Hello
@jeremiah1five,
Looking at this thread again, after being away from the forum for a while, I realise that I did not respond to this (ref: #10 & 11).
Surely the destruction of Jerusalem, in AD70, made the establishment of the church which is the Body of Christ, revealed and made known at the end of the Acts period, of great importance to the stability of the company of believers living through that time of upheaval. It is explained in the letters of Paul written at that time, from prison. (Eph, Phil, Col, 2 Tim. Titus & Phil.) and established on the basis of the truth revealed in Romans 5:12-8:39.
The body of Christ began on Pentecost, and it was populated with Jews who were born-again and accepted their Messiah and King: Jesus.
The Church began that day, too.
All the writings from Matthew to Revelation were written to Jews and Jewish Christians. None of the letters - except the personal letters by Saul to Timothy - were written to Jewish Christians. It was their Messiah. It was their covenants. And being in the New Covenant era without any instruction except what was found in the Hebrew Scriptures the apostles all did their best to make sense and understand all that was taking place in Israel with a Messiah who died on a tree and a Holy Spirit of Promise that was the focal point of the first 30 years covered in the book of Acts.
Israel, as a nation, ceased to be, having either been killed or scattered among the nations, and the olive tree of Israel ceased to exist. There was no Olive tree for gentile believers to be grafted into. So the formation of the Church which is the Body of Christ was made known through Paul, by revelation from above, and made known to the 'saints' and 'faithful' throughout the diaspora, by means of the letters of Paul, but seemingly not received by many, for Paul tells Timothy that, 'all they which are in Asia be turned away from me'.
The Olive tree (Israel) did not cease to exist. Jewish Christians did not begin to die off until the beginning of the second century, and although Jews were still being born-again, it was God's purpose to destroy the Temple else the Times of the Gentiles could not begin.
Nowhere is Scripture are Gentiles called Olive tree let alone "wild" Olive tree. And they (Gentiles) were not grafted into the Olive tree that was Israel. You are believing false teaching from Gentiles. If anyone was more inclined to be considered "wild" Olive tree it would be circumcised proselytes and uncircumcised God-Fearers. They were aligned with the commonwealth of Israel having committed themselves to obey the Torah, perform what sacrifices the Torah required, and became Israeli citizens. But they were not considered 'Jews' nor were the in the Abrahamic or any of the covenants because the covenant God made was with Abraham and his seed and Gentiles are not his seed. Make distinctions and don't blur the existing lines created by God. There was Israel. There were covenants. There was Olive tree. There was "wild" Olive tree. There was body of Christ. And all these belonged to the Jews (Rom. 9:4-5.)
Christ was the fulfillment of covenant and prophecy. He belonged to the Jews. He was sent to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. Christ sent His disciples to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And before He ascended, He dispatched His eleven disciples to the twelve tribes that remained in Gentile lands with a message that Messiah had come, and God has kept His Promises. Remember, only a remnant returned to the Holy Land, and it is reasonable to say that a remnant would be about 10-15% of all Jewry while the majority of Jews stayed put in Gentile lands and engaging in meaningful labor to raise their families. These eventually would become Hellenized Jews. Even though the Temple was destroyed, and the land ravaged the Jews continued their Judaism but without a Temple it revolved around their Feasts.
Gentiles hated the Jews, and Jews hated the uncircumcised, idol worshiping, unclean Gentiles. And as more Gentiles began to become born-again it was a natural step for them to conclude that God "cast away" His people since everything Jewish was destroyed and an easy step to conclude that Gentiles in their hatred and bias believed that they were the replacement of Israel in the things of God's redemption. Consider, there was no bible, no Scripture, and Gentiles did not have a guide to assist in their understanding of the things taking place on a spiritual level for about 200 years after that. In the fourth century Gentiles began to gather scrolls and soon had their own "bible." There is a great deal more to consider concerning the first three centuries. In time Gentiles began to steal what belonged to Israel. Terms like "Church" and "covenant" and "Bride" and "saints" which identified Israel of twelve tribes was now being owned by Gentiles. Everything Jewish became Gentile.
The Church which is the Body of Christ is a spiritual company, made up of both Jew and Gentile, in which there is no priority given to the Jew, for all are on an equal footing in Christ Jesus, their risen and ascended Saviour, Lord and Head. Israel as a nation has no part in it.
Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris
No, it only seems that way as a result of the destruction of the Jewish Temple and their cities. Gentiles were never on 'equal footing' with the Jews. Gentiles are in no covenant with God and everything that Jews have by way of covenant and prophecies belong to them.
Consider something: The Times of the Gentiles will end with the destruction of the nations whether through global war or some cosmic catastrophe. And that end is coming fast upon the Gentiles. Israel has covenant with God and God punished His people and destroyed their Temple and their land. Gentiles have no covenant with God, and do you think God is going to spare them with some escape called "rapture?" Oh, no. Gentiles and Gentile Christians are soon to be judged and I foresee both global war and cosmic catastrophe. Now, look at this before I go:
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh,
And thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather
all nations against Jerusalem to battle;
And the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and ethe women ravished;
And half of the city shall go forth into captivity,
And the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations,
As when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives,
Zech. 14:1–4.
Look at this:
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of
all nations for my name’s sake. Mt 24:9.
God says, "all nations" (non-Jew.) This means every nation in existence. Israel will be alone. I even doubt America will help them but will be among the "all nations" against Israel. When half the nation is destroyed then Christ returns, and Armageddon will be fought and look what happens when the Millennium begins.
Israel will possess the Promised Land and God will cleanse their land of all Gentiles. Israel/Jews will be the only ones in the land and the surviving Gentiles will live in the lands that surround her. So, Jews will occupy their land and there will be no Gentiles among them. Gentiles will live everywhere else. BUT:
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to
deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Rev. 20:7–10.
Put on your thinking cap. If all the Jews of twelve tribes are living in their land with nary a Gentile there also, and if Gentiles live everywhere else what does Scripture say about the end of the thousand years? Think about that.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs (Gentiles), and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. Rev. 22:14–15.
WHO are these Gentiles? And where is the Gentile Christians? What's going on here?
Well, Gentiles will not be in the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven as a Bride adorned for her Husband (Jesus.) Have you done any study of these passages above I post, and have you read and studied these prophecies? It does not appear to end well for Gentile Christians.
Let's see if these Scriptures speak to you.
