The Israel of God: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

O. Palmer Robertson points out clearly that the Church today, made up of JEWS AND GENTILES who have become saved by the grace of God through the shed blood of Christ are in deed the ISRAEL OF GOD. This book does a GREAT job of pointing out this truth. Get the book and read it for yourself. This book is the best, but other great works are "Jesus and Israel" by Holwerda and hot off the press "A Case for Amillennialism: Understanding End Times" by Kim Riddlebarger. Stay away from the "Left Behind" series; it is not based on Biblical truth!


The Israel of God   November 28, 2001
Dennis M. Swanson (Santa Clarita, CA)
23 out of 35 found this review helpful

The ongoing political struggles in the land of Israel continue to be cause of great concern for world leaders and a never-ending source of material for modern prophecy "experts." The "prophecy by current event" genre of literature creates a great deal of excitement, sells a lot of books and now even creates movie screenplays. Fortunately a more safe and sane approach to prophetic matters still is to be found where the Scriptures are examined carefully and thoroughly.

One such book is this effort from the longtime professor of Old Testament at Knox Seminary. Robertson has examined the concept of "The Israel of God" from five directions: Land, People, Worship, Lifestyle, the Coming of the Kingdom and a detailed examination of Romans 11. He concludes with a series of 12 propositions that summarize the key points of his thesis. He affirms the standard amillennial viewpoint that, "the promised messianic kingdom of Jesus Christ has come" (195).

In keeping with the amillennial perspective Robertson takes the view that the Land of Israel. He makes a strong presentation that any theological viewpoint that sees a restoration of Israel to the land or Christ reigning in an earthly kingdom is a "retrogression" (31) and views those of us who believe and teach that viewpoint as becoming a "primary tool in misdirecting their [Jewish people's] faith and expectation" (ibid). He affirms that the "in the realm of new covenant fulfillments, the land has expanded to encompass the whole world" (ibid). In doing this Robertson seems to have abandoned his previously published view that the land promises to Israel were previously fulfilled in the reign of Solomon (Understanding the Land of the Bible [Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1996], 9, 19). Interesting as well, is that he never deals with the key New Covenant passage, Jeremiah 31 in relation to either God's affirmation of the perpetuity of Israel (35-37) or the geographic expansion of Jerusalem (38-40). In relation to the land issue, while Robertson notes several works, he fails to interact with the important work by Robert L. Wilkin, The Land Called Holy: Palestine in Christian History and Thought (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992) or Israel: The Land and the People, edited by H. Wayne House (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1998); both of which would challenge his thesis at several levels.

In dealing with the subject of the People, Robertson presents a detailed explanation of Galatians 6:16 and all of the possible interpretations. While we would disagree with his conclusion (that Jews and Gentiles combined constitute the Israel of God), even if his interpretation were correct it seems that he is attempting to pack far too much theological freight into an admittedly difficult and somewhat obscure phrase.

The final two chapters (the Coming Kingdom and Romans 11) are a natural continuation of the author's amillennial presentation. He postulates that since "Israel" is rarely mentioned in the Book of Revelation that he states, "Nowhere in this book are the Jewish people described as having a distinctive part in this kingdom" (165). However, in the totality of Scripture passages abound that discuss the distinct role of Israel in the future kingdom (Is. 61:6 et al). In dealing with Romans 11, Robertson asserts that, "nothing in this chapter says anything about the restoration of an earthly Davidic kingdom, or of a return to the land of the Bible, or of a restoration of a national state of Israel" (191). While that may be true, the chapter does say, "the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29). Romans 11 makes it clear that God is not through with Israel as a people and yet in the future the totality of all the promises made to national and physical Israel will be fulfilled in a national and physical manner.

Despite the clear disagreements we would have with the conclusions of this work, it remains a worthy addition to the library of those who are studying this important theological subject. It will certainly become a standard text for those affirming Covenant Theology and an amillennial approach to Biblical eschatology that cannot be ignored by those who affirm dispensational hermeneutics and premillennialism.


Stimulating & serious, flawed by neglect of Puritan writing.   September 15, 2005
Charles Soper (London)
16 out of 22 found this review helpful

O. Palmer Robertson has won wide critical acclaim for his seminal examination of the Divine Covenants, `The Christ of the Covenants', and recently for his work `the Christ of the Prophets'. His evangelical credentials are solid. This makes his trenchant assertion in this work, that unbelieving Israel's return to her land is unforeseen by Scripture (p 194) and one which `may be expected to perish, as all other nations have perished in due time' (p112) all the more chilling.

The `Israel of God' examines changes in the concept of Israel between the testaments. He devotes chapters to the land, the people, their worship, pilgrim lifestyle and especially its kingdom. He concludes with an exposition of Romans 11 and then crystallises the book with 12 propositions. It is a studious and detailed work. He repeatedly denies advocating `replacement theology'. He helpfully refutes a dispensational view of Israel, always parallel to but persistently separate from the church, and for which a future return to Levitical forms of worship is legitimate. His main burden is to demonstrate that by fulfilling the Sinaitic shadows and types, Christ has irreversibly broken down the partition between Jew and Gentile. Jesus the Messiah is the only valid priest and sacrifice. To this, most Christian readers will heartily concur.

The problem arises from the conflation of Abrahamic and Sinatic covenants derived from his earlier work. This is especially evident in his handling of the land promise, which he treats as merely a covenant shadow (p13). He compares the belief that Israel's land should remain the focus of the covenant of grace, to an expectation that the shadow of the brass serpent on the stake, or Jacob's ladder might be replaced by a bigger and better one (p5,6)! This is to confuse the substance of the promise with the signs that accompany it, an error we would not expect from a theologian of his stature. Did the birth of the Messiah resulted in the disappearance of Isaac from Heaven? Isaac was the down payment of the promise of a seed. He was the beginning of the substance of the promise, not merely a sign to be dispensed with.

In a similar vein, he dismisses expectation of a return to the land as similar to expectation of a restoration of the Temple and its sacrifices (p17), a dismal event heralding only the end. This is to confuse the grace Covenant with Abraham, which stands as the foundation stone of the Gospel (Rom.4.3, Gal.3.14) with the law Covenant at Sinai, which was clothed in the symbols of an ineffective Levitical mediation. The land was the focus of the covenant promise to the patriarch, as much as the seed. It was to the land, as Robertson concedes (p.23) to which all three patriarchs and Joseph committed their dust. Why? if their expectation was only Heavenly? Is it not because the land belongs by merit to our Emmanuel (Isa.8.8,10)? It is a special down payment for the whole cosmos (Rom.4.13).
Whilst all will agree that Israel's land was to the patriarchs a token of Heavenly realities, it also remains an inalienable necessity to unbelieving Israel's nationhood.

To dismiss the land focus of God's gracious covenant with Abraham as a shadow that has already flown, is to discount the numerous prophecies of a NT restoration of the Jews to statehood, in which the Puritans and their heirs so delighted, e.g. Jer.31.35-7. It also paves the way for the growing Christian strain of anti-Zionism, a virulent and mutated form of anti-Semitism.

His handling of Ezekiel 37 is especially illuminating. Space forbids analysis, but it is impossible to squeeze into this prophecy the notion that Israel must repent before return. Given there must be some delay between the restoration and the repentance, are we not living in such days today? Should we not more ardently pray for that promised Wind to fall upon enfleshed but lifeless bones? Why then is the church growing faithless and high-minded towards national Israel? Why is she joining unbelievers in over harshly condemning Israel's acts on the partial foundation of international law, tilted by oil and religious interests? Is she not too in danger of despising the Law of God?

His exposition of Romans 11 will be easily critiqued by readers familiar with the weightier, historic commentators. He leans heavily on the flawed Aleph and B manuscripts by inserting a third `now' into v. 30-31. This enfeebles and enervates the glorious mystery of v 25, as Lloyd-Jones reminds us.

This work is a potent stimulant to critically ponder vital issues, issues likely to grow in importance and heat in the near future. It contains welcome redress to the dispensationalism that too often dominates discussion of Israel's future. However this reviewer found himself sharply at odds with 5 of Robertson's concluding propositions (3-5 and 9 & 10).


Great Book! ... 5 Stars!!   May 4, 2006
Gedjalek (Pittsburgh)
9 out of 13 found this review helpful

The Christian Church is indeed the true Israel of God. It's what the bible is all about. O. Palmer Robertson is correct on all counts.

The word "Israel" was first used when God changed Jacob's name to "Israel", meaning "a man conquered, or who strives with God".
That is why a true "Israelite" is someone who comes to God by FAITH in HIS promises and through JESUS CHRIST. Not someone who is merely of the physical Descent, or bloodlines. This is what God ALWAYS meant by "Israelite", even in the Old Testament.

It is not 'Replacement Theology' as so many uniformed people love to call it-----it is actually 'Continuance Theology'.

I'm glad that O. Palmer Robertson wrote this book, and I cheer on anyone else who attempts to educate Christians with these truths.

It's high time Christians stood up and faced down the foolish liberal theology of Dispensationalism. Yes, LIBERAL. This ridiculous theology (Dispensationalism) only came into being as recently as the early 1800's. It is NOT fundamental, nor is it conservative. It is the complete opposite, and the so-called 'Evangelical Christians' of today need to realize this. Hopefully Mr. Robertson with this book has made some headway in this regard.
I rate this 5 stars.....10 if it were possible.

(I rated it 5 stars but the page didn't load properly and somehow it was changed to 2 stars, which is not the rating I gave it, so ignore the 2 star rating if they haven't fixed it)