Dual Covenant Theology
Q. I do not believe in Dual Covenant Theology. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 I believe the scriptures say that Jesus raised the old testament Jewish saints with Him when He ascended to Heaven. So they are already there. The Messianic Jews are part of the church. So they are saved. The scriptures also say that God has a covenant with the Jews and Israel. Although the church age Jews refuse to acknowledge Jesus as their Savior and therefore, are not saved, God has given them back the land of Israel. Has He done this so He can save the remnant of Jews that come to believe during the tribulation? Is it because Jerusalem is the Holy Land and the Jews have been chosen to protect it? Is it because, although they refuse to accept Jesus, God will always keep his covenant with them as God’s people, along with the church, whether they believe in Jesus or not? Like I said, I do not believe in Dual Covenant Theology because Jesus tells us it isn’t true, but it is confusing. Please explain
A. Basically, Dual Covenant Theology holds that Jews don’t have to accept Jesus as their Savior under the New Covenant, because they’ve already been saved under the Old Covenant. This view can not be supported by Scripture without making some major assumptions. For instance, you have to assume that when Jesus was standing in Israel telling His Jewish disciples that no one can come to the Father except through Him, He was referring only to Gentiles. It doesn’t make sense.
In his prophecy of Israel’s latter day regathering, Ezekiel indicated that at first they would not be a nation of believers. Their official “awakening” will not be complete until after the Battle of Ezekiel 38-39 but even that will only bring them back to their Old Covenant relationship. That’s why they’ll need a Temple. Their realization that Jesus is their Messiah will happen toward the end of the Great Tribulation and is described in Zechariah 12:10. This fulfills one purpose of the Great Tribulation, which is to purify Israel. The other one is to completely destroy all the nations into which Israel was scattered. (Jeremiah 30:1-11).
