You're welcome to you opinion, of course...
The difference between a literal thousand year period in which national Israel obtains her ultimate hope and a symbolic Millennium that is operating today in the Church is significant and substantial.
I agree that it's a significant, substantial difference... <
smile> ...and it has significant, substantial ramifications, for sure...
We believe the Bible when it states that a Millennium of some sort exists in the plan of God.
Right, which is what I said when I said that "in that sense we are all "millennialists" of one kind or another."
But how we view it really controls how we define Israel...
Ah, well I would say that how we view it, not "controls," but really
depends on how we define Israel... really who God's Israel consists of Biblically.
...or even "replace" it with something else.
As I said, there is no replacement of any kind.
Does native Israel retain her national hope to be fulfilled in the Millennium?
Yes. But who is "native Israel," Randy? Keeping in mind what Paul says regarding Isreal in Romans 2:28-29 and 9-11, Ephesians 2:11-22, and Galatians 3:27-29, as cited above? Who is God's Israel? Does God's Israel only include ethnic Jews? Are the true Jews of God, the members of His household, limited to human beings of Jewish ethnicity?
Amillennialists do not think so...
They do, at least "good" amillennialists... like me... <smile> Amillennialists, Randy, disagree with many regarding who "native Israel" really is. See above.
Today, Amillennialists and others have suggested the superseding New Covenant required a redefinition of Israel to exclude native Jews who don't convert to Christianity.
There was no "superceding." But there was ALWAYS a difference between physical, ethnic Israel and God's Israel. At one time, God's Israel consisted mostly ~ mostly because there were some "strangers and aliens," as Paul calls them in Ephesians 2, brought in to Israel (which was a foreshadowing of the grafting in of believing Gentiles upon the coming of Jesus). As Paul says in Romans 9:6-8,
"not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but 'Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.' This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring."
Retroactively, some of these "Supersessionits" go back to claim that ancient Israel did not really include all Israelis if they did not have "faith."
Who are you talking about when you say "ancient Israel?" Now that question is rhetorical; I know very well your answer to that. But again, Paul in Romans 9:6 says, explicitly,
"not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel..." And this is true both retroactively
and proactively. Paul says nothing to indicate that was true only from that time forward. Remember who he himself defined God's Israel and true Jews of God at the end of Romans 2 ~
"For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God." (vv.28-29).
This is a "replacement" of what many see as the conventional definition of "Israel."
AH! Okay, well, a "replacement" in the sense of correction. <
smile>
And Israel *never* included the International Church. A more narrow term has been therefore "replaced" with a much more expansive term--one that does not even properly fit in a Dictionary definition of "Israel."
Ah, well, the only relevant "dictionary" here is the Bible. Randy. Okay, look: There is a physical Israel, and it consists of ethnic Jews. But God's true Israel is much bigger than that, inclusive of all those called by God, all those born again of the Holy Spirit and in Christ.
Yes, I'll say it again. Anyone, regardless of how they understand this millennium, who thinks that one group has replaced another as God's people is sorely mistaken.
You've completely ignored the point that an entire people under covenant of Law were viewed as "God's People"
Absolutely not. See above. And I would argue that even before Jesus came, those truly of God's Israel we never under the covenant of the Law. You surely remember what Paul said on this subject in Galatians, that "the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith..." Two things about this passage:
- So, 'guardian' here is also translated in some versions as 'tutor.' This tells us what God's purposes were with the ceremonial and civil laws of the Old Testament. Everything in the Law always pointed to Jesus Christ, and God's people were to observe those laws in faith. There could be a large conversation on this, but I think we can sum it up in this one question: Who, Randy... Who... <smile> ...Who is... Well, I'm sure you will remember in Leviticus the sacrifices that were to be made, specifically the lamb without blemish. Who is the true Lamb without blemish? Who is the Lamb of God? I'm... pretty sure you will get that right... <smile>
- Regarding "now that faith has come," I wouldn't recommend taking Paul's words here and saying then that faith was and is only possible for folks only in New Testament times. The writer of Hebrews (chapter 11, specifically) would disagree with you on that... <smile>
and now are being denied that status if they didn't have "faith."
But they did. See above.
Does a Jew stop being a Jew because he doesn't have Christian faith? No.
Well, my assertion to you would be that if he doesn't have Christian faith, he or she is not a true Jew of God. Whether he or she is ethnically Jewish or not. And this was always true. See above.
On the other hand, do non-Jewish Christians become "Jews" or "Israel" if they have Christian faith? Of course not!
Well not of ethnic Israel, no, but the Israel of God, of His household, yes... absolutely yes. This is what it means to be grafted in, and thus sharing in the nourishing Root (Romans 11:17) which Paul is absolutely clear about in Romans 11. The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).
And yet, some amillennialists are saying just that, which is the very definition of "Replacement Theology." The normal definition of "Israeli" and "Jew" is being replaced with another definition of 'Israeli" and "Jew." That you can't see this is amazing to me.
What's actually happening here, Randy ~ and why it's amazing to you, actually ~ is that you're conflating physical, ethnic Israel with God's true Israel. And it's not just you; you're surely not alone in doing that, but... it is what it is. You either can't or won't (or both) distinguish between ethnic Israel ~ which is outward, using Paul's language at the end of Romans 2 ~ and God's true Israel ~ which is inward, and of the Spirit, again using Paul's language at the end of Romans 2. And again, the more correct term would be "i
nclusion theology." Because of this inclusion, we Gentiles are included now and are, as Paul says in Ephesians 2:19-22,
"fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in Whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord... in him (we) also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit." That you can't see this is... well... amazing to me.
I think the real problem is that Premillennialists take literally the promise that unbelieving Israel will become a believing nation again in the Millennium, because it isn't happening in the present age.
Hmmm... maybe, but they fail to understand what I just finished explaining also. There are Messianic Jews, though, and these Jews are true Jews of God, members of His household, His Israel.
And Amillennialists look at and define "Israel" based on their ideal outcome...
Nope. The same way as directly above. God's Israel includes people of every tongue, tribe, and nation.
They do not wish to believe that ideal Israel can be defined prematurely as a nation that has not yet committed to faith.
Sorry, I don't even understand this statement. To this, I guess I would just say it is what it is. And again, it always was, beginning with the first (veiled, somewhat) proclamation of the Gospel, Genesis 3:15. See above.
Grace and peace to you, Randy.