Note: The following is a most relevant open letter which is important to all within the Body of Christ to read. Our prayer is that you will read carefully and understand God’s Holy View of Israel in these end times when the Jewish people are again beginning to suffer hatred throughout the world.
An Open Letter to Those Who Have Been Taught That the Church Has Replaced Israel
Dear Brother or Sister in Christ,
If you are a member of a Catholic or mainline denominational church, you have probably been taught something called replacement theology (and perhaps you don’t even know it has that name). Replacement theology leads those who have adopted it to believe that Israel is no longer God’s people and that the modern regathering of the Jews in their historical land is theologically meaningless. Please know this is an error, and I write this letter to alert you to it so you can study God’s Word and reach your own conclusion.
Replacement theology, sometimes called supersessionism or fulfillment theology, is a doctrine stating either that the Church took Israel’s place as God’s people when Israel rejected Jesus as its Messiah or that the “old” Israel was set aside in favor of a “new” Israel, the Church, upon Jesus’s first coming. No matter how it got there, the Church is now God’s people and the beneficiary of the promises God made Israel in the Old Testament. Consequently, Jacob’s blood descendants have no unique destiny, and modern Israel’s existence has no significance. Because replacement theology is often woven into otherwise sound teachings on redemptive history, many believers aren’t even aware that it is a separate doctrine with its own name. Nonetheless, replacement theology is enshrined in Catholic dogma and runs rampant in mainline denominations, even among those that otherwise take the Bible seriously.
Replacement theology raises troubling implications about God’s character, not the least of which are: if God revoked his promises to Israel, what keeps him from revoking them again, and does God really change not (as Malachi 3:6 says)? Many who have been taught replacement theology have not considered these implications. Perhaps you have, too, but have dismissed them out-of-hand or rationalized them away, possibly because they are too dreadful to imagine. Unfortunately, ignoring the implications does not make them go away.
Rather than addressing these (and other) broader implications, this letter will instead tackle the assumption that lies at the very heart of replacement theology: did Israel really forfeit its blessings? Did God really forsake or move past Israel? Fortunately, if you read the Bible without bias, it gives a clear answer.
One point is worth making before proceeding: I don’t have the ability or the moral duty to force you to reject replacement theology. Only the Holy Spirit can convict. All I can do is call relevant scripture to your attention and invite you to check it out yourself. That is what I will now do.
To keep this letter short and clear, I will rely only on two passages: Isaiah 6 and Romans 11. (If you are a Reformed believer, you tend to read Revelation figuratively, because you have been taught that it is “apocalyptic literature.” I will therefore deliberately avoid Revelation’s many passages affirming Israel’s destiny, knowing that you will be unwilling to read Isaiah and Romans figuratively.) I will cite the King James Version, but any good version will do.
Isaiah 6 contains the well-known “Here I am. Send me” passage in which Isaiah volunteers to convey a message God has for his people:
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. (Isaiah 6:8-10)
God informs his people not only that they are hardened (deaf, blind and without understanding) and he is the one hardening them, but also that he has hardened them to delay their repenting and being healed. Note that God does not tell them why he wants a delay.
When the disciples ask Jesus why he speaks “to them” in parables in Matthew 13, he quotes this passage of Isaiah 6:
He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:” (Matthew 13:11-14)
Paul also quotes this same passage of Isaiah 6 in Acts 28, reminding the local leaders of the Jews that they are hardened.
And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (Acts 28:24-27)
Paul then discloses the reason why God hardened Israel, delaying its repenting and being healed:
Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. (Acts 28:28)
According to Paul, God hardened Israel so the Gospel could be taken to the Gentiles.
However, Isaiah 6 continues after the passage quoted in both Matthew 13 and Acts 28. God has more to say to Isaiah about his people. Returning to Isaiah 6, after hearing God’s decree against his people, the prophet begs God for an answer in verse 11, and God gives it to him:
Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate. And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. But yet in [the land] shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof. (Isaiah 6:11-13)
God promises that he will lift Israel’s partial hardening during or just after a widespread devastation. This may be a great war, even a nuclear war given the extent and degree of damage. However, it may be a direct act of God, acting in wrath. Only he knows.
Why then did Jesus and Paul’s quotations from Isaiah 6 stop short of verses 11-13? The answer is that they were speaking in the First Century. Isaiah 6:11-13 would be fulfilled in the future. They were only talking about Israel’s hardened condition in those days, and not about when it would someday repent. Remember, Jesus was only answering a question from his disciples as to why he was teaching in parables, and Paul was only making the case for taking the Gospel to the Gentiles.
Now, let’s look at Romans 11, in which Paul answers the question his earlier chapters in Romans begged: if Christ is the answer and the law is not, what about the Jews, to whom God had given the law? Has God turned his back on Israel?
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. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. (Romans 11:1-4)
The answer is an emphatic “God forbid!” God will save an elect remnant of Israel, and God will save them by grace, not the law. To keep the Gentiles from being feeling superior to the Jews, Paul goes on to say:
I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? (Romans 11:11-15)
Then, after describing how the holy firstfruits of lump of dough renders the whole lump holy, how a holy root can render the entire tree holy, and how branches grafted onto a holy tree become holy, even branches that had previously been cut off, Paul reveals a mystery in verse 25:
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (Romans 11:25)
Though he does not outright quote Isaiah 6:11-13, he affirms the promise God made in those verses to end Israel’s hardening. The mystery Paul reveals is that the partial hardening of Israel’s elect will end when the “fulness of the Gentiles be (has) come in.”
It is important to note that none of these passages are talking about the Church. God has never hardened the Church. He has only hardened Israel, and only temporarily, for the express purpose of taking the Gospel to the Gentiles and building a Church that encompasses all peoples, nations, and languages. This he did at Israel’s great expense, but he will resurrect and magnify Israel because of it. Consider the supreme irony: God hardened Israel to benefit the Gentiles, and so many churches have returned their thanks to Israel by teaching replacement theology.
God’s reply in Isaiah 6 and Paul’s teaching in Romans 11 raise two questions: when will this widespread devastation occur, and when will the fulness of the Gentiles come in? The Bible gives no clear answer; God wants us to depend on him alone for the timing.
However, we can be sure of this – God will restore the elect of his people Israel. That unambiguous Biblical truth, stated explicitly both to Israel in the Old Testament and the Gentiles of the Church in the New Testament, exposes replacement theology as bad doctrine. Now it’s up to the Holy Spirit and informed believers to purge the Church of this sad error.
If replacement theology now troubles you as much as it does me, please do me a favor. Consider giving a copy of this letter to a brother or sister who has been mistaught. You will be helping them and doing a good work for God’s kingdom.
Terry James Prophecy Line 
I am glad you sent out this letter.
There may be a few who will pay attention to it and that makes the effort worthwhile in itself. The sad part is that since most of the so-called “church” these days doesn’t even pay attention to the Bible, so most of it will ignore this, too.
It is all part of what Paul told us would happen in these last days:
1 Timothy {4:1} Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; {4:2} Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.
2 Timothy 4:3} For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; {4:4} And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
God means what he says and one day Israel will become the premier nation of the world during the Millennium when King Jesus finally comes back to rule.
Exactly so Ed.
I’m glad I’m not the Lord (understatement of a lifetime right there-ha!) because I can’t imagine how He is going to sort out the Saved But Confused from the Unsaved And Willingly Mislead.
How can anyone claim to worship Jesus Christ, King of the Jews and the Sovereign Creator of the Universe and yet believe He has abandoned Israel?! It is sad, but we know the Bible has made very clear that Israel will be abandoned by the whole world in the last days. That prophecy is moving forward in earnest. (We certainly do live in the most Biblical of times.)
Jesus repeatedly said “Do not be deceived” and even the Church is drowning in deception. It is incredible that lies, deception and obfuscation are so easy to perpetrate upon people who claim to believe in Jesus; and we know the Tribulation hasn’t even begun!
I have to remind myself to just put one foot in front of the other, and keep my eyes on Jesus, as I see the unraveling of our world. I have zero doubt He is in control, that this is all Plan A, and that we are getting very close to going home…but it sure is getting crazy down here. As one example, an article in the UK’s Daily Mail today says: “Author comes out as transgender man after his wife came out as trans woman – and pair, who have a trans daughter, now live in a four-way open relationship with their trans lovers.” Hello Sodom and Gomorrah! They are proud of this behavior and glory in their shame. I can’t imagine it could get any worse unless they adopted young children and practiced pedophilia on them, and participated in bestiality with their dogs. I don’t say this as a joke that it is certainly not out of the realm of possibility.
The Bible is the one and only source of truth in the world, a priceless treasure for our times. Such a pitiful fact that most professing Christians don’t bother to read it. Not even once, let alone daily.
Read that same article in the DM. Sickening.
A head shaker for sure.
You are right, again, Robin.
As far as “confused believers” I think as long as they believe that Jesus is the Son of God, died for their sins, rose on the third day, and profess these things, they are saved, according to what Bible says (Romans 10:9-10).
To be sure, I don’t think any of us is error-free in our faith, at least I know I’m not. I am sure Jesus understands that we can only see “darkly through the glass” in this life (1 Corinthians 13:11-12). But just a mustard seed’s amount of faith (Luke 17:6) is all that’s needed, not the whole garden, right?
The thing is, if someone says that they believe in the Jesus of the Bible, how can they then reject what the Bible he authored by his inspiration says? after all, isn’t Jesus the “Word” personified (John 1:1)? In this case, I would say that this person’s faith may not be genuine (Luke 6:46-49), though this is a judgment call that clearly belongs to God and not myself.
As to these depraved times, they are indeed replicating the societies of Noah and Lot respectively, just as Jesus said they would (Luke 17:27-30). Since this is the case, we can also expect that the same fate awaits it, something we see confirmed by the book of Revelation.
But, like Noah and Lot and their families, Revelation also shows that the true believers, represented by the church of Philadelphia, will likewise be spared (Revelation 3:7-13).
We can be assured that our redemption is very, very close, indeed!
God bless and keep looking up, Robin!
Appreciate the article very much, Terry.
I have to say though, even for me who is what most consider an “aged” woman, the KJV is EXTREMELY HARD for me to read and understand!
If we want to reach many in this day and age, it seems a translation (still Biblically accurate) without the ancient language I have ALWAYS stumbled over would serve a much wider group of people.
It simply doesn’t speak to my heart, or “get absorbed” like several other translations do. I’d hate to think where I would be if way back when, KJV was my only option.
And believe me, I DO have a heart devoted to Jesus Christ and have followed you since the first time you were on Christ in Prophecy with David Reagan 🥰☝️🙋♀️
Shared in His love and only a suggestion ~
I like the KJV the best, but I also use the Revised Standard Version and the Good News Bible.
The latter was created by the American Bible Society in 1976 and I believe it is still available on ebay, Walmart, and Amazon at a very modest cost.
You might want to give it a try!
I’m a NKJV and ESV reader myself. When my 86 year old mother saw me reading NKJV 5 years ago she couldn’t believe there was an easier version. I bought it for her and her enjoyment and understanding of the Bible has dramatically improved.
Hi Thank you for the clear understanding of Gods word …. I believe it all but I Always wonder … if God Hardened the hearts of the Jewish people .. then over the years how can he really send them to hell if they didn’t except Christ as their savior because their hearts were hardened and blinded to the truth ?
Interesting question. Perhaps it is thru His foreknowledge and predestination. He knows which Jews will believe and He supernaturally draws them to Him and keeps them safe till they do. It certainly is something that only divinity can do.
Maybe it’s a case of giving people what they really want, Lisa Marie.
For instance, the idolatry being practiced in Israel’s northern kingdom in the BC era led to it being overrun by the Assyrians who were even worse idolaters. About a century later, the sin and idolatry practiced by Judah led to them being conquered by the pagan Babylonians. God often uses the “tools at hand” to deal out judgments and he certainly did here.
Yet he will always try to get people to repent, warns them what will happen if they don’t and then leaves the decision up to them, as a reading of the prophets like Jeremiah make crystal clear. But there comes a time when God is essentially talking to the wall. Yet all is not lost because there is always a remnant that listens and lets God save it.
God, of course, doesn’t make the decision, but because he is not bounded by time, he already knows what each person decides for him or herself and acts accordingly.
Looks to me that we are about to see this scenario played out again on a worldwide level very soon.
Deu 29:4. And you are right. It was God who blinded them. And it will be God that unblinds them at some point. All of the blind will be saved. What we have now is a remnant that do. How? Lydia… God had to open her heart. But… John 9:39-41. But, keep in mind Luke 16. We have atheist Jews who walked away from the law of Moses, which is only done away in Christ. They are still under it. Why are Jews still blind today? They’ve still got things to do. John, the apostle to the Jews wrote revelation. That book is by a Jew, to the Jews, about the Jews. Not about us. Besides, they had to be blind to kill Jesus. Had they known, and not killed him, no one would be saved by the blood of Christ not shed. Then think of Joseph and his brothers. Prophetic of Jesus and Jews. What they meant for evil, God meant for good, too save many.
Replacement theology makes no sense to me. I’m not sure how so many churches got deceived by this lie.
God will save a believing remnant of jews and establish a kingdom from Jerusalem that will rule the whole world.
The church is not superior to Israel and I don’t believe Israel is superior to the redeemed church. They both have different roles and destinies.
Well, since many present denominations think homosexual behavior is okay and that God is female, I reckon that tossing out Israel is par for the course. The modern-day version of the lukewarm church of Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) is pretty much sadly the standard now.
You are right that the church and Israel have different roles to play in the world to come. As I understand it, the church members, in glorified and immortal bodies, will be administrators in the Millennial government of Jesus and Israel will be in charge of disseminating the word and directing the worship of him to all mortal people in that time, as well as continuing the old Jewish sacrifice system as a remembrance to Jewish mortals as well.
As I see it, in the latter case, in O.T. times, the sacrifices pointed ahead to Jesus’ sacrifice of himself for sin, in the future, they will point back to it. I think it is the same idea as Communion is presently a remembrance for Christians of Jesus’ sacrifice as well. I think it is likely that will continue in the Millennium as well (Mathew 26:26-28).
This would have to be stated much more simply and without the old KJV before I could send it to my Catholic and mainline friends who are, by and large, not well versed in the Scriptures.
Do you have a simpler version?
Try the “Good News Bible” See above, in my answer to Sonshine.
I recently wrote to my friend Jonathan Brentner about this subject. I have a question about salvation versus rewards: If once saved always saved applies to both premillenial, dispensational Christians and preterist, replacement theology Christians, is it rewards that are given or denied according to how or how not Christians believe in certain doctrinal truths?
I was raised in the Lutheran Church but left it because it turned liberal and I joined the PCA in 1984. At the time I did not know that they believe in Replacement. Its not only the Jews who have blinders on, it seems those who believe in Replacement also have blinders on! Replacement makes Paul the apostle appear a liar!! He speaks constantly of the Jews being set aside until the full number of the Gentiles come in. It is a big disappointment to me that the PCA follows this ridiculous theory. BTW Mr. James when & who came up with this anyway? It was also a big shock to me when I learned that Martin Luther was an anti-Semite!! Unbelievable to be anti-Semite and claim to believe in our Jewish Christ as saviour!
If I may, I’d love to add to this.
Galatians 3:18
18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
The replacement theology folks see that, but for whatever reason, it just supersonically jets over their heads.
That one promise is TWOFOLD, not one fold.
1. Carnal
a. Promised Land (Genesis 15) = Small piece of real estate in the middle east.
b. Promised Singular Seed = Isaac
c. The plural seed of Isaac inherits the Promised Land.
d. Circumcision SEALS the DEAL.
2. SPIRITUAL
a. Promised Land = Heaven
b. Promised SINGULAR seed = Jesus
c. The plural seed of Jesus gets heaven.
d. Holy Spirit SEALS the deal.
Galatians 3:18 goes both ways. Carnal and spiritual. Therefore, since the promise was given before the OLD COVENANT, the promise cannot be governed by the law of Moses. The promise was not conditioned on, or based on the OLD COVENANT. The behavior of the Jews is irrelevant to the promise.
And the same goes with the spiritual promise as well. Lest any man should boast.
Therefore, the NEW covenant does not negate out the Land promise to the Jews, because the promise was never conditioned on the old covenant to begin with.
However, once under the law, they get kicked out from time to time. But the land is still theirs, whether they occupy it or not.
In the blessings and cursings section, see Deu 30:1-7. First, this was long before Joshua brought them there. They keep telling us that it was fulfilled in Joshua’s day. But how can a conditionless contract be voided or canceled? It is perpetual a perpetual promise. But be warned of verse 7 in Deu 30:1-7.
But that’s not all. Ezekiel 36 comes into play, proving that behavior has nothing to do with the promise… it’s all grace.
Ezekiel 36:
22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went…
28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God…
32 Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.
Now, you will hear that there is no difference between Jew and gentile, time and time again. But…that’s only once both are a Christian. Until then, there is a huge difference between Jew and gentile.
Deuteronomy 29:4
4 Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.
Contrast that, for the Jews, to the following for the gentiles…
Romans 15:21
21 But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.
When Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they… know EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE DOING!
No, that’s not it. But why did they not know? Deu 29:4
Today, as then, have a remnant of Jewish believers.
John 9:39-41
39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
Note what it states about SIN in that reference?
The replacement theology folks, the Covenant Theology folks, the Preterists all have no clue. Galatians 3:18 debunks their OLD COVENENT ISRAEL vs. NEW COVENANT SPIRITUAL ISRAEL mentality.
As a side note, they all love to block me, and delete my comments, as well. Gotta love ’em!! Lol.
Ed Chapman