A Reflection on Israel and the Reading of Scripture
How Humility Before the Word of God Brings Unity
Drawn from a forthcoming essay in The American Spectator and adapted from an earlier white paper, Engrafted, Not Replaced, for Third Millennium Ministries. Here is my article for The American Spectator: Israel, the Church, and the Unraveling of Conservative Unity. In my latest essay for The American Spectator, I examine how the contemporary debate over Israel and the Church exposes a deeper crisis of conservative unity—and why restoring a biblical view of covenant might help mend the divide.
I pray this meditation helps us read the Word more faithfully—so that truth may lead us toward unity, or at least toward humility before God.
The Question That Divides—and Reveals
Few words stir as much heat—and sometimes as little light—as Israel. The word is radiant with promise and history, yet it has become a fault line among Christians and conservatives.
Let me begin by clarifying what I am not addressing. I am not speaking to the pundit class or podcast celebrities who irresponsibly host, or silently condone, antisemitism, racism, or unbiblical distortions of manhood. Free speech demands moral responsibility, and some voices have grown increasingly reckless—ideas I cannot endorse and, in truth, deeply detest as unworthy of those who name the name of Christ.
Nor am I writing about the confused foreign-policy theories that ignore global threats to liberty and human dignity. Having served much of my life during the Cold War, in part within military intelligence, I understand the grave work required to defend our people against Communist and Islamist ideologies that seek our destruction. Those subjects deserve their own treatment in a later column.
What I am addressing here is the theological misunderstanding surrounding the term Israel: the resurfacing confusion over the relationship between Gentile believers (engrafted into “true Israel” by grace through faith in Christ), Messianic Jews (ethnic Israelites who believe in Jesus as Messiah), and ethnic Jewish unbelievers (those who remain within the covenant of Abraham yet do not confess Christ).
The deepest tension, however, is not over what the Bible says but how we read it. Augustine warned that many errors fade when we “see the whole” (De Doctrina Christiana 2.14). William Perkins, the Puritan theologian, wrote in The Art of Prophesying (1607) that faithful interpretation allows Scripture to interpret Scripture.
Before we debate headlines or policies, we must ask the older question: Which Israel do we mean? For Scripture speaks of Israel in more than one sense, and each carries its own theological weight. The Hebrews were chosen by God and granted the promise of being a people, possessing a land, and bearing a covenant of grace that would bring forth Jesus for the world. When Christ came, some believed; many did not. Saul persecuted the followers of Christ, even as the risen Lord made him an apostle to the Gentiles. Jesus condemned unbelief, yet His first disciples and preachers were Jews. So, yes—it is complex. But it is not convoluted. Simply comparing Scripture with Scripture reveals a coherent story. Let us begin there.
Israel According to the Flesh: The Covenant Nation
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples … and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5–6).
The first and most immediate sense in which Scripture speaks of Israel is that of the historic covenant nation—the descendants of Jacob, chosen by God’s electing mercy to bear His promises into the world. This is the Israel according to the flesh (1 Corinthians 10:18), a people called to holiness and mission through covenant obedience.
They were not chosen because of power or merit: “It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set His love on you . . . but because the Lord loves you” (Deuteronomy 7:7–8). Election was not an accolade but a vocation. From Abraham’s call to Moses’ covenant, Israel’s story is the seedbed of redemption—the soil from which the Messiah would spring.
Israel was to embody holiness before a watching world—a kingdom of priests mediating divine truth to the nations. The Law, the Temple, and the sacrifices all foreshadowed grace. Paul later summarized their distinction: “Theirs is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises … and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ” (Romans 9:4–5).
Israel in Dispersion: The People Preserved
“Thus says the Lord … ‘If this fixed order departs from before me,’ declares the Lord, ‘then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever’” (Jeremiah 31:35–36).
When Israel fell into disobedience, judgment came. Yet even in exile, God’s covenant mercy held firm. Across centuries of scattering and persecution, the Jewish people remained distinct—a living testimony that the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).
The prophets promised restoration: “I will bring them back to this land … and they shall be my people, and I will be their God” (Jeremiah 24:7). In every age, the diaspora has borne witness to the faithfulness of God, who keeps His word even amid unbelief. The continued existence of Israel, against all odds, is not merely history—it is providence.
Israel of Faith: The People Engrafted in Christ
“Not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel” (Romans 9:6).
With the coming of Christ, the covenant widened without breaking. The root remained the same; the branches multiplied. Gentiles were not intruders but “wild olive shoots grafted in among the others” (Romans 11:17). The promise to Abraham—“In you shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3)—was fulfilled in Christ and extended to all who believe.
This engrafting did not abolish the Law; it fulfilled it (Matthew 5:17). It did not erase Israel; it enlarged her spiritual boundaries. Those united to Christ by faith are now heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:29). The dividing wall has fallen (Ephesians 2:14–16); the one covenant of grace continues under a new and greater Mediator.
The Church, therefore, is not a substitute for Israel but the covenant community brought to maturity in Christ—the Israel of faith, redeemed and renewed by the Spirit, with the Law written on the heart (Jeremiah 31:33).
The Misnomer of “Replacement Theology”
“It is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you” (Romans 11:18).
The accusation of replacement theology misunderstands the nature of God’s covenant. The Church has not replaced Israel; she has been grafted into her promises. The term itself arose late, shaped by modern dispensationalism.
Scripture teaches one unfolding covenant of grace, not two separate plans. The Gospel does not replace the Law but fulfills it; Christ does not discard Israel but redeems her calling. The Westminster Confession affirms this unity: “It is one and the same covenant under various dispensations” (WCF VII.6).
Christ is the true seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16). Through Him, the nations are not usurpers but heirs. The melody of redemption began in Abraham and now resounds in the Church—a harmony, not a substitution.
Typology and the Sacred Pattern
Israel’s history is revelation in motion, her story a divine parable of grace.
The Exodus reveals redemption (Exodus 12–14; 1 Corinthians 10:1–4).
The Wilderness portrays sanctification (Deuteronomy 8:2–3; Hebrews 3:7–11).
The Promised Land points to rest in grace (Joshua 21:43–45; Hebrews 4:8–11).
The Law, the prophets, and the promises all converge on Christ, who is both the substance and the fulfillment of Israel’s hope. The outward nation prepared the way for the inward kingdom—the Kingdom that “is not of this world” yet transforms it from within.
Modern Israel: Providence in the Present
“Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations … and will bring them to their own land. And one king shall be king over them all” (Ezekiel 37:21–22).
The reestablishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948, after centuries of exile and unspeakable suffering, remains a remarkable providence. While interpretations differ, many see in it a partial echo of Ezekiel’s prophecy—a shadow of restoration that anticipates ultimate fulfillment in the reign of Christ.
As Matthew Henry observed: “These promises of the happy state of the Jews … have a further reference to the kingdom of the Messiah and the glories of gospel-times.” Dr. Lamar Cooper agreed, noting that Ezekiel’s vision holds both immediate and future dimensions. Prophecy often unfolds in layers: partial, historical fulfillments that point toward eternal completion.
The people of God are called not to speculation but to study—reading the times by the light of Scripture. The Westminster Confession reminds us that “the infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself,” and Calvin taught that the Spirit “has everywhere plainly delivered what was necessary to be known.”
Thus, Israel’s preservation and restoration remind us that God’s faithfulness endures. The same Lord who regathers the exiles will one day gather His redeemed from every nation, until “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ” (Revelation 11:15).
From Prophecy to Confession
If we read the times with the same reverence that we read the text, we will see prophecy drawing the eye heavenward—to the King whose reign is already present though not yet perfected. The modern gathering of the Jewish people, the mission of the Church, and the promise of Christ’s return all declare one truth: God is faithful.
That faithfulness calls for a response, not of speculation but of confession. To confess is to turn interpretation into worship, doctrine into doxology. From Ezekiel’s vision to the covenant of grace fulfilled in Christ, we move from exegesis to adoration—from the mystery of Israel to the majesty of God.
An Affirmation and a Benediction
Therefore—reading the Scriptures according to context and covenant—we affirm the historic people of God and their historic promised land, Israel.
We confess that our Lord Jesus Christ was born of Hebrew descent (Matthew 1:1–2; Luke 3:23–34), lived under the Law (Galatians 4:4), and fulfilled it perfectly—accomplishing righteousness and bearing the penalty of sin (Romans 5:19; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
We recognize that all who believe in Christ are drawn into the one covenant of grace which came through ethnic Israel but now embraces every nation, tribe, and tongue (Romans 10:12–13; Revelation 7:9).
We love and pray for the Jewish people, for through them came the Gospel—not a new religion but the glorious fulfillment of God’s ancient promises (Romans 3:2; 9:4–5). We support and encourage the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who have returned to their ancestral land and who, as a vibrant democracy in the Middle East, bear witness to courage and liberty amid turmoil. When we speak critically, we do so as friends—indeed as family, sons and daughters addressing fathers and mothers in faith.
Misunderstanding can divide us; the study of the Word can unite us. May our differences lead not to estrangement but to deeper growth in the grace and truth of our Lord Jesus Christ—until all is fulfilled and “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ” (Revelation 11:15).
Such love—for the Lord and His purposes, for those who first brought us the Gospel, for one another, and supremely for our Redeemer, Jesus Christ—and such humble commitment to the Word of God, approached in faith and reverence, will surely bring the promise of blessing:
“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! … For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore” (Psalm 133:1, 3).
And, oh, how we need that blessing now—more than ever.
Regarding Israel, the Bible teaches engraftment, not replacement; continuity, not cancellation.
—Michael A. Milton
The following file is “Table 1. Biblical Uses of ‘Israel’ and Their Theological Relationships
“To aid reflection, the following summary distinguishes the major biblical uses of the term ‘Israel’ and shows how each sense contributes to the Christian understanding of the one covenant of grace.” The file may be downloaded and used as a resource for personal study, teaching, and small group studies.
Works Cited
The Holy Bible. English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2001.
Augustine of Hippo. On Christian Doctrine (De Doctrina Christiana). Translated by D. W. Robertson, Jr. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1958.
Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Edited by John T. McNeill. Translated by Ford Lewis Battles. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1960.
Cooper, Lamar E. Ezekiel. Vol. 17 in The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1994.
Henry, Matthew. Commentary on the Whole Bible. Vol. 4: Isaiah to Malachi. London, 1710.
Milton, Michael A. “Engrafted, Not Replaced.” Reformed Perspectives Magazine 10, no. 10 (March 2–8, 2008).
Perkins, William. The Art of Prophesying, with The Calling of the Ministry. 1607. Reprint, Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1996.
The Westminster Confession of Faith. Glasgow: Free Presbyterian Publications, 2003.
Editorial Note:
Hyperlinks are provided for reader reference and accessibility. Original print editions and pagination may vary by source. Scripture citations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.
The images used are in the public domain.
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