Jesus and Israel: One Covenant or Two?

I’m a new Christian... almost two years old. In my two years I’ve gotten a M.A. in apologetics and a M.A. in theological studies. I love God’s Word and can’t get enough.As I learn more about the Bible and Jesus I am not aligning with the dispensational premillennial positions that Christians are indoctrinated with. It would be a much easier road for my brain to just go along with all the information that’s readily available and taught... that is- the permil dispensational view.As I dig into Gods Word and theological perspectives I find it hard to imagine that a God who wants mercy not sacrifice is going to have a millennial kingdom that reintroduces animal sacrifice.Anyways I’ve been praying to God for clarity and understanding.I’m halfway done with this book, and it is like this book was written for me. I’m so grateful.

Great book on an explanation of why today's Jews are in Israel while being outside of a Covenant with YHWH.

This book came in a timely manner and was in great condition. This author used way too many words to say not much. It never came to a clear conclusion. Typical amilennialism. I was glad it was short.

Good

Just as expected - thank you

When I got the book it was faded like it had been in the sun and had crayon markings in it.

It's widely stated that the holocaust has led to theological reexamination on the relationship between Christianity's understanding of Jesus and the relationship between Israel and the Church. Actually, that reexamination has been going on in Fundamentalist and Evangelical circles for a long time. In the 19th century, ex-Anglican John Nelson Darby developed a theory known as Dispensationalism. Prior to that time, theologians of all stripes saw the Church as the "New Israel" and saved Gentiles as replacing the Jews as God's people. It was believed that the Old Testament promises to the Jews had been fulfilled in the church. This view is known as "supersessionism" (sometimes called "replacement theology"). Dispensationalism advanced a novel interpretation of the covenantal structure of the Bible: the church is a "parenthesis" in history and as soon as Christians are "raptured," God will again deal with the Jews, who remain heirs to the Old Testament's promises. (This is why Fundamentalists are pro-Israel and see the Jews as the rightful owners of a good chunk of Middle East territory.) In recent years, liberal Christians (such as Cardinal Walter Kasper, head Vatican bureaucrat for Jewish/Catholic dialogue) have advocated a similar theory widely called "dual covenant theology" which teaches that God's covenant with the Jews hasn't been revoked they are in a saving covenant with God. This theory has more to do with religious pluralism than with the high view of Scripture advocated by Dispensationalists. (Most Dispensationalists do not think Jews can be saved without faith in Jesus.)Prof. David Holwerda has advanced an excellent defense of the traditional view (at least as its understood by many Calvinists). He shows that the Old Testament promises (such as the temple and the land) find their fulfillment in Jesus. Besides refuting Dispensationalism, it is a "positive" presentation of the supersessionist case. Because he sees only one covenant, there is much more emphasis on fullfilment instead of "replacement." As Holwerda says, under New Testament teaching the children of Abraham have inherited the world, so it's hard to assert that the New Testament is attempting to take something from the Jews. Nonetheless, his exegesis of one of the New Testament's more difficult portions, Romans 9-11, indicates that Paul sees a continuing role for the Jews. (This is contrary to some Calvinists who see Romans 9-11 as dealing with spiritual Israel.)My only complaint about this book is that Prof. Holwerda's historical survey in chapter 1 deals mostly with current thinkers. There is some discussion of contemporary thinkers such as Pinchas Lapide, Karl and Marcus Barth, and Rosemary Ruether. I would be interested in Prof. Holwerda's opinion of how orthodox thinkers have evaluated the relationship between Israel and the church.

This is one of the best studies of the role of Israel in the Bible as understood from the perspective of Jesus and the Apostles. One of my favorite theological books, bar none. I highly recommend this judicious and insightful study.One reviewer was concerned that Holwerda represented a 2000 year old view of Israel. He is correct. If you are for theological innovation you should stick with dispensationalism which was created in 1830.