Israel

There has been considerable confusion about who or what Israel is and where the land and people of physical Israel fit in God's plan for the present and future.

Some are saying the Christian Church has replaced physical Israel in the plan of God. This position is contrary to the Apostle Paul's express statements in the eleventh chapter of the Book of Romans.

Others are claiming that the promises of God in the Old Testament refer only to physical Israel and not to the New Testament Church. This is not true according to Peter's statement that the Prophets were not addressing themselves but us upon whom the ends of the age have come.

A Gentile Church is not a scriptural concept. In the Book of Galatians Paul said the one Seed of Abraham is Christ and all who are part of Christ.

Some teach that there will be a Gentile Church in Heaven and a Jewish Kingdom on the earth. This is against the text of the last two chapters of the Book of Revelation that tell of the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from the new sky to remain on the new earth. That the new Jerusalem is the Christian Church can be seen by the fact that the Throne of God and of the Lamb reside in the holy city, and this could never be true of physical Israel.

What, then, is the truth? The truth can be seen in the figure of the olive tree, of the eleventh chapter of the Book of Romans, and also in the "one new man" of the second chapter of the Book of Ephesians.

The olive tree is Jesus Christ. At one time the olive tree, Christ, was with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the sons of Jacob. Then, when Christ came to earth, a number of Jews did not receive Him and thus were cut from the olive tree. But a remnant did receive Christ and remained in the olive tree. Sometimes the believers forget that the first Christian Church, the Body of Christ, was composed of five thousand Jews, all keeping the Law of Moses.

So today the olive tree comprises a remnant of Jews and a remnant of Gentiles. However, Paul told us clearly that after the full number of Gentiles have been grafted on the olive tree God will turn once again to the physical land and people of Israel.

Paul said, in Romans, "all Israel shall be saved." Paul told us also, in Romans, that to be a member of Israel is by promise. So true Israel includes all whom God has elected, at one time just physical Israel; next, a remnant of physical Israel and a remnant of Gentiles; finally, physical Israel once again.

The Scriptures are quite clear in terms of what I have just stated. All of the promises in the Old Testament concerning the Messianic Kingdom are directed toward the Lord Jesus Christ, the one Seed of Abraham, and those who are part of Him without regard to race. Thus there is no need for confusion. There is only the one "new Man" who includes elect Jews and elect Gentiles.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:28,29—NIV)

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, (Ephesians 2:15—NIV)

To be continued.