It’s tragic that Israel didn’t see the fulfillment of their own religion when Jesus revealed Himself to them. That is why God destroyed them in AD 70 via the Roman armies. If they had recognized Jesus as their Messiah (as one people), today they would be viewed in the context of Christianity, not in the context of Judaism. They would be viewed as a Christian nation, as those who worship the Lord Jesus Christ—as part of the Church, where all believers are one in Christ, both Jew and Gentile. Christianity is the completion of Judaism. What God began with the religion of Israel, He completed in His Son and the Christian faith. This is what the nation of Israel has failed to realize.
This truth about the people of Israel and how they relate to the Lord Jesus Christ is a wonderful revelation. It reveals that there could not have been a separate plan for the nation of Israel apart from the Church in Christ — which is what Dispensationalism teaches — because if they had received Jesus as their Messiah when He appeared to them, they themselves would be a part of the Church.
The idea that God originally had a plan for Israel apart from the Church has no biblical basis in the context of New Testament teaching. An unbiased interpretation of the NT, such as what we see in Galatians 3:16,19,26-29, would recognize that there is only one people of God (not two)—which are all those who are in Christ, as spiritual offspring of Abraham (Ro 4:11-18; Ro 9:6-8); Ro 2:28-29).
Accordingly, it doesn’t make sense that God would have a separate plan for Israel now. God’s plan all along was that the Jewish religion would have its fulfillment in Christ and the Christian faith. If they had recognized Jesus as their Messiah, Savior and King, they would have recognized their fulfillment in Him and His Church. They would have recognized their true identity as a spiritual nation in Christ (along with all other believers, Jews and Gentiles)—not as an ethnic nation.
I think this connection also explains why both Israel and Christians are the target of so much hatred by the people of the world. We both represent the truth. The difference is, Israel doesn’t recognize their true end, which is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Role of Israel Today
One of my readers wrote and asked me a question about Israel and the Church, and as I was thinking about this question, I realized that there was an aspect to this whole discussion that I’ve never talked about before. The question that many Christians may have in regard to Fulfillment Theology (that Israel has its fulfillment in Christ and His Church) is this: What about Israel today? How does the nation of Israel today fit in with God’s overall plans? Afterall, Israel does exist today as a nation.
First, there’s no doubt that Israel came back into their land (1948) by the providence of God. However, it should also be noted that Israel today only occupies a very tiny area of the land that God originally gave to them. That promise will actually be completely fulfilled in the Eternal Kingdom of “the new heaven and the new earth“ of Revelation 21 and 22. The promised land always had that in view as a type and shadow. The “new earth” of the Eternal Kingdom is the true promised land.
Also, although Israel continues to exist as an ethnic nation today, that was never meant to be its end. It’s true end is in Christ. If the whole nation of Israel were to ever recognize and accept Jesus as their Messiah, they would then be a Christian nation. The whole purpose of Fulfillment Theology is to explain from the Scriptures that Israel has its fulfillment and continuation in Christ and His Church as a spiritual nation (1 Pe 2:4-10)—that Christ Himself is true Israel—and that God does not have a separate plan for the nation of Israel apart from the Church, which again, is what Dispensationalism teaches. The plan for the ethnic people of Israel is the same as it is for everyone else, that each person needs to embrace Christ as Lord and Savior. The long awaited kingdom of the Jewish Messiah is fulfilled in Christ and His Church. The Church is the Kingdom of Christ—which is a spiritual kingdom (Col 1:13). The Kingdom of Christ is now—not a future kingdom of this world, as Jesus Himself says in John 18:36. Yet, this is the type of kingdom that premillennialists are looking forward to (the “millennial kingdom”).
Why Does the Nation of Israel Exist today?
The fact that Israel exists today as an unbelieving nation, serves as a testimony of their rejection of Christ. Thus they may exist as a nation, but God does not recognize them as His people as He did before Christ came and fulfilled God’s covenant promises to them. Jesus fulfilled all things that were required of Israel. He accomplished what they failed to accomplish, what they could not accomplish. He fulfilled the will of the Father perfectly. Thus, as Paul says in Galatians 3:16, the promises to the seed of Abraham were actually and literally made to Christ Himself, and not to the actual physical descendants of Abraham (Israel). Thus, if the promises were made to Christ, and not to the physical offspring of Abraham (ethnic Jews), then the promises to Israel are completed in Him—who is the perfect Jew, the true Israel, a nation of One. We as the Church in Christ (both Jews and Gentiles), are spiritual Israel in Him.
When God raised up the nation of Israel of the Old Testament as His people, it was with His Son in view. Once Jesus came and fulfilled the promises to Israel, everything changed. No longer is the nation of Israel the people of God. That would only be true if the people of Israel as a whole (led by their religious leaders) recognized and accepted Jesus as their Messiah—as their Lord, Savior and King. Again, they would no longer be a Jewish nation (Judaism), but a Christian nation. That would be their full end, as members of Christ’s Church. The prophesied kingdom is the Church—which is a spiritual kingdom (Col 1:13). This kingdom continues into the Eternal Kingdom (2 Pe 1:11). Therefore, the land promises to Israel are fulfilled in the New Jerusalem of the New Heaven and New Earth (Rev 21:1-2).
The existence of the nation of Israel today, in their continuous rejection of Christ, serves as a continuous witness against them. The light of Christ through His Church shines brightly in the world. Yet, they still dwell in darkness. That is their end as a nation. There is no further plan for them as a nation. God destroyed them in AD 70. As Jesus said, “Behold, your house is left to you desolate” (Matt 23:38). That’s it. That was the outward sign of God’s rejection of them as His people corporately. That’s the end of Israel in the plan of God. Now it’s up to individual Jews to receive Jesus as their Messiah—as their Lord, Savior and King.
As a final note, I believe it’s possible that there will be a mass turning to Christ among the Jews shortly before the return of Christ when they observe the final events of history unfold, where God chooses to extend grace to many of them—but still only as a “remnant” of Israel throughout their existence (Ro 9:27; Ro 11:5). If that does happen, then they will individually become members of spiritual Israel—the corporate people of God in Christ.
Once the Church is complete, when all those who are going to be saved, get saved, then Jesus will return and we will all be resurrected (the rapture is part of this same event) in our glorified bodies. At that time God will pour out His wrath on an unbelieving world. Once the world has been judged and everyone stands before God (Rev 20:11-15; Ro 14:10-12; 2 Cor 5:10), the redeemed of Christ will enter into the Eternal Kingdom of Revelation 21 and 22—which is our eternal state. There will be no 1000 year, millennial kingdom, which is a belief that premillennialists hold to. I don’t believe the Bible teaches that. I believe the Bible teaches that we go directly into the Eternal Kingdom upon the return of Christ, our resurrection and the Judgement. In other words, I don’t believe the Bible teaches that there will be a millennial kingdom between the return of Christ and our eternal state. The idea that Jesus will rule over a sin-infested world (even as King, there would still be sin), where animal sacrifices are re-introduced and practiced (even though the slain Lamb of God is right there among them as the final sacrifice!!!), and resurrected saints (in our glorified bodies) dwell with sinful, non-glorified people, is completely contrary to the overall teaching of Scripture. In fact, I believe the book of Revelation makes it clear that when Jesus returns and believers are resurrected, no one survives the outpouring of God’s wrath upon the unbelieving world. So there won’t even be anyone left to go into this so-called millennial kingdom—either among believers or non-believers. I’ve written many studies that deal with this subject, including a verse by verse commentary on the book of Revelation. However, that commentary and some of those studies are no longer on this website. I may re-introduce them some day.
