Without Excuse: Apologetics Blog

Introduction: There are those who will contend that the Church has replaced Israel, the Jews have no future role, and the modern state of Israel was either created by happenstance or by some nefarious plot. Such views are often intertwined with replacement theology, allegory, and modern conspiracy theories. But if we shift the paradigm by connecting the right prophetic dots and having the proper eschatological framework, a different picture emerges. This view is based upon dispensationalism, covenant theology, and literalism ( i ). These are prerequisites that not everyone accepts. However, I will contend it is the only view that explains two perplexing enigmas: why Jews have been one of the most persecuted people in history, and why the world is so fixated over the tiny state of Israel. The Covenant God chose Abraham among the nations to create a people for His own (Gen 12:1–3). He then made an "everlasting" covenant with Abraham and his descendants (Gen 17:7-8). A series of...

 Israel is often compared in the Bible to the unfaithful wife who cheats on her husband, in their case, God. However, another comparison can be made in the parable of the prodigal son (Luk 15:11-32). In the parable, a man had two sons. The younger son took his inherence, traveled to a faraway country, and wasted his money on wild living and prostitutes. The young man became destitute but eventually came to his senses. He returned to his father and repented of his sins. The father forgave him and welcomed him back into the fold with a celebration. However, the older son was not pleased and rebuked his father. The father simply reminded his older son that everything he had was his, but his younger brother was lost, and now he’s found. The parable of the prodigal son is a narrative about forgiveness, repentance, and restoration. As with all parables, it can have more than one application. I believe the prodigal son can also represent Israel. Israel too wasted their inherence (their ...