Anti-Semitism has existed for thousands of years. It’s not new; various periods in history experienced extreme persecution and bias against the Jewish people. Today a new wave of Anti-Semitism rears up, and sadly many in the church have been duped by its heresy:
Replacement Theology.
Replacement theology attempts to replace the Jews with the church; when the Bible says “Jews” it instead should read the church and Christians. It’s a bizarre position to support, but using logic and thinking skills (instead of shouting slogans or name-calling) two questions require consideration:
- Does Biblical evidence exist for a position?
- Does it contradict any Biblical evidence?
Lacking the first point you’d wonder why and how a position was invented, but that wanders into speculation as each person may have their own reasons, but reading Genesis to Revelation no evidence ever appears supporting replacing the Jews with the church.
The second question can be definitively answered: replacement theology runs into major contradictions with the Bible; we’ll examine a few but each destroys the liberal idea the church replaced Israel and the Jews.
Abrahamic Covenant
Genesis fifteen details a strange interaction between Abraham and the Lord, with Abraham questioning God’s promise to him as yet Abraham had no children. How then could he become a great nation while lacking descendants? The Lord Himself clarifies His promise:
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates. (Genesis 15)
Notice Abraham was not a party to the contract — it was unilateral by the Lord alone. Abraham (i.e. the Jews) can’t forfeit the promise if they tried, any more than you could void your neighbor’s home loan.
Later passages affirmed the promise, and the apostle Paul hammers the point in both Romans and Hebrews the promise was both unconditional and immutable.
For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath. (Hebrews 6)
That alone suffices to cast replacement theology on the discarded scrap heap of liberal fabrications, but the Bible contains abundant evidence proving the ridiculousness of the church replacing the Jews, and the Jews no longer holding a place in God’s plans.
Revelation’s Twelve Tribes
John wrote in Revelation detailing the Jews and their tribes, and notes twelve thousand of each are sealed (why isn’t important for the current discussion):
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand… (Revelation 7)
This passage states the Jews will always hold a special place in God’s eye, as even a casual reading of Revelation reveals the events detailed therein remain yet future, and since the Jewish people appear in future events detailed in Revelation, they must continue to hold a place in God’s plan.
Matthew 24 — What is the End of the Age?
Matthew 24 provides another nail in the coffin of liberal replacement theology by the Lord Himself. The disciples directly ask Jesus — how will we know when you will return? What will the signs be?
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (Matthew 24)
Since Jesus hasn’t fulfilled His second appearance, what follows must remain yet future. How does Jesus describe this future event?
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that nurse babes in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
We’ll examine Daniel’s seventy weeks next, but notice one phrase Jesus reveals regarding his second return: pray your flight is not on the Sabbath. Why would Gentiles care about traveling on the Sabbath? Only a Jew worries over Sabbath rules; if the church replaced the Jews this passage makes no sense.
As this passage hasn’t happened yet, and the flavor is undeniably Jewish, it means God isn’t finished with the Jews.
Seventy Weeks of Daniel
Consider Daniel’s seventy weeks and examine the passage carefully for who did what and when.
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. (Daniel 9:24)
We need consider a small section (for more detailed information, see Seventy Weeks of Daniel).
- WHO — “Thy people” references Daniel, and who are Daniel’s people? The Jews.
- WHAT — To make end of sins, reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness.
- WHEN — Undetermined, but the end of sin hasn’t happened yet (read the daily news).
As this pertains to the Jews, and it hasn’t occurred yet, the Jews continue to hold a special place in God’s plan.
Not one jot or tittle Pass Away
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matthew 5)
The promises contained in the Old Testament cannot pass until all are fulfilled. Since many promises in the Old Testament are yet future, the Jews must have a place in future events.
… Unless you believe Jesus made a mistake (in which case bigger problems exist than outlandish liberal theology).
What Side Do You Want to be On?
Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:1–3)
Since the promises are unilateral, unconditional, and never-ending, what side do you want to be on? Strange a few Christians reject blessings and choose curses instead. Why anyone would want to do that remains an interesting question.
Rule 0 — Ideas Contradicting the Bible are Wrong
If a person accepts the Bible as the inspired inerrant Word of God the previous passages destroy even the possibility of the church replacing the Jews and the Jews being cast out of God’s plans. And naturally if a person rejects the Bible as inspired and inerrant they have much bigger issues to deal with — sadly many in the church today allegorize or claim when Paul said xyz it was super-secret code for something else.
Peculiar liberal theology ideas like replacement theology lead to Anti-Semitism and should never occur in any church that takes the Bible seriously.
Yet the idea of what becomes of the Jews isn’t a new question. Early in the first century it was asked … and answered. Paul spends several chapters in Romans (what has been called the definitive statement of Christian doctrine) hammering away at this issue, finally stating:
I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.
If you accept the Bible as inerrant, Paul eliminated replacement theology as anything other than a total rejection of Biblical theology. The church must make a choice — is the inspired apostle Paul correct, or liberal theologians providing no Biblical support for their abnormal ideas? Since they contradict each other, it’s not possible to hold both to replacement theology and the inerrant inspired Word of God.
Paul warned of those who deviate from the Gospel he preached:
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6–9)
Methods to Address It
Replacement theology remains a stain on many churches. It cannot be true (or even possible) if you take the Bible as what it says.
How can we assist people who might have fallen into this ailment?
- Ask if the Bible is the inspired inerrant Word of God. If not, the person has bigger issues to confront first.
- Consider Abrahamic covenant in Genesis and ask where God rescinded the promise to Abraham.
- Consider Daniel’s seventy weeks — it obviously refers to the Jews, and just as obvious hasn’t happened yet; if the Jews don’t have a place in God’s plan anymore and the church has replaced them that passage is false.
- Review Hebrews 6
- Review Romans 9–11
- Review Matthew 24
Lacking answers (as none exist) any person examining those areas must conclude replacement theology is without foundation, contradicts the Bible, is Anti-Semitic, and lacks Biblical basis.
QED