One of the criticisms of the rapture minded viewpoint is that it holds to two people of God, Israel & the church. (Some also say two gospels based on a minor point from Darby that arguably was not referring to two gospels. But non-dispensationalists tend to straw-man rather than deal with what dispensationalism actually holds to.) Is two people of God a true or untrue criticism? It’s a misguided criticism. The rapture minded viewpoint holds to a missiological view: People are either saved or unsaved. Just as God has a different plan for each person, He has a plan for each nation, Israel being one of many.  

Israel and other nations

In the Abrahamic covenant we see the promise of God to Abraham’s descendants. This promise states through Abraham’s descendants all the families (nations-that’s people groups) shall be blessed. Based on Ephesians and Romans, we see that faith is how we become part of Abraham. But in faith, nations do not lose their identity. Saved Americans are still part of the gentile nations. Being born of Israel doesn’t make you saved either, for not all Israel is Israel. Jews also need faith. This is the one gospel through the ages. God’s plan for missions was allowing Israel to be hardened that us gentiles could be shown God’s mercy. A revival will occur whereby Israel will once again be redeemed and restored as a nation of God’s people. This is the point of Romans 11. A rapture minded person sees multiple plans for people and nations, ending with Israel being restored. This viewpoint does not view the church as spiritual Israel or replacing Israel. It views Israel having a distinct plan just as God has a plan for other nations.

Well Galatians says…

Non-rapture minded people often point to Paul’s words in Galatians in the same manner that egalitarianism does, “there are no distinctions, hence one people of God.” This is similar to egalitarianism saying men are women are thus equal and no male headship in the home or church. The sense of being in Christ is that primary categories do not make you closer to Christ. Only faith brings you to Christ. Being a free, Jewish, man makes you no closer to Christ than a female, gentile, slave. In a Jewish mindset, those would be polar opposites. Because of Christ, faith makes us saved, lacking faith unsaved. The distinctions are not lost. How so? In First Corinthians Paul gives the order “act like men.” This would make little sense if the distinctions are gone. Wives submitting to their husbands in Ephesians also makes little sense if their are no distinctions. Being in Christ does not mean I am no longer a man, but in Christ my maleness does not distinguish me, only my faith does. 

One body, many parts

Israel remains as a distinct entity as you and I remain with a distinct identity, though we are one in Christ. We are not gifted the same, though we are one body. We do not have the same testimony of coming to the one lord and one baptism. My story is not your story. God can (and does!) have a distinct plan for Israel, just as there is a plan for you. God has a plan for our nation, just as like there is a plan for you. Missions was always global, even in the Old Testament. The culmination of the New Covenant is God restoring Israel among the nations for His name’s sake. Israel profaned His name among the nations. That is not congruent with the Church as replacing or being spiritual Israel. We, just as the trinity, are equal in Christ but have different and functioning identities. We, just as a family is one flesh, have different and functioning identities. God can have a plan for redeeming Israel that is different than other nations. That does not mean two people of God.

Jews got saved so isn’t Israel redeemed and the church now spiritual Israel?

Yes, the church started in Israel, and Jews even today accept Christ as their Messiah. But the nation of Israel rejected Christ and is still apostate. There were Israelites who didn’t bow to Baal, but the nation was still under Jezebel’s idolatry. There were Jews like Daniel and friends, but the nation of Judah still turned from God. There were Jews who recognized Jesus, but the nation still rejected Christ and crucified Him. Missions is national not just individual. In the church age God did not stop saving anyone, nor did God not reach out to gentiles during the mosaic or patriarchal ages. His mission has always been global, and while His plan for Israel is quite specific, His plan to reach gentile nations through the church is also specific. God’s desire is that all would come to repentance, though effectually only those who turn to Him by His calling will.

Mercy, not covenants, is God’s focus for history

If you take the Bible as making sense through the concept of covenants, then you need to force church and her gentile believers into Israel or to replace Israel with the church. If you take the Bible as making sense through mercy- like the Holy Spirit lead Paul to reveal to us in Romans 9-11, then you can have a distinction between Israel and the church, between Israel and the other nations. This section focuses on mercy, not covenants, for the covenants and patriarchs belong to Israel. But we in gentile nations who were not a people are now a people of God. In this discourse Israel and gentiles are distinct identities. At the end of the discourse Paul lays out what God’s plan is: showing mercy to all. God cannot be done with Israel, or He is a liar for the promises and calling of God are irrevocable. The church is not plan B but rather the plan all along that both Jews and gentiles be shown mercy and grafted into a healthy vine, which is Christ. This plan should lead us to worship, and not writing off or replacing Israel. The writing off of Israel lead to rank anti-Semitism throughout church history. This evil is one of the foundations for rejecting pre-millennialism at the sunset of the early church. Paul explicitly warns against such arrogance in Romans 11.

The Gospel: One hero, many stories

Salvation has always been by grace through faith. The Law was a stumbling block because the path to God the Father is always faith. Abraham believed God and he received righteousness. David believed God, and was a man after God’s own heart. Imperfect men trusting a perfect God. This singular Gospel has different stories to tell for Abraham’s physical descendants, as well as his spiritual descendants, us gentiles, who received the good news and acknowledged Jesus as our King. Both the natural and wild branches will flourish when put into Christ, and both will perish if apart from Christ. The Israel tale and the gentile tale are different, but our hero is the same. In the end our King wins.