keras said in post #200:
We do not know what the future holds, excepting for what the Bible prophets tell us. If what they say has not taken place yet, then because the prophesies about Jesus's first Advent and what happened to ancient Israel and Judah, did happen as prophesied, then we can expect a future fulfillment of all those prophesies . . .
That's right.
And for an example of a prophecy that has never happened, there is a verse which says that the future, False Prophet (of Revelation 19:20)...
Revelation 13:14a . . . deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do
in the sight of the beast . . .
This, like Revelation 19:20's "before him", could mean that the future, False Prophet will have power to perform miracles only while in the physical presence of the future Antichrist (the individual-man aspect of Revelation's "beast"). What could happen is that in the future a secretly-apostate pope (i.e. the False Prophet) who has never performed a miracle will tour the world calling for peace between Christians and Muslims, and between Buddhists and Muslims (such as in Myanmar), playing down the unique claims of Biblical Christianity (Galatians 1:8-9, John 14:6, John 3:36, Acts 4:12). He could then later be invited to meet with the Antichrist. And during their meeting, which could be televised and webcasted live worldwide, he could suddenly have the power to perform miracles, such as healing a crippled child (with feet deformed by an accident while she was an infant), so that she can walk again; or causing a man blind in both eyes with cataracts, so that he can see again. The live-TV cameras could zoom in on the child's deformed feet as they miraculously change shape into being normal. And the cameras could zoom in on the man's eyes, whitened by cataracts, as they miraculously change color into being normal.
For Biblical Christians, this could announce the arrival of the False Prophet into the world. For his doctrine will contradict the Bible. That is why even though he will appear to the world like a wonderful, peaceful lamb, his speech (for Biblical Christians) will be like that of a dragon (Revelation 13:11), meaning like that of the dragon Satan himself (Revelation 12:9).
keras said in post #200:
Paul is talking to Israel in Romans 11:25-29. Not just the Jews.
When you said "to" Israel, did you mean "about" Israel? For note that the apostle Paul can be addressing Gentile Christians throughout the book of Romans. For he saw the church in Rome as being a Gentile congregation (Romans 1:13-15). Romans 2:17 can be addressing Gentile Christians at Rome who were also Jewish proselytes, who were "called" Jews (in the religious sense, not the genetic sense), because they had become physically circumcised, and were keeping other rituals of the letter of the Old Covenant Mosaic law, just as some Gentile-proselyte "Jews" do today. Also, nothing in Romans 11:13 requires (as is sometimes claimed) that Paul means: "Now I am changing focus, and will start to speak to you Gentiles", instead of meaning: "I am addressing this entire letter to you Gentiles, because that is to whom I am supposed to be ministering". Compare what Romans 15:16, Acts 22:21, and Acts 26:17 say.
keras said in post #200:
Paul is talking to Israel in Romans 11:25-29. Not just the Jews.
By "Jews", some people think that this means only those of the tribe of Judah. But the truth is that Jews include individuals from tribes of Israel other than Judah. For the apostle Paul is truly a Jew (Acts 22:3), and he is of the tribe of Benjamin (Romans 11:1). Indeed, Jews include individuals from all twelve of Israel's tribes. For there are no lost tribes, insofar as the ten northern tribes were not entirely lost to history. In 722 BC the northern kingdom of Israel fell, and its individuals were taken into captivity into Assyria (2 Kings 18:11), never to return to the land of Israel. They and their descendants were lost to history. But the ten northern tribes in themselves were not lost to history.
For some 200 years before the captivity of the northern kingdom of Israel, when it first become idolatrous, some individuals from all ten of the northern tribes left the northern kingdom to become part of the southern kingdom of Judah (2 Chronicles 11:16-17), and so, by definition, they all became Jews. Also, some individuals from the ten northern tribes remained in the land of Israel even after its defeat by Assyria, and some of them went to Judah at the time of King Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 30). It is for these reasons that, later, the Jews who returned from the Babylonian Captivity could be referred to as "
all Israel" (Ezra 2:70, Ezra 6:17, Ezra 8:25,35, Ezra 10:5, Nehemiah 7:73, Nehemiah 12:47), and why the Jews living in the first century AD could be referred to as including all twelve tribes (Acts 26:7, James 1:1, Acts 2:36,22,5), and why at that time Anna could be said to be of the northern tribe of Asher (Luke 2:36), one of the so-called "lost" tribes.
So the people alive today who are descended from a first century AD Jew would include individuals from all twelve tribes. Some of these descendants could know that they are Jews because their individual ancestors over the last 2,000 years kept their Jewish identity and did not intermarry with Gentiles. But others of these descendants could know themselves only as Gentiles because their individual ancestors over the last 2,000 years eventually abandoned their Jewish identity and intermarried freely with Gentiles, to the point where their descendants alive today are almost entirely Gentile genetically. Similarly, regarding the individuals of the northern kingdom of Israel who were lost to history at its captivity, over the past 2,700 years their descendants must have eventually abandoned their Israelite identity and intermarried freely with Gentiles, to the point where their descendants alive today would know themselves only as Gentiles and would be almost entirely Gentile genetically.
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While God knows which individuals alive today are descended from one of the twelve sons of Jacob/Israel from whom the twelve genetic tribes of Israel arose (Genesis 49:28), nonelect Israelites/Jews are not considered by God to be truly Israel (Romans 9:6-11) or truly Jews (Revelation 2:9b, Revelation 3:9), or God's children or Abraham's children, but the children of the devil (John 8:39-47), just as all nonelect individuals, whether Jews or Gentiles, are considered by God to be the children of the devil (Matthew 13:38-39).
Some genetic Israelites are Christians, and so are members of the Church (Ephesians 4:4-6) and Israel at the same time, just as, for example, the genetic Jew Paul the apostle (Acts 22:3) is a member of the Church and Israel at the same time (Romans 11:1). And some still-living, non-Christian genetic Israelites are still considered by God to be Israel insofar as they are elect (Romans 11:25,28). All of the still-living, elect, non-Christian genetic Israelites who do not become Christians before Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming will become Christians (and so will become members of the Church: cf. Ephesians 4:4-6) at His Second Coming (Romans 11:26), when they will see the returned Jesus in person (Zechariah 12:10-14). But even though all those still-living, elect genetic Israelites will eventually become Christians and be saved from hell, they will be only a remnant of all genetic Israelites (Romans 9:27), most of whom will never be saved from hell, just as most of humanity in general, whether Jews or Gentiles, will never be saved from hell (Matthew 7:14, Matthew 22:14).
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Just as those individuals of the tribe of Benjamin, for example (Romans 11:1), are Jews (Acts 22:3) because they are descended from those who lived in the kingdom of Judah (2 Chronicles 11:1-3), so those individuals of all of the other tribes of Israel are Jews who are descended from those who came to live in the kingdom of Judah (2 Chronicles 11:16-17). For the definition of "Jew" includes those who have connection with the territory of Judah (See Strong's word numbers G2453, G2448, H3063, and H3064), not just those who are genetically a part of the tribe of Judah.
An analogy would be people born in different countries in Europe, people whose ancestors were also born in those different countries, going back into ancient times. If they immigrate to America and become naturalized citizens of America, this will not change their genetic identities. They will still be genetically English, or French, or German, or Italian, or Spanish, or Greek, etc. And only the original inhabitants of America, the American Indians, can be said to be genetic Americans. In this analogy, the nation/territory of America represents the kingdom/territory of Judah. The European immigrants represent the genetic members of the tribes of Israel other than Judah. All Americans, including the European immigrants who became naturalized citizens of America, represent all Jews. And the American Indians represent the genetic members of the tribe of Judah. Again, this is just an analogy for how "Jews" can include genetic members of every tribe of Israel.
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Also, the twelve tribes of Israel are not countries or regions (as is sometimes claimed), but consist of individuals who can be living in any country or region. Otherwise, one's tribe would change whenever one moved from one country or region to another. Also, nothing requires that any of the nominally-Christian nations today are descended from any of the ancient twelve tribes of Israel, instead of them all being simply Gentile nations. For Christians come from every ethnicity on the earth (Revelation 5:9b). And only a remnant of genetic Israel gets saved (Romans 9:27), just as only a remnant of humanity as a whole gets saved (Matthew 7:14, Matthew 22:14). Also, the entire Church throughout the world is the twelve tribes of Israel (Revelation 21:9,12).
keras said in post #200:
The non-Christian, no longer elect, false religion; Jewish people; are no longer beloved by God. Proved by Matthew 21:43 and many prophesies that plainly say how Judah will be Judged, punished and only a remnant will be saved. Romans 9:27
Regarding Matthew 21:43, it is addressing non-Christian, nonelect Jews, whom God does not consider to be the true Israel (Romans 9:6-24), or true Jews (Romans 2:28-29, Philippians 3:3), or true children of Abraham or of God, but the children of Satan (John 8:39-47, Revelation 3:9, Revelation 2:9b); just as all nonelect people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are considered by God to be the children of Satan (Matthew 13:38-42, cf. 1 John 3:8-10).
The nation in Matthew 21:43b is the Church (1 Peter 2:9), which includes both Jewish and Gentile Christians (1 Corinthians 12:13). And this nation will come to include those elect Jews who will become Christians at any point in the future, including at Jesus Christ's Second Coming (Romans 11:25-29).
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Regarding your reference to Romans 9:27, it means that only a remnant of genetic Israel will become Christian, just as only a remnant of humanity as a whole will become truly Christian (Matthew 7:14). For only a remnant of Israel and humanity as a whole is elect (chosen) (Matthew 22:14).
keras said in post #200:
Your determination to have the Jews in the Land while the Church goes to heaven, is a total contradiction of the Prophetic Word.
By "heaven", do you mean the third heaven? If so, see the "heaven" part of post #153 above.
Regarding the Land, note that if even those who are "strangers" in Israel can inherit the land of Israel (Ezekiel 47:21-23), then certainly Christian Gentiles, who are "no more strangers" to Israel (Ephesians 2:12,19), will inherit the land of Israel during the future Millennium of Revelation 20:4-6. And they will inherit the land, and all of the other promises given by God to Israel (Ephesians 2:12,19, Ephesians 3:6, Galatians 3:29, Genesis 12:7), along with all of the elect Jews who have ever been saved in the past, or who will get saved in our future, including at Jesus Christ's Second Coming (Zechariah 12:10-14, Romans 11:25-32).
