THE CHURCH AND ISRAEL ARE THE SAME
Is the church different and separate from Israel? Is the church detached from Israel? Are there separate sets of laws for the church and Israel—if they are all different and distinct? When did the church start—was it in the period of Acts of the Apostles or before? This short article will examine the Scriptures to clarify this false doctrine: the church is different and separate from Israel.
When I talk to people about keeping God’s commandment in the Bible, I get greeted with different responses. Responses like these instructions are for the Israelites and not Christians; this instruction is for a different dispensation, not the current dispensation. I am sure you have seen the “this commandment is only for the Israelites” card played time and time and again. This card (this commandment is only for the Israelites) has been a point of contention for an extended period and, it is often used as an intelligent chip to get around keeping the instructions of God. In this article, we will take a look at what the Scriptures say. Is Israel different and separate from the church? Are there separate sets of laws for the Israelites and Gentiles? Have the Gentiles now replaced Israel?
People who want to find a way not to keep God’s commandments use this chip (this commandment is only for the Israelites) to play games with the Most High God. But how cool is it to play this card? At the end of this article, you will discover that playing this card is a deception from the enemy so that people can sin by not keeping the commandments of the Most High God. Anyone making an excuse by stating that there are separate sets of laws for the Israelites and the Gentiles is removing his portion in the coming Kingdom of God. Let us begin.
Although addressed to the Israelites, several passages in the Bible are meant for all people who want to obey and serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Israel is the Priest chosen to deliver the counsel of God to all people and generations. Through Abraham, all the nations of the earth would be blessed. God has to deliver His counsel through a medium—and Israel is the unique medium chosen to accomplish this. However, some have argued that the church is different and separate from Israel—this is ignorance! How do we know that the church is the same as Israel? Watch this:
ACTS 7:38
“This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:”
The term church was derived from the Greek word ekklesia—meaning the called-out ones. The church did not start in Acts of the Apostles but the wilderness. Anyone who has accepted the God of Abraham as his (her) God is part of the church (Israel). It would be unscriptural to think that the church is separate from Israel. God makes no distinction between the natural-born Israelite and non-natural born Israelite when it comes to the standard He expects. Watch this:
Exodus 12: 47-49
“47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. 49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.”
The church is Israel and all who have faithfully accepted and served the God of Israel, and one standard applies to all. God does not expect a relaxed standard from non-native born Israelites.
Let us explore different passages of the Bible to see that God makes no distinction between a natural-born Israelite and a non-natural born Israelite.
ISRAELITES AND STRANGERS—ALL EXPECTED TO DEMONSTRATE HIGH STANDARD
EXODUS 20:10
“But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:”
EXODUS 23:12
“Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.”
DEUTERONOMY 5:14
“14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.”
DEUTERONOMY 16:11-14
“11 And thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to place his name there. 12 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes. 13 Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine: 14 And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.”
ISAIAH 14:1
“For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.”
God makes no distinction between a natural-born Israelite and a stranger; one instruction applies to all of them. If a stranger wants to serve and partake in the Lord’s feast days—Feast of Tabernacles in the above text (Deuteronomy 16:11-14), they must do like natural-born Israelites. The Most High God makes no distinction here; He expects the same standard from everyone. God welcomes people of all races to come and serve him, and the only requirement is that the instructions He has given to the Israelites are for the stranger as well—one standard applies to all.
Further, there are situations where God distinguishes between the stranger and native-born Israelite, and these are exceptional circumstances like services of the tabernacles. Services of the tabernacle and other sacred services, not all Israelites have been designated to undertake that; in such situations, the Most High God is clear. Let us see an example:
NUMBERS 18:23-24
“23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. 24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.”
NUMBERS 1:51
“51 And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.”
Sacred services, even in Israel, not everyone is permitted to handle that. However, in terms of living a sanctified (set apart) and holy life, God expects everyone to obey his commandments. One standard of the Most High’s moral laws for both Israelites and strangers.
Therefore, we can see that the church is Israel, and it started in the wilderness. The disciples in Acts of the Apostles, who people wrongly think started the church, were the descendants of the church in the wilderness; the church—the called-out ones—began in the wilderness. Therefore, the church is Israel and Israel is the church. Anyone who has faithfully accepted and is serving the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has become a spiritual Israelite and is part of Israel—part of the Church. Don’t be confused with the different names of sects and Christian groups we have today.
The false idea that the church is separate and different from Israel has led to many other false doctrines. Example:
- The church (which people wrongly believe is separate and different from Israel) is given Sunday as a day of worship, while Israel is given the Saturday Sabbath.
- The church (Christians) can keep Easter, Christmas etc., while Israel must keep the feast days mentioned in Leviticus 23. This understanding is false.
If people want to play the card “this commandment is only for the Israelites”, why don’t they do that with the tithing law? Remember, the tithing law was written to the Israelites and, Malachi was only sent to remind Israel of what they were supposed to do. Israel was also reminded not to forget the entire laws of Moses, not just the tithing law.
MALACHI 4:4
“Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.”
SUMMARY
In summary, the church is Israel and Israel is the church. Anyone who has accepted and is faithfully serving the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has become a spiritual Israelite and is part of Israel—part of the Church. The Church is no different from Israel. The term “Spiritual Israelites”, of course, is not a term found in the scriptures but used loosely to denote that people are welcome to serve the God of the Israelites.
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Good day,
Thank you for this explanation.
Please could you do away with the word FOOLISH and FOOLISHLY going forward.
thank you.
flora
Thanks Flora for your comment. This is noted and we will amend the article to reflect your your suggestion. Many thanks!
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I am hoping you will help. Where can we find a church that is following sound scripture as you outline? There are so many false prophets and unsound churches, some reaching cult status. Thank you for your help!
I tried to communicate this to a Sunday school group this morning using One new Man, the One Olive tree, the Renewed Covenant, and thus all Israel will be saved. I emphasized that the Church is Israel too. He thought I was going on about the church replacing Israel. I said no, to start off, you must be born again, it does not matter who you are or what group your with, we all are One Israel. My pastor told me to stop saying the Church and Israel are One. “Stop saying that”. He wants me to just say we are all One in Christ, so I agreed in order to keep peace. My pastor knows what this means and he don’t like it. Hey, what can I say? He told me to follow Christ and to follow God, this is where it’s leading to.