ISRAEL IN SCRIPTURES

ISRAEL IN SCRIPTURES

This study deals with God’s True Israel in the Scriptures. Is the New Testament (NT) church the replacement of Old Testament (OT) Israel or its true continuation?
Are there two separate spiritual entities in the scriptures, Israel and Church, two-ways of salvation? Two worship types? Two legitimate peoples of God? Or is there only one?
Who or what is Biblical Israel? The answer to these questions will be traced along the line of five models or motifs as listed here below.

Seed
Worship
Covenant
IV        Olive Tree
V        Woman

For our study the KJV will be used. If another translation is used it will be indicated. Also we will use the word “motif” meaning according to Oxford dictionary: theme or idea that is repeated and developed in a work of music or literature. In this study the literature in question are the scriptures.

The catalyst for this study was reading an interview with Pastor Elofer, president of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church in Israel. The interview was conducted by Mark.A.Kellner, news editor to the Adventist Review, and published November 8, 2007, pp.8-11
We quote from this interview the following:
“Israel field president Elofer agrees that handling the question of so-called ‘replacement-theology’ is a delicate one: ‘Today it is not rare that Jews come to me and ask me, ‘What does your church believe about Israel? Have they been rejected and replaced or not? If we say the traditional answer to this question we have no chance to be listened to in Israel.”

But do we have to give the traditional answer of a replacement theology? That is what we try to deal with in this study. Is the so called replacement theology the correct one?

Stepping a little ahead of our study we will quote the apostle Paul in Rom.11:1, 2 “hath God cast away His people? God forbid. God hath not cast away His people which He foreknew.”

“Foreknew” is translated differently by different and various translators. It comes from the Greek proginosko to know, to perceive; learn or understand beforehand, to take notice of before. (According to New Testament critical lexicon, by Dr.E.W.Bullinger D.D., when we use this source again it will be referred to as Bullinger)

What Paul says in this passage is that God has not cast away His people of which he has knowledge beforehand.
Paul adds to it his own experience being of the seed of Abraham also. This to underscore that the people have not been cast away; otherwise Paul would not be where he was at that point of time.

SEED

This statement of Paul that he also was of the seed of Abraham leads us into the first motif we will discuss, SEED

There are two ways to understand this expression ‘of the seed of Abraham’. Biological offspring, belonging to that kind of people, nation or tribe by way of a natural birth or in a spiritual manner, as we will notice later in this study.

The context of Rom.11:1 clearly indicates that Paul means to say he is a full blood Israelite or Jew in spite of the fact he carried also Roman citizenship, Acts 16:37, 38; 22:28; 23:27

When we continue to follow this “seed” motif in scriptures we will discover that there is no break in its line to give room for a replacement theology. The line is unbroken from beginning to end or a full and complete revelation of the “seed”. In that seed line there are those born of natural Israel but also others not born of natural Israel, which have been integrated in Israel.

The first reference to “seed” we find in Gen.3:15. The fall has taken place in Eden. The Lord comes down to visit the pair, and to deal with the situation.

That new situation would develop in a continuous war between two seeds. From Gen.3:14 we learn that God is first addressing the serpent. The serpent is spoken to by God as a real animal and being cursed for its deed of evil. “Because thou hast done this”, Gen.3:14
What had the serpent done? He was used as a mouthpiece for Satan to deceive Eve.

Then in Gen.3:15 it becomes clear that the Lord turns away from the serpent as an animal but addresses the situation in its reality. Two seeds are placed opposite of each other, the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. There would be constant war between the two. One would be wounded; the seed of the woman and the other, the seed of the “serpent” would be crushed. We also call this The Great Controversy.

In addressing the woman, the Lord spoke to Eve, who was standing there. Her seed would mean what would eventually come out of her in the long term.
It did not mean a literal war of enmity between man and snakes, in spite of the fact that snakes in general are not being liked very much by people.

What this enmity between the two seeds means in reality is fully explained in Rev.12. We will come to that chapter later in our study.

Adam and Eve may not have fully understood what it was all about. But they must have been aware of the fact that the seed of the woman would be hurt severely, but not mortally. But that the seed of the serpent would receive a mortal wound, loosing life completely and definitely is very clear.
Not a kind of deadly wound as we have in Rev.13 which was healed later on. Once the serpent’s head (Satan) is crushed to death, he is gone for ever and ever.

It will be of interest to note that the word seed used here in Gen.3:15 is in the singular not plural. The apostle makes that clear in Gal.3:16 where the same singular word of seed is referred to. We come to that point later.
The “Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament” (later referred to as TWOT) gives the following information in vol. I p.252
“Zera.  Sowing, seed, offspring. This noun is used 224 times. Its usages fall into four basic semantic categories. 1. The time of sowing, seedtime. 2. The seed as that which is scattered or as the product of what is sown. 3. The seed as semen and 4.The seed as the offspring of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob or in other groups separate from this people of promise.”
Then on p. 253 of the same volume of TWOT we read:
“The most important theological usage is found in the fourth category. Commencing with Gen.3:15 the word ‘seed’ is regularly used as a collective noun in the singular (never in the plural). This technical term is an important aspect of the promise doctrine, for Hebrew never uses the plural of this root to refer to ‘posterity’ or ‘offspring’ ”.

This ‘seed’ motif is continued with Abraham in Gen.12:7 and is repeated several times, Gen.13:15, 16; 16:10; 17:7-10; 22:17-18.
Confirmed also with Isaac in Gen.26:3, 4 and then with Jacob in Gen.28:4, 13, and 14.

To David a promise related to ‘seed’ has been given in 2Sam.7:12 and Ps.18:50

In Isaiah we find the ‘seed’ line mentioned in Isa.41:8; 43:5; 44:2, 3; 45:19, 25
These Isaiah readings are taken as Messianic.

A number of these promises state geographical territories and in regard to the size of the people numbered as sand and as the stars of heaven.
The land promises has a worldwide application but which has never been fulfilled in the time of the biological natural offspring of Abraham.
Regarding the number of Abraham’s offspring it has never reached a multitude of people not being able to be numbered.
This compels us to conclude that the ‘seed’ promises as started in Eden and later given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob must have a wider meaning than geographical or applicable to a national sovereign nation.
We do need divine insight to understand these scripture passages properly. A closer look at the Isaiah Messianic prophecies would be helpful.

But the clearest interpreter of these ‘seed’ promises is our Apostle Paul. We will turn to what Paul has to say about this in Romans 4 where we read about Abraham and the promises given to him.
After writing so profoundly about ‘Righteousness by Faith’ in the latter part of chapter 3 Paul turns in chapter 4  to Abraham and is using him as a classic example to illustrate what he wants to make clear.
Vs.10 Abraham’s righteousness was reckoned before circumcision.
Vs 11 Why was this? Answer: “that he might be the father of all them that believe,
though they be not circumcised, that righteousness be imputed unto them also.”
Vs.12 That Abraham would be father of those who are of faith.
Vs.13 Here Paul refers to the land promise of Gen.15:18   “that he (Abraham) should be
heir of the world” Not just a piece of land in the Middle East. In Gen.15:18 it is expressed in geographical boundaries and nations are mentioned by name. Paul calls it the world. We suggest our conclusion that what is mentioned in Gen.15:18 may function as a type of the real thing, the anti-type being the world at large, The Messianic Kingdom yet to come.
That Abraham himself understood this in the same manner as the apostle Paul, we learn from Hebr.11:9, 10 He journeyed in the land of promise as a stranger and he looked for a city whose builder and maker is God. This clearly refers to the city of New Jerusalem of which we learn in Rev.21:2, 10 that it will come down from heaven and be established on earth. The earth being “the world” of which Paul writes Abraham be the heir, Rom.4:13.
This future promise of a country is further confirmed in Hebr.11:14-16. Not the country they came from, (vs.15) but a better one, vs.16. The country they came from is included in the Gen.15:18 promises, being the type of that anti-type better country. Abraham and his offspring never showed any desire to return to where they came from.

Based upon this understanding of Abraham himself, who was the first one to which Gen.15:18 was spoken, the biological offspring of Abraham have no Biblical  right to the land of the Middle East as many people seem to believe in this day and age. They have the right to establish a sovereign nation and give it the name Israel. Other people groups have done that in ancient times and modern history.

Paul mentions another reason why the promise is over and above the biological offspring of Abraham. In Rom.4:13-15 he makes clear that the promise is “not through the law”.
If through the law “the promise made of non effect”. In verse 16 it is written like this: “not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.”
Paul may have said here by way of inference that the promise is not for the Jews who live by the principle of righteousness by works, keeping the law, but through grace and righteousness by faith, not by law. Both Jews and gentiles are made subject to that condition in order to become heirs of the promise.

Calvin in his commentary on Romans (Dutch ed.) mentions when dealing with Rom.4:16
“that Paul here refers to the Jewish people”.

Thomas Davis in his commentary on Rom.4:16 writes “Both those who possessed the written law, and sought to live by it (Jews), and those who did not have the law are spiritual children of Abraham and heirs of the promise, if they grasp it by faith”.

The last argument Paul uses to unify Jews and Gentiles in one is in the last part of Rom.4:16 “…. the faith of Abraham; who is father of all”.

“All”, is inclusive of both Jews and gentiles. Not two groups separated. One group the Jews/Israel and the other group the Church. It is and has become one family under one father of faith Abraham.

John Brunt in his commentary of Romans notes the following: “We shouldn’t pass over the significance of this verse. It provides an Old Testament basis for one of Paul’s most important themes in this letter. No term is more important in Romans than the word all. God’s grace is for all. Abraham embodies this truth, because the promise is made to him, the father of the Jews and the father of the ‘nations’, brings Jews and gentiles together under God’s one gracious promise” (Bible Amplifier, p.107)

Now we will explore the seed motif further through Paul’s epistle to the Galatians. In chapter 3 Paul again is using Abraham. His argument is against righteousness by law, any kind of law, instead of righteousness by faith.
In Gal.3:8 Paul starts saying: And the scripture. for seeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying; in thee shall all nations be blessed. This is a quote from Gen.22:18 except that in that text it reads in thy seed.
Then in Gal.3:14 Paul explains that it might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
In verse 9 he declares, So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
It is with Abraham not apart from or separated of Abraham.

Let’s summarize what we have learned so far. In Abraham all nations will be blessed and that includes the sovereign modern state of Israel also. That blessing comes through faith in Jesus Christ and then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham as one unit, Not separated or one replacing the other or the biological descendants being different from the spiritual ones. Faith in Christ is the unifying factor of the biological descendants and non biological ones

But there is more to the seed factor or motif. Paul just wants to make it crystal clear that they are not two but one.
We turn to Gal.3:16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and the seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.
First of all we have the emphasis on the singularity of the seed. We discussed this before when we dealt with the seed motif in Gen.3:15 which is also in the singular and not plural, it is of one and not as of many.
Second, the promises are in relationship to Christ. To Abraham and his seed were the promises made. Jesus Christ coming out of the loins of Abraham, so to speak, would fulfil all these promises. 2Cor.1:20
This is the second unifying factor of all nations. First it is the faith factor, not human works of law and second that faith must be in a person, the promised seed Jesus Christ, the True Messiah.

Paul concludes in the following words of Gal.3:26-29
Vs.26 all are children of God by faith in Jesus Christ
Vs.27 this takes place by being baptized into Jesus Christ
Vs.28 there is then neither Jew nor Greek, no separate Israel and a separate Church entity,
for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Nationalities or boundaries have fallen away.
Vs.29 if ye be in Christ, if that is the case, then are ye Abraham’s seed, offspring of Abraham and heirs of the promise as we have discussed from Gen.15:18.

According what Paul writes to the Ephesians in ch.2:13, 14 those who were far off, the Gentiles are now made nigh by the blood of Christ and the middle wall of partition has been broken down. No separate Israel-Church situation, not two, but one in Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour.

For a further in depth study of Israel’s role in the salvation process and Israel in prophecy  see the SDABC vol.IV pp 26-33 or go this website OT Prophecies section and read Dr.Davidson’s  paper INTERPRETING OT PROPHECIES.

WORSHIP
Our next motif in this study is WORSHIP. Is worshiping the Creator God of a different nature in OT times from NT times?
And is there today an Israel type of worship and a church type of worship? Israel being people of covenant or law and the church being of grace and free from law?
If Israel and church are separately operating salvation entities in God’s overall plan that would mean we have two types or systems of divine worship and salvation..

Do the scriptures show us two ways of divine worship? To answer that question again we have to turn to the beginning. In the book of the beginning, Genesis we find the early setting of two opposing worship systems.

After the creation of Adam and Eve the Lord told them how to relate to their Creator. It was an obedience relationship. Eat or do not eat from the forbidden tree, Gen.2:16, 17
To eat from the tree would mean loss of life. Not to eat would mean retain life.

Then in Gen.3:1-7 we have the tragic record that they did eat and lost their position of residing in the Garden of Eden. Gen.3:23, 24

In Gen.4:3-5 we find the story of Abel and Cain and how they worshiped God differently. Abel came before God with a blood sacrifice and Cain with a bloodless one.. Abel’s sacrifice was accepted but that of Cain was rejected.
Today we know why Abel’s sacrifice was accepted and not from Cain. Hebr.9:22 informs us without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.
Elle G.White comments: But Cain bought only of the fruit of the ground, and his offering was not accepted. It did not express faith in Christ. All our offerings must be sprinkled with the blood of the atonement. (RH Nov.24, 1896)

VernonMcGee in his Bible Commentary writes: What is the way of Cain? When Cain brought an offering to God, he did not come by faith .He came by his own and the offering that he brought denied human nature is evil. God said ‘Bring that little blood sacrifice which will point to the Redeemer who is coming into the world. Come on that basis and don’t come by bringing the works of your own hands.’ “

We notice only two ways of worship in the Garden of Eden, obedience or disobedience. One accepted the other rejected and also only two ways of worship outside the Garden of Eden. Coming before the Lord with a sacrifice of blood and be accepted or come before the Lord without blood and be rejected.

In Genesis 6 we are told about the flood story and Noah’s message. Accept what Noah is preaching and enter into the ark and be saved or reject Noah’s message and be lost.
No middle or neutral way.

When Israel settled down in earthly Canaan Joshua presented to them two types of worship. Read all of Joshua 24 and in particularly vss.14, 15.The choice was between the gods their fathers had been worshiping in old Mesopotamia and in Egypt or to worship the Creator God, Yahweh. Choose you today, Joshua challenged them
But Israel turned away from the living God and worshiped idols as the surrounding nations did. It became so bad that Elijah called for 3.5 years of drought. After that period he called the king Ahab and his people to Mount Carmel. That‘s the place where they had to make a decision, serving Baal or the Lord God. 1 Kings 18:21
Elijah was used by God to call the people out of a halting position between two opinions. They had to choose between one and the other.

We read in Malachi 4:5 that Elijah would return. Elijah did return in the person of John the Baptist, Luke 1:17 John the Baptist did preach an Elijah type of message read Matth.3:1-12 He pointed to the promised Messiah, the Lamb of God which would take away the sins of the world. John 1:29, 36

Jesus followed John the Baptist in his preaching. Mark 1:14, 15 Again only one message pointing to one way:  The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
What the gospel is we know from Rom.1:1, 2 and 1 Cor.15:1-6 It concerns Jesus Christ and no one else. Because there is no other by which we will be saved. Acts 4:10-12

Paul emphasizes in his epistle to the Ephesians this oneness and no type of dualism or even pluralism in regard to the worship of God. Eph.4:4-6 one body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one God and Father of all.

It is Satan’s grand plan of confusing mankind and creating a pluralistic system of worship comparable to Babel, of which we have later apocalyptic Babylon, when people became confused because of the many languages, as a divine punishment Gen.11:6-8 Satan is using this confusion in worship and in religion to keep people from true worship in one way only. In the last book of the Bible, the Revelation this type of Babylon is used to illustrate false counterfeit worship. Rev.17 and 18:1-4

God’s last day judgment hour message of Rev.14:6-12 is a universal call for people to come out of Babylon and accept true worship of the Creator God.
See detailed studies re that message of Rev.14 in the Revelation section of this website.
Also read in the doctrinal section the study of Salvation in OT and NT.
God recognises only one way of worship by one kind of people, those who follow that one way in both eras, before the coming of Christ as the Messiah and after his ascension into the heavens.
Jesus in His talk with the woman at the well recognised only one way of worship. The woman brought up the question of worship in John 4:20 worship by two people groups and at two places. But Jesus answered in terms of the oneness in worship, in spirit and in truth, 4.23 and 24. Jesus is the centre in true worship, in OT and NT times because He is the Truth, John 14:6. Type and anti-type has the same focus, Christ the Messiah, Jesus the Lord our Righteousness.Jer.23:6
Read more about worship in section Revelation of this website “Gospel Challenges”.

III   COVENANT

The covenant motif also shows that in both OT and NT the real covenant that has saving power, the covenant of grace or the everlasting covenant is the same.
People who believe in a separate Israel and church position also believe that the current sovereign state of Israel is still based upon God’s covenant. They are still the people of the covenant.
To settle this question we must follow God’s line of covenant in scriptures right again from the beginning.

First time we met the word covenant is in Gen.6:18. Before the flood God told Noah that “with thee shall I establish my covenant”. Notice that it says my covenant and not our covenant.
It is repeated in Gen.9:9, 11-17 and even called everlasting. This covenant relates to God’s grace and mercy extended to mankind. Ellen G.White writes The bow represents Christ’s love which encircles the earth and reaches unto the highest heavens, connecting men with God, and linking earth with heaven. Rev.Her. Febr.26, 1880
The rainbow being an outward and visible sign of Christ and His grace as revealed in God’s covenant.

In TWOT vol.1, p.129 we have an interesting statement regarding covenant: The priestly covenant of Numb.25:12, 13, the Davidic covenant of 2Sam.7 and the New Covenant of Jer.31:31 are all administrative aspects of the same covenant, God’s covenant of Grace. This covenant reaches its climax at the incarnation where Christ representing his people fulfilled all the stipulations of the covenant and bore the curse they deserved for breaking it.”

If that is the case, and we have no reason to say it is not, could the covenant mentioned to Noah and later to Abraham be of the same nature and be part of the same covenant line?

The covenant God made with Abraham and first mentioned as covenant in Gen.15:18 is related to ‘seed’. We have concluded in the first section of this study that this ‘seed’ of Abraham refers to Christ as The Seed coming out of the “loins” of Abraham. Also that the geographical promises of Gen.15:18 function as type of the world of which Abraham and his seed would be heir. Rom.4:13

We go back to Gen.6:18. God told Noah, I will establish my covenant with thee. This indicates that God will maintain His covenant with Noah by keeping Noah and his family alive saving them from perishing in the coming flood.

From TWOT we learn that this word “establish” in the Hebrew is a complex word. When the Lord uses that word it means that He will stand His covenant, confirming or establishing it.

We quote further the following from TWOT vol.2 p.293 ultimately, all of man’s promises will fail and only God’s covenant will stand (Isa.28:18) God’s temporal covenants are in stages in the unveiling of His eternal covenant which is the expression of his unbreakable counsel (Isa.46:10) and purpose (Isa.14:24). His will (covenant) finds its most perfect and fullest expression in the person and work of Jesus Christ (e.g.Gal.3; Hebr.9)

From the New Dictionary Theology we quote “Although there are several covenants in the OT, they are considered as one covenant by the OT itself (Exod. 2:24; 6:4, 5; Lev.26:42; 2Kings 13:23; 1Chron.16:16, 17; Psalms 105:9, 10) ib.pp.173/4

From the same source we quote: While the covenant is unilateral in establishment, it is mutual or two-sided in accomplishment ib.p.173

We have already pointed out that the geographical promises in the covenant have not been understood literally by Abraham himself. Rom.4:13; Hebr.11:10-16
The geographical part as outlined in Gen. 15:18-21 is to be seen as a type of the real inheritance. Gen.15:8-10, 17, and are a type of the real sacrifice of Christ by which God’s covenant has been sealed. The blood of Christ being the Lamb of God, John 1:29, 36

The key factor in God’s covenant is the promise of the Seed. In a preliminary form this covenant was made with Adam in Eden at the time of the fall. (Gen.3:15) and later established with Noah (Gen.9:12, 15, and 16). But it was first with Abraham and his posterity that the covenant became fully effective. (Gen.121-3; 15:18; 17:1-7 etc.)
SDABC vol.8, 243

Dr.Ivan Blazen of Loma Linda University states the following in SDABC vo.12, p.276
Although the Bible speaks of covenants in the plural (Rom.9:4; Gal.4:24; Eph.2:12) there is only one basic covenant of salvation in Scriptures. It is promissory in character – the blessings and salvation of God are given by God, not earned by human beings – but looks for humanity’s response of faith and obedience”
Obedience is to be the fruit of faith, living faith that works.

Dr.Blazen states further in the same source: The Adamic covenant refers to God’s promise in Genesis 3:15, called the protoevangelium (first announcement of the Gospel), according to which, in its ultimate meaning, Christ the Seed would conquer the evil one. (Rom.16:20) The Noachic covenant is a promise of grace and life. God vows to preserve life upon the earth (Gen.6:18-20; 9:9-11) As a promise of mercy for all, this covenant is called an everlasting covenant (verse 16) The’ everlasting’ concept is also used for the Abrahamic covenant (Gen.17:7, 13, 19; 1 Chron.16:17; Ps.105:10) ib.p.276.

The Evangelical Commentary on the Bible is in harmony with Dr.Blazen, we quote from page 14: Not without good reason many have referred to Gen.3:15 as the protoevangelium, ‘the first good news’.

Matthew Henry in vol.I p.56-57 commenting on Gen.6:18 re “But with thee I will establish my covenant”, writes as follows: The covenant of Grace, that God would be to him a God and that out of his seed God would take to himself a people.
Matthew Henry writes further: God made him a saviour to the inferior creatures, to keep the several kinds of them from perishing and being lost in the deluge.(Gen 6:19-21) This was a great honour put upon him, that not only in him the race of mankind should be kept up ,and that from him should proceed a new world, the church, the soul of the world, and Messiah,, the head of the church, but that he should be instrumental to preserve the inferior creatures, and so mankind should in him acquire a new title to them and their service.

These statements confirm that the key factor in the covenant of God is the promise of the coming Seed, the Messiah and not a natural biological offspring of Abraham Following the line of the development of the coming of that Seed in the genealogy of Christ as mentioned in Matthew 1 we notice that not only pure biological offspring of Abraham are included but from other tribes as well, no Abrahamic people, like Rahab of Jericho and Ruth from Moab.
God’s covenant is inclusive of all peoples not exclusive of one only. Gen.12:3 and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
The safest and best way to understand the meaning and application of the covenant and in particular the Abrahamic version, is to view it as it is viewed  and experienced by the one to whom the covenant was addressed, Abraham himself. That view is clearly presented by Paul in Rom.4:16 and Hebr.11:16.

In our next section about the olive tree we will see this even more clearly stated. The olive tree is composed of both Jews and Gentiles.

Some may ask what about the old covenant. That’s a good question. There has been another covenant which we may call the old covenant. It was established with the people at Sinai, during the Exodus coming out of Egypt. That covenant was broken within 40days because of the golden calf idolatry worship. That covenant did not last because it was based on human faulty promises. Read Hebr.8:6-8
In the doctrinal section of this website you will find a study on the history of the old covenant. The covenant we have been dealing with in this section is based on the better promises of the better covenant of which Christ our High priest is the Mediator, Hebr.8:6 This covenant does not cover only the Jewish nation, but is inclusive of all peoples.

IV    OLIVE TREE

The next motif we use to illustrate Biblical Israel is the olive tree. The Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Romans uses this as a clear way of signifying who is Israel and who will be saved.

Dr.Hans K.LaRondelle in his book “THE ISRAEL OF GOD IN PROPHECY” has a whole chapter on Romans 9-11. He acknowledges that Paul recognizes believing Jews and believing Gentiles but then raises the question on page 125 Did he (Paul) distinguish between Israel and the Gentiles on the principle that God has two kinds of people, each with a different eschatological promise and destiny? The internal evidence points to the contrary.
That difference does not exist as we will see from this study. That’s what many believe, that the state of Israel answers an eschatological prophecy and that the church has to play its own role in salvation history. Others believe that there is no Israel of God anymore the church has replaced Israel, not realizing that the church is God’s Israel in real terms.

In advance of our study I quote a clear statement again from Dr.LaRondelle: After referring to Rom. 11:17-24 LaRondelle writes: In this way Paul visualizes the spiritual unity and continuity of God’s covenant with Israel and His new covenant with the Church of Christ. Through faith in Christ, Gentiles are legally incorporated in the olive tree, the covenant people of God, and share in the root of Abraham (verse 18)………..,,
Paul does not suggest an order of successive dispensations.  Ib.page 126

LaRondelle’s statement is clearly in harmony with Paul’s conclusion in Rom.11:26
And so all Israel shall be saved, Jews and Gentiles as one tree of God’s true Israel.

We raise the question first, where did Paul get the idea from to use the olive tree as an illustration or motif for Israel?
The answer we find in Psalm 52:8 but am like a green olive tree in the house of God.
Also in Jer.11:16 The Lord called thy name, a green olive tree, fair and of goodly fruit. In the same text Jeremiah speaks about branches broken off, not the tree itself rooted out. Similar to what Paul does with the olive tree in Rom.11
In Hosea 14 we find another reference regarding the olive tree. Apostate Israel is called to repentance and to return to the Lord. If they answer that call in a positive manner, it reads in verse 5 that the lord will be as dew to Israel and in verse 6 Hosea describes what Israel will be like His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree and his smell as Lebanon.

The olive tree played also a functional role in the temple of Solomon. 1Kings 6:23, 31-33 the two cherubim, doors and temple posts were made of olive tree wood.

The olive tree by way of its fruit was and still is a prime source of oil.

In Zech.4 we learn about the olive tree and its oil being a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
And in Rev.11:3, 4 the two witnesses are as olive trees standing before the God of the earth. A clear reference to Zech.4

With this biblical background regarding the olive tree we now turn to Paul in Romans 11 and learn how it fits together regarding Israel being one unit, not two, on one side Israel and on the other side the church.

Paul’s relationship to Israel is very close and his feelings towards them are deep and very emotional. At several occasions he declares himself to be a true son of Israel,
a true full blood Jew: Rom.9:1-3; 10:!; 11:1
When arrested by the Romans, Acts 21:31-33 he declares himself to be a Jew not Egyptian, in spite of the fact he also had Roman citizenship rights. Acts 16:36-39; and in Acts 22:25-29

But what value does Paul put on being a natural Jew? The answer is found in Phil.3:4-6. Here he declares to be of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised and a Hebrew of the Hebrews. But then in verse 7 & 8 he regards it all as nothing because he has found Christ Jesus my Lord.

In Rom.2:28, 29 he wrote but he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly
and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men but of God.
The name Jew comes from Judah, read about his birth in Gen.29:35
Regarding circumcision of the heart Moses had already written about in Deut.30:6 and we find this also in Deut.10:16; Jer.4:4; Eze.11:19, 20. Heart circumcision is not a NT church theology but goes right through the scriptures from the beginning, Deut.30:16 This also does not separate the church from Israel. Paul only confirms what was already there. In 1Cor.7:19 he states it even stronger, that circumcision or uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the commandments of God.

So far all what Paul writes is not in support of a nationalistic sovereign state of Israel being subject to God’s covenant or fulfilling any of God’s prophecies regarding Israel. As stated before the Jews have the right as any other people group to establish a sovereign state but not in reference to any scripture passage in OT or NT.
The apostle Paul, the main spokes person in the NT scriptures, puts high value on Christ, being in Christ, being crucified with Christ, Gal.6:14; Phil.3:8

Still Paul has regards for his people according to the flesh and he likes to see them saved. Rom.9:2 he has heaviness and sorrow in his heart towards them.
3 he could wish to be separated from Christ for their benefit
4 he recognizes their privileges in the past
5 he even states that Christ came out of them according to the flesh.
But then he continues in verse 6 stating that not all are Israel which are of Israel.
In other words you can be born a natural Israelite, as Paul himself was, but still not be a true Israelite in the eye of God. In verse 7 he declares that they are not children who are biologically out of Abraham, because the seed would be called in Isaac. Biologically     Isaac would have never been. His mother Sarah was too old to bear children. Gen.17:17; 18:11.This is further worked out by Paul in verses 8-9 of Romans 9 and through the children of Rebecca in verse 10 In the remaining part of chapter 9 Paul talks about and explains that God deals according to His sovereignty and His promises. He concludes chapter 9 stating that there will be a remnant, quoting Isa. 10:22 The numbers according to the flesh is not important. It is the believing remnant that counts. The ones according to the flesh tried to find righteousness by way of the law and did not attain to it. Because it was not by faith, verses 30-33 of Romans 9.

Romans 10 start again, as we have stated before with Paul expressing his feelings towards his kinsman according to the flesh. Again in this chapter he makes it clear that righteousness is not obtainable by the works of the law, but by faith, Rom 10:4-11.
In verse 12, 13 he emphasises the fact that there is no difference between Jew and Greek they are all under Christ and saved by calling upon the name of the Lord. quoting again the OT Joel 2:32
It confirms also that there is no difference in salvation principle in OT and the NT.
In the OT it was by faith in a coming Messiah and in the NT is by faith in the Messiah, Christ, who has come and has sacrificed himself for our sins.
Paul ends chapter 10 quoting Isa.65:2-5 that God had stretched out His hand to Israel, but it was refused. They were a disobedient people or an obstinate people (NASB) or an unruly and recalcitrant people (NEB)

But then he starts chapter 11 by raising the question, “does that mean that God has cast away His people? “God forbid “or ” not at all”. As evidence that God has not cast away His people he gives himself as an example. If the people individually had been cast away no one would have had a chance for salvation. But Paul says I am also an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, verse 1, 2
Paul means to say as I had an opportunity and took it, so all have the same opportunity and are invited to take it.
In verse 2-5 he explains that there was a remnant in the days of Elijah, 1Kings 19:18, so there will be a remnant in the present time. But it will be according to the election of grace.  Those who accept God’s grace are elected.Eph.1:5; 2Tim.1:9

Israel of the flesh tried to obtain God’s grace by way of their works and did not obtain it. God’s grace is not by our works but accepting the grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is salvation by grace through faith and towards good works,Eph.2:8-10 It’s clear from what Paul writes that those of Israel of the flesh who did try hard by their works, but now have turned to God’s grace are called the election and have obtained God’s acceptance being His people again. Rom.11:7.

Election means being chosen. Thomas A.Davis in his commentary “ROMANS FOR THE EVERY DAY MAN” writes Likewise even when God had finally repudiated the nation; there were still Israelites who were chosen by God’s grace as His people because they place their faith in Him. P.145

From verse 8 in Romans 11 Paul speaks about the stumbling of Israel and how salvation has come to the gentiles because of Israel’s, refusal to accept it. Vs 11
The NASB reads in the footnote ‘so as to fall’, fall beyond recovery. The answer is an emphatic no.
The Dutch Prof.Brouwer translates have they stumbled to fall for ever? Far from that.
In the light of what Paul wrote in the beginning of the chapter it has to be understood as taking place on an individual basis, as he himself was individually. He takes his conversion as an example.

In the section of Rom.11:12-15 Paul explains how the fall of them, who rejected God’s grace by faith, has become a blessing to the Gentiles. Most likely Paul refers here to what is stated in Acts 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you; but seeing you put it from you, and judged yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Paul hopes that because of this, some kind of spiritual jealousy will occur in their hearts and they of his fellow country men will turn around and come back, accepting God’s grace by faith.

Rom.11:16 we like to place it in the light of what Ellen G.White has to say about this passage in AA p.377 When the early Christian church was founded, it was composed of these faithful Jews who recognized Jesus of Nazareth as the one for whose Advent they had been longing. It is to this remnant that Paul refers when he writes ‘If the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy and if the root be holy so are the branches’.

The Dutch theologians van Leeuwen and Jacobs in their commentary on Romans are of the same thought that because of the fact that some of Israel have accepted, as result of Paul’s ministry under the Gentiles, is for Paul an assurance that all of believing Israel will come in.

Thomas A Davis in his book page 149 writes: As Paul uses the term root here, it refers to the whole tree, except the branches. Paul’s picture of the tree applies to Israel in the sense of its being a spiritual nation, devoted to God for His service. Israelites who are not dedicated to God are not included. They are already branches broken off. They are not children of the promise. (Rom.9:8) It is to them that the statement ‘they are not all Israel, what are of Israel (vs9:.6) refers.

The last word of verse 16 branches now becomes Paul’s main point of discussion. In
Rom.11:17-27 We will not enter in a verse by verse exegesis but we try to pick up Paul’s line of thinking. We suggest the following summary.
Paul uses the olive tree as a point of reference. Most likely he is well aware of the fact that in the OT Israel has been likened by an olive tree as we have mentioned here before. Paul makes clear that because of unbelief natural branches have been broken off. Natural means Jews of the circumcision in the flesh. Vs.20
Others from a wild olive tree have been grafted in because of their faith. Faith in Christ Jesus, circumcised in the heart. Having now a new spirit, also stated in vs.20
Thou standeth by faith or NASB but you stand by your faith.
W.J.Conybeare translates this part as follows: and by thy faith thou standeth in their place. This may sound like the replacement theology, the church taking the place of Israel, but this does not have to be. Those natural branches which have been broken off have a chance to be regrafted back in on the olive tree. See verse 23. The tree is not replaced, but broken off branches are replaced by other branches. The tree is still the same and is an argument against the so-called replacement theology.
The NASB version of verse 23 is as follows: And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
Nothing has happened to the tree only something has taken place in regard to the branches. A number of branches were taken off but with the option to be regrafted in and new branches added to the tree.

Paul gives a warning. The new branches must not boast against the broken of ones. What has happened to the broken of natural branches can happen also to the new branches if they do not remain in faith in the goodness of God, they will be removed again, cut off Rom.11:22 This is a strong argument against the once saved always saved theology of some people’s belief.
The old broken off branches have still the opportunity to be grafted back in again
if they continue not in their unbelief. ASV ib.11:23, 24

In 11:25 Paul calls this a mystery and most likely has the mystery in mind he writes about in 1Tim.3:16 In this passage he also writes that only a part of Israel has fallen in this unbelief. Not every single individual Jew has fallen in unbelief and being recalcitrant. Thousands even in Paul’s day have turned to Christ.
This situation would remain till the end, until the great mass of Gentiles has come in (Weymouth translation).
It is still like this in this day and age. Part of natural Israel is still in unbelief and a mass of Gentiles coming to the faith in Jesus Christ and remaining so till the end of times

Paul concludes in 11:26 and so all Israel shall be saved, Charles B.Williams translates:  and so in that way all Israel will be saved.
The Dutch Prof. Brouwer translates in a similar manner and in this manner all Israel will be saved
The English so and the Dutch  wijze-manner and the French ainsi refers to the part before explained by Paul. The tree, Israel, remains the same, but unbelieving branches have been removed and believing branches have been grafted in. Also natural believing branches remain untouched.

The late Dr.Gerhard Hasel and his son Dr.Michael Hasel in their book THE PROMISE write on page  94/5 The members of the new-covenant community are not every physical or blood descendant of Abraham, but every person who allows God to write His law inwardly, making it part of the total will of the believer so that he or she may obey God by faith……………Any person who allows God to do His work within him or her becomes a member of God’s Israel, His true spiritual Israel.

Orley M.Berg writes in his book ISRAEL: ITS PLACE IN HISTORY AND PROPHECY, page 94: Men of all nations may become a part of the true Israel of God, heirs of the promise, but only through Christ, the true Messiah. Paul distinguishes clearly between ‘Israel after the flesh’ (1Cor.10:18) and the true ‘Israel of God’ (Gal.6:16).
For a moment we go back to 11:26 and will comment on all Israel. No doubt Paul means to say all Israel according to the olive tree as explained. Not all of natural Israel, but all of believing Jews and all of believing Gentiles together on one olive tree.
In verse 32 Paul uses again the word all and the EVEANGELICAL COMMENTARY OF THE BIBLE explains this as follows “all” in each case to be understood in the sense of generic groups, not every specific individual; it is more a qualitative than a quantitative term
Not the quantity “all” of Israel will be saved but the quality ”all”of Israel.

We conclude that there is not a national sovereign Israel that answers to the scriptures and a separate Christian church at the same time. It is one body here in Romans 11 called the olive tree. This is the same body Paul is talking about in Hebrews 12:22, 23 who have come to mount Sion, not the earthly mount Sion, but the same one as mentioned in Rev.14:1. The body that has come to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, not a return to earthly Jerusalem but to the heavenly places in Christ, Eph.1:3
That body is the body of which Christ is the head, Eph.5:23, the true Israel of God, in the past, present and future. Which finds its praise in God, Rom.2:29 and has the circumcision of the heart as it was in OT and NT alike.

V   WOMAN

We studied four scriptural motifs to illustrate God’s people; Israel in the scriptures also can be called God’s salvation history.
Along the line of the SEED; we saw Christ the Messiah. From the promise in Eden (Gen.3:15) until Christ will take possession of His kingdom and the kingdoms of this world, Rev.11:15
We have compared WORSHIP in OT and NT and have found no difference. One Creator God and one way of worshiping the Creator God There only will be a difference in worship rituals. From animal sacrifices for atonement we have Christ the true Lamb of God for atonement The annual feasts of Israel also did point to Christ the Messiah, His work and ministry..
God’s COVENANT is focussed on Christ the Messiah, His grace and mercy involving better promises and the writing of God’s law in human believing hearts. Again this is also from the beginning of times until the present.
Then we have studied the OLIVE TREE, God’s true Israel in OT and NT composed of believers in righteousness by faith not by human works.

To complete this study we add a fifth motif, that of WOMAN. We find this in Rev.12 As far as God is concerned there is only one woman used as a type of His church or His true Israel.

Woman in the scriptures stands for a spiritual body, Israel/church. We find this in Isa.54:6; Jer.3:20; 6:2; 2Cor.11:2 and in Eph.5:22-25

In the beginning of Rev.12 we find the woman ready to deliver a child, verse 2.
From what is told further on in Rev.12 about the woman, she is not Mary the earthly mother of Christ, as some think it is. The woman here represents Israel at the time of the birth of Christ in Bethlehem
The position of the woman is that she is covered with the sun and the moon under her feet. The moon reflects light coming from the sun. In OT times we had a reflection of the light of Christ, being the Sun of Righteousness, Mal.4:2 but the real light had yet to come. Here the moon is under her feet disappearing and the true light
John 1:8, 9 is at the point of being delivered into the world.

In Rev.12:3, 4 John sees a dragon ready to devour the child as soon as it is delivered. This is still in natural Israel’s time.

In Rev.12:5 the child is delivered but caught up unto God. The dragon had no chance to destroy Christ. First the Lord provided refuge in Egypt and finally Christ was taken up in heaven, Acts 1:9

Then in verse 6 the woman fled into the wilderness for 1260 days/years When the dragon, Satan verse 9, lost his chance to destroy Christ he turned to the body of Christ, the woman. But we must notice according to as it is written, it is still the same woman Rev.12 started with in the beginning, Israel which had the privilege to deliver Christ, the Messiah to the world. The woman continues from being Israel in the beginning of this vision in Rev.12 into the church being the body of Christ, later in the vision but under the same identification here in Rev.12 of “woman”
This is confirmed in verse 13. It is the woman that brought forth the man child, Christ the Messiah which the dragon, Satan is persecuting. But it was not Israel of the time of Christ that was persecuted but the church, God’s true Israel, after Christ was taken up into the heavens.

The chapter ends with a description of a bitter war. In that description we have woman and seed together. Rev.12:17
The dragon is angry with the woman, representing God’s true church/Israel, but makes war with the remnant of her, the woman’s seed. The woman, Eve was promised in Gen.3:15 that seed would come from her. It did come from the woman Israel, Rev12:1, 2 We have learned that, the seed is Christ, Gal.3:16, 29. Now the latter part of that seed of Christ of His Church of True Israel is in a war with the dragon.

Revelation 12 again shows a continuation of God’s Israel but identified differently, by a woman. Not olive tree, covenant or seed but still all being part of the salvation story of God dealing with mankind through His saving grace and mercy

We like to add that the word church does not appear in the OT scriptures. But its meaning nevertheless exists in the history of Israel. The word ecclesia for church applies to “entire community of all who are called by and to Christ of the world. (Bullinger) They are the “called out one”. In OT times it was the church of God Israel called out of Egypt and later called out of 70 years of Babylonian captivity. In NT times it is the church, God’s True Israel called out of the world 2Cor.6:17 and later in the Apocalypse called out of anti-typical Babylon, Rev.18:1-4. This again shows unity between OT and NT salvation history.

CONCLUSION

After this lengthy study we must suggest that the so-called replacement theology, the church replacing OT Israel is not fully tenable. “The church of the Living God” (1Tim.3:15) is not replacing OT natural Israel but a continuation of God’s True Israel
as it was in OT times and in the NT.
When Jesus in Matth.23:36 said Behold, your house is left unto you desolate, He spoke of the temple not of the people. The people received calls to repentance again and again up to this time. The first of such a call resulted in the baptism of 3000, mainly Jews from natural Israel, Acts 2:41. Many more calls have followed with good result.
The Hebrew Christians were not sure themselves what it was all about and wondered what had happened to their former spiritual state of affairs. Had it all been lost and done away with?
But Paul explains in his epistle to the Hebrews that it has not been replaced but made better. They have now one better than Moses, ib.3:3; they have found a better rest in Christ, ib.ch.4
They enjoy a better hope, ib.6:18, 19; 7:19; they are served by a better priesthood, ib.7:11; they live under a better covenant, ib.7:22 based upon better promises, ib.8:6
They have a better sanctuary of which Christ is High Priest, ib.8:1, 2; 9:11 and finally looking for a better country than the earthly Canaan one- the heavenly, ib.11:16
True Israel before the first Advent has been looking forward to the coming of Christ. True Israel in the NT looks back to the Christ who is the Lamb of God slain from before the foundation of the world, Rev.13:8 but also looking forward to Christ coming in glory Hebr.9:28
In this manner again we are compelled by scripture to recognize only one Israel, the house of God, the church of the living God. Not one replacing the other but all being children of one spiritual father Abraham out of whom the Seed came, Christ and all becoming heirs of the same promise.

Jan T.Knopper
January 2008
Edited August 2010

P.S. Those who still have problems with natural Israel and OT restoration prophecies are advised to go the OT Prophets section of this website and study Dr.Richard Davidson’s paper “Interpreting OT Prophets”. If you have access to the SDABC go to vol.4, pp.25-38 for further full information regarding this matter, JTK