Matthew 21:43

“Therefore I say to you, The Kingly Rule of God will be taken away from you, and will be given to a nation (people) bringing forth its fruits.”

That is why He can categorically declare to them that the Kingly Rule of God is to be taken away from them (they will no longer have it on offer and be seen as potential sons of the Kingly Rule as Jews (Matthew 8:12)), and that they will be replaced by the true sons of the Kingly Rule (Matthew 13:38), so that it will be given to ‘a nation' or ‘people' that will bring forth its fruits. Once again He is emphasising the beginning of the new age which is gradually coming in. It had in a sense begun with John (Matthew 21:31), it had continued to be built up by Jesus Himself (Matthew 12:28; Matthew 13:19 with 23, 37-38), and it would shortly come to its full fruition through His resurrection and enthronement and what would follow (Matthew 28:18; Acts 1:3; Acts 8:12; Acts 19:8; Acts 20:25; Acts 28:23; Acts 28:31; Romans 14:17).

It is true that the prime reference of ‘the builders' was to the Jewish religious leadership, but they continued to be followed by the majority of Jews, who thus aligned themselves with them. They too rejected the corner stone. They too therefore lost the potential of being sons of the Kingly Rule.

All this ties in with Matthew 8:11 where unbelieving Jews will be excluded from the future Kingly Rule while believing Gentiles will be a part of it, along with believing Jews (Abraham, etc). It fits in with the idea that one of the feedings of the crowds was of Jewish believers, while the other incorporated Gentile believers, so that they were seen as one together as disciples of Jesus in the new congregation. It also parallels the idea in the above parable that the vineyard will be ‘given to others'. For the idea of the church as the new nation replacing the old compare 1 Peter 2:9 with Exodus 19:6, and see John 15:1; Romans 11:11; Galatians 3:28; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 2:11; 1 Peter 2:9; James 1:1.

There are three main interpretations of this verse, which partly depend on the total viwepoint of the interpreter:

1) That the idea is that the present Israel will in the near future be replaced by a new Israel made up of believers from among the Jews (not including the Gentiles) forming the Jewish church. This is then often linked with the idea that in future there will be revival among the unbelieving Jews who will thus become linked with this Jewish church forming ‘all Israel' (Romans 11:26).

2) That the idea is that an Israel will arise in the more distant future which is descended from the Jews and made up of converted Jews who will have been purified and will have come to believe. These will be the Old Israel renewed in the end days. These are seen as referred to as ‘all Israel' in Romans 11:26.

3) That the idea is that there will be a new ‘nation' (compare 1 Peter 2:9) which will originally be made up of Jewish believers, but will then expand to include all Gentile converts who are circumcised in Christ into the new Israel (John 15:1; Romans 11:11; Galatians 3:28; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 2:11; Colossians 2:10; 1 Peter 2:9; James 1:1. These again can be seen as referred to by Paul as ‘all Israel' in Romans 11:26, thus in this case including both those who were already in (Jesus' wider group of disciples and their resulting early Jewish converts), and those who have been ‘grafted in' (Romans 11:17).

The first position is usually held by Christian Jews who are so proud of their Jewish heritage that they see themselves as distinct from their ‘Gentile' brethren, even though having full fellowship with them. In our view they misrepresent such Scriptures as John 15:1; Romans 11:11; Galatians 3:28; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 2:11; 1 Peter 2:9; James 1:1 which clearly teach that all are one in Christ Jesus with no distinction, and thereby maintain unscriptural distinctions, mainly because of national pride.

The second position is often held by those who believe that Israel has a separate future apart from the true body of Christ. In our view they fail to see that Scripture constantly maintains that the true Israel is made up of all believers who are incorporated into Christ (see Scriptures above), whatever their previous background, in the same way as in Old Testament days all who were incorporated in the covenant, whether Jew or Gentile, were seen as part of Israel regardless of descent or race.

The third position is held by those who hold that there is one body in Christ and that salvation can only be found in that one body, and that that is true in all ages. Thus any who would be saved must become partakers of Christ and thereby become members of the true Vine and therefore of the new Israel founded on His Messiahship. This is the true Israel that Jesus came to found, the new ‘congregation'. They believe that while there may be a large-scale turning to Christ among the Jews in the end days, nevertheless by so turning such Jews become members of the true congregation of Jesus Christ along with their non-Jewish Christian brethren, with the distinction between Jew and Gentile in the sight of God removed. They will become all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). See our article on ‘Is the Church Israel?' in the Introduction.