Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
One’s view of Israel is key in determining one’s theology. This groundbreaking study investigates four approaches to the theology of Israel past, present and future; and scrutinizes beliefs that tend to confuse the identities of both Israel and the Church. Amazingly, this ground breaking work is the first to create an entire systematic theology of all that the Scriptures say in regard to the people of Israel. As such, Israelology fills a tremendously neglected void, while affecting nearly every other segment of systematic theology and directly addressing a crucial point of division in evangelical theology today.
Dr. Fruchtenbaum’s masterful book, written over a 13-year period to earn his Ph.D. from New York University, exhaustively surveys every aspect of Israel from the perspective of four major schools of theology (postmillennialism, amillennialism, premillennialism and dispensationalism). Its far-reaching conclusion is that only the last, with its clear distinction between Israel and the Church, can, in fact, provide a systematized biblical doctrine of Israel. But even dispensationalists—while organizing every other major Scriptural theme from the Church (Ecclesiology) to Salvation (Soteriology) to Last Days (Eschatology)—have failed to develop a systematic theology of one of the Bible’s most integral subjects, Israel. Until now.
This resource is also available as part of Ariel Ministries Messianic Collection (11 volumes).
Contents
- Introduction
- Covenant Postmillennialism: Definition and Basic Tenets
- The Israelology of Covenant Postmillennialism
- Covenant Amillennialism: Definition and Basic Tenets
- The Israelology of Covenant Amillennialism
- Covenant Premillennialism: Definition and Basic Tenets
- The Israelology of Covenant Premillennialism
- Dispensationalism: Definition and Basic Tenets
- The Israelology of Dispensationalism
- A Dispensational Israelology
- Appendices
Praise for the Print Edition
…tremendous, masterful book... Amillennialism, postmillennialism and other forms of Covenant Theology go up in smoke under the withering blaze of biblical light Fruchtenbaum places on them.
—The Biblical Evangelist
This book is a ‘must have,’ ‘must read,’ and ‘must reference.’
—Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society
This book is doubtless the most thorough work on the relationship of Israelology to systematic theology.
—Bibliotheca Sacra
"[Israelology] has much to inform evangelicals about in a greatly neglected field, the present role of a people who are the main characters in the Bible.
—Master's Seminary Journal
Product Details
- Title: Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology
- Author: Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum
- Publisher: Ariel Ministries Press
- Publication Date: 1989
- Pages: 1,100
About Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum
Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, one of the foremost authorities on the nation of Israel, is a messianic believer and founder and director of Ariel Ministries, a Texas-based organization dedicated to evangelism and discipleship of Jewish people.
Dr. Fruchtenbaum was born in Siberia after his father was released from a communist prison there. Aided by the Israeli underground, the Fruchtenbaum family escaped from behind the Iron Curtain. While living in Germany from 1947 to 1951, Arnold received Orthodox training from his father – who had himself been reared to assume Chasidic (ultra-orthodox Jewish) leadership in Poland, only to later lose most of his family and his faith to the Holocaust. The Fruchtenbaums immigrated to New York, and five years later, at age 13, Arnold came to saving faith.
Before receiving his doctorate from New York University in 1989, Dr. Fruchtenbaum earned his Th. M. from Dallas Theological Seminary. His graduate work also includes studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Having lived in Israel for three years, Dr. Fruchtenbaum’s intensive study of the role of that nation in God’s plan of world redemption has made him a much in-demand speaker at Bible conferences and schools throughout the world.
Top Highlights
“An evangelical theologian’s view of Israel will determine whether he is a Covenant Theologian or a Dispensationalist.” (Page 1)
“When Dispensationalists speak of an ‘unconditional covenant,’ they do not mean that the content of the covenant contains no conditions, obligations, or commands. What they do mean is that God intends to fulfill the terms of the covenant regardless of whether man fulfills his obligations.” (Page 335)
“This theology insists that it is the Church that is the people of God, and in the Old Testament the Church and Israel were the same.” (Page 29)
“These passages speak of Israel, but Kik identifies the Israel of every one of these passages with the Church” (Page 15)
“The four unconditional covenants belong to the people of Israel and, as this passage notes, Gentiles were considered strangers from the covenants. Fifth, while a covenant is made at a specific point of time, not all of the provisions go immediately into effect. At the time a covenant is signed or sealed, three things happen: some do go immediately into effect; some go into effect in the near future; and some go into effect only in the distant or prophetic future.” (Page 572)
- Title: Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology
- Author: Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum
- Edition: Rev. ed.
- Publisher: Ariel Ministries
- Print Publication Date: 1989
- Logos Release Date: 2007
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Israel › Systematic theology
- Resource ID: LLS:ISRAELOLOGY
- Resource Type: Systematic Theology
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-08-30T21:09:17Z
Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum (1943– ) is a messianic believer and founder and director of Ariel Ministries, an organization dedicated to evangelism and discipleship of Jewish people. He earned his doctorate from New York University and his MTh from Dallas Theological Seminary, and he studied at Jewish Theological Seminary and Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
As a child, Dr. Fruchtenbaum was trained by his father in Orthodox Judaism, but at age thirteen he came to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. He worked as a missionary with the American Board of Missions to Jews (known today as Chosen People Ministries) and served as editor of their monthly publication, The Chosen People.
Dr. Fruchtenbaum is the author of Ariel’s Bible Commentary: The Book of Genesis and the eleven volumes in the Ariel Ministries Messianic Collection, and he is the coauthor of How Jewish Is Christianity?: 2 Views on the Messianic Movement.
Reviews
18 ratings
Charlie Orr
12/13/2023
Tero Fredriksson
8/27/2019
Brad Burman
7/22/2019
This is 'classic' work in the modern Messianic Jewish movement, first published in 1989. It deals with many theological issues that are important to our movement in addition to the doctrine of Israel such as the Scriptures teaching of the Remnant, Olive Tree and Israel of God. He also touches on messianic synagogues, evangelism and range of other practical topics in ministry. Israelology is also very relevant to any serious student of Christian theology. Dr Fruchtenbaum exhaustively surveys the biblical theology of Israel from the perspectives of the major Evangelical schools of thought and states a systematic doctrine of Israel demonstrating how this interacts with other major biblical themes. His work is indeed ground breaking in establishing this 'new' area of systematic theology as an area of study in its own right and candidate for inclusion with the traditional (somewhat arbitrary) existing eight to ten categories usually dealt with. Indeed, as the author demonstrates, one's understanding on Scripture's teaching on Israel past, present and future directly impacts how we understand many other biblical teachings. It is written from a very dedicated Dispensational viewpoint and many of its references come from this school of thought. To some extent this is to be expected in any survey of the theology of Israel as arguable Dispensationalists do have a more developed Israelology than other major schools of theology. For those familiar with Dr Fruchtenbaum speaking style, the style of this book will come as no surprise. Logically presented, lots of content but uneven in strength of argument. Some topics are very well argued and strongly evidenced, others seem simply strong statements of the author's opinion. For example he says in one place "...there is no biblical problem though some of his exegeses, such as that of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 is debatable.." commenting on another position. He appeals to biblical principles that he considers self-evident rather than establishing them and states another's exegesis is 'debatable without sharing his argument as to why it is with the reader. Personally, I would prefer more analysis/argument and less personal opinion. I also find his writing style often a bit clunky...but this is a minor issue. Those things said, it is an excellent text on the topic. It is comprehensive, detailed and original. As far as I know, the best text available on this topic. He has broken ground which, I hope, many will continue to build on. The Logos version certainly is a plus making it much easier to search, look up cross references and add notes to.
Bill
6/25/2019
Dean Poulos
7/30/2017
DavePL HI Haoli KI
1/13/2017
Bret Zagar
11/2/2016
Paul Weitzel
9/19/2016
Richard Labelle
4/23/2016
Dispensational Truth
1/20/2016
