COMMONWEALTH THEOLOGY # THE DENVER DECLARATION: DOUG KRIEGER # DOUG HAMP ET AL

Commonwealth of Israel Foundation: DENVER DECLARATION

The Denver Declaration (DD) is a dislocated document written by multiple authors who promote the false doctrines of Commonwealth Theology. Commonwealth Theology is a variation on Covenant Theology and follows the allegorical approach to the scriptures. Allegorical interpreters can teach pretty much any nonsense they like, and they have the dubious advantage of avoiding the responsibility of providing scriptural evidence to support their views. (1 John 4:1).

The DD is presented under the guise of countering anti-Semitism vis-à-vis the error of Replacement Theology (Supersessionism) i.e. the false teaching that the church has replaced Israel in God's plans. The DD also complains that Messianic believers often find themselves isolated from the main body of believers. As a response, these authors have taken the speculative leap of identifying the ten lost tribes of Israel i.e. the house of Joseph/Ephraim, as the Gentile church, without the prerequisite of actual genetic descent from Jacob. {1} The authors of the DD have misinterpreted the prophetic scriptures regarding the ultimate gathering together of Judah and Ephraim in Jeremiah 50:4-5 and Ezekiel 37:16-19, 21-22 and have misapplied them to Ephesians 2:15. This dubious theory denies the genuine lost tribes of Israel, who are genetically identifiable, their unique designation BEFORE GOD, as "natural branches". The supposition that genetic Israel are now amalgamated with Gentiles and have become "wild branches" is insupportable.

DD: "The House of Israel/Ephraim was intentionally, divinely scattered and diffused among the Nations (Gentiles) so that they were “swallowed up.”

They who were ‘swallowed up of the Nations’ [aka, Ephraim, Israel, Jezreel, Samaria – Hos. 8:7-9]; yet, He 'will gather them' for “As He says also in Hosea: ‘I will call them My people, who were not My people, and her beloved, who was not beloved. And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God’” (Hos. 2:23; 1:10; Rom. 9:25-26)."

We affirm but ONE OLIVE TREE (Jer. 11:16) yet “two branches” but “one root” – these two are seen as the “natural branches” (Judah) and the wild branches (those 'elect from among the nations'– Rom. 11).."  (Section 1)

The New Testament refers to both Judah and Ephraim specifically as the "natural branches". Paul refers to Judah and Ephraim as a whole: What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. (Romans 11:7). All twelve tribes of Israel received the Mosaic Law and were part of the Mosaic Covenant. (Romans 11:1). The twelve tribes are the covenant people to whom the promises given to the patriarchs refer. (Matthew 19:28; Revelation 7:4, 21:12). At the present time the "natural branches" (Judah and Ephraim) have been temporarily cut off. (Romans 11:24). 

When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. And the LORD said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.” Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel. (Hosea 1:8-10).

The Commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:12) 

..remember that you (Gentiles) were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. (Ephesians 2:12).  

The commonwealth of Israel designates the special relationship Judah and Israel previously had with God under the Mosaic covenant which is now abolished. Israeli and Gentile believers in Jesus Christ have become one under the new covenant ~ the Israel of God i.e. the spiritual seed of Abraham by faith. (Galatians 6:16 cf. Galatians 3:9,29; Romans 2:28-29; Philippians 3:3).

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:13-22).

The authors of the DD make a cringeworthy attempt at officialdom with the opening phrase: 

 "THEREFORE - BE IT KNOWN".

DD: God has not forgotten nor forsaken either Judah or Ephraim. (Isa. 49:14-16; Jer. 3:12; Rom. 11:1-2)—notwithstanding their “scattering.” Both the everlasting Abrahamic covenant and the Mosaic covenant remain in place on God’s part: “Concerning the election...the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom. 11:28-29); “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim. 2:13).

We should stop short at this point and question the above statement since it goes against the specific New Testament teaching that the Mosaic Covenant has been abrogated. Unfortunately, the divisive heresy that the Mosaic covenant remains in place is taught by a number of aberrant sects and includes modern Judaizers Doug Hamp, Scott Harwell, and presumably Doug Krieger et al, who keep the Mosaic Law regarding Levitical dietary laws, Sabbath days and feast days. (See further links) The Mosaic Covenant is referred to as the Old Covenant (2 Corinthians 3:14; Hebrews 8:6,13), i.e. it was replaced by the New Covenant in Christ (Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Hebrews 8:8,13, 9:15, 12:24).The New Covenant in Christ is superior to the old Mosaic Covenant it replaces because it fulfills the promises made in Jeremiah 31:31-34, as quoted in Hebrews 8. No genuine believer can support the heresy that the Mosaic Covenant remains in place!

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith. ”But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:10-14). 

Before this faith came, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. Galatians 3:23-25).

Therefore, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. For when we lived according to the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, bearing fruit for death. But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. (Romans 7:4-6).

Now if the ministry of death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at the face of Moses because of its fleeting glory, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness! Indeed, what was once glorious has no glory now in comparison to the glory that surpasses it. For if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which endures! (2 Corinthians 3:7-11).

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. (Ephesians 2:13-16). 

In context... one new man in the New Testament refers to those who were far off i.e. the Gentiles who did not have the Mosaic Law, and those who were near i.e. Israel who did have the Mosaic Law. (Ephesians 2:13-16). Ephraim falls into the latter category. 

At the end of the 70th week of Daniel, a Jewish remnant, referred to as all Israel, will be saved. This will fulfil the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 and Zechariah 12:10. This remnant will be protected from the day of God's wrath on the earth at the very end of the age during the seventh seal trumpet and bowl judgements. ((Revelation 12:1-14; Revelation 8). The remnant of Israel will therefore remain on the earth during the day of the Lord, whereas the church will be raptured between the sixth and seventh seal of Revelation. (Revelation 7:9–17). As such we do have to make a distinction between Israel and the church since both groups are treated differently during this period and also during the millennial reign of Christ.

ONE IN MESSIAH CONVOCATION - DENVER - 18-20 JULY 2019

 

Gentile believers in Jesus Christ are not "Ephraim" and they are not under the Mosaic Law! 

Beware of these false teachers.

1. Commonwealth of Israel Foundation: BELIEFS 

Further Links

(1) Duke professor writes about Lost Tribe of Israel - YouTube

WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: Doug Hamp (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)