by Kevin Pirnie
I’ve been reading articles lately that trouble my heart deeply. Smart folks, educated theologians, people who love Jesus—they’re saying God is done with Israel. They’re saying the church has replaced the Jewish people in God’s plan. They call it “expansion theology” or “fulfillment theology,” but let me tell you something: when you strip away the fancy terminology, it’s the same old error that’s plagued the church for centuries.
Can I be blunt with you today? This isn’t some academic debate we can afford to get wrong. This is about the very character of God Himself.
The Question That Changes Everything
Turn with me to Romans chapter 11, verse 1. Paul—a Jewish apostle, writing to a largely Gentile church in Rome—asks the most important question: “I say then, hath God cast away His people?”
Now, before you answer that question, I want you to think about something. What would it mean if God DID cast away Israel? What would that tell you about the God you worship? If God made unconditional, everlasting promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—promises repeated throughout Scripture—and then broke those promises because Israel sinned, what does that say about His faithfulness to you?
You see, that’s what’s really at stake here.
Paul answers his own question with the strongest negative possible in the Greek language: “God forbid!” Or as your modern translations put it: “May it never be!” “Absolutely not!” “By no means!”
But here’s what grabs me by the throat every time I read this passage: Paul doesn’t just give us theological theory. He gives us evidence. He says, “For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.”
Friend, Paul himself was living proof that God wasn’t finished with the Jewish people. And let me tell you, if you think God cast away Israel in 70 A.D. when Rome destroyed Jerusalem, you’ve got a serious problem. Because right now, as I’m speaking to you, there are Jewish believers in Jesus all over the world. Messianic Jews who love Yeshua as their Messiah. Are they not part of Israel? Of course they are!
The Remnant Principle: God Always Keeps His Own
Look at verses 2 through 5. Paul takes us back to one of the darkest moments in Israel’s history—the days of Elijah. Remember that story? Elijah is hiding in a cave, convinced he’s the last faithful person left. The whole nation has turned to Baal worship. Everything looks hopeless.
But what did God say? “I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
Now catch this—and this is crucial: God didn’t say, “Well, since most of Israel rejected Me, I’m going to start a new people called ‘the church’ and forget about Israel.” No! He preserved a remnant. He kept His covenant. He remained faithful even when His people were faithless.
Paul says in verse 5: “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.”
You see, the remnant principle has ALWAYS been God’s way with Israel. Not every descendant of Abraham has been saved—we’ve always known that. Not every Israelite who came out of Egypt entered the Promised Land. But that doesn’t mean God replaced Israel with something else! It means God is faithful to preserve His true people within the nation He chose.
The Olive Tree: A Picture You Can’t Ignore
Now we come to one of the most powerful illustrations in all of Scripture. Starting in verse 16, Paul uses the picture of an olive tree. And friend, you need to understand this image if you’re going to get Romans 11 right.
The root of the tree is the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The trunk is the covenant promises God made to them. The original branches are ethnic Israel. And here’s what happened: some of those natural branches were broken off because of unbelief.
But—and please hear this carefully—the tree itself remains Israel’s tree. The root is still Israel’s root. The promises are still Israel’s promises.
Now, God in His incredible mercy has grafted in wild olive branches—that’s us Gentiles who believe in Jesus. We’ve been brought into the blessing of Abraham by faith. We get to partake of the richness of that root. Praise God for that!
But does that mean we’ve replaced the natural branches? Listen to verse 18: “Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.”
In other words: Gentile believer, don’t you DARE get arrogant and say the church has replaced Israel. You’re grafted INTO their tree! You’re partaking of THEIR covenant! You’re blessed because of promises God made to THEM!
And here’s where it gets even better. Verses 23-24 tell us that the natural branches—Jewish people who currently don’t believe—can be grafted back in! “For God is able to graft them in again.”
Now let me ask you something: if the church permanently replaced Israel, if all those Old Testament promises now belong exclusively to Gentile believers, then what in the world is Paul talking about when he says God will graft the natural branches back into their own tree?
The Mystery Paul Couldn’t Keep Quiet
Starting in verse 25, Paul reveals what he calls a “mystery.” And when Scripture uses that word, it means something that was hidden in the Old Testament but is now being revealed. Listen to this:
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved.”
Did you catch that? A partial hardening has come upon Israel UNTIL the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. This is temporary! It’s not permanent!
And then—get this—”all Israel shall be saved.”
Now, I know the covenant theologians try to make “all Israel” mean “all the elect, both Jew and Gentile.” But Paul has spent three chapters distinguishing between Israel and the Gentiles. He’s been talking about ethnic, national Israel the whole time. Suddenly, in the climactic verse, he’s going to change definitions? Come on!
Paul is prophesying a future day when the nation of Israel will look on the One they pierced and recognize Jesus as their Messiah. Zechariah 12:10 prophesied it. Jesus Himself referred to it in Matthew 23:39 when He said, “Ye shall not see Me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
There’s coming a day—and I believe we’re seeing the stage being set right now—when the Jewish people will cry out to their Messiah, and “a fountain shall be opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness” (Zechariah 13:1).
What About Genesis 12:3?
Now, some of you are thinking, “But what about modern-day Israel? Should we support them politically?”
Let me be clear about something: the modern state of Israel is not perfect. It’s a secular state with the same problems any nation has. We don’t support Israel blindly or uncritically.
But here’s what I DO believe: the regathering of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland after 2,000 years of dispersion is one of the most remarkable fulfilled prophecies of our time. God promised through the prophets that He would bring them back to the land. “And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them” (Amos 9:14).
Frederick the Great once asked his chaplain, “Can you give me proof that the Bible is inspired and infallible?” The chaplain gave one word: “The Jew, sire.”
Think about it! What other ancient people has been scattered to the four corners of the earth for two millennia and then regathered as a nation? The Moabites are gone. The Edomites are gone. The Assyrians are gone. But the Jews remain!
That’s not an accident. That’s providence. That’s God keeping His covenant.
Now, does Genesis 12:3—”I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee”—mean we should give Israel a blank check for everything they do? Of course not. But it does mean we should recognize that the Jewish people are still the apple of God’s eye (Zechariah 2:8), and their future is not forgotten in God’s plan.
The Hermeneutical Heart of the Matter
Here’s what it really comes down to, friend: how do you interpret Scripture?
When God made promises to Abraham about land—specific, geographic land with defined boundaries—did He mean it literally, or did He mean something spiritual? When He promised David that his descendant would sit on his throne and rule forever, was that a literal throne in Jerusalem, or is it somehow fulfilled by Jesus sitting at the Father’s right hand in heaven?
When Ezekiel describes in precise detail the boundaries of the land Israel will possess, the tribes and their allotments, the river flowing from the temple—is all that allegory? Or did God mean what He said?
I’ll tell you where I stand: when God speaks about spiritual things, I take Him spiritually. When He speaks about literal, physical, geographic realities, I take Him literally. And when He makes unconditional promises—no “ifs,” no conditions—I believe He keeps them, period.
The covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 15 was ratified by God alone. Abraham was asleep! God walked between the pieces by Himself. That means the fulfillment doesn’t depend on Abraham’s faithfulness or Israel’s obedience. It depends on God’s faithfulness alone.
And friend, if God can break His promise to Israel because they sinned, then He can break His promise to you. Your security in Christ depends on the same unchanging character of God that guarantees Israel’s future.
The Pride That Precedes a Fall
Romans 11:20 gives us a sobering warning: “Be not highminded, but fear.”
The church in history has a shameful track record when it comes to the Jewish people. Once we started teaching that God was finished with Israel, that the church had replaced them, it was a short step to persecution, pogroms, and ultimately the Holocaust.
When you tell people that God has cast off the Jews because of their unbelief, you give theological cover for anti-Semitism. I’m not saying everyone who holds to covenant theology is anti-Semitic—of course not! But ideas have consequences.
And here’s what Paul says: if God didn’t spare the natural branches, don’t think He won’t remove you too if you fall into unbelief. The same God who broke off unbelieving Israel can break off unbelieving Gentiles.
That should keep us humble. That should keep us on our knees.
The Doxology of Awe
Look at how Paul ends this section, starting in verse 33:
“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been His counsellor? Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”
When Paul contemplates God’s plan for Israel and the nations, he doesn’t end with smug certainty that he’s figured it all out. He ends in worship! He ends in wonder! He ends acknowledging that God’s ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts.
You see, there are mysteries here we may not fully understand until we see Him face to face. But one thing is certain: God is faithful. God keeps His word. God finishes what He starts.
And if He made promises to Israel—and He did—then He will keep those promises. Not because Israel deserves it. Not because they’ve earned it. But because He is faithful.
A Word to My Covenant Theology Friends
Now, I want to speak with respect and love to my brothers and sisters who hold to covenant theology and amillennialism. Many of you love Jesus deeply. Many of you have taught me so much about God’s grace. I’m not questioning your salvation or your love for Scripture.
But I am asking you to reconsider: when you read the Old Testament prophecies about Israel’s restoration, their return to the land, the nations coming to Jerusalem to worship, the Messiah reigning from David’s throne—do you honestly believe those are being fulfilled in the church age?
When you spiritualize those prophecies, aren’t you using a different hermeneutical method than you use for the rest of Scripture? When prophecies about the Messiah’s first coming were fulfilled literally—born in Bethlehem, crucified on a cross, raised on the third day—why would prophecies about His second coming and kingdom be fulfilled only spiritually?
I’m simply asking you to be consistent. Let Scripture interpret Scripture. Let God’s promises be yes and amen in Christ—but don’t empty them of their specific, literal content in the process.
The Faithful God Who Keeps Covenant
As we close, I want you to understand what’s really at stake in this whole debate.
It’s not just about Israel. It’s not just about end-times charts and prophecy conferences.
It’s about the character of God.
Either God is faithful to keep His unconditional covenant promises, or He’s not. Either His word can be trusted absolutely, or it can’t. Either He completes what He begins, or He doesn’t.
And friend, the same God who made promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God who made promises to you in Christ. The same God who said He would never utterly cast away Israel is the God who said He would never leave you nor forsake you.
If He can be trusted with one, He can be trusted with the other.
So when I read Romans 9-11, I don’t just see a theological treatise about Israel’s future. I see a window into God’s unfailing love. I see His patience with rebellious people. I see His faithfulness even when we’re faithless. I see His sovereignty working all things together—yes, even Israel’s temporary hardening—for the greater glory of His name and the salvation of the nations.
And I see hope. Hope that God finishes what He starts. Hope that His purposes cannot be thwarted. Hope that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord—including the Jewish people who first rejected Him.
“For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Romans 11:29). He doesn’t change His mind. He doesn’t take back what He’s given. He doesn’t cancel His covenant.
And that, friend, should make you shout for joy. Because if God is that faithful to Israel despite all their failures, how much more faithful will He be to you who are in Christ?
To God Alone Be the Glory
I want to close by thanking God for those who have devoted their lives to the faithful study of His Word. I thank Him for scholars and pastors who refuse to bend Scripture to fit popular opinion. I thank Him for those who are willing to stand alone if necessary, trusting that God’s Word is sufficient and true.
The mysteries of God’s plan for Israel and the nations are deep—deeper than any of us can fully fathom. But we can trust the God whose wisdom is unsearchable and whose ways are past finding out.
So whether you’re reading this as a Jewish person wondering if God still has a plan for your people—yes, He does! His covenant with you stands firm.
Or if you’re a Gentile believer grateful to be grafted into the rich root of Abraham—rejoice in God’s mercy, and never forget whose tree you’re part of.
Or if you’re someone who’s been taught that God is finished with Israel and you’re wrestling with what Scripture actually says—I encourage you: keep studying. Keep reading. Keep praying. Let Scripture speak for itself.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not about winning an argument. It’s about knowing the God who is faithful, who keeps covenant, who never abandons His people, and who will one day bring all His promises to glorious fulfillment.
To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
I wish to acknowledge the faithful teaching and scholarship of pastors and theologians who have stood firm on the literal interpretation of God’s prophetic Word, particularly regarding His unchanging covenant with Israel. May we all follow their example of reverence for Scripture and willingness to let God’s Word speak plainly, even when it challenges prevailing theological trends.*
