BACKGROUND: Desirable background information to better understand this teaching includes:

** The olive tree was of great importance to the Jews. Olive oil was used to anoint kings and prophets. Olive oil was burned for light in the Temple menorah (representing two parts of the Holy Trinity-- oil: Holy Spirit; and Light: Jesus). Olive trees live for centuries. Jesus likely walked among some olive trees still living in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He may have prayed under one of them before His arrest.

** As it grows, an olive tree produces numerous off-shoots ("suckers" in the South, where I live) from the roots at the base of the trunk. Even if cut to the ground, an olive tree will rebound from its roots.

** Olive tree branches must be pruned to increase productivity (increase harvest).

** Speaking of Israel's end-time restoration, Israel's beauty is compared to an olive tree (Hosea 14:6a): His branches shall spread; his beauty shall be like an olive tree;.... 

** An important Messianic prophecy is given in Isaiah 11:1-5, of which verse 1 reads: There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

** Matthew describes Jesus as a Nazarene (Mathew 2:23a): And [Jesus] came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth,.... To be a native of Nazareth was an insult in the eyes of most Jews at that time. Linguists disagree with the origin of Nazareth, but some believe it came from the Hebrew netser, which means "shoot" or "sprout." Such a translation would fit well with this passage and Isaiah's prophecy, that is, Jesus grew up in the village of the "shoot" and through Him the wild olive shoot was used for His church. Such symbolism would also be in keeping with the birthplace of both David and Jesus. Bethlehem comes from the Hebrew Beyth Lechem, translated "House of Bread," and is symbolically significant because Jesus said (John 6:35), "I am the bread of life...."

PAUL'S PROPHETIC TEACHING: This teaching is found in Romans 11:11-32. Since I cannot reproduce every verse (space limitation), please follow in your Bible.

Romans 11:11-13: Paul teaches that any stumbling and fall of the Jews comes to provoke them to jealousy and provide salvation to the Gentiles. The Jews entered the final phase of the Diaspora (worldwide dispersal) in AD 70, which lasted until 1948. As a people, the Jews had rejected the Messiah, and their punishment was removal from their homeland for a season. God's judgment follows a simple formula: He offers man a gift out of the richness of His love. If His gift is rejected, God's punishment may follow. 

Romans 11:13-15: Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, speaks to Gentiles (Christians) in this passage. Paul wishes to stir jealousy (to provoke love for Jesus), by telling Gentiles of the Jews' Messiah.

Romans 11:16: Jesus is the First Fruit-- the first man (Man, as Son of Man through Mary) to be resurrected to eternal life under God's New Covenant relationship with man. If Jesus is raised from the dead, we who follow Him can likewise expect to be raised to eternal life.

Romans 11:17-18: God is the Husbandman of His olive tree, Israel. When the natural branches-- the Jews-- became unproductive, He broke off the natural branches, as would any earthly caretaker prune his olive trees. This occurred in AD 70, when the natural branches-- the Jews-- were broken out of the tree of Israel and carried into slavery. But, there arose a wild olive tree from the roots of the tree of Israel-- the Christians. This occurred on the Day of Pentecost, probably in AD 33 (see Acts 2:1). God took branches from this wild shoot and grafted them into His olive tree, that His tree might again be fruitful. (See prophecy above from Isaiah 11:1, that a Branch would arise from the stump of Jesse. Jesse was David's father. David was considered the Jews' ideal king. Jesus will return as King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). One of Jesus' titles is "Son of David" (nineteen New Testament verses). At all times, whether the branches have been natural (Jews) or wild (Christians), the roots of the tree (God) have anchored the tree and supplied nourishment. This nourishment flowed through the trunk (Jesus) to the branches. The early Christian church was Jewish in character, but soon Gentiles were welcomed (see Acts, chapter 10). The Christian church has often sinned against God by being anti-Semitic. Paul clearly warns the grafted, wild branches (Christians) against this sin (11:18): ...do not boast against the [natural] branches.

Romans 11:19-24: Paul acknowledges that Christians might boast, by having replaced the Jews and that such action was taken because of the Jews' disbelief, but he warns (verses 20b-21): Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.

God's intention for the natural branches, which have been pruned from His tree, is shown in Romans 11:22b-24: ... you [the wild branches] will also will be cut off. And they [the natural branches] ... will be grafted in [His tree], for God is able to graft them in again. For if you [wild branches] were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? When will the wild, engrafted branches (Gentiles) be "cut off" from the tree? This action will occur at the Rapture, when Christians will be "snatched away" in the twinkling of an eye, to be with Jesus in Paradise. When will the natural branches (Jews) be put back into the tree? During the Tribulation, a time also called "Jacob's (Israel's) trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7), the LORD declares He will deal graciously with Jews to break the yoke from their necks, tear off their bonds, and free them from slavery (Jeremiah 30:8); and He will soften their hearts and open their eyes and ears (Romans 11:7-12, and other Scriptures).

Romans 11:25: Paul tells us a mystery (a truth known to God, but not yet revealed to us). God has caused "blindness" to come upon Jews until "the fulness of Gentiles has come in." I interpret "fullness of Gentiles" to be the number of Christians that will be saved under the New Covenant, before the Rapture/ Resurrection occurs. "Fullness" translates the Greek word pleroma (pronunced: PLAY-row-mah), and means the filling of a required quota (for example, the filling of the number of crewmen before a ship sails).

Romans 11:26-27: Paul tells us the reason for the manipulation of these "olive branches" (Romans 11:26a): And so all Israel will be saved.... Salvation is God's ultimate plan for Jews.

SYNOPSIS: Paul's writings are sometimes difficult to follow. I will agan summarize his teaching:

** God's olive tree: Israel.

** Husbandman (caretaker) of this olive tree: God.

** Roots of the tree: God, the source of anchoring and supporting the tree and nourishing the branches.

** Trunk of the tree: Jesus, through which God's nourishment (His Word-- laws and covenants) flows from Him to the branches.

** Natural branches: Jews (Hebrews > Israelites > Jews).

** Time natural branches in tree: First: From Abraham until AD 70 (when stripped from the olive tree by the Roman legions). And again in the future: From the Rapture until the Second Coming of Jesus the Messiah.

** Wild branches: Christians, from Jesse, to David, to Jesus, through generations of Christians to present Christians.

** Time wild branches in the tree: Fom the Day of Pentecost, AD 33, until the Rapture (a future event).

** Purpose of branches, whether natural or wild: To bear fruit (souls) for God's kingdom.

ADDITIONAL TEACHINGS: God has a special relationship with the Jews. In a future newsletter, I will explore this relationship in greater detail. For the purpose of this newsletter, though, consider the following:

** Jesus, the One New Man: Jesus came as the One New Man, to reconcile Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:13-14, 16, 18): But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He... has made both [Jews and Gentiles] one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,... that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross.... For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

** Warning against harming God's Covenant People: Of several Scriptures, the earliest pertinent Scripture comes from part of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:2-3): [The LORD said to Abram] "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the all of the families of the earth shall be blessed." [NOTE: The last phrase, which I have underlined, is regarded as a promise of the coming Messiah and the advent of Christianity.]

** Shameful treatment of Jews by Christians/ Replacement theology:

The history of treatment of Jews by "Christians" has been shameful. Examples include:

***** During the Crusades (eleventh - thirteenth centuries), "Christian" crusaders pillaged the Holy Land, murdering all Jews who refused to convert to Christianity in the name of the Christ.

***** During the Spanish Inquisition (1478 - 1834), the Catholic Church confiscated Jews' possessions. They forced Jews to be baptized "as a Christian." They burned alive marranos ("pigs"-- Jews who converted to "Christanity," but still practiced their Jewish faith in secrecy).

***** Adoph Hitler in "Christian" Germany had as an all-consuming goal-- the annihilation of Jews. He ordered Kristallnacht ("Night of Broken Glass") in 1938 to destroy Jewish businesses, burn synagogues, confiscate Jewish property, and issued instructions not to buy from Jews. These measures became more desparate and barbaric, and inhumane torture and extermination of six-million Jews in concentration camps followed.

***** Now comes replacement theology in Christian churches. Replacement theology is a doctrine of man-- not of Biblical teachings-- that the Christian Church has replaced Israel because of the Jews' rejection of Jesus as the Messiah in the First Century. In brief, this teaching holds that God is through with the Jews, and that He only loves and supports Christians. Mainline Protestant churches have called for an economic boycott of Israel because of Israel's treatment of Palestinians. (In a future newsletter, I will discuss the true origin of the "Palestinian refugee problem," which has created such angst among Christians that they condemn Israel.) Such calls have come from the Presbyterian (2004), Episcopal (2004), and United Methodist (2005) churches. Replacement theology is a delusion upon otherwise good men and women. Replacement theology is exactly opposite to many Old and New Testament teachings, including Paul's teaching in Romans that we are presently studying.

***** Anti-Semitism is rampant and growing in many parts of Europe. Hatred of Jews is worse in Europe now, than in Nazi Germany before World War II.

GOD LOVES BOTH JEWS AND CHRISTIANS: God's love for Jews is shown by His inclusion of them in New Jerusalem (Heaven). Examples that Heaven is not exclusively Christian include:

(1) Old Testament writings clearly show that the Jews believed in resurrection and an afterlife.

(2) Jesus tells a distinctly Jewish parable of a rich man and a poor beggar, Lazarus. Both die. The beggar goes to Abraham's bosom, the rich man to Hell (Luke 16:19-31).

(3) The names of the twelve tribes of Israel are written on the twelve gates of New Jerusalem, or Heaven (Revelation 20:12b).

(4) And so forth.

It is confusing to reconcile non-Christians being in Heaven, when we read (John 14:6): Jesus said..., "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." I cannot offer a good answer to this dilemma, nor do I suppose anyone can. We sometimes too often ask, "Why?" I remember when my four children were young (age two or three), they all went through a brief (mercifully) phase in which everything their mother or I told them was followed by "Why?" Even if given an explanation, they would counter the explanation with "Why?" Inevitably, the final, firm explanation was: "Because I'm your daddy." Some of our questions cannot be answered. Paul learned this, and he called certain questions "mysteries." He explained (1 Corinthians 13:12) that he could only see God as in a mirror, dimly, and now knows only in part; but some day in eternity, he will see God clearly and know Him fully. Without trying to understand God's mystery of Jewish afterlife, be thankful of your own eternal rewards and share your good fortune with as many persons as possible. I hope that as many persons as possible-- Gentile Christians and Jews (all who believe in Jehovah)-- will share glory and happiness with me. God-- not you or I-- decides who will be eligible to share the beauty and peace of Heaven.

CONCLUSION: God loves all of His chilldren. He has had a special relationship with the Jews or their forerunners since the days of Abraham. Through His grace-- the New Covenant purchased by Jesus' blood sacrifice (Hebrews 8:8-12)-- God's love and glory have been extended to Gentiles. When we fail to support, love, and defend the Jews, we dishonor the King of the Jews, Jesus.

CONTACT ME: By email: raymondfinney@ymail.com . By telephone: (865) 984.1424.

If you have questions, comments, or especially if you need to know how to become a Christian, please contact me. I will be honored to try to help you in any way possible.

Please see Fulfillment of Bible Prophecy in Today's News, www.prophecyfulfillment.com . I add current news story links almost daily. The road for Jesus' return is being prepared daily in many ways and with increasing rapidity.

I am honored to broadcast by Internet audio streaming a weekly one-hour prophecy program on WPFR990, www.ironmountainradio.com . Schedules are being established. Currently subject to change, the program may be heard at 7:00 pm EST (GMT - 5.0), but past archived programs may be accessed at www.ironmountainradio.com/rfinney/index.htm .

Be a watchman on the wall (Ezekiel 33:1-10; Joel 2:1). Warn lost persons of their danger (eternal death) and their need to receive God's greatest gift (eternal life). You will receive the Crown of Rejoicing for Soul Winners (1 Thessalonians 2:19) for your efforts, and those whom you help to lead to salvation will be your spiritual children for eternity.

May God bless and protect you and your family. Maranatha! Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Raymond Finney

Maryville, Tennessee U.S.A.

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