A common teaching in the church today is that ethnic Israel was promised some land which they are still owed. This teaching arising in the mid 19th century has shaped much of our modern American politics.
One problem though.
Paul the Apostle, a thorough Jew, remarks in Romans 4:13 that the promise was much bigger than the little strip of land known as Israel.
Rom 4:13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be ***heir of the world*** was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Dispensationalism makes much of this land promise and misses the point altogether. It’s never been about a little strip of dirt in the Middle East and it’s most definitely not owed to unbelievers.
It’s always been about the world. Paul says so. It’s only on the ground of faith. He says that too.
Sadly much of the Christian church in America has been glad to commit the same error as the unbelieving ethnic Jewish nation ( and even some believing Jews) by being focused so narrowly on this dirt when the church ought to have been, and has been despite its dispensational distraction, on claiming the entire world for Christ in the ground of faith.
Think about this. Mt 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
The man bought the whole field for the treasure. Win the earth, win the dirt.
This dispensational error of making Israel and the church separate is really an odious mess. Sadly many have accustomed themselves to the stink and have even thought it best to spread it all around.
For those erring souls who have arrived at the charge that this idea is somehow antisemitic I encourage you to listen to Paul. You would make Paul the worst antisemite if your error is true. Instead follow Paul recognizing the promise to Abraham wasn’t small and minuscule instead as he so clearly says it was for the entire world.
This promise is about Christ ONLY. He alone inherits the world along with those who his Father gave him (John 17).
We have plenty of legitimate grounds to support the Jewish people but bad theology shouldn’t be leading the way. It has for the past 150 years. It’s time to disinfect and become clear minded on the scope of the mission.
It’s not to give Israel her dirt.
I challenge you to question these erroneous dispensational assumptions. Truth lies outside of dispensationalism. For those equally erring souls who will think I’m challenging the individual’s eternal salvation who embrace dispensational theology I assure you I’m not.
I am criticizing the errant theology that has infected the church in profound ways and has led to all sorts of unhelpful and even harmful ideas that at best distracts and at worst mislead and confuses.
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