Featured "the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever"

I am dubious of assertions based on blood line, i.e. only those who can trace their lineage back to Abraham. Jesus taught against this fallacy, i.e. you must be born anew. Paul taught (Galatians 3) that all born anew believers are children of Abraham.

What is so difficult about this truth?

 

It isn't difficult and it is correct. however, it doesn't comport with dispensational mythology. Jesus Christ told the Jews:

Matthew 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

That Judgment has never been revoked and never will be. The destruction of the Temple in 70AD simply reinforced that judgment!

 

What happened to Dan? What happened to Ephraim? Applying a literal interoperation to the Book of Revelation is not smart to say the least!

 

It is not up to man to find them or worry about them. We trust the Lord to keep his promises to Israel instead of man to allegorize them away.

 

This is getting close to Replacement Theology.

 

Or maybe even (shudder) Landmarkism.

 

I do not want to be too hasty to judge. It just comes across to me as Replacement Theology.


I see the church as coming out, expanding from Israel.

 

Then again, it might also have to do with how you define "church," viz. universal, local, local-only, local-only/"chain-link" in origin, etc.

(Not wanting to labor this point, but there are some who would make this to be "a test of fellowship.")

 

Wasn't the Hebrew word 'ekklesia' used that was translated 'church' in English? That's what I'm thinking.

Israel was used to bring Jesus to fulfill the works of the cross. The church is an extension of that church, Israel, a 'called out assembly'.

 

(I'm sure you probably meant to say "Greek" rather than "Hebrew" in your post since ekklesia is a Greek word.)

Since I'm by no means a NT Greek scholar, I'll defer to Dr. Spiros Zodhiates. In his The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament [(c) 1992, AMG International] he mentions for ekklesia (Strong's # 1577), "....In the NT, the word is applied to the congregation of the people of Israel (Acts 7:38). On the other hand, of the two terms used in the OT, sunagoge (4864) seems to have been used to designate the people from Israel in distinction from all other nations (Acts 13:43 [cf. Matt. 4:23; 6:2; James 2:2; Rev. 2:9, 3:9]). In Heb. 10:25, however, when the gathering of Christians is referred to, it is not called sunagoge, but episunagoge (1997), with the prep. epi (1909), upon translated 'the assembling ... together.'" (page 541)

I hope this helps somewhat.

I'll leave the rest of this Bible linguistics discussion to the BB scholars.

 

The nation Israel, particularly the tribe of Judah, was used by GOD to bring Jesus Christ into the world. When the Jews conspired with the Romans to murder Jesus their Messiah their work in God's purpose of Redemption was finished.

There was within National Israel a spiritual or "true" Israel.{Romans 9:6f}. The Church for which Jesus Christ died is a continuation of that "true" Israel. The parable of the olive tree is a vivid example of that truth.

 

First, lets make clear you are referring to "traditional dispensational mythology" rather than "progressive dispensationalism" which is a spot on view of scripture.

Second, lets consider your verse, Matthew 21:43. Here is a more word for word (i.e. taken mostly from an interlinear) translation:
"Because of this I am saying to you that from you the kingdom of God shall be taken away and shall be given to the people producing the fruits of her."

"Because of this" refers to verse 42 where the OT foretold that Jesus would be rejected. So the kingdom of God is taken from those rejecting Jesus and given to those producing the fruits of the kingdom of God. That would be born anew believers, indwelt with the Holy Spirit, because they are the only one able to produce fruits (John 15:5). And this group of people are both Jews and Gentiles!

 

ekklesia is a Greek word and never refers to "National Israel."
There is no such thing as "The Church," as ekklesia, the word translated "church" always refers to a local church. The word means, "assembly," or "congregation," and can never be used to refer to an invisible or universal church concept, a concept unknown in the first century.

"The Church" was not a continuation of Israel (true or false). That concept is not taught by Paul or any other person in the NT. Paul established churches. He established over 100 churches on 3 missionary journeys. Every epistle he wrote was either to a local church or a pastor of a local church. There is no denomination in the Bible, no universal church in the Bible, nothing at all that could be construed as "The Church," only "churches."

 

Progressive dispensationalists are moving toward the truth. Not quite there yet but certainly a welcome change. they had sense enough to stop digging and start climbing!

QUOTE=Van;2231029]Second, lets consider your verse, Matthew 21:43. Here is a more word for word (i.e. taken mostly from an interlinear) translation:
"Because of this I am saying to you that from you the kingdom of God shall be taken away and shall be given to the people producing the fruits of her."

"Because of this" refers to verse 42 where the OT foretold that Jesus would be rejected. So the kingdom of God is taken from those rejecting Jesus and given to those producing the fruits of the kingdom of God. That would be born anew believers, indwelt with the Holy Spirit, because they are the only one able to produce fruits (John 15:5). And this group of people are both Jews and Gentiles![/QUOTE]

I have no problem with that! The born again believers constitute the Church!

 

Born anew believers are "His people," the "House of Judah," and the "House of Israel," for we (those born anew) are all Abraham's children.

 

One of the papers I've subscribed to for years, The Berea Baptist Banner ( www.bereabaptistchurch.org ). It's a monthly, 24-page "half-sized" paper that often has some rather thought provoking articles--especially in its two "Forums."

The June 5, 2015 issue has a Forum in which four Baptist pastors write about "replacement theology."

Be advised that as a whole this paper is definitely a pro "sovereign grace" and Baptist "church truth" mouthpiece. I can't say that I would be in 110+% agreement with every item I've ever read in it, but at least it'll challenge your viewpoint(s).

 

The Church is a continuation of Spiritual Israel/ That is what Paul teaches in his parable of the olive tree! Replacement theology is, in my opinion, an invention of the pre-tribbers to defend their false doctrine.