Replacing Israel with Anti-Semitism in the Church, and What It Means for the End Times
COMMENTARY
Just about every Christian denomination in every country and culture has a different profile of Jesus. If you do an internet image search for "Jesus," you will likely find a Hispanic Jesus, an African Jesus, and a Caucasian Jesus. And if you did an image search for "baby Jesus" online, you'd find a Chinese mother and child, a European mother and child, a Native American mother and child, and many others.
We need to remember that we were created in His image instead of trying to create Him in our image. I don't think Jesus would recognize Himself in any of these baby pictures!
So how will He be recognized? For that matter, how will we recognize the two witnesses from the Antichrist and the false prophet when they are battling it out? These are very important considerations, especially if we don't want to be deceived.
Replacement theology in the Christian view of the Messiah has taken us far off target, and it affects our end-times theology. The common view of the church replacing Israel has caused huge consequences. Many Jews have a hard time believing in a Jewish Messiah that has replaced them. Many other Jews realize the truth that replacement theology is wrong and that the Messiah is still in a covenant relationship with them, as they have come to the understanding of wonderful saving grace.
Being one degree off doesn't seem like a big deal, but after 2,000 miles, it sure does. Well, it is the same way with the Bible. If we are off by one degree in our theology, 2,000 years later we will be way off!
Anti-Semitism in the Church
When Yeshua died on the cross, the sign above Him said "King of the Jews." Is He still King of the Jews, or has He become King of Christianity?
The Jews are fine with that. They are happy that Gentiles have a king as long as we don't try to make Him their king. They do not believe in a Christian king but want a Jewish king from the tribe of Judah who keeps God's Word according to what He told Moses.
So now we have to ask ourselves, Are there really two different Messiahs—a Jewish one and a Christian one? Think about this for a moment. All the apostles were Jewish. To them "pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen" ( –5, emphasis added).
Let's look at another example. Did you know I could show you a verse in your Bible where the apostle John was kicked out of the church? Not only was he kicked out but all the other Jews as well. Even any Gentiles who wanted the Jews to stay in the assembly were kicked out of the "church."
It's in every Bible, and it's always overlooked. The Jews were being scattered and persecuted, and the Gentiles who were coming to faith were taking over the assemblies.
In the third epistle of John, he stated that he "wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not" (v. 9). He goes on to say that Diotrephes does not accept the brethren (referring to the other Jews) and that he forbids other people to accept them and kicks anyone who does out of the church!
It is incredible how quickly anti-Semitism took over. I bring out all of this because we must realize that having a bias can and will affect our end-time perspective.
Mark Biltz is the founder of El Shaddai Ministries and a well-known and popular commentator on the feasts of the Lord. His new book, Decoding the Antichrist and the End Times: What the Bible Says and What the Future Holds, was recently released, and he is also the author of "Blood Moons" and "God's DayTimer." His research and theories have led to guest appearances on radio, television and magazine covers nationwide.
