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What Does The Bible Really Say About Who The True Israel Is?
Want to stand with Israel? Great, take your stand with Jesus and His church!Does the church replace Israel? Answering tough theological questions
Does the church replace Israel? Did I ignore the Jews? Does the formation of Israel in 1948 fulfill Old Testament promises?
These were a few of the questions and critiques sparked by an essay I wrote last week, "How Tucker Carlson vs. Ted Cruz exposed a critical biblical question on Israel." After providing a cursory biblical-theological exploration of the question "What is Israel?" I answered that no, the modern nation-state of Israel is not the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. I also stated that Christians are not biblically commanded to support the modern nation-state of Israel because the state of Israel and the biblical Israel are not the same entity.
To some, my conclusions sounded like heresy. But others, through emails or comments, expressed thankfulness for what they saw as a long-overdue correction.
In any case, I am thankful for every subscriber to and reader of Blaze Media, and I am thankful for everyone who wrote comments, positive or negative, and engaged with me.
This topic understandably touches nerves, but that's why this conversation matters. And if the reaction proved anything, it's that we need more biblical clarity. Below, I am going to respond to some of the critiques. I hope to provide clarity with charity and continue the dialogue about this important topic.
Did I ignore the Jews?
Mark Brown commented: "I’m curious how you just seemingly ignore the Jew in your theology. The New Covenant in Jeremiah is to be made with the House of Judah and with the House of Israel. Gentiles (read as the nations) are grafted into the olive tree and the roots of that tree are Israel. In effect, you are teaching that the church has replaced Israel which couldn’t be further from the truth!"
First off, thank you for subscribing to Blaze Media, Mark. I appreciate your thoughtful pushback.
I do not ignore Jews in my theology. I believe that scripture is clear that Jesus — a descendant of King David from the line of Judah (and therefore a Jew) — is the one true Israelite. As I stated in my essay, "He is the true and faithful Israelite who perfectly fulfills Israel's vocation and perfectly keeps the covenant. Jesus is the great high priest, the anointed one, and the prophet of prophets."
In that sense, Jews have a unique and special role in God's redemptive plans. It is the line of Judah, after all, that God preserves to bring about his redemptive promises despite Judah's repeated covenant unfaithfulness. You are right that the new covenant is made with the "House of Judah" and the "House of Israel" and that indeed happens in Jesus, as the author of Hebrews explains (Hebrews 8).
The question, then, is this: Do Jews retain their special status today?
On one hand, yes (e.g., Romans 3: 9-11). But the apostle Paul makes it clear that faith in Jesus, not ethnic identity, is what defines the true "Israel of God" (Galatians 6:16). For example, whereas torah commands physical circumcision as an external sign of inclusion, what humans really need is circumcision of the heart (Deuteronomy 30:6) — internal transformation. This happens in Jesus and through the Holy Spirit. As Christians, God has replaced our hearts of stone with hearts of flesh, and God's law is now written on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33-34; Ezekiel 36:26-27).
I do not teach replacement theology (i.e., that the church replaces Israel). Rather, I teach fulfillment theology — that all of God's promises are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. I will say more about this criticism below.
One more point: I think it's important to understand that "Jew" and "Israel" are not synonyms. The Hebrew word for Jew, yehudi, literally means "of Judah." While biblical Israel certainly includes Jews (one of 12 tribes), not every Israelite is a Jew; by definition, Israel encompasses all 12 tribes of Abraham's descendants.
This is why Paul understood what happens in Jesus — the ingathering of Israel — to be no longer limited or defined by ethnic boundaries. By definition, then, the restoration of Israel is not limited to the tribe of Judah.
Is Jesus a Jew?
Dale Errett responded: "Will you next claim that Jesus is not Jewish because He is a Christian?"
Dale, thank you for being a loyal subscriber to Blaze Media and taking the time to comment on my last essay.
I do not deny the Jewishness of Jesus. He was descended from David, born into the tribe of Judah, circumcised on the eighth day according to torah, raised under torah, and lived as a faithful Jew. In fact, if you read the New Testament carefully, you will see how Jesus perfectly keeps torah, never violating nor abrogating it.
The Jewishness of Jesus is critical to his identity as the Messiah.
Does the church replace Israel?
Dale Errett responded: "You couldn't be more wrong! The modern stand of replacement theology that you are spouting here is utter heresy."
Rebecca Freimann commented: "Replacement theory is from Satan."
Dale and Rebecca, thank you for subscribing to Blaze Media. I appreciate the responses.
I share your concerns about replacement theology, a strand of thought that I find extremely problematic. But I do not teach replacement theology, nor do I think my essay advocated for it. I simply teach, as the New Testament does, that God's promises to Israel are fulfilled in Jesus Christ — the true and faithful Israelite — and that anyone united to him by faith, whether Jew or Gentile, is an heir of those promises.
From this perspective, Israel is not discarded but brought to its intended purpose in Christ, the shepherd who gathers the lost sheep of Israel and brings in the nations.
Paul teaches that "not all who are descended from Israel are Israel" (Romans 9:6) and that "if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed" (Galatians 3:29).
The church — Christians, people who follow the Christ, that is, Jesus — is the continuation and fulfillment of God's Old Testament promises. Jesus is the revelation of those promises, not the replacement.
The apostle Paul takes great pains to explain how this works (see, again, Romans 9-11) using the metaphor of an olive tree. Gentiles are grafted into the family of God, sharing in the nourishing root of the Abrahamic covenant. The church — or, as Paul calls it, the true "Israel of God" — includes both Gentiles and Jews, the faithful remnant who place their faith in Jesus.
This is how God has always worked, not through ethnic boundaries alone, but through covenant faithfulness. Notice that Jesus' genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew includes several non-Israelites (i.e., Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba).
In Jesus, God is forming one people through faith in Him.
Did the modern formation of Israel fulfill OT prophecies?
An anonymous subscriber commented: "Might want to read Isaiah 11, Ezekiel 36, Jeremiah 32, among others regarding the restoration of the nation of Israel, and then consider if 1948 and modern Israel might be the fulfillment of these prophecies."
Anonymous, thank you for subscribing to Blaze Media and leaving this thoughtful comment. Unfortunately, there is not enough space here to adequately respond to your objection, but I will try my best to give a cursory answer.
Each of the chapters that you cite refers to the future restoration of Israel. But the key question is when and how these prophecies are fulfilled. I believe the New Testament consistently teaches and interprets the restoration of Israel happening in and through Jesus.
For example, Isaiah 11's vision of a righteous ruler points to the Messiah who inaugurates God's kingdom, which is what Jesus did (e.g., Mark 1: 14-15). Ezekiel 36, meanwhile, envisions not just a physical restoration of Israel, but a spiritual one in which God gives his people a "new heart" and a "new spirit" (Ezekiel 36:26). And it is this internal transformation that defines the new covenant people of God (Jeremiah 32:40), a hope and transformation that is realized in Jesus.
Yes, the formation of the state of Israel in 1948 is historically significant. But it leaves me wondering: If the Old Testament is referring to that event, where does Jesus fit in?
Here I will quote the apostle Paul in Romans 9:25-26, where he quotes from the prophet Hosea:
As he says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one," and, “In the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”
It is my belief that scripture invites us to see Israel's restoration as both physical and spiritual, ultimately centered on faith in Jesus Christ and the ingathering of God's people from all nations into one new humanity.
Thank you, again, to every Blaze Media reader and subscriber. It has been a deep joy to wrestle with scripture and these questions and to engage with you all.
Church security team member who reportedly shot gunman dead outside sanctuary recalls moment when 'evil came to our door'
Jay Trombley — a member of CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan — told WXYZ-TV he initially thought the noise he heard during Sunday's service was something "mechanical."
Trombley recalled to the station that he "turned to see people running" and "asked them through a door what had happened."
'The one thing that always has been in the back of my mind — the question: "If I hear that noise, will I run to it, or will I run from it?" And I answered that question yesterday.'
A young woman told him "AR-15" and pointed to where the noise was coming from, and Trombley told WXYZ that he "headed in that direction."
As a volunteer member of the church's security team, Trombley and the team's other members immediately went to work.
Police said 31-year-old Brian Anthony Browning of Romulus, Michigan, was wearing camouflage clothing and a tactical vest, was armed with an AR-15-style rifle, and had more than a dozen fully loaded magazines as well as a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Browning also was firing at the church, police said.
Police said a church member driving a pickup truck hit Browning. Senior Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr. told the Detroit News that the church member actually drove over the suspect: "He was run over by one of our members who saw this happening when he was coming into church."
What's more, the gunman shot at the vehicle repeatedly, Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong told the Detroit Free Press at a news conference Sunday evening.
Police said the church security team locked the church's front doors and exchanged gunfire with the suspect outside. Police said a member of the security team shot and killed the suspect. First responders pronounced the suspect dead after performing lifesaving measures, police said.
One member of the church's security team was shot in the leg and taken to a hospital, where he was last listed in stable condition after a successful surgery, police said. The wounded security team member did not fire a weapon at the gunman, Deputy Chief Finley Carter III told Blaze News, adding that he was one of three security team members involved.
Kelly told the Detroit News that the attacker didn't enter the church building, but several shots were fired into the church. Carter added to Blaze News that police haven't yet determined how many rounds the gunman fired. No other church members were hurt, the Detroit News added.
WXYZ said Browning attended a few services at the church where his mother was baptized, but the station added that it's unclear why he chose to carry out a mass attack there.
Trombley knows one thing: The suspect's act was "evil."
"We found out that evil came to our door, but God's hand of protection was right over us," Trombley told WXYZ. "So many things happened that can only be God-driven: The parishioner shows up late to engage him with this pickup truck to slow him down; a double-pane window stopped five rounds. ... God's hand was protecting me."
The station added that Trombley is "coming to terms with the reality that the cost of saving lives Sunday was taking one."
"I realize what happened yesterday, what my actions did," Trombley told WXYZ before a lengthy, thoughtful pause. "You know, I will reconcile with the Lord on a time for that, you know. I was protecting his people."
"The one thing that always has been in the back of my mind — the question: 'If I hear that noise, will I run to it, or will I run from it?' And I answered that question yesterday," he added to the station.
WXYZ said Trombley doesn't view himself as a hero, but rather a guardian protecting his family — and the members of CrossPointe Community Church are his family. Check out his interview with the station titled "Church security guard speaks out after shooting and killing armed man" below.
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CrossPointe issued the following statement about the shooting on its website:
On Sunday, June 22nd at approximately 11:15am, an armed gunman attempted to bring about maximum casualties during our worship service. But instead of having to report massive losses, we are grateful to God that there was only one member of our security team who suffered a leg injury caused by the gunfire. As details emerge, we are seeing God’s hand of protection more clearly in how what could have been, simply wasn’t.
There are many heroes, both men and women who acted bravely and selflessly to prevent an all out catastrophe. Among these were the members of our security team who engaged the suspect and subdued the threat. There is also the church member who was divinely positioned to see the assailant approaching the church in full tactical gear, including an assault rifle, and acted swiftly to hit him with his truck, injuring him. This action kept the gunman from ever entering the building and gave our security team extra needed seconds to respond. Glory to God!
To the Wayne Police, EMS, and Fire, along with the other localities that arrived on scene, thank you for your very swift response to secure the scene and offer support and comfort as we tried to catch our breath from this attack.
Lastly, we are extremely encouraged by the response from several local churches, grief counseling agencies, and community programs who have reached out to assist. We will be taking advantage of as much as we can to help us move forward. But most importantly, thank you all for your many prayers. They are much needed at this time. Please pray for our healing, the strengthening of our faith, and the continued bond of unity brought about through this shared traumatic experience, and for the family of Brian Browning. They are hurting too.
Through all of this, know that we will continue to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ with boldness and clarity so that people, including the Brian Brownings of the world, can learn that we can all be forgiven if we repent from our sins and place our faith in Jesus Christ, who is forever praised, amen.
A Wayne resident recalled to Blaze News the sounds of the shooting, noting that what actually was happening wasn't immediately apparent to him.
"I heard everything," the man recounted to Blaze News on the condition of anonymity, adding, "I was in my backyard and heard loud noises coming from the church."
The resident — who was just a few hundred feet from the church — added to Blaze News he "thought it was construction" and "then I go to my job and see police cars." He added that he later learned the details of the shooting and that it was "really sad."
"I know people who go to the church," the man told Blaze News, adding that they're dealing with some trauma but are managing it.
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Every Church Needs A Security Plan Fortified By The Second Amendment
Until Jesus comes back, churches should anticipate the persistence of crime, tragedy, and death and arm themselves accordingly.'Blown to bits': Suicide bomber targets Christian church in jihadist-controlled Syria
Multitudes of Syrian Christians gathered for mass Sunday evening inside the Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elias in Damascus — and dozens of them never returned home.
Their prayers were interrupted by a jihadist who opened fire on the faithful, then detonated an explosive vest, killing at least 25 Christians and wounding 63 others. The explosion reportedly caused extensive damage to the structure of the church.
This terrorist attack — yet another reminder of the unrelenting persecution of Christians worldwide — was supposedly executed by a member of ISIS.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa — the Islamic terrorist also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, who rose through the ranks of the Islamic State of Iraq before founding an Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra — condemned the attack and expressed condolences, reported the state-owned network Alikhbaria Syria.
Al-Sharaa called the attack a "heinous crime" that serves as a reminder of the importance of solidarity and unity of the regime and people in the face of security threats.
Christian persecution watchdogs have warned in recent months that the al-Sharaa regime cannot be trusted. After all, the regime is largely composed of and led by elements of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, an Al-Qaeda spinoff terrorist organization linked in its formative years to the late leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and whose current leader was until recently a specially designated global terrorist who fought against American forces in Iraq.
Jeff King of International Christian Concern, for instance, noted after the reported massacre of Syrian Christians by regime-aligned jihadists in March that the government is "Al-Qaeda and ISIS in a new guise."
Despite his personal history with ISIS and Al-Qaeda, it is nevertheless in al-Sharaa's interest to respond forcefully to the attack, not only to remain on good terms with President Donald Trump — who vowed to "protect persecuted Christians" ahead of the 2024 election and whose administration lifted U.S. sanctions last month — but to counter the internal threat to his rule. After all, ISIS now regards the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham-led regime as illegitimate.
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Al Jazeera reported that ISIS has repeatedly attacked government forces in recent months, labeling the government an "apostate regime."
Mazhar al-Wais, the Syrian minister of justice, called the bombing a "cowardly crime targeting the unity of Syrians," suggesting that al-Sharaa's regime would not tolerate terrorism.
A senior U.S. official told Blaze News, "This is just another reminder that global jihadists see innocent unarmed Christians as legitimate targets."
"The new government in Damascus will be measured in large part by its willingness to protect minorities and neutralize groups like ISIS," added the official.
Ever distrustful of the regime, the Syrian Network for Human Rights insisted Sunday that "protecting the crime scene at Mar Elias Church is a necessary first step toward establishing the truth and achieving accountability."
'People were praying safely under the eyes of God.'
The watchdog group suggested that extra to securing the site's perimeter and preventing unauthorized entry and tampering with evidence, it is essential that Syrian authorities "regulate the movement of personnel and media to ensure that only authorized forensic teams are allowed to work on site" and to "implement accurate documentation procedures."
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch said in the immediate wake of the attack, "The treacherous hand of evil struck this evening claiming our lives, along with the lives of our loved ones who fell today as martyrs during the evening Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Prophet Elias in Dweilaa, Damascus."
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I asked Patriarch John X, the primate of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, to convey his heartfelt condolences and support to the families of the victims, and prayed to "the All-Good God to rest the souls of the innocent victims of the attack."
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Witnesses indicated that when the suicide bomber entered the church and began firing, parishioners heroically charged him, reported the Associated Press. Once confronted, the masked terrorist detonated his vest.
"People were praying safely under the eyes of God," said Fr. Fadi Ghattas, who was present when at least 20 Christians were killed by the explosion. "There were 350 people praying at the church."
Issam Nasr, a witness who was praying inside the church, said he observed some victims get "blown to bits."
"We have never held a knife in our lives," said Nasr, underscoring the defenseless nature of the Christians targeted in Damascus. "All we ever carried were our prayers."
According to International Christian Concern, parish priest Fr. Youhanna Shehata assisted in carrying the remains of over 20 victims out of the church in the wake of the attack.
Blaze News reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
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Ted Cruz Should Move On From Sunday School Geopolitics
If you're going to let your vague memory of a Sunday school slogan guide your foreign policy aims, make sure what you learned was correct.God’s justice doesn’t sleep — and the Supreme Court just proved it
In a landmark 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on so-called gender-affirming care for minors. Wednesday’s ruling in United States v. Skrmetti affirms the state’s authority to protect children from irreversible medical interventions, declaring that such laws do not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Tennessee’s Senate Bill 1 prohibits medical providers from prescribing puberty blockers, administering cross-sex hormones, or performing surgeries on minors for the purpose of treating gender dysphoria. With this ruling, the court established a powerful precedent, strengthening similar laws in more than two dozen states and shielding them from federal interference.
The Supreme Court now affirms what parents, pastors, and pediatricians have known for years: Children deserve protection — not ideological exploitation.
This is more than a legal or political victory. It’s a profoundly spiritual one.
Judgment in Pride Month
The timing of the court’s decision — handed down in the middle of Pride Month — is impossible to ignore. For years, the month of June has been co-opted to celebrate sexual perversion and radical gender ideology. Parades, corporate campaigns, and cultural rituals now elevate confusion and self-expression above truth and morality.
But God’s timing often intersects with the idols of a wayward culture.
Just as He once shattered the authority of Egypt’s gods through plagues and humiliated the pagan deities of Canaan through Israel’s victories, He now confronts the false gods of modern America. The gods of Pride Month have names: self-worship, mutilation, and moral relativism.
This ruling, like Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization before it, arrived in a season when the world celebrates rebellion. But God never abdicates. He acts — often decisively.
The right to protect children
Justice Clarence Thomas, writing in concurrence, emphasized the state’s legitimate interest in protecting children from unproven and dangerous procedures. “States could reasonably conclude,” he wrote, “that the level of young children's cognitive and emotional development inhibits their ability to consent to sex-transition treatments.”
Thomas reminded the nation that legislatures — not courts — are charged with protecting the vulnerable. The Constitution allows states to say no to radical experiments on children. That’s common sense. That’s moral responsibility.
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The court’s ruling also reinforces policies advanced by the Trump administration, which has taken steps to push back against transgender mandates. The court now affirms what parents, pastors, and pediatricians have known for years: Children deserve protection — not ideological exploitation.
‘The least of these’
At its core, this decision defends “the least of these" (Matthew 25:40). In Matthew 10:42, Jesus declares, “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones ... truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”
Advocates of transgender medicine call their approach “compassionate.” But compassion doesn’t mutilate. It doesn’t sterilize. It doesn’t tell children they were born in the wrong body.
Real compassion tells children the truth: They are fearfully and wonderfully made. God knit them together in their mother’s wombs (Psalm 139:13-14). He doesn’t make mistakes.
The lie that “God got your body wrong” devastates young minds. Puberty blockers, double mastectomies, and genital surgeries don’t bring peace. They usher in trauma, regret, and permanent damage.
By upholding these bans, the Supreme Court gives children the gift of time — time to grow, to mature, and to embrace their God-given identities without the pressure of irreversible decisions.
Tear down the idols
Now comes the charge to the church. This moment demands courage.
American culture has erected new high places. Gender ideology sits at the top. It demands worship, conformity, and silence. But like King Josiah, who tore down the altars of Baal, or Gideon, who smashed the Asherah poles, Christians must act.
Now is not the time for retreat. Now is not the time for timidity. The culture may roar, but the God of heaven still rules.
The Supreme Court’s ruling reminds believers that God still moves. He has not abandoned America. He still defends the innocent. He still topples idols.
Faithfulness bears fruit
Galatians 6:9 tells us not to grow weary in doing good. This ruling is the harvest of those who prayed, labored, and stood firm when the world called them hateful. Their perseverance bore fruit — in law, in policy, and in culture.
Let this be a turning point.
Let this be the moment when the nation remembers who created it. Let this be the moment when the church reclaims its voice. Let this be the moment when truth reasserts itself — and children are protected from those who would harm them in the name of progress.
America is not forsaken. God is still at work, and His purposes will prevail.Emails: College Officials Plotted To Claim Transgenderism As ‘Religion’ To Thwart Trump’s Protections For Women
'If you could establish and promulgate a LGBTQ+ church that met the standard … the courts would have to tolerate that church’s beliefs, whatever they are.'The ‘demonically influenced’ seek out those suffering. Here’s how to stop them.
We’ve been told our whole lives to “trust the experts,” but what happens when those experts — even the religious ones — lead us astray?
In a recent segment of "Ask Deace Anything” on the “Steve Deace Show,” one man came to BlazeTV host Steve Deace with this question after his girlfriend, who has PTSD and bipolar disorder, was hospitalized during a bad episode.
While his girlfriend was in the hospital’s care, the hospital chaplain told her she was an “empath” and had “psychic abilities,” before going on to baptize her.
She not only feels “spiritually empowered” and has “doubled down on New Age mysticism,” but refuses to listen to criticism since it came from a chaplain — someone she sees as a religious authority.
“That’s demonic,” Deace responds. “The most important thing that you could do, if you’re not doing it already, is to get yourself, and her with you if you can, into a faithfully witnessing, Bible-believing and -preaching church.”
“That is the most important thing that you could do,” he continues.
“This heretic gave her an idol, and because that idol gave her meaning in her suffering that, whatever her church experience up until this point, sadly has not offered for her.”
“And we greatly need and desire to have meaning in our suffering, purpose in it. And unfortunately, much of the modern Christian church will teach you suffering is to be avoided, frankly, or worse, will play into victimology,” he adds.
This, Deace explains, turns the one suffering into “a mark for the one who comes along and finds purpose and meaning for her in her suffering.”
“So you need to get the two of you, but at least you, into a church that teaches the full counsel of God. Because ultimately,” Deace continues, “your relationship will not survive a question of authority between you and this occultic guru, demonically influenced individual.”
“You’re going to lose, because this individual gave her something you can’t ever give her: purpose in her suffering,” he adds.
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