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The Israel of Godhttp://www.mountainretreatorg.net/eschatology/israel.shtml[1/27/2009 6:47:00 AM]
Introduction
Israel is a word that is found in scripture over 2500 times, and because of its critical importance to theChurch in coming to a sound understanding of God's Covenant Promises, it carries great significance.Was the Lord's promise of an everlasting inheritance made to a middle eastern nation of geopoliticaland genealogical stature, or was that promise made to an Israel that is an elect, diverse, and spiritualpeople? To be sure, there are those who believe that the peace, prosperity, freedom, and everlastingKingdom reign, was promised to the literal progeny of Israel. They think that this can only be fulfilled bythe literal seed of Jacob inheriting literal land. But is the Israel of God defined by genealogy, or doesbeing a true Israelite mean anyone born of thee Seed, which is Christ. Is the Israel of God defined byhaving a blood relationship to Jacob, or is it defined by having a blood relationship with Christ? Theseare all pertinent questions that should not be lightly esteemed, nor brushed aside with old tiredplatitudes, clichés, or colloquialisms.Indeed we must ask ourselves, in light of scripture, is it even possible that such a glorious and eternalpromise could be fulfilled in such an earthly kingdom? Is the New Covenant Congregation kingdom a"Plan B," or is the grace of the New Covenant with Israel, the means by which God is fulfilling theprevious Covenants? There is only one way to arrive at the truth of these questions, and that is bytrusting the word of God itself. There are essential interpretative rules to understanding biblicaleschatology. The first is that the Bible is the inerrant divine word of God, and thus absolutely and fullyauthoritative. The second is that, being the divinely inspired word of God to man, it is its own interpreterof what is being said. The scriptures are the ultimate and final authority that determines the faithfulnessof doctrines of the Church. Sound exegesis will come only by our first understanding this principle botheffectually, and intellectually. Relying on what our teachers and leaders think is right, or on blindlyfollowing popular authors, will never lead to consistent doctrines that are in total harmony with scripture.Only in rightly dividing the word of truth will we discern what was being prophesied future in God'spromises to Israel, and what God has declared was fulfilled by Christ. Our interpretive paradigm muststart with the "absolute" that the terms "Jews and Israel" must ultimately be defined by the Bible, andnot by secular history or modern day understanding.With this in mind, this study will examine this important issue, in the illuminating light of the divinelyinspired scripture. We begin this exposition in the book of Romans, chapter nine. There the ApostlePaul deals with this very question of "The Promises made to Israel." God here answers the objectionagainst the truth that the Jews were judged. The question is, if the promises were to Israel, why thenhas Israel rejected Christ and come under this judgment?
The Israel of God!
by Tony Warren
 
I
n Romans, chapter nine, we see that Paul is in great sorrow for his brethren, the Israelites, because heunderstood that their rejection of Christ has left them blinded and without a deliverer. In the light of thisdevelopment, and because of the promises that God had made concerning Israel, it would appear that thosepromises have been abrogated. Paul is addressing the objection, "
if both the Jew and the Gentile havesalvation by faith alone, and the majority of Jews have come under judgement and are fallen, how thencan God be seen as the Savior of Israel
?" But in verse six he answers the question plainly and succinctly,demonstrating that God's promise to Israel to save them is a true and trustworthy promise. It has most
 
The Israel of Godhttp://www.mountainretreatorg.net/eschatology/israel.shtml[1/27/2009 6:47:00 AM]
certainly been faithfully kept. Paul is testifying that he is "a living witness" to its faithfulness. In thischapter we see illustrated how Israel will be determined by the sovereign good will and of God, not by theprecepts of man, nor his inclinations towards vain genealogies. 
Romans 9:6
"Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel."It's not that God has forsaken His word (promise) to Israel, it is that the nation didn't understand thatpromises. Paul (under divine inspiration), understands something that even many theologians in our day of New Testament enlightenment do not really comprehend. They may give lip service to it, but in practicethey effectively deny it. It is the truth that, "
they are not all Israel which are of Israel
." In making thisdistinction, God is unambiguously making known that the identifying characteristic of the true Israel of God, is not the flesh, but the Spirit. This is an important revelation about the promise. Its fruition is foundin the sovereign electing work of God, not in any genealogical descent. We should not overlook the factthat if it were of descent, then this statement of God would be untrue. Paul (under inspiration of God), isdeclaring that the eternal covenant of God, was not to Israel after the flesh, but was to spiritual Israel,which is a nation made up of all those who are born of the Seed, Christ Jesus. He is the true Israel of God.We answer in the afirmative that God has an everlasting Covenant with Israel. And yes, they are all HisChosen People, His Children, His Holy nation set apart for the service of God. These are undeniablefundamental truths of scripture. But the fundamental question is, "are we defining Israel as God definesIsrael in this verse, or are we defining Israel according to tradition and man made parameters?" Paulknows that Judgment has come upon the physical nation of Israel. For blindness in part has happened tothem (
 Romans 11:25
) wherein they are without God's light, and sit in spiritual darkness. So as a nation,they no longer 'typify' or represent God's Covenanted kingdom people. This congregational representationof the Kingdom, ended with the judgment at the cross. The congregation of the Lord will now berepresented by the New Covenant Kingdom, the Church. As expressed in passages found in books likeMatthew. 
Matthew 21:42-23
"Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected,the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?Therefore say I unto you,
The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation
bringing forth the fruits thereof."The judgement of Israel was that the light of the kingdom was taken from that nation, and the kingdomrepresentation would now be found in another nation, which we call the Church. The literal, or physicalHoly Temple in Israel would no longer be the representation of the body of Christ, the Church nowrepresents the Holy Temple. Christ, being the chief foundation stone of that Temple, the head of thecorner, was not defeated when Israel rejected Him. He would still be the corner stone of that building, butnot in the physical nation of Israel. When the veil of the Holy Temple (which separated the Holiest), wasrent or torn in two from top to bottom, that symbolized the fall of Old Covenant Israel as representing theChildren of God. The instant that Christ died (Matthew 27:51, Mark15:38, Luke 23:45), this Temple veilwas torn in half from top to bottom. At that moment, the old Covenant Israel Temple "type" was fulfilledor completed by the anti-type, which is Christ's flesh. This signified that the children of Israel could onlyenter the Holy Temple by this new (meaning, unknown to them) and living way, the death of Christ. TheOld Covenant Temple with its earthly ways and means (which were but a shadow of this reality) in theservices of priests, merely prefigured the true Priest, who was Christ. He is the true way for God's childrento be made right with God, that they may receive the kingdom. The Old Covenant with Israel is passedaway in the sense that the fulfillment in the New Covenant, had now come. The efficacy, which the OldCovenant ceremonial laws prefigured, was in the death of Christ.
 
The Israel of Godhttp://www.mountainretreatorg.net/eschatology/israel.shtml[1/27/2009 6:47:00 AM]
 
Hebrews 10:19-20
"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us,
 through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;"
The Israel of God was not established by a Temple made with hands, or veils made of cloth, but it isestablished and fulfilled in the body of Christ. He is the Holy Temple, His flesh is the true veil throughwhich we can approach the Holy. It is only the Seed Christ, that truly made anyone the Israel of God.Being born the progeny of Jacob didn't make anyone true Israel (Romans 9:6). If we be in Christ, then weare in Israel, because being in our Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to make anyone a Holy nationwherein they may find Peace and Safety, and wherein God is truly glorified. 
Isaiah 49:2-6
"And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, andmade me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;And said unto me,
Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant,
 to bring Jacob again to him,
Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my Godshall be my strength.And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, andto restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest bemy salvation unto the end of the earth."This Israel that will bring Jacob to God is clearly Christ, not a political nation in the Middle East. Thatnation was merely the example, the picture, a 'shadow' of the true inheritance which would be in Christ.Just as the Old Covenant Holy Temple was merely the shadow of the true, which is Christ. When theLamb inherited Judah, we inherited the land in Him. The children of God receive a spiritual inheritance,which many theologians have confused with an earthly one. All nations, both the remnant Jews and theGentiles alike, are joined to the Lord to live and reign with Him, and have part in His inheritance. It's nota reward of a plot of dirt, but the reward of being sons of God.
Zechariah 2:10-12
"Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith theLORD.And
 many nations
shall be joined to the LORD in that day,
 and shall be my people:
and I willdwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.And the
 LORD shall inherit Judah
his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again."These are spiritual truths that, through His Holy Spirit, God illuminates by light of scripture. Only thosewho are in Christ truly have inheritance of that Spiritual land, while those who reject Christ (even thoughthey may be Jews in the flesh), are not Jews "in God's eyes." It's not outward, in the flesh. This is whyRomans chapter nine clearly delineated, "
..not all of Israel, are Israel
." This is an explicit declaration thatIsrael was not a geopolitical or genealogical people, it was a remnant which were a spiritual people. Theyhad to be in the Son, Christ Jesus, in order to be considered the true Israel of God who by His death havebeen delivered from bondage of sin. The Old Covenant prophecies prefigured these things.
Exodus 4:22
"And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, thus saith the Lord,
 Israel is My Son, even my Firstborn:"
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