II. The Church Has Not Replaced Israel!

II. The Church Has Not Replaced Israel!
Much confusion has been caused by the "teaching" that God is through with Israel and her blessings have now been given to the Church. No, Israel is NOT the church and the Church has not replaced Israel. Through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God was forming a nation to ultimately produce the Messiah (Jesus Christ) and show Himself to the surrounding pagan nations.
“Then PAUL AND BARNABAS waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: BUT SEEING YE PUT IT FROM YOU, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” (Acts 13:46)
“For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee (Paul and Barnabas) to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth." (Acts 13:46-47)
This was during the Dispensation of Promise, beginning with the call of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) and ending with the Exodus. (Exodus 12:40)
Also during the dispensation of Law, from the Exodus to the Cross, God wanted the Jews to reach out and bring other nationalities to Him. They could become Jewish proselytes and keep the rituals and sacrifices. These sacrifices only covered sin and the shedding of innocent blood showed what the Messiah would do when He went to the Cross. Those that believed and were saved, were looking forward to the crucified Christ. We look back to the Cross, believing that Jesus died to pay for our sins; therefore having the assurance of eternal life.
When Christ came, He became the perfect sacrifice which would not just cover sin; but, take it away completely.
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” ( John 1:29)
After the cross, we enter a new dispensation. The Church Age; or, Age of Grace. Under Promise and the Law, God dealt through one nation, Israel. Under Grace, He deals with the world, and all nationalities.
"Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also." (Romans 3:29)
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)
There is one kind of salvation for all.
"For God so loved the WORLD, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
It is not ethnic salvation. Everyone is saved the same way, by believing that Jesus Christ died to pay for our sins.
After the Rapture, we have the 7-Year Tribulation Period. God again deals with the Jews as a NATION for their rejection of Christ, and with the world as a whole for its ungodliness. It is called "Jacob's Trouble." (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1; Revelation, Chapters 6-19)
Romans 11:26 is important in this context.
"And so all Israel shall be saved; There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer (Christ), and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob (the Nation of Israel):”
This occurs at the end of the Tribulation Period. The Jews know the Antichrist is not the Messiah; as the Real One, King Jesus, has arrived on the scene! Individual Jews surviving at the end of the Tribulation Period will either have believed in Christ as their Messiah or, have taken the mark “666,” and will hear the devastating words of Matthew 25:41.
“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”
It will be the same with surviving Gentiles. This occurs at the Judgment of the Nations at the end of the Tribulation and beginning of the Kingdom. (Matthew 25:31-46) The only surviving Jews entering the Kingdom will be believing Jews.
"...So all Israel shall be saved."
It is the same for the Gentiles. Then begins the 1,000 year Kingdom when Christ reigns from Jerusalem. (Revelation 19:11; Revelation 20:4-6).
We have to make the determination according to the context of the Scripture as to whether it is speaking of individual salvation; and not of the nation as a whole.