The Olive Tree in another sense is the Lord Jesus Christ, God's holy Anointed One. Jesus Christ is God's Israel in the truest, finest sense. He is the one Seed of Abraham. If there were no other scriptural reference to the one Church, the one Kingdom of God, Paul's discussion of the cultivated olive tree would once and for all put an end to the idea of their being two separate people of God.

When the Lord came to earth, numerous Jews believed in Him. They continued in the Olive Tree. The first Christian church consisted of five thousand Jews, all keeping the Law of Moses. The Lord's brother, James, appears to have been the pastor of the first church of Jerusalem.

Then Gentiles received Christ and were grafted into the one Olive Tree. There is no such thing as a Gentile olive tree, no Gentile church, or kingdom.

Most of the Jews of that day were broken off from the Olive Tree, from Christ, because of their unbelief. But in the last days the Jewish people shall be grafted in again. Since Gentiles are being grafted into the one olive tree, from which unbelieving Jews were removed, and Jews will be grafted in again in the last days, we see immediately that the concept of two separate churches or kingdoms is totally contrary to the Scripture.

The concept of a Gentile church and a Jewish kingdom is absolutely unscriptural. This concept would mean God has called out from the world certain Gentiles, referring to them as His Church and giving them of His Spirit; and certain Jews, to whom He refers or will refer as His Kingdom on earth but does not give them of His Spirit (according to modern teaching). Thus there would be two churches, two bodies of Christ, two brides of the Lamb, two kingdoms of God, two elect, two olive trees. This is totally unscriptural.

In fact, the Scripture teaches the very opposite:

By abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, And in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. (Ephesians 2:15,16—NIV)

The Church, the Body of Christ, is "one new man." Through the cross God has reconciled the Jews and the Gentiles who believe in Christ.

What could be clearer?

In the same context:

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. (Ephesians 2:19-21—NIV)

We Gentiles who believe in Christ no longer are foreigners, in terms of the Jewish Olive Tree. God has one household. We have been built on the New Testament Apostles and the Hebrew Prophets. We who are members of the Jewish and Gentile elect are being built as a house for God of which Christ Jesus is the chief Cornerstone. There is one whole building, one holy temple in the Lord.

How could there be two?

To be continued.