Dispensationalism and the Jewish people
A Catholic Perspective
There are conflicting views among Evangelicals over the Jewish people in the plan of God's salvation. On one hand there is Premillennial Dispensationalism (Millenarianism). On the other hand there is Historic Dispensationalism (Replacement Theology).
View chart of Evangelical Premellenialism vs Protestant Replacement Theology
| Premillennial Dispensationalism (Millenarianism and Pre-Trib) | Historic Dispensationalism (Replacement Theology and Post-Trib) |
|---|---|
| Very "into" modern day Israel. The Jews have a central role in the end times. | Nothing special about non-Christian Jews of today. They are like everyone else (the Gentiles). Christianity of the New Covenant totally replaced Judaism of the Old Covenant. They believe Jewish individuals who surrender to Jesus will be saved but there is nothing special going on between God and modern Judaism. |
Belief that Christ's objective was to rule a material and earthly kingdom. John Nelson Darby wrote: The Lord, having been rejected by the Jewish people, is become a wholly heavenly person."Leading dispensationalist Charles Ryrie says "Throughout his earthly ministry Jesus' Davidic kingship was offered to Israel (Mat 2:2, 27:11, Jn 12:13), but He was rejected... because the King was rejected, the messianic, Davidic kingdom was (from a human viewpoint) postponed. Though he never ceases to be King and, of course, is King today as always, Christ is never designated King of the Church... though he is King today, he does not rule as King. This awaits His second coming. Then the Davidic kingdom will be realized. (Mat 25:31; Rev 19:15, 20) |
Jewish people, as a whole, will accept Jesus immediately before the millennium is established, but there will be no national restoration of Israel |
| Church is a "parenthetical" insert into history, necessary only because the Jews rejected Christ. This put the Old Testament promises to Israel on hold. The Church is not the the New Israel spoken of by Paul (Gal. 6:16) but is utterly separate. So long as the Church age continues, the Old Testament promises to Israel are on hold waiting to be fulfilled. | Church is the New Israel. |
| There are two people of God: Jews (Earthy people) and Christians (Heavenly people). This was established by Darby and has been a core belief since then. The Old Testament prophesies about an earthly kingdom cannot come to fruition until the Christians are taken out this world by the Rapture. The earthly kingdom would be launched by the tribulation where most Jews will be murdered and the rest will convert to Christianity. | There is only one people of God, those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, the Church. |
| The millennium is a literal 1000 years. | The Millennium is a figurative for a "long time" where Jesus will reign on earth over those who have accepted Him as their Saviour |
The predominant view among modern evangelicals is dispensational premillennialism. This will be our focus.
Dispensationalism separates Israel and the Church
Pre-Trib and Mid-Trib theories stem from the following Dispensational views to which we will respond in detail below:
- The Church is not Israel. (Opposite of Replacement Theology)
- God needs to wait until all the Christians are taken from the earthly stage (Raptured) before He deals with Israel.
- Old Testament prophesies are for Israel alone, not for the Church which didn't exist when the prophesy was given.
- Some prophesies were not fulfilled and therefore apply to the modern nation state of Israel because God is faithful to his promises.
#1: The Church is not Israel - Response
We agree that the Jews' rejection of Jesus caused the Apostles to turn to the Gentiles. However the Church is Jewish first.
The Church was born in the Upper Room at the Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit came upon Jews (Acts 2:1-4)
When they went out to the streets to preach, the 3000 who became Christian were "Jews and converts to Judaism" (Acts 2:11) The first documented Gentile Christian, Cornelius, is grafted in later. (Acts 10) The apostle Paul says the Gentiles have been...
... grafted in... and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root .... (Rm 11:17-24)
Which means Christians share in the spiritual heritage and promises of the Jews.
Israel includes unconverted Israel (older brother)
AND the Church (younger brother)
The Catholic position is different from Replacement Theology because it includes:
- Christianity, which is the new Israel (younger brother), the Jews in the upper room at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). It also includes the 10 lost tribes grafted back in with the gentiles, many of whom are Christians today AND
- The older brother in the faith of Abraham (Jewish people yet to accept Christ - all from the tribe of Judah or Benjamin) represented by modern day Israel, the holy land, and national Jewish identity.
There are key decision points in the Bible where the younger brother was given preference over the elder son:
- Lineage from Adam was transferred to the descendants of Abel from his older brother Cain (who killed Abel)
- Isaac received the promise in place of his older brother Ishmael
- Jacob received the blessing in place of his older brother Esau
- Same principle with kings of Israel: David and his descendants superseded Saul and his son Jonathan.
This is not "Replacement Theology" as is found in "historic Dispensationalism". Catholics recognize the role in salvation history of the Jewish people who have yet to accept Jesus.
... you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.... salvation is from the Jews ... true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth (Jn 4:21)
The Apostle Paul, in Romans, emphasizes the spiritual nature of being a true Jew, suggesting that true Israel is not defined only by physical descent but by faith and spiritual transformation. See also Eph 2:11-22 and 1 Pt 2:9-10, Rm 11:17-24 for more Biblical evidence as the Church being grafted into Israel.
A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code." (Rm 2:28-29)
We don't think the Jews have been accursed. In the Old Testament, God did not abandon his people even though he allowed them to suffer. St. Paul makes it clear that the Grace and election they had received from God was irrevocable (Rom 11:29).
- They have a unique heritage and the Patriarchs
- Scripture made predictions about them
- God's mercy and love for them is clear
- They made a critical contribution to the Kingdom of God before Christ
- They have had a consistent cohesion and identity as a people in view of incredible pressure to assimilate in every age of history
The responsibility for the New Covenant lies with the Catholic Church. Jesus gave the keys of the Kingdom to Peter and the apostles (Mat 16:18). The Old Covenant is completely dependent on the New Covenant as its source of power just as the Old Testament idea of "One God" is completely dependent on the reality of the Trinity found in the New Testament. Pope Benedict said:
During the Old Testament, God revealed himself partially, gradually, as we all do in our personal relationships. It took time for the chosen people to develop their relationship with God. The Covenant with Israel was like a period of courtship, a long engagement. Then came the definitive moment, the moment of marriage, the establishment of a new and everlasting covenant. As Mary stood before the Lord, she represented the whole of humanity. In the angel’s message, it was as if God made a marriage proposal to the human race. And in our name, Mary said yes. (L 1:38) World Youth Day 2008, in Sydney, Australia
The Bible says:
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. (Romans 2:28, 29)
After the crucifixion, the curtain of the Jewish sanctuary was torn in two (Mk 15:37-39, Lk 23:44-46, Mt 27:51) and the fledgling Church became the New Israel. This idea is found in historic dispensationalism although Catholics would not say it was a replacement for Israel. One might say God's marriage to his people was "consummated" at the Pentecost.
#2: God needs to wait until all the Christians are in Heaven before dealing with the Jews - Response
While we agree the Jewish people will convert "en masse" before the Second Coming, we see no biblical evidence that the promises of God to the Jewish people are dependent on the Christian people being raptured before the Jews accept Jesus as their Saviour.
That would be like a parent who takes the good children out of the room and then gives the bad children a spanking (Tribulation) and a chance to repent, after which he brings the bad kids who repented back into the other room to join the good kids.
Christians were never meant to be completely free of suffering. Jesus suffered to save the world and we suffer also. (Jn 15:20, Col 1:24)
Jesus said he accomplished what he came to do (Jn 17:4, 19:30). The Church was not a backup plan for an unrealized attempt to convert the Jewish people. The Church is integral to the plan.
The glorious Messiah's coming is suspended at every moment of history until his recognition by "all Israel", for "a hardening has come upon part of Israel" in their "unbelief" toward Jesus... (Catechism 674)
#3: Old Testament prophesies are for Israel alone, not for the Church - Response
Old Testament prophesies can't apply exclusively to modern day Israel. The state of Israel was created in 1948, and is a fulfillment of part of the prophesies, which speak of the land of Israel and the national identity of the Jewish people but ...
Modern Israel has only 2 tribes out of 12, Judah and Benjamin.
The 10 lost tribes are assimilated into the gentiles, lost forever as an identifiable people. (2 Kgs 17:22-23, Hos 1:6-7) Therefore, the prophesies can never apply exclusively to the modern nation state of Israel.
This part of prophesy can only be fulfilled via the Church
The Church was given to the Jews at Pentecost and contains descendants from all 12 tribes of ancient Israel because when the gentiles were grafted in, it included those tribes that were assimilated into the gentiles. Christianity is the fulfillment and completion of Israel's unity in that those lost tribes will be included when people from all nations come to Christ. (Jer. 31:31)
Jesus will unite the 10 lost tribes of Israel with Judah and Benjamin (Micah 2:12-13)
The northern 10 tribes of Israel were lost to Assyria (734 BC), and then assimilated into the Gentile nations, never to be found again. The House of Judah (Judah and Benjamin) are the only Jews that are identifiable today.
The Evangelical book "The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism", written by a Pre-Trib Christian describes how classic Dispensationalism has fallen out of favour and is not taught in many Evangelical Bible schools anymore. Particularly, the concept that Israel does not include Christian Jews and Gentiles has been abandoned.
#4: Some biblical prophesies are not fulfilled yet ... God is faithful to his promises - Response
We agree God will fulfill his promises to Israel, those who are descended from the Jews who were at the birth of the Church at the Pentecost, and those who have been grafted into Israel through the blood of the Lamb and modern day Israeli Jews who will convert before Jesus comes back.