Church Not Identical to Israel in Eschatology
The Christian church is not identical to Israel in eschatology, a distinction rooted in the New Testament understanding of God's people. While Israel, as a nation, held a unique place in God's covenant, the New Testament emphasizes that not all who are descended from Israel are truly Israel in a spiritual sense [1]. This perspective suggests a shift from national identity to individual character and devotion as the basis for inclusion in God's people [3].
The Apostle Paul, for instance, highlights that in Christ, distinctions such as "Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision" are abolished, indicating a new community where ethnic or legal standing no longer defines membership [4]. This understanding is further supported by the idea that the church is "one in Christ Jesus," precluding any preeminence based on national individuality, such as a future restoration of the Jews to their own land with a distinct status [3].
Historically, the concept of a visible church has included both regenerate and unregenerate individuals, likened by Christ to a field where wheat and tares grow together until the harvest [2]. This contrasts with the Old Testament understanding of Israel, where national identity and participation in rituals like circumcision and the Passover were central [6]. The New Testament church, however, is commanded to recognize as brethren all who profess faith in Christ, with directions for dealing with those who deviate, but no command to form a church exclusively of the regenerate [6].
Some eschatological views, often termed "new hypotheses" and considered modern novelties by some Reformed theologians, propose a future where the Jews are restored to their land and a visible, external kingdom is established with Christ ruling from Jerusalem [5]. However, this view is not found in the standards of the Reformation churches and is often expressly repudiated [5]. Instead, the apostles recognized no future for the Jews in which Gentile Christians would not participate [3]. The church, as a body, has its own organization, laws, and officers, independent of the state, and its existence in various nations further underscores its distinct identity from a single national entity [7].
Sources
- Romans “Romans 9:6 (ASV) — Butit isnot as though the word of God hath come to nought. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel:”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 63: visible Church, to a field in which tares and wheat grow together. He charged his disciples not to undertake to separate them, because they could not, in all cases, distinguish the one from the other. Both were to be allowed to grow together until the harvest. (4.) Christ, to whom all hearts are known, admitted Judas to the number of his most favoured disciples, and even made him an Apostle. (5.) All attempts to make a Church consisting exclusively of the regenerate, have failed. So far as known, no such Church has ever existed on the fac”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 88: that if there be any difference between them, it is not in virtue of national or social distinctions, but solely of individual character and devotion. That we are all one in Christ Jesus, is a doctrine 811 which precludes the possibility of the preeminence assigned to the Jews in the theory of which their restoration to their own land, and their national individuality are constituent elements. 5. The Apostles uniformly acted on this principle. They recognize no future for the Jews in which the Gentile Christians are not to participate. As”
- Colossians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Colossians 3:11: Where--Translate, "Wherein," namely, in the sphere of the renewed man. neither . . . nor . . . nor . . . nor--Translate as Greek, "There is no such thing as Greek and Jew (the difference of privilege between those born of the natural seed of Abraham and those not, is abolished), circumcision and uncircumcision (the difference of legal standing between the circumcised and uncircumcised is done away, Gal 6:15) --bondman, freeman." The present Church is one called out of the flesh, and the present world-course (Eph 2:2), wherein such distinctions ex”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 95: in the standards of any of the Churches of the Reformation; by several it is expressly repudiated. It is a modern novelty, suggested but one hundred and fifty years ago by Whitby, and avowedly as ‘a new hypothesis.’” According to this view, (1.) The nations are not to be converted, nor are the Jews to be restored to their standing in the Church, until the second coming of Christ. (2.) His advent is to be personal and glorious. (3.) He will establish Himself in Jerusalem as the head of a visible, external kingdom. (4.) When He comes, the m”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 64: to assert that all Jews admitted to circumcision and the passover, were, in the judgment of charity, truly regenerate persons. 2. The New Testament contains no command to the Church to assume the prerogative in question. There is the command often repeated to recognize as brethren all who profess their faith in Christ. There are explicit directions given as to those who, although calling themselves brethren, are to be rejected. ( 1 Cor. v. 9, 10 ; Rom. xvi. 17 ; 2 Thess. iii. 6 ; Tit. iii. 10 ; Matt. vii. 15-17 .) But there is no command ”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 64: in an enemy’s country. For three centuries it was not only independent and separate from the State, but it was in every way opposed and persecuted by the civil power. It is still the fact that the Christian Church exists in Pagan and Mohammedan countries. (2.) From the necessity of the case it is a body independent of the State. It has its own organization, its own laws, its own officers, and its own conditions of membership. It has the right to administer its own discipline agreeably to the laws of Christ its king and head. (3.) As it wa”