the restoration of Israel, not the incredible destruction and judgment which would come first. Christians have a similar view of the end of the age. We expect to be raptured before tribulation, and return with Christ to be part of His Kingdom. Reality check, again. Jesus told us to be ready – ready for what? For rapture, or for tribulation and turmoil? He was warning believers to be ready, as well as the unsaved, knowing that even the saints must be prepared to stand firm in the face of destruction and suffering that will be intense at the end of the age. Jesus warned that many will fall away. But the truly faithful will hang on to their blessed hope -- they will be redeemed at the Second Coming of Christ, rescued from the throes of world tumult and decimating warfare in Israel, and spared the wrath of God to be meted out in the seventh trumpet and bowl judgment.

 

 

And The House Came Tumbling Down

There are certain beliefs about end-times prophecy that are cornerstones supporting the greater edifice. If any one of those cornerstones were to be removed the whole house would come tumbling down. In the process of re-examining prophecy, unfortunately, it is the very cornerstones that must be discarded. And when they are removed the whole house will collapse. You cannot save the stain-glass windows, the gabled dormers, or the stone faced fireplace.

If you have ever played the game of Jenga you just know that there are certain blocks that cannot be pulled out or the whole tower will come crashing down. Whether it’s a Jenga tower, or a collapsed house, it is impossible to put Humpty-Dumpty back together again.

Allow me to describe my experience of re-examining prophecy. It was certainly not my intention to collapse the entire structure. But whenever one piece was removed then other pieces lost support, and then more and more pieces came tumbling down.

The first cornerstone belief that I examined and had to remove was the belief that Revelation 13 was a description of the Antichrist. I came to realize that the beast was a nation, the seventh head of the beast-motif that originated in Daniel 7. It became clear that the feet of clay mixed with iron (Daniel 2), and the little horn were describing America as well -- the world-ruling nation of the last days. Without Revelation 13 as a valid description of Antichrist, then, I realized that the caricature we cherish was bogus. No one-world government ruler, no miraculous healing or coming back from the dead, no covenant with Israel then destroy their temple, no larger than life madman. No more main character for the “Left Behind” series.

The second cornerstone to be removed was the seven-year Tribulation. I came to see and understand that the seven trumpet warnings were events that have been unfolding throughout the last 100 years. Clearly, these events are what was prophesied both in the trumpet warnings and bowl judgements. I determined that Daniel 9, the vision of the seventy weeks, gave absolutely no indication that the 70^th week was intended to be separated from the 69^th week by 2000 years. That, too, was bogus. And with the removal of the Great Tribulation cornerstone then the pre-tribulation rapture could no longer be supported either. That meant that the Church was going to be around for a lot of turmoil and destruction that Christians were taught they would escape.

Here's what I think. American theologians and scholars are afraid to re-examine the cornerstones of end-times prophecies. Because if they did they would have so much to lose – their credibility, their popularity, their rapture escape before the Tribulation, and their peace, safety and tranquility. And all they have to gain, in exchange, is telling Christians that they were wrong, that in fact we should plan on enduring the sword, plague and famine.

Prophecy must be re-examined. With new cornerstones in place the whole of Revelation takes on new meaning. If we are courageous enough to do so then we can prepare for what truly lies ahead.

 

Time, Times, and Half a Time

 

 

There is an enigmatic phrase in end times prophecy that is greatly misconstrued --“time, times and half a time”. It also appears in two other forms -- “1260 days”, and “42 months”. Altogether, the phrases appear some six times – twice in Daniel, and four times in Revelation¹. All three phrases are referring to the same concept. But what do they mean? What span of time do they represent? Furthermore, where did the phrase even originate?

Most people would agree that the phrase comes from Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy weeks. The seventieth week, the last seven years, is divided in half by the statement “in the middle of the seven he will put an end to sacrifice and offering.” Most teaching in America would suggest that this statement refers to Antichrist reneging on a covenant with the Jews during a seven-year Tribulation. At the midpoint he will abominate and destroy the temple which he helped them to build, thereby bringing an end to sacrifices and offerings. The last three and a half years of the Great Tribulation, then, is what all the references of “times, time, and half a time” are referring to.

But the fact is that the “seventy weeks” prophecy is an incredible Messianic prophecy. Unfortunately, it has been audaciously changed into a prophecy about Antichrist and a Great Tribulation. In line with the Messianic interpretation, the end to sacrifice was accomplished by Jesus, when He was crucified “in the middle of the seven”. The last three and half years of the seventieth week are kind of left dangling, then. That time span took on a very important significance. In every use of the phrase, it represents an extended period of time, indefinite in its length. In fact, several of the occurrences refer to the Gentile age as a whole.

In Daniel 7, the holy people of God are oppressed for a time, times, and half a time. This is not referring to Antichrist, as the oppressor, but to America, the little horn. Hard to believe, if you are an American, but God said it, not me. Revelation 11 records the vision of the two witnesses. The Gentiles will trample on the holy city for 1260 days. Jerusalem has been the most war-torn city in all the world, in all of history. And for 1260 days God will empower two witnesses to prophesy. These two are not Elijah and Moses, but rather, Israel and the Church. And in Revelation 12, the woman flees into the desert for 1260 days (12:6, 14). This refers to Israel, the mother of Messiah, fleeing from the dragon, Satan, finding safety by being dispersed among the nations for 2000 years.

And there you have it. We must let go of the idea that “times, time and half a time” refers to the second half of the Great Tribulation. That would help, immensely, in letting go of the Tribulation hoax, entirely.

¹  Daniel 7:25; 12:7; Revelation 11:2; 11:3; 12:6; 12:14.