I appreciate Palmer Robertson’s discussion of the land of Israel in The Israel of God: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. As many of you know, and as I’ve been reading and blogging about here, many evangelicals have their eyes of eschatology set on the land of Palestine today. However, Christians in the Reformation traditions (Reformed, Presbyterian, Anglican, Lutheran) typically don’t focus on the land when it comes to eschatology. Part of the reason is that the Reformation traditions predate dispensationalism and the prophecy craze of the 1800′s by many years. A bigger part of the reason is that the Reformation interpretation of Scripture is modeled after Hebrews, Paul, and the rest of the NT in terms of promise/fulfillment, type/reality, and shadow/reality.
In chapter one of The Israel of God, Robertson gives a brief biblical-theological summary of the land of Israel from the OT to the NT. He examines the Old Covenant view of the land (from the patriarchs to the Psalms to the Prophets). Robertson also focuses on many NT texts that have to do with the fulfillment of Old Covenant land-promises. His overall approach is the “shadow to reality” methodology of Hebrews (Heb. 8:5, 10:1, etc.). Here’s Robertson’s summary of this chapter.
“In the process of redemptive history, a dramatic movement has taken place. The arena of redemption has shifted from type to reality, from shadow to substance. The land which was the specific place of God’s redemptive work served well in the realm of the old covenant forms as a picture of paradise lost and promised. But in the realm of new covenant fulfillment, the land has expanded to encompass the world” [and ultimately the new creation, as Robertson also touches upon].
“In this age of fulfillment, a retrogression to the limited forms of the old covenant must be neither expected nor promoted. Reality must not give way to shadow….”
“Evangelical Christianity in particular should take care to apply the implications of Pauline theology to the current situation with regard to the land. For Paul emphatically notes that ‘if you let yourself be circumcised [an old covenant institution], Christ will be of no value to you at all’ (Gal. 5:2). In a similar way, if the promised land of the old covenant becomes the blessed object to be achieved, then its tremendous fulfillment in the new covenant could be missed. To claim ‘ the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God’ (Heb. 11:10), Abraham had to look beyond the shadowy form of the promise, which he never possessed, to the realities that could be perceived only by faith. How sad would it be if evangelical Christians who profess to love the Jewish people should become a primary tool in misdirecting their faith and expectation.”
In case you’re interested, Robertson also works through other such areas as the people of Israel (who is the true Israel today?), the worship of Israel, the lifestyle of Israel (specifically in the wilderness), and the coming of the kingdom. He also devotes a chapter to Romans 11 and the verses there where Paul talks about Israel being saved. One slight criticism I have of this book is Robertson’s writing style; in my opinion he isn’t always as clear and cogent as I would have liked. At the same time, his points come through quite well if you pay attention. This book is especially for those of you wrestling with (or against!) dispensationalism. A friend of mine at church just recently told me this book was a big help to her mother as she was coming out of dispensational circles. If you do not own it, put it on your “to get” list. And when you read it, keep your Bible handy since Robertson’s discussions are grounded firmly in Scripture.
O. Palmer Robertson: The Israel of God (the above quote is found on pages 30-31).
shane lems
I am reading one of Robertson’s book, Covenants: God’s Way With His People, and The Israel of God seems to be one that goes into more detail about the “newness of the new covenant”. I appreciated how he made that point in the book I read but it would be great to read more about it. Thanks for pointing this book out to me!
I recently finished reading The Christ of the Covenants, by Robertson. Very helpful, for the most part. (I didn’t agree with everything he said, but I liked it a lot.)
Interesting to read Mike Horton’s interaction with Robertson’s views in his book God of Promise.