Saved in One Hope: The Church and Believing Israel

By Zion Kwok

Jesus promises salvation to everyone who believes in Him. But what about the people of Israel? Does God have a separate plan for them? It is time to step back into the pages of the Old Testament, to trace the nation of Israel from Abraham to Moses. What is the Law of Moses, and how were people saved before Jesus was born? How is it different from the New Covenant? Is salvation by faith or works or both?

Moreover, this book touches on the fear of the Lord, the longsuffering God of the Old Testament, the mystery of the Church, and the law of Christ in New Covenant Theology. It also tries to dispel the idea that the New Testament Church is somehow more privileged than believing Israel in God's plan. Jesus will have one flock and He will be its shepherd. Come and see how all of God's people are saved in one hope.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zion Kwok
• Release date: Apr 29, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463334249

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Saved in One Hope: The Church and Believing Israel

Copyright 2018-2019 Zion S. Kwok

Published by Zion S. Kwok at Smashwords

Cover Photo: Photo of the Western Wall in Jerusalem is in the Public Domain.

Cover Design: By Jamie Yeung

Unless otherwise specified, Bible quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), which is in the Public Domain.

Also quoted: THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: One God and One People

Chapter 2: God’s Chosen People

Chapter 3: The Mosaic Covenant

Chapter 4: God’s Law

Chapter 5: A Negative View of God’s Law

Chapter 6: The Fear of the Lord

Chapter 7: Salvation in Jesus Christ

Chapter 8: Why Would Anyone Refuse Salvation?

Chapter 9: The New Covenant

Chapter 10: What Is the Church?

Chapter 11: Local Churches

Chapter 12: The Law and the Church

Chapter 13: The Law of Christ

Chapter 14: Old Testament Saints

Chapter 15: Earthly and Heavenly Blessings

Chapter 16: One Future People of God

Selected Bibliography

Chapter 1: One God and One People

Does God exist? Who is God? Is there any truth to the religions of the world?

One. There is one God, one truth, and one Bible. But the Bible is a diverse collection of 66 books written by over 30 people, spanning roughly 1500 years, in three languages, on three different continents. Interleaving historical records with poetry, prophecy, laws, teaching and words of encouragement, the Bible presents a giant jigsaw puzzle where we need try to fit the pieces together. In this book, we make it our aim to resolve contrasting ideas, ultimately showing the unity of the Bible and confirming its divine authorship. God has one plan to save one people for one hope.

One God

Have you ever heard of the popular notion that the God of the Old Testament is an angry Judge while the God of the New Testament is a loving Saviour? According to the Bible, this is a correct but skewed description of God.

The Bible is divided into two major parts: the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT). Judaism accepts only the OT as divine revelation, whereas Christianity accepts both the OT and NT as authoritative. The Old Testament was written mostly in the Hebrew language with some Aramaic, and includes the first 39 books of the Bible. It covers history from creation until approximately the year 400 Before Christ (BC). The New Testament was written in Greek and includes 27 books. It covers history in the first century Anno Domini (AD), when Jesus Christ walked on earth. The word Testament refers to covenants or agreements that God made: one in the past (OT) and a new one started by Jesus (NT). In this book, we will highlight which Bible quotations come from the OT and the NT, because we will compare them. Unless otherwise specified, the Bible quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB) translation, but a few will come from the New International Version (NIV) translation.

In response to the question at the beginning of this section, the God of the Old Testament sent a flood to destroy the earth, rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah, and commanded that the Canaanites be killed, but He is also the same gracious and longsuffering God of the New Testament Who demonstrated His love by sending His Son Jesus into the world. We will first try to show that there is only one God. God did not change, nor are there two different Gods with different personalities. Note that Yahweh is also translated as Jehovah in some English Bible translations, and is a name of God.

(OT) Exodus 34:6 WEB Yahweh passed by before him, and proclaimed, Yahweh! Yahweh, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth, 7 keeping loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and disobedience and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children’s children, on the third and on the fourth generation.

The God of Love

The New Testament teaches us to love even our enemies and not to take revenge (Rom. 12:19), which seems to indicate that the God of the New Testament is more gentle (Luke 6:27). But love is also commanded in the Old Testament (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:17-18).

(OT) Leviticus 19:17 ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh.’

But these teachings about love are balanced by the knowledge that God would avenge us in the future (Rom. 12:19). We need a balanced view of God. God is patient and loving, but we must be careful not to treat the Him as Someone we can trifle with (Heb. 12:29).

(NT) Romans 12:19 Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.

The God Who Judges

God was active in Old Testament (OT) times and His punishments were sometimes severe. But He demonstrated His longsuffering nature by waiting over a century before sending the greatest destruction, all the while enduring very harsh words from sinful people (Gen. 6:3, 5-6, 17-18; 15:13, 16; Ezek. 4:5; Mal. 3:13-15; Exod. 16:3).

(OT) Genesis 6:3 Yahweh said, My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; so his days will be one hundred twenty years. … 5 Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually only evil. 6 Yahweh was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart. …

17 I, even I, do bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you [Noah]. You shall come into the ship, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.

(OT) Genesis 15:13 He said to Abram, Know for sure that your offspring will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years. … 16 In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.

Despite occasional cataclysmic events, God in His patient forbearance held back the full punishment for the sin of mankind during ancient Old Testament times until He justly accepted His Son Jesus’ death as the payment for sins, to begin the New Testament.

(NT) Romans 3:24 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance;

The New Testament (NT) also records historical accounts of God’s judgment, though there are comparatively fewer during the lifetimes of Jesus Christ and His apostles (Acts 5:1-11; 12:21-23; 13:10-11; 1 Cor. 11:27-30).

(NT) Acts 12:21 On an appointed day, Herod dressed himself in royal clothing, sat on the throne, and gave a speech to them. 22 The people shouted, The voice of a god, and not of a man! 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he didn’t give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.

We must keep in mind that the New Testament only covers about one hundred years of history—a much shorter time period than the millennia described by the Old Testament, so fewer judgments should be expected.

Nevertheless, when the New Testament speaks of the future judgment, particularly in the Book of Revelation, the severity of the judgment is no different from the prophecies in the Old Testament. At that time, the full punishment for the sin of mankind will be unleashed upon all who refuse God’s love and forgiveness given through Jesus Christ.

(NT) Jude 1:14 About these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

(NT) Revelation 11:18 The nations were angry, and your wrath came, as did the time for the dead to be judged, and to give your bondservants the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints, and those who fear your name, to the small and the great; and to destroy those who destroy the earth.

So we see that the OT and NT both portray a God who loves and offers forgiveness, but who also punishes people who sin against Him.

The Triune God

The greatest revelation in the New Testament is that Jesus is God’s Son, who became a man.

(NT) John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … 14 The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

The New Testament describes God as a tri-unity, or Trinity, meaning one God in three Persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We must emphasize that there is one God, not three separate gods.

(NT) Matthew 28:19 Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

The Trinity is difficult to understand and needs to be accepted by faith, for our finite ideas fail to explain an infinite God. Nevertheless, the Trinity is also hinted at in the Old Testament. For example, God is referred to using both plural and singular pronouns.

(OT) Genesis 1:26 God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: … 27 God created man in his own image. in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

(OT) Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one.

(OT) Isaiah 48:16 … Now the Lord Yahweh has sent me, with his Spirit.

God and Mankind

The one true God of the Old and New Testaments has one plan to save mankind. But why did God make man? Three reasons are: 1) to be like God; 2) to rule over the earth; and 3) for His glory.

(OT) Genesis 1:26 God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

(OT) Isaiah 43:7 "‘everyone who is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory,

whom I have formed, yes, whom I have made.’"

But God’s greatest delight is in His Son Jesus Christ (Matt. 3:17; Col. 1:15, 19; Phil. 2:10-11). Therefore God desires that His people be like Christ and show forth His glory (Rom. 8:28-29; Heb. 2:10).

(NT) Matthew 3:17 Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.

(NT) Romans 8:28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

The People of God

Jesus redeemed a special people for Himself called the church, which means called out. Note that church can be translated alternatively as assembly or congregation.

(NT) Titus 2:14 who [Jesus] gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.

(NT) 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, …

Similarly, God bestowed a special status on His people Israel:

(OT) Exodus 19:5 ‘Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.

And God says concerning Jerusalem (Israel’s historic capital city that was built on Mount Zion):

(OT) Ezekiel 16:8 …yes, I swore to you, and entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord Yahweh, and you became mine.

(OT) Isaiah 54:5 "For your Maker is your husband;

Yahweh of Armies is his name.

The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer.

He will be called the God of the whole earth."

So we see that God’s intentions for the city of Jerusalem, the nation of Israel, and the worldwide New Testament church are similar: to be God’s own people, to be priests and kings, to be glorious in righteousness (Isa. 62:1), and to be His wife (Eph. 5:27-29; Jer. 3:14; 31:32; Isa. 54:5; 62:4-5). Someone may object that God’s declarations to Israel were conditional on Israel’s keeping the terms of the OT covenant, which they failed to keep. But even if they failed, God’s intentions for Israel will one day be realized through Jesus Christ. The titles Christ and Messiah come from the Greek word christo and the Hebrew word mshich, respectively, which both mean anointed. Jesus Christ is Israel’s promised Messiah whom God has anointed as Israel’s future king of glory.

Three Groups of People

(NT) 1 Corinthians 10:32 NIV Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—

The apostle Paul, one of the leaders of the early NT church, wrote about how to live peacefully without upsetting people with different cultural and religious mindsets. The Jews are a subset of the people of Israel who historically lived in the southern kingdom of Judah, many of whom respect the writings of Moses. The Greeks are a people group that lived in the lands of southern Europe and modern-day Turkey, who previously believed in a pagan mythology and religion, but are also well-known for their philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The church of God refers to the company of believers in Jesus Christ, which has been spreading around the world for the last 2000 years. This classification has been generalized by some to mean ethnic Israelites, non-Israelites also known as the nations or Gentiles, and believers in Jesus Christ. Though some say otherwise, these categories are not mutually exclusive, as a person may fall under more than one category.

The people of Israel are singled out among all the nations of the world because during OT times, God called their ancestor Abraham to follow God and to become a great nation. While God is unapologetic about blessing Abraham and his descendants, God also planned from the beginning to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham’s descendant, Jesus Christ. Today, people from all nations who believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the descendant of Abraham, can share in Abraham’s blessings. Therefore, the Great Commission to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation on earth fulfills God’s plan.

Three Sets of Teaching

A set of teaching known as Covenant Theology treats different covenants under the conceptual umbrellas of a covenant of works and a covenant of grace. Recall that a covenant may refer to a promise, contract, or agreement. Covenant Theology considers the New Testament church to be the spiritual Israel which inherits Israel’s promises. Therefore, God’s promises in the Old Testament for Israel may be interpreted spiritually, or allegorically. Moreover, some but not all of the rules of the Old Testament are considered to remain in effect during New Testament times.

An opposing set of teaching known as Dispensational Theology attempts to shed light on how God dealt with different peoples at different times throughout Biblical history, and typically emphasizes distinctions between Israel and the church, between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Its proponents prefer literal interpretations of God’s promises to Israel rather than subjective, allegorical interpretations. They teach that the church is the body of Christ and has a heavenly hope, while Israel receives the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham of land as well as God’s promise to David of an everlasting kingdom.

One major point of contention between Covenant Theology and Dispensational Theology is this: to whom did God give the promised land? To ethnic Israel, to the church, or to both?

While agreeing that literal interpretations of the Bible are preferable where the literary genre permits, this book proposes to show that all of God’s people share the same hope and the same promises, and are thus one people in God’s eternal plan. Simply put, the New Covenant is for both Israel and the church.

This line of reasoning is closer to New Covenant Theology than either Covenant Theology or Dispensational Theology. Unlike Covenant Theology, New Covenant Theology treats each covenant separately as it is found in the Bible, rather than seeing only a covenant of works and a covenant of grace. New Covenant Theology also sees the entire Old Testament Law as fulfilled and terminated in Christ, so that only the law of Christ remains for the church to follow.

An Outline of the Book

In the first few chapters, we will learn about the people of Israel. What is their history and what is the basis of their special relationship with God?

We will first encounter the Abrahamic Covenant and later the Mosaic Covenant. The Mosaic Covenant, also called the Law of Moses, is an important revelation from God, but in view of the New Covenant or New Testament, the Mosaic Covenant becomes the Old Covenant or Old Testament, which is set aside. The weaknesses of the Law seem to be improved upon by God’s promises for those who fear the Lord, but ultimately, Jesus Christ brings salvation by grace through faith and the New Covenant, which are superior. We will also endeavour to show that the Bible remains consistent in the face of these two contrasting covenants.

As the New Covenant brings the church into existence, we will then explore what the church is, how it should operate, and how the Law of Moses and the law of Christ apply in the New Testament era. It is our hope that the reader will see that saints past, present, and future will become one blessed people of God.

(NT) Ephesians 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all.

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Chapter 2: God’s Chosen People