This teaching is not only false, it is also very dangerous. It is true that the Church is a vessel in the Lord's hands. However, its purpose, according to the Word of God, is quite different from what has been set forth by the Church all these years. It is even conceivable that, as a result of its limited vision and doctrine of replacement theology, the Church has hindered God's plan of redemption in the earth.
The Church has, indeed, been given the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). This is a very fundamental message. However, a more basic message is the Kingdom of God (Hebrews 6:1-2). This message was taught by Jesus as well as Paul and the other apostles. This message of the Kingdom is that God is sovereign and He is redeeming the world back to Himself.
We must see what God is doing and see it from His viewpoint. God is coming to dwell among men. This is not a new concept. It has been His plan from the very beginning. We see that He walked with Adam in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8-9). His glory filled the Tabernacle in the wilderness (Exodus 40:34), the first Temple in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 7:1), and His ultimate plan is to dwell in His living Temple in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:3). If this has been His intent from the beginning, what reason would we have to think He would change it now? We must remember that He is redeeming the world for His purpose, not ours. We are called to be vessels in His purpose. In fact, Paul stated: "For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers" (Romans 15:8). And a little further: "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people" (Romans 15:10 quoting from Deuteronomy 32:43).
How disturbing that a chosen vessel such as the Church would cut itself off from its very roots. Paul foresaw that this would happen. He addressed this very problem as early as 58 CE. He envisioned Israel as a rich olive tree. We, as believers in Messiah Jesus from gentile backgrounds, are wild olive branches grafted into the rich olive tree. He stated: "do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root who supports you" (Romans 11:18). How can a branch on a tree reach down and cut off its very roots and still survive? Obviously this is inconceivable, for to do so would mean instant death. Yet we see in history that the Church effectively cut off its roots somewhere between 70-110 CE.
The Church was designed to function within the midst of Israel. This is where Jesus ministered and it is our place as well. Just as the Lord sent Israel out into the nations, so He also sent the Church out after them (Matthew 28:18). As He is now regathering Jacob back to Eretz Israel, so He is also preparing to regather His Church to Jerusalem. We must realize that the true Church is Hebraic! It originally functioned as a sect of Judaism, worshipped in the Temple and went to the synagogue on Shabbat. In fact, the council at Jerusalem (51 CE) believed that the Torah would be taught to the Church in the synagogue on Shabbat (Acts 15:21).
"On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth" (Isaiah 62:6-7). This is the calling of the Church. We are the watchmen on the walls: the very walls of Zion.
Why should we be concerned with Jerusalem? What is it about this city that the Lord would have us continually remind Him of and give Him no rest until He fulfilled all that He has said?
The Lord told David that He would establish for him a house, a throne and a kingdom, forever, through his descendant (2 Samuel 7:1-17). This is the "Ben-David Covenant". The angel Gabriel told Mary that she would bear a Son and "...the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end" (Luke 1:32-33). This Son is the heir to the "Ben-David Covenant". The kingdom is the Kingdom of God, the house is the Church and the throne is Jerusalem. The Lord God, Himself, said that He would put His name there forever and His eyes and His heart would be there perpetually (1 Kings 9:3). Paul equated the Church to the bride of the Lamb (Ephesians 5:23-32). An angel showed John the bride, the wife of the Lamb, and it was the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God (Revelation 21:9-10). The Holy City is the very throne of Messiah Jesus; even the throne of the Lord God Himself.
He says to "...give Him no rest". Jesus told the parable of the widow who kept coming, time and time again, to the judge demanding justice until he finally gave in (Luke 18:1-8). If we keep bringing before Him that which His Spirit has revealed to us, His Word will be performed and His purpose set forth (Isaiah 55:11).
So what is the role of the Church? Where does the Church fit into God's plan of redemption? "'Comfort, O comfort my people," says your God" (Isaiah 40:1). This is a command from God to believers in Messiah Jesus to speak to His people Israel; a command to stand in the midst of Israel and proclaim the promises that God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 13:15-16; 26:3; 28:13-14/Romans 15:8); to be an encouragement (Isaiah 35:4); even to provoke them to jealousy (Romans 11:11).
The Hebrew word for watchmen is shomer: "to guard, protect, attend to". Not only are we called to watch out for Israel, we are also called to attend to her: to serve her.
Awake O' Church. The time of the Lord's redemption is near. Messiah is standing on the very threshold of Zion. "...what sort of people ought you to be ... looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God" (2 Peter 3:11-12).