Gary DeMar believes that the theocracy of Israel "went into permanent eclipse" when Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D.70. He says the following and then quotes Harold Fowler:
"Israel’s entire ecclesiastical and political systems were judged when Roman troops sacked, looted, and burned the city: ‘If these cataclysmic events are correctly interpreted as applying to Israel’s defeat, then it is clear that immediately after their national disaster of 70 A.D., the once-exalted, unique theocracy of Israel went into permanent eclipse as God’s light-bearers before the nations" [emphasis mine](DeMar, "Last Days Madness", pp.152-153).
In other words, Gary DeMar holds the belief that the nation of Israel has been forever cast away as God’s light-bearer. He writes that "beyond A.D.70, Israel as a nation plays no prophetic role" (Ibid., p.398).
However, the Scriptures tell a different story.
"(For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) He will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which He sware unto them" (Deut.4:31).
"For the LORD will not forsake His people for His great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you His people" (1Sam.12:22).
According to the Lord as long as the sun and moon remain in the sky the nation of Israel will remain "being a nation" before Him:
"Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: ‘If this fixed order departs From before Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever’ " (Jer.31:35,36).
In the eleventh chapter of Romans Paul states: "God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew" (Ro.11:2).
The words "cast away" are translated from the Greek word "apotheomai", and that word means "to repudiate, reject, refuse" ("Thayer’s Greek English Lexicon").
When we study the context of Paul’s words here it is certain that the reference is to the theoracy of Israel. Just two verses earlier Paul quoted Isaiah 65:2, saying:
"But to Israel He saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people" (Ro.10:21).
Isaiah 65:2 is speaking of "national Israel" and when we examine that verse we can see that it is not possible that the reference is to the Church or to only those who belong to the nation of Israel who are spiritual:
"I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick" (Isa.65:2-3).
It is impossible to believe that this verse is describing only the spiritual people of the nation of Israel or those who make up the Church, which is His Body.
After quoting Isaiah 65:2 Paul then asks, "I say then, Hath God cast away his people?" (Ro.11:1). He then answers his own question, saying "God hath not cast away His people which He foreknew" (Ro.11:2).
Paul’s words there affirm the promise of the Lord recorded in the Old Testament:
"For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will He forsake His inheritance" (Ps.94:14).
Paul then continues by saying that at the present time there is a remnant out of Israel according to the election of grace. He then asks and answers another question:
"So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous" (Ro.11:11;RSV).
The words "to fall" are translated from the Greek word "pipto" and one of the meanings of that word is "to perish, i.e. to come to an end, disappear, cease" ("Thayer’s Greek English Lexicon").
The Greek word translated "trespass" is "paraptoma", and one of the meanings of that word is "a lapse or deviation from truth or uprightness;a sin, misdeed" ("Thayer’s Greek English Lexicon").
Through their sin of unbelief national Israel has not disappeared nor has she ceased to exist in the eyes of the Lord. Paul asked if Israel has stumbled so as to fall and then he answers by saying, "By no means!" Paul then continues:
"Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!" (Ro.11:12;RSV).
How can it be said that their sin of unbelief "means riches for the world"? Paul answers this in the very next verse: "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office" (Ro.11:13).
It was national Israel who was to be the "light of the world", as witnessed by the words of the Lord Jesus spoken to the Jews in Jerusalem: "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. …Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Mt.5:14,16).
National Israel has been temporarily set aside and Paul was appointed to be the Lord’s light unto the Gentiles. That is why Paul says that his appointment as the "apostle to the Gentiles" would lead to jealousy among some of the Jews.
"For if the casting away of them [be] the reconciling of the world, what [shall] the receiving [of them be], but life from the dead?" (Ro.11:15).
This translation of Paul’s words here directly contradicts what Paul said earlier, that the Lord "has not cast away" national Israel. A better translation would be "For the casting aside of them".
The words "cast away" here are translated from the Greek word "apobole", and a form of that word ("apoballo") is translated "cast away" in the following verse:
"And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus" (Mk.10:50).
A blind man named Bartimaeus was sitting and begging in Jericho when the Lord Jesus entered that city. Bartimaeus cried out, saying, "Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me" (v.48). The crowd told him to stand up because Jesus was calling him. This motivated him to "toss aside" his outer cloak which was spread out before him to collect alms and to rise and to come to the Lord.
Bartimaeus did not "cast away" his garment, but instead he cast it aside in order to facilitate his movement of rising. And the same is true in regard to the Lord and national Israel. Since they would not come to Him in faith He would temporarily cast aside Israel as his agent in order to bring the truth of God to the Gentiles by Paul.
And that explains the following verses directed at the Gentile believers:
"For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief" (Ro.11:30).
Due to the unbelief of national Israel Paul was made the "apostle to the Gentiles" and his preaching the "gospel of grace" to the Gentiles resulted in their "obtaining mercy".
"Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!" (Ro.11:12;RSV).
The Apostle Paul speak’s of the "full inclusion" of national Israel. He also says that "God is able to graft them in again" (Ro.11:23).
Sir Robert Anderson says that the casting aside of Israel is a judical hardening, and "this judicial hardening is to continue only ‘until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in’; and the inspired Apostle adds, ‘And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant unto them’ " (Anderson,"The Coming Prince", pp. 151-152).
Anderson then quotes Henry Alford (whom Gary DeMar quotes numerous times in his book "Last Days Madness" to support his position) to define the meaning of the words "all Israel": "Rom. xi. 25,26. Not every Israelite, but Israel as a nation" (Alford, Greek Testament, Commentary at Romans 11:26).
Israel’s position as God’s light bearer before the nations is now in eclipse, but the Scriptures directly contradict Gary DeMar’s idea that "Israel went into permanent eclipse" as the Lord’s light bearer.
The day will come when the following prophecy will be fulfilled:
"Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you" (Zech.8:22-23).