Dd-86. Are CHRISTIANS the SONS of ISRAEL? DOWNLOAD to SAVE as a PDF Doc to read OFFLINE. Dd-86. ARE CHRISTIANS THE SONS OF ISRAEL? What I mean by this question, “Are Christians the sons of Israel?” is do the Gentile Christians become Israel. In other words, is the church Israel? To say this another way, does being grafted into the Olive tree mean that Christians become a part of the COMMONWEALTH of Israel? And does being a partaker of the Commonwealth of Israel dogmatically mean that ALL Christians MUST keep the Law of Moses? Is the church “SPIRITUAL” Israel? Do Christians become JEWS to live as the JEWS? That is what the question means, “Are Christians the sons of Israel to keep BOTH the Old Covenant and the New Covenant?” And the REASON it is asked is that SOME Christians wrongly teach that Christians become JEWS to live as the JEWS under the Old Covenant written in the Old Testament. So let me ask THEM a question, “What does Romans 11:16,17,24,32 truly mean in the LIGHT of the whole word of Almighty God?” What does the CONTEXT teach us? Romans 11:16,17,24,32. “For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the ROOT is holy, so are the branches. (And Jesus is the FIRSTFRUIT unto God, according to 1 Corinthians 15:20-28) 17. And if some of the branches are broken off, (The Greek word translated as “some” also means EVERY man. In other words, according to Galatians 3:22 and the CONTEXT in Romans 11:32 God concluded ALL of Israel to be under sin. And thus, verse 17 should read as, and if EVERY one of the branches are broken off) and you, (A uncircumcised Gentile) being a wild olive tree, were GRAFTED IN AMONG THEM, (Those of the CIRCUMCISION) and with them partake of the ROOT and fatness of the olive tree;... ...24. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were GRAFTED contrary to nature INTO a good OLIVE TREE: (And almost every Christian knows that the OLIVE tree symbolically represents the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL) how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?... …32 For God has CONCLUDED them ALL in unbelief, (And Galatians 3:22 says God CONCLUDED ALL to be under SIN) that he might have mercy upon all.” So, even the very Apostle of Jesus had to BELIEVE in Jesus as their Lord and Savior to be grafted BACK INTO their OWN Olive tree. For you see, God made the ROOT holy by making Jesus the ROOT of the Olive tree. So in order to be a Christian, a Jew must be a partaker of the ROOT. In other words, ALL Jews are LOST UNTIL they accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior to be made a partaker of the ROOT of the good Olive tree. Now let us take a closer look at Ephesians 2:12. What does Ephesians 2:12 truly mean in the LIGHT of the whole word of Almighty God?
Ephesians 2:12.
“That at that time you were WITHOUT Christ, being aliens from the COMMONWEALTH OF ISRAEL, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:” The subject of verse 2 is being made a partaker of CHRIST. At the time under the Old Covenant, ONLY Israel had a covenant with Almighty God. But at the cross, EVERY branch on the good Olive tree was CUT OFF. And the ONLY way for the sons of Israel to be grafted back into the ROOT of the good Olive tree is to BELIEVE in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Also, please know and understand that the Greek word translated as “commonwealth” of Israel ALSO means the FREEDOM of Israel. So it has a double meaning. Since the New Covenant was offered to the sons of Israel FIRST, then the Jews who BELIEVED became CITIZENS of FREEDOM. In other words, to be a Christians means you become a NEW creature. And a NEW creature is NOT the same as the OLD citizens of Israel under the OLD Covenant. Now let us take a closer look at the phrase “The sons of Israel”. What does the phrase “The ISRAEL of God” truly mean in the LIGHT of the whole word of Almighty God?
Galatians 6:16.
“And as many as walk according to THIS RULE, PEACE be on them, and MERCY, and upon the ISRAEL OF God.”
The CONTEXT is about the glory of the CROSS. The LAW was added UNTIL the SEED came which we know is Jesus. And at the cross God CONCLUDED ALL of the sons of Israel and ALL Gentiles to be under SIN. And in verse 15, the subject is being IN Christ to become a NEW creature where circumcision and uncircumcision means NOTHING any more. So anyone, jew or Gentile, who follows THIS RULE to become a NEW creature created IN Jesus Christ, PEACE be upon THEM. ALSO, MERCY be upon ISRAEL of God. The Greek word “kia” means and, ALSO, even, indeed, moreover, and yet. And the Greek word “kia” appears both before and after the word MERCY. Now, the KJV translated the Greek word “kia” both times as the word “and”. But, in truth, the Israel of God is still UNDER SIN, and thus, the sons of Israel need to receive the MERCY of God. Now the order of the words in the Greek language is not as strict as it is in the English language. So this verse COULD be translated as follows.
A more correct translation of Galatians 6:16.
“And as many as walk according to THIS RULE, (To GLORY in the CROSS to be IN Christ to become a NEW creature created in Jesus Christ) PEACE be on them, And YET, the MERCY of God be on ISRAEL.”
You see, Christians no longer need MERCY because we have already RECEIVED God’s mercy when we accepted His gift of RIGHTEOUSNESS to be made a partaker of His Holy ROOT, Jesus. That is how we become God’s NEW creation of NEW creatures of righteousness to be set FREE from the works of the law contained in ordinances. Now let us look at another verse of Scripture that is used to TRY to prove that Christians Either become Jews or Jesus died on the cross to save ONLY the Jews. What did Jesus mean in Matthew 15:24 when he said that he was sent ONLY to the lost sheep of Israel? What does Matthew 15:24 TRULY mean in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God?
Matthew 15:24.
“But he answered and said, I am NOT sent BUT UNTO the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
The KEYWORD is the first person pronoun “I”. For you see, JESUS was sent ONLY to the lost sheep of ISRAEL, but Jesus sent his DISCIPLES to the Jews FIRST, and THEN, after most of the Jews REJECTED God’s salvation, God turned the gospel to the Gentiles. And that is why only FEW Jews receive Jesus compared to the number of Gentiles who receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. So some Christians call the church as the age of grace for the Gentiles, which is true. But it also can leave the wrong impression of not sharing the gospel to the Jews as well. Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Some Christians dogmatically demand that all of the verses of Scripture that we just read above mean that all Christians ARE the ISRAEL of God. And thus, according to THEM, when an unsaved Gentile becomes a Christian, then they become one of the SONS of ISRAEL. Therefore, to THEM, all Christians MUST keep the Law of Moses throughout all the generations forever. Now, the Christians who teach that PERVERTED gospel are called JUDAIZERS or Sabbath-keeping Christians, and sometimes Sabbatarians by every other Christian that does NOT keep the Law of Moses for any reason. I say ANY reason, because the Sabbatarian Christians use MANY different reasons to explain what and how they keep the Law of Moses. Some argue that they do not keep the Law of Moses in order to be SAVED. But rather, they only keep the Law of Moses to SHOW that they ARE saved by faith in Jesus. And they use the water baptism teaching that water baptism does not save us and we get baptized to SHOW that we ARE saved by faith in Jesus. But yet, the Apostles of Jesus never mention a single word about SHOWING our faith BY keeping the Law of Moses. In FACT, the Apostles of Jesus teach us the EXACT opposite by WARNING Judaizing Christians that they are TEMPTING Almighty God Himself be SUBVERTING Christians to keep the Law of Moses. The Apostles of Jesus call the Law of Moses a YOKE of BONDAGE that neither they nor their father before them could bear, according to Acts 15:10. And in Acts 15:24 we see that the WHOLE church in Jerusalem was in agreement to send out letters to all the church fellowships WARNING the CERTAIN Jewish Christians have RISEN UP saying that Christians must keep the Law of Moses to be saved. Do not believe them because WE gave no such commandment to keep the Law of Moses. Do not let them TROUBLE you. Now, the actual word “Judaizer” is not found in the King James Version of the Bible, but the definition of the word “Judaizer” is found in Galatians 2:14. In the context of this verse, we see that the Apostle Paul rebuked the Apostle Peter for WRONGLY misrepresenting the TRUTH of the gospel, which consequently aided the “Judaizing” sect of Christians to SUBVERT the Gentile Christians to keep the Law of Moses to LIVE AS DO the JEWS. In other words, Peter got SCARED of the Judaizing Christians and he DREW back from eating with the Gentiles. And thus, Peter’s WRONG example caused others to draw back from the TRUTH of the gospel as well.
Galatians 2:14.
“But when I (Paul) saw that they walked not uprightly according to the TRUTH of the GOSPEL, I said unto Peter before them all, If you, being a Jew, (Speaking of Peter being a natural born Israelite of the house of Israel who has become a new creature created in Jesus Christ) live after the manner of Gentiles, and NOT as do the Jews, WHY COMPEL you the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?”
In other words, the Apostle Paul is rebuking the Apostle Peter for helping the JUDAIZING Christians to SUBVERT the Gentile Christians to live as the Jews under the Law of Moses. For you see, the UNSAVED children of Israel live under the Law of Moses. But Peter, being a NEW creature, was NOT living as the Jews under the Law of Moses. BEFORE the Judaizing Christians came, Peter was eating WITH the Gentiles because he knew that God CLEANSED all manners of meat. But Peter became intimidated by the Jewish Judaizing Christians and probably feared the unsaved Jews as well. And for a short time, Peter backslid and went back to living as a Jew under the Law of Moses. At least while the Jews and the other Judaizing Christians were in his presence and BEFORE Paul rebuked him to his face in front of the rest of the Apostles and disciples who backslid with Peter. Please read the context of Galatians 2:14 so that you can see that Peter FEARED the Jews and the Judaizing Christians. And I personally believe that the Apostle James was fearful at that time. And thus, James was not really SURE what to believe Christians should do or believe. But later on the Apostle James CONFIRMS that the church SETTLED the matter to NOT subvert the GENTILE Christians to keep the Law of Moses. But you can still see the FEAR in the Apostle James of losing thousands of Jewish Christians IF he spoke against the Law of Moses like the Apostle Paul did. So James, knowing that Paul lived as the Jews in order to WIN the Jews to Christ, asked Paul to live as the Jews for the sake of four Christians who had a VOW on them. In other words, the unsaved Jews VOWED to kill those four Jewish Christians for not keeping the Law of Moses. So Paul agreed to live as the Jews to save the lives of those four Jewish Christians. And shortly after that brief “compromise” to save the lives of those four Jewish Christians, Paul was DONE going OUT of his way to preach the gospel to the JEWS. And Paul only preached to the Jews if the Jews came to him and asked him to teach them. Please read the study called Dd-58. WHAT DOES ACTS 21:23,24 TRULY MEAN? But for now, let us take a closer look at Galatians 2:11-21.
Please read Galatians 2:11-21.
“But when Peter had come to Antioch, I (Paul) withstood him to the face, because he was to be BLAMED. (For NOT walking uprightly according to the TRUTH of the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ) 12. For BEFORE that certain came from James, he did EAT with the Gentiles: (Or BEFORE the Judaizing Christians came either being sent by the Apostle James or coming on their OWN to spy out our liberty in Jesus Christ. BEFORE that time, Peter walked UPRIGHTLY according to the TRUTH of the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ. And Peter ATE with the Gentiles. And Peter did NOT compel the Gentile Christians to live as the Jews under theLaw of Moses) BUT when they were come, he withdrew (Today we would say he BACKSLID, which simply means that Peter went back to doing things he USED to do) and separated himself, FEARING THEM which were of the circumcision. (In other words, the Apostle Peter FEARING the Apostle James and the other Jewish Christians which AT THAT TIME were Judaizing the JEWISH Christians. And then a CERTAIN SECT rose up and began Judaizing the GENTILE Christians. And because of Peter’s FEAR of the Judaizing Christians, Peter cowards down and he “backslides”. In other words he goes back to NOT eating with the Gentiles to live as the unsaved Jews do under the Law of Moses. To say this another way, Peter STOPPED walking in his LIBERTY and freedom in Jesus Christ, and Peter returned to live as a Jew, placing himself back under the Law of Moses the same as the UNSAVED Jews) 13. And the other Jews (Speaking of the Jewish Christians, and NOT the ISRAEL OF God) dissembled likewise with him; ( You cannot disassemble to FALL from grace if you never RECEIVED the mercy and grace of God to be saved. In other words, other Jewish Christians who were indeed walking uprightly according to the TRUTH of the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ ALSO DISSEMBLED along WITH Peter to return to keeping the Law of Moses as the UNSAVED Jews) insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. (So you can see how just a LITTLE leaven can leaven the whole lump in a short amount of time. Particularly when a well respected LEADER of the church becomes snared by doctrines of devils, according to the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 4:1-6) 14. But when I (Paul) saw that THEY (Speaking of Peter, Barnabas, and the other Jewish Christians that were SUBVERTED to return to being under the Law of Moses to live as the unsaved Jews) walked NOT UPRIGHTLY according to the TRUTH of the GOSPEL, I said unto Peter before them all, If you, being a Jew, live after the manner of Gentiles, and NOT as do the Jews, WHY compel you the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? (In other words, Paul called Peter a hypocrite. For you see, BEFORE these Judaizing Christians came from the Apostle James, Peter, Barnabas, and all the other Jewish Christians were walking in LIBERTY. They all lived after the manner of the Gentiles to eat all manner of meats and they did NOT live as the UNSAVED Jews under the Law of Moses) 15. We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, (This verse means that the covenants of God were given ONLY to Israel and that the Gentiles were without God and without hope because they had NO COVENANT with God. There are three MAIN covenants of God. There is the covenant that God made with Abraham directly which we call the covenant of PROMISE. There is the covenant that God made with the children of Israel through his prophet Moses which we call the LAW of Moses. Then there is the New Covenant that God promised to make with the house of Israel and the House of Judah. This New Covenant is through faith in God’s Messiah who we, as Christians know to be Jesus. And the Jewish Christians who received God’s New Covenant are) 16. KNOWING that a man is NOT justified by the works of the law, (Speaking of the Law of Moses) but by the FAITH of Jesus Christ, EVEN WE (Speaking of the JEWISH Christian that are natural born children of Israel and NOT of the ISRAEL of God who still need to receive MERCY. But rather, the saved Jewish Christians who) have believed IN Jesus Christ, THAT (Or so THAT, or IN ORDER THAT) WE (The Jewish Christians AND the Gentile Christians) might be justified by the faith of Christ, and NOT by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall NO flesh be justified. (So you see, it the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God, neither the Jewish Christians as a WHOLE nor the Gentile Christians as a WHOLE kept the Law of Moses for ANY reason. Yes, there ROSE UP a CERTAIN SECT of Judaizing Christians, but the Apostle Paul remained FAITHFUL to the TRUTH of the gospel. And he helped get the BACKSLIDERS by to obeying the TRUTH of the gospel warning others that if they preached ANY other gospel other that what Paul preached, then they would be accursed) 17. But if, WHILE we seek to be justified BY Christ, (Meaning that if we, as BELIEVERS in the TRUTH of the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ seek to be justified yy the New Covenant relationship that we have obtained BY our FAITH IN Jesus Christ and while trusting in the teachings of Jesus) we ourselves also are found SINNERS, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. (What does Paul mean in this CONTEXT as being a SINNER? Ask yourself the question, “WHO has been accusing the Gentile Christians that they are SINNERS and that they must keep the Law of Moses in order to be saved?” Paul is talking about the Judaizing Jewish Christians of falsely accusing the Gentile Christians of NOT being truly saved because they are NOT keeping the Law of Moses. So Paul is saying that if while we, as Christians, are seeking to be justified by our FAITH in Jesus are found to be sinners in the eyes of the Judaizing Christians and the unsaved Jews, then is the Messiah the minister of sin? God forbid!) 18. For (Or BECAUSE) if I build again the things which I destroyed, (Speaking of the Law of Moses contained in ORDINANCES, then) I make myself a transgressor. (Of the NEW COVENANT that Yahweh made with us BY His Son Jesus Christ) 19. For (Or BECAUSE) I through the law (Of FAITH, the law of LIBERTY in the NEW COVENANT, established by the shed blood of Jesus our Messiah) am dead to the law, (Of Moses contained in ORDINANCES) that I might live unto God. (Walking in RIGHTEOUSNESS by obeying the righteousness of the moral law of God that Yahweh has written on my heart to obey) 20. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet NOT I, but Christ lives in me: (Speaking of the Holy Spirit dwelling in every true born-again believer in Jesus Christ) and the life which I NOW LIVE in the flesh I live BY the FAITH of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21. I do NOT FRUSTRATE the GRACE of God: (By being subverted by Judaizing Christians to keep the Law of Moses contained in ordinances) for if righteousness comes by the law, (Speaking of the Law of Moses) then Christ is dead in VAIN.”
Judaizing Christians try to explain away Acts chapter 15, which is crystal clear to most Christians that this matter of whether or not Christians are to keep the Law of Moses or not was SETTLED once and for all time. And how they TRY to explain Acts 15 away is that they CLAIM that they are not keeping the Law of Moses to be SAVED. Now, they seem to love God and His Son, but they are MAKING a LIE, according to Revelation 22:14,15. Please read the study Dd-25. What does REVELATION 22:14 TRULY Mean? For you see, they keep the fourth commandment in the SAME WAY that they keep the other nine commandments. What I mean by this is that they sincerely believe with all their heart that if they break any of the other NINE commandments, then they would be SINNING. And thus, they MUST ALSO believe that if they break the FOURTH commandment, the LETTER of the law to REST on weekly Sabbath DAY commandment, then they will ALSO be SINNING. And IF they would die while breaking the LETTER of the law to REST on weekly Sabbath DAY written in the ORDINANCES in the Law of Moses, then they would lose their salvation. For example, let us assume that a Sabbath-keeping Christian decides to skip just this one Sabbath DAY to not REST and he or she goes on a vacation with their family. And let us assume that he or she and their family are perfect and without sin in every other area. The only sin in THEIR mind is skipping this one Sabbath day to go on vacation. But then, he or she with their whole family dies in a car accident without having time to repent of breaking the weekly Sabbath day. Now in THEIR mind they truly feel that they SIN when they break the weekly Sabbath day. And, therefore, they are lying when they say that they are not keeping the Law of Moses to be saved. And the Bible says that no liar will enter into the city of God when Jesus returns. Now, I do not know if ALL the Judaizing Christians in the church today ignore these verses, or if they forget about these verses, or if they are twisting the teachings of Paul to their own destruction by twisting the teachings in the New Testament to their INTERPRETATION of the Scriptures in the Old Testament. What I mean by this is that the Judaizing Christians INCORRECTLY INTERPRET Exodus 31:16 to mean that God gave the Law of Moses to the CHURCH for us to keep throughout our GENERATIONS for all eternity.
Please read Exodus 31:16.
“Wherefore the children of ISRAEL shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout THEIR GENERATIONS, for a perpetual covenant.”
Then the Judaizing Christians quote Romans 11:16,17,24 to wrongly teach that when a person becomes a Christian they become the sons of ISRAEL. In other words, they wrongly teach that the church IS ISRAEL and the ISRAEL OF God. For you see, to THEM, Jesus died on the cross to save ONLY the children of ISRAEL. And since the church is saved then they wrongly conclude that the church MUST be ISRAEL. We will get to Matthew 15:24 shortly, but first, let us read Romans 11:16,17,24 OUT of its CONTEXT a second time. And then we will read the whole context to learn its TRUE meaning in the light of the whole word of Almighty God. But before we get into these verses I want you to pause and think a moment about Exodus 31:16. Christians will NOT be given in marriage in the world to come. And, therefore, Christians will NOT have any GENERATIONS in during the Millennium like the children of ISRAEL. So this commandment of keeping the WEEKLY Sabbath is given ONLY to the children of ISRAEL for THEM to keep throughout all THEIR GENERATION all the way through to the END of the 1000 year reign of Jesus. So do NOT be DECEIVED by the Judaizing Christians subverting you to keep the law of Moses. The church is NOT ISRAEL!
Romans 11:16,17,24,32.
“For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root is holy, so are the branches. (And according to 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, Jesus is the FIRSTFRUIT unto God) 17. And if some of the branches be broken off, and you, (A uncircumcised Gentile) being a wild olive tree, were GRAFTED IN AMONG THEM, (Those of the CIRCUMCISION) and with them partake of the root and fatness of the olive tree;... ...24. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were GRAFTED contrary to nature INTO a good OLIVE TREE: (And almost every Christian knows that the OLIVE tree symbolically represents the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL) how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?”
Now, I have said many times to my readers that any verse that is taken out of its context and viewed alone apart from the rest of God’s word may seem to be saying something that it is NOT TRULY saying. For you see, when we keep the verse in question in its context and then interpret it in the light of the whole word of God. Then we will see its true meaning. What I mean by the verse in question is the verse that has been INTERPRETED differently by different groups of Christians. And then those different interpretations cause a CONTROVERSY among Christians. And then that controversy increases so much that Christians divide themselves from each other to form different church denominations. So let us now read Romans 11:16,17,24,32 being left in its CONTEXT to learn its true meaning.
Please read Romans 11:11-32.
“I say then, Have THEY STUMBLED that they should FALL? God forbid: but rather through THEIR FALL salvation has come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. (Now, this sounds like a contradiction at first. It seems to not make sense at first. But if you understand what Paul is saying then it makes perfect sense. You see my dear brothers and sister in our Lord Jesus Christ, the children of Israel STUMBLED at the preaching of Jesus during the days of his ministry. Some of Jews believed that Jesus was their Messiah. But the other children of Israel, who did NOT BELIEVE that Jesus was their Messiah, had Jesus crucified. So did their STUMBLING at the STONE of offense cause them to FALL. God forbid! That was God’s plan all along so that Yahweh could become their salvation first. SOME of the same Jews that had Jesus crucified received Jesus as their Messiah on the day of Pentecost. So you see, the children of Israel as the nation of Israel did not actually stumble to the point of FALLING UNTIL they rejected their Messiah at the stoning of Stephen. That was when the Jewish believers were first called CHRISTIANS. That was when God turned the gospel to the Gentiles. That was when the diminishing of the Jews began) 12. Now if the FALL of THEM (Speaking of the UNSAVED branches of the Olive tree being CUT OFF because of their UNBELIEF in God’s New Covenant established in the shed blood of Jesus) be the riches of the world, and the DIMINISHING of THEM (Speaking of the blindness in PART that has happened to the children of Israel be) the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness? (Speaking of the world to come when God pours out his Spirit on not only the REMNANT of Israel but also upon all flesh that has remained alive after the wrath of God.) 13. For I (Or I, Paul, by the commandment that was given to me by Jesus Christ) speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: (Or I make sure that the Jews know that their Messiah has sent me to preach the gospel of a salvation TO the heathen Gentiles to provoke them to jealousy) 14. If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. (Paul understood that God turned the gospel of salvation to the Gentiles in order to PROVOKE the children of Israel to jealousy, so that they might receive His great salvation through FAITH in his Messiah who died for their sins. Please understand that every single one of the children of Israel in the world today is LOST unless they come back to God THROUGH Yahweh’s NEW COVENANT before Jesus returns) 15. For if the casting away of them (Speaking of the casting away of the children of Israel) be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? (In other words, Yahweh himself chose to cut every last branch off the Olive tree who does NOT receive His great salvation BY FAITH in his NEW COVENANT. Therefore, all of ISRAEL is lost and dead in their sins because they have REJECTED Jesus as their Messiah. And the ONLY way that the children of Israel can be saved in this present world is to become one of God’s FIRST FRUITS by their FAITH in Jesus as their Messiah who IS the FIRSTFRUIT) 16. For (Or for you see) if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root is holy, so are the branches. (This is speaking of the new and GOOD Olive tree that only has a FEW branches left after all the branches that were in UNBELIEF were CUT OFF because they REJECTED Jesus as their Messiah. They were cast away because they rejected God’s NEW COVENANT) 17. And if SOME of the branches be broken off, (Now, Sabbath-keeping Christians argue that verse 17 says SOME and not all of the branches were broken off. But in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of God, verse 17 is speaking of EVERY child of Israel having been broken off because of unbelief. And God’s New Covenant is the ONLY that God accepts. And now, the name of Jesus is the ONLY name whereby we must be saved. So SOME of the Jews who received Yahweh’s New Covenant by their FAITH in Jesus as their Messiah were saved, which still left SOME of the branches being broken off. Again, the Greek word translated as “SOME” also means EVERY MAN. Paul says that we ALL have fallen short of the glory of God. And the CONTEXT in verse 32 says that God CONCLUDED them ALL to be in unbelief. There was no salvation by FAITH before the cross and resurrection. So according to Galatians 3:22, God concluded ALL to be under SIN) and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, (Speaking of the BELIEVING Jews in the New Covenant) and with them partake of the ROOT and fatness OF the olive tree; (Can you not see that we are NOT grafted into ISRAEL because all of UNBELIEVING Israel has been CUT OFF by their REJECTING Yahweh’s NEW COVENANT? We are grafted into the NEW Holy ROOT OF the GOOD Olive tree to enter into a COVENANT relationship with Almighty God THROUGH our FAITH in Jesus Christ which IS our COVENANT with the Father, Yahweh) 18. Boast NOT against the branches. (Speaking of the children of Israel that God CUT OFF because of their UNBELIEF in His New Covenant that was established by the shed blood of Jesus Christ) But if you boast, you bear not the ROOT, but the ROOT you. (The ROOT is Yahweh’s GIFT of Holiness and righteousness through His Son, Jesus. The ROOT is the NEW COVENANT that God promised to make with the children of Israel. The root is Yahweh’s GRACE where there is no room for boasting. And God’s grace is His NEW COVENANT. And God’s New Covenant is His Son, Jesus, according to Isaiah 42:6. Jesus is the Holy ROOT of the Olive tree) 19. You will say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. (If you do, then that is BOASTING. For you see, that is like saying that God chose you to REPLACE Israel. No, God is adding the Gentiles who BELIEVE to become His NEW creation of NEW creature of righteousness IN Jesus Christ. And the only way for the sons of ISRAEL to be saved is through FAITH in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. So then, any Jew who BELIEVES can be ADDED to God’s NEW creation. And thus, may the MERCY of God be upon the sons of Israel so that they receive PEACE to be upon them) 20. Well; (While it is true that Israel was cut off, it is NOT true that Israel was cut off for you Gentiles to REPLACE Israel. The Gentile church did not replace Israel. For you see Israel was cut off from Yahweh’s new Holy ROOT of the Olive tree) because of UNBELIEF (It was their unbelief in Yahweh’s New Covenant as to why) they were broken off, and YOU stand BY FAITH. (So, therefore, you Gentile Christians) Be not high minded, (Or BOASTFUL) but fear: 21. For if God spared NOT the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not YOU. 22. Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity of God: on them which FELL, severity; (Meaning that this is no light matter. But rather this is a serious matter that God has cast off the children of Israel. Not that this affects you. But rather you need to know that the children of Israel are LOST and without HOPE because they have rejected Yahweh’s so great a salvation) but toward you, goodness, IF YOU CONTINUE in his GOODNESS: otherwise, you also shall be cut off. 23. And they also, if they abide NOT STILL IN UNBELIEF, shall be grafted IN: for God is able to graft them in again. (In other words, the ONLY HOPE for the children of Israel is for them to be GRAFTED back into the NEW Holy ROOT of the Olive tree that was once their natural Olive tree. For you see, the branches cannot live without being partakers of the ROOT of the Olive tree. And without Jesus as their Holy ROOT, the children of Israel are LOST. They have no covenant with God other than the covenant of PROMISE. And the covenant of promise given Abraham of Abraham’s SEED and God’s New Covenant established in the shed blood of Abraham’s SEED, the Son of MAN, Jesus. Now, the REMNANT of Israel will be saved AT the coming of Jesus by the covenant of PROMISE that God made with Abraham. BUT TODAY is the day of salvation for Yahweh’s New Covenant for BOTH the Jews and the Gentiles) 24. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a GOOD olive tree: (You see, the old natural Olive tree was NOT GOOD because the children of Israel kept breaking the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses was only added UNTIL the SEED came. Yahweh made Himself a GOOD Olive tree by cutting off all the DEAD branches and making the ROOT Holy. And NOW God is grafting in branches made RIGHTEOUS BY their FAITH in God’s New Covenant, Jesus the MESSIAH. And if God NOW accepts a people that were NOT his people) how much more shall these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? (In other words, seeing that you Gentiles never had in times past a covenant with God but NOW you have been placed into a covenant relationship with God. Then how much easier will it be for Israel to be grafted back into a covenant relationship with God? So do NOT BOAST that you Gentiles have REPLACED the children of Israel. What God REPLACED was the OLD Covenant) 25. For I would not, brethren, that you should be IGNORANT of this mystery, (Speaking of WHY God promised the house of Israel and the house of JUDAH a NEW COVENANT) lest (Or for FEAR THAT) you should be wise in your own CONCEITS; (Speaking of BOASTING in YOURSELVES. So please understand) that blindness in PART is happened to Israel, UNTIL the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26. And so all Israel shall be saved: (Speaking of AFTER the FULLNESS of the Gentiles has come in, THEN all the REMNANT of Israel that is left alive after the wrath of God that Jesus will execute at his coming again) as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: (This is another prophecy of the SECOND coming of Jesus where God prophesied in Isaiah 11;11 to turn again a SECOND TIME to deliver the REMNANT of Israel. That is when ALL of Israel will be saved. And they still must BELIEVE in Jesus as their Messiah to be saved. God is NOT going to have Jesus rebuild the Jewish Temple for them to keep the Law of Moses to offer up animal sacrifices again. That would make God a LIAR. God said that Jesus is the ONLY name GIVEN among men whereby we MUST be saved. So all of the INTERPRETATIONS of Sabbath-keeping Christians that God is going to RESTORE the Law of Moses during the Millennium are in ERROR) 27. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. (In other words, God saved a REMNANT of Israel BEFORE Israel rejected His so great a salvation and God turned the gospel of salvation to the Gentiles. And then at the end of this present world, God will turn AGAIN a SECOND time to recover another REMNANT of Israel. God will announce His Son, Jesus, as His God over the earth and say “this is MY COVENANT” that was prophesied in the Scripture is speaking of Yahweh’s NEW COVENANT to take away their sins. Honor him even as you honor me) 28. As concerning the gospel, (Speaking of right now in this present world) they (Speaking of the unsaved children of Israel) are enemies for your sakes: (Speaking of the UNSAVED children of Israel being the enemies of God FOR the sake of the Gentiles. They are enemies of God because they are RESISTING the GOODNESS of God's great salvation. So may the MERCY of God be upon ISRAEL) but as touching the election, (Speaking of the SAVED Jewish Christians AND the SAVED Gentiles) they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 29. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. (This means that God will NOT change His mind on what He has PROMISED he would do in his word. The NEW Covenant is God’s PERPETUAL COVENANT that the weekly Sabbath DAY was given as a SIGN point to) 30. For (Or for you see you Gentiles) as you in times past have NOT believed God, YET have NOW obtained MERCY through their unbelief: (For you see, God has CONCLUDED ALL of the children of Israel in UNBELIEF at His introducing of His New Covenant at the cross. Remember the three hours of DARKNESS over all of the land right before Jesus cried out, “It is FINISHED”, and he gave up the ghost and died for the sins of the WHOLE world? That was when God CONCLUDED ALL men to be under SIN for three DAYS or three 1000 year long days. Sin will not be completely destroyed until after the 1000 year reign of Jesus has ended. Then death and hell will be cast into the lake of fire along with all who have rejected God’s Messiah. Now, SOME of the Jews believed the teachings of Jesus even before God raised him from the dead. But others STUMBLED at the preaching of Jesus. But those who stumbled did not FALL at that time. Yes, they did have men crucify their Messiah, but Jesus asked Yahweh, the Father, to forgive them for they did not know what they were doing. You see dear children of God, Israel did not FALL until they stoned Stephen. And that is when the nation of Israel was cut off from God) 31. Even so, have these also now NOT believed that through your mercy they ALSO may obtain mercy. (In other words, do NOT boast against the spiritually dead Israel. But rather, show them mercy by preaching to them the TRUTH of the gospel of Jesus Christ so that they ALSO may obtain mercy from God so that PEACE may be upon them) 32. For (Or for you see) God has CONCLUDED THEM ALL in unbelief, that He might have MERCY upon ALL.”
Now let us read Romans 11:11 again along with Romans 9:30-33.
Romans 11:11.
“I say then, Have THEY STUMBLED that they should FALL? God forbid: but rather through THEIR FALL salvation has come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.”
What did the children of Israel STUMBLE on?
Please read Romans 9:30-33.
“What shall we say then? That the GENTILES, which followed NOT after righteousness, (Speaking of the righteousness described in the Law of Moses) have ATTAINED to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31. BUT Israel, which FOLLOWED AFTER the law of righteousness, (By following after the Law of Moses) has NOT attained to the law of righteousness. (By OBEYING the TRUTH of the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ) 32. Wherefore? (Or WHY have the Gentiles, which BELIEVE in Jesus, attained to righteousness. BUT the children of Israel who follow after the law of Moses and search the Scriptures for eternal life have NOT attained to the law of righteousness?) Because they sought it NOT BY FAITH, but as it were (The children of Israel sought after righteousness and eternal life) by the works of the law. FOR (Or BECAUSE) they STUMBLED AT THAT STUMBLING STONE; (Speaking of Jesus, the NEW COVENANT) 33. As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense: and whosoever believes on HIM shall not be ashamed.”
In other words, the children of Israel STUMBLED at Jesus, the STONE, by their UNBELIEF that Jesus was their Messiah during the ministry of Jesus to the lost sheep of Israel. And the Jews still yet stumble at Jesus being their Messiah. Yes, many Jews did indeed believe for a while but only 120 remained his true followers by the time the day of Pentecost came. You see, the majority of the Jews had Jesus crucified. But Jesus forgave them saying, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. So they stumbled at the preaching of Jesus BUT they did not FALL at that time when they had their Messiah crucified. For you see, on the day of Pentecost three thousand of the children of Israel were added to the church. And years later many of the Gentiles BELIEVED on Jesus to be saved. And all who believed in Jesus in this present world will not be ashamed on the FIRST Day of Judgment at his coming. Those of us who believe and TRUST in Jesus, as our savior now, in this present world will not weep and gnash our teeth at his coming. However, the REMNANT of the children of Israel left alive after the wrath of Almighty God, will indeed weep and gnash their teeth when they see that they will NOT be allowed to enter into the city of God like the faithful Christians.
Now let us read Mark 12:1-12.
“And he began to speak unto them by parables. (Speaking of Jesus teaching the lost sheep of Israel about the kingdom of God) A certain man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and dug a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. 2. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. 3. And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. 4. And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. 5. And again he sent another; and him they killed, and MANY OTHERS; beating some, and killing some. 6. Having yet, therefore, ONE SON, his well-beloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence MY SON. 7. But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. 8. And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9. What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto OTHERS. (This is one of the verses of Scripture where some Christians get the wrong idea that the church has REPLACED Israel. That is just as much an error as the error of subverting Christians to wrongly believe that Christians BECOME Israel to live as the Jews to keep the Law of Moses) 10. And have you not read this Scripture; The STONE which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: 11. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? 12. And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they KNEW that he had spoken the parable against THEM: and they left him, and went their way.”
So the Jews knew deep down that Jesus was speaking to them as being the ones who would kill him. But I do not believe that they fully understood that the KINGDOM would be taken from them and given to the Gentiles to provoke them to jealousy. This is another study in and of itself but I will try to summarize it without giving you all the Scriptures. In short, under the old covenants, it was ONLY the children of Israel who were in a covenant relationship with God. But they kept breaking the Law of Moses. So God promised to give them a New Covenant at the time that Israel was divided into two kingdoms. God promised to RESTORE the kingdom to Israel. And in the same manner, the children of Israel could have gone into their promised land immediately. And in the same way, the kingdom could have been restored immediately as well. But because of their UNBELIEF, the children of Israel were made to wander in the wilderness for forty years. The number forty is associated with going through a TRIAL or testing. And because of UNBELIEF in Jesus as their Messiah, the children of Israel are NOT allowed to enter into the kingdom of God UNTIL AFTER the Christians enter into the kingdom of God. So again, just briefly, the circumcised children of Israel have NOW become the UNCIRCUMCISED of HEART. And therefore, the children of Israel have no covenant relationship with God except for the covenant of PROMISE that God made with their father ABRAHAM because they have REJECT God’s NEW COVENANT of PROMISE. Well, I thought that I was going to be able to explain why the church is NOT Israel and why the children of Israel will NOT enter into the kingdom of heaven AT the coming of Jesus without giving you the Scriptures. But I feel that I must give you at least some Scriptures lest you think that I am making this up.
Please read Matthew 8:11,12.
“And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12. But the CHILDREN of the kingdom (Speaking of the SONS of ISRAEL or the children of Israel) shall be CAST OUT into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Jesus is warning the children of Israel that if they do not believe that he is their Messiah that they will NOT be allowed to ENTER into the city of God at his coming. And, therefore, the REMNANT children of Israel who call upon the name of the Lord will be left alive in their mortal bodies after the wrath of God. In other words, the REMNANT of Israel will NOT be given eternal life AT the coming of Jesus. But rather, they will be cast into outer darkness and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This does not mean that God has cast away his people Israel but rather it means that the FIRST shall be LAST and the LAST shall be FIRST. For you see, the children of Israel will MOURN for what their fathers of the Hebrew people had done to their Messiah. They will mourn also for rejecting Jesus as their Messiah themselves. But nonetheless, the children of Israel will NOT be allowed to enter into the kingdom of heaven AT the coming of Jesus no matter how much they mourn and repent because they chose the Law of Moses over the New Covenant established in the shed blood of Jesus. They will be saved ALIVE in their MORTAL bodies to go into the earthly kingdom to be taught of their Messiah.
Please read Luke 13:27-33.
“But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence you are; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity. 28. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. 30. And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last. (God chose the Hebrew people which were few in number to be his chosen people. Jesus came to save his people. The Gentiles were NOT a people of God. But after the children of God rejected Jesus as their Messiah, then God turned to the Gentiles who were NOT his people to provoke the children of Israel to jealousy. And when the REMNANT of Israel see Christians enter into God’s city, they themselves will become jealous and cry out to God to let them in as well. But Jesus will cast them into outer darkness and they will not be allowed to enter into the city of God at that time. Again, this does NOT mean that God has cast away His people. But rather, it means that the Jews will NOT receive eternal life at the coming of Jesus before the 1000 years to rule and reign WITH Jesus. A remnant of Jews will be saved alive in their MORTAL bodies to go into the 1000 year reign of Jesus in the world to come. And DURING the Millennial age of Jesus the Jews and the Gentiles left alive with be taught the gospel of salvation from generation to generation for 1000 years) 31. The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get you out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill you. 32. And he said unto them, Go you, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures TODAY and TOMORROW, and the THIRD DAY I shall be perfected. (Please notice that Jesus speaks of THREE DAYS. The three days represent 3000 years. It has been almost 2000 years from the resurrection of Jesus and the beginning of the age of the church on the day of Pentecost. The clock for these three 1000 year long days may have started right after the baptism of Jesus. They may have started the day that Jesus was resurrected. But they for sure started no later than the day of Pentecost. And the whole BODY of Jesus Christ will not be resurrected and COMPLETED or made PERFECT until the END of the 1000 year reign of Jesus) 33. Nevertheless, I must walk today, and tomorrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perishes out of Jerusalem.”
The GOSPEL of Jesus Christ was given THREE DAYS to be preached. And each DAY represents a 1000 year long day. Jesus also taught a parable of three YEARS. And after two years the command was given to cut down the tree. But the caretaker asked the owner of the vineyard to give him just ONE more year. And that final year represents the Millennium where the children of Israel will be given their last chance to bear fruit. The church is the body of Christ prophesying God’s word to Israel and the entire world. If you are still not convinced that there will be TWO harvests please read Matthew 21:28-32. The first harvest will be AT the coming of Jesus, right before Jesus executes the wrath of God and RESTORES the EARTHLY kingdom to Israel. And the second and final harvest will take place AFTER the 1000 year reign of Jesus.
Matthew 21:28-32.
“But what think you? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. 29. He answered and said, I will NOT: but afterward he repented, and went. 30. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went NOT. 31. Whether of them twain did the WILL of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God BEFORE you. (In other words, ONLY those of us who ARE Christ AT his coming will be LICENSED by the CROSS of LIFE to receive ETERNAL LIFE in the world to come AND to enter into the city of God to rule and reign with Jesus. And those left alive of the nations along with the REMNANT of Israel after the first half of God’s wrath is executed by Jesus at his coming shall go into the 1000 years in their MORTAL bodies to be taught of the Lord. Please read the study Dd-25. What does REVELATION 22:14 TRULY Mean? For you see, it does not mean what Sabbath keeping Christians THINK it means. But for now, let us stay focused on WHY the children of Israel will NOT enter into the kingdom of heaven when Jesus returns and ONLY the Christians will receive eternal life at the coming of Jesus) 32. FOR (Or because) John came unto YOU in the WAY of righteousness, (John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the LAMB of God who would die for the sins of the world) and YOU believed him not: BUT the publicans and the harlots believed him: and you, when you had seen it, repented not afterward, that you might believe him.”
But God promised that he would turn to his people Israel a SECOND TIME. Please read Isaiah chapter 11 verses 1-16 to see the FIRST coming of Jesus, the SECOND coming of Jesus the 1000 year reign of Jesus, and the final judgment of the wicked at the end of the 1000 year reign of Jesus.
Isaiah 11:1-16.
“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: (Speaking of the virgin birth out of the lineage of Jesse the father of King David) 2. And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; (Referring to the baptism of Jesus when God anointed the Son of man with the Holy Spirit and with power) 3. And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: (Jesus being taught by God in the wilderness for forty days before Jesus began his ministry) 4. But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. (Speaking of the second coming of Jesus BEFORE the 1000 year reign of Jesus) 5. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. (Meaning that ONLY those who ARE Christ AT his coming go into his “barn” the city of God, the New Jerusalem. And also that the righteous of the children of Israel will go into the EARTHLY kingdom in their MORTAL bodies to be taught of their Messiah) 6. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. 9. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the EARTH shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. (Verses 6-9 describe the 1000 year reign of Jesus which is nothing like this present world that some Christians CLAIM is the 1000 years. Also, if you compare Scripture with Scripture you will clearly see that this is an EARTHLY kingdom and those dwelling ON the EARTH will be in their MORTAL bodies. You see, ONLY the Christians will have been LICENCED by the CROSS of LIFE to receive ETERNAL LIFE to live and reign with Jesus over the children of Israel. This is why I tell my readers and seekers of the TRUTH that they do not want to be one of the REMNANT of ISRAEL. But rather they want to be a Christian who is faithful to obey the commandments that Yahweh gave to Jesus to give to us under the NEW COVENANT. Again, please read the study called Dd-25. What does REVELATION 22:14 TRULY Mean? It does NOT mean what Judaizing Sabbath-keeping Christians THINK it means! The church being grafted into the Olive tree does NOT mean that the church is Israel!) 10. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. (Describing the day of salvation beginning on the Day of Pentecost preached to the Jews FIRST and THEN to the Gentiles after the Jews rejected God’s great salvation) 11. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the SECOND TIME to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. (This is Jacob's time of trouble that begins at the abomination of desolation and continues right into the WRATH of God. Many Jews will be killed but some will be taken captive in the surrounding countries.) 12. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. (This is speaking of God’s gathering of his people, Israel, into their land to rule over the Islamic Muslim countries that just tried to exterminate them at the end of this present world. The Christian inherit the ENTIRE EARTH to rule and reign with Jesus OVER the earth) 13. The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. (Living in PEACE during the 1000 year reign of Jesus) 14. BUT they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. 15. And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. 16. And there shall be a highway for the REMNANT of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.”
The Christians will be a multitude from every nation that cannot be numbered according to Revelation 7:9. The Christians will NOT be a REMNANT. So again, the church is NOT Israel. Let us get back to the verses of Scriptures that I quoted at the very beginning of the study in God’s word to explain WHY those verses do NOT teach us that the church is Israel. We have already covered Romans chapter 11. So now let us see what Jesus means in Matthew 15:24 when he said that Yahweh sent him ONLY to the lost sheep of Israel.
Matthew 15:24.
“But he answered and said, I am NOT sent BUT UNTO the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Now just because Jesus HIMSELF was sent ONLY to the lost sheep of Israel this does NOT mean that salvation is for ISRAEL ONLY. Please read the studies Dd-84. Is SALVATION FOR ISRAEL ONLY? and Cc-13. WHAT DOES JOHN 10:26 TRULY MEAN? But for now please know and understand by what you have already read in this study that the lost sheep of the house of Israel will not repent UNTIL they SEE Jesus coming in the clouds of glory to deliver them from their enemies as God has promised in his word. So again, you do NOT want to be one of the sheep of ISRAEL. Rather, you want to be in the OTHER fold of sheep of Jesus.
Please read John 10:16.
“And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
There are two different sheepfolds. One sheepfold is the LOST SHEEP of Israel to which Jesus was sent. BUT Jesus had ANOTHER sheepfold that he HIMSELF was NOT sent to preach the kingdom of God. And those sheep become the SAVED SHEEP when they BELIEVE in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. And the LOST SHEEP of Israel will NOT come into the ONE FOLD of the SAVED SHEEP UNTIL the END of the Millennium. In other words, the lost sheep of Israel will not receive eternal life UNTIL the END of the 1000 year reign of Jesus. So again, you do NOT want to be a part of the REMNANT of ISRAEL at the coming of Jesus. For you see, ONLY true born-again FAITHFUL Christians will be given eternal life AT the coming of Jesus to rule and reign WITH Jesus OVER the lost sheep of Israel who will have just repented for rejecting Jesus as their Messiah during this present world. Some may argue and say what about the church being called the ISRAEL OF God? Well, let us take a closer look at that verse being kept IN its CONTEXT. But first, we will read it again out of its context.
Galatians 6:16.
“And as many as walk according to this rule, PEACE be on them, and MERCY, and upon the ISRAEL OF God.”
Now let us read this verse being left in its CONTEXT. And remember that the actual context is the WHOLE book of Galatians. But I will only quote the immediate context.
Please read Galatians 6:11-18.
“You see how large a letter I have written unto you with my own hand. (Speaking of the ENTIRE book of Galatians where Paul makes it CRYSTAL CLEAR that Christians are NOT to keep the Law of Moses for any reason. All through this long letter to the Galatian church and in his other teachings Paul is exposing the Judaizing Christians) 12. As many as desire to make a fair SHOW in the flesh, (Desiring to be teachers of the LAW of Moses) THEY (The Judaizing Christians) constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. (In other words, in that day when persecution from the Jews was heavy, the Jewish Christians, for FEAR of the PERSECUTION from the unsaved Jews, constrained, subverted, and compelled the Gentile Christians to keep the Law of Moses. And when they received praises of men they desired to be teachers of the Law of Moses themselves) 13. For (Or for you see) neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that (Or so that) THEY may GLORY IN your FLESH. 14. But God forbid that I should glory, save (Or except I glory) IN the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 15. For IN Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision, but a NEW CREATURE. 16. And as many as walk according to THIS RULE, (Speaking of being rooted and grounded in the TRUTH of the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ that we as Christians are NEW CREATURES created IN Jesus Christ. And thus, we are NOT ISRAEL to live as the Jews under the Law of Moses) PEACE be on THEM, (Who walk according to the RULE or this teaching to GLORY in the cross of our Lord and Savior) AND MERCY, and upon the Israel of God. (Who do NOT walk after this RULE of being a NEW CREATURE created in Jesus Christ by subverting and compelling other new creatures created in Jesus Christ to keep the Law of Moses for any reason. So then the ISRAEL of God is referring to the Jewish Christians in general. But Paul is specifically speaking to the Judaizing Sabbath-keeping Jewish Christians who are subverting and compelling Christians to keep the Law of Moses for any reason. Paul is saying, may God have MERCY on you who are subverting and compelling Christians to keep the Law of Moses) 17. From henceforth let no man trouble me: (Concerning this matter of whether or not Christians must keep the Law of Moses) for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. (From being persecuted by the unsaved Jews for the sake of the TRUTH of the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ) 18. Brethren, the GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. (To the Galatians written from Rome.)”
Now some may still argue saying what about the Gentiles being made partakers of the COMMONWEALTH of ISRAEL? Let us take a CLOSER look at Ephesians 2:12 in its CONTEXT. But first, let us read this verse again out of its context.
Ephesians 2:12.
“That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the COMMONWEALTH OF ISRAEL, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”
Now let us read this verse being kept IN its CONTEXT with the emphasis on different words so you can see the TRUE meaning of this verse. This verse is NOT teaching us that the church IS ISRAEL!
Please read Ephesians 2:1-21.
“And you he has quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (Paul is speaking to a mixed congregation of both Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. But Paul is focusing on the GENTILE Christians. I will highlight the pronouns referring to the Jewish Christians in dark tan. And I will highlight the pronouns speaking of the Gentile Christians in dark pink. And I will highlight all the pronouns referring to BOTH the SAVED Jews and the Gentiles in light blue) 2. Wherein in time past YOU walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience: 3. Among whom ALSO WE all had OUR conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and (WE who are natural born Jews) were (Or in the past before we became NEW CREATURES created IN Jesus Christ we Jews WERE) by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Speaking of even as the unsaved Gentiles) 4. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5. Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;) [Where Paul, at this time, is SPECIFICALLY speaking TO the GENTILE Christians to get them to SEE that we, as NEW CREATURES, are NOT to allow Judaizing Christians to subvert us to keep the Law of Moses for any reason] 6. And has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places IN Christ Jesus: (And NOT in our obeying the Law of Moses) 7. That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (And NOT through the LAW of Moses) 8. For by GRACE are you (Where Paul, at this time, is SPECIFICALLY speaking TO the GENTILE Christians to get them to SEE that we, as NEW CREATURES, are NOT to allow Judaizing Christians to subvert us to keep the Law of Moses for any reason) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10. For we (Speaking of BOTH the Jews and the Gentile Christians) are HIS workmanship, CREATED IN Christ Jesus unto GOOD WORKS, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in THEM. (Speaking of GOOD WORKS, walking in LOVE, serving RIGHTEOUSNESS by obeying the MORAL law of God written upon our heart when God creates a new heart in us. For you see, we hardened our own heart, speaking of our CONSCIENCE, by excusing our sins) 11. Wherefore remember, that YOU being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision (Speaking of the UNSAVED Children of Israel) in the flesh made by hands; (For you see, the ONLY circumcision that the UNSAVED children of Israel have is the LAW of circumcision taught in the law of Moses that is made with HANDS. It is also called the FLESH and after the FLESH. The children of ISRAEL are NOT SAVED because they have not yet been circumcised in their HEART that is made WITHOUT HANDS. And the ONLY way to receive the circumcision of the HEART made without hands is by FAITH in the NEW COVENANT that was established in the shed blood of Jesus Christ) 12. That at that time YOU were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and (Thus YOU Gentiles were) strangers from the COVENANTS of PROMISE, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13. But NOW IN Christ Jesus YOU who sometimes were far off are made nigh BY the blood of Christ. (And NOT by the LAW of Moses) 14. For HE (Speaking of the NEW COVENANT) is our peace, WHO has made both ONE, (Speaking of the BELIEVING Jews and the BELIEVING Gentiles) and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us; (Speaking of the natural born Jews who USED to be the ONLY people of God and the Gentiles who were without hope because they had NO COVENANT with God. Can you not see that the ONLY COVENANT that is GIVEN to BOTH the Jews AND the Gentiles is the NEW COVENANT that was established in the shed blood of Jesus?) 15. Having ABOLISHED IN his flesh the ENMITY, EVEN the LAW of COMMANDMENTS contained in ORDINANCES; for (Or for the very reason) to make in himself of twain ONE NEW MAN, (Speaking of the BODY of Jesus Christ, the CHURCH being made THROUGH the New Covenant FROM the UNSAVED Children of Israel and the UNSAVED Gentiles) so making PEACE; (The BODY of Jesus Christ, which is the CHURCH, is NOT made from SAVED Jews and SAVED Gentiles. For you see the Scriptures have CONCLUDED ALL to be UNDER SIN. So these verses have nothing whatsoever to do with the Gentiles becoming ISRAEL when they are saved. In fact, these verses teach that the church is NOT to keep the LAW of MOSES) 16. And that HE (The NEW COVENANT, Jesus) might reconcile both (The UNSAVED Jews, and the UNSAVED Gentiles) unto God IN ONE BODY, (the ONE NEW MAN created IN Jesus Christ) BY THE CROSS, having SLAIN the ENMITY (Speaking of the death of our Messiah on the cross having SLAIN the LAW of MOSES and NAILING the Law of Moses contained in ORDINANCES to the CROSS) thereby: 17. And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18. For through him we (Who are Christians created in Jesus Christ to become NEW CREATURES that are NEITHER Jew or Gentile, male or female) both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19. Now, therefore, YOU are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the SAINTS, and of the household of God; 20. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (Meaning that we are NOT to build upon the LAW of MOSES which was SLAIN and NAILED to the cross. But rather, we are to build our faith upon what the Apostles and prophets OF Jesus Christ who have taught us under the NEW COVENANT. For you see, it is the NEW COVENANT that is written down for the entire world to read in the NEW TESTAMENT of the Holy Bible that is the gospel of SALVATION. The Old Covenant written in the Old Testament cannot SAVE anyone. And if you doubt that the word prophets, speaking of the New Testament prophets, then read the next chapter. Our foundation on which we stand BY FAITH is Jesus Christ and NOT the Law of Moses) 21. In whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto a holy temple IN the Lord: (And NOT in the Law of Moses contained in ordinances) 22. In whom you also (Who were once lost Gentiles but are NOW BELIEVERS in Jesus Christ as the atonement for your sins) are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.”
Let us continue into the NEXT chapter so you can see that the word “prophets” back in verse 20 is NOT speaking about the Old Testament prophets.
Ephesians 3:1-9.
“For this cause (Or for this very reason) I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2. If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3. How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4. Whereby, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5. Which in OTHER ages was NOT made KNOWN unto the sons of men, as it is NOW revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6. That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and OF the same BODY, and partakers of his PROMISE IN Christ BY the gospel: (Which in time past was the COMMONWEALTH of Israel that was PROMISED ONLY TO the children of Israel through the hidden PROPHECIES written in the law of Moses and the prophets of the Old Testament but it was SHUT UP unto them UNTIL the Messiah came) 7. Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9. And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been HID in God, who created all things (Speaking of THE ALL of whosoever BELIEVES in the NEW COVENANT) by Jesus Christ:”
I will close with one more Scripture that should open the eyes of all who are truly seeking the TRUTH of the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ whereby we are saved. Please read Acts 15:24 where the CONTEXT is speaking about the JUDAIZING Christians sent from Jerusalem to the Gentile believers to spy out the LIBERTY that they had in Jesus Christ. And then after MUCH contention, the WHOLE CHURCH reached a decision. And that decision was to NOT place the burden of keeping the Law of Moses on the Gentile Christians which THEY and their fathers could NOT keep.
Please read Acts 15:6-11, then skip down to verse 24.
“And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. 7. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, you know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8. And God, which knows the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9. And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10. Now, therefore, why tempt you God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11. But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they…. ...24. Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, SUBVERTING your souls, saying, You must be circumcised, and keep the LAW: to whom we gave no such commandment:”
In other words, the whole Jewish church admitted that the certain sect of Jewish Christians were WRONG to subvert the Gentile Christians to keep the LAW of MOSES. And they wrote letters to all the assemblies of the churches saying that there were some who came out from the church at Jerusalem that was TROUBLING and SUBVERTING the Gentile Christians to keep the LAW of MOSES. And we want all the church assemblies to KNOW that we have NO SUCH COMMANDMENT for the Gentile Christians to keep the LAW OF MOSES. Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to read ALL the studies that I gave links to throughout this study concerning this subject on Sabbath TRUTH. My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century. So let us all come into the UNITY of the faith and return to what Jesus and his Apostles taught us in SIMPLICITY in the New Testament.
To learn more TRUTH, then please return to
If you have any questions, please feel free to write to me. My contact email is MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail .com. Some Sabbath-keeping Christians CLAIM that the early church kept the Sabbath as the Jews, but I assure you that the early first-century church was accustomed to gathering together BEFORE the light of daybreak on the FIRST day of the week that THEY called the Lord's day. Please read all the studies linked within this study and all the studies linked below. This study was just the TIP of the iceberg of exposing the ERRORS of interpretation made by the Saturday seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping churches, and the Sunday first day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians. All of the studies listed under the subject heading >>>Dd-0. What is the TRUE Sabbath?<<< And also read Dd-20. Did The Early Church KEEP the Sabbath day to learn the truth of what the early church believed. Thanks again for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God.
Your Brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
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