It is interesting to note that the modern State of Israel has been established on May 14, 1948. The last time the Jews inhabited a nation was during the Hasmonean Kingdom (c. 141-37 BC) which followed after the Maccabean Revolt (c. 167-160 BC). There, they had political sovereignty and religious autonomy. Rome conquered the Hasmonean Kingdom in 63 BC. Case in point, the fact that Israel even exists is astounding (younger nations from antiquity no longer exist, in comparison).

Even after Paul wrote Romans there were periods when Jews and Christians persecuted one another. At the very least, they faced mutual suspicion and hostility. Early Christians were initially a Jewish sect, but as Christianity spread to the nations it became predominantly Gentile and tensions grew between the two groups. Over centuries, Christians often persecuted Jews (especially in medieval Europe), while Jews generally lived as a minority under sometimes oppressive Christian rule (i.e. the Inquisition). Naturally, replacement theology has dominated the teachings in the book of Romans, though its message preaches the exact opposite. Replacement theology teaches that the Church has replaced Israel in God’s redemptive acts through them and their Messiah. This developed out of the early church internal conflicts and persists today. More on the Church below.

The handling of Jews and Gentiles must not be treated simplistically. For context, James D. G. Dunn, Romans 1-8 speaks quite a bit to the crisis at hand in his second chapter concerning the issues between the Gentiles and the Jews (who had recently returned from expulsion).

Calvinistic and all such approaches to Romans should at least be temporarily suspended until Romans is re-read in light of the actual context at hand. Paul never says Israel has been rejected in a final sense; rather, he insists that God’s calling and covenantal purposes for them remain intact. Their election is often mistaken as an election to salvation, which muddles Paul’s argument. Israel’s national election—to function as a chosen vessel of being a blessing to the nations (cf. Gen 12)—is distinct from individual salvation, though the two converge in their future acceptance of their own Messiah. Yet because their calling is irrevocable, even in their fall blessing comes so how mich more in their salvation – life from the dead! Now that’s a wild and most epic history. Their rejection, therefore, is partial and temporary: God preserves a remnant, and “all Israel will be saved” (Rom 11:1–2, 11, 25–26). Paul is speaking of the physical descendants of Abraham (Rom 9:3), whose current national unbelief has opened the door of salvation to the nations, that the fullness of the Gentiles might provoke Israel to jealousy and eventual faith. Revelation 1 echoes Zechariah 12, anticipating Israel’s national repentance amid “Jacob’s Trouble” when they look on the one they pierced and mourn for Him (Zech 13:8). In this way, of course, the Church alone (Jew and Gentile – one new man) possesses the fullness of the Holy Spirit and the New Covenant experience of salvation in Christ, yet Israel retains a unique, irreplaceable corporate calling to be God’s covenantal vessel especially in His end time acts and through the Millennium. The Church does not act as a secondary or substitute, but rather operates in tandem with Israel, working alongside her in God’s redemptive plan. The important nuances in Romans comes down to distinguishing from when Paul talks about corporate calling from individual salvation. Their function, obviously, is not contingent on every individual in their nation being saved yet – since even their national rejection of Messiah blesses the nations. 

Paul warns that Gentile ignorance can devolve into arrogance, passive resistance, active resistance, and finally apostasy, leading to their own being “cut off.” And lets be real – weve seen it where the mouth of Hitler took up the teachings of Martin Luther (I’m a bit of a fan of him by the way but not everything was solid there, read Metaxis). The call, then, is not for Gentile believers to become Zionists or Messianic Jews, or Judaized nor is it to some kind of racism or superiority complex, but to understand and partner with God in His redemptive plan. This begins with grieving Israel’s fall (Is 59:9–15). This is the very urgent issue at hand in the Church of Rome – to recognize Israel’s call (Gen 12) and plight, and to pray for her salvation (Is 62:6–7). From praying this burden of God’s heart, the Gentiles may then stand as witnesses of Messiah to her, even in her coming distress (Rev 12). Corrie Ten Boon was an excellent example of this where in the Holocaust she witnessed of Christ and partnered with God’s heart for His people Israel. Where in that Holocaust one third of the Jews were killed Zechariah 13 speaks of two thirds in a future Holocaust to come. The Lord is faithful to raise up a people with understanding to point Israel again to her Messiah – who will not come again until she says “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Luke 13:22-35).

Why Jacob’s Trouble? This is quite unfortunate, but the false shepherds of Israel who do not discern their Messiah as you can read through all of Isaiah and the prophets – join themselves to other nations in pacts that the Lord calls harlotry. The political alliance they make eventually lead to the acceptance of the antichrist – the false messiah. Within this, the religious and political one world harlot Babylon system moves from Israel to Babylon (see Zechariah the woman in the basket), and after 3.5 years of peace Satan throws the Harlot off of his back and points all to worship him as God and then begins to persecute the Jews in the final holocaust as well as Christians (Rev 12, Matt 24).

Replacement theology is not only too simplistic, but it undermines this hope, silencing the very message the church must proclaim!: “Comfort, comfort my people says YOUR God… where the voice crying out in the wilderness, forshadowed in John the Baptist, has a more corporate expression unto eschatological contexts – Israel, repent, for your sins have separated you from God, yet your Deliverer has not replaced you nor forsaken you – He is coming! – This is the Gospel message to Israel (Is 40; 59–62). The issue is not political or financial support, or racist, but Gospel proclamation—calling Israel to repentance and faith in Messiah. This will surely happen which is why God maintains a remnant of Israel until it does – that through the physical descendants of Abraham Israel would be a blessing to all nations, and the very seat of Jesus’ rule in the earth.

There is no Jew nor Gentile, male nor female, bond nor free – as it pertains to salvation (indeed, there never was – faith was always the way people were justified before God though there was a profound corporate wrestling with the law. Yet, think on that – there still is male and female, Jew and Gentile, bond and free. Paul is not saying that ethnic Jews are tossed out, but that there is no favoritism in regards to personal salvation. The election of the Jews, instead, has to do with the Abrahamic covenant and national promises to Israel, forming a central part, a unique part of God’s grand redemptive plan through Israel and her Messiah. The Church is of course included in this plan, being grafted into Israel through her Messiah-and for this reason she is called to show the true image of Israel to Israel – provoking them to jealousy. Yet the Church does not replace the offspring of Abraham and the retained election God has on them. Rather, the Church participates alongside Israel in God’s redemptive purposes: proclaiming the Gospel, witnessing of Messiah, and sharing in the mission of bringing blessing to the nations while Israel retains her unique, irreplaceable corporate calling of being the seat in the earth where Jesus rules. That is to say, God’s redemptive plan will not be over or complete without the salvation of Israel unto the blessing of all nations. Interestingly, this tandem design was always part of God’s divine plan who foreknew the fall of Israel, the salvation of the Gentiles unto the later salvation of Israel and redemption of the world. For instance, the Abrahamic covenant inherently has the nations in mind. The Lord will rule out of Zion and from her streets of His rule, the healing leaves will be dispersed to the nations (Rev 22:2-3). Gentiles of course will be included in the Millennium assignments. Yet, if a nation should resist this national election in the Millennium they will receive no rain (Zech 14:17).

Most of the Church struggles with this topic, often viewing Israel’s distinct promises as favoritism or failing to grasp how Israel can remain distinct yet be joined to the Church. Centuries of replacement theology, persecution, and Calvinistic interpretations have only compounded this misunderstanding. But first of all, the Lord chose the weakest of all nations to display His mighty acts (Deut 7:7). I honestly don’t understand how one can see God as truly faithful if He doesn’t bring to completion what He began in that same nation — and on a better note than, “Yay! Your fall brought salvation to the nations at the expense of your final rejection!” That not only makes little sense emotionally, but it’s also unbiblical. They are the chief of the nations (Jer 31:7), not a chief church of all churches. Through the nation of Israel in Messiah, she will serve as a conduit of God’s blessing to the world in a unique manner. The focus is on God’s redemptive plan and the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant, not on political power or geopolitical influence (at least not in this age and its hard to speculate on the age to come, …. though Israel nonetheless seems to have some current influence or effects, but often perverted by not being in Christ). Secondly, I like to ask people: how would you feel if every nation had a unique calling or gift to contribute, and without each one, something essential would be missing – does he not retain every tribe, tongue, nation, and people? Israel is no different. Her unique calling is to display God’s unwavering faithfulness — and through her, to give humanity a living image of His faithfulness to all. Yet, her calling is only fulfilled through being joined to Her Messiah and so as the Gospel went out of Israel to all the nations, the nations must bring the Gospel back to Jerusalem.

Ironically, replacement theology, which Paul is certainly preaching against in Romans, is the very mindset that fosters Gentile arrogance toward Israel, blinding them to their salvation story, yet it has dominated the Church’s understanding of Israel to date. Many hesitate to speak so boldly against it for fear of hardening the Church’s hearts regarding the mystery of Israel, but its damage is far too great to leave unaddressed and the Spirit will ultimately confirm these truths. Here’s the ironic part in all of this: Romans 11:18 “Do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.” The Holocaust is not only a result of the Law of Sin and death (that is, Israel is in covenant with God and without Christ that covenant bears down on Israel with spectacular judgment – all the curses of Deuteronomy show up in these events read Katz, Holocaust). Holocaust is both Satanic and human. The Holocaust showed the horrific consequences of ideologies – religious and secular – that tried to erase Israel and deny the significance of the Jewish people. Here is the thing, it is ultimately Satan’s attempt to destroy Israel. For, if Israel is destroyed there is no more Abrahamic/Davidic Covenant and there is no root system to support the Gentiles ingrafting. The whole tree collapses. Of course, that won’t happen due to God’s sovereignty in all of this. But replacement theology lays an ax at that tree’s roots – which ultimately would cause it’s own destruction, ironically.

Reading Romans apart from Israel’s salvation misses the heart of Paul’s message. It should produce deep sorrow for his countrymen according to the flesh, whose zeal for God is great but whose blindness to the Messiah is most tragic. This reality calls for intercession, not boasting or replacement theology, which assumes an ignorance that can lead to arrogance that is incompatible with the humility and mercy of the Gospel.

In the end, salvation remains by faith in Christ, but Paul reveals a broader, sovereign election at work: it is not a shift from Jew to Gentile in a final rejection of Israel, indeed that is impossible because the Church is by nature Jew and Gentile – Eph 2:14-16), but a divine interplay of mercy through which both are brought into God’s redemptive plan in an ultimate sense of the fullness of the Gentikes and the fullness of the Jews, culminating in Messiah’s return—the One who will stand on the Mount of Olives and set the physical captives free in the final antichrist Holocaust, as the Church enters into suffering with Israel and proclaims her Messiah – and she will be saved.

For more, search “Romans”