Israel
and the Jew at the End of the Age:
A
Study of Romans 9 through 11
D.P. Weary
December 2010
Paul
wrote the Book of Romans as a letter to the church in Rome. It was probably
written in Corinth and carried to the Church in Rome by Phoebe. The church in
Rome was predominately Gentile. Romans chapters 9 through 11 were written to
deal with the persecuted state of the Jewish believers in Jesus, and the issue
of Israel in general. What had happened
to them? What was going to happen, and what did the future hold, especially for
Israel and the Jewish people? These were not only burning questions in Paul’s
day, but they are still burning questions in our day. As we watch current world
events swirling around Israel and the Middle East, the issue of Israel and the
Jews looms very large in the eyes of Jews and Gentiles alike. Let’s look at
what Paul had to say about Israel and the Jews, past, present and future.
Israel’s Past - Election
Israelites – The Sons of God
Romans Chapter 9
Rom 9:1 NLT - In the presence of Christ, I speak
with utter truthfulness--I do not lie--and my conscience and the Holy Spirit
confirm that what I am saying is true.
This is truth. Paul is
testifying that what he is about to write has been confirmed in his conscience
by the Holy Spirit.
Rom 9:2 NASB - that I have great sorrow and
unceasing grief in my heart.
Rom 9:3 NASB - For I could wish that I myself were
accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen
according to the flesh,
Paul’s sorrow here is
like Jesus’ sorrow when he wept over Jerusalem the day He entered Jerusalem
before His arrest. God’s own people as a whole had rejected their Messiah and
the salvation He had freely offered them.
Rom 9:4 NASB - who are Israelites, to whom belongs
the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law
and the temple service and the promises,
Paul is talking about
Jews; Israelites who he says are the adopted sons of God (Exodus. 4:22). They
had actually seen the Shekinah Glory of God (Exodus. 13:21, 33:9, 40:36-38).
The covenants of God were given to them (Duet. 7:9; Gen. 15:9-21; Ps. 105:8-11;
2 Sam. 7:12-13, 16). They were the ones given the Law (the Torah – Rom. 3:1-2).
They were given the Temple and the Temple service and the Festivals. They were
given great promises; the greatest was the promise of redemption (Duet.
18:18-19; Zech 12:10, 13:1).
For a summary of the
Abrahamic Covenants see addendum A.
Rom 9:5 NASB - whose are the fathers, and from whom
is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever.
Amen.
Better translated: To
them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the
Christ (Messiah) who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
The fathers were the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob (Exodus. 3:15-16, 4:5; Rom. 11:27-28). Most importantly, it was
through Jews that Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, came into the world, here
declared to be God over all.
Because of what had happened to the
Jews, what was happening, and indeed what has happened to them down through the
ages up to this day, the obvious question was, “Has the Word of God failed?”
Was any of it true at all? Did God fail to keep His promises and His covenants?
Paul now addresses this question.
Who is a Jew, who is a true Israelite, and who are the elect of God?
Rom 9:6 NASB - But it is not as though the word of
God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;
Paul first states
emphatically that God’s word has not failed. The reason he gives is surprising,
“for they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel”. The implication is
that there are physical descendants from Israel that are not true Israel. What
then constitutes “true Israel” is a natural question. (Rom. 11:5; John 1:47;
Gen. 15:6)
Rom 9:7 NASB - nor are they all children because
they are Abraham's descendants, but: " THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL
BE NAMED."
There are natural
descendants of Abraham but the real descendants, or true Israel, are through
Isaac.
Rom 9:8 NASB - That is, it is not the children of
the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded
as descendants.
True Israel or true
Israelites (children of God) are not from the flesh, but true Israelites are
the children of the promise. What promise?
Rom 9:9 NASB - For this is the word of promise:
"AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON."
The word of promise was
that Sarah would have a son supernaturally. Ishmael was a son of Abraham but
not of Sarah and he was not a supernatural son. (Rom. 9:8, 27, 11:5, 7, 28) God
chose or elected Abraham and God chose Isaac to be His people, His sons. (Josh.
24:2; Gen. 17:5, 18:19)
Rom 9:10 NASB - And not only this, but there was
Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;
Rom 9:11 NASB - for though the twins were not yet
born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to
His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,
Again, here God simply
choose or elected Jacob and not Esau. It was God’s choice according to His
purpose and not because of anything either had or had not done, good or bad.
God choose Jacob so that His purposes, His great, grand plan, would stand or be
accomplished.
Rom 9:12 NASB - it was said to her, "THE OLDER
WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER."
Rom 9:13 NASB - Just as it is written, "JACOB I
LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED."
Why did God hate Esau?
Perhaps it was because God is all knowing and He knew that the descendants of
Esau would be the Edomites and all the national enemies of Israel down through
the ages including Hitler. Gen. 25:23 clearly states that Jacob and Esau
represent nations.
Rom 9:14 NASB - What shall we say then? There is no
injustice with God, is there? May it never be!
Rom 9:15 NASB - For He says to Moses, "I WILL
HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE
COMPASSION."
Rom 9:16 NASB - So then it does not depend on the
man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
God through His wisdom,
knowledge, grace and mercy clearly chooses and elects people for His purposes.
God elected true Israel through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (through the
promise).
Rom 9:17 NASB - For the Scripture says to Pharaoh,
"FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU,
AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH."
Rom 9:18 NASB - So then He has mercy on whom He
desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
Rom 9:19 NASB - You will say to me then, "Why
does He still find fault? For who resists His will?"
Paul uses Pharaoh as an
example of God’s right to elect (Exodus. 5:2). But this example also introduces
the issue of free will and the right to choose to be obedient to God’s will or
to reject it. Pharaoh had many chances to bow to the will of God and let the
Jews go free. But after each of the chances (the plagues), he stubbornly
refused. Ten times it is written that “Pharaoh hardened his heart” (Exodus.
8:32). It was only after this that it is written that God hardened Pharaoh’s
heart (Exodus. 9:12). The Hebrew word
used when Pharaoh hardened his own heart means to make heavy, make dull, or
make unresponsive. The word translated hardened in Exodus. 9:12 means something
like “to have or take or keep hold of, retain, hold up, sustain, or support”.
Did Pharaoh really
have no choice in the matter because God had chosen or elected that Pharaoh
would not let the people go? Or did God harden Pharaoh’s heart because of his
persistent rebellion against God’s will? Perhaps God in His all-knowing fore
knowledge and wisdom knew the prideful, stubborn heart of the man that would
become Pharaoh and that is why God raised him up to be the Pharaoh at the time
of the Exodus.
God’s Sovereignty
Rom 9:20 NASB - On the contrary, who are you, O man,
who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why
did you make me like this," will it?
Rom 9:21 NASB - Or does not the potter have a right
over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and
another for common use?
In the end, God is the
Potter and we are the clay. It is only because of His love, grace, and mercy
that He gives us the privilege to choose to follow or not to follow His will
and ways (Isa. 29:16, 64:8; Jer. 18:1-11). The lesson in these verses is God’s
sovereignty. He can do what He wants. He is the Potter we are the clay. In
scripture we see both God’s gift of free will to men, and we see times when He
simply decides or chooses (election). God chose Israel as His covenant people.
He chose Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And He chose to always have a believing
remnant of Jews that would be faithful to Him and under His judicial and
government leadership. On the other hand He gives to men the right to freely
chose or reject Him and His Christ, Jesus (free will). God is sovereign!
Rom 9:22 NASB - What if God, although willing to
demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience
vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?
Rom 9:23 NASB - And He did so to make known the
riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for
glory,
God is not willing that
any should perish, so He does endure with much patience those that refuse to
obey His will. He does so to make known the riches of His glory, His mercy and
His love. And it is love that He desires from all people. He desires a wife and
a bride who truly loves Him. Not out of compulsion, but by freely choosing Him
above all others and all other things. This is true love. True love requires
making a choice. So God give us a free will to choose or not choose Him (Duet.
30:19; Mal. 3:7; Josh. 24:15; Isa. 66:3; John 3:16; Rom. 2:6-16). He says,
“Today, choose whom you will serve” (Josh. 24:15).
Rom 9:24 NASB - even us, whom He also called, not
from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.
Paul now introduces a
mystery. God has prepared beforehand a certain people for glory. These people
are to be not only from among Jews, but also from among Gentiles. Some of these
people like Saul are chosen or elected. Some will come to this glory by freely
choosing to love and follow God by confessing their sins, acknowledging their
need for a savior, and recognizing (believing in their hearts and confessing
with their mouths – Rom. 10:9) that Jesus is that Savior, the Messiah.
Rom 9:25 NASB - As He says also in Hosea, "I
WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, 'MY PEOPLE,' AND HER WHO WAS NOT
BELOVED, 'BELOVED.'"
Rom 9:26 NASB - "AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE
PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, 'YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,' THERE THEY SHALL BE
CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD."
The true Israelites, the
sons of promise through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are God’s elect (Exodus.
3:7, 10, 6:7; 1 Chron. 11:2; Isa. 43:20; Matt. 24:22), here called My People.
Those called “not My people” are the Gentiles. God proclaims that some of the
Gentiles will also be called “My people, Beloved, and Sons of the Living God”.
The Remnant
Rom 9:27 NASB - Isaiah cries out concerning Israel,
"THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT
IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED;
Rom 9:28 NASB - FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD
ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY."
Rom 9:29 NASB - And just as Isaiah foretold,
"UNLESS THE LORD OF SABAOTH HAD LEFT TO US A POSTERITY, WE WOULD HAVE
BECOME LIKE SODOM, AND WOULD HAVE RESEMBLED GOMORRAH."
Isa.10:20-22. God always
had and always will have a remnant, a band of Jewish survivors (1 Kings
19:14-18; 2 Kings 19:30-31; Rom. 11:3-5). In the end it is this remnant that is
saved by recognizing and proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah. Not all Jews
will be saved. The promise is for the remnant. However, Rom. 11:26 tells us
“all Israel will be saved”. All Israel is used here to represent not every
single Jew, but Israel as a whole or nation. It is used this way many times in the
Old Testament. This national salvation will occur at the return of Christ when
“they shall look upon Him who they pierced” (Zech 12:10), and “On that day a
fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
to cleanse them from sin and impurity” (Zech. 13:1).
The believing remnant of Israel
can be traced down through the ages from Abraham to those that are saved at the
last day as they “look upon Me Whom they have pierced” (Zech. 12:9; Deut. 4:27, 30-31; Isa. 11:11, 16; Jer. 23:3;
Micah 5:6-7; Zech. 8:3-8; Ezek. 50:20; Micah 7:18-20; Hosea 5:15-6:3).
Israel’s Present - Rejection
Rom 9:30 NASB - What shall we say then? That
Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the
righteousness which is by faith;
Rom 9:31 NASB - but Israel, pursuing a law of
righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
They did not understand the righteousness of God (Isa.
8:14, 28:16; Rom. 9:30-10:21; Deut. 29:4; Isa. 29:10; Ps 69:22,23; Rom.
11:7-10).
Rom 9:32 NASB - Why? Because they did not pursue it
by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling
stone,
Rom 9:33 NASB - just as it is written, "BEHOLD,
I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES
IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
It is by faith in God alone and not by works that anyone is
saved. The tripping point for the Jews was not believing that Jesus was and is
the Messiah. Jesus is the stone of stumbling and the rock of offense (Rom.
9:32-33, Luke 6:1f). The Greek word translated here as offense is skandalon. Applied to Jesus it essentially means that
Jesus’ person and career were so contrary to the expectations of the Jews
concerning the Messiah that they rejected Him and by their obstinacy made
shipwreck of their salvation. The good news is that God always has had and
always will have a remnant that by grace do have opportunity to receive Jesus
as Messiah.
Romans Chapter 10
Rom 10:1 NLT - Dear
brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is that the
Jewish people might be saved.
Rom 10:2 NLT - I know
what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal.
Like
Paul before his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, Israel (the
Jewish people as a whole) had great religious zeal but they did not have
knowledge. That is, they did not recognize that Jesus was the Messiah.
Rom 10:3 NLT - For they
don't understand God's way of making people right with himself. Instead, they
are clinging to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the
law. They won't go along with God's way.
Rom 10:4 NLT - For Christ
has accomplished the whole purpose of the law. All who believe in him are made
right with God.
They
did not understand that righteousness (getting right with God) was a gift from
God by believing in Jesus. Instead they sought righteousness by trying to keep
the law (by their own works).
Rom 10:5 NLT - For Moses
wrote that the law's way of making a person right with God requires obedience
to all of its commands.
This
is impossible for human beings. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory
of God (Rom. 3:23).
Rom 10:6 NLT - But the
way of getting right with God through faith says, "You don't need to go to
heaven" (to find Christ and bring him down to help you).
Rom 10:7 NLT - And it
says, "You don't need to go to the place of the dead" (to bring
Christ back to life again).
In
other words, you do not have to do anything of works, just believe in Jesus.
Rom 10:8 NLT - Salvation
that comes from trusting Christ--which is the message we preach--is already
within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, "The message is close at
hand; it is on your lips and in your heart."
Rom 10:9 NLT - For if you
confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised
him from the dead, you will be saved.
Rom 10:10 NLT - For it is
by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by
confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
This
is an important verse. Note that believing in your heart that God raised Jesus
from the dead makes us right with God (gives us righteousness). It is by
confessing with your mouth (telling others) that Jesus is Lord that you are
saved.
Rom 10:11 NLT - As the
Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed.
"
Rom 10:12 NLT - Jew and
Gentile are the same in this respect. They all have the same Lord, who
generously gives his riches to all who ask for them.
As
far as being saved by believing in Jesus, Jews and Gentiles are the same. It is
Jesus and what He did for us on the cross that saves us all.
Rom 10:13 NLT - For
"Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
To
be saved we must “call on the name of the Lord. The name is Jesus.
Rom 10:14 NLT - But how
can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they
believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about
him unless someone tells them?
Rom 10:15 NLT - And how
will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is what the Scriptures
mean when they say, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good
news!"
To
believe you must have heard about Jesus. To hear, someone must tell you. The
one who tells you must be sent by God (have the authority and the power).
Rom 10:16 NLT - But not
everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, "Lord, who
has believed our message?"
Rom 10:17 NLT - Yet faith
comes from listening to this message of good news--the Good News about Christ.
Note
that faith comes from listening to the Good News about Jesus the Christ, the
Messiah. But, faith can also come by revelation. Paul himself is a good example
of this as well as all of the disciples. Even for Peter, the truth that Jesus
was the Christ, the Messiah, came by revelation from God (Matt. 16:15-17). It
seems that in the present condition of Jews, the truth that Jesus is the
Christ, the Messiah, comes be revelation. Even Jesus once said that the Jews
could not believe unless they saw signs and wonders (John 4:48).
Rom 10:18 NLT - But what
about the Jews? Have they actually heard the message? Yes, they have: "The
message of God's creation has gone out to everyone, and its words to all the
world."
During
Paul’s day, the message of Jesus had spread to most of the Mediterranean
nations (the nations that involved Jews and Israel) but not to “all the world”.
To the Jews, the whole world or all the world meant the nations around and
involved with Jews and Israel. To them, Jerusalem and Israel are the center of
the earth or world. This is consistent with the use of the phrase “all the
earth or similar phrases in the Old Testament (Dan. 2:39)
Rom 10:19 NLT - But did
the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of
Moses, God had said, "I will rouse your jealousy by blessing other
nations. I will make you angry by blessing the foolish Gentiles."
Rom 10:20 NLT - And later
Isaiah spoke boldly for God: "I was found by people who were not looking
for me. I showed myself to those who were not asking for me."
The
Jews studied the Torah extensively. They know the writings that foretold that
some day Gentiles would be blessed and that He would show Himself (make Himself
known) to the Gentile. But, they never got the message that righteousness and
salvation would not come by keeping the law, but that it would come through God
as He sacrificed His only Son for the salvation of all people if they would but
accept the gift.
Rom 10:21 NASB - But as
for Israel He says, "ALL THE DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A
DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE."
As
to Israel, their disobedience and stubborn refusal to believe God results in a
condition of rejection. As a nation, this condition exists to this very day. As
we will see in the next chapter, Israel as a nation has been temporarily blinded
so that they cannot believe the truth about Jesus. Immediate questions come to
mind. Does this apply to every Jewish individual? Can a Jew be saved today?
When did this blindness begin? When will it end? Why did God do this to His own
people? These questions will be answered in the next chapter.
Israel’s Future –
Salvation
Romans chapter 11
Rom 11:1 NLT - I ask,
then, has God rejected his people, the Jews? Of course not! Remember that I
myself am a Jew, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
Paul
first emphatically states that God has not rejected His people, the Jews. He is
a covenant keeping God and He will keep His promises and covenants with Israel.
Paul knows that God always has a remnant that is true to Him. Paul uses himself
as an example as part of that remnant.
Rom 11:2 NLT - No, God
has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you
remember what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to
God about the people of Israel and said,
Rom 11:3 NLT -
"Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I alone
am left, and now they are trying to kill me, too."
Rom 11:4 NLT - And do you
remember God's reply? He said, "You are not the only one left. I have
seven thousand others who have never bowed down to Baal!"
Rom 11:5 NLT - It is the
same today, for not all the Jews have turned away from God. A few are being
saved as a result of God's kindness in choosing them.
In
this present age, the Age of God’s Grace, from Paul’s day to today, there are
Jews being saved. They are saved by believing in their hearts and confessing
with their mouths that Jesus is Lord, the Christ, the Messiah. They become part
of the Church in which there is no Jew or Gentile (Rom. 10:12; 2 Cor. 13-18).
Rom 11:6 NLT - And if
they are saved by God's kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in
that case, God's wonderful kindness would not be what it really is--free and
undeserved.
Rom 11:7 NLT - So this is
the situation: Most of the Jews have not found the favor of God they are
looking for so earnestly. A few have--the ones God has chosen--but the rest
were made unresponsive.
In
God’s sovereignty He has chosen some Jews (the elect) to find the favor of God,
their righteousness, their Messiah Jesus. The rest were hardened or blinded to
this truth. When did this blindness begin?
Rom 11:8 NLT - As the
Scriptures say, "God has put them into a deep sleep. To this very day he
has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not
hear."
Rom 11:9 NLT - David
spoke of this same thing when he said, "Let their bountiful table become a
snare, a trap that makes them think all is well. Let their blessings cause them
to stumble.
Rom 11:10 NLT - Let their
eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs grow weaker and
weaker."
The
blindness began in Moses’ day (Deut. 29:2-4). The blindness continued in
Isaiah’s day (Isa. 6:9-10). The blindness existed in the days of the Apostles
(Matt. 13:10-17). And the blindness will continue until the Times of the
Gentiles are completed (Rom. 11:25).
Rom 11:11 NLT - Did God's
people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! His purpose was to make
his salvation available to the Gentiles, and then the Jews would be jealous and
want it for themselves.
Here
is the reason God brought this blindness upon the Jews. It was to make
salvation available to the Gentiles. It was to make the Jews jealous and cause
them to want this salvation, the righteousness, for themselves.
Rom 11:12 NLT - Now if
the Gentiles were enriched because the Jews turned down God's offer of
salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when the Jews
finally accept it.
Rom. 11:12 gives us some logical reasons why
Gentiles should have an attitude of grace toward the Israelites. Israel's fullness (pleroma), the full
measure of all that God has promised to the nation of Israel will bring with it
great ‘riches’ or blessings for the Gentiles.
Great numbers of Gentiles will be saved (Rev. 7:9-17; 20:4-6; Dan. 12:1-3). The curse on nature and the animal kingdom
will be removed (Isa. 11:6-8; 65:17-25).
The whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord (Isa.
11:9). The Messiah will reign over all
the earth from Jerusalem (Zech. 14:9-21; Ezek. 37:24:28; Jer. 33:14-16; Micah
4:7). Life will be greatly extended
(Isa. 65:20-22). There will be world
peace (Micah 4:3). There will be
justice for all (Isa. 42:1-7; 11:3-5).
There will be permanent prosperity for all (Isa. 65:21-23).
Rom 11:13 NLT - I am saying
all of this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to
the Gentiles. I lay great stress on this,
Rom 11:14 NLT - for I
want to find a way to make the Jews want what you Gentiles have, and in that
way I might save some of them.
Paul
is asking the Gentile believers to work hard, to find a way to make the Jews
want what they have so that some of the Jews can be saved. This is true for us
today. How then are we to this? If their ears cannot hear the truth can just
preaching to them alone do the job? Remember, it is by revelation that they
come to Jesus. They need to see in our actions, in our behavior, in our lives,
the presence of God, the Holy Spirit. They need to see the peace of God in us.
They need to see the Holy Spirit working through us in signs and wonders. They
need to see the fruit of the Holy Spirit that testifies of our salvation (Gal.
5:22-26).
Rom 11:15 NLT - For since
the Jews' rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world,
how much more wonderful their acceptance will be. It will be life for those who
were dead!
When
the Jews as a whole (as a nation) finally accept the salvation and forgiveness
of sins through Jesus, Paul tells us that the changes will be so good and so
dramatic that it will be like the difference between life and death.
When will this
happen? When will the blinders be removed? The blindness is removed when the
Times of the Gentiles ends; when all Gentiles that are to be saved are saved.
The prophets also wrote about this day, especially Ezekiel. In Ezek. 37,
Ezekiel prophecies a time when Israel will be regathered from the nations and
brought back to the land of Israel for a third time. This has happened in our
day. Israel was reborn in 1948. Ezekiel then prophecies that after they are
regathered, God will breath on them, removing the blindness and restoring them
to spiritual life (Ezek. 37:11-14, 21-28). We are very close to this day.
Rom 11:16 NLT - And since
Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their children will also be holy.
For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.
The
roots of the tree symbolizing God’s people are Abraham and the other
patriarchs. The roots and the branches are declared holy.
Rom 11:17 NLT - But some
of these branches from Abraham's tree, some of the Jews, have been broken off.
And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, were grafted in. So
now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children,
sharing in God's rich nourishment of his special olive tree.
Because
of unbelief, some Jews have been removed (broken off) from this tree. And per
God’s plan, some wild olive tree branches were grafted in (some Gentiles). It
is because of this grafting in, this adoption of Gentiles into God’s family, that
Gentiles can now partake in the covenant blessings promised to Abraham and his
children.
Rom 11:18 NLT - But you
must be careful not to brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that
were broken off. Remember, you are just a branch, not the root.
How
often do we Gentiles forget that we are just grafted in branches? Pride,
presumption, and arrogance have led some Gentiles to things like replacement
theology (thinking that the church has replaced Israel in God’s economy) and
anti-Semitism.
Rom 11:19 NLT -
"Well," you may say, "those branches were broken off to make
room for me."
Rom 11:20 NLT - Yes, but
remember--those branches, the Jews, were broken off because they didn't believe
God, and you are there because you do believe. Don't think highly of yourself,
but fear what could happen.
Rom 11:21 NLT - For if
God did not spare the branches he put there in the first place, he won't spare
you either.
Rom 11:22 NLT - Notice
how God is both kind and severe. He is severe to those who disobeyed, but kind
to you as you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you
also will be cut off.
To
the believing Gentiles Paul warns that if we stop believing, obeying, and
trusting in God, we will be cut off. This fear of what could happen, this fear
of God, His righteousness and sovereignty is all too lacking in today’s church,
especially the western church.
Israel’s Future
Rom 11:23 NLT - And if
the Jews turn from their unbelief, God will graft them back into the tree
again. He has the power to do it.
Rom 11:24 NLT - For if
God was willing to take you who were, by nature, branches from a wild olive
tree and graft you into his own good tree--a very unusual thing to do--he will
be far more eager to graft the Jews back into the tree where they belong.
The Mystery
Rom 11:25 NLT - I want
you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not
feel proud and start bragging. Some of the Jews have hard hearts, but this will
last only until the complete number of Gentiles comes to Christ.
This
verse is key to understanding the end times. It is a mystery. It is a mystery to be known through the
prophetic writings by the command of God (Rom. 16:25-26). A
Biblical mystery is something that cannot be understood by natural means. To be
understood it is something that must be revealed by God. Paul
wants Gentiles to understand this mystery so that they will not feel proud and
conceited. Some (not all) Jews have had
a hardening of heart, a spiritual blindness, come upon them. This will last
only until the complete number of Gentiles comes to Christ (until the fullness of the
Gentiles has come in). When will this be?
Luke
21:24 tells us that Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the
Gentiles until the Times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Considering 1 Thes. 4:15-18 and 1 Cor. 15:51-52, “there will be a day when the
Lord comes for believers to take us to Heaven. When He comes, the dead in Christ will
rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be
with the Lord.”
If all believers - Jew and Gentile - are
removed from the earth at this time, this could represent the Time of the
Fullness of the Gentiles. God does promise to keep all believers from the wrath
of God that is poured out during the seven years of great trouble prophesied by
Daniel and expounded on in Rev. chapter 8 and following. If so, then the
rapture occurs about the time of the breaking of the sixth seal of the great
scroll in Rev. chapter 6. This sixth seal represents a great earthquake and the
beginning of the wrath of God (Rev. 6:12-17). However, scripture tells us that
Jerusalem will continue to be trampled down by the Gentiles until Christ
returns to the earth at the end of the seven years of tribulation. Thus, the
fullness of the Gentiles will end at the Second Coming. This implies that even
after the rapture, there will be both Jews and Gentiles saved.
Jerusalem’s
restoration is to be contingent upon the end of Gentile world- dominance (Luke
21:24). The “Times of the Gentiles”
are of a period of Time during which the Gentile kingdoms have dominion
over the earth, and particularly over God's land, God's city, and God's
people. The Times of the Gentiles began
when the Neo-Babylonian Empire took the Davidic dynasty captive and destroyed
the nation of Israel. Daniel predicted
that it would be the Messiah, the Stone cut without human hands, who will
suddenly destroy Gentile power, rule, and world dominance (Dan. 2:44-45). The events of the Second Coming of Jesus will
end the Times of the Gentiles (Luke 21:25-28).
If
the rapture occurs at the beginning of the 7 years of tribulation on this
earth, then all believers have been removed from the earth at the beginning of
Daniel’s last 7 years leaving God no witnesses. But remember, God always has a
remnant of true Israel. In Rev. chapter 7 we see the church in Heaven, but we
also see God selecting or choosing 144, 000 Jews by revelation to be His
witnesses for the next 1260 days (the first 3 ½ years of the 7 years of
tribulation on the earth). During the second 3 ½ years of the tribulation, God
provides two special witnesses on earth (Rev. 11:3). During the days of
tribulation, many people, Jews and Gentiles, are saved. They are saved by the
blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and because they did not
love their lives unto death (Rev. 12:11). These are the martyrs of the days of
tribulation. But what about God’s covenant promises to the Jews?
Rom 11:26 NLT - And so all
Israel will be saved. Do you remember what the prophets said about this?
"A Deliverer will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel from all
ungodliness.
When
the full number of Gentiles has come in “all Israel will be saved”. Here again
we see the phrase “all Israel” used to mean national Israel or Israel as a
nation. When and how does this happen? The answer is revealed in Zechariah
Chapters 12 and 13.
Zech
12:8 NASB - "In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of
Jerusalem,
and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the
house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD before them.
Zech 12:9 NASB - "And in that day I will set about to
destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Zech
12:10 NASB - "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants
of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look
on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an
only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a
firstborn.
Zech
13:1 NASB - "In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David
and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity.
All
Israel is saved the day the Lord Jesus returns to earth as King of kings and
Lord of lords. That day Israel as a nation will look upon the returning Jesus
and believe in their hearts and confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord
and Messiah! And they will be saved! The blindness will be remove the day the
Lord returns to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords!
Jesus said, “You will not see me
again UNTIL the time when you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the
Lord’ (Matt. 23:39; Zech. 12:10; 13:1, 8-10).
Israel’s national repentance is contingent upon their recognizing that
Jesus is the Messiah. Israel’s national
conversion is contingent upon their repentance and the closing of the Time of
the Gentiles (Rom. 11:25). All Israel will be saved immediately after the full number of Gentiles has come
in (Rom. 11:26). The nation will be “saved in a day” (Zech.
3:9). Zechariah tells us “They will look on Me, the One they have
pierced ---On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity (Zech. 12:10; 13:1; 13:8-19). About that day it is written, “Then you
will know that I am the Lord (Isa. 49:13, 22, 23); you will be comforted over
Jerusalem (Isa. 66:10, 12, 13); you will do no wrong; the Lord has taken away
your punishment; the Lord will rescue the lame and gather those who have been
scattered; and you will be given honor and praise among all the peoples of the
earth”. Israel's distinct and exalted
position after her promised spiritual rebirth is prophesied in Zeph. 3:11-15
and 19-20.
Rom 11:27 NLT - And then
I will keep my covenant with them and take away their sins."
God
is a covenant keeping God. He will keep all of His covenant promises to true
Israel.
Rom 11:28 NLT - Many of
the Jews are now enemies of the Good News. But this has been to your benefit,
for God has given his gifts to you Gentiles. Yet the Jews are still his chosen
people because of his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Rom 11:29 NLT - For God's
gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.
To challenge
these promises challenges God's character and attributes of IMMUTABILITY,
VERACITY, and OMNISCIENCE. God’s
immutability says once God makes a sovereign unconditional promise it cannot be
changed. His veracity says that God
must always be true to Himself and His Word.
God's Word is the basis of all reality and certainty in the
universe. God’s omniscience says that
God has always known all things. Above
all is God’s mercy. To challenge God’s
promises to Israel is to challenge God Himself. If God will not be true to Israel, why would we think He would be
true to us?
Why is the issue of Israel important? One's whole approach and understanding of
prophecy is related to the understanding of the scriptures with respect to the
Nation of Israel, the Church, and the Gentiles. If we approach scripture recognizing that God deals with mankind
through the Nation of Israel and the Church, each with its own special
promises, purpose, and destiny, then the confusion and lack of understanding of
the prophetic Word concerning unfulfilled prophecies can be resolved.
Rom 11:30 NLT - Once, you
Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the Jews refused his mercy, God was
merciful to you instead.
Rom 11:31 NLT - And now,
in the same way, the Jews are the rebels, and God's mercy has come to you. But
someday they, too, will share in God's mercy.
Rom 11:32 NLT - For God
has imprisoned all people in their own disobedience so he could have mercy on
everyone.
Rom 11:33 NLT - Oh, what a
wonderful God we have! How great are his riches and wisdom and knowledge! How
impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods!
Rom 11:34 NLT - For who can know
what the Lord is thinking? Who knows enough to be his counselor?
Rom 11:35 NLT - And who could
ever give him so much that he would have to pay it back?
Rom 11:36 NLT - For everything
comes from him; everything exists by his power and is intended for his glory.
To him be glory evermore. Amen.
Addendum A
Material from “Things
to Come” by Dwight J. Pentecost, Zondervan Publishing House, 1958.
Basically,
these covenants are agreements between God and men. There are five major covenants, four are unconditional and one is
conditional (i.e. I will; If you will).
These covenants are literal and eternal. The unconditional covenants depend upon God’s integrity and they
are made with a covenant people, the Jews.
It is important to note that Gentiles are not a covenant people (Rom.
9:4; Eph. 2:11, 12). We as Gentiles can
partake in the covenant promises only by being adopted into God’s covenant
people through Jesus.
The
covenants are of great importance to us in this study because they are the
basis of the eschatological program of God.
They guarantee Israel a permanent national existence, perpetual title to
the land of promise, material and spiritual blessing through the Messiah, and
through the Messiah they guarantee Gentiles a share in these blessings. The land promises or blessings are given in
the Palestinian Covenant. The promises
of a perpetual kingdom are given in the Davidic Covenant and the redemptive and
spiritual blessings are given in the New Covenant. Taken together these constitute the Abrahamic Covenant.
The Palestinian Covenant
promises a National Land forever (Gen 12:1; 13:14-15, 17; 15:18-21). This redemption is national and universal
(Gen 12:3; 22:18; Gal. 3:16; Rom. 11:25, 26; Zech. 13-1).
The
New Covenant promises Israel spiritual blessings and redemption (Isa. 61:8;
Jer. 31:31-40; 32:40; 50:5; Heb 8:6-13; 13:20). It is unconditional
(Jer. 31:31:34, i.e. "I will") and everlasting (Isa. 61:2). It
promises a renewed mind and heart
(Jer. 31:33), favor and blessing of
God (Hosea 2:19-20), forgiveness of
sin (Jer. 31:34), indwelling of the
Holy Spirit (Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 36:27), the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit
and that the will of God to be known
by obedient hearts (Jer. 31:34). It
promises that Israel will be blessed materially (Jer. 32:41; Isa. 61:8; Ezek.
34:25-27), that God’s sanctuary will
be in the midst of them for evermore (Ezek. 37:26-27), that wars shall cease,
and that peace shall reign (Hosea
2:18). The Blood of Jesus is the
foundation of all these blessings (Zech. 9:11). Some features are already in effect. The Lord no longer remembers or holds against believers
any sins and lawless deeds because Jesus the Messiah has permanently atoned for
our sins. He has also put His laws in our hearts, and writes them in our minds
through the Holy Spirit who now dwells in every believer.
The Davidic Covenant promises Israel,
the Jews, a dynasty (Kingdom of no end), a nation (the house of Jacob), and a
throne (the throne of David, 2 Sam 7:11, 13, 16; Jeremiah 33:3-26; 31:35-40; 1
Chron. 7:12; 22:10; Isa. 55:3; Ezek. 37:25; Hosea 3:4-5; Ezek. 37:21-28; Amos
9:11-12; Jer. 30:7,11,18). God promised
Abraham numerous descendants who would form a great, everlasting nation (Gen.
12:2; 13:16; 17:2-6). This is the
essence of the Davidic Covenant.
The Mosaic Covenant is the one
conditional covenant. Basically, it is
the Law. If the house of Jacob and the
sons of Israel would obey God's voice and keep the Law God gave to them through
Moses, then God promises that Israel would be His special possession or
treasure, a kingdom whose citizens were all priests with access to God, and a
holy nation, separated from all other nations and devoted only to God (Exodus
19:5-6). The basic commandments are given in Exodus 20. The New Covenant
replaced the Mosaic covenant. The New
Covenant is based on better promises, and on Christ's blood. It is no longer conditional on keeping the
Law, but only on accepting the atonement offered by Christ Jesus. It is to be with the house of Judah and of
Israel, and includes writing His Laws upon their minds and hearts and forgiving
their sins (Heb 8:6-13; Jeremiah 31:31-40).
