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The Israel of God


I believe that this book is wrong. Here is why:


How does one who holds to the view that the church is the new Israel (or what some have called, replacement theology) reconcile the verse in Romans 11:26 when Paul says:


Romans 11:26 26 and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob."


If, as some propose, that the church = the nation of Israel in the OT and NT, then how do they reconcile this verse. How could all the church be saved? This is a ludicrous statement. All the church is already saved.


I have read through Romans myself and I find that there are no occurrences of the term "Israel" that means anything other than literal, national, ethnic Israel.


Reread the context:


Romans 11:24-26 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? 25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob."


Furthermore, we are clearly talking about the Gentiles (and the "church age") in v.25, "until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in." Then, the tribulation will begin and God will deal again with national, ethnic Israel. The church will have been raptured before the inauguration of the Tribulation.


One more proof that Rom 11:26 is speaking of ethnic Israel is the last half of the verse:


"The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob."


This deliverer will come from Jerusalem and he will remove ungodliness from Jacob - clearly a term referring to the Jewish people.


My point - when Paul speaks of the church - interpret such verses as referring to the church. When Paul is speaking about Israel - let Israel be national, ethnic Israel. There is no replacement theology. Israel, as a nation, still exists. God is faithful!

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