Does Scripture ever refer to Jesus as “Israel?”

3rd Semester / Week 1

(To listen to this study on YouTube, click here)

Hopefully last semester was quite interesting, however, is it possible it was all just a cleverly derived yet incorrect theological guess? Perhaps we’ve gone too far? Perhaps we’ve gone “beyond what is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6)? Does Scripture ever actually directly teach the concept that there’s a connection between Jesus and Israel, and thus a connection between the Church and Israel?

Dispensationalists have basically implied that the Church was “plan B.” This line of thinking began with Darby’s commentary on Acts 3:17-21 which describes the return of Jesus as being dependent upon Israel’s acceptance of Him, which would imply that if they’d accepted Him before the creation of the Church then it might not have appeared. This belief in two separate plans was further entrenched with Scofield’s belief that God supposedly had two separate Kingdoms: one for “Israel” called “the Kingdom of God” which had been offered to them until Matthew 12, and the other for the “Church” called “the Kingdom of Heaven” which was offered to us after Matthew 13. They believe Jesus made a legitimate offer of “the Kingdom of God” to Israel, yet because they rejected it, Jesus supposedly has to wait for them to accept Him as “King” in order for their “Kingdom” to arrive. They’ve taught that in the meantime, the “mystery” revealed in the New Testament was the creation of an entirely new and completely separate entity called the “Church.” Yet is the “Church” really separate from “Israel?”

Fortunately the erroneous belief in two separate Kingdoms is easily refuted, and is even admitted by some modern dispensationalists. Also, as we’ve previously seen, in order for someone to cling tightly to the key tenant of dispensationalism and try to always divide the Church and Israel, many passages of Scripture have to be ignored or altered. It’s therefore time to evaluate a few more important passages from Isaiah:

“Listen, O coastlands, to Me [Jesus],

And take heed, you peoples from afar!

The Lord [God the Father] has called Me [Jesus] from the womb;

From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name [Jesus]…

“And He said to Me [Jesus],

*** ‘YOU [Jesus] are MY SERVANT, O ISRAEL, ***

In whom I [God the Father] will be glorified…’

Indeed He [God the Father] says,

‘It is too small a thing that You [Jesus] should be My Servant

To raise up the tribes of Jacob [physical descendants of Jacob],

And to restore the preserved ones of Israel [the Remnant, those who place their faith in the promised Redeemer, per Romans 9:6].

I will also give You [Jesus] as a light to the GENTILES,

That You [Jesus] should be My salvation to the ends of the earth,’ ” (Isaiah 49:1-6).

This passage is one of four “Servant Songs” found in Isaiah, and each of them refers to Jesus. Not only does this passage directly refer to Jesus as Israel (“You are My Servant… Israel”), but it proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that God’s plan from the beginning was that Jesus would redeem the nations (Gentiles) to the Father. This can be seen from the statement, “I will also give You [Jesus] as a light to the GENTILES, That You [Jesus] should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.” As that passage teaches, it really would’ve been “too small a thing” if Jesus had only been sent to save the descendants of Jacob and his nation of the fleshly Israel. It should also be obvious that Jesus is the only “salvation” that God offers to us, therefore Jesus is undeniably the primary subject of that passage. Again, it said, “You should be my salvation to the ends of the earth.” Who else could that possibly be other than Jesus? No one. And then that person was called “Israel” when it was said, “You are my servant, O Israel.” Since Jesus is the only salvation then God has clearly referred to Him in that passage as “Israel.”

To further confirm exactly who God’s “Servant” was, as well as to verify that His plan all along was to also save Gentiles, we can see even more evidence by looking back to another Christ-centered “Servant Song” in Isaiah 42,

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,

My Elect One in whom My soul delights!

I have put My Spirit upon Him;

He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles…

He will not fail nor be discouraged,

Till He has established justice in the earth;

And the coastlands shall wait for His law [Jesus is the new Law-giver].”

Thus says God the Lord…,

“I, the Lord, have called You [Jesus] in righteousness,

And will hold Your hand;

I will keep You and give You [Jesus] as a COVENANT to the people,

As A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES,” (Isaiah 42:1-6).

We see that Jesus was to “bring forth justice to the Gentiles” and He was given as a “covenant to the people” when He established the more glorious “New Covenant” which is the new Law given to God’s people. Interestingly, Jeremiah 31:31-33 had predicted that the New Covenant would be given specifically to Israel, yet this passage had foretold that Jesus and His covenant would be the “light” given specifically to “the Gentiles” so that Jesus “should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.” Apparently the new law that was to be given to Israel had included those who had formerly been Gentiles.

We should now be able to see that the Old Testament had made abundantly clear that God’s plan all along was to make salvation available for all the nations (Gentiles), therefore, the Church is definitely not some mystery or unforeseen plan B. Instead, we’ve previously learned that the actual “mystery” was the Good News that we’re all made “EQUAL” in Christ, and this had included the rebuilding of the fallen tabernacle of David (Acts 15:15-16). The Jewish and Gentile believers within this Temple are all “EQUAL.” In other words, Jesus was directly referred to as “Israel,” and within Him, or more specifically within “Israel,” Jewish and Gentile believers are “EQUAL.” We’re “Israel” because Jesus is “Israel” and the New Testament makes it abundantly clear that we’re “in Christ” which makes us “in Israel.”

The Greek word “telos” means “the end purpose or ultimate goal.” When the name “Israel” was first given, its end purpose or ultimate goal was to be found in Jesus Christ, therefore, Jesus is the “telos” of the name “Israel.” God is the One who decides who will be called “Israel.” It’s a God given name, and as we’ve previously seen, the original “Israel” was simply one man whose name had been Jacob, but God bestowed upon him the new name of “Israel.” Scripture declared that Israel is the firstborn son of God (Exodus 4:22), and this concept of sonship can also be seen in passages such as “out of Egypt I called my son,” (Matthew 2:15), which was quoting and fulfilling Hosea 11:1. The full verse from Hosea was this:

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son,” (Hosea 11:1).

The original context seemed to refer to the nation of “Israel,” and yet, surprisingly, that passage found its ultimate intended fulfillment in Jesus Christ, according to Matthew 2:15, when Jesus was also brought out of Egypt. From those passages, it’s undeniable that there’s a direct connection between Jesus and the name “Israel.”

We’re going to see another huge verse below, but first, we should now be able to look back to see that for 1800 years of Church history it had always been taught that followers of Christ are brought into the True Israel, and this was the orthodox, traditional interpretation until 1830, when John Nelson Darby had a “new” idea and laid the foundation of Dispensationalism whose main goal was to attempt to separate Christians from Israel. But Jesus was a Jew and so too were the disciples. Even the first 3,000 Christians were all Jews. The Church was started by Jews and has a Jewish foundation. Christians are ADDED to that Israel. We don’t “replace” Israel, but instead, Scripture teaches there are two different Israels, and we’re added to the True Remnant Israel, while anyone from Israel who isn’t attached to Jesus has been “cut off” from the True Israel of God and has become merely the Israel of the flesh (Romans 9:6-8 and Romans 11:17).

It’s sad what Darby nearly accomplished, but his time is over. His ideas have done too much damage in hurting and weakening the body of Christ (the Church), taking promises and blessings away from us and attempting to give them to people who don’t have Jesus. His ideas have even led some of our modern Church leaders to shockingly claim there are 2 different acceptable ways of salvation: Jesus for the Church, while Jews today only need to simply keep the Mosaic Law which would make Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross entirely unnecessary. Remember what John Hagee told the Houston Chronicle, “I’m not trying to convert the Jewish people to the Christian faith… In fact, trying to convert Jews is a waste of time… The Jewish person who has his roots in Judaism is not going to convert to Christianity. There is no form of Christian evangelism that has failed so miserably as evangelizing the Jewish people. They [already] have a faith structure.”

It appears that people like Hagee think the Jewish people only need to keep the Law given to Moses, however, we should realize that no one but Christ was able to fulfill that Old Covenant Law which was actually “the ministry of death” and “condemnation,” per 2 Corinthians 3:4-9, Romans 3:19-20 and Colossians 2:13-14. Instead, it’s now time to empower the body of Christ since we’re all priests in the current Kingdom/Temple of King Jesus, the True Israel of God. Jesus is the only way (John 14:6), and everyone, including Jews, should be taught the “Good News” of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the ONLY way to be redeemed to the Father, and He has already paid the price to redeem us.

To briefly review our previous study, the book of Matthew gives us the picture of Jesus as true Israel in great detail. Jesus, just like national Israel, also, “went down into Egypt; came up out of Egypt (Matt. 2:13–15); went through the water (3:13–17), into the wilderness (4:1–11), up on the mountain (chaps. 5–7); came down from the mountain (chap. 8); fulfilled the kingship (12:1–4, 38–42); fulfilled the prophetic ministry (chap. 23); was ‘exiled’ in His death on the cross (27:32–56); and was then ‘restored’ in the resurrection (28:1–10). Every stage of Israel’s history was redone in the life and ministry of Jesus… Jesus came to correctly do everything that Israel failed to do. He came to live as the perfect representative of His people. He was born a true Israelite in order to become the true and greater Israel of God,” (quote from Nick Batzig).

“Perhaps most pointedly, it is Jesus on whom the Spirit descends (Matt. 3:16), although the prophetic expectation was of an outpouring of the Spirit upon Israel (Isaiah 44:2-3; Ezekiel 36:25-27). Where Israel had failed the temptations in the desert, Jesus now remains faithful to God.-(Stephen Motyer, “Israel (Nation),” New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, p. 584-5).

“The story of Jesus is the continuation and climax to the long story of Israel. Jesus is Israel, God’s Son (Exodus 4:22) who is bringing about the New Exodus as He redeems Israel from exile, not from Egypt or from Rome, but from the real enemies who stand behind them: satan, sin, and death,” (God’s Chosen People, by Blake White, page 36-37).

Just as Adam was the representative head of the human race that had fallen into sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:22, Romans 5:12-21), and just as Jacob was one man whose name became Israel and his descendants are known as the nation of that one man (the nation of Jacob/Israel), so too are Jesus and His people. The people of the True Israel of God have come through the New Exodus by escaping slavery and death, but unlike Jacob’s Israel, we’ve escaped slavery to sin and death by the blood of Jesus Christ placed on the wood of the cross (just like the doorposts in Egypt), we’ve passed through the waters of baptism, we’re anointed with the Holy Spirit, and we overcome by the Word of God.

Finally, here’s the other monumentally huge and vitally important verse prophesied by Isaiah,

“One will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’;

Another will call himself by the name of Jacob;

Another will write with his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’

And NAME HIMSELF BY THE NAME OF ISRAEL,” (Isaiah 44:5).

Did you see that? “One will say, ‘I am the Lord’s… and name himself by the name of Israel.” People who are “the Lord’s” can truly now name themselves by the name of Israel. That prediction has already come true, and it was fulfilled exactly when it had been predicted to occur. The title of Isaiah 44 is “God’s Blessing on Israel,” and that originally occurred when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at His baptism which continued to be poured out on us beginning on the day of Pentecost (as noted in verse 3 which had predicted, “I will pour My Spirit on your descendants…”). From the context of that preceding verse, we know precisely when it started, from Pentecost and onward to this very day as the Holy Spirit is still being poured out and permanently indwelling all believers. We now know there’s someone who’s been given the name “Israel,” and His name is Jesus. He is the “telos” of the name “Israel,” we’re His people, His spiritual Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). Therefore, since we’re “in Christ,” we too can name ourselves “by the name of Israel,” because that passage tells us, “Another will write with his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ And NAME HIMSELF BY THE NAME OF ISRAEL.”

For centuries theologians documented how that passage reveals that if we belong to Jesus then we’re given the name of “Israel.” For example, this is a commentary on Isaiah 44:5 from John Calvin (1509-1564), “…when they who formerly were aliens have been regenerated by faith, he says that they will eagerly enroll their names, in order to testify that they are the children of God. Thus he describes a change which surpasses nature and all the conceptions of men, when out of the accursed race of Adam is formed a spiritual Israel.”

Or this from the first major Baptist theologian, John Gill (1697-1771), “This expresses the success of the apostles’ ministry, not only among the Jews, but more especially among the Gentiles, who were not called by the name of Jacob and Israel; but now should call themselves by those names… all these phrases are expressive of a sincere and hearty profession of faith in Christ, and of the Christian religion, in terms borrowed from the people of Israel.”

Or this from Charles John Ellicott (1819-1905), “The words paint, like Psalms 87:4-5, the eagerness of heathen proselytes to attach themselves to Israel… he takes the name of Israel in addition to his own as a title of honour.”

We’ve now seen in those commentaries that for centuries, many well respected theologians taught us that we should find it to be an honor to apply the name of “Israel” to ourselves, yet because of the harm done by dispensationalism, that honor has been unknowingly taken away from us. Rather significantly, both John Nelson Darby and C.I. Scofield skipped over that verse and didn’t provide any commentary on Isaiah 44:5 because it disproved their intentional separation of the Church and Israel. Their silence speaks volumes.

To conclude, God specifically referred to His Son in Isaiah 49:3 as “Israel,” therefore Jesus is the “telos” of “Israel.” Since He is the True Israel as well as our “Lord” and we are “in Christ,” then Christians have been encouraged in Isaiah 44:5 to embrace the name of “Israel” for ourselves. Now that we know this concept is true and Biblical, when we hear the name “Israel,” we shouldn’t primarily think of a small controversial piece of land in the Middle East, but rather, when we hear the name “Israel” we should be thinking of Jesus, the King of the worldwide spiritual Kingdom, the True Israel of God. Furthermore, we’re now empowered as the priests in His global spiritual Temple, His Kingdom, His spiritual nation of “Israel.”