Israel of God: Yesterday, Tody, and Tomorrow, The

The Israel of God: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. By O. Palmer Robertson. Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed, 2000, 204 pp., $12.99 paper.

"If you abandon Israel, God will never forgive you," warned former President Clinton's pastor (quoted by Clinton to the Israeli Knesset [p. 1]). According to Robertson, this asserts that abandoning the people of Israel is an unforgivable sin and implies that God willed that the nation of Israel should continue to possess the land of the Bible forever and the United States should support the nation of Israel without qualification (P. 1).

To critique such allegiance to the modern nation of Israel, Robertson addresses the land (chap. 1), the people (chap. 2), the worship (chap. 3), and the lifestyle (chap. 4) of the Israel of God. He considers its future by examining its relationship to the coming of the kingdom (chap. 5) and by an exposition of Romans 11 (chap. 6, a revision of his chapter in Perspectives on Evangelical Theology [ed. K. S. Kantzer and S. N. Gundry; Baker, 1979] 209-27).

Twelve "concluding propositions" summarize the argument (chap. 7). The church is part of, but "does not exhaust" the messianic kingdom (p. 193). The modern nation of Israel is not part of the kingdom nor is its establishment a "prophetic precursor to the mass conversion of Jewish people" (p. 194). His thorough exposition of Hebrews 7 argues that, because no priesthood can be added to Christ's, the Levitical priesthood and sacrificial system can never be reestablished (p. 194).

Less persuasive is his claim that the "land of the Bible" was a typological model of the consummation and thus has no continuing significance beyond a teaching function (p. 194). The land functions typologically, but this in itself need not exhaust its significance (which appears to be the force of his argument) and does not entail that it is now merely pedagogical. Likewise, he is correct that prophecies about a return to the land should be understood in the context of the restoration of all things (p. 194), but is incorrect that this cosmic recreation necessarily supplants the "land of promise." Thus, though we can agree that the future kingdom will be universally displayed throughout the newly created cosmos, this does not imply that it "will not experience a special manifestation of any sort in the region of the `promised land"' (p. 195), particularly if we recognize an intermediate kingdom. The expanded place of blessing does not preclude centering the Messiah's reign in the city of David, shepherding the entire earth with a rod of iron. Being based in Jerusalem does not limit it to that land.

His insistence that the Church should not countenance distinctive worship practices that demarcate Jewish believers "in a category different from Gentile believers," who will be "citizens on an equal basis in the future messianic kingdom" (p. 194) may overlook the cultural diversity of the kingdom. Worship that segregates Jews from Gentiles is forbidden, but culturally distinctive worship will be preserved, not precluded. Likewise, it is ambiguous to say, "The future manifestation of the messianic kingdom of Christ cannot include a distinctively Jewish aspect that would distinguish the peoples and practices of Jewish believers from their Gentile counterparts" (pp. 194-95). Paul, after all, was able to distinguish himself and other Jews in a variety of ways, including taking vows himself and having Timothy circumcised, though he resolutely forbade making them requirements for belief in Christ.

All evangelicals should fervently echo Robertson's concluding call for Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ to "diligently seek a unified ecclesiastical fellowship" with each other, rejoicing in each other's role in the evangelization of all peoples (p. 195).

Robertson's careful, detailed biblical expositions are the strength of the book. His reverent attention to God's Word delights and refreshes. The absence of strident polemics is also welcome, though the paucity of references to opposing literature is puzzling. The book is a sustained biblical-theological argument regarding "the Israel of God" (and refutes Clinton's pastor's view), but without much consideration of even a limited range of plausible alternatives.

Robertson rightly insists that God has not replaced Israel, but continues to call Jews to faith in Messiah Jesus, incorporating them into the Church as fellow-members with Gentile believers. Less successful is his argument (from Eph 2:14, 19; Rom 2:28-29; 11:25-26a [at length]; and Gal 6:12-16) that "the Israel of God" now designates the international people of God who stand before God equal in Christ, both Jew and Gentile. As some recent commentators note, it remains puzzling (even if we granted a nonethnic use in 2:28-29) to suggest that Romans 9-11 concludes by a nonethnic use of "Israel," after three chapters of ethnic use.

Nevertheless, the book's numerous strengths repay a close reading. It corrects mistaken views of modern Israel and is rich with much sound exposition, even for those who will differ at places.