Wednesday 28 October 2015

Israel in Prophecy

"They are not all Israel who are of Israel" meant that not every descendant of Jacob was a true Jew inwardly, in the heart.

That does not mean though that prophecies concerning Israel were NOT fulfilled in and for Israel, or that the prophecies were fulfilled INSTEAD in the Gentile Church.

It just meant that although God had fulfilled His promises for Israel (in Israel and for Israelites), only believing Jews experienced it.

Only after the promises had been fulfilled in and for Israel first did Gentiles afterwards also believe.

As for "all Israel will be saved", Paul didn't say, "and THEN all Israel will be saved", as if to give a chronology, an eschatological prediction. Rather, he said, "and so [in this manner] all Israel will be saved". So it was a discussion about a scheme, not a chronology for the future.

Paul was quoting Old Testament prophecies about all Israel being saved, justified. He explained it never meant literally every Jew would be saved; but neither did it mean all Jews were now prohibited from salvation - rather the scheme was that any individual Jews who continued not in their unbelief could be saved.

And so - in this manner - [the prophecy which promised the procurement of salvation for all Israel] will be carried out.

Paul was explaining first-century realities - not giving an eschatological chronology.

Jesus never gave a picture of the last generation of Jews being Christians. Quite the opposite in fact.

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