Why the Promises to Israel Matter Today
Dan Brown
Orthodoxy[1] always precedes orthopraxy.[2] Correct doctrine always precedes correct practice. No one can function with biblical practice and methodology without first having correct beliefs in place. Wrong theology will ultimately lead to errors in practice. Virtually every aberrant practice can be traced back to errors of theology. This truth is seen throughout both Bible history and church history. This principle of ministry serves as an undeniable truth for every aspect of both doctrine and practice. Theology is about connections within doctrines and these connections inevitably show up in the practice of ministry.
A FUTURE FOR ISRAEL
Few doctrines matter more than that of the future of a literal Israel in God’s prophetic plan. Many evangelicals deny a prophetic future for Israel and do so by reading the church back into the Old Testament. Trying to find the church in the Old Testament compromises the integrity of the Old Testament story line and taints virtually all of the theology that crosses into the New Testament. For example, should we try to bring the kingdom in? Are we trying to build the kingdom today? Failure to recognize God’s future physical kingdom on the earth (the millennium) with the fulfillment of covenantal promises to Israel as its centerpiece will lead not only to a distortion of the meaning of the Old Testament but also to a misunderstanding of the church’s purpose today. A change in the church’s purpose will lead to inevitable changes in how ministry occurs. Again, theology is about connections both to other doctrines and to practice.
The reality of Israel possessing a vibrant future in God’s prophetic plan has deep implications for the practice of local church ministry. Replacement theology, the errant belief that the church has replaced Israel, sacrifices the heart of what God says He will do for His people. Removing the covenantal fulfillment (primarily the Abrahamic, Davidic, and new covenants) of the direct promises of God to Israel significantly affects the interpretive basis for understanding the Old Testament. Changing the interpretive basis for the Bible has a ripple effect through virtually every doctrine and ultimately in the practice of ministry.