What Is Replacement Theology and How Does the Old Testament Disprove it?

Summary

Grace in Focus Podcast Summary

Episode: What Is Replacement Theology and How Does the Old Testament Disprove it?
Date: June 25, 2026
Host: Bob Wilkin
Guest: David Renfre

Overview of the Episode

In this concise, insightful episode, Bob Wilkin and David Renfre tackle the question: What is replacement theology, and does the Old Testament actually refute it? The hosts dig into the definitions and distinctions between Israel and the Church and how key Old Testament and New Testament passages should shape our understanding of God’s ongoing plan for Israel. The conversation centers around the importance of not conflating Israel with the Church, highlighting how replacement theology impacts eschatology, biblical promises, and the interpretation of Scripture.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

What is Replacement Theology?

• Definition & Origin:

  • Bob Wilkin (01:59):

    “Replacement theology is basically a term that has been coined to say that the church has replaced Israel in God’s plan, God’s original plan...some people say, no, no, no, Israel don’t use the word is. They say Israel was God’s chosen people, but then God replaced Israel and all of the promises made to Israel have been transferred over to the church.”

  • Tends to be prominent among Calvinists and figures such as Martin Luther, who, despite his contributions, held negative views towards Israel and the Jewish people (03:07).

• Key Characteristics:

  • Replacement theology claims all biblical promises to Israel now belong to the Church.
  • Often dismisses any future for a national, ethnic Israel in God’s eschatological timeline.

Israel and the Church: Two Distinct Entities

• Nationhood and Identity:

  • Bob Wilkin (03:07):

    “The church is made up of people from all over the planet, whereas Israel was literally, and is literally a nation of ethnic Jews, right?”

• Dispensationalism vs. Replacement Theology:

  • Explanation of dispensationalism, in which God’s dealings with humanity are understood in eras or “dispensations,” always maintaining Israel’s role as God’s chosen people (04:12).
  • Dispensationalists teach Jesus will rule from Jerusalem over Israel during the Millennium (03:51, 05:26).

• Biblical Evidence for Distinctions:

  • Bob Wilkin (06:16):

    “First Corinthians 10:32, Paul says, Give no offense. And he mentions three groups. He mentioned the church, he mentions Israel, and he mentions the Greeks or the Gentiles. And I believe those three groups are represented in Revelation 21 and 22.”

Addressing Arguments for Replacement Theology

• Misinterpretations Highlighted:

  • Galatians 6 and the “Israel of God” — argued to refer specifically to Jewish believers in the early Church, not the whole Church itself (08:22).
  • Romans 11 & the Olive Tree — The Church is grafted in, but the natural olive tree (Israel) remains and will regain prominence (10:07).

• God’s Promises to Israel Are Irrevocable:

  • Reference to OT promises to Abraham being permanent (07:57).
  • Bob Wilkin (11:12):

    “Jesus isn’t going to rule from Detroit…He’s going to rule from the New Jerusalem…Or Jerusalem in the millennium and the New Jerusalem.”

The Future of Israel in God’s Plan

• Prophetic Fulfillment:

  • During the Tribulation, millions of Jewish people will come to faith; all surviving Jewish adults will enter the Millennium as believers (11:59).
  • God’s call and gifts to Israel are “irrevocable” (12:19).

• Encouragement to Study Further:

  • Bob Wilkin encourages listeners to read more on this topic, noting potential resources at faithalone.org (12:19).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bob Wilkin, on replacement theology:

  “The idea that somehow Israel has been replaced would mean that God’s promises to Abraham were somehow abrogated, or worse, meaningless.” (08:57)

• David Renfre, on reading into Scripture:

  “I don’t think there’s anything that even comes close to explicitly stating that. I think you have to read into the Scriptures what you want to get out of it.” (09:55)

• Bob Wilkin, clarifying Israel’s ongoing role:

  “Israel is God’s chosen people. Israel was God’s chosen people. And Israel will be God’s chosen people.” (10:58)

• Bob Wilkin, theological humor:

  “Jesus isn’t going to rule from Detroit...He’s going to rule from the New Jerusalem.” (11:12)

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Important Timestamps

• 01:59 – Bob Wilkin defines replacement theology
• 03:07 – Distinction between Israel as a nation and the universal Church
• 04:12–05:26 – Overview of dispensationalism and its contrast with replacement theology
• 06:16 – Biblical basis for seeing Israel, the church, and Gentiles as distinct
• 07:57 – God’s promises to Abraham and their ongoing significance
• 09:55 – Renfre on the lack of biblical support for replacement theology
• 10:07 – Discussion of the olive tree metaphor and Israel’s ongoing future
• 11:12 – Emphasis that Jesus will rule from Jerusalem
• 11:59 – Prophecy regarding the salvation of Israel in the end times
• 12:19 – Final encouragements and affirmation of God’s irrevocable call to Israel

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Conclusion

Wilkin and Renfre stress that the doctrine of replacement theology is both biblically unsupported and inconsistent with the promises and prophecies found in both testaments. Instead, historic and dispensational readings of Scripture uphold God’s continuing plan for Israel, emphasizing the need to keep the Church and Israel distinct as we interpret God’s promises for the future. The episode closes with a reaffirmation of grace, God’s ongoing faithfulness, and encouragement for further study.

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For more on this topic:
Visit faithalone.org

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(Episode content summarized and structured for clarity and depth. Timestamps apply to core discussion only; ads and announcements omitted.)

Transcript

[Announcer]

The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society. What is replacement theology and how does the Old Testament stand to refute it? Is there a distinction between the church and Israel? Has one taken the place of the other? And how should we think about all this? Thanks for listening today, friend. This is Grace in Focus, a ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society. Our website is faithalone.org there you can find out about the Grace Evangelical Theological Seminary. It's our online seminary with full scholarships available for students maintaining good academic standing. Because of our generous donors, we are in the window for application and registration right now. If you want to study with us in the fall semester, get started on your application right away. All the details will be [e-mail] seminary and now with today's question and answer discussion, here are Bob Wilken and David Renfre.

[Bob Wilken]

We're going through talking about various questions I've been asked over the years about the Old Testament. I like to speak at a church in Las Vegas called Upland Bible Church. Shout out to all the believers at Upland Bible Church. Pastor Rich and his wife Debbie and Tim and Daria Vanselow. I've stayed at their house many times over the years. I remember one year, Pastor Rich Olson, he asked me to speak on replacement theology. And I was happy to do it, but it was the first time anyone had ever asked me to speak on that. So I thought we would talk about it and what the Old Testament and the New Testament has to say about that. But first, let's define it. What is replacement theology?

[David Renfre]

I want you to define it.

[Bob Wilken]

You want me to replace it?

[David Renfre]

I want you to replace my definition. No.

[Bob Wilken]

All right. So replacement theology is basically a term that has been coined to say that the church has replaced Israel in God's plan, God's original plan. Everybody reading the Old Testament says God chose or elected Israel. That's why we have ministries like Chosen people ministries. Right? Because Israel is God's chosen people. But some people say, no, no, no, Israel don't use the word is. They say Israel was God's chosen people, but then God replaced Israel and all of the promises made to Israel have been transferred over to the church. And so they read this to say that the church is now taking the place of Israel. And, and the promises made to Israel are now for the church. Of course, they don't quite see the land promises as fulfilled in the church, that somehow the church is going to have all the land that was promised to Israel.

[David Renfre]

I was looking forward to that.

[Bob Wilken]

Or that the church is Actually a nation. The church is made up of people from all over the planet, whereas Israel was literally, and is literally a nation of ethnic Jews, right? So replacement theology is very popular among Calvinists. And Luther, for example, was a pretty renowned anti Semite. He had lots of good things, but his view toward Israel was not. And toward the Jewish people was not. One of the good things about Luther. A lot of people believe that there is no future for Israel. And by the way, this is even carried over into some progressive dispensationalists. We were trained, you and I, David, at Dallas Seminary, under what's called dispensationalism, that is, there are various dispensations or ages in which God's laws change, right? The typical number is seven dispensations, but some have had as few as four, and some have had more than seven. But the point is, there was a shift from the garden to after the garden. We go from an age of innocence to an age of conscience. And then you ultimately get the law of Moses, and then you get the church age. And then some people would call the tribulation a different dispensation. Some people would say, no, that's all part of the kingdom. Some people might see tribulation, millennium, new earth is all one dispensation, or maybe two. But in any regard within dispensationalism, Israel was always seen as the chosen people, and they're going to be the people Jesus rules and reigns over and from. He's going to rule from Jerusalem in the millennium, from the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21 and 22. However, I remember one time I was at the Evangelical Theological Society and I had lunch with a friend of mine who had graduated a few years. I think he graduated with you in 78. He might have even graduated from Dallas Seminary in 76. A guy named Jim and a guy named Tuvia. God is good, right? Tov for good.

[David Renfre]

Tov. Yah.

[Bob Wilken]

Yah is Yahweh. So the Lord is good. And Tuvia works. I think he worked for Jews, for Jesus. I was talking to them, and I told them that Arnold Fruchtenbaum, I had heard him say that he thought Jewish believers during the church age will be dual citizens in the kingdom, that is citizens of the new Israel, but they will also be members of the church. And I said, what do you guys think of this? Tuvia said, I don't understand what you're talking about. And I said, well, you know, in the millennium, Jesus is going to rule from Israel, and on the new earth, he's going to rule from the new Israel. And he said, no, no, I believe there's going to be one people of God forever. And there won't be a distinction between Jew and Gentile. He'll just be ruling and there's no specific promise for Israel. And I was like, this guy works for one of the Jewish organizations, and yet he doesn't believe in the future rule and reign of Messiah over Israel. And that's pretty common. Where people think that there's going to be one people of God, there's not going to be distinctions. But First Corinthians 10:32, Paul says, Give no offense. And he mentions three groups. He mentioned the church, he mentions Israel, and he mentions the Greeks or the Gentiles. And I believe those three groups are represented in Revelation 21 and 22. There's going to be the New Jerusalem and the New Israel. There's going to be the nations that bring their tribute to the new Jerusalem every year. Revelation 21:24. And even though the church is not specifically mentioned, we know the church will be part of that experience.

[David Renfre]

Because the church isn't necessarily an ethnic group or a nationality.

[Bob Wilken]

Exactly.

[Announcer]

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[Bob Wilken]

So replacement theology. The problem is God promised Abraham that he would make his descendants like the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore, which they say there are hundreds of trillions of stars. Well, there aren't. Haven't been hundreds of trillions descendants of Abraham and Abraham, according to the book of Hebrews, was looking for a city, the new Jerusalem. And Jesus said, abraham rejoiced to see my day. So the promises made to Abraham are not going to be replaced by the church. The church is not Israel. And the idea that the church is Israel is a Misreading of Galatians 6:16. For example, I think the Israel of God in Galatians 6:16 refers to Jewish believers in the first century, which Paul calls a remnant. But ultimately, Paul did say in Romans 11:26, then all Israel will be saved. And what he means by that is all Israel is going to be delivered from Gentile rule. And more than all Israel will be believing. He means all Israel will be saved from the tribulation wrath and will go into the millennium as God's chosen people. And so the idea that somehow Israel has been replaced would mean that God's promises to Abraham were somehow abrogated, or worse, meaningless. And all of Hebrews 11 tells us about these Old Testament saints and how they're going to have a future experience. The angel is talking to Daniel about his people, Israel, and that these things will be fulfilled in the reign of Messiah. So the idea somehow that the church replaces Israel is a complete rejection of the Old Testament and the New Testament for that matter.

[David Renfre]

I think so too. It's just, I don't think there's anything that even comes close to explicitly stating that. I think you have to read into the Scriptures what you want to get out of it.

[Bob Wilken]

Well, some people get it with the church was grafted in into this olive tree. But what they need to recognize there is that the natural olive tree is going to continue to exist forever. And in fact, Paul goes on to say, be careful lest you be cut off. And that's not talking about loss of eternal life. That's saying there is going to be a time when the time of the gentiles ceases, Luke 21:24, and the time of the Jews is going to begin once again. And I believe that is going to occur at the end of the Tribulation when Jerusalem is surrounded by Gentile armies. And Joel232, whoever calls upon the name of the Lord is going to be delivered from this death that's going to be surrounding Jerusalem.

[David Renfre]

Right.

[Bob Wilken]

And so Israel is God's chosen people. Israel was God's chosen people. And Israel will be God's chosen people. And Jesus isn't going to rule from Detroit. No, he's not going to rule New

[David Renfre]

York, not even a suburb of Detroit.

[Bob Wilken]

He's not going to rule from Los Angeles or a suburb of Los Angeles. He's going to rule from the New Jerusalem.

[David Renfre]

That's right.

[Bob Wilken]

Or Jerusalem in the millennium and the New Jerusalem. So Jesus, I know this isn't a shock to you. David is Jewish.

[David Renfre]

Oh, jump back, jump back.

[Bob Wilken]

Right, yeah. Now there are Jewish believers in the church age. That's great. But you're a member of the church. That's your identity as you're part of the body of Christ. Israel is going to rise again. And even though Israel is not a believing nation today there are believers in

[David Renfre]

Israel, thousands having been there and talked to some people there. There's more than you think.

[Bob Wilken]

Ultimately, there's going to be millions of Jewish believers during the Tribulation, and by the end of the Tribulation, all the adults surviving the Tribulation will be believers, because any unfaithful believers will be taken and all the unbelievers will be taken. If they're adults, that is.

[David Renfre]

Sure.

[Bob Wilken]

Well, I hope this helped you. You can read more about replacement theology by looking online. I think we may have an article at our website on this. If we don't, I'll add one. But make sure that you remember that God loves His chosen people and the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. So he's not going to take away his calling of Israel?

[David Renfre]

No, there's no way.

[Bob Wilken]

And this is important for us to keep grace in focus.

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