Previously: Why I support Israel
But Romans 11 is the clincher. In this chapter, Paul explains that we Gentiles have been grafted into the olive tree of Israel. He does not say that the Church has replaced Israel, but *with* Israel we also partake of the fatness of the root, which is Jesus Christ. Israel, the physical descendants of Abraham, has been made blind to the Gospel temporarily, so that the Gentiles can come to Christ. But the Gospel, which started in Jerusalem, has traveled westward around the globe since the first century. The biggest harvest among the nations today is in Eastern Asia. The last unreached peoples for the Gospel are Muslims, whose lands lie between Eastern Asia and Jerusalem. When the Muslims embrace the Gospel, and the Gospel returns to Jerusalem, then Israel will also look upon Him whom they have pierced. Their full inclusion in the Gospel of grace will mean life from the dead, or the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. IMHO.
“I ask, then, has God rejected His people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.” Romans 11:1-2
“So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 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!” Romans 11:11-12
“or if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.” Romans 11:15-16
“Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will banish ungodliness from Jacob’; ‘and this will be My covenant with them when I take away their sins.’ As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” Romans 11:25-29
This phrase, “but as regards election,” is interesting. I was elect to be a member of God’s family since the day of my birth in 1961. But I was an enemy of the Gospel, because I did not believe in Jesus Christ, until 1979. Was I still elect from 1961 to 1979? Yes! God is not limited by time and space. His angels served me from the day of my birth because I was to inherit salvation, even though I had not inherited it yet. And today, the nation of Israel is also elect, because of their forefathers, or because of that everlasting covenant God made with Abraham, even though the day has not yet come, but is coming, when they will embrace the grace which YHWH is extending to them.
The best explanation I could find which disagrees with me in points is Forever means forever: God’s promises to the Jews. I believe the main difference hinges on my interpretation of Romans 11. Instead of the fulfillment of Romans 11 being future to Paul but past to us, fulfilled in 70 ad, I believe Romans 11 is still future to us, in other words, the full inclusion of the nation of Israel has yet to happen.
On a side note, has God been carefully preserving the historic land of Israel for the the nation of Israel today? Is it His will that America stand with the physical nation of Israel, or is it His will that Israel divide its land for peace with the Palestinians? I find the striking “coincidences” outlined here as interesting food for thought.
Hello,
I think that the Israel in Romans 11:26 is the Israel in 11:25, which is analogized as the tree in 11:16-24. It is the Israel in 9:6-8, which is comprised of the children of God / the children of the promise, who are identified in 4:13-18 and 8:14-18 as the saints, both Greek and Jew. They are the vessels of mercy in 9:21-24. This Israel is not the nation of Israel (Old Covenant Israel), the Jews (non-saints), but the Israel that is saved in accordance with God's word regarding His New Covenant with Israel, the saints, both Greek and Jew. Paul's citation of Isaiah 59:20 in 11:26 and his loose citation of Jeremiah 31:31-34 (38:31-34 in the LXX) in 11:27 refer, not to Christ's second advent, but to His first advent, in which He went to the cross. That is the basis for the salvation of New Covenant Israel in 9:6-8 and 11:25-27. Paul's point is simply that God has ordained the fullness of the Gentiles to precede the fullness of the Jews into the New Covenant Israel, which explains why so many Gentiles and so few Jews are now being saved, and why this is consistent with God's word regarding His New Covenant with Israel.
Jim
I just came across your post here and Jim's…sounds like Jim is still trying to say that the church has replaced Israel. If the passage in Jeremiah is referring to Gentiles, pray tell why did YHWH say He is going to make the New Covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah? Is the "Church" divided into two houses? Also, Jeremiah/YHWH says that the New Covenant is the Torah written on the heart! So…does that sound like Torah has been done away? Not saying anyone has said that, but going by Jim's comment, I would venture to say he probably believes that to a certain extent…that Yeshua fulfilled it…which basically means we don't have to obey it anymore according to church theology…long topic there!