The Eternal People: God in Relation to Israel: Post-New Testament Israel, Vol. IV/1b (An Evangelical Introduction to Reformational Theology, Part IV: Consummation: The Lived Shape of Theology)

From the Author’s Preface

This work presents a theology of Israel, rather than a history of Israel, or of Jewry and Judaism, or of the state of Israel, and so on, although all these matters will be touched upon. A theology of Israel is that part of systematic theology that analyzes the origin, place, significance, character, purpose, and future of Israel, as we find these matters expressed in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Finally, this theology examines the significance of all these dimensions pertaining to Israel with a view to understanding the origin, place, significance, character, purpose, and future of Christianity.

The title of this book indicates that it is part of my “Eternal” series, whose volumes discuss a number of dogmatic subjects of eternal significance. (Please note, I do not claim that the books are of eternal significance, but their subjects are.) In a sense, the previous volumes are all related to this one: the “Eternal Word” is primarily the Tanakh, Israel’s Holy Book, with its divinely inspired commentary: the New Testament, written by Jewish authors, as well. The “Eternal Torah” is the Torah given first to Israel. The “Eternal God” is none other than the God of Israel. The “Eternal Christ [Anointed]” is primarily the Messiah (Anointed) of Israel. The “Eternal Purpose” refers primarily to the redemption of Israel. The “Eternal Salvation” is based on the principle first revealed in the Tanakh (the Old Testament): “[W]ithout the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Heb. 9:22; cf. Lev. 17:11). The “Eternal Covenant” refers primarily to the covenants made with the patriarchs, and their offspring: the people of Israel. And the “Eternal Kingdom” is the kingdom of the King set by God upon Zion, God’s holy hill (Ps. 2:6).

This is a two-volume project. The first volume focuses on the biblical Israel, the Israel we find throughout both the Tanakh and the New Testament. The second volume focuses on the Israel who lived in post-biblical times until today, and on its prophesied future.

Bible quotations in this book usually come from the English Standard Version. Unless otherwise noted, italics within Bible quotations have been added.

About the Series

The set to which this volume belongs is informally entitled “The Eternal Series,” because each volume of the set unfolds an aspect of the reality of God’s relationship with humanity that reaches from eternity past to eternity future. The formal title of the series is “An Evangelical Introduction to Reformational Theology.” Here are the volume titles:

Part I: Scripture: The Revealed Source For Theology

I/1 The Eternal Word: God Speaking To Us

I/2 The Eternal Torah: Living Under God

Part II: God: The Personal Source Behind Theology

II/1 The Eternal God: God Revealing Himself To Us

II/2 The Eternal Christ: God With Us

II/3 The Eternal Spirit: God Living In Us

Part III: Redemption: The Christ-Centered Heart of Theology

III/1 The Eternal Purpose: Living In Christ

III/2 Eternal Righteousness: Living Before God

III/3 Eternal Salvation: Christ Dying For Us

III/4 Eternal Life: Christ Living In Us

Part IV: Consummation: The Lived Shape of Theology

IV/1 The Eternal People: God in Relation To Israel

IV/2 The Eternal Covenant: Living With God

IV/3 The Eternal Kingdom: Living Under Christ

These volumes have been written for the informed Christian who is somewhat familiar with both the Bible and Christian theology. As you will learn in these volumes, that order-first Bible and then theology-is crucially important. So too is the distinction (but not the separation!) between these two: the Bible is not theology, and theology is not the Bible. Both following that order and honoring that distinction are prerequisites for healthy, charitable, and enduring Christianity.

Dr. Willem J. Ouweneel is a Dutch author whose three doctorates-one each in biology, philosophy, and theology-rank him among the premier Bible scholars of this generation, and equip him with breadth of vision and depth of insight.

When these volumes are read alongside an open Bible, the patient reader will acknowledge the authority of the claims being defended. The reader's certitude will ultimately come to rest, not in any particular theological system or model, but in the inspired, infallible Word of God, and more importantly, in the God of that Word. As such, this entire series and these volumes are fresh and faithful reformulations of the essence of biblical faith and life as that was transmitted throughout the centuries, was rediscovered in the Reformation, and has come to be known as Reformational theology: sola Scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus, soli Deo gloria.