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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Israel—Spirit and Flesh, #4
For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? (Romans 11:24)
There is only the one olive tree. The olive tree is Christ. Some of the Jews were broken off from Christ because of their unbelief. We Gentiles through faith have been grafted on the one olive tree. There is no Gentile olive tree.
And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; (Romans 11:17)
Consider: the olive tree, the true "Vine," is Christ. The olive tree is Israel; not physical Israel but Christ and those who are part of Him.
Now, if we Gentiles were grafted on Christ, on the one olive tree, how can it be true that there is a Gentile Church? God did not turn to the wild olive tree and bless it. God cut us out of the wild Gentile tree and grafted us on Israel, on Christ, on the anointed royal priesthood. How, in terms of Paul's writings, can there be a Gentile Church?
When the full number of Gentiles has been grafted on Christ, on the one olive tree of God, God will turn once more to physical Israel, pouring out His Spirit on the Jews and bringing them into the one Body of Christ, the one olive tree. All Israel, all those who are of Christ by promise, will come to perfection together in the spiritual fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles.
The patriarchs of Israel cannot be made perfect apart from us Christians.
God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:40)
The patriarchs, prophets, and saints of Israel will be raised together with us Christians in the first resurrection from the dead. The first resurrection from the dead is the bringing to life of the army of Christ, the royal priesthood. The firstfruits of the elect of God will be brought to perfected spiritual life together, according to the foreknowledge and grace of God.
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)
At one time we Gentiles were strangers and foreigners without God, without hope. But now through Christ we have been made part of Israel, part of the elect of God.
That at that time ye 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: But now in Christ ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:12,13)
Salvation always is of the Jews. The Gospel is the children's bread and belongs to the Jew first.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)
To be continued.