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Mark 12:9
ESV What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.
NIV What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.
NASB What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and put the vine-growers to death, and give the vineyard to others.
CSB What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill the farmers and give the vineyard to others.
NLT What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do?' Jesus asked. 'I’ll tell you — he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.
KJV What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.

What does Mark 12:9 mean?

Jesus is telling a parable filled to the brim with metaphors. He is telling the religious and civil leaders of Jerusalem that they have rebelled against God and beaten and killed His representatives. This refers to the prophets of the past, and will soon include God's own Son. In response, God will destroy Israel, exile Judaism, and give the spiritual blessings and protection He intended for the Jews to the church.

This is one of those verses that needs to be defined by what it doesn't say as much as by what it does. Strains of theology teach that either the Christian church has replaced Israel, in God's affections and plans, or that the Christian church is joined with Israel as God's chosen people. This "replacement theology" teaches the church is now the recipient of the promises God made to Israel. This is not what this or any other passage of the Bible means to imply. Such thinking leads in many harmful directions, and it deeply misinforms many end-times beliefs.

God works throughout human history in different ways. Each different way corresponds to a specific era or dispensation. From the time of the Mosaic law until the resurrection of Jesus, God worked in the world primarily through Israel. He nurtured, protected, equipped, and blessed the Jews so that when the savior promised in Genesis 3:15 arrived, Israel would be prepared to spread this information to the world.

When Jesus does arrive, Israel refuses its God-given task and kills their Savior (Mark 12:8). God had always planned to use Israel to spread the message of salvation to the Gentiles. He had always planned for the Gentiles to be brought to fellowship with Him (Isaiah 42:6; Luke 2:32). While the learned Jewish leadership rejects God's plan of salvation, God uses fishermen (Mark 1:16–20) and tax-collectors (Mark 2:13–14) and tent-makers (Acts 18:1–3) instead.

The church has been given the mission of spreading the gospel, but it has not replaced Israel. In the end times, God will restore Israel and the Jews will hold a prominent position in the world and His plan.
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