A Saviour unto Israel ?

[savedbygrace57]

He that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles


Rom 15:12

12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

He that shall arise and reign over the Gentiles, from the root of Jesse, is speaking of Christ, and as stated here to rise and to rule the Gentiles, it is the very same as saying that He shall rule the House of Jacob !

Lk 1:33

33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Acts 15 describes His Reign over the Gentiles Acts 15:16-17

16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

Dan 7:14

14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion[reign] is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

So you see, the House of Jacob of Lk 1:33 is not literal physical descendants, but Spiritual Israel, comprised of Abraham's Spiritual descendants from both jew and gentile ! This is another proof that Israel and The Church, the Body of Christ are the same. Not National Physical Israel, but the Spiritual Israel of God !

 

[savedbygrace57]

To confirm the promises made unto the fathers

Rom 15:8-9

8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

Who cannot see from this passage that the Mercy's promised to the Fathers, and confirmed by Christs coming into the world and dying for the sins of God's people, that they had a Gentile interest, that the Gentiles might Glorify God for His Mercy. This lets us Know that the promises were made to the Church, the Body of Christ, The Seed of Abraham Gal 3:29 through Christ Gal 3:16

Remember when the Old Saint Zacharias was praising God at the birth of John , and he stated in regards to that, how that God hath remembered His Oath to the Fathers and to Abraham and hath performed the Mercy ?

Lets read Lk 1:67-73,79


67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

Well this is what Paul has reference to in Rom 15:8

And of course Zacharias makes mention also of the Gentile interest in Vs 79

79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Yes, that would be the Gentiles, and they would Glorify God for His Mercy ! Also see Acts 13:48; 15:17-18

So that is what Paul is relating in Rom 15:7-8, how that God, in giving Christ, His Birth, Life and Death, confirmed the promises made to the Fathers, and again notice next, that the Gentiles might glorify God for His Mercy, What Mercy ? The same Mercy Zacharias mentioned here Lk 1:72

72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

So the gentiles were also Children of Prophets and Covenant Acts 3:25-26

25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

So it is not biblical to separate the gentiles from the promises to the Fathers, who mostly were ethnic jews, but only they were saved and spiritual !

 

[savedbygrace57]

God's definition of a True Jew !


Rom 2:28-29

28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

29 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.

Even though the natural man and those deceived by the antichrist will never believe this, but God's definition of a Jew has nothing to do with ethnicity, for that is a outward thing, it has nothing to do with bloodline, for that has to do with the natural Jn 1:13

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The jews took pride of their blood line of Abraham physically Matt 3:9

9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

But a Real Jew before God are they who receive a heart circumcision ,or circumcision of the heart. Paul writing to both converted jews and Gentiles says this Phil 3:3

3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

And in this regards, he [Paul] disregards his ethnic heritage and physical circumcision Phil 3:4-5

4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:

5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

Notice how he relates to Circumcision in Vs 3, but disregards it in Vs 5 as just a mere matter of confidence in the flesh !

One had to do with physical, blood heritage in Vs 5, but the other with a Spiritual Heritage. So basically what the scripture teaches by all this, A True Jew before God ,is anyone who has received New Birth, that New Birth which comes through and because of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead 1 Pet 1:3, for these are Christ's Spiritual Seed, the Seed of which God Promised this here Deut 30:6

And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

 

[savedbygrace57]

Church and Israel the same !


Eph 3:1-6

For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

The Gospel , in case we have forgotten, is strictly related to Salvation. OT Scripture makes it quite Clear that God has promised to save Israel, and this Saving is in Christ, for Israel is the Only People God has promised to Save and to Justify, for instance Isa 45:25

In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.

And True Faith believes God's Promise, which is here, All the Seed of Israel shall be Justified in the LORD, this is a Gospel Promise. Or that Israel shall be saved by the Lord Deut 33:29

29 Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

This also is a Gospel Promise Isa 45:17

But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.


Now, what Paul was called by Paul to do was elucidate the Mystery, which is, that These Salvation Promises to Israel, which are Gospel Promises for sure, that the Gentiles are fellowheirs, of the same body and partakers of those promises. Yes, some Gentiles partake of the Promise of God that Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting Salvation, which is Everlasting Life Jn 3:16 !

I know many will not acknowledge this Truth, but its True any how, and this confirms that Israel of the OT that was Promised Salvation, is the Church in the NT, and that fulfills their Everlasting Salvation through Christ or IN THE LORD !

 

[savedbygrace57]

God's definition of a True Jew !


As pertaining to the True Jews, those of that Seed that God made this Promise Deut 30:6


6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

Now that Seed is revealed here in one of Paul's writings as the Apostle to the Gentiles Col 2:10-11

10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

Yes, Vs 11 here is part of the fulfillment of Deut 30:6, God's Elect Col 3:12

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

Yes, God was speaking to His same Elect in Deut 30:6

And we know that many of this Elect Seed here in Colossae were from the Gentiles, who did receive this heart circumcision Col 2:11 by this verse here Col 1:27

27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

For it had been a Mystery that the Seed spoken of in Deut 30:6 would also include Gentiles. So the circumcision of the heart that God promised to this Seed Deut 30:6 is the Circumcision of Christ Col 2:11

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

This is Spiritual Circumcision made by the Effectual Virtue of the Death of Christ, yes it is accomplished by the Death of Christ, who is the Seed of Abraham Gal 3:16, and it is applied by the Spirit, in that the Risen Christ became a quickening Spirit 1 Cor 15:45

45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

 

[savedbygrace57]

Much of what happened in the OT, especially in the life of Abraham had a allegorical meaning, which comes to pass under the New Covenant economy, this is made clear here in Gal 4:24

24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

Now scripture is clear that all of Abraham's natural descendants of ethnic Israel were not the children of promise or of the special elect seed, the children of God Rom 9:8

8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

and this was also a reason why God's providence ordered the births of both Isaac and Ishmael, this was to prove that point that all of Abraham's natural descendants did not have a interest in the Abrahamic Covenant and his seed here Gen 17:5-8

5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Note: This promise above is NOT TO Abraham's Natural Descendants Israel !

Now this is also why God so providentially ordered that Ishmael and his Mother would be cast out of the household of Abraham, and not to be considered partakers with the True Heirs of Promise Gal 4:30

30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

This casting out did picture the casting out of a great many natural branches out of the Israel of God, the Olive Tree, Saved Ethnic Jews, The Remnant of Grace Election Rom 11:12-15; Jn 15:6 !

The rest were blinded, but there was Hope that even some of them would be of the Election of Grace and would later become believers and grafted back in !

However, for the most part, they were as the Ishmael's, that would not be Heirs.

For all of ethnic Israel to be saved would overthrow these scriptures, Gal 4:30 and Rom 9:27

Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

This very scripture Rom 9:27 forbids any salvation for all ethnic jews known as Israel, because that would then no longer be a Remnant, which contradicts this verse !

The rest of Israel being saved would be through gentiles being grafted in !

 

[savedbygrace57]

The Promises to the Fathers !

Rom 15:8-13

8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.

11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

The Promises to the Fathers, the Jewish Fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and David. they always had Gentile Salvation in View ! Thats because the promises were made according to a Spiritual Seed out of the Fathers and not a Physical Seed.

Abraham had the Promises proclaimed to Him as being revealed to be the Father of Many Nations Gen 17:5-8

5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

So Gentile Salvation, or Gentiles that would believe are also as Jews that would believe are the Children of the Covenant and of the Prophets Acts 3:25-26

25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

 

[savedbygrace57]

The Resurrection of the Just !


Lk 14:14

And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

Acts 24:15

And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

Remember Jesus words here Jn 6:39-40

39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

The Resurrection of the Just is the raising up of All for whom Christ died and who died in the Lord, in the Last Day ! That is His Church, the Members of His Body !

The Just are all whom Christ made Righteous or Just by His Obedience to the Cross Rom 5:19

19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous or Just.

And so the Just shall Live by Faith Rom 1:16-17

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

The Just are all whom ever Lived by Faith, to include the OT Saints Hab 2:4


Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

All these will be raised up in the Last Day, the Resurrection of the Just or of the Justified or of the Righteous.

Lazarus, who technically was an Old Testament Saint, was said that he would be raised up in the last day Jn 11:24

Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

She referred to the Resurrection of the Just in the Last day. Christ told her that He was that Resurrection Jn 11:25-26

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Jesus was speaking as the Christ, the Head of the Church, and He was the Firstfruits of all who sleep 1 Cor 15:20-23

20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

Lazarus should be made alive in the Last Day because he was in Christ, as well as all other OT Saints, this Truth of the Resurrection of Christ and its effects more so than any other Truth combines and reveals that the OT Saints, People of Faith Heb 11 and the NT People of Faith are all the Body of Christ, the Church which He is the Head, and of which their Resurrection is the Fruit of !

 

[savedbygrace57]

The Resurrection of the Just ! cont


Paul stated that the Twelve Tribes had a Hope of the Resurrection of the dead

Acts 23:6

6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.

Acts 24:14-15

14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:

15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

Acts 26:7-8

7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

This is the Resurrection Martha spoke of here Jn 11:24

24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

And Jesus stated, that this Resurrection was all about Him, He was the that Resurrection, meaning that it would be effected by His Work Jn 11:25-26

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

Now, this establishes that the OT Saints looked forward to and that their Hope was in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church !

This subject of the Resurrection is what Paul preaches on in 1 Cor 15, and it all hinged on Christ's Resurrection from the Dead as the Firstfruit 1 Cor 15:12-18,22-23

12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.


You see, what Paul stated as the OT Hope of Acts 24:14-15, all hinged upon the Resurrection of the Head of the Church 1 Cor 15:12-18

Who was Paul writing to in 1 Cor 15 ? Lets look here 1 Cor 1:1-2


Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:

So the Hope of the Resurrection of which Paul stated of in Acts 24:14-15 and the Hope of the Resurrection for the Church of God, are One and the same, because the Church and saved Jews are the Same one people of God. Under the Old Covenant the same body of Christ was merely under a different administration than its now under that of the New Covenant.

Jobs hope of Resurrection, an OT Character, His Hope also rested in Christ,s Resurrection from the Dead Job 19:25-26

25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Job believed in a Physical bodily Resurrection after His Death and after he turned into dust, which is what 1 Cor 15 also teaches on ! 1 Cor 15:35-36

35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

 

[Yodas_Prodigy]

I just started going through a good audio series explaining who 'saved Israel' is. The church in a nut shell is saved Israel. To avoid confusion. I believe that there is still covenantal work to be done with the carnal or unsaved Israel.

 

[savedbygrace57]

If Israel was not the Church, that People for whom Christ Loved and died, that is gave Himself for, then explain why Paul says this Per Acts 28:17-20

17 And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

18 Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.

19 But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.

20 For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.

Now compare Col 1:23-27


23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Now lets compare some things from each passage. Paul speaks of the Hope of Israel in Acts 28:20, in the Colossae he speaks of the Hope of the Gospel and of Glory Col 1:23,27

23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

See Isa 46:13

I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

Lk 2:32

A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people

Paul speaks of His chains, which oft times denotes Physical suffering Acts 28:20


20 For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.

In Col 1 he speaks of of his suffering for the body's sake, the Church Col 1:24

24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

It is stated that Paul wrote this here epistle while in prison or chains in Rome !

Now these Two things alone are enough evidences that Paul identifies Israel, of the stated Hope Of Israel in Acts 28:20 and the Church, the body of Christ as and the Hope of Glory as the same ! Thats was the Mystery of Israel. Israel was not a single body of ethnic jews, its a spiritual body of both jews and gentiles together, Joined in their Head Christ !

 

[savedbygrace57]

That the New Covenant Promises applied to and means the Church [comprised of both jew and gentile believers which belong to Christ Gal 3:29] is understood when we consider how this OT Promise of Covenant Blessing Ezk 36:26-27

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Is applied to New Covenant Believers here Phil 2:13

13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Yes the fulfillment of Ezk 36:26-27 is witnessed by Paul here Phil 2:13 ! God the Holy Spirit works in Spiritual Israel or New Covenant Israel causing them to will and to do of God's Good Pleasure or in other words to walk in His statues and keep His Judgments to do them, that is God the Spirit causes them to do them. That word cause in Ezk 36:27 is the hebrew word asah: accomplish, perform as in Deut 4:13


13 And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.

The Church is the Spiritual Israel or Circumcision Phil 3:3

3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Now this Phrase the Circumcision normally applies to jews except for here in Phil 3:3

But check Acts 10:45;11:2; Rom 3:30 !

 

[savedbygrace57]

NT Church is the Israel promises were made to !


Now that the Gentiles would partake of the same Covenant Promises as the Elect Jews, the promises of the Covenant which Christ is the Mediator of, this is seen in Isa 42:6

6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

Isa 49:6

6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

And so Paul makes the connection and states it thusly here Eph 2:16

16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Eph 3:6

That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

What same Body ? The Body of Elect Jews to whom the New Covenant Promises were made !

When God made this Promise to Israel Isa 45:17

But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.

Thats a Gospel Promise of Salvation, well that Promise applied to some Gentiles also !

Thats why Paul says in God's ultimate saving of Israel, its accomplished by the salvation of the Gentiles Rom 11:26

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

That was an Mystery all through the OT that Gentiles also were considered part of Israel that the promises were made !

With the saving of elect jews and elect gentiles, God brings to pass the Promise of Isa 45:17 !

And elect jews and elect gentiles are the Church, the Spiritual Seed of Abraham that belongs to Christ, Abraham's Seed Gal 3:16,29 !

 

[savedbygrace57]

The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ

Gal 3:24

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

That the Saints in OC Israel were the Church, the Body of Christ, is seen seen clearly in our scripture text. Now Paul was writing believers that were both of jewish and Gentile descent, but what he was saying here about the law had a special significance to the jewish believers because of their privileged background they were of and the giving of the law Rom 9:4

4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

Rom 3:1-2

What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?

2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

However, though less formal the Gentiles also were given the law in its moral precepts as a guide for right and wrong behavior before their Creator Rom 2:14-16

14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law [in a formal fashion], do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another )

16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Now Paul gives one of the primary purposes of the Law, it was to bring both jew and gentile elect to Faith in Christ, who is the Head of His Body the Church; You see whether jew or gentile, if we belong to Christ, we are Abraham's Seed, and heirs according to Promise Gal 3:16,29

16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

 

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The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ !


Gal 3:16,29

16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

And all such Heirs before conversion, before Faith, were still Abraham's Seed and Children of Promise. This is True because Paul tells both jewish and gentile believers that they were as Isaac was, Children of Promise Gal 4:28

28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

That connects OT Believers as Isaac with the NT Believers as those Paul was now writing as Brothers in Christ, that shows that Isaac was part of the Church, the Body of Christ as are those believers to whom Paul was now writing Gal 3:29

This is also key to understanding the afore mentioned point that believers are Heirs of promise before believing, because as Isaac, by God was designated an Heir of Promise before he had being, so likewise are NT Believers, the Church !

It was solely by God's Purpose and Word of promise Isaac was an heir, God had stated concerning him Gen 17:15-19

15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

Isaac was not offered or given a choice on whether or not he wanted to be an heir of Promise or a child of promise, for God determined that Vs 19

God stated:

I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. See Vs 7 also !

Now what Paul is saying in Gal 4:28, is that in the same sense or manner that Isaac was a child of promise, one whom God sware to establish His Covenant with, so are all Believers in Christ, be they Jew or Gentile, all [Believers] were products of God's sure Word of Promise to Abraham, just as Isaac was.

 

[savedbygrace57]

The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ!


Now Isaac and all subsequent believers receive their being, whether jew or gentile from God's Promise here to Abraham Gen 17:2-5

2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. See Heb 6:13-14

3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

This promise was not in regard to Abraham's physical seed, but a Spiritual Seed of Faith, a Seed that would be Faithful to God as He was blessed to be, Hence Paul writes to to both believing Jew's and Gentiles this Gal 3:7-9

7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

In other words, the Believers in Christ in Paul's time, as well as Paul himself, are believers, people of Faith, as a Result of God's promise to Abraham here Gen 17:2-5

2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

All Believers are born out of God's Promise as Isaac was, that is, we become believers in a manner analogous to Isaac's miraculous birth, by an act of God's Power, and not by our own will and effort, and this is the formation of the Church, the Body of Christ, and the Law was given to bring each member of His Body, jew or gentile, O T Believer or New, to bring them to Faith in Christ their Head ! Thats who the Law was a schoolmaster to !

 

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The Hope of Israel !


Acts 28:20

For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.

The Hope of Israel that Paul preached, was not the same Hope of Israel that the ethnic religious jews of his day believed in. For they believed in a hope of Israel according to their natural reasoning , that it consisted in a national restoration of the ethnic jewish state, whereas Paul now understood the Hope of Israel to be a spiritual people, hence their differences in this matter led to Paul's persecution by the jews; Acts 26:7; 2 Cor 11:24; 1 Thess 2:14, but yet Paul understood his Hope of Israel, that was contrary to his own countrymen as a whole, was the Hope of Israel held by the Fathers of the Faith Acts 26:6

And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, unto our fathers:

For instance Abraham Isaac, and Jacob, which hope was spiritual and heavenly Heb 11:8-10;13-16

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

 

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Wait to my Change Come !


Who said the above ? Job 14:14

If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

Scholars believe that the book of Job may be the most ancient of the Divine oracles of scripture, in any case these words of the Man of God does reveal unto us that the OT Believers had the same hope showed them as the NT Believers, that of a Resurrection Change, that is Jobs Belief and Hope. It was David's Hope Ps 17:15

15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

Its the SAME HOPE of Change Paul writes of here 1 Cor 15:51-52

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Phil 3:11,20-21

11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.


20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

If perhaps there is any difference in what the OT Church believed and the NT Church, it would be the Mystery aspect Paul wrote of 1 Cor 15:51,52

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

That all believers will not experience Physical Death also known as Sleep, but they shall be alive and remaining when that Change does come, When Jehovah Jesus Returns ! This has always been the Hope of the Church, the Seed of Abraham, the Israel of God !

 

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Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord !

Ps 33:12

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

This Blessed Nation whose God is the Lord, of which the people of it are His Chosen Inheritance, its the Church, those Chosen in Christ before the foundation Eph 1:3-4


3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Notice in the Ps 33:12 that this People hath the Lord Chosen for Himself !

Well coincidently those Paul writes of in Eph 1:4 as being Chosen by the Father, the greek word chosen is eklegó:

I pick out for myself, choose, elect, select.


Its also in the middle voice meaning God selected or picked them out for Himself, comparable to what is said of that People in Rs 33:12 !

Also in Ps 33:12 this Nation / People Chosen by God for Himself is stated to be His own Inheritance [possession, property, inheritance, heritage]

Now back to Eph 1:4, Paul writes of them as being God's Inheritance Eph 1:18


18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

The Church is that Holy Nation 1 Pet 2:9

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

That Holy Nation is also that peculiar People as in Titus 2:14

14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

The word peculiar here in Titus is the greek word periousios:


that which is one's own, belonging to one's possessions

a) a people selected by God from the other nations for his own possession


The Nation and Inheritance of Ps 33:12 is the same Chosen Church in Christ as Eph 1:3-4 !

God does not have Two Chosen People, Two Inheritances, nor Two Holy Nations !

 

[savedbygrace57]

Israel shall be saved in the Lord !

Isa 45:17

17 But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.

Who is this Israel that shall be saved in the Lord ? Many in organized and deceived religion believes that the Israel to whom this promise is made, are those who belong to Abraham's ethnic children of the land of Israel literally , That is His children according to the flesh.Remember when Jesus said this to some of them Jn 8:37

37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

Jesus here acknowledges that they were Abraham's seed according to the flesh, and they were called Israel, however that Israel with that consideration alone [ethnicity of the flesh], being only fleshly children of Abraham, that was not the Israel of Isa 45:17 that shall be saved in the Lord with an Everlasting Salvation,for they were not the children of the promise Rom 9:8

8 That is, They[ Abraham's descendants] which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

Which words mine you are in explanation of the preceding Vs 6 Rom 9:6

6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

Hence with that in Mind, the Israel of Isa 45:17 are the Children of the Promise. So we should also see that Children of Promise and Israel are used interchangeably !

The Israel of Isa 45:17 are the Children of Promise that are counted as the seed. Remember these words Isa 45:25

In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.

This verse as well as Vs 17 refers to the Children of Promise of Rom 9:8, which is an explanation of Israel in Rom 9:6

And the Children of the Promise are also the Children of God Vs 8,which is manifested by Faith in Christ as Per Gal 3:26

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

So all whom have Faith in Christ Jesus belong to that Israel of Isa 45:17,25 !