romans chapter 11, replacement theology, the olive tree, john piper, israel's future, remnant...

Romans 11Israel's Promises, Position, And FutureReplacement Theology; Israel's transgression, acceptance, and fulfillment; The lump and the olive tree; Loss of Ministry of Israel and the Church; The Fullness Of The Gentiles; All Israel Will Be Saved; Davidic Covenant; God never changes; Square Circles; remnant Israel; Israel and the ChurchSpringtime background, JLK

BIBLE IN FIVEPastor Dave KooyersValley Bible FellowshipBox 433Boonville CA 95415http://www.slideshare.net/dkooyers www.ValleyBibleFellowship.org

(707) 895-2325God bless you as you examine His Word,Your servant in Christ, 2Cor. 4:5These Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are provided "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-15). To help Christians to "to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." So that "we are no longer...tossed here and there...by every wind of doctrine." They may be downloaded and modified free of charge. Matthew 10:8 Freely you received, freely give.

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Romans OutlineSinners All, 1-3Salvation is by grace alone, 3:21-5Sanctification, our walk, 6-7Sovereign security and assurance, 8Salvation, privileges, position, promises of Israel, 9-11Service to God, 12Submit to Authorities for God, 13Stick to essentials, liberty in nonessentials, 14Serve each other, singing rejoicing, 15:1-19Saints to visit, 15:20-16:27

DLKs Romans Outline

Romans 11, Israel's Promises, Position, And Future1) Romans 10:1 - Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved."2) Romans 11:1 - I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!3) Romans 11:26 - All Israel shall be saved!NAU Zechariah 12:10 "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.

Romans 11:17 http://www.shasta.edu/faculty-articles.htmlIsrael, the Church & the Olive TreeGeorge Gunn What comes next in theBook of Romans, may be considered a very lengthy digression in the remainder of chapter 3through then end of chapter 8, in which Paul discusses soteriological matters. This is the answerto the plight of humanity introduced in chapters 1-2. But once he has concluded this lengthysoteriological section, Paul, in 9:4-5, resumes his answer to the question of Israels advantage,and he completes the list he had begun in 3:1-2. In all, Pauls list of advantages to the Jewsconsists of nine features.1. Scripture, 3:22. The Adoption, 9:43. The Glory4. The Covenants5. The Law6. Temple Service7. The Promises8. The Forefathers, 9:59. The MessiahIt should be noted that, while some of these nine features touch on soteriological themes, they arenot all soteriological in nature. http://www.shasta.edu/faculty-articles.html

http://www.shasta.edu/faculty-articles.htmlRomans 11:17, Israel, the Church & the Olive Tree, by George Gunn

http://www.shasta.edu/faculty-articles.htmlhttp://www.shasta.edu/faculty-articles.html

Replacement Theology, Its Origins, Teachings and ErrorsBy Dr. Gary Hedrick, President of CJF Ministries(With Minor Editing By Rabbi Loren) http://jeremiah111.org/Replacement%20Theology/replacement_theology.htm Perhaps Martin Luther articulated this position most eloquently when he wrote: For such ruthless wrath of God is sufficient evidence that they [i.e., the Jewish people] assuredly have erred and gone astray. Even a child can comprehend this. For one dare not regard God as so cruel that he would punish his own people so long, so terrible, so unmercifully Therefore this work of wrath is proof that the Jews, surely rejected by God, are no longer his people, and neither is he any longer their God (On the Jews and Their Lies, Trans. Martin H. Bertram, inLuthers Works[Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1971], p. 265).

http://jeremiah111.org/Replacement%20Theology/replacement_theology.htmReplacement Theology, Its Origins, Teachings and ErrorsBy Dr. Gary Hedrick, President of CJF Ministries

Replacement Theology, Its Origins, Teachings and ErrorsBy Dr. Gary Hedrick, President of CJF MinistriesMartin Luther, the father of the Protestant Reformation, was a supersessionist. Near the end of his life, he said that synagogues and Jewish schools should be burned to the ground, Jewish people run out of their homes, their prayer books and Talmudic writings burned, and the rabbis forbidden to preach or teach on penalty of death (On the Jews and Their Lies, Trans. Martin H. Bertram, inLuthers Works[Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1971], pp. 268-271). Luther also declared that Jewish people in Germany should be confined to their own homes and neighborhoods - a plan the Nazis implemented literally when they quarantined Jewish families in ghettos in Poland and other places before shipping them to the death camps for extermination. One historian writes: It is difficult to understand the behavior of most German Protestants in the first Nazi years unless one is aware of two things: their history and the influence of Martin Luther. The great founder of Protestantism was both a passionate anti-Semite and a ferocious believer in absolute obedience to political authority. He wanted Germany rid of the Jews. Luthers advice was literally followed four centuries later by Hitler, Goering, and Himmler (William L. Shirer,The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich[New York: Simon & Shuster, 1960], p. 236).


Who is the remnant of Israel and what is their destiny? Pre-Trib PerspectivesWho is the remnant of Israel and what is their destiny?Paul in Romans 11:5 says, there has come to be at the present time a remnant according to Gods gracious choice. Paul speaks of the remnant of Israel, which are Jewish believers in Jesus as the Messiah. Earlier he spoke of a remnant of Jewish believers in the days of Elijah (Rom. 11:24). Thus, the remnant of Israel refers to the Jewish believers within Israel throughout history even though the nation as a whole rebels against God and reject Jesus as the Messiah. During the tribulation the Lord will begin to save an increasing percentage of Jews as they come to faith in Jesus as their Messiah. This means that by the second coming of Jesus the entire nation will have come to faith in Jesus and those who have not will have been purged so that all Israel will be saved (Rom. 11:25). The millennium begins with 100 percent of the Jewish nation [I might add, gentiles also Mat 25], for the first time in history, as believers in Jesus as their Messiah. Throughout the millennium, those mortals born to Jews will all [I might disagree and include Jews in Rev 20:8] become believers in Jesus as their Messiah and the entire nation will be the believing remnant. Maranatha! Pre-Trib.org

Pre-Trib Research CenterPre-Trib Perspectives

Romans 11:6, GraceRomans 11:6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. Philip Yancey says, Grace means that God already loves us as much as an infinite God can possibly love.Acts 15:11 we are saved through the grace of the Lord JesusRomans 5:15, 1 Corinthians 15:10, James 4:6, 1 Peter 2:24, Gal. 2:21, 2 Timothy 1:9

James 4:6 Romans 5:15, 11:6 Acts15:11 John 1:16 Grace

Romans 11:12, Israels Transgression And FulfillmentNAU Romans 11:11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!Romans 8:28 was in affect in the first century, and always. God took the horror of the cross and turned it into "riches for the world and Gentiles. But what would've happened if the Jews had accepted Jesus as their Messiah/King?


Romans 11:11-12If The Jews Had Accepted Their Messiah Vern Peterman speculates on that;But if the Jews had largely accepted Christ as their Messiah and King, there would not have been the body of believers known as the Church, nor the books from Acts to Revelation as we have them, nor the Rapture of the Church, nor the gospel of grace. Even the gospels would each have been written differently. These were all added because the Jews largely rejected Christ as their King and MessiahThe gospel of the kingdom, preached by Christ during His first coming, will be preached again during the coming Tribulation period, not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles (aka nations; Greek: ethnos), and then Christ will return to establish His kingdom http://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/messages/?series_id=57&series_page=40

http://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/messages/?series_id=57&series_page=40Romans 11:11-12 Luke 19:14, 23:3, 18 John 19:15, If The Jews Accepted Their Messiah Vern PetermanThe Sermon On The MountThe Context: Matthew, History & Jewish Culture

Romans 11:12, Israels Transgression And FulfillmentNAU Romans 11:12 their transgression is riches for the worldhow much more will their fulfillment be!I understand "their transgression, they crucified Christ, but Jesus said in, Matthew 23:39 from now on you will not see Me until you sayBut how can replacement theology explain "their fulfillment when they say God has no future plan for Israel.NAU Romans 11:15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?


Romans 11:12, Israels Transgression And FulfillmentDr. Gary Hedrick writes, If the Jewish nation has no future in Gods plan, as the supersessionists claim, then what is the future fullness of Israel that Paul mentions in verse 12? And when, exactly, will the nation be resurrected (life from the dead) and accepted by God (verse 15)? Paul cant be talking about the Church in this passage because the Church has never died - and never will (John 11:26). The only reasonable answer is that Paul is referring to a yet-future resurrection and restoration ofAm Israel(the people of Israel, a collective term for the nation), as prophesied in passages like Ezekiel 37:1-14. It doesnt mean they will automatically be saved simply because they are Jewish; rather, it means that the majority of Jewish people who are living at that time will recognize Yeshua of Nazareth as their Messiah and receive Him as Savior (Zechariah 12:10, Romans 11:26).


Romans 11:15, life from the dead?NAU Romans 11:15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? NAU Ezekiel 37:14 "I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it," declares the LORD. 28 "And the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever."'"

Romans 11:16, The Lump Is HolyNAU Romans 11:16 If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.Professor George Gunn says, At Pentecost (Shavuot) a small portion of a lump of wheat dough was pinched off, formed into a loaf, baked and presented to the priests. Pauls argument is that national Israel, despite their current unbelief,is still to be considered holy. http://www.shasta.edu/faculty-articles.html

Romans 11:17 http://www.shasta.edu/faculty-articles.htmlIsrael, the Church & the Olive TreeGeorge Gunn

Romans 11:17Romans 11:17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,

Romans 11:17, The Olive TreeNAU Romans 11:17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,branches?wild olive?the rich root?the olive tree?

Romans 11:17, George Gunn http://www.shasta.edu/faculty-articles.htmlIsrael, the Church & the Olive TreeRomans 11:17 (You were grafted in among them) is widely misquoted and misunderstood resulting in a faulty understanding of the relationship between Israel and the church. Romans 11:11-24 speaks about Gods faithfulness to His promises. It is given as both an encouragement to believing Jews and a caution to believing Gentiles not to despise the Jews. There is also an important practical application from this passage: If God is faithful to His promises to Israel, then we should not lose heart in thinking that he will fail in any way to fulfill His promises to us. Faulty conclusions about the meaning of Romans 11:17 include the following: A transfer of covenant privileges from Israel to the church. 2 Gentile Christians must remember that they are grafted into a Jewish faith, and that when they are grafted into the Old Testament people of God, they accept not only Israels spiritual history as their own but also Jews as in some sense their siblings.3 http://www.shasta.edu/faculty-articles.html

http://www.shasta.edu/faculty-articles.htmlhttp://www.shasta.edu/faculty-articles.html

TheOlive Tree

Romans 11:17, The Olive TreeMacArthur Study Bible page 1714, (11:16, 17) identifies;(broken) branches; the patriarchs descendants: the nation of Israel.wild olive branches: Gentilesthe root; the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacobthe olive tree: the place of divine blessing; God's covenant of salvation made with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 15:121; 17:127).

Romans 11:17, The Olive TreeThe Gospel Of God's Grace, by Alva J. McClan page 201-202, identifies;(broken) branches; the patriarchs descendants: the nation of Israel.wild olive branches: the whole churchGentilesthe root; Abraham is the root, for salvation is of the Jews" (Jn 4:22).The Jew is the stalk.the olive tree: the place of favor or privilege Jews are Jews in this olive tree.

Romans 11:17, The Olive TreeBible Knowledge Commentary, page 484, (11:16, 17) identifies;branches (both before and after breaking); the lump and the branches represent the people of Israelwild olive branches: Gentile Christiansthe root; the first fruits and the root represent the patriarchs of Israel or Abraham personally The root of the tree is the source of life and nourishment to all the branches and Abraham is the father of all who believethe olive tree: Pauls second illustration was that of a tree: If the root is holy, so are the branches."

Romans 11:17, The Olive TreeNelson Study Bible page 1900, (11:16, 17) identifies;(broken) branches; the Jews, the branches of Gods vine.wild olive branches: Gentile Christiansthe root; the olive tree: Israel, those who inherited the promises of Abrahamic covenant.

(11:18 note) Gentiles grafted into the Abrahamic covenant and therefore become recipients of Gods blessing

Romans 11:17, The Olive TreeProfessor George Gunn says, Three parts of this olive tree are distinguished from each other: the branches, representing national Israel; olive shoots grafted in from a wild tree, representing believing Gentiles; the root or lower portion of the tree,representing the position of privilege and administrative responsibility into which God places his mediatorial representatives on the earth. Unbelieving national Israel was described as branches of being used as Gods mediatorial agent in the world. Some of the original branches, however,remained; these were the remnant of Jews who believed in the Messiah and were subsequently incorporated into the church.http://www.shasta.edu/faculty-articles.html

Romans 11:17 http://www.shasta.edu/faculty-articles.htmlIsrael, the Church & the Olive Tree

Romans 11:17, RootPaul Cohen of Ariel Ministeries says, The root is the covenants and promises of GodFull Interview with Paul Cohen | Ariel Ministerieshttp://impactshow.com.au In this interview with Paul Cohen, Jad Letcher asks the following questions: - Have you observed a decline of interest in the prophe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_NECFJySwI

https://www.facebook.com/Defenders-of-Biblical-Dispensational-Premillennialism-in-the-21st-Century-366144103526690/

Romans11:20, Loss Of Ministry (benched/sidelined)NAU Romans 11:20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;The Jews boasted of their privileged position (John 8:33)The church in America is full of unbelief now.KJV 1 John 5:16 There is a sin unto deathGod will eventually in the ministry of the church at the rapture.

Romans11:21, Loss Of Ministry (benched/sidelined)NAU Romans 11:21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.Not with loss of salvation for it is impossible that God would break his promises, to Israel or the church (Romans 8). Yet, the privilege of serving as God's ambassadors can be forfeited.A benched ballplayer is still on the team but he is not in the game.

Romans11:23 Loss Of Ministry (benched/sidelined)NAU Romans 11:23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.If God was not going to keep his promises to Israel it would make no sense to include this verse.NAU Matthew 23:39 "For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"

Romans 11:25The Fullness Of The GentilesNAU Romans 11:25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery-- so that you will not be wise in your own estimation-- that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles [the full number] has come in; pleromaMeaning: fullness, a filling upOrigin: from 4137 [plero,w]Usage: all...contains(1), fulfillment(2), full(2), fullness(10)

Romans 11:25The Fullness Of The GentilesNAU Romans 11:25 that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;This verse, and many others in Romans make absolutely no sense if you are in that group of people who think that Israel is the church.God has hardened the church until the church comes in??? Why? Makes no sense at all.John 6:44

Romans 11:25Grammar And Punctuation Are ImportantKJV Romans 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.KJV Romans 11:25 brethren, ye be ignorantKJV Romans 1:13 I would not have you ignorant, brethren,KJV Romans 1:13 I would not have you, ignorant brethren,

Romans 11:26, All Israel Will Be Saved Rabbis Son Became A ChristianA Jewish businessman in Chicago sent his son to Israel for a year to absorb the culture. When the son returned, he said, "Papa, I had a great time in Israel. By the way, I converted to Christianity. "Oy vey," said the father. "What have I done?" He took his problem to his best friend, Ike. "Ike," he said, "I sent my son to Israel, and he came home a Christian. What can I do? "Funny you should ask," said Ike. "I too, sent my son to Israel, and he also came home a Christian. Perhaps we should go see the rabbi. So they did, and they explained their problem to the rabbi. "Funny you should ask," said the rabbi. "I, too, sent my son to Israel, and he also came home a Christian. What is happening to our young people?" And so they all prayed, telling the Lord about their sons.As they finished their prayer, a voice came from the Heavens: "Funny you should ask," said the Voice. "I, too, sent my Son to Israel . . .

2 Peter 1:17 Romans 11:26 Matthew 17:5 Acts 26:28, Rabbis Son Became A Christian

Romans 4:11-18

Romans 2:28, 4:11-18, 9:6, 11:4,7,26,28, Gal 2:12,14,6:16. Eph 3:6, 4:17, Jer 31:34, Rev 2:9, 3:9

Who Is A True Jew?

spiritandtruth.org

DLK adds, 4 ways to become a Jew= birth, marriage, slave, adoption

Romans 2:28, 4:11-18, 9:6, 11:4,7,26,28, Gal 2:12,14,6:16. Eph 3:6, 4:17, Jer 31:34, Rev 2:9, 3:9

Romans 11:26, All Israel Will Be SavedNAU Romans 11:26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB." 27 "THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.NAU Isaiah 27:9 Therefore through this Jacob's iniquity will be forgiven; And this will be the full price of the pardoning of his sin: When he makes all the altar stones like pulverized chalk stones

Romans 11:26, All Israel Will Be SavedNAU Jeremiah 31:33 "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."NAU Isaiah 59:20 "And a Redeemer [this is Christ] will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," declares the LORD. 21 "And as for Me, this is My covenant with them," says the LORD: "My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouthsays the LORD, "from now and forever."

Romans 11:27, Davidic CovenantNAU Romans 11:27 "THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.Only use in Romans of the word covenant.NAU Psalm 89:3 "I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, 4 I will establish your seed forever, And build up your throne to all generations." Selah 34 "My covenant I will not violate, Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips. 35 "Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. 36 "His descendants shall endure forever, And his throne as the sun before Me. 37 "It shall be established forever like the moon, And the witness in the sky is faithful." Selah.

Davidic Covenant, The reign of theMessiah on the Davidic throne in Jerusalem (2 Sam 7:12-17; Psa. 89:3-4,19-37).

Romans 11:27, Davidic CovenantNAU 2 Samuel 7:8 David, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, I will make you a great name10 "I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly, 11 My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you. 12 "When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 "He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 "I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity [this is a son of David, but not Christ], I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, 15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him16 "And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever."'"


Romans 11:27, Davidic CovenantNAU Isaiah 55:3 "Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David.[Hebrews 8:8-13, Acts 13:34, 15:16, Romans 1:3, 2 Timothy 2:8, Revelation 3:7, 5:5, 22:16]


Romans 11:28, Replacement TheologyNAU Romans 11:28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers;

Romans 11:28Enemies For Your SakeIsraeli Postmen Refuse to Distribute Missionary Leaflets; Postal workers in Ashkelon refused to distribute some 35,000 leaflets from a Christian missionary group to addresses in the city, the Israel Broadcasting Authority reported. The leaflets, in Hebrew and Russian, were produced by a group calling itself The Baptist Congregation, and called on people to turn to the organization and the path of Jesus to help solve problems in their lives. According to the IBA, numerous postmen in the city have said they find the leaflets offensive and do not wish to distribute them. -www.jpost.com, 26 May 2015Midnight Call, Inc. This short report vividly demonstrates the words found in Romans 11:28, As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers sakes.

6036, (For more on Israels future, read Hidden Signs in the Olivet Discourse, Item 1060.)

Romans 11:29, God never changesNAU Romans 11:29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.God never changes, he keeps his promises, and His standards never changeJames 1:17 the Fatherthere is no variation or shifting shadow.Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie

Romans 11:29 James 1:17 Numbers 23:19, God never changes

Romans 11:33, Square CirclesNAU Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!C. S. Lewis said, Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable. How many hours are there in a mile? Is yellow square or round? Probably half the questions we ask- half our great theological and metaphysical problems- are like that.

Secret Things,

So, in closing

THE END

The Olive TreeNAU Judges 9:9 "But the olive tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my fatness with which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?NAU Isaiah 24:13, 17:6 Yet gleanings will be left in it like the shaking of an olive tree, Two or three olives on the topmost bough, Four or five on the branches of a fruitful tree, Declares the LORD, the God of Israel.NAU Jeremiah 11:16 The LORD called your name, "A green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form"; With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, And its branches are worthless.NAU Hosea 14:6 His shoots will sprout, And his beauty will be like the olive tree And his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.NAU Romans 11:17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,

Numbers 23:19, God Will Do ItNAU Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? What God says He will do! it's a done deal.In the USA, where morality is relative and truth is subjective, Christians should know God is immutable, He never changes and His promises will be kept. Our eternal security is kept by Him, and He is able. God has not only made great promises to us, His promises are eternal and unalterable., and as certain as He is trustworthy.NAU Jeremiah 1:12 Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.

Jeremiah 1:12 Numbers 23:19, God Will Do It

Numbers 23:19, God Never ChangesNumbers 23:19 Has He said, and will He not do it?...God never changes and His standards never changeJames 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.Romans 11:29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Romans 11:29 James 1:17 Numbers 23:19, God never changes

NAU Romans 11:1 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.Ezekiel 37:28 has this to say, And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.

Romans 11:11-13, Gentiles" as a eponym for the ChurchPaul Henebury says, Paul in Romans 11 uses the term "Gentiles" as a kind of eponym for the Church. For instance, in 11:11, 12, 13, and especially 11:25 he is pointing out that God has deliberately turned to the Gentiles in this era. Israel as a nation is judicially blinded (11:7-10, 25, and 32), and although there will always be a saved remnant even in the Church (11:5), the fact remains that the Church is predominantly Gentile in complexion. But Paul says that God will once again turn to Israel (11:24), once "the fullness of the Gentiles has come in" (11:25b).

Paul Henebury | 24 March 2015 at 3:33 pm | Categories: Articles, Biblical Covenantalism, Biblical Studies, Dispensationalism, Hermeneutics | URL: http://wp.me/p8lMv-Zghttps://drreluctant.wordpress.com/2015/03/24/trying-to-get-the-rapture-right-pt-8/#more-3798

John Piper, replacement theologyThe Background of John PiperJohn Piper was born in 1946 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He has received degrees from Wheaton College (1964-1968) in philosophy and literature and a bachelor of divinity at Fuller Seminary (1970). He studied at the University of Munich (1971-1974) and received a doctorate degree in New Testament Studies. He was the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church for 33 years, retiring in 2013 to pursue writing and a speaking ministry. He is the author of many books and a popular speaker.Although a Baptist (only in ecclesiology), he is a strong Calvinist and a Reformed theologian. He holds to a continuation view, in which the spiritual sign-gifts, visions, and prophecy are all to be sought and practiced today. He holds to double predestination, the view that God elects some to salvation and others He elects to damnation (reprobation). He holds a post-millennial view of prophecy. Concerning Israel, he holds to a supersessionist view (replacement theology view), teaching that the church replaces Israel and that national/ethnic Israel will not inherit the land promises of the Old Testament.

http://assemblyhub.com/replacement-theology-john-piper-and-israel/

Replacement Theology, John Piper, and Israelhttp://assemblyhub.com/replacement-theology-john-piper-and-israel/An Examination of Israel, Palestine, and the Middle East by John PiperIn 2004, Dr. John Piper preached a sermon at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN, entitled Israel, Palestine, and the Middle East. This message unfairly argued that the Jewish people and nation of Israel do not have a right to the land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This sermon, now in print form, has been a standard apologetic for Replacement Theology advocates for the past ten years.It has made its way onto the internet and has been used by many anti-Semitic and anti-Israel websites to argue that the Jewish people do not have a biblical right to the land of Israel. The purpose of this article is to rebut some of the viewpoints of Pipers article.The Background of John PiperJohn Piper was born in 1946 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He has received degrees from Wheaton College (1964-1968) in philosophy and literature and a bachelor of divinity at Fuller Seminary (1970). He studied at the University of Munich (1971-1974) and received a doctorate degree in New Testament Studies. He was the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church for 33 years, retiring in 2013 to pursue writing and a speaking ministry. He is the author of many books and a popular speaker.Although a Baptist (only in ecclesiology), he is a strong Calvinist and a Reformed theologian. He holds to a continuation view, in which the spiritual sign-gifts, visions, and prophecy are all to be sought and practiced today. He holds to double predestination, the view that God elects some to salvation and others He elects to damnation (reprobation). He holds a post-millennial view of prophecy. Concerning Israel, he holds to a supersessionist view (replacement theology view), teaching that the church replaces Israel and that national/ethnic Israel will not inherit the land promises of the Old Testament.Israel: The Land and the PeopleWhat does the Bible say about Israel? It clearly teaches that God chose Israel from all the peoples of the world to be His own possession. We read, The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His treasured possession, out of all the people who are on the face of the earth (Deut. 7:6). Concerning the land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in a portion of which the nation of Israel resides today, we read, On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying, To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great Euphrates (Gen. 15:18).Then in Genesis 17:7-8, we read, I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojourning, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.These passages establish a number of very important truths. First of all, the national and ethnic Jewish people are Gods own possession. He loves Israel, He will protect them, and sovereignly, He has given to them certain promises. Secondly, these promises are everlasting promises to Abraham and his offspring. Everlasting means forever. Without question, God is faithful and will keep His promises. Concerning these truths, John Piper writes:This of course, creates a huge cleavage between the Islamic view of Gods covenant and the Jewish and Christian view of this covenant. But we believe that this is Gods Word, confirmed by the Lord Jesus, and so we say, the land is destined to be Israels land.It would seem that Piper stands firmly with Israel, but very quickly he backs away from the view he just supported, saying, but its not that simple. This is not an issue that can be dealt with in sound bites.Who Owns the Land of Israel?The question many ask is, Who owns the land of Israel? Israel or the Palestinian people? The correct answer to this question is neither. God owns the land and Israel has been given this land in a tenant relationship. We read many times in Scripture that the land is Gods land. Just a few references should suffice: Joel 3:2, Jer. 2:7. We read in Leviticus 25:23, The land shall not be sold forever, for the land is My land.God has given the land to Abraham and his descendants, and He has never rescinded that offer. However, there were conditions and stipulations which Israel was to obey to dwell in the land. At times, Israel did not obey these conditions, and God providentially used Assyria, Babylon, and later Rome to remove her from the land. Nevertheless, the land promises were never revoked, altered, or given to another nation.John Piper teaches that Israel is still a disobedient nation and, therefore, has no right to the land they now occupy. He believes Israel has illegally taken the land through middle eastern wars and have no biblical right to the land. He writes:Throughout the history of Israel, covenant breaking and disobedience and idolatry disqualified Israel from the present divine right to the landThe promises made to Abraham, including the promise of land, will be inherited as an everlasting gift only by true, spiritual Israel, not disobedient, unbelieving Israel.Let us examine this claim by John Piper against the nation of Israel. Has disobedience disqualified Israel from Gods land promises? Yes, it is true that on three occasions Israel fell into disobedience and idolatry and was removed from the land. But Israel was also brought back into the land. Israel returned to the land under Zerubbabel (538 BC), Ezra(439 BC), and Nehemiah(445 BC).The question we would like to examine is: Why did God bring them back? Was the whole nation faithful and believing when they were brought back? Was half of the nation faithful and believing? The answer is, of course, NO. They were in captivity and only a small remnant (minority) was faithful. Very few truly trusted and believed in God.Under Zerubbabel 49,690 Jews returned; under Ezra even a smaller amount, 1,750 Jews; under Nehemiah no number is mentioned in Scripture. Only a very small number of Jews turned back to God, yet God, being faithful to His promise, providentially brought them back into the land. Though few believed, the fact is, Israel did believe! When He brought them back, this land was fully and completely their land.In the early days of Nehemiahs return to the land, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem began to mock Nehemiah when they heard that the Jews were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah charged them, The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it (Neh. 2:20 NIV). The land was Israels land due to the faithfulness of God.The Nation of Israel Today- Disobedient or Believing?Is John Pipers rejection of Israel based on his own standard of obedience for Israel or the biblical standard? Consider the giving of the land to Israel under Joshua after forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Was the whole nation obedient? Hardly. Not even the twelve spies who went in to scope out the land were faithful. Notwithstanding, God gave Joshua the land of Canaan as Israels inheritance. God has His own standard of faithfulness. We should be very careful about imposing our standard of obedience, our opinions of what God should and should not do, and our judgments concerning when disobedience breaks His covenant.We raise the question: Is Israel faithful and believing today? Let us compare her to the days of Joshua, Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. According to sources, there are 125-150 Messianic congregations in Israel today. Granted, not all believers in Messianic congregations are Jewish; however, it is estimated that there are 10,000-12,000 Messianic Jews in Israel today. Matthew Wagner, writing in the Jerusalem Post, states that there are 12,000 Messianic Jews living in Israel and 250,000 living in the United States.[2]More conservative estimates put the number of Jewish believers at 100,000-125,000 world-wide. The organization Jews for Jesus estimates that 8,000 Jews come to Christ world-wide every year.[3] Admittedly, it is a difficult task to measure the number of Jewish believers in a city, country, and the world. Yet, it is widely conceded that in the last fifty years more Jews have come to Christ than at any other time in human history.If this is true, comparing the modern-day faith of Jewish people with the faith of Jews during the days of Joshua, Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, the Jews today are far more faithful and believing. Undoubtedly, God is working in Israel today. God has brought back His people to the land of Israel as a foretaste of even greater promises. On May 14, 1948, Israel was declared a nation. No Muslim nation acknowledges the statehood of Israel.We admit Jewish evangelism is very difficult, and the percentage of Jewish believers world-wide is very small. Yet, compared to past generations, Jewish people are placing faith in the Messiah at an unprecedented rate. We would humbly reply to John Piper that God has not cast off His people (Rom. 11:1); on the contrary, His plan for the Jewish people will finally and completely come to pass. We reject categorically the idea that the church has replaced Israel.The Kindness of Israel in the Midst of HostilityJohn Piper suggests that the nation of Israel is unmerciful and cruel to the Palestinian people. He calls on the leaders of Israel to submit to international pressure to be a kinder and gentler nation. He writes:Therefore, the secular state of Israel today may not claim a present divine right to the Land, but they and we should seek a peaceful settlement not based on present divine rights, but on international principles of justice, mercy, and practical feasibility.Israel has made land concession after land concession. It has conceded to international pressure and has given land for peace. Israel has given back the West Bank in 1967, the Sinai Peninsula in 1979 (Egypt), the Golan Heights in 1981 (internationally controlled), and the Gaza Strip in 1994, and yet there is no peace. In 2014, the terrorist organization Hamas blanketed Israel with 7,800 rockets. What did Israel do? She defended herself. But she did more. Israel showed mercy and kindness to her attackers.Well over a million tons of humanitarian aid and supplies entered into Gaza from Israel in 2014, equal to nearly a ton of aid for every man, woman, and child in Gaza. The Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem donates $3 million in aid each year to treat Palestinians in Israel. According to the UN report of May 2010, 120 megawatts (over 70%) of Gazas electricity come from the Israeli grid. A new CAT-scan machine was recently shipped to Gaza. In the midst of the Hamas-Israeli war, on August 3, 2014, 185 trucks carrying 3,270 tons of goods and supplies entered Gaza via Kerem Shalom Crossing. Among the trucks that entered were: 100 trucks carrying 2,129 tons of food. 4 trucks carrying 13 tons of medicine and medical supplies. 67 trucks carrying 627 tons of humanitarian supplies. [4]ConclusionWe suggest that the reasoning of John Piper in his paper Israel, Palestine, and the Middle East is biased, unbiblical, and ill-reasoned. It may be that he is blinded by his post-millennial and reformed views, which harbor an anti-Israel attitude. It may be simply a misplaced sympathy for the Muslim people. Whatever the case, we stand with Israel, with the unfailing promises of God, and in His love for His chosen people.EndnotesJohn Piper, desiringgod.org/sermons/israel-palestine-and-the-middle-east, March 7, 2004. All quotes in this article are taken from this internet article.Wagner, Matthew (June 26, 2006). Messianic Jews to protest discrimination'. Jerusalem Post.Tovia Singer, outreachjudaism.org/evangelizing-the-jews/www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Peace/Humanitarian/Pages/Israeli-humanitarian-aid-continues-10-Jul-2014.aspx

http://assemblyhub.com/replacement-theology-john-piper-and-israel/Replacement Theology, John Piper, and IsraelNov 14 David Dunlap Tags: Israel | John Piper | Replacement Theology | 4 Responses

Romans 9:27, 11:26, All Israel will Be SavedDoctor Woodhead: Theology in PerspectiveRomans 11:25-2625 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob (KJV): Zechariah 12:1-8 actually describes a battle that is the fifth of eight stages that comprise the Campaign of Armageddon. This takes place in the future and begins with the sixth bowl judgment during the middle of The Great Tribulation (Revelation 16:12-16Jerusalem Will be a Cup of ReelingZechariah 12:1-31 The burden of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel. Thus saith Jehovah, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him: 2behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling unto all the peoples round about, and upon Judah also shall it be in the siege against Jerusalem. 3And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded; and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it (ASV, 1901).Roman Destruction of Jerusalem by David Roberts Cir 1850God begins this oracle by stating that this particular message that is about to be delivered is heavy, or a burden (in Hebrew massa). That is, it is important and burdensome to be given, and to be heard. It is not pleasant but must be heeded in the same seriousness in which it was given. This is the second such massa in this book. The first encompassed chapter 9:1 through chapter 11:17. The first one graphically depicted Israels rejection of her Messiah and the rise of the worthless shepherd, which will be the Antichrist. His rise to power must precede Israels deliverance. God will use him to plunge the Nation Israel into its most severe time of testing foreseen by the prophet Jeremiah as the Time of Jacobs Trouble, (Jeremiah 30:5-7). The prophet Daniel was given a revelation regarding this time as well; he recorded, And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book (Daniel 12:1). Daniel finished this verse by stating that the Jews will be delivered.

God then goes on to describe the attitude of Jerusalems enemies. Jerusalem is the capital city of Israel and will be the future capital of the world in Christs Millennial reign. The characterization of Jerusalem as the Nation Israel seems to align with the grammatical technique of merism, where one name stands for all of a particular subject. In this case it is the capital city representing all of Israel. In Zechariah 11:2 God says Jerusalem will become a cup of reeling. (It is called a cup of trembling in the King James translation.) A cup of reeling means a cup filled with an intoxicating drink that will cause anyone who drinks it to reel or stagger. This particular siege takes place in the future when all nations come against Jerusalem in battle. Further He uses the term burdensome stone in His description of Jerusalem to give the reader the sense of lifting a very heavy stone. It will cause grievous injuries to those who try and lift it. The divine penalty for the nations that try and lift this stone (Jerusalem) is that they will suffer sprains or dislocation and tear themselves to pieces.

God Confounds The InvadersBelshazzar's Feast by Rembrandt cir. 1635Belshazzars Feast by Rembrandt cir. 1635

Zechariah 12:4

4In that day, saith Jehovah, I will smite every horse with terror, and his rider with madness; and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness (ASV, 1901).

All this will happen as the text says in that day (Hebrew bayyom hahu). In that day refers to the particular time period called the latter days or end of days. This is the same as the Day of the Lord or the Great Tribulation. It is important to note that the text says, and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it. Bearing in mind this prophecy was given in 485 B.C., it was inconceivable that there could be a conflict that engaged the entire world. 135 countries took part in World War I, and more than 15,000,000 people died in the war.[1] World War II, which began shortly after on September 1, 1939, was the second time a large number of nations gathered to battle and this time more that 80,000,000 perished or about 2.5 % of the worlds population.[2] Now that these massive conflicts have occurred it is no longer difficult to accept Gods Word stating that, and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it.

During the invasion of Jerusalem God will cause the all the military forces coming against Jerusalem to be filled with terror and blindness. His love for the Jewish people is evident as He says, and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah. Their enemies will be rendered useless for achieving their goal, which is the destruction of Israel and particularly Jerusalem. The normally brave enemies will suffer chaotic frenzy and they will not be able to see out of their vehicles.

All Israel will Be SavedDoctor Woodhead: Theology in Perspectivehttp://doctorwoodhead.com/someday-all-israel-will-be-saved/Isaiah 11:11, 45:17, 49:6 Hebrews 8:8, Hosea 1:10, 2:23, Romans 9:27, 11:26, Jeremiah 23:6, 31:7-33, 50:20 Zechariah 13:1-6, All Israel will Be Saved

Are Israel and the Church distinct in Bible prophecy?2 Samuel 7, Davidic Covenant Ron Rhodes on the Church Replacing IsraelThe Christ in Prophecy Journal, By Nathan JonesAre Israel and the Church distinct in Bible prophecy?On our television program Christ in Prophecy, we asked this question of Dr. Ron Rhodes, the founder and director of a ministry called Reasoning from the Scriptures, located in Frisco, Texas. His ministry specializes in defending Christianity against Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics, the cults, world religions, and about any group that teaches false doctrine. He is a seminary professor and an excellent writer who has written more than 70 books! His latest one is titled, The 8 Great Debates of Bible Prophecy.Ron Rhodes on the Church Replacing IsraelUnderstanding whether the Church has replaced Israel or not is very important to the interpretation of Bible prophecy. It is important because Bible prophecy is intimately related to the Biblical covenants, such as the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12 and the Davidic Covenant in 2 Samuel 7. These are unconditional covenants.What I mean by Non-Conditional Covenant is that there is nothing that Israel has to do in order for God to fulfill His covenant promises. If it was a conditional covenant then Israel would be responsible to do this in order for God to do that. But, that is not what those covenants are. Instead, those covenants are unconditional covenants where God promises to do certain things for Israel, and Israel doesn't have to do anything in return. They are unconditional.Now, here's the question: "Is God telling the truth? Is God a promise keeper?" If you answer yes to those questions, you have no choice but to accept the reality that God has made unconditional promises to Israel, and they will be fulfilled.Here is something really important. There are a lot of people that argue that the Church fulfilled the promises that were made to Israel. They often go to the New Testament to prove their claim.Okay, I am game to go into the New Testament. Let's look at the book of Acts. Even in the book of Acts you've got the Church that is mentioned 19 times and Israel that is mentioned 20 times. Israel and the Church are still distinct in the book of Acts.

Then there's Romans 9-11, where three consecutive chapters talks about this distinction. The Apostle Paul talks about how there is still a future for Israel.

There are other verses. First Corinthians 10:32 has Paul talking about not causing a stumbling block for Jews or for Gentiles or for the Church.

The point that I'm making to you is that even in New Testament times, the Church and Israel are distinct. It is my personal belief that God's plan for the Jewish people, those covenants where God made those promises, will ultimately be fulfilled in the future Millennial Kingdom. That is when the land promises of the Abrahamic Covenant will be fulfilled. That is when the throne promises in regard to Christ reigning on the throne of David will be fulfilled as well.

The vast majority of Catholics and Protestants believe in Replacement Theology. They argue that the Jews were not faithful, and so therefore God has washed His hands of them and has no purpose left for them. The Church then has inherited all of their blessings. There are a couple of things I could say about that. First of all, did you know that many of the promises made in the covenants continue to be repeated throughout the entire Old Testament? If Israel was unfaithful in that first couple of years after the covenant was made and therefore Israel was no longer recipients of those promises, how come those same promises continue to get repeated over and over again throughout Old Testament history?

The second point I want to make to you is that I consider Replacement Theology not just doctrinally aberrant, but dangerous. It's dangerous because it affects the way that people view Israel today. It's the foundation stone of Antisemitism.

One of the concerns that I have is the Church moving away from supporting Israel. How does that relate to the Abrahamic Covenant? Doesn't the Abrahamic Covenant tell us that if we bless Israel that God will bless us? What if we turn away from Israel? Will God then turn away from us?

The Christ in Prophecy JournalRon Rhodes on the Church Replacing IsraelPosted: 11 Jun 2015 06:00 AM PDTNathan JonesWatch MP3 PDFBy Nathan Jones

http://www.shasta.edu/faculty-articles.html

Romans 11:33, Our Multi-Directional Genetic CodeHave you ever heard the palindrome "Madam, I'm Adam"? With a palindrome, the letters are exactly the same whether you read the sentence from left to right or from right to left.Chemical structure of DNABut did you know your genetic code is a different kind of palindrome that conveys one series of messages when it is read from front to back and a different series of messages when it is read from back to front? Other meaningful information can even be found in overlapping portions of the genome! Think about your genetic code as if it were a novel. It would tell one story when read from front to back, an additional story from back to front, and many other stories as you read overlapping messages of the code!Evolutionists find this very troubling. After all, their whole theory depends on random mutations resulting in improvements. But as scientists at the FMS Foundation point out, this multi-directional coding makes it impossible for a random "typo to benefit one code without disrupting the others. This fundamental problem, they said, has been overlooked until now. "The bottom line," they conclude, "is that overlapping codes cannot arise by any natural process they must be very carefully designed."Yes, evolutionists must come to grips with the fact that the genetic code was designed. Chance mutations would only destroy the code. While evolution can't even begin to account for the genetic code found within every cell of your body, it was an easy task for our Creator!Notes: "Scientists Discover Astounding DNA Complexity," Chris Rupe, Dr. John Sanford and Chloe Pappano, FMS Foundation, 2014. http://media.wix.com/ugd/a704d4_43295b5fe0e548f69dca984314e4f925.pdf Illustration: Chemical structure of DNA. Courtesy of Madprime. (CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication)

OUR MULTI-DIRECTIONAL GENETIC CODE http://www.creationmoments.com/radio/transcripts/our-multi-directional-genetic-codeNotes: "Scientists Discover Astounding DNA Complexity," Chris Rupe, Dr. John Sanford and Chloe Pappano, FMS Foundation, 2014. http://media.wix.com/ugd/a704d4_43295b5fe0e548f69dca984314e4f925.pdf Illustration: Chemical structure of DNA. Courtesy of Madprime. (CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication)

The Olive Tree(the Spiritual Commonwealth of Israel)THE OLIVE TREE, ANTI-SEMITISM AND BIBLE PROPHECYimagesDr. Thomas S. McCallhttp://doctorwoodhead.com/the-olive-tree-anti-semitism-and-bible-prophecy/At a convention of the Pre-Trib Study Group in Dallas, Dr. John Walvoord presented a paper on the Pre-Tribulation Rapture and Premillennial teaching, including the history of doctrines throughout the Church age. I was very much struck by something that Dr. Walvoord said as he analyzed the transition from widely held pre-millennial views of the early church in the first three centuries to the predominantly amillennial, postmillennial or anti-millennial views that developed afterwards, and it centered around Augustine.

Latent Anti-Semitism Caused AmillennialismI appreciated especially what Dr. Walvoord said, as quoted from the audio tape of his message, in his analysis of what happened in the case of Augustine:

Augustine arbitrarily made the millennium non-literal, while everything else was literal. Now as far as Ive been able to find out, there has never been a book on doctrine that explains this. But there is possibly an explanation. In the first two centuries the church was largely Jewish in its background. They were the evangelists, and they were the apostles. But as the gospel grew, the church became largely Gentile. And, of course the millennium is a time when the Jews are prominent, and it could be that there is a latent anti-Semitism here that they were quite unconscious of, that made them question whether Israel is going to have a literal future like it says. And that, of course, would lead to a non-literal millennial kingdom. In any case, thats what happened, and the Roman Catholic Church became amillennial, and the Protestant Reformers like Calvin, Luther and others went back to Augustine rather than to the Bible, and adopted amillennialism. They brought in, though, a lot of other things that were important, like every man a priest and interpret the Bible yourself, and so on, very important doctrines that have been the bulwark of Protestantism. But, it wasnt until the 19th and 20th Centuries when the Bible Conference movement began, and people began to ask what does the Scripture actually say? It was not until then that premillennialism became a prominent feature in the churchas it is today in some churches, at least. And thats the background. So we have to understand theres a long history of this, and we are a minority. We believe the Bible is literally true and they dont, and we believe we have the facts on our side. Thats why we believe what we believe.

Saint Augustine in His Study by Sandro Boticelli 1840Saint Augustine in His Study by Sandro Boticelli 1840

Thus Dr. Walvoord said it was his impression that it was latent anti-Semitism that caused Augustine and those around him to have this transition in their thinking. Thats a remarkable statement. How in the world can latent anti-Semitism have anything to do with ones eschatological viewpoint, and how can it impact the eschatological viewpoint of the whole church? Well, I think that it does, and thats one of the things we are going to be looking at in this article.

There is an inherent connection between ones attitude toward the Jewish people and Israel and ones attitude toward the Scriptures and eschatology. How does that happen? Its an understanding of what the Scriptures teach about the nature of the church, the nature of Israel, and the nature of the Olive Tree. As Dr. Walvoord brought out, at the time of the beginning of the Bible Conference movement, there was a rediscovery of Israel and the promises to Israel in the Scriptures. Some of the early works published in this movement had to deal with the future of Israel, as scholars began to rediscover premillennialism and literal eschatology. Of course many of the amillennialists, including Augustine, would have been shocked if someone were to say they were anti-Semitic, and they would deny it strenuously. And they would say, why, theres not an anti-Semitic bone in my body! All we want to do (they might say) is to take away the promises that God has given to Israel and apply them to the church! Well, that sounds pretty anti-Semitic to me.

The Meaning of the Olive TreeIf then it is true that latent anti-Semitism is a basic cause of much eschatological error, what is the solution? I would suggest that a Biblical understanding of the Olive Tree discourse in Romans 11 would do much to combat latent anti-Semitism among Gentile believers in Christ. The Olive Tree of Romans 11 has been an enigma to many Bible interpreters throughout the centuries of the Church Age:

. . . if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17And 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; 18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 24For 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 11:16b-24)

Most amillennial commentaries have jumped to the conclusion that the Olive Tree is the Church, beginning in Old Testament times and continuing on to the present in its current form. Thus, the Church becomes the New Improved Israel, and the Jewish people are relegated to the dustbin of history, as an outmoded, irrelevant part of Gods plan, sort of like an appendix a vestigial organ. With this type of thinking, replacement theology was born and continues as the dominant teaching of the vast majority of Church scholars.

At the other extreme, some more recent interpreters have suggested that the Olive Tree is Israel, the Jewish people, and that Gentile believers, through their being grafted in, have become Israelites, now have a Jewish heart, and should be considered themselves as Jews. While this interpretation may lie closer to the truth than the replacement theology noted above, it too seems to fall short of what the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Spirit, is endeavoring to teach us.

To understand the Olive Tree, it seems we have to see it in its broader context in association with the Church and Israel.

The Church, Israel and the Olive TreeLook at the diagram: the Church, Israel and the Olive Tree. Some might feel that this is a lot of entities. However, there are even more than this. The Lord has actually created many entities, and we have to find our identity and our relationship with all of these entities the Lord has created.

The Olive Tree Chart by Dr Thomas McCallThe Olive Tree Chart by Dr Thomas McCall

Various Entities Created by GodFor instance, God created the entity of marriage. That was the first entity or institution, as it were, He created, and we who are married find our relationship with our spouse to be that we are actually one flesh. Marriage is an entity in which we have to find our proper Scriptural relationship.

Then there is the entity of the family. Thats a little different. It includes the marriage, but its more. There is the relationship between the parents and the child. We have to find and understand our relationship there. There are different Biblical principles involved in our relationships within the family.

He created human government, and we have to find our relationship to Caesar. Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars. We have a responsibility as citizens of government, especially when we are fortunate enough to be in a constitutional republic. The Lord has created the concept of government as well as all of these entities.

God has also created work. We have to find our relationship either as an employee or an employer in a Biblical sense. There is a Biblical attitude we must understand, if we are directed by a boss or if we direct others in our livelihood.

In the realm of divine covenants, though, God has also created the Church, Israel and the Olive Tree. We need to know our Scriptural relationship to all the entities God has created.

The ChurchThe Church as the Body of Christ is described in Eph. 2. Outside the Body of Christ, are the unsaved Jews and the unsaved Gentiles. The Jews are described as being very near. Strange, many have thought that they were a long ways off out in left field, but the Scriptures describe the Jews as being near. The Gentiles are seen as being far off. Unsaved Gentiles are very far off, and between the two, Jews and Gentiles, there is a middle wall of partition. This was symbolized in the Temple, where no Gentile could pass the middle wall of partition, upon penalty of death. Outside of Christ, this wall remains, as forbidding as it ever was, and I dont think its ever been removed. There is still this great wall between unsaved Jews and unsaved Gentiles.

However, when Jews receive Christ, they are baptized into the Body of Christ; and when Gentiles receive Christ, they are baptized into the Body of Christ, the middle wall of partition is broken down, and we are one in Him. There is no difference in status: neither Jew nor Gentile, bond nor free, neither male nor female, we are all one in Him. We are seated together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. What remarkable doctrine is the Body of Christ!

To the Church belong unique prophetic promises, including the Rapture before the Tribulation, the Judgment Seat of Christ, the Marriage of the Lamb, Reigning with Christ during the Millennium, and the New Jerusalem for eternity. As a member of the Body of Christ, I would not want to trade places with any other entity God has created.

IsraelNext is Israel. Israel has many facets. There is the nation Israel that is under the covenant of God, and that covenant relationship began with Abraham. It continues to this day, and will continue through the Second Coming of Christ, when He will establish Israel as the head of the nations and no longer the tail. All during this time of the covenant, the majority of the nation is unsaved. The majority of the nation is, for all intents and purposes, unbelieving. However, there has always been a remnant according to the election of grace. In Elijahs time, in Joshuas time, in our time, there has always been a remnant that has been saved. This is Gods promise. It is one promise God has made to Israel that He has not made to any other nation, that every generation will have a remnant according to the election of grace. In the Church age, the remnant of Israel is a significant part of the Body of Christ. Its a remarkable thing. But the vast majority of the nation Israel does not know the Messiah. They missed the opportunity to see the Kingdom established when He came to Israel (the hour of their visitation), and He has told them You will not see me henceforth, until you say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Israel has a glorious future: the restoration of the nation, the national salvation of Israel when Christ returns to the earth, and the glory of being the head of the nations during the Millennium. We are seeing the beginnings of this process now, as the dry bones of Ezekiels prophecy are being gathered together in preparation for the Tribulation and the Millennium

Furthermore, the Gentiles have a relationship to Israel. It is part of the Abrahamic covenant, and its either a promise or a warning to Gentiles: I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee. Thus, Gentiles can be blessed by God depending on how they relate to Israel: blessings for blessings, curses for cursings. Also, some Gentiles have become and still do become, to a certain extent, proselytes to Israel. They are added on, by submission to circumcision, the Law of Moses and to Judaism as such.

The Olive TreeThen there is the third entity, which is the Olive Tree. It has as its roots in the fathers: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. If the root is holy, so are the branches. This is the good and cultivated Olive Tree, which has been tended to through the centuries, and the natural branches are the Jews. They are born into the Olive Tree naturally. But, it is only believing Jews who remain in the Olive Tree. Unbelieving Jews, of all things, are broken off. They are dead, lying at the side of the tree. Strangely enough, there are also these wild olive trees, and branches from the wild olive trees that are grafted into the good Olive Tree, the cultivated Olive Tree, and live off the nourishment from the roots and the sustaining power of God.

That is how the Olive Tree is described. But what is the Olive Tree? How can it be defined? First, it helps to clarify what the Olive Tree is not.

The Olive Tree is not the ChurchIt should be understood that the Olive Tree is not the Church. Some people are born naturally into the Olive Tree, but no one is born physically into the Church, the Body of Christ. The only way one can enter into the Body of Christ is by being born again by personal faith in the Lord Jesus.

Furthermore, it is clear from the New Testament that the Church began at the celebration of the Feast of Pentecost after Christ ascended to Heaven, when the believers were baptized into the Body of Christ. The Church did not begin in the Old Testament! The Church began at Pentecost and will end its current ministry on the earth with the Rapture. The Olive Tree, on the other hand, began with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the fathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), and continues on earth past the Rapture, and on through the Tribulation and the Millennium. Thus, the Olive Tree cannot be the Church.

The Olive Tree is not IsraelAlso, the Olive Tree cannot be Israel. Some natural branches are broken off the Olive Tree, representing Jews who do not believe in Jesus the Messiah, even though they are physically still alive. They are physically alive but are spiritually dead, broken off branches. However, no one can be broken off of Israel, as long as he is physically alive. The often-heard dictum, I was born a Jew and I will die a Jew, is an accurate saying. Once a person is born into the covenant nation of Israel, he remains an Israelite until he is physically dead.

Furthermore, Gentiles are not grafted into the nation Israel as Gentiles. The only way Gentiles can become a part of the nation Israel is by conversion to the Law of Moses and ceremonial circumcision. The Gentiles in the Olive Tree remain Gentiles, even though they have been grafted in. Thus the Olive Tree cannot be Israel.

While at the Pre-Trib Conference, and before I spoke to the study group about this issue, I wanted to discuss it with Arnold Fruchtenbaum, who has done a lot of work on Jewish studies, including his major book on Israelology. He reviewed this material, and made an interesting suggestion. He pointed out that since the Jews in the end time will be grafted into their own olive tree, this shows that the Jews possess the Olive Tree, and therefore the Olive Tree is not identical to the Jews or Israel. This further strengthens the argument that the Olive Tree is not Israel.

The Olive Tree is the Spiritual Commonwealth of IsraelIf the Olive Tree is not the Church and it is not Israel, what is it? The Olive Tree is a tertiam quid, a third entity, in this whole series of relationships. Some have suggested it should be called the Abrahamic Covenant, and that approximates a good definition. It comes close to what is involved here. Some say its the position of spiritual blessing, and that also comes close to the truth. I would suggest that a good working definition of the Olive Tree is that it is the Spiritual Commonwealth of Israel, and each of those terms has meaning.

Paul elsewhere speaks of the Commonwealth of Israel, and I believe the Olive Tree could well be understood to be the spiritual commonwealth of Israel. In the context of his description of unsaved Gentiles, Paul says in Ephesians. 2:

11Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12That 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: 13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

That is a very stinging rebuke of unsaved Gentiles. The Scriptures say some pretty hard things about unsaved Jewish people, but nothing comes close, I think, to this description of unsaved Gentiles, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, having no hope and without God in the world. Did you know that you, if you are a Gentile, were an alien before you received the Lord? But in Christ, we have been brought near to the Commonwealth of Israel, and it is indeed spiritual. Let us consider further these distinct terms of our working definition: the Spiritual Commonwealth of Israel.

The Olive Tree is Spiritual, Composed of Righteous, Born Again PeopleIn contrast to the nation Israel, composed of believers and unbelievers, the Olive Tree is spiritual, because only righteous, born again, blood bought believers are in the Olive Tree, whether Jews or Gentiles. Nobody else is in it. Unsaved Gentiles are not in the Olive Tree. Unsaved Jews do not remain in the Olive Tree. Only born again believers are in the Olive Tree.

The Olive Tree is a Commonwealth, with Allegiance to the King of the JewsThe word the Apostle uses for commonwealth is politeiva (politeias), akin to our politics, people-hood or nationhood. Through the blood of Israels Messiah (Christ), we Gentiles who were once aliens, have been made nigh (near) to the Commonwealth of Israel. It appears that what Paul is describing as the Commonwealth of Israel is very similar to what he describes in more detail as the Olive Tree.

Furthermore, the Olive Tree is the Commonwealth of Israel, because Gentiles who have been attached (grafted in) to the Olive Tree owe allegiance to Israels Book (the Bible), Israels God, and Israels Messiah. It is similar to the British Commonwealth, in which the people of Canada and Australia are not actually citizens of England, but owe allegiance to the Queen, and have a special relationship with the British people. We Gentiles who have trusted in Jesus the Messiah, have a special relationship with Israel, its people and Land, and have sworn allegiance to the King of the Jews.

My conviction, then, is that the Olive Tree is none other than the Spiritual Commonwealth of Israel.

Gentile Believers Must Recognize They are Grafted In Among the Natural BranchesIn addition to our special relationship to Israel, we Gentiles who have been grafted in to the Olive Tree by faith in Christ among the natural branches, have a special relationship to the Jewish believers in Christ, who are the natural branches. The tragedy is that the two kinds of branches in the Olive Tree (Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ) have such a hard time worshipping our Lord together. What a powerful testimony we would have to the unsaved world if we could find a way to be seated together in earthly places, as we have been positionally seated together in heavenly places.

Gentile believers also have a special relationship with the revived nation of Israel. To some Christians, Israel has no more significance than Uganda or Pakistan. But if we understand our role in the Olive Tree, we see that we are in the Commonwealth of Israel, and everything about Israel is important to us: its history, archaeology, politics, preservation and prophecy. Nothing about the Land of the Bible should be foreign to us, as the time of the return of the Messiah draws ever nearer, when Jerusalem, Israels capital, will be a prime focus of the Lords Millennial reign on earth.

Boast Not against the BranchesHow ominous and prophetic is the command the Apostle Paul issues to the Roman Christians, when he warns them, boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.

Why would Gentile believers boast against the unsaved Jewish branches? Amazingly, they would boast that the Jews were broken off, so that the Gentiles could replace them. This is the origin of Replacement Theology, which blossomed so greatly early in church history, and continues unabated until today. As it is understood today, the largely Gentile Church has replaced the Israel of the Old Testament. Indeed, the Church is the new, improved and enlarged Israel. This has become the predominant theological view in most Christian circles, and is also found in evangelical circles, as well. The Lord, however, condemns this boasting against the branches as something that is abhorrent to Him.

Provoke to JealousyOne of the responsibilities that Gentiles who believe in Christ have toward the nation Israel is to provoke them to jealousy, as we read in Romans 11. We must admit we have not done a very good job. Some have said, rather than provoking the Jews to jealousy, we have mostly just provoked the Jews. But when a Jewish person sees Gentile believers in Christ, his reaction is supposed to be, What is that Gentile, that goy, doing with my God, my Bible and my Messiah? I want them. The good part about it is that we can all have them. But I fear that we have not live our lives in such a way that it would cause many Jewish people to be provoked to jealousy.

Understanding of The Olive Tree is Essential to Biblical Ecclesiology & EschatologyAs stated as the outset, the Olive Tree has been an enigma to Bible interpreters for most of the church age, and is often ignored more than explored. My conviction is that the Olive Tree is the Spiritual Commonwealth of Israel. It does not detract from the unique features of the Church or Israel, but it is a special entity created by God. Just as we need to find our proper relationship to the Church and Israel, we also must relate in an obedient manner with reference to the Olive Tree. Anything less would be intentional blindness to the revealed Word of God.

There is also a serious problem about attempting to do prophetic study with an attitude that ignores the teachings of the Olive Tree and leans toward an anti-Semitic or anti-Israel position. There are wonderful prophecies specifically about the Church in the Scriptures, including the imminent Rapture, the Judgment Seat of Christ, the Marriage of the Lamb, the reigning with Christ in the Millennium, and the New Jerusalem. However, most of the volume of prophecy in the Bible has to do with the future destiny of Israel, such as Preservation in the Diaspora, the Perpetual Remnant, the Time of Jacobs Trouble, the National Reconciliation with Messiah Jesus, the Restoration of Israel in preparation for and during the Millennium, and the New Jerusalem.

If we do not understand Israel or the Olive Tree, we will be prone to make many errors in interpretation of Bible Prophecy. Sadly, this is what has happened in much of church history, in the development of Replacement Theology, Amillennialism, and, more recently, Progressive Dispensationalism. It is only the Apostolic premillennial, literal interpretation of the Word that recognizes the Church, Israel and the Olive Tree, and their rightful position in the plan of God.

Posted with permission of the author

Thomas S. McCall Th.D.

Artwork selections by Daniel E Woodhead

http://doctorwoodhead.com/the-olive-tree-anti-semitism-and-bible-prophecy/

Romans 11:16-18, RootThe root is the covenants and promises of GodFull Interview with Paul Cohen | Ariel Ministerieshttp://impactshow.com.au In this interview with Paul Cohen, Jad Letcher asks the following questions: - Have you observed a decline of interest in the prophehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_NECFJySwI

https://www.facebook.com/Defenders-of-Biblical-Dispensational-Premillennialism-in-the-21st-Century-366144103526690/

Rom 9:4, Part 2 in a series on Covenants and DispensationsBy WILLIAM D. BARRICK, Th.D.

Part 2 in a series on Covenants and DispensationsBy WILLIAM D. BARRICK, Th.D.http://dispensationalpublishing.com/dispensational-theology/defining-and-identifying-the-biblical-covenants-with-israel/

Part 2 in a series on Covenants and DispensationsBy WILLIAM D. BARRICK, Th.D.http://dispensationalpublishing.com/dispensational-theology/defining-and-identifying-the-biblical-covenants-with-israel/Part 2 in a series on Covenants and DispensationsBy WILLIAM D. BARRICK, Th.D., Contributing Author, (Read Part 1)Biblically, what comprises a covenant? According to Thomas R. Schreiner, The substance of the covenant was a pledge to be faithful to covenant obligations[1]. Thus, both the covenant Maker (God, the Sovereign Lord) and the covenant recipients (vassals) have obligations to fulfill. The first obligation of the recipient consists of identifying himself or herself with the Lord of the covenant by displaying attributes that demonstrate that they belong to Him as His people. The Apostle Paul referred to the six Israelite covenants when he identified the Israelites as those to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises (Rom 9:4, bold emphasis added). The following chart identifies five key elements with regard to each of these six covenants:Biblical-Covenants-ChartNote that all five elements appear in relationship to the original covenant, the Abrahamic Covenant. God unilaterally and unconditionally proclaimed the terms or stipulations for each of the covenants since He is the sovereign Lord and King. But, someone might ask, what is a covenant? In the Biblical context a covenant consists of Gods declaration regarding His relationship to and plan for His chosen people. Specifically, God revealsby means of the contents of the Israelite covenantshow He intends to full His kingdom and redemption programs on earth and in history. His programs purposes are fivefold: (1) to reveal Himself, (2) to glorify Himself, (3) to conform His people to His kingdom program, (4) to redeem mankind from sin, and (5) to restore His fallen creation.In regard to the conditionality of the Biblical covenants, even the Abrahamic Covenant includes a conditionobedience. Abraham had to leave Ur of the Chaldeans. Such conditionality does not mean that God will not fulfill His covenant. He will never fail to fulfill His covenantstheir ultimate fulfillment is never in jeopardy. The real issue has to do with whom or with which generation He will fulfill His covenants.An added theological aspect of the Biblical covenants involves their theocentricity (being centered and focused on God). As we study Scripture, each covenant can justifiably be associated with a particular attribute of Gods character. Although some Divine attributes might fit with more than one covenant, the following list presents an association of a Divine attribute with each covenant. The list does not preclude the potential of other Divine attributes having a secondary association or even a tertiary association with a covenant.

Abrahamic Covenant: God is good (or kind), the source of all blessing (Ex. 1:20; 18:9; cf. Gen. 15:1316).Mosaic Covenant: God is righteous and the source of all righteous laws, judgments, statutes and decrees (Deut. 4:8; 32:4; Ps. 119:137138).Priestly Covenant: God is holy and calls His people to holiness through the activities involved in sacrifice and priesthood (Num. 25:1013; Ezek. 48:11).Deuteronomic Covenant: God is faithful to fulfill His promises, of which the land promise attains prominence for Israel (Jer. 32:41; cf. 2 Cor. 1:1820).Davidic Covenant: God is sovereign and intends through the greater Son of David to fulfill the Creators original intent regarding man as vice-regent over the earth and its creatures (Ps. 2:49; 8:6; 22:28; 72:811; 110:2; cf. Gen. 1:26, 28).New Covenant: God is forgiving (or merciful). His final covenant focuses on this significant aspect of His redemption program (Jer. 31:34; Eph. 4:32; cf. Ps. 32:12; Matt. 9:26; Luke 24:4647).Thus, the Biblical covenants reveal a wealth of instruction about the actions and attributes of God, the covenant Maker. Too often theologians overlook the theocentric nature of the Israelite covenants because their studies of the covenants focus on such aspects as prophetic fulfillment and the identification of the recipients. Proper attention must be given to Gods attributes because He calls upon His covenant people to live under each covenant by reflecting His character. Displaying the communicable attributes of God in their behavior identifies them as His people and Him as their God (I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people [Lev. 26:12]). Indeed, it would behoove us to consider a persons identification with the Sovereign Lord as the primary covenant obligationto live in the world as those who stand out distinctly as belonging to Him.

(To be continued)

Dr. William D. Barrick served as professor of Old Testament and director of Th.D. studies at The Masters Seminary from 1997 to 2015. He remains active in ministry as a theologian and a linguistics expert whose service, writings and translations have spanned numerous nations and languages. He is also the Old Testament editor of the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary from Logos Bible Software. We are most grateful to include him as a contributing author to Dispensational Publishing House.

Copyright 2016 Dispensational Publishing House, Inc


Rom 9:4, Part 2 in a series on Covenants and DispensationsBy WILLIAM D. BARRICK, Th.D.Divine attributes having a secondary association or even a tertiary association with a covenant.Abrahamic Covenant: God is good (or kind), the source of all blessing (Ex. 1:20; 18:9; cf. Gen. 15:1316).Mosaic Covenant: God is righteous and the source of all righteous laws, judgments, statutes and decrees (Deut. 4:8; 32:4; Ps. 119:137138).Priestly Covenant: God is holy and calls His people to holiness through the activities involved in sacrifice and priesthood (Num. 25:1013; Ezek. 48:11).Deuteronomic Covenant: God is faithful to fulfill His promises, of which the land promise attains prominence for Israel (Jer. 32:41; cf. 2 Cor. 1:1820).Davidic Covenant: God is sovereign and intends through the greater Son of David to fulfill the Creators original intent regarding man as vice-regent over the earth and its creatures (Ps. 2:49; 8:6; 22:28; 72:811; 110:2; cf. Gen. 1:26, 28).New Covenant: God is forgiving (or merciful). His final covenant focuses on this significant aspect of His redemption program (Jer. 31:34; Eph. 4:32; cf. Ps. 32:12; Matt. 9:26; Luke 24:4647).


The Church Is The Bride Of ChristPre And Post Rapture BelieversQ.Re: Your commentary on Revelation 7: 9 17. What is the scriptural substantiation for: (1) your separation of believers into two classes, pre-rapture and post rapture, and (2) the notion that the Church will enjoy greater blessings and rewards in Heaven than the post rapture believers? We know that faith alone is the only requirement for entry into Heaven and He makes no distinction based on when one came to the Lord.A.My Scriptural substantiation comes partly fromRev. 7:9-17itself. These believers are not called either Kings or Priests, but serve God day and night in His Temple. They wont live in the New Jerusalem with the Church because there is no Temple in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:22).In addition, only the Church is the Bride of Christ (2 Cor. 11:2). Only the Church is seated on His Throne with Him (Ephes 2:6). Only the Church is the joint heir with Christ in His inheritance (Romans 8:16-17). Only the Church will be seen as the example of the incomparable riches of Gods grace (Ephes. 2:7).The Age of the Church will end at the Rapture, prior to the beginning of Daniels 70th Week.Rev. 7:9-17takes place during the 70th Week. Your comment that the Lord makes no distinction as to when one comes to Him is only correct during the Church Age. Just as there were bel