Have you ever wondered why Christians can’t seem to agree about the role of Israel in the Bible—and why some believers are so deeply invested in the modern nation of Israel? It can be confusing. Depending on your background, you may have heard very different perspectives on how the people of God in the Old Testament relate to the Church today—and what that means for today’s headlines.
Two big theological traditions have shaped much of the conversation: dispensational theology and covenant theology. Both offer frameworks for understanding the Bible’s big story, but they lead to very different conclusions. Here is a brief overview so you can understand where people are coming from.
Dispensational Theology: Israel and the Church as Separate
Dispensationalism, which rose to prominence in the 19th century and is particularly popular among Baptist traditions, divides biblical history into distinct eras or “dispensations.” One of its main features is the sharp distinction it draws between Israel and the Church.
In this view, the promises God made to Israel in the Old Testament are still awaiting their full fulfillment in the Jewish people as a nation. The Church is seen almost like a “parenthesis” in God’s plan—important, yes, but not the same as Israel.
That means many dispensationalists view the establishment of the modern nation of Israel in 1948 as a direct fulfillment of biblical prophecy and a sign that we are living in the “end times.” This perspective often shapes strong political and theological support for the state of Israel.
Covenant Theology: The Church as the New Israel
Covenant theology, which grew out of the Reformed tradition, takes a different path. It sees the Bible’s story not in terms of dispensations, but covenants—God’s ongoing promises with humanity. Here, the Church is understood as the continuation and fulfillment of Israel.
In this view, the promises made to Abraham are ultimately fulfilled in Christ and extended to all who belong to him, Jew and Gentile alike. Paul puts it simply:
“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).
Most covenant theologians do not view the modern state of Israel as having a unique prophetic role. Instead, they emphasize the global Church as the covenant community of God.
The Wesleyan Perspective: Continuity, Fulfillment, and Love
As a Methodist, I don’t fit neatly into either of these categories. Wesleyan theology takes a different road—one that emphasizes God’s grace, the universal call to holiness, and the scope of salvation that embraces all peoples.
Here’s how I would describe it:
- God’s Covenant Faithfulness: Wesleyans affirm that God’s covenant with Israel is not erased. The Jewish people remain part of God’s story. As Paul says in Romans 11, Gentiles are grafted into the olive tree of Israel’s covenant blessings, not a replacement of it.
- Fulfillment in Christ: At the same time, all God’s promises find their “Yes” in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). He is the true Israelite, the one who embodies the vocation of Israel to bless the nations. The Church, made up of Jew and Gentile together, continues that mission in the world.
- The Modern State of Israel: From a Wesleyan lens, the modern nation of Israel is not in itself a direct fulfillment of biblical prophecy. It is a nation among nations, deserving of justice, peace, and dignity for all who live within its borders—Israeli and Palestinian alike. Our call is not to read today’s headlines into Revelation, but to follow Christ’s way of peacemaking.
- The Call to Holiness and Love: Ultimately, Methodists focus less on mapping out prophetic timelines and more on living as God’s holy people in the here and now. We are called to love God, love neighbor, and embody the Kingdom of God through lives of justice, mercy, and humility.
Why This Matters
Why spend time on this at all? Because how we read Scripture shapes how we live. If we think Israel and the Church are completely separate, we may fix our eyes only on the future. If we think the Church simply replaces Israel, we may lose sight of God’s ongoing faithfulness to the Jewish people.
But the Wesleyan perspective holds these truths in tension: God’s promises endure, God’s fulfillment is in Christ, and God’s mission now includes all nations.
That means our task is clear: to live as people of grace and holiness, seeking peace and justice, and bearing witness to Christ’s love in the world.
️If I were to sum it up in one sentence:
As a Wesleyan, I believe that Israel’s story and the Church’s story are bound together in Christ, and our calling today is to embody God’s covenant love in a broken world.
Grace and Recovery 