While much has been written and said in support or in opposition to
the doctrine of supersession, the author has chosen not to enter that divisive debate. Instead, he has chosen to focus on
what Scripture really says about Israel, the church and the gospel, and to tell the story the Bible has been telling all along. That's the only story that we can rely on.
From the opening words of Genesis to the final vision of Revelation, Scripture tells a story far larger, far richer, and far more coherent than most believers ever see. It is the story of a
God who keeps His promises, a God who works in perfect order, a God whose purposes for heaven and earth unfold with breathtaking precision.
It begins with a man named Abraham - a promise of land, a promise of a nation, a promise of blessing for the world. It continues through Isaac and Jacob, through Moses and David, through prophets who spoke of a kingdom on earth, a restored Israel, and a world filled with the knowledge of the Lord.
Then Christ comes - the promised King - offering the kingdom to Israel. A remnant believes, but the nation rejects Him. Yet God's plan does not fail. The remnant grows at Pentecost. God fearing Gentiles are grafted in. The kingdom is still genuinely offered. But Israel continues in unbelief.
And then -
in a moment no prophet foresaw -
God reveals a mystery to Paul. A new people. A new body. A new creation. A heavenly calling. A gospel not tied to covenants, not tied to Israel's rise, not tied to the kingdom.
This Body of Christ is not Israel. It is not the remnant. It is not the kingdom. It is something entirely new - God's heavenly people, blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.
Israel is set aside -
not cast away, not replaced, but temporarily blinded until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in.
When that moment arrives, God turns again to His earthly people. Israel calls upon the name of the Lord. The King returns. The covenants are fulfilled. The kingdom comes. The earth is restored. Israel becomes the kingdom of priests she was always meant to be.
And after the thousand years, after the final rebellion is judged, God makes all things new. A New Heaven and a New Earth appear. The Body of Christ shines in the heavens. Israel shines on the new earth. The nations walk in the light of the New Jerusalem. And God is all in all.
This is the story behind the story -
the story the Bible has been telling all along. And it matters, because it removes the veil of tradition and
brings clarity to the gospel of our salvation. That's the motivation behind this book.
