The Olive Tree of Israel and the Mystery of Israel's Blindness

[readywriter]

Hello there,

The epistle to the Romans was written at the end of the Acts period: 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians and Hebrews were also written during that forty year period; prior to the final rejection of Christ by the Jews both in the Land and in the Diaspora (among the nations), Up until that time salvation was 'of the Jews' (John 4:22), and when believing Gentiles were given entrance into the Kingdom, they were grafted into Israel, explained under the figure of an Olive Tree in Romans 11.

It was in Acts 28:28 that salvation was sent to the Gentiles, and God revealed His truth regarding the Church which is His (Christ's) body, 'the fulness of Him that filleth all in all' (Ephesians 1:22-23) . This revealed truth was made known in the epistles which followed, written from prison: ie., Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon. This company are comprised of individual Jews and Gentiles, who are equal, and united in Christ Jesus their Head.

The Olive tree of Israel is no longer there to be grafted into, Israel having departed into the darkness of unbelief. Which is the mystery of Israel's blindness referred to in (Romans 11:25)

I would value your thoughts.
Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[BrotherJJ]

Hello there,

The epistle to the Romans was written at the end of the Acts period: 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians and Hebrews were also written during that forty year period; prior to the final rejection of Christ by the Jews both in the Land and in the Diaspora (among the nations), Up until that time salvation was 'of the Jews' (John 4:22), and when believing Gentiles were given entrance into the Kingdom, they were grafted into Israel, explained under the figure of an Olive Tree in Romans 11.

It was in Acts 28:28 that salvation was sent to the Gentiles, and God revealed His truth regarding the Church which is His (Christ's) body, 'the fulness of Him that filleth all in all' (Ephesians 1:22-23) . This revealed truth was made known in the epistles which followed, written from prison: ie., Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon. This company are comprised of individual Jews and Gentiles, who are equal, and united in Christ Jesus their Head.

The Olive tree of Israel is no longer there to be grafted into, Israel having departed into the darkness of unbelief. Which is the mystery of Israel's blindness referred to in (Romans 11:25)

I would value your thoughts.
Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

The link below is to the AMP Bible version

Bible Gateway passage: Romans 11 - Amplified Bible

I believe the chapter 11 title chosen by the AMP Bible translators speaks to a different interpretation then shared in Post #1.

Verse 1 say's God hasn't completely/eternally - rejected/disowned His chosen people

Verse 11 say's Israel hasn't stumbled/fallen into complete/eternal/spiritual ruin

Verse 15 say's they can repent from rejecting Christ

Verse 23 repeats verse 15

Verse 25 speaks to the temporarily rejection/hardening of Israel towards their Messiah

Verse 26 cites one day ALL believing Israel will be saved/grafted back in. Best wises, JJ

 

[readywriter]

I believe the chapter 11 title chosen by the AMP Bible translators speaks to a different interpretation then shared in Post #1.

Verse 1 say's God hasn't completely/eternally - rejected/disowned His chosen people

Verse 11 say's Israel hasn't stumbled/fallen into complete/eternal/spiritual ruin
Verse 15 say's they can repent from rejecting Christ
Verse 23 repeats verse 15
Verse 25 speaks to the temporarily rejection/hardening of Israel towards their Messiah
Verse 26 cites one day ALL believing Israel will be saved/grafted back in. Best wises, JJ

Hello @BrotherJJ,

Thank you for responding. I agree, God has not cast off His people Israel, but they are in a Lo-ammi condition at the moment: which means that they are, 'not My People', (Hosea 1:9), in God's eyes at present. That will change at the time of God's foreknowing, and they will once more be to Him, 'My People' (Hosea 2:23).

All Israel will be saved: their sins will be forgiven them, as you say, and they will fulfill the purpose that God intends for them, as Priests unto Him among the nations.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Hello there,

The epistle to the Romans was written at the end of the Acts period: 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians and Hebrews were also written during that forty year period; prior to the final rejection of Christ by the Jews both in the Land and in the Diaspora (among the nations), Up until that time salvation was 'of the Jews' (John 4:22), and when believing Gentiles were given entrance into the Kingdom, they were grafted into Israel, explained under the figure of an Olive Tree in Romans 11.

It was in Acts 28:28 that salvation was sent to the Gentiles, and God revealed His truth regarding the Church which is His (Christ's) body, 'the fulness of Him that filleth all in all' (Ephesians 1:22-23) . This revealed truth was made known in the epistles which followed, written from prison: ie., Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon. This company are comprised of individual Jews and Gentiles, who are equal, and united in Christ Jesus their Head.

The Olive tree of Israel is no longer there to be grafted into, Israel having departed into the darkness of unbelief. Which is the mystery of Israel's blindness referred to in (Romans 11:25)

I would value your thoughts.
Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

The Olive Tree is one of a few metaphors used for the "Body of Christ". We know His Body existed then and still exists today.
Blessings

 

[Semper-Fi]

Israel's Blindness

the spirit of deep sleep
the spirit of slumber

Isaiah 29:9
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken,
but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

The next verse shows what was done

"For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep,
and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers,
the seers hath he covered.

Paul confirms the same here in Romans
(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes
that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear) unto this day.

As Jesus said

Mat 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith,
By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see,
and shall not perceive:

"This people's heart"

Mat 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of
hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with
their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart,
and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Then to His disciples (the remnant according to the election of grace) Jesus says,
Mat 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

Whereas the rest are being shown as blinded...Paul himself repeats the same words
of Isaiah to the Jews in Acts 28:26-27 And Paul finishes by saying to them

"Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto
the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. "They will hear it".

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Israel's Blindness

the spirit of deep sleep
the spirit of slumber

Isaiah 29:9
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken,
but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

The next verse shows what was done

"For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep,
and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers,
the seers hath he covered.

Paul confirms the same here in Romans
(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes
that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear) unto this day.

As Jesus said

Mat 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith,
By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see,
and shall not perceive:

"This people's heart"

Mat 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of
hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with
their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart,
and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Then to His disciples (the remnant according to the election of grace) Jesus says,
Mat 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

Whereas the rest are being shown as blinded...Paul himself repeats the same words
of Isaiah to the Jews in Acts 28:26-27 And Paul finishes by saying to them

"Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto
the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. "They will hear it".

Their blindness was lifted long ago at the end of the age of Temple Judaism.
Blessings

 

[Clare73]

Hello there,

The epistle to the Romans was written at the end of the Acts period: 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians and Hebrews were also written during that forty year period; prior to the final rejection of Christ by the Jews both in the Land and in the Diaspora (among the nations), Up until that time salvation was 'of the Jews' (John 4:22), and when believing Gentiles were given entrance into the Kingdom, they were grafted into Israel, explained under the figure of an Olive Tree in Romans 11.

It was in Acts 28:28 that salvation was sent to the Gentiles, and God revealed His truth regarding the Church which is His (Christ's) body, 'the fulness of Him that filleth all in all' (Ephesians 1:22-23) . This revealed truth was made known in the epistles which followed, written from prison: ie., Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon. This company are comprised of individual Jews and Gentiles, who are equal, and united in Christ Jesus their Head.

The Olive tree of Israel is no longer there to be grafted into, Israel having departed into the darkness of unbelief. Which is the mystery of Israel's blindness referred to in (Romans 11:25)

I would value your thoughts.
Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

NT apostolic teaching is that the olive tree is the one people of God, both of the OT and the NT, the body of Christ, going all the way back to Abraham (Romans 11:16-17).

NT believing Gentiles have been grafted into the tree (Romans 11:17), so the tree is still there, into which until the end of time all are grafted when they come to belief in Jesus Christ.
At this time, a remnant of Israel is being grafted into the tree by faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 11:1-5), just as there is only a remnant of the world (Gentiles) likewise being grafted into the tree (the body of Christ) at this time.

 

[Clare73]

The link below is to the AMP Bible version Bible Gateway passage: Romans 11 - Amplified Bible
I believe the chapter 11 title chosen by the AMP Bible translators speaks to a different interpretation then shared in Post #1.
Verse 1 say's God hasn't completely/eternally - rejected/disowned His chosen people
Verse 11 say's Israel hasn't stumbled/fallen into complete/eternal/spiritual ruin
Verse 15 say's they can repent from rejecting Christ
Verse 23 repeats verse 15
Verse 25 speaks to the temporarily rejection/hardening of Israel towards their Messiah

Verse 26 cites one day ALL believing Israel will be saved/grafted back in. Best wises, JJ

And Verse 23 making it conditional: ". . .if they do not persist in unbelief,". . .which they have for over 2,000 years now, which is longer than the time they were God's people.

 

[readywriter]

@BrotherJJ
@Maria Billingsley
@Semper-Fi
@Clare73

Thank you all for responding. I hope to return tomorrow and consider what you have said further (God willing)

Within the love of Christ our Saviour,
our Lord and Head.
Now risen and glorified
and sat at God's right hand.
Chris

 

[BrotherJJ]

Throughout scripture two kingdoms are revealed: one physical & one spiritual.

Cain physical, Abel spiritual
Ishmael physical, Isaac spiritual (See Gal 4:22-31)
Esau physical, Jacob spiritual
Israel physical, Body of Christ/Church spiritual
Adam physical, Christ Spiritual (1 Cor 15:45)

1 Cor 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam (Jesus Christ) was made a quickening spirit

There is a spiritual Israel which ALL believer's Gentile or Jew are grafted into via Christ's baptism with His eternally sealing indwelling Holy Spirit.

There is also a physical Israel that will one day ALL believers become part of spiritual Israel as well.

Additionally:
Two Jerusalem's Earthly & Heavenly

Jerusalem from the Hebrew Yerushalayim. Any Hebrew noun ending in ""im"" is always plural

When ever we say the word or read about Jerusalem. We are saying Jerusalem's: one physical - one spiritual.

Find more here:
Commonwealth Of Israel: 1 Physical - 1 Spiritual

 

[Clare73]

Throughout scripture two kingdoms are revealed: one physical & one spiritual.

Cain physical, Abel spiritual
Ishmael physical, Isaac spiritual (See Gal 4:22-31)
Esau physical, Jacob spiritual
Israel physical, Body of Christ/Church spiritual
Adam physical, Christ Spiritual (1 Cor 15:45)

Incorrect. . .Abel, Isaac, Jacob were not OT kingdoms.
Likewise, Cain, Ishmael, Esau were not OT kingdoms.

That is nowhere stated in Scripture. That is a notion of man added to the Scriptures.

1 Cor 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam (Jesus Christ) was made a quickening spirit

1 Corinthians 15:45 has nothing to do with two kingdoms.

It is the conclusion of a passage regarding our bodies and the resurrection, of physical natural bodies and physical spiritual bodies, following from their two representatives, the first Adam and the second Adam (Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:47), demonstrating that our resurrection bodies will be like Christ's resurrection body, physical and spiritual (sinless, immortal, powerful), rather than physical and natural (sinful, mortal, weak).

1 Corinthians 15:45 is not about a physical kingdom and a spiritual kingdom.

There is a spiritual Israel which ALL believer's Gentile or Jew are grafted into via Christ's baptism with His eternally sealing indwelling Holy Spirit.

There is the one olive tree of God's people--the body of Christ, the church his spouse, into which all those of faith in Christ are grafted (Romans 11:16-17), both Jew and Gentile, among whom there is no distinction (Galatians 3:28), all are the seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:29).
All mankind has been placed on the same footing. . .entrance into the one and only kingdom of God is only by faith in Christ.

There is also a physical Israel that will one day ALL believers become part of spiritual Israel as well.

None of that is found in authoritative NT apostolic didactics.
And if the apostles do not teach it, we have no authority for believing it.
All of that is an invention of man.

There is no "spiritual" Israel, there is only the true Israel, the body of Christ and the spouse of the Lamb (Revelation 21:9-14).

Additionally:
Two Jerusalem's Earthly & Heavenly

Only the heavenly Jerusalem is the people of God, both Jew and Gentile (Revelation 21:9-14).

 

[readywriter]

The Olive Tree is one of a few metaphors used for the "Body of Christ". We know His Body existed then and still exists today.
Blessings

Hello @Maria Billingsley,

With respect to you, the knowledge concerning the Church which is His (Christ's) Body, had been, 'hid in God,' since the world began (Ephesians 3:9 & Colossians 1:26), and only made known through the Apostle Paul, at the end of the Acts period: in the epistles written during his period of imprisonment as 'the Lord's Prisoner' *.

This was necessitated, and provisioned for by God, at the departure of Israel into unbelief at Acts 28, and salvation being sent to the Gentiles (v.28)

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris


* Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon.

 

[readywriter]

Their blindness was lifted long ago at the end of the age of Temple Judaism.
Blessings

Hello @Maria Billingsley,

Would you please explain what you mean by 'the age of Temple Judaism'?

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[readywriter]

NT apostolic teaching is that the olive tree is the one people of God, both of the OT and the NT, the body of Christ, going all the way back to Abraham (Romans 11:16-17).

NT believing Gentiles have been grafted into the tree (Romans 11:17), so the tree is still there, into which until the end of time all are grafted when they come to belief in Jesus Christ.
At this time, a remnant of Israel is being grafted into the tree by faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 11:1-5), just as there is only a remnant of the world (Gentiles) likewise being grafted into the tree (the body of Christ) at this time.

Hello @Clare73,

With respect to you, I understand that you should believe what you state in your two last paragraphs, but where are you actually told so in Scripture?

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Hello @Maria Billingsley,

Would you please explain what you mean by 'the age of Temple Judaism'?

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

When the temple was destroyed in 70 AD, the sacrifices, korbanot, ended.

 

[readywriter]

And Verse 23 making it conditional: ". . .if they do not persist in unbelief,". . .which they have for over 2,000 years now, which is longer than the time they were God's people.

Hello @Clare73

Yet, we know through prophecy that they will be brought to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah and King, don't we? So the IF becomes WHEN.(Jeremiah 31:31+)

Praise God!

 

[readywriter]

Throughout scripture two kingdoms are revealed: one physical & one spiritual.

Cain physical, Abel spiritual
Ishmael physical, Isaac spiritual (See Gal 4:22-31)
Esau physical, Jacob spiritual
Israel physical, Body of Christ/Church spiritual
Adam physical, Christ Spiritual (1 Cor 15:45)

1 Cor 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam (Jesus Christ) was made a quickening spirit

There is a spiritual Israel which ALL believer's Gentile or Jew are grafted into via Christ's baptism with His eternally sealing indwelling Holy Spirit.

There is also a physical Israel that will one day ALL believers become part of spiritual Israel as well.

Additionally:
Two Jerusalem's Earthly & Heavenly

Jerusalem from the Hebrew Yerushalayim. Any Hebrew noun ending in ""im"" is always plural

When ever we say the word or read about Jerusalem. We are saying Jerusalem's: one physical - one spiritual.

Find more here:
Commonwealth Of Israel: 1 Physical - 1 Spiritual

Brotherjj said:- There is a spiritual Israel which ALL believer's Gentile or Jew are grafted into via Christ's baptism with His eternally sealing indwelling Holy Spirit.

There is also a physical Israel that will one day ALL believers become part of spiritual Israel as well.

Hello @BrotherJJ,

With respect I do not agree with the statement you have made above. Do you have Scripture to support your thinking?

Within the love of Christ our Saviour,
our Lord and Head.
Chris

 

[BrotherJJ]

Hello @BrotherJJ,

I understand your thinking in terms of the physical and spiritual within Scripture within your initial listing, but do not agree with the statement you have made which I quote above.

Refreshing, an amical disagreement reply. We can agree to disagree. May His grace be multiplied to you & yours. JJ

 

[readywriter]

When the temple was destroyed in 70 AD, the sacrifices, korbanot, ended.

Hello @Maria Billingsley,

How did that affect Israel's blindness? as suggested in your previous post.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Hello @Maria Billingsley,

How did that affect Israel's blindness? as suggested in your previous post.

As a metaphor blindness describes those who dwell in spiritual darkness. The Messiah came to fulfill the Torah and He did. The Temple was of no effect though sacrifices continued.
The blindness only lasted a short time so that the Gospel could be spread to the Gentiles in other words, a solid base of Christians made from both the remnant Jews and Gentiles. Then the end of the age comes to fulfillment in 70AD.
After this the blindness , spiritual darkness ( Temple Judaism) ended.