In this posting we will examine one of professing Christianity’s most cherished and entrenched “truths” known as Replacement Theology. The rationale behind this theory is that, because the nation of Israel failed to fulfill God’s commission to serve as His “light to the Gentiles” (Heb.–heathen), He divorced Israel, which is true. This is brought out in Jeremiah 3:1-18 where the Lord tells both Israel (the 10 northern tribes) and the Jews (tribes of Judah, Benjamin and some of Levi–the priestly tribe) that they have sinned so greatly that He has divorced them. However, the Scriptures tell us that He would later call them back to Him and they would return to serve Him in holiness. Nowhere are we told that Gentiles were to replace the Israelites as God’s Chosen People., which is the basis of Replacement Theology. Gentiles can, as the Scriptures reveal, become God’s people by obeying the Law of God. In so doing they become spiritual Israelites. Together they comprise God’s tiny, rejected and maligned New Testament Church today.

In Matthew 10:6 we find Jesus, who had come to minister to the Jews, (“His own”–Jn. 1:11), sending His 12 disciples out to spread His message of the Kingdom of God. Here He gives them specific instructions, telling them not minister to the Jews, nor to the Samaritans who had replaced the ten northern tribes in Samaria. He was sending them specifically to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” whom He had scattered throughout much of the world because of their sins many years earlier. They were to find the Israelites living among the Gentiles and tell them that their Messiah had come and to call them back to Him–the Word, the God of the Old Testament. Read The God of the Old Testament. Key word–Old. It is from the efforts of the apostles among the scattered Israelites that the true church of God was formed and continues to this day. To this day the Lord calls His true church–those who are “new creations” in Christ–“the Israel of God” (Gal 3:15,16). Read Who and Where is Israel Today? Key word–Where.

The Holy Bible was written to, for and about Israel and those Gentiles who would become spiritual Israelites by obeying the Law of Israel’s God. In order to return to Him, God requires sinning biological Israelites to become holy spiritual Israelites and obey their God as did Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. Biological Israelites–the 12 tribes of Israel–have from the time of Abraham’s conversion, been God’s Chosen People because of Abraham’s faith and obedience. The war being waged in Israel today involves a small part of the land God promised Abraham’s descendants. The promise involves much, much more than that is called Israel today. More on this in a future series.

Recall that God had commissioned Israel to be His “light to the Gentiles.” He had intended all along for the Gentiles to become His people. The Israelites were to draw the heathen to Him through His light (Word) and their obedience to it. For their obedience He promised to bless them abundantly. Read Deuteronomy 28:1-14 and Leviticus 26:1-13. Those blessings were designed to cause the Gentiles to want to join them, just as did a “mixed multitude” of Gentile slaves who came out of Egypt with the Israelites after seeing what their God did for them (Exo. 12:38). The Gentiles who came out of Egypt with Israel became spiritual Israelites by obeying the Law the Lord gave them a few weeks later at Mount Sinai.

Later, God established America for the same reason–to serve as His “light” to lead the Gentile world to Him. Over time, both the original Israelites in the Promised Land and their New World pilgrim descendants failed to fulfill their commission. Each had begun in light but ended in darkness. In each case, each generation grew further away from God, causing their light to dim as they drifted ever further away from His Word. After many generations of rebellion and return, rebellion and return, ancient Israel was punished by military defeat, slaughter and the enslavement of the survivors in the lands of their enemies. America has followed in their spiritual footsteps and will suffer the same results for the same reason. God restored ancient Israel many times and gave her many chances to obey Him, but to no avail. Each time they would obey for a short time, then return to their sins. As did her ancestors, America has rejected God’s blessings and as a result has endured two world wars and several other minor wars, a depression, a recession and various disease epidemics, COVID being the latest curse from Him. Following each curse God raised America up, only to see her return to Satan. In each fall, the Institutional Church was the head of the snake that slithered its way back to her master–Satan–the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4). Look at America and her worldly church system today. She has reached a new and deadly low. What is the outcome of her slide downward?

The Biblical God’s wrath is once again afflicting America. However, I believe that He is going to give her one more opportunity to return to Him with this coming presidential election. BUT AMERICA MUST TURN FROM HER WICKED WAYS AND OBEY HIM. If not, she will suffer military defeat, slaughter and enslavement in the lands of her captors. I believe God will use Donald Trump to lift the nation out of her economic, political, social and military pit. But to survive America must leave her sins behind, embrace the Biblical God and obey His Law. Like our ancient ancestors, she will not. One day America will be nothing more than a beautiful dream. My heart breaks when I see what is happening to her and what is coming her way. What we are witnessing is only the “beginning of sorrows” (Mat. 24:8). The Scriptures tell us that when the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord are finished, 2/3 of the world’s population will have been killed. Christ will return in time to save the few that remain alive from physical death. These will be in addition to His Very Elect whom He will have protected from the Tribulation horror.

I believe that there will be a time of “revival,” which we see the beginning’s of at present. But one will notice that it is simply a return to the same Satanic religion that led the masses back into the spiritual sewer in which she wallows today. Jesus warned that only a few will enter His church and walk His way to the Kingdom of God that He will establish upon His return to earth. At the beginning of the Great Tribulation those few will be taken to a place of safety where they will remain in peace and plenty over the following 3 1/2 years as the world around them evolves into terror, destruction, enslavement and death. Then Jesus will return, gather His people to Him. lead them to Jerusalem where He and they will establish God’s kingdom from whence they will rule and reign over the earth and the universe forever. Read The Kingdom of God and The Great Tribulation. Key words–Kingdom and Tribulation respectively.

Replacement Theology is nothing more than wishful thinking on the part of those who know neither God nor His written will–the Holy Bible. God is “no respecter of persons;” whosoever will obey Him, whether Israelite or Gentile, will be rewarded with eternal life and all that comes with it. The Scriptures tell us that He wants all men to be saved. Unfortunately, few will (Mat. 7:13,14). But for the grace of God, I would be among the masses. You have the same opportunity to avoid what is soon to arrive. If you have not already done so, turn to the Lord in total surrender. Study His Word, learn it, believe it and obey it. An incredible reward awaits those who do.

As the Almighty did to the Kingdom of Israel many generations ago, He will do to her biological and spiritual (Gentile) descendants., many of whom came to America–God’s second “light to the Gentiles.” Mighty America will fall as did ancient Israel, and for the same reason–sin (rebellion against His Law). Both of His “light” nations failed Him. Only a minutely few stayed the course during the destruction and scattering of ancient Israel. Today only a minutely few continue to serve Him in obedience to His Law. Only those within those tiny groups will rise to meet Him in the air upon His return, descend to the Mount of Olives, enter Jerusalem, defeat their enemies and establish the Kingdom of God that will last forever. Among those few will be a contingent of Gentiles who had embraced the God of the Israelites, obeyed Him and reaped the rewards for doing so. They will have become spiritual Israelites–co-equal children of the Lord–“heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ” (Rom. 8:17). And what will be the inheritance of all spiritual Israelites? THE UNIVERSE. Read God’s Very Elect: Future Caretakers of the Universe. Key word–Caretakers. L.J.