“and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief from all your enemies. The Lord declares to you that he himself will build a dynastic house for you. When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent……. Your house and your kingdom will stand before me permanently; your dynasty will be permanent.’”” 2 Samuel 7:11-13, 16 NET https://bible.com/bible/107/2sa.7.16.NET

I recently discussed Israel with a friend whose view indicated that the nation still has a special destiny before God, different from His church. I argued otherwise and was labeled a replacement theology person. I was accused of seeing the church replacing Israel as God’s chosen people. To be labeled a ‘replacementist’ is perhaps a bit pejorative. I prefer fulfillment believer. The church fulfills God’s promise to Abraham as Jesus fulfilled God’s promise to David to establish an eternal king and kingdom. Israel cannot identify anyone to lead it as king from the lineage of David any more than they can identify priests from the line of Levi. The nation has been diluted with non-Israelites. Jesus came to fulfill the law, the prophets, and I would add, the promise, by making His new covenant His new means for gathering His eternal people to live with Him forever. The Promised Land is the new heavens and the new earth God will establish on that Day He returns to establish His eternal throne on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus is the fulfillment of everything promised to Israel. The church is the means for all people in all nations to be welcomed into God’s covenant of promise for eternal life with Him. God’s work began in a garden with Adam, reestablished through Noah, forecast with Abraham, detailed by Moses, fulfilled by Jesus, and proclaimed by His church, the fulfillment of God’s redemption of humanity.