What is the difference between Israel and the church?
Israel is God’s earthly people, while the church is God’s heavenly people. The distinction is pictured in Abraham’s offspring: likened to the dust of the earth, that points to the earthly people; likened to the stars, that points to the heavenly people. These two concepts must be kept totally separated in God’s dealing with earth and heaven.
Les teaches that from Genesis 1:1 onward, God’s dealings are set in relation to earth and heaven: “In the beginning God created heaven and earth.” Within that framework, Israel is God’s earthly people and the church is God’s heavenly people, and these two concepts are to be kept totally separated. When God promises Abraham in Genesis 13:16 that his offspring will be as the dust of the earth, the analogy points to the earthly people, because dust is earthly. Later, in chapter 15, verse 5, Abraham is directed to the stars, and that analogy points to the heavenly. So the difference is the sphere: Israel is earthly, the church is heavenly.