What is the place of Israel for the Christian? There are two main schools of thought.
1) Replacement Theology
Replacement theology teaches that the true Israel post-Christ and in New testament times is the people of God. One of the places that this comes from is in Romans 9:6-8.
It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.
From this verse alone, it would seem like true Israel is the people of faith, not necessarily just those that born Jewish.
2) Christian Zionism
This belief states that Israel as a people group are a unique and special people of God. That the land belongs to them eternally (Genesis 12:7; 17:8) and they will be returned to the land (Ezekiel 36–37). Furthermore there will one day be a time in which many Jewish people will return to their Messiah. That this will happen as a sign of fulfilled prophecy (Romans 11:25-27).
What is the answer? Well this is a debated topic and there are actually many more views than the two listed above. But there is third option.
3) Grafted-In Theology
When we look at Romans 11, we see that there has been a rejection of the Messiah from the Jewish people. Even though the prophecies came from them, the Scriptures and everything about them, they wanted nothing to do with Jesus.
Paul then asks, does this mean that the prophecies concerning Israel and the Messiah failed because Israel rejected the Messiah? Paul’s response is by not means!
There is always a remnant. Just as there was during the time of Baal when Elijah was sure he was the only faithful believer left. The Lord told him there were thousands who had not bowed their knee.
In the same way, there was a remnant of faith in Israel. Those who had not bowed their knee to the Law but had put their faith in Christ.
Then what does it look like?
Israel is the olive tree. They have the roots and trunk that support the Scriptures and Messiah. But dead branches were broken off because of their unbelief. Not all of them as God had raised up a remnant, but the majority.
With that the Gentiles were grafted in. Through faith.
The Lord tells the Gentiles not to be arrogant. If God broke off native born branches to graft in outsiders, will he not do the same for you if you turn to unbelief like they did?
It’s a strong warning.
But he also says one day that those natural branches will be grafted back in. And being natural branches, how much more will they flourish and have life than the wild branches grafted in.
So what can we understand from these texts.
1) Israel as a people and nation still matter to God. They are still his covenant people.
2) Christians do not replace Israel, They are grafted into Israel on the tree of faith.
3) True Israel are the people of faith. But the Israelites of faith are who we are grafted into. The tree wasn’t replaced. It was just heavily thinned down for a season with Israel’s unbelief.
4) Believers in Christ that are Gentiles are grafted into the olive tree of faith, attached to the true believers of Israel
5) There is a time coming when faithless Israel will find faith and be grafted back into the original tree. God is merciful and will forgive them. When they reattach to their natural roots, they will flourish.
6) Christians need to be humble towards Israel. God cut them off through unbelief. If he did that, will he not also do that for a Gentile who persist in unbelief?
7) Israel is indeed unique and special to God, but true Israel is the Israel of faith which has always been there. One day they will believe.
So it isn’t replacement theology as the church does not replace Israel. We are grafted in.
Nor is it pure Zionism. It is the people that trust in the Messiah that are the true Israel, even as national Israel still has a significant, special, covenant place. One day be grafted back in and when that happens, there will be life unspeakable.
And we already see it happening.
The tide is turning.
Romans 11
I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”[a]? 4 And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”[b] 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
7 What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, 8 as it is written:
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that could not see
and ears that could not hear,
to this very day.”[c]
9 And David says:
“May their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever.”
Ingrafted Branches
11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!
13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
All Israel Will Be Saved
25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way[e] all Israel will be saved. As it is written:
“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”
28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.