The Mystery of Israel

Who Is Israel Today?

The Jews are only a fraction of 1 percent of the world’s population. So why do they continue to occupy center stage in world affairs?

Jacques B. Doukhan, an Adventist scholar of Jewish heritage, attempts to unravel the mystery of Israel by taking a closer look at the scriptural evidence. Doukhan shows how careless interpretations of Scripture can spawn anti-Semitism. He examines the traditional theories: Has God rejected the Jews as His special people and replaced them with the Christian church (supersessionism)? Or does He have two separate ways of salvation, Judaism and Christianity, under different covenants (dispensationalism)? Or is there a third and better way to understand God’s plan for the Jews?

Israel has the law without Jesus, and the church has Jesus without the law. Doukhan argues that the movements diverged when Christianity rejected the law, and suggests that Adventism can play an important role in healing the breach.