Lonang Commentary on Romans 11

Rom. 11:1-6 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

God Will Never Reject Israel

God chose Israel for a holy purpose, gave them the scriptures, the covenants, the laws, the prophets, and every other advantage. But instead they stumbled over their own Messiah. The question naturally arises, especially among the new believers in Jesus, whether God is finished with Israel as a national entity, then? Perhaps He has moved on, as it were?

Paul’s immediate response is to say no, God has always preserved a remnant of Israel to be holy. He gives the example of Elijah from 1 Ki. 19, when Elijah complains he is the only faithful Jew left, and God says no, He has 7,000 who are still faithful. Paul concludes this section with the claim that at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. In other words, when Romans was written, there was a substantial contingent of Jewish believers in Christ – this was the foundation of the Jerusalem church. This is not the remnant Paul spoke of in chapter 9, which is a future Millennial remnant. It is a remnant in the present age which we can still see among us as Messianic Jews.

Yet, although there have always been a few individual Messianic Jews since Paul’s time, the question still remains – is God finished with Israel as a nation, in its national capacity? How do the Promised Land, the throne of David, the Temple Mount, the Levitical priesthood, and the political standing of Israel, all continue to play a role in God’s plans for the world, if at all? One of the most prevalent themes in all of biblical prophecy is the regathering of the Jewish people, the restoration of their homeland and possessions, and the fact they will at last recognize Jesus as their Messiah in a national spiritual rebirth. For example, see Ezek. chap. 34, 36 & 37.

I am convinced these many prophecies are meant to be taken literally, and have no application to the Church as a successor-in-interest to Israel. The prophecies are repeated way too often to be misunderstood in a merely spiritual or allegorical sense. Besides, the prophecies specific to the Church, i.e., the saints in Christ, are completely different from these. Additionally, God went to considerable length to provide some guarantees that His promises were meant for literal Israel.

Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar the LORD of hosts is his name: “If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the Lord, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.” Jer. 31:35-36.

In other words, as long as the fixed order of the moon and stars (i.e., outer space) remains, the nation of Israel will not cease to exist in the program of God. This not a reference to spiritual Jews’ (those who exercise the faith of Abraham), but to biological Jews (the physical descendants of Jacob). Similarly, both the throne of David (the throne of national Israel) and the Levitical priesthood shall not cease as long as day and night continue.

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Thus says the Lord: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers.” (Jer. 33:19-21).

So we have this promise from God in Jeremiah, that the biological Jews will never die off so long as the present heaven and earth remain. But this promise isn’t limited to population, it also includes the government system established in Exodus and in 1 Samuel. That is, both the throne of David and the Levitical priesthood, as long as there is still a night and day – until the end of time. And remember, the Promised Land was given to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for an everlasting possession. Gen. 17:8; 48:4.

Plus the fact that the national constitution of the nation of Israel – the Ten Commandments and the whole Mosaic covenant – are expressly made perpetual. “Remember his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, which he confirmed as a statute to Jacob, as an everlasting covenant to Israel.” 1 Chr. 16:15-17; Ps. 105:8-10.

Israel still figures prominently in God’s future plans, folks, and it isn’t going away anytime soon. I mean, mathematically, a thousand generations has got to last at least 25,000 years, and the Jews have been around for only 3,500 years so far. The chances are pretty good that God will transition to the new heaven and new earth long before then, aren’t they?

Rom. 11:7-11 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.” So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.

The Partial Hardening of Israel

So, the Jews were meant for spiritual greatness and mercy, but instead of obtaining it they stumbled over the redemption offered to them. In spite of this, God has not rejected them, nor will He in the future do so. There will be a future spiritual remnant, who will obtain both spiritual salvation and the many physical blessings God has promised to Israel. But what about now? Before the future remnant is called out, what is the condition of Israel?

As Paul says here, “the elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened.” Which ties in with the statement in verse 25 that “a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” To support these statements, Paul quotes from Deu. 29:4; Ps. 69:22-23; and Isa. 29:10, which were written roughly 1,500 years, 1,000 years, and 700 years, respectively, before Paul’s time. Meaning, that this is not a new condition imposed on Israel because of its rejection of Jesus. The partial hardening of Israel was in place centuries before Christ. Israel never was, and still is not now, a community of faith.

This has obviously saddened Paul greatly, and he wishes he could do something to change it. But it is also a good news / bad news situation. Bad news, Israel has not yet found its way to faith and righteousness. Good news, God has not rejected Israel, He still includes them in His plans for the heavenly kingdom (next section), and really good news at the end of the chapter. Meanwhile, on the whole – for the time being – the Jews will continue in a state of stupor, with eyes darkened to the truth, stumbling over the Christ.

The Time of the Gentiles

Now let’s talk about this phrase from verse 25, “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” I know I’m skipping ahead, but believe me, we’ll have plenty to talk about when we get to verse 26. The point is, the partial hardening of Israel will continue until the time of the Gentiles has been completed. There is a parallel text in Lk. 21:24, which I believe refers to the same thing: “They [the Jews] will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

Now we know that Israel’s hardening began in the time of Moses, from Paul’s quotation out of Deuteronomy, continued through the life death and resurrection of Jesus, and will stretch into the future. So when will it end, exactly? To answer that question, we have to ask when the time of the Gentiles began, what kind of era was it before that, and what prompted the switch over. It should not surprise you that I think these questions are best answered governmentally, looking down the long line of history.

From Creation until the Tower of Babel, there were no nations, and as far as the Bible tells us, no civil governments. People in the time of Noah were all living as part of one homogenous group, living in the same area, speaking the same language, etc. They regulated themselves – admittedly poorly – in a worldwide “every man for himself” kind of way. You might be inclined to say they were ungoverned, but I prefer to say they were poorly self-governed. The first legitimate civil power (capital punishment) entered the scene after the flood, and nations and kingdoms (and civil governments) were birthed after Babel. This is the period of the nations, when nations were in their infancy. Initially, the Jews were nothing more than a family group of 70 persons when they migrated to Egypt during this period.

All that changed when Israel left Egypt to receive the Law, and it gained status as a bona fide nation with a government. As God’s chosen people, this was the first infant example of God’s kingdom on earth (God was king, after all), and this began the time of the Jews. Israel was never the biggest nation around, either in terms of population or territory, but because they were specially chosen, I believe God used them as His measuring stick, so to speak.

Many would say that with the founding of the Church, the period of the Jews ended and the Church Age began. However, nothing Jesus did actually terminated the Mosaic Law or any part of it, and both the Jewish people and Judaism continued full strength for about 40 years after Christ. I prefer to look at the pivotal event being the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish temple in 70 A.D. For until then, the Jewish people were still a nation in their national homeland, and ostensibly (as far as anyone knows), the presence of God still resided in the Temple, showing God’s favor towards them. Afterward, all that went away. Also, Jerusalem became quite literally trampled underfoot by the Gentiles – not for the first time, but presumably for the last. This then, began the period of the Gentiles.

Notwithstanding that the modern state of Israel has been reconstituted since 1948, I do not believe the time of the Gentiles is yet completed. For Israel is even today under constant threat of attack and invasion, the Jews are only in partial possession of Jerusalem, and they have no control over their own Temple Mount. The Jews have no temple, they cannot carry out sacrifices required by the Law, and God’s presence is presumed not to have returned. We also know from various prophetic scriptures that Israel and Jerusalem will be attacked and partially destroyed again, and of course Armageddon is essentially a future military siege of Jerusalem by worldwide Gentile armies.

I do not think it fair to say the time of the Gentiles will actually be over, until that threat is completely eliminated, i.e., when Jesus returns and destroys all the armed forces arrayed against Israel. When daily sacrifices will resume, and of course the presence of Christ will be visible in Jerusalem. In other words, at the Second Coming, at which point the new era will begin – the Millennium, the Messianic Age, or the Golden Age – the earthly kingdom of Christ. And that is when Israel will finally get its really good news in full measure.

Rom. 11:12-18 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.

The Olive Tree of God

Here Paul foreshadows the good news for Israel, because immediately on the heels of discussing their hardening, he speaks of the Jews’ full inclusion and acceptance. And the phrase life from the dead in verse 15, in reference to Israel, immediately calls to mind Eze. 37:1-14 (the valley of dry bones coming back to life). With that as background, Paul uses the analogy of an olive tree to explain the relationship between believing Jews and Gentiles as far as God is concerned. And the key question is, “What is the olive tree?” We know the answer cannot be the nation of Israel. Or the Church. But each in order.

First, the context here, by the language used, concerns reconciliation, faith and belief. But the nation of Israel is not by its nature a faith community – it is an extended family tree of the biological descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. A person does not become a member of national Israel by faith, but by ancestry. We covered this when examining Rom. 2:28-29, which speaks of spiritual Jews, or spiritual descendants of Abraham, as opposed to biological Jews.

Second, it would for this reason be improper to speak of any biological Jews being broken branches with respect to the olive tree on the basis of unbelief, if the tree is national Israel. National Israel has nothing to do with faith or belief, so unbelief has no effect on a person’s status as a biological Jew. Thus, if the tree is Israel, the analogy of a broken branch simply does not work. The brokenness being spoken of is spiritual, not physical. Therefore the olive tree must by spiritual, not physical – based on faith, not ancestry.

Third, if the olive tree is national Israel, then when Christians are grafted onto the tree, it would make them biological Jews, because Israel is a biological entity. This of course cannot be true. For this reason, the Church and Israel can never possibly “merge.” One is a community of faith, the other is a group of biological descendants. They are apples and oranges to each other.

It is clear that the olive tree remains fully an olive tree whether or not the natural branches (Jews) are broken off or re-grafted. It is also clear that the grafting of Christians does not change the nature of the tree. And because Christians are not a natural part of the olive tree, the tree cannot be the Church either. The root, or the core, of the olive tree is Israel, which means that the tree is not founded upon, and does not mainly consist of, the Church. So what do we call the something to which believing Jews and Christians both belong, if neither Israel nor the Church?

Traditionally, the answer has been to regard the olive tree as the broad scope of the people of God, or the elect. I suggest the olive tree is actually the kingdom of heaven, the spiritual side of the kingdom of God (that is, the heavenly part, not the earthly part that was formerly ancient Israel). Because Christians have no part in a physical kingdom of God until Christ returns. And the Church, unlike national Israel, is a faith-based (i.e., spiritual) community. At present, the kingdom of God is spiritual only, being between ancient Israel and the Millennium. Therefore, logically, to the extent ancient Israel was a type of kingdom of God on earth, that kingdom ended when the time of the Gentiles began – whether in 30 A.D. or 70 A.D., it doesn’t matter.

Think of it this way. Ancient Israel was a nascent form of the kingdom of God on earth, because God was its king (1 Sam. 8:7), and unlike the Church, ancient Israel was in fact a kingdom. What made it nascent only is the fact it was not a spiritual kingdom, for Israel was not a faith community. When Christ came, He inaugurated a new aspect of the spiritual kingdom of God, but as He said in Jn. 18:36, His kingdom is not currently a kingdom of this world. So Israel – physical kingdom only, not spiritual; Church – spiritual kingdom only, not physical. Only when Jesus returns to establish His Millennial kingdom will the spiritual and physical kingdoms be united on earth.

Thus, ancient Israel is in a spiritual sense the root of the kingdom – but only as to believing Jews, not all biological Jews. Which means that in spite of anything you might have heard, the Church and the kingdom of heaven are not the same thing, because the kingdom of heaven includes the Old Testament saints, and the Church does not. The O.T. saints had faith reckoned to them as righteousness after the manner of Abraham, but they did not confess Christ, or believe in His death and resurrection, so they cannot be part of the Church. Nonetheless, they are still saints. Isn’t that exactly what the root and graft describes? O.T. and N.T. saints both belonging to the same olive tree of God, notwithstanding their differences?

Rom. 11:19-24 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

The Root and the Graft

Paul’s analogy of the olive tree of God continues, emphasizing the relationship between believing Jews and believers in Christ. The key principle of which is that everyone should stay humble, and not think themselves more important than others. Namely, for the most part, Christians should not think of themselves – or the Church – as being better or more enlightened than the Jews God calls His own. Which is, unfortunately, exactly what many Christians have done. The Jews (the root) supports the grafted branches (Christians), not the other way around. The Lord always gives a little extra blessing to those who came first. They aren’t better than those who come later, but they are never nudged out of first place.

Notice also that when comparing the root and the graft, the root always stays the root, and the graft always stays the graft. They never trade places, and they never completely merge – they are together, but each retains its separate identity. The grafting process does not convert a cultivated olive tree into a wild olive tree. The graft is an add-on, not a replacement. Among the chosen people of God, Israel is primary, the Church is secondary, and nothing in this respect has changed since the Church came along. Just as Christians never become Jews, so the O.T. Jews (before Christ) also never become transmogrified into members of the Church.

What’s more, Paul now tells us, just because some branches were broken off to make room for the grafts, doesn’t mean that other original branches won’t remain, or that some of the original branches can’t be re-attached. Insofar as the kingdom of heaven is concerned, Israel isn’t going anywhere, and God can always bring Jews back into the kingdom whenever He wants to. This whole analogy affirms that Israel has not been cut off from the tree, been replaced by the Church, or merged/subsumed/absorbed into the Church. Israel will always remain Israel, and the Church will always remain the Church.

God is not done with Israel as a nation yet. Jesus did not come to obliterate the distinction between the nation of Israel and the Church. God has prepared from the beginning of the Church, to re-integrate unbelieving Israel back into the olive tree. The idea that the Church has become the Israel of God, and God’s future plans for Israel and the Church are one and the same, is an idea held by some Christians to fit their narrative of the supremacy of the Church, but is not supported by scripture.

We should not forget to mention this little nugget in verses 21-22: “For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.” Remember our little discussion of eternal security back at the end of chapter 8? This idea of apostasy by renunciation of Christ doesn’t sound so far-fetched now, does it?

What other meaning are we to ascribe to these verses? In this context, the neither will he spare you language refers to Christians, does it not? Believers in Christ who will not be spared, but what? – cut off from the kingdom of heaven. Your continued participation in the kingdom of heaven is subject to a proviso, a conditional provision to an agreement, that you continue in his kindness. Notice, as I said before, this is not about God’s faithfulness to you. God is always faithful. But this proviso is about your faithfulness to God. These are not my words. This is God’s word. Note then the severity of God. And that is the last word I will say on the subject.

Rom. 11:25-29 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

All Israel Will Be Saved

Finally, we get to the really good news for Israel. God will never reject Israel, even though they are under a partial hardening. They will always be a part of the olive tree of God, and hooray, when they finally emerge from the time of the Gentiles (after Armageddon), all Israel will be saved. Well, at least all of the remnant of Israel that survives the Tribulation. Paul, in quoting Isa. 59:20-21 (“The Deliverer will come from Zion”), is of course referring to Jesus at His Second Coming, when He will obliterate not merely the forces of evil, but the enemies of Israel.

The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. Zph. 3:15.

I have mentioned several times that God always deal with Israel as a group. He chose or predestined them as a group. He brought them out of Egypt and gave them His covenant and laws as a group. When the Jews were disobedient, they generally did so as a group. When God punished them and sent them into exile, He treated them as a group. When the Jews were dispersed among the nations, they did so as a group – God made no exceptions. When Jesus came and claimed to be the Messiah, the Jews rejected Him as a group. The partial hardening came upon the Jews as a group.

It should therefore be no surprise that when salvation eventually comes to the Jews, it will happen to them as a group. In fact, salvation will come to the Jews in a single day, being the day of the Second Coming, when Jesus will re-appear and be recognized by the Jews as the Messiah.

“Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she delivered a son. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?” says the Lord; “shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?” says your God. (Isa. 66:7-9).

Notice how Isaiah refers to the theme of birth, which in this context indicates a rebirth. Recall I mentioned back in chapter 8 that the physical earth and our physical bodies both need to be reborn. And both of these rebirths happen at the Second Coming. Surprise, surprise, those aren’t the only rebirths happening that day. The kingdom of God on earth will be reborn (first one ended, second one is coming). And all of Israel’s remnant will be saved.

Not only will all Israel be saved, they will be reborn as a nation, i.e., as a group. The end goal of which, often repeated throughout the scriptures, is that “they will be my people, and I will be their God.” This is confirmed here in Rom. 11:26-27, “he will banish ungodliness from Jacob; and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” All of which looks forward to the fulfillment of Jeremiah:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jer. 31:31-34. Also quoted (but not fulfilled!) in Heb. 8:8-12.

At this point, it won’t simply be that the Jews are saved, but they will also have special knowledge. “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.” All people have a portion of God’s laws written on their hearts, telling them what elementary things are right and wrong – this is the conscience. But a conscience can be hardened or even blocked, and of course a conscience is only ever a very small portion of God’s laws. But Jews in the Millennium will have a much more complete, perhaps even a perfect, knowledge of God’s laws within each of them, a priori.

For this reason, Gentiles will seek them out for their knowledge, and their closeness to God. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'” Zch. 8:23. At this point the Jews will truly become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, fulfilling Exo. 19:6. “But you shall be called the priests of the Lord; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you shall boast.” Isa. 61:6. More on this in chapter 15.

Finally, notice Paul’s statement in verse 29, that the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Now, the calling of God mentioned here specifically refers to the calling of Israel, as a biological nation. And the election referred to here is being chosen by God to be His special people. All throughout chapter 11, the scripture constantly proclaims that God isn’t finished with Israel yet. Do I really have to explain what the word irrevocable means?

Rom. 11:30-36 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

The Destiny of Israel

Consider the mental journey Paul has led us through, starting in Rom. 9:22. He established that the Lord will carve out a remnant of Israel, to demonstrate God’s holiness and mercy. God sent the Messiah to the Jews, and freely offered them the gift of salvation, yet they stumbled over Christ and did not accept Him. He sent (and continues to send) preachers of the gospel to them, and gives a witness of the Christ in the heavens, yet they did not, and still do not, see Him for who He is.

Chapter 11 has been devoted to a consideration of where this will all ultimately lead. The starting point of which is that despite Israel’s past rejection of Christ, God has not now, and never will, reject Israel. Paul talked about the olive tree of God and how the Jews and Gentiles are like a root and graft of that tree – together in the kingdom of heaven, yet separate and distinct. Then he reaches the culmination of his argument, namely, that a remnant of Israel will all be saved, and lead the nation into a time of unparalleled peace, prosperity and greatness in the Millennium, a/k/a the Messianic Age. Essentially, the entirety of chapter 11, from beginning to end, is a resounding affirmation of the continuity of Israel past, present and future.

And now, here we are at the end of the chapter, where Paul makes his summary statement. The Gentiles were for most of human history pagan and disobedient, but through Christ have now received mercy. Check. The Jews, for their part, though chosen and treasured by God, have been disobedient, but because of the mercy shown to the Gentiles, they too will receive God’s mercy and be saved. Check, check. The ways of God – both His kindness and His severity, to both Jews and Christians – are unsearchable and inscrutable, for which we should be in awe. Triple check.

Of all the issues which divide Christians worldwide, one that provokes some of the strongest disagreements has to do with the relationship between Israel and the Church. Has the Church absorbed (or subsumed) Israel? Do they remain separate physically, but the Church has taken Israel’s place for spiritual purposes? Or are they completely separate and distinct? How you come down on this issue has enormous religious, political and worldview consequences that affect your life in multiple ways.

The same is true for your preacher. Things you have been taught all your life – whether you have been told in so many words or not – are direct logical consequences of the position that person takes on the Church vs. Israel question. Even if your pastor, priest or minister has never directly talked to you about the relationship between Israel and the Church, the things they have taught you have reflected their underlying beliefs.

Consider this text from Jeremiah, for example.

The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: “Have you not observed that these people are saying, The LORD has rejected the two clans that he chose’? Thus they have despised my people so that they are no longer a nation in their sight. Thus says the LORD: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, then I will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.” Jer. 33:23-26.

Here’s what these verses say, if taken literally. God starts out asking Jeremiah whether he has noticed that some people say God has rejected Israel (the two clans that he chose – Judah and Northern Israel). Which begs the question of whether the blessings God promised to Israel in the future have somehow been transferred to the Church – which is a rejection of Israel as a beneficiary of God’s promises. God then says that the people who say He has rejected Israel have despised my people. In other words, not a good thing.

The result, as God sees it, is that Israel is no longer a nation in their sight (i.e., to the people who think God has rejected Israel). God’s perspective, however, has not changed. Certainly, to those who believe Israel has merged into the Church, or the Church has subsumed Israel, Israel is no longer a nation of any biblical or spiritual significance in their sight. The result is the same for Christians who believe the blessings promised to Israel have been transferred to the Church. In that case, even if Israel exists physically, it is no longer significant to God spiritually or prophetically – strongly implying that Israel as a nation has been diminished in God’s sight. To which God says, those who believe this have despised the Jews (and are wrong). Just another form of antisemitism.

Now Jeremiah lived around 600 B.C., or 2,600 years ago. So this is not a new problem. But what is new is that these days, people who take this position do so supposedly on the basis of New Testament scriptures, which the people in Jeremiah’s time didn’t have. But I say, if God’s promises to physically restore biological Israel are to only be fulfilled spiritually for Christians, then God is a liar. What – did God not foresee that His plans would change? Was God misleading the Jews? I assure you, in spite of how many Christians read those promises, the Jews have never understood those promises to mean anything other than what they literally say.

But then God lays this on Jeremiah: only if I have not forever established day and night, and the fixed order of heaven and earth, will I reject Israel. This is, of course, a rhetorical statement that expresses an impossible condition. There can be no doubt that God has forever established day and night, and the fixed order of heaven and earth. The creation – the universe – is the same now as it has always been. Therefore, God will never reject the offspring of Jacob (i.e., Israel), and the heir of David (Christ) will always be available to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Not rule over the world, but rule over Israel.

In other words, God told Jeremiah that as long as the present universe exists, the physical, biological offspring of Jacob will not ever be rejected, and they are the ones whose fortunes will be restored. The First Advent of Jesus changed nothing. The destruction of Jerusalem changed nothing. The Reformation changed nothing. The reestablishment of the modern state of Israel changed nothing. Only if the physical creation is changed, will God’s promises to biological Israel change. Not for any other reason.

If only God knew how to use the right words, to say (you know) what He really meant. Sigh. Thankfully, God has people around to distort, er, interpret God’s words according to the doctrines of men so that we can discern the meaning we like best.