Romans 11
Last modified 2024-05-09 pages=58 words=10058
Most people mis-interpret Romans 11 because they are Pre-Mill. Everything PreMills dont understand, nor believe has already happened, they throw off into the far future of the prophet writing the bible verse they are reading. Far future as in TODAY, 2000 years later. They assume that God is speaking to we Americans alive today in 2024. Yea, it's all about ME. Therefore when Paul says "God has not rejected His people" they assume, OK, God must have not rejected the Jews yet down to this very day (the year 2024), He must still have plans for them. It doesn't even occur to these 21st century readers that there might be an event future to Paul (i.e. 70 AD, since Romans was written in the early spring of AD 57), but in our past, when God did in fact REJECT HIS PEOPLE.
Oh no, that cant be, they reason, given all the FOREVER promises to the Jewish people (Israelites, Hebrews included). But they mis-interpret these Old Testament verses too (as well as Romans 11). God granted Israel a FOREVER SCHOLARSHIP. If they dont keep up their grades, they lose the scholarship. It was not an un-conditional covenant, in spite of what many Christian Zionist preachers mis-teach. Instead, it was a CONDITIONAL Covenant. For more on this, see the two links:
Have the Jews been Replaced
What about all those FOREVER promises to Israel
Here, regarding Romans 11, sadly to say, we have to part company with our beloved reformer and excellent scholar Jean Calvin (1550's) who said in his commentary on Romans 11: "(the Apostle) Paul wrote ... That it (the old covenant) should fail through any perfidiousness of men, was wholly unreasonable; for Paul holds this as a fixed principle, that since adoption is by grace, and based on God alone and not on men, it stands firm and inviolable, howsoever great the unfaithfulness of men may be, which may tend to abolish it."
Comment: Calvin is confusing how you GET into the covenant, with how you STAY in the covenant. You GET there like an adopted son, all Gods doing, none of yours, but in order to STAY a son, you have to persevere in the faith. This REQUIRES some obedience on your part, "it is he who endures unto the end that shall be saved".
Calvin is contradicting the P in TULIP. For even 5-point Calvinists hold that unless we "persevere" in the faith, we cannot lay hold on a claim to salvation, and thus we prove in this life, and by our lives that we scorn and despise the covenant.
We get kicked out of the covenant, and our names get REMOVED, from the book of Life. Our name was written in the book of life when we got adopted by God (this is not the same as election, it is merely membership in a covenant, i.e. the church or the synagogue, back then) but they can be erased. Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Also, logic would dictate. If your son mis-behaves so badly that you have to legally execute the criminal (your alcoholic son, before he takes more innocent life), is it OK to dis-own him first, before you kill him? Of course, that should have been done long before you have to execute him, just as a disciplinary measure. No-one gets an un-conditional covenant, else they will abuse it. Certainly not these Christ-hating, prophet killing Jews. "sons of God" includes Satan in the book of Job, because "sons" is used in generic sense, as in "offspring".
Let us examine Romans 11 closely, sentence by sentence, with comments inserted to clarify the systematic theology involved.
Romans 11:1 I say then, God has not rejected His people,
(ethnic or national Israel) has He? May it never be!
Comment:
Dispys think, this statement still applies today. It does not, for this was written in 57 AD, ALL ethnic or national Jews DID stumble as to fall by 70 AD, after the 144,000 got martyred.
Why then the extreme language: Romans 11:1 NIV I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! For I too am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew.
Gods Word Translation So I ask, "Has God rejected his people Israel?" That's unthinkable!
Literal Standard Version Let it not be!
Weymouth Trans No, indeed.
New Living Trans Of course not!
NKJV Certainly not!
NASB Far from it!
NASB95 May it never be!
CSB Absolutely not!
Douay-Rheims God forbid.
Why all the extreme language? Because Paul who wrote Romans 11 was unduely patriotic to his own people, the Jews. He said in Romans 9:2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. Romans 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh;
So, Paul is even willing to go to hell for all eternity, if the nation would just embrace Christ. Well thankfully for us today, God is no respecter of persons, He knew that the rubble of the Old Covenant had to be cleared away (by 70 AD) for the New Covenant People to thrive and prosper. I.E. the Christians. Justin Martyr 116 AD said: The Jews were behind all the persecutions of the Christians. They wandered through the country, everywhere hating and undermining the Christian faith.” Though Paul unduly favors the Jews, what does the Father think of them by 70 AD? Matt 24:28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
I.E. they are dead and stinking road kill, just waiting for the Roman Legions whose standards were Eagles to come and pick their bones clean. Jesus called them the synagogue of Satan.
By 62 AD Jesus said in Revelation 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
This is obviously prophecy about a future event. Jerusalem didn't fall till 70 AD.
However, it is true that at this time, (in the early spring of AD 57 when Romans was written) God has not YET forsaken His people (ethnic/national Israel i.e. the evil and adulterous generation per Jesus), but He would by 70 AD, just some 13 years later. God the Father wanted to "cut Israel (the fig tree) down at the end of Jesus ministry, but Jesus pleaded with Him to postpone it. Luke 13:6 Then He (Jesus) told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now
(the time of Jesus ministry) I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and have found none. Cut it down! Why does it use up the ground?’
for more on this see Israel is Gods Fig Tree
Now I know what some of you are thinking. "How could God go from Not forsaking His people, certainly not, may it never be, ... to dumping them in 13 short years?" Well consider what all happened in those 13 years from 57AD to 70AD. Nero would burn the slums section of Rome in 64 AD so he could build back better, but the wind would whip the fire to burn up a majority of the city, and there would be such an out cry against Nero that his Jewish wife Poppea would suggest he blame the fire on the Christians, which started the Great Tribulation. Christians being dowsed with oil, and strung up on crosses and lit on fire to light Neros garden parties at night, Christians being thrown to the lions in the Arena, hundreds of thousands of Christians being arrested and many put to death; an empire wide persection.
The Jews would rebel against Rome in 66 AD which meant they were free to kill Christians at will without Roman restraint. Remember what the Sanhedrin said to Pontius Pilate about Jesus: John 18:31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.”
The Jews, evidentally were so blood thirsty and unjust when Rome took over that Rome had to remove capital punishment from the Jews without a Roman trial first.
Then, mid-way into the Great Trib, God "cut those days short" with the rapture, then when Vespasian invaded the Judean province to bring them back under Roman Rule, gang warfare waged in the city of Jerusalem, and it was being constantly torn by 3 warring factions, creating a hell on earth in Jerusalem per Josephus. The Temple being desecrated with much innocent blood.
The gang warfare got so bad that they even burned their own supply of corn they had stored up in case of a siege by the Romans. Titus' generals pleaded with him to hold off approaching Jerusalem so that the killing could continue in the city, and so that the legions would face a greatly weakened foe when they finally did attack, but Titus didn't think this was the honorable way to fight a war, so he surrounded Jerusalem and just as the generals predicted, the Jews then united against their common foe, who lie just outside the city gates.
And what was God up to during the last half of these 13 years? Let us return to Josephus (Whiston translation):
Josephus Wars.6.5.3. ... Thus there was a star resembling a sword, which stood over the city, and a comet, that continued a whole year. Thus also before the Jews' rebellion, and before those commotions which preceded the war, when the people were come in great crowds to the feast of unleavened bread, on the eighth day of the month Xanthicus, [Nisan,] and at the ninth hour of the night, so great a light shone round the altar and the holy house, that it appeared to be bright day time; which lasted for half an hour. This light seemed to be a good sign to the unskillful, but was so interpreted by the sacred scribes, as to portend those events that followed immediately upon it.
At the same festival also, a heifer, as she was led by the high priest to be sacrificed, brought forth a lamb in the midst of the temple.
Moreover, the eastern gate of the inner [court of the] temple, which was of brass, and vastly heavy, and had been with difficulty shut by twenty men, and rested upon a basis armed with iron, and had bolts fastened very deep into the firm floor, which was there made of one entire stone, was seen to be opened of its own accord about the sixth hour of the night. Now those that kept watch in the temple came hereupon running to the captain of the temple, and told him of it; who then came up thither, and not without great difficulty was able to shut the gate again. This also appeared to the vulgar to be a very happy prodigy, as if God did thereby open them the gate of happiness. But the men of learning understood it, that the security of their holy house was dissolved of its own accord, and that the gate was opened for the advantage of their enemies. So these publicly declared that the signal foreshowed the desolation that was coming upon them.
Besides these, a few days after that feast, on the one and twentieth day of the month Artemisius, [Jyar,] a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared: I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for, before sun-setting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities.
Moreover, at that feast which we call Pentecost, as the priests were going by night into the inner [court of the temple,] as their custom was, to perform their sacred ministrations, they said that, in the first place, they felt a quaking, and heard a great noise, and after that they heard a sound as of a great multitude, saying, "Let us remove hence.
"But, what is still more terrible, there was one Jesus, the son of Ananus, a plebeian and a husbandman, who, four years before the war began, and at a time when the city was in very great peace and prosperity, came to that feast whereon it is our custom for every one to make tabernacles to God in the temple, began on a sudden to cry aloud, "A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and the holy house, a voice against the bridegrooms and the brides, and a voice against this whole people!"
This was his cry, as he went about by day and by night, in all the lanes of the city. However, certain of the most eminent among the populace had great indignation at this dire cry of his, and took up the man, and gave him a great number of severe stripes; yet did not he either say any thing for himself, or any thing peculiar to those that chastised him, but still went on with the same words which he cried
before.
Hereupon our rulers, supposing, as the case proved to be, that this was a sort of divine fury in the man, brought him to the Roman procurator, where he was whipped till his bones were laid bare; yet he did not make any supplication for himself, nor shed any tears, but turning his voice to the most lamentable tone possible, at every stroke of the whip his answer was, "Woe, woe to Jerusalem!"
And when Albinus [for he was then our procurator] asked him, Who he was? and whence he came? and why he uttered such words? he made no manner of reply to what he said, but still did not leave off his melancholy ditty, till Albinus took him to be a madman, and dismissed him. Now, during all the time that passed before the war began, this man did not go near any of the citizens, nor was seen by them while he said so; but he every day uttered these lamentable words, as if it were his premeditated vow,
"Woe, woe to Jerusalem!" Nor did he give ill words to any of those that beat him every day, nor good words to those that gave him food; but this was his reply to all men, and indeed no other than a melancholy presage of what was to come.
This cry of his was the loudest at the festivals; and he continued this ditty for seven years and five months, without growing hoarse, or being tired therewith, until the very time that he saw his presage in earnest fulfilled in our siege, when it ceased; for as he was going round upon the wall, he cried out with his utmost force, "Woe, woe to the city again, and to the people, and to the holy house!" And just as he added at the last, "Woe, woe to myself also!" there came a stone out of one of the engines, and smote him, and killed him immediately; and as he was uttering the very same presages he gave up the ghost.
Wars.6.5.4. Now if any one consider these things, he will find that God takes care of mankind, and by all ways possible foreshows to our race what is for their preservation; but that men perish by those miseries which they madly and voluntarily bring upon themselves;
Romans 11:1 (continued) For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people
(ethnic/national Israel) whom He foreknew.
Comment: Paul is laying out his pedigree. The very thing that all National Israel, all blood Jews, were trusting to get them to Heaven, i.e. "we are sons of Abraham". So, yes God has not rejected national Israel as of yet, as of the late 50s when Romans was written. But 70 AD is coming.
Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have torn down your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life." 4 But what is the divine response to him? "I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time (57 AD) a REMNANT according to God's gracious choice.
Comment: a remnant of Jewry, that either IS saved now, i.e. embraced Christ and thus has been excommunicated from the synagogue, or WILL get saved prior to 70 AD. At least 144,000 Jews would yet get saved, per book of Rev. These were the ONLY Messianic Jews. After 70 AD there could be no more Mess Jews, since there was no more Jewry. Paul was part of the remnant, he was a Messianic Jew, today that is impossible.
For Romans 11:6,7,8,9,10 see God will send them Strong Delusion
Romans 11:11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they?
Comment: Not yet, but 70 AD is coming. God is still giving them a chance to repent and avoid the invasion.
May it never be!
Comment: Colloquialism, pleasantry, a well wisher, like “O King Live Forever” the standard greeting in the book of Daniel, not a prophecy.
But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles,
(Comment: What transgression CAUSED salvation to come to the Gentiles) Was it the Jews murder of John the Baptist, persecution of the church (1 Thess 2:14-16), the constant harassment, throwing out of town, and beatings of Paul, the casting of fellow Jews out of the synagogue for believing in Jesus. Answer: The Crucifixion of Christ was the only wrong that could make “But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles”.
This answers the question of WHO Crucified Jesus? The bible says the Romans were just the instrument or the sword in the hand of the Jews, that did it, but the JEWS were ultimately responsible (Mt 27:22,23, 25 Jn 18:30,35 Jn 19:11. See also “whom YOU crucified” Peters sermon Acts 2:36.)
Continuing on with Romans 11:11
to make them
(Comment: the Jews) jealous. 12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!
After the 144,000 Jews get saved (and martyred) between 66 and 70 AD, Judaism's purpose is fulfilled. Time to end it. After that, no more Jews. When you are fulfilled or "full" you are done. You cant hold any more. Once the fulfillment or full number of elect Jews got saved, God could clear the rubble of the Old Covenant away [of apostate, Christ rejecting Jewry] and make great progress w. His N.T. church, in the millennium unhampered, un-persecuted by the old covenant people-of-God. Note the Jews were always the persecutors of the Christians through out the New Testament. Even when the Romans persecuted Christians, prior to 70 AD it was at Jewish instigation.
1 Thessalonians 2:14 "For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they {did} from the Jews, 15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, 16 hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost."
Well, when they were full, in 70 AD they had filled up the measure of their sins.
Some of you readers "in the know" today will be thinking, "well that sure hasn't happened. The Jews RUN America today, and lead us into all sin, even today, i.e. ACLU suing over nativity scenes, and public schools Christmas holiday becoming winter holidays, "seasons greetings", etc." Jewish neo-cons always war-mongering, all the trans-gender crap and LGBTQ madness foisted upon is by the Talmudists, Jewish controlled Hollywood, Jewish controlled News Media, Jewish controlled text books in our schools, Jewish Federal Reserve, on and on. The answer to all this is: they are only so-called Jews, not real Jews. They are fake Jews, who have deceived the Dispys and the American Public. And if they were all gone, tomorrow, God would raise up another cohesive group to try the church, to teach the church the lessons she needs.
It would be the Muslims, (who conquered all of Christian Europe over the span of 600-750's, probably because of corruption in the church, or Jewish mastery of Christianity which it took the Muslims to purge out) or the Mormons, ruling over us, just like the Talmudic Jews of today do, controlling our money supply, causing recessions getting us into wasteful wars, then turning over control of these lands to our cruel masters, running up our national debt, and requiring the casting couch of all Hollywood "stars" and models. Corrupting our youth. Requiring our rock bands to promote sex, drugs, gender blending, etc in order to get top billing, attacking everything that is Christian or moral, e.g. by promoting: same sex marriage, breakdown of the family via womens lib, free love movement, abortion, more than 2 sexes changeable at will, driving God out of the schools via teaching evolution, teaching that Diversity is Strength, when in reality it creates Racial tension, etc. All is going according to the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion.
Therefore it is our job as a Christian Commonwealth to handle whatever God throws at us in whatever century we are in. In the 1500's the big enemy was the Roman Catholic Church (just read Luther), In the first 300 years after 70AD, the big enemy frequently was Rome, but Jewry has been the perennial enemy of Christianity ever since they started persecuting the prophets, and especially since Jesus day. Jesus, that false messiah (per the Jews) who tried to wipe out the Levitical priesthood, do away w. the temple and its animal sacrifices, lay to rest the ceremonial law, and declare Himself King of the Jews. It is war to the death between the false king Jesus (per the Jews) and the Rabbis who love their places of honor. But who-ever our current tutor is, God expects us to conquer them. And it has been ever thus.
Genesis 4:7 NASB 1995 “(Cain) If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”
I re-emphasize. GOD EXPECTS US TO MASTER IT. That translates today into, God expects us to master, conquer Talmudic Judaism, and if during the next 100 years the Muslims rule the world, He will expect us to master them too. And if during the 3rd hundred years it is the FreeMasons, or some Alien race from another planet, with another false religion, then He will expect us to master them too. Not hating them, giving them every opportunity to convert to Christianity, but still effectively opposing them and keeping justice and peace on earth (i.e. prosecuting them for blackmail, bribery, pedophilia, child trafficking, kidnapping, treason, acts of terrorism and war crimes) all of which Israel, and by extension the USA today, are guilty of, since the symbolism of the Book of Revelation holds true today as well.
The great harlot (Judaism) holds the reigns of and controls the beast (USA and its current world empire)] Where they have committed crimes, it is the Christian Commonwealth's job to try them, find them guilty and jail and execute them. Jesus wants a warrior bride. That is the concept of the church militant per the theologians.
There is only one true religion, that of King Jesus. Only one true bride (in training), the church universal (this is not necessairily organized religion, rather think of it as "the elect" from the 4 corners of the earth; the "no one can come to me except the Father draw him" crowd, and He is drawing many from outside the organized church.) The cowardly church of today (in America) has no idea how to lead, nor even where to lead. These pastors just want to do evangelism and keep the sheep in the pen, and wait for the rapture to rescue them out of the mess their country is in which is falling apart all around them. This church needs an enemy (Jewry) to show them how to lead, and to force them to band together to defeat their common enemy.
Also, consider that we get the government we deserve. What does the lazy, modern church of today deserve? She is materialistic, National Govt idolizing, US Military might idolizing, COVID compliant, lets spend all our money on building programs, and salaries, and none on the care and cleaning up of the nation, as a whole i.e. on politics. Oh yea the church is into "putting out fires" in individuals lives, but never into "preventing the fires" through policy. Never into the spiritual health and wellbeing of the body politic.
Does the Synagogue (and her members) emphasize and/or spend money on politics? Please compare the activities and spending patterns of the two, and see which is more effective in controlling the USA. How many Jews are in Government? In the news media? In Hollywood? The Jews even control the Federal Reserve, and thus can print as much money as they wish and buy out any one they wish. And cause booms and busts in our national economy at will. Compare that to the power of the church. Prayer is her most powerful weapon, but she needs to develop her other weapons. She would never think of flexing her political muscle. Of banding together with other churches to get a Christian candidate elected to Political Office, Of boycotting certain businesses or movies, of telling her sons to avoid fighting in certain unBiblical wars, etc. I.E. she would never think of becoming what God wants her to be in the millennium, A WARRIOR BRIDE.
Now you men, consider this. What kind of Bride do you want. A lazy hussy who barely does any of the housework, expects her hubby to make her breakfast in bed each day, carry her around, to the bathroom, to the car, so she doesn't even have to walk. Waiting around to get raptured so she can be taken to heaven, after her life of ease down here on earth. That is on one end of the spectrum. The other end of the spectrum is a warrior bride. She is a hard worker, an excellent example to others, and fully supports her hubby in all he does, even enjoys fighting along side him, she fiercely believes in all that hubby stands for, and enthusiastically praises him and willingly gives him her love, because he is her hero in the fight. So what do you think our husband Jesus wants? Continuing on with Romans 11.
Romans 11:13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them.
(them who? National-Ethnic Israel)15 For if THEIR rejection
(Comment: Now, who is the “THEIR” here? Note to all you Dispys. It is NOT national/ethnic Israel, anymore, nor all Jews in Pauls day, nor all fake Jews of Today. See prior verse “save some of them”. If they get "saved" they are the Remnant. If Paul is trying to make them Jealous back in 57AD, then it cannot be talking about the phony "Jews" of today. Since Judaism ended in 70 AD. I cannot stress this shift in pronoun modification enough. I cannot stress the importance of understanding verse 15 enough. Upon mis-understanding this verse hangs the entire refutation of Replacement Theology by the Dispys. If you miss this shift, you and your childrens children will be ruled by Jews for the rest of planet earth's history, because you will always believe God still has a plan for the "Jews" Therefore they deserve "special" treatment. From this verse on to the end of the chapter, Paul is talking about the Remnant, NOT National/Ethnic Israel
This remnant that Paul is talking about, that he is trying to woo, to make jealous are elect Jews, having a current status of being NOT SAVED, in fact, acting as normal Jews in 57Ad they would be enemies of the cross of Christ at this time, taking their cue from the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, and since they are a part of Judaism and as yet unsaved they are considered to be broken off branches, along with the rest of unbelieving Judaism. But these branches, being elect, would get saved, would be beloved for the sake of the fathers, would get grafted in to the vine (Christ) again as New Covenant Christians.
There are two ways of interpreting Romans 11:15, and I know not which is best. Perhaps some koine Greek scholar or seminary prof can help me out in the future. Here is the first way.
Romans 11:15 New International Version
For if their (57AD Jewish Remnant) rejection (of Christ) brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance (of Christ) be but life from the dead?
New Living Translation
For since their (57AD Jewish Remnant) rejection (of Christ) meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their (57AD Jewish Remnant) acceptance (of Christ) will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead!
English Standard Version
For if their (57AD Jewish Remnant) rejection (of Christ) means the reconciliation of the world, what will their (57AD Jewish Remnant) acceptance (of Christ) mean but life from the dead?
Berean Standard Bible
For if their (57AD Jewish Remnant) rejection (of Christ) is the reconciliation of the world, what will their (57AD Jewish Remnant) acceptance (of Christ) be but life from the dead?
Berean Literal Bible
For if their (57AD Jewish Remnant) rejection (of Christ) is the reconciliation of the world, what will their (57AD Jewish Remnant) acceptance (of Christ) be if not life out from the dead?
King James Bible
For if the casting away of (Christ by) them (57AD Jewish Remnant) be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of (Christ, by) them (57AD Jewish Remnant) be, but life from the dead?
New King James Version
For if their (57AD Jewish Remnant) being cast away is the (possible)reconciling of the (gentile) world, what will their (57AD Jewish Remnant) acceptance be but life from the dead?
New American Standard Bible
For if their (57AD Jewish Remnant) rejection (of Christ) proves to be the reconciliation of the world, what will their (57AD Jewish Remnant) acceptance (of Christ) be but life from the dead?
Comment: the Greek literally says If for the rejection of or by them is the reconciliation of the world what will be the acceptance (of or by them) if not life out from the dead.
The second way of interpreting Romans 11:15 is: If the rejection of Jewish branches means that Paul can now turn to the gentiles ...i.e. that the gospel can now be opened up to the whole world of gentiles see v 17. Paul means here, by the word "world" two things. First he means elect branches from all over the world, i.e. elect Gentile individuals, not literally each and every man in the whole World. And secondly, if the old world creation (spiritual world, firmament-way-of-relating-to-God was "burned up" in 70 AD, it had to get replaced by a "new world" or "new creation", based on a "new covenant". I.E. a new firmament (boundary) between God and man was erected. So for example it would now read New American Standard Bible For if their (57AD Jewish Remnant) rejection (of themselves) proves to be the (major aid in the) reconciliation of the (Gentile) world, (by freeing up, most of Pauls time from refuting stony Jewish hearts, so he could concentrate on the Gentiles) what will their (57AD Jewish Remnant) acceptance be but life from the dead?
Note “their acceptance” is just individual elect Jews, accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, i.e. the remnant, NOT NATIONAL ISRAEL, AS THE PREMILLS SAY, so when these now apparently DEAD Branches [elect Jews] “believe in Jesus” they will get grafted back in again, and it will be life from the dead for them). Under the Dispy scheme, if "life from the dead" means all of national Israel today, or "all Jews in the world, right now", one must ask When did National Israel ever get rejected in Pauls day to fulfill "For if their rejection" in verse 15? Remember that Dispys answer verse 1 of this chapter with a resounding "NO" God HAS NOT YET REJECTED HIS PEOPLE and they would add, down to this very day. When do the Dispys say the Branches of National-ethnic Israel ever got broken off, if God has not yet rejected His people down to this very day, May it Never Be, or Certainly Not! So we see that it doesn't fit to put National Israel or all Jews in here.
Romans 11:16 If the first piece of dough is holy,
Comment: KJV says First Fruits, i.e. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the fathers, who were definitely saved, i.e. regenerated the lump is also
Comment: the “lump” here, must be the Jewish remnant, for Apostate National Israel can in no way be called “holy” In fact Jesus said “where the dead body is (O.T. Israel), there the vultures (Roman legions) will gather”; and if the root is holy, the (ELECT) branches are too.
Comment: Paul cannot possibly mean all National Israel, or ALL Jewish Branches, because in the next verse he is going to say “branches were broken off because of their unbelief”
Romans 11:17 But if some of the branches were broken off,
comment: individual Jews
and you,
comment: Gentiles
being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches
Comment: individual Jews
but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who support the root
Comment: the root is Jesus, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief,
Comment: sounds like a conditional covenant after all, not an unconditional promise of the land, by God to the Jews, no matter WHAT the Jews do with Christ, or how badly they disobey, as most Dispys believe. For further proof that Israels relationship with Yahweh was conditional see Jeremiah 18:01-12; Joshua 23:10-12; Judges 2:1; Matt 3:5-12; 1 Chronicles 28:4,9; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Josh 23:19-20; Josh 21:43-45; 1 Samuel 2:30; Psalm 132:11-14, 17; Isaiah 24:5; Psalm 89:38-52 but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited , but fear ; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.
Comment: This is where the Calvinists get the P in tuliP. The P is perseverance of the saints, i.e. we have a conditional covenant too. You must persevere in the faith, to the end, to be saved.
This is contrary to what Rev. Ted Pike (TruthTellers.org) ends his videos with, bashing Calvinism. Ted has some excellent videos though, UNHOLY ALLIANCE, THE OTHER ISRAEL, HATE LAWS-MAKING CRIMINALS OF CHRISTIANS, which I recommend you buy off his website www.truthtellers.org, if you can stomach the premillennialism (chiliasm) and Calvinism bashing. Regarding Replacement Theology, Ted makes the same elementary mistake that all baby Christians make, assuming that just because a verse says something is in the future, it must mean it is in our future today, 2000 years later. It never occurs to these baby Christians that the Bible was written 2000 years ago, and maybe a few events alluded to as future in the verse they are reading, got fulfilled just a few short years later, thus putting them in our past. First rule of hermeneutics is who was this written to, and when. What was their situation that the prophet was addressing. Dont just lift a verse out of Scripture and apply it DIRECTLY to America today in 2024.
Rev Ted Pike makes this mistake several times in the first 3 minutes into his TruthTellers.org mp3 on "Does Christs New Covenant Replace the Old" where he says "In the Bible, God offered 2 covenants to the Jews, both conditional upon obedience, and both in existence today (I say yes conditional upon obedience, but no on "in existence today")
"In Romans 9 the apostle Paul describes first the Abrahamic covenant. It told the Hebrews that if they obeyed God, He would reward them with racial, territorial and spiritual blessings in their role as priests and holy people in His perfect Kingdom. Comment: I dont know where Ted gets "in His perfect Kingdom" from. Romans 9 knows nothing of a perfect kingdom, and Abraham was never promised a perfect kingdom on earth.
I assume Ted is referring to the premill view of the millennium when Jesus comes back say in the 21st century and physically rules from Jerusalem, and rules the nations with a rod of iron, and the Jews rule along side Him. In that perfect kingdom, at the second coming of Christ. Problem with that is hermeneutics again. God is promising the Jews in Abrahams day, say 2000 BC. Hey if you guys will just obey, you will get racial, territorial and spiritual blessings in your role as priests and holy people in My perfect Kingdom 4000 years from now. Wow, they would be thinking, what a worthless promise. Is God an idiot? To offer me a reward 4000 years in the future, if I pay the high price of obeying NOW? That is really deferred gratification. Any one of us would say, no thanks God, you can keep your 4000 year future rewards, I am going to enjoy my life on earth right now. God did you know that I wont even be alive 4k years from now, to enjoy those territorial blessings.
Oh no, Ted might say, God meant if the Jews of Abrahams day would obey immediately, then God would usher in his perfect kingdom even in Abrahams day. I say, how then would the prophecy be fulfilled "You shall bruise his head, and he shall bruise your heel". If God sets up His perfect kingdom in Abrahams day, when Jesus gets incarnated (into this perfect kingdom) how perfect is it that His heel gets bruised? Conclusion, we must reject the "perfect kingdom" part of Teds statement.
But continuing on Ted says; The Abrahamic covenant also carried with it, the reverse, cursing upon rebellious Hebrews, and separation from any covenant promise what so ever. Comment: Ted is not using words accurately here. The Hebrews never got separated from the covenant promises, they got separated from the blessings, when they dis-obeyed, but the cursing part of the promise didn't get separated from them, it was applied to them. So they were never separated from the covenant promises, as long as the covenant was in force by God, which I maintain, ended in 70 AD.
But continuing on with Teds mp3. "The book of Hebrews, chapter 8, however describes a better spiritual covenant. Offering up a pure heart as provided by Jesus to Jewish Christians today but would be given to a repentant Jewish remnant at the second coming of Christ. Comment: the writer of Hebrews in chapter 8 is quoting Jeremiah 31:31-34 which no-where says anything about the second coming of Christ.
Ted is wrong here, he is reading his pre-mill beliefs into these verses, when they say nothing of the kind. When did God make this new covenant with the house of Israel Hebrews 8:10? answer, when Jesus said at the last supper, "this is the new covenant in My blood"
which by the say applied to ALL manner of men, not just to the Jews. When did God "put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and remember their sins and iniquities no more?"per Jeremiah 31?
Well Hebrews 10 tells us the answer. NOT AT ANY PREMILL 2ND COMING OF CHRIST, no, but when the new covenant was given to all men, not just to the Jews.
Consider Hebrews 10:9 Then He (Jesus)adds, “Here I am, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first (covenant)to establish the second (covenant). 10And by that will, we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
(Hey Ted, who is the "we" here? Just Jews at Jesus 2nd coming, or all Christians?) 11Day after day every priest stands to minister and to offer again and again the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when this Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. 13Since that time, He waits for His enemies to be made a footstool for His feet, 14because by a single offering He has made perfect for all time those who are being sanctified.
(Hey Ted, who are "those who are being sanctified" Greek present ongoing tense, are being sanctified)? All Christians, or just the Jews at Jesus 2nd coming?
Hebrews 10:15The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says: 16“This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their hearts and inscribe them on their minds.” 17Then He adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”18And where these have been forgiven, an offering for sin is no longer needed.
(Hey Ted, who is the "them" in "this is the covenant I will make with them" in verse 16 above? Jews at Jesus 2nd coming, or Christians in Pauls day and for year 2024 Christians today)? Just because Jeremiah 31:31 says "a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah"
, did you fall for the literalist trap of thinking that this could not be the church?
Who is the Israel of God in the New Testament? per Galatians 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 6:16, "And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be upon them, and mercy, even upon the Israel of God."
Paul warned you about taking "Israel" too literally in Romans 9:6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE NAMED.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants (seed KJV). Galatians 3:29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:26 For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
But continuing on with Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Placed by the blood of Jesus, 20by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
(Hey Ted, notice how Paul connects Heb 10:17 with 18, and 19 meaning the Jeremiah quote applies to Christians, to the Church today, NOT to Jews only at the 2nd coming of Christ in some "perfect kingdom"). And now for the final nail in your premillennialism. Heb 10:23 Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. 25 Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
(Hey Ted, what day was approaching?) That Paul could see happening in his day? That the Christians of his day should spur one another on to love and good deeds, because they could plainly "see the day drawing near"? You dont know do you. Thats because you are premill and not a replacement theologian. You are blinded by Jewish propaganda. The day drawing near is 70 AD when your 2nd coming of Christ happened. I dont like to number the comings of Christ, I prefer to say the "soon coming day of the Lord" spoken about all over the New Testament, day of wrath and judgment against the Jews", i.e. 70 AD". To listen to Teds false arguments in his own voice, I am including a 3 minute link here. here
For further proof that Jeremiah 31 is talking about Christians, not Jews in some perfect kingdom at the 2nd coming of Christ, consider 2 cor 6:16 For ye are the temple of the living God. As God hath said: “I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
Who are the temple of God? Jews, or Christians?
Continuing on with Teds mp3, "In order to answer the question, Does Christs New Covenant Replace the Old, we must understand both the physical and spiritual covenants which Scripture says still apply to Jews." Comment, No scripture doesnt say that. It says they still apply to the Jews in Pauls day, but not after 70 AD, so not still in our own day 2024.
Ted: Lets start with the old, largely physical covenant as considered in Romans 9. Here Paul describes his unbelieving Israelite Kinsmen, for whom, he says he has continual sorrow. Desiring that they be saved. These, he later concerns, are "enemies of Christians" Romans 11:28. He says that the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants still apply to them. Comment: yes, still in 57 AD when Romans was written, but not still today.
Ted: To them pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God and the promises. Now pertaineth in the Greek is in the present, continuous action tense. In other words, Paul is saying these covenants are going on now. Comment: here is the elementary mistake. present tense in 57AD does not necessarily mean present tense in the 21st century.
Ted: Paul is saying that God has a long range agenda and investment in the Jews that He is going to fulfill. Comment: Paul is saying NO SUCH THING. Judaism ended in 70 AD.
Now continuing on with a proper exposition of Romans 11.
22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God ; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness ; otherwise you also will be cut off.
(Our covenant is conditional too, just like the Jews). Hebrews 10:39 NAS But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul..
Romans 11:23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
Comment: again, this is NOT referring to national Israel all getting saved today, rather it refers to the possibility of the Jewish remnant, individual Jews getting saved pre 70 AD, of which the 144,000 made up some of that number. But for the vast majority of Jews in Pauls day "Romans 11:23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief," would mean, failure for them, because they WOULD CONTINUE IN THEIR UNBELIEF per Luke 13:23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few (Jews, from THIS generation) that be saved? And he said unto them ... Luke 13:28 "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out (Literally eckballo Greek for excommunicated)."
Continuing with Romans 11:25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, so that you will not be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel
Comment: Why does Paul say "partial hardening" here? Does he mean that some Jews were saved and the rest were hardened? No, that was evident to everyone. All the Apostles were Jewish, and saved. Most of the disciples till Antioch were Jewish. It was common knowledge to everyone that part of the Jews were saved and part hardened. Paul is wasting our time if that is what he is pointing out, "Brethren, I do not want you to be uninformed of this mystery". It's no big mystery, and no-one is un-informed about it at this time in 57AD.
The hardening is called "partial" because Some of Remnant Israel was already saved but many (144,000 yet to come as 70 AD approached) of the elect were still not saved, "hardened" if you will. In fact they were acting like typical Jews of their day, see verse 28 "From the standpoint of the Gospel, they are enemies "for your sake" or "as towards you". These would eventually get saved vs 31 "they may also now be shown mercy". So Paul is saying, Hey dont hate the Jews, nor have a superiority attitude towards them because those branches were broken off, here is a mystery I will tell you to prevent you from thinking you are wiser than the Jews, in your own estimation. The mystery is that, many of those Jews that you hate, that you think you are wiser than, they will end up being your brothers up in heaven for all eternity, and they may even have more heavenly treasure than you as those 144,000 wear their martyers crown and you dont. There are a lot of Jewish remnant left who currently are hardened, but who will get saved in the very near future.
until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved;
Comment: "fullness" here refers to the count of gentiles that would "come in" or "get saved" before the Jew - Gentile distinction ended. It ended in 70 AD with the destruction of the temple and of the clean-unclean distinction and with the destruction of the ceremonial law. Indeed Paul says "there is no difference between Jew, nor Greek (gentile), between male, nor female, nor bond nor free" , in Christ
, i.e. in the kingdom. If that middle wall of partition has been broken down (Eph 2:14), then no more Jews means there also are no more gentiles either, since gentile is defined as "non-Jew" Non-nothing = nothing. There are no more gentiles in the new covenant (as well as no more Jews). Only believers and unbelievers.
So the partial hardening has happened to Israel until the full count or full number of Gentiles gets saved, "and so all Israel (that is going to get saved) will be saved". Another way of saying this is "all the Jewish remnant will get saved by the time all the gentiles God wants saved arrive. Dont worry about those partially hardened Remnant Jews, ALL of em will get saved in due time". Thus ALL ISRAEL will be saved. After 70 AD, the Jewish covenant has been obsoleted (Heb 8:13) which means no more Jews. Unless you wish to call Christians the new Jews, per Romans 2:28, Phil 3:2, Gal 6:15, etc. or the TRUE Jews. But, the term "Jew" has such bad connotations in the world today, it is better to let Christians be called Christians and the phony Jews be called "Jews" or 'Talmudists' if they are serious about their faith (which is satanic).
Romans 11:26 continued; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB
Comment: “the deliverer” does this by saving spiritual Jacob [the remnant]. Paul cannot be talking about some future 2000 years from this writing “Jacob” due to verse 31.
Romans 11:27 "FOR THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS." 28 From the standpoint of the gospel they
Comment: Remnant as of yet Unsaved Israel not National Israel are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Comment: and so the elect Jews, the Remnant, held on to their Gifts and Calling. If one wants to make this apply to "all national Israel", that God can never revoke what He has given to National Israel, as all you Dispys do, then let this be your example.
Numbers 14:26-39 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,
Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. But as for you, your carcass, they shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness. After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die. And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land, Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD. But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still. And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.
So, for those Christian Zionists out there who would say "God will NEVER forsake Israel", his gifts and callings are IRREVOCABLE. I would have to ask you. What about the 10 spies who gave the bad report? Did their gift and calling to "enter the land" get REVOKED? What about that whole faithless generation, did their gift and calling get REVOKED? God counts Himself as being faithful to His promise to bring them into the land by BRINGING IN THEIR CHILDREN INSTEAD OF THEM. I.E. they got REPLACED by their children.
This is what replacement theology is all about. The Church has REPLACED Israel ever since 70 AD and God counts Himself as being faithful to this Romans 11:29 promise by imputing those "gifts and calling" to the church, which is the spiritual child of unfaithful Jewry the True israel remnant, i.e. the church. So there. God kept His forever promise to Abraham, and to the Jews down thru the ages, by causing the children to inherit. Then, just as with that faithless generation, that refused to go into the land, who said "we will not have this man to rule over us", God disposes of the no-longer-needed-type-of-Christ. Clear the rubble away so that the new mustard seedling can grow into the Kingdom of Heaven where someday all the birds can rest in its branches.
Matthew 24:28 For wheresoever the carcass is (O.T.Jewry), there will the eagles (Roman legions ensigns of 70 AD that surrounded Jerusalem) be gathered together.
30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.
(Comment: the word "NOW", cannot mean here in the 21st century. It must be talking about elect Jews, the Remnant. They were the only Jews that got shown mercy. National Israel [i.e. that generation] got wrath to the utmost 1 Thess 2:14-16 and judgment and Diaspora in 70 AD) 32 For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.
(comment: the day you eat thereof you shall surely die. Fact is, the day of our first sin, we all deserve to die, but God shows us mercy by letting us live a normal life, causing His rain to fall on the just and the unjust alike, why the mercy, the extra time? "in order that we might seek Him (Acts 17:26,27)"
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways ! 34 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR ? 35 Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN ? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
So, you see, Romans 11 does not contradict the rest of Scripture.
God has indeed REPLACED:
Israel, the Jews, Jacob, Zion, Jerusalem,
with the Church.
And these are the verses that prove that: Romans 2:8,9 Heb 8:13 Rm 9:6-8 Gal 3:29 Phil 3:2 Mt 23:33 1Thess 2:16 Rev 17
the millstone is the temple, cast into the sea, the gentiles are symbolized by the sea in the book of Revelation. See also Lk 13:28 Lk 13:6 Gen 49:10.
For an in-depth exposition of all these verses go to Have the Jews been Replaced