In the Directory for the Public Worship of God, drawn up by the Westminster Divines, the section on the prayer before sermon directs us to “pray for the propagation of the gospel and kingdom of Christ to all nations; for the conversion of the Jews, the fullness of the Gentiles”. The Larger Catechism gives us light on this statement; it says in the answer to Question 191, “In the second petition, (which is, Thy kingdom come) . . . we pray that the kingdom of sin and Satan may be destroyed, the gospel propagated throughout the world, the Jews called, the fullness of the Gentiles brought in”.
Thomas Ridgely, in his commentary on The Larger Catechism, gives us the scriptural views held at the time of the Westminster Assembly: “Though it is true a considerable number of the Jews at first believed in Christ, yet the greatest part of that people were cast off, and all3 remain, at this day, strangers and enemies to Him. Hence we cannot but suppose that those prophecies which respect their conversion, in the latter day, together with the fullness of the Gentiles being brought in, shall be more eminently accomplished than they have hitherto been.”
Present-day Replacement Theology holds that Israel has been replaced by the Church in New Testament times, so that the prophecies addressed to Israel are now addressed to the Church, making the Church the New Testament Israel. This view teaches that the Jews have no special place now, so that in God’s purposes of grace we must not make any distinction between Jew and Gentile. Some Reformed theologians hold this view contrary to the statements of The Larger Catechism and the Directory for Prayer. The majority view of the Puritans was that Israel lost her privileges through unbelief, although a small number of Jews in New Testament times have become believers and have entered the Christian Church, yet there remains a bright future for the nation, to be brought about through a great spiritual revival.
This will also prove to be a great blessing to the Gentile world; so the Church, comprising Jew and Gentile, will be greatly enlarged. The following verses direct us to that conclusion: “Now if the fall of them [the Jews] be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness?” (Rom 11:12). “For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?” (v 15). Verse 23 adds, “God is able to graft them in again.” The word again shows that this refers to ethnic Israel.
Jonathan Edwards in his book, A History of Redemption shows that, at the conversion of the Jews, their infidelity shall then be overthrown: “However obstinate they have been now for above 1700 years in their rejection of Christ . . . yet when this day comes, the thick veil that blinds their eyes shall be removed, and divine grace shall melt and renew their hard hearts, ‘and they shall look on Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn’ (Zec 12:10). And then shall the house of Israel be saved: the Jews in all their dispersions shall cast away their old infidelity . . . and shall flow together to the blessed Jesus, penitently, humbly and joyfully owning Him as their glorious King and only Savior, and shall . . . declare His praises unto other nations.
“Besides the prophecies of the calling of the Jews, we have a remarkable seal of this great event in providence . . . a kind of continual miracle, viz their being preserved a distinct nation in such a dispersed condition for above 1600 years. The world affords nothing else like it. There is undoubtedly a remarkable hand of providence in it. When they shall be called, then shall that ancient people, that were alone God’s people for so long a time, be God’s people again, never to be rejected more: they shall be gathered into one fold together with the Gentiles.
“Though we do not know the time in which this conversion of the nation of Israel will come to pass; yet thus much we may determine by Scripture, that it will be before the glory of the Gentile part of the Church shall be fully accomplished; because it is said, that their coming in shall be as ‘life from the dead to the Gentiles’ (Rom 11:12, 15).”4
3His work was published in 1731, but “all” must have been somewhat of an exaggeration.
4The Free Presbyterian Magazine for January 2005 contained a sermon by Thomas Boston entitled, “The Salvation of the Jews”, which is additional profitable reading on this subject.