Panel on “Replacement Theology” at the 2012 Epicenter Conference with (left to right) Joel Rosenberg, Pastor Skip Heitzig, Dr. Michael Rydelnik, and Dr. Michael Vlach.

Today, unfortunately, there are millions of people who believe that God has rejected Israel and the Jewish people. Some don’t believe the Old Testament Scriptures ever indicated that God sovereignly chose Israel to bless her, and chose to make her a blessing to all the families of the earth, and that He also sovereignly promised to give the Jewish people the land of Israel as an “everlasting possession.” Others believe that yes, the Old Testament made those promises, but that the New Testament changed or modified or even abrogated those promises. Such views are known as “Replacement Theology,” or “supercessionism,” or sometimes as “fulfillment theology.”

Tragically, such thinking among church leaders in Germany in the early 1900s created a poisonous, anti-Semitic environment which Adolf Hitler latched onto, rode to power, and then manipulated for the “Final Solution” and the murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust. Replacement theology won’t necessarily lead to genocide. But it can, and it has. Not all who hold various forms of Replacement Theology are anti-Semitic. Some are just misinformed or misguided. And misguided bad theology can lead to misguided actions.

At The Joshua Fund’s 2012 Epicenter Conference, we invited some of the world’s foremost Bible scholars and theologians in these areas to walk us through these sensitive and controversial issues. I’m so grateful to report that not only did they do a brilliant job, they also communicated in a way that was easy — even enjoyable — to understand. Here are links to three important videos from the conference on these issues. I hope you find them helpful and will pass them along to others to watch and consider, as well.

• What does the Old Testament say about God’s plan for Israel and the Jewish people? — taught by Dr. Norman Geisler.
• What does the New Testament say about God’s plan for Israel and the Jewish people? (does the NT change the OT plan, or reaffirm it?) — taught by Dr. Michael Rydelnik.
• Joel Rosenberg leads Q&A with Dr. Geisler and Dr. Rydelnik regarding their messages.
• Panel Discussion on Replacement Theology: Joel leads conversation with Dr. Rydelnik, Dr. Michael Vlach, and Pastor Skip Heitz on what Replacement Theology is, why it matters, and why it is flawed.

>> All the messages from the 2012 Epicenter Conference are now posted online at www.epicenterconference.com. Watch them on demand, any time, day or night, for free. You can also download an Epicenter Conference mobile app to watch or listen to the messages on your iPhone or Droid for free.

>> Help The Joshua Fund care for the poor and needy in Israel, teach the Word of God in the epicenter, educate and mobilize Christians around the world to bless poor and needy Israelis, train pastors and ministry leaders in Egypt, strengthen the believers in Syria, and prepare for a possible major new war in the epicenter — please prayerfully consider a generous, tax deductible financial contribution to The Joshua Fund.