Reformed Theology View on Modern Israel

Reformed theology generally interprets the biblical prophecies concerning Israel in a spiritual rather than a strictly literal, nationalistic sense, particularly regarding the modern state of Israel. This perspective often contrasts with dispensationalist views that anticipate a future, literal restoration of the Jewish people to the land of Palestine and a re-establishment of a Davidic kingdom in Jerusalem ^{[1, 9]}.

One prominent Reformed theologian, Charles Hodge, characterized the idea of a future earthly kingdom centered in Jerusalem as a "modern novelty" and a "relic of Judaism," suggesting it is out of keeping with the spiritual nature of the Gospel ^{[1, 9]}. Hodge noted that this view, which he attributed to Whitby about 150 years prior to his writing, posits that nations will not be converted, nor Jews restored to their standing in the Church, until Christ's second coming. This advent, in this view, is personal and glorious, with Christ establishing a visible, external kingdom in Jerusalem ^[1]. However, Hodge explicitly states that this perspective is not found in the standards of the Reformation churches and is even "expressly repudiated" by several ^[1].

Instead, Reformed theology tends to view the Church, composed of both Jews and Gentiles, as the spiritual Israel, inheriting the promises made to Abraham. The "elect Church gathered out of Jews and Gentiles" is seen as an earnest of the new covenant, which secures forgiveness of sins and ensures permanent obedience through effectual grace, contrasting with the Old Testament covenant made with the fathers ^[8]. This understanding emphasizes the continuity of God's covenant with His people, now fulfilled in Christ and extended to all believers.

While acknowledging the historical dispersion of Israel as a consequence of their rejection of the Messiah, Reformed thought does not necessarily interpret this as a permanent or solely national judgment ^[4]. God's faithfulness to Israel is understood to persist despite their unfaithfulness, as seen in the history of Israel from the judges onward ^[5]. The "veil" being taken off Israel, leading to a general conversion, is anticipated, suggesting a future spiritual restoration rather than merely a political one ^[2].

The concept of "regeneration" in Reformed theology refers to an internal change of the soul's state and its relation to God, not merely an external change of relation like a proselyte becoming a Jew ^[6]. This spiritual emphasis extends to how prophecies about Israel are understood. For example, while some interpretations of Revelation 7 distinguish between the "elect of Israel" and a "countless multitude of the Gentile elect," the names of the tribes are often understood to refer to the spiritual Israel, the Church, rather than the literal, national tribes ^[7].

The imagery of Israel's restoration in prophetic texts, such as Hosea 14:6 ("I will be like dew for Israel; it shall blossom as a lily"), is often interpreted spiritually. Midrashic tradition, for instance, uses the metaphor of a lily withering under heat and blossoming with dew to describe Israel's state under the "shadow of Esau" (representing gentile oppression) and its future flourishing when that shadow passes ^[3]. While this Jewish tradition anticipates a future flourishing, Reformed interpretations typically spiritualize such imagery, applying it to the Church's spiritual vitality and growth rather than a literal, nationalistic resurgence of the modern state of Israel.

Sources

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”
Revelation (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Revelation 20:6: Blessed--(Compare Rev 14:13; Rev 19:9). on such the second death hath no power--even as it has none on Christ now that He is risen. priests of God--Apostate Christendom being destroyed, and the believing Church translated at Christ's coming, there will remain Israel and the heathen world, constituting the majority of men then alive, which, from not having come into close contact with the Gospel, have not incurred the guilt of rejecting it. These will be the subjects of a general conversion (Rev 11:15). "The veil" shall be taken off Israel first”
Midrash Rabbah (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Midrash Rabbah, Vayikra Rabbah 23:6: Rabbi Avin said: Just as the lily, when it is subject to heat it withers, and when dew emerges it blossoms, so too, as long as the shadow of Esau is extant, Israel, as it were, appears as though they are withered in this world, but in the future, Esau’s shadow will pass and Israel will become progressively damper. That is what is written: “I will be like dew for Israel [it shall blossom as a lily]” (Hosea 14:6). Just as the lily continues to exist only due to its fragrance, 9 It has value as long as it retains its fragrance. so too, Israel continues to exis”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 47: come upon the men of his generation. Then it is unjust that the Jews of the present day, and ever since the crucifixion of our Lord, should be scattered and peeled, according to the predictions of the prophets, for the rejection of the Messiah. Then, also, were the deluge sent in wrath upon the world, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the extermination of the Canaanites, in which thousands of children perished innocent of the offences for which those judgments were inflicted, all acts of stupendous injustice. If this principl”
Psalms (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Psalms 106:44: The poet's range of vision here widens from the time of the judges to the history of the whole of the succeeding age down to the present; for the whole history of Israel has essentially the same fundamental character, viz., that Israel's unfaithfulness does not annul God's faithfulness. That verifies itself even now. That which Solomon in Kg1 8:50 prays for on behalf of his people when they may be betrayed into the hands of the enemy, has been fulfilled in the case of the dispersion of Israel in all countries (Psa 107:3), Babylonia, Egypt, etc.: God has turne”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 5: his condemnation not being avoided, but rather increased, by his baptismal privilege.” 61 61 A Church Dictionary, by Walter Farquhar Hook, D. D., Vicar of Leeds, article, “Conversion”; 6th edit., Philadelphia, 1854. 3. A third form of doctrine on this subject, held by some divines of this church, is that regeneration properly expresses an external change of relation, and not an internal change of the state of the soul and of its relation to God. As a proselyte was regenerated when he professed himself a Jew, so any one initiated into the v”
Revelation (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Revelation 7 (introduction): SEALING OF THE ELECT OF ISRAEL. THE COUNTLESS MULTITUDE OF THE GENTILE ELECT. (Rev. 7:1-17) And--so B and Syriac. But A, C, Vulgate, and Coptic omit "and." after these things--A, B, C, and Coptic read, "after this." The two visions in this chapter come in as an episode after the sixth seal, and before the seventh seal. It is clear that, though "Israel" may elsewhere designate the spiritual Israel, "the elect (Church) on earth" [ALFORD], here, where the names of the tribes one by one are specified, these names cannot have any but the ”
Jeremiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Jeremiah 31:32: Not . . . the covenant that I made with . . . fathers--the Old Testament covenant, as contrasted with our gospel covenant (Heb 8:8-12; Heb 10:16-17, where this prophecy is quoted to prove the abrogation of the law by the gospel), of which the distinguishing features are its securing by an adequate atonement the forgiveness of sins, and by the inworking of effectual grace ensuring permanent obedience. An earnest of this is given partially in the present eclectic or elect Church gathered out of Jews and Gentiles. But the promise here to Israel in the ”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 91: theory of 844 an earthly kingdom of glory, by assuming that risen saints are, to rule this kingdom, not from the literal Jerusalem, but from heaven. This, however, is to introduce an extra-scriptural and conjectural idea. 6. It has already been said, when speaking of the restoration of the Jews to their own land, that this whole theory of a splendid earthly kingdom is a relic of Judaism, and out of keeping with the spirituality of the Gospel. 867 867 The interpretation of this whole passage ( Rev. xx. 1-6 ) is thoroughly discussed in the ”

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