The Church and Israel In the Old Testament

Good Morning,

Anyone who is even slightly honest knows that there is absolutely nothing in common between Old Testament Israel and the New Testament church.

For some of you, this is an obvious statement without purpose. You may not have any idea why that statement would even matter. Let me assure you it matters. There is a group of Christians that believe the church has replaced Israel – “Replacement theology.” They have to bend a great deal of Scripture and stretch the imagination to do so, but many do, and in some cases, they believe that the church will go through the tribulation, for it is called, “the time of Jacob’s trouble.”

Let us think for a moment: the day on which we worship is different in the Old (Saturday) Testament and in the new (Sunday). The Old Testament also has dietary laws, but the New Testament has none.  The Old Testament has a continual flow of blood sacrifices being brought to the priests to offer at the tabernacle. In the New Testament, Christ offered himself once – for all! 

Hebrews 10:10 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

In the Old Testament, there was no assurance of forgiveness; assurance was constantly in question. Paul, Peter, and others made it very clear that our salvation was eternal and secure, and that it could not be lost in the New Testament.

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit, came and left believers, for the purpose of service. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit indwells us and will never leave us. The Old Testament Jews looked for an earthly king and an earthly inheritance; the church in the New Testament looks for a heavenly king and a heavenly inheritance.

Hebrews 11:16 “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”

There was an endless number of laws and regulations upon the Old Testament Jew. A few examples include a rebellious son would be stoned and a Jewish man was required to make three trips a year to worship at Jerusalem. In the New Testament, we find incredible forgiveness, and mercy, not to mention the privilege of being able to worship daily, in the very presence of God, no matter where we are geographically. 

In the Old Testament, the high priest took a blood sacrifice into the Holy of Holies (the very presence of God) once a year. When Christ died in our New Testament, the veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom, opening the access to God for all people.

There simply is no similarity between the Old Testament Jew and the New Testament church, except we both have a wonderful Book, a wonderful God, and the Saviour Who died to pay the sin debt for all mankind. We are blessed beyond words! In our New Testament era, we are certainly not Jews, and we are not under the Old Testament law. 

Pastor