The anointing of Christ, of the olive tree of God, rested on the sons of Jacob. After Jacob wrestled successfully with the angel the name Israel was given to him and his descendants. Israel means "he struggles with God." Ever true Christian is Israel. He or she struggles with God.

When the Israelites were in the wilderness of testing, God informed them that they were a special priestly nation among the nations of the earth. The following passage reveals why physical Israel was at that time the anointed Church, the elect of God, the royal priesthood.

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 19:5,6)

This is what the Christian Church is. It is a "peculiar treasure" unto God, a people who must keep all His commandments.

Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:14)

The Christian Church is a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (I Peter 2:5)

The problem in Jewish thinking, with reference to the term church, is that they do not know what the Church is. When Jews think of the Church they think of the Roman Catholic Church or her daughters, the Protestant churches. It may come as a surprise to Jewish people, but the Roman Catholic Church is about as far removed from being the true Christian Church as could be imagined. The same is true of the historic Protestant denominations.

Members of the true Christian Church, the Body of Christ, may be found in many of the Christian organizations. However, Jewish people will never understand Christ or His Church until they realize clearly that the Christian organizations are not the Church. They are manmade adaptations to human needs and sometimes are viciously seeking their own ends, not the ends of Christ.

In addition, the Roman Catholic Church and some of the large Protestant organizations have been notoriously anti-Semitic and have consistently dealt treacherously with the Jews. This is how we know of a certainty that the Christian organizations are not of the Lord Jesus Christ; for Christ, coming from a Jewish background, would never turn against His own people, the Jews.

A true Christian person, whether a Jew or Gentile, a member of God's elect, has a deep love and concern for the Jewish people because he recognizes that the Jews are the only race that God has been identified with on a physical level.

The term church brings up in all of our minds the organizations that call themselves Christian but in actuality have little to do with the Lord Jesus Christ.

To be continued.