The Church that Jesus promised and said “I will build my Church and the gates of hades will not prevail against it” Mathew 16:18 and which began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) by the arrival of the Holy Spirit as Jesus promised to the disciples (John 14:16) and said, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.” and about whom Jesus said, “He (the Holy Spirit) will be in you”(John 14:17) and by the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13) does not replace Israel and the unique promises God made to Abraham, Issac, Jacob, King David and Israel (unconditional and everlasting Abrahamic, Davidic and New covenants).

The church of course shares the blessings of the covenants God made with Abraham that it inherited the promise of justification by faith, as explained in Galatians 3:6-9,29). Church also participates in New Covenant (Jeremiah 31 and Luke and Hebrews says) and of course, it includes the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit along with others. But make note these participations do not in any way invalidate several other Israel as a nation covenant promises God made with them. My short essay here now does not attempt to elaborate on that topic.

The church was not in existence in the Old Testament, but Israel was. If it was Jesus would not say, I will build my Church looking to a future event. There is no reference to Church in the Old Testament. Secondly, the Church is distinct from Israel is clearly said in 1 Corinthians 10:32 where it distinguishes Jews, gentiles, and the Church of God. Israel is Israel, Gentiles are Gentiles but Church consists of both Israel and gentiles. In Ephesians language, “He (Jesus), has torn down the hostility between Jews and gentiles and torn down the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh… He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two. Jewish and gentile Christ believers in one spiritual body. You see, the church is a divine purpose of God in this age by bringing in both Jews and gentiles together. The church is a mystery in the sense that it was not revealed in the old testament and only revealed in the New Testament time.

However, it does not mean Church replaced Israel. The thought of replacement theology that church replaces Israel is not a true statement for a true and sincere Bible student. The Bible reveals the church age will end at the time of rapture when Christ comes in the cloud and the dead in Christ (Church) will be resurrected and the living Christ believers would be taken up and both the dead in Christ and the living believers would be united together to live with Christ in heaven. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-16). The beginning of the church is the day of Pentecost and from that day onwards Christ adding believers in him to this body (Acts 2:47 (b). The church age will end at the time of the rapture. There is no reference to the church in the book of revelation during the tribulation time (Revelations 6 onwards).

God’s two plans are also underlined by the coming day of tribulation which is a 7 seven-year period of judgment over all the earth. This future period related particularly to Israel although the wrath of God in judgment will be poured out on the entire earth for its wickedness and ungodliness. Jeremiah 30:7 calls this time span, “the time of Jacob’s trouble?’ referring to Jacob from whom the Israel nation came into existence because God changed Jacob’s name to Israel (Genesis 32:28) and the name Jacob is attributed to Israel in the OT scripture. God said through Zachariah, “they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn on for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly for him, as one wees over a firstborn.” This reference is to the future restoration of Israel upon their repentance. In ignorance, the nation Israel (not the true remnant) rejected the messiah when he presented himself to them as the king, but their rejection was instrumental in God’s plan to bring in the gentiles into the church, which is also a purpose of God. Both purposes, the divine purpose of the Church and of Israel can be seen in the New Testament. The church does not replace Israel and God’s promises to the Patriarchs.

Apostle Paul says in Romans 11, “I want you to understand this mystery, brothers, a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in”(that is until the divine number of gentiles would believe and come into the church). Romans 11:2 says, “God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew (referring to Israel). God has not rejected them nor replaced them. Verse 17 says, “But if some of the branches were broken off (referring to unbelieving Jews), and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree.” Then it says, “for if you were cut off what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches (Israel), be grafted back into their own olive tree.” This refers to God’s purpose of bringing Israel back into His plan. Their partial blindness and hardness are not forever. Their partial blindness and hardness is temporary and not forever and that was instrumental in God’s infinite wisdom to bring in the Gentiles to the blessings of salvation. Israel truly stumbled over the precious and promised stone (the promised messiah – Jesus Christ), when he offered himself to them. 1 Peter 2:7-8. However, it does not mean God has rejected or replaced His everlasting and unconditional covenants He made to them in the OT scriptures.