Does Israel Have a Future? – Part 5

Norbert Lieth and Johannes Pflaum

The faithful remnant that Paul is speaking of is found today in the Messianic Jews who, along with believing Gentiles, belong to the Church of Jesus. At Jesus’ return, every Israelite who is still alive will be saved. In connection with Jesus’ return, these individuals are therefore “all Israel.”

The Apostle to the Gentiles and the “Israel of God”

We mentioned in Part 4 that Paul calls the believing Jewish remnant of “this present time” the “Israel of God.” We find this description toward the end of Galatians: 

“And as many walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God” (Gal 6:16).

Unfortunately, as mentioned in the introduction to Part 1, this verse is quoted as the go-to argument for Replacement Theology. “The Israel of God” is accordingly understood to be a designation for the Church.

In the context of Galatians, it becomes clear that in speaking of “the Israel of God,” Paul definitely means those who are saved by God’s grace. But does that mean that this passage actually teaches that Israel is no longer God’s chosen people, and no longer heirs to a promise? Upon closer inspection, it’s impossible for this conclusion to be drawn from Galatians 6:16.

As we’ve just said, Galatians is concerned with man’s salvation by the grace of God. Paul makes it clear that it doesn’t happen as a result of externally belonging to the chosen people of Israel, or even because a person allows himself to be circumcised. Salvation happens exclusively through faith in Jesus Christ. The Apostle states the same facts that appear in the passages from Romans quoted in Part 1 (Rom 2:28-29; 9:6-11). It’s talking about the salvation of a person!

However, the question of a person’s salvation must not be confused with the question of Israel’s status as the chosen people of God. Replacement theologians overlook this biblical issue. Even under the Old Covenant, Israel’s election didn’t entail the salvation of every Israelite by default. Paul makes it clear in Romans 9:27-29 and Romans 11 that only a remnant of the chosen people were ever saved. The writer of Hebrews also speaks of members of God’s people who didn’t believe and were therefore subject to judgment (Heb 3:7—4:11). But this fact doesn’t change Israel’s position as God’s chosen people.

The faithful remnant that Paul is speaking of (Rom 9:27; 11:5) is found today in the Messianic Jews who, along with believing Gentiles, belong to the Church of Jesus. At Jesus’ return, every Israelite who is still alive will be saved (cf. Zech 12:9-14; 13; 14; Rom 11:25-27). In connection with Jesus’ return, these individuals are therefore “all Israel” (Rom 11:26). Historically, as we’ve seen over millennia, the last living generation, together with the faithful remnant, forms the remnant of the people through all times. Thus, both biblical facts agree: historically, only a remnant is saved (Rom 9:27). In the context of Jesus’ return, it is “all Israel.”

Regardless of the spiritual condition of each individual Israelite, the attitude of the nations toward the land and people of Israel is always a reflection of their attitude toward the living God (cf. Joel 2:18-19; 3:1-6; Mic 4:11-13; Hab 3:12-13). The difference between Israel’s sacred position as God’s chosen people and the salvation of individuals, is made clear in the context of Romans 9—11. And so at the time of the New Covenant, Paul isn’t speaking about Israel’s past privileges, but in the present tense (Rom 9:4-5).

For this reason, it’s imperative that we also differentiate between Israel’s status as God’s chosen people and the salvation of individual believers from Israel.

When he speaks of “the Israel of God” (Gal 6:16), the Jew with a circumcised heart (Rom 2:25-29), and “children of the promise” (Rom 9:8), Paul isn’t nullifying Israel’s position as the chosen people or the associated promises, but is dealing with the issue of salvation.

Arnold Fruchtenbaum drew yet another connection from Galatians 6:16. A close grammatical examination of the passage suggests that Paul is actually speaking of two groups of saved individuals. He writes, “And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.”

The first group, then, would be believers from among the nations. The second group, “the Israel of God,” is the believing remnant within the Israelite people and the redeemed Israel at the time of Jesus’ return. Replacement theologians, by contrast, assume both parties are one and the same. Fruchtenbaum quotes Dr. S. Lewis Johnson:

“If there is an interpretation that totters on a tenuous foundation, it is the view that Paul equates the term ‘the Israel of God’ with the believing church of Jews and Gentiles. To support it, the general usage of the term Israel in Paul, in the NT, and in the Scriptures as a whole is ignored. The grammatical and syntactical usage of the conjunction kai [and] is strained and distorted—and the rare and uncommon sense accepted when the usual sense is unsatisfactory—only because it does not harmonize with the presuppositions of the exegete. And to compound matters, in the special context of Galatians and the general context of the Pauline teaching, especially as highlighted in Romans 11, Paul’s primary passages on God’s dealings with Israel and the Gentiles, are downplayed … the doctrine that the church of Gentiles and Jews is the Israel of God rests on an illusion. It is a classic case of tendentious exegesis.”

To summarize, the content of the letter to the Galatians (salvation by grace) gives no indication whatsoever of the abolition of the election of the land and people of Israel. The same applies to the aforementioned passages from Romans.

A closer examination of Galatians 6:16 even suggests that Paul deliberately distinguished the two groups of believers, to preclude any thought of rejecting Israel’s election. Against the backdrop of both the Old and New Testaments, there is absolutely no reason to doubt the abiding election of Israel. Just as the many promises and threats of judgment have come true for Israel in the past, everything that has not yet come to fruition in divine prophecy will also be fulfilled. For the sake of His name and glory, God will not rest until He has completed His purposes for Israel (Isa 48:11; Ezek 36:22).

News from Israel - 11/2022

ContactAbout UsPrivacy and Safety