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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Whole House of Israel
Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.'" (Ezekiel 37:11—NIV)
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob." (Romans 11:26—NIV)
"The whole house of Israel." "All Israel will be saved."
The relationship between physical Israel and spiritual Israel has been a subject of much debate. Perhaps we can say some things in this present essay that will be of help. Paul told us "all Israel will be saved." What did Paul mean by this? And where do the olive tree and the one seed of Abraham fit in?
Let's take a look at this problem.
Exactly who is included in the whole house of Israel?
Paul makes it rather clear.
It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. (Romans 9:6-8—NIV)
Paul states clearly that every member of Israel is by promise, not by natural birth. The Lord Jesus referred to some of the Jews of His day as the offspring of Satan. We understand therefore that the term "Israel" means something different than the Jewish race. Jacob was Israel because of God's Word concerning him. Esau was not Israel, not of the Kingdom of God, because of God's Word concerning him. Yet both Jacob and Esau were physical descendants of Abraham.
The olive tree of which Paul speaks is Israel. We know the olive tree does not refer to the physical Jews because some of the Jews were split off from the olive tree. Obviously they were not split off from their physical race but from that which has been called of God and anointed with the Holy Spirit.
Olive oil was burned in the Lampstand of the Tabernacle of the Congregation. Christ, or Messiah, is the one Anointed with olive oil. The olive tree represents Christ and all who are part of Him, all who are anointed with the Holy Spirit, all who are of the Kingdom of God, all who are by promise—the promise given by the written Word of prophecy.
From the time of Jacob, the first to be called "Israel," the Holy Spirit was with God's chosen people. Their prophets, judges, and kings were anointed with the Holy Spirit. They were the olive tree. They were Israel, and also Jewish by race.
There came a day, however, when God said only a remnant of the Jews would be saved.
Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved." (Romans 9:27—NIV)
When the Lord Jesus Christ came He possessed the Spirit of God, the Anointing Oil, without measure. He Himself, Jesus Christ, is the true Olive Tree, the one Seed of Abraham.
To be continued.