Does much of the church have a mistaken "identity crisis?" Do we realize that when we that were of the nations (the wild branches) are grafted in to the singular olive tree, that we actually have a new identity and are no longer strangers and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel?
Ever since I was a young boy, I always understood the foundations of what most refer to as Christianity. However, due to my background, the books I read, the way I had been taught, I always viewed the "church" as both separate and distinct from the Jews and national Israel. Unlike many who believe the church has completely replaced and superseded God's promises to the Jews and replaced them in his redemptive plan, my belief system at that time kept a rigid division between the "church" and God's promises to the Jews.
My dad had a passion for Biblical prophecy and I inherited this passion. What led me down this path and what I call "olive tree grafting theology" was my initial study into what I then called the "Jewish feasts" and how they factored into prophecy. As I eventually learned, these seven appointed days of God ("feasts") were not and are not "Jewish" feasts. Rather, as evidenced by the Messiah fulfilling the first four feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits and Pentecost) to the very day and hour, these appointed days actually revealed God's plan of redemption and are for the entire world, whether Jew or of the nations (Gentiles).
As I continued my studies, my understanding of who/what is Israel began to change and the initial key was Romans 11 and Paul's use of the olive tree metaphor. As I began to understand that Paul's letters always drew from the Hebrew Scriptures, it did not take long for me to understand that Paul's use of the olive tree was not new. Paul was a Torah scholar and his use of the olive tree came from the book of Jeremiah.
They have turned back to the iniquities of their ancestors who refused to hear My words, and they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.” The Lord called your name, “A green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form”; With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, And its branches are worthless. The Lord of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me by offering up sacrifices to Baal.
Jeremiah 11:10, 16-17 NASB.
As I began to study and did into this more, it was not long that I began to "see" that it was always God's plan to have one nation that was/is set apart (holy) from all of the other nations. This was the nation of Israel and was never based on a person's DNA. As the lineal descendants of Jacob were leaving Egypt, a mixed multitude left with them and the covenant God made with Israel was also offered to the alien and stranger. The best example of this is demonstrated by Caleb. Caleb was of/in the tribe of Judah but was NOT a physical descendant of Jacob. Rather, he was a Kenezzite from the land of Canaan. Any person, regardless of birth, could choose to enter into the Covenant God made with Israel and come out of the pagan nations to worship YHWH.
At the time the covenant was made, Israel was a united nation and all of Israel entered the promised land. However, shortly before entering, God foretold that Israel would not be faithful and, as a result, Israel would be scattered to the nations but that He would gather them back to the land. This scattering and Israel becoming a multitude of nations can be seen in the promises to Abraham (the father of many nations) and is most evident in Jacob's prophetic blessing over Ephraim that he would be a multitude of nations, or as most of you have read this in the New Covenant writings, the "fullness of the Gentiles."
As we trace the history of Israel, there is a consistent tension between the 10 northern tribes and Judah. Even during the time of the "united" kingdom, this tension exists until we see the sin of Solomon and, as a result God tore 10 of the tribes from his son upon his death and gave them to Jeroboam from the tribe of Ephraim. After this division, the northern tribes are consistently referred to as the house of Israel, Ephraim, house of Joseph and/or Samaria since it became the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel. In contrast, the southern kingdom of Judah is then called the house of Judah, the house of David and/or is associated with Jerusalem since it was the capital.
God promised Jeroboam that if he would walk in his ways and obey the covenant, God would establish his house forever. However, Jeroboam immediately changed God's appointed days, established his own priesthood and set up idols in Bethel and Dan (does this sound familiar). Although Judah had kings which followed God, none of the kings of Israel did and in Hosea, God tells him to marry a harlot and conveys a prophecy to the northerm house of Israel/Ephraim by the names Hosea is to call his three children. The first child is named Jefreel which means to scatter or sow
to be finished .....
I am the child of a paper mill worker and day care center director and was raised in a traditional Southern Baptist church in the small town of Flomaton, AL. My dad's hobby was studying the Bible and he "majored in" prophecy.
I inherited this passion. What led me down this path and what I call "olive tree grafting theology" was my initial study into what I then called the "Jewish feasts" and how they factored into prophecy. As I eventually learned, these seven appointed days of God ("feasts") were not and are not "Jewish" feasts. Rather, as evidenced by the Messiah fulfilling the first four feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits and Pentecost) to the very day and hour, these appointed days actually revealed God's plan of redemption and are for the entire world, whether Jew or of the nations (Gentiles).
As I continued my studies, my understanding of who/what is Israel began to change and the initial key was Romans 11 and Paul's use of the olive tree metaphor. As I began to understand that Paul's letters always drew from the Hebrew Scriptures, it did not take long for me to understand that Paul's use of the olive tree was not new. Paul was a Torah scholar and his use of the olive tree came from the book of Jeremiah.
They have turned back to the iniquities of their ancestors who refused to hear My words, and they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.” The Lord called your name, “A green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form”; With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, And its branches are worthless. The Lord of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me by offering up sacrifices to Baal.
Jeremiah 11:10, 16-17 NASB.
As I began to study and did into this more, it was not long that I began to "see" that it was always God's plan to have one nation that was/is set apart (holy) from all of the other nations. This was the nation of Israel and was never based on a person's DNA. As the lineal descendants of Jacob were leaving Egypt, a mixed multitude left with them and the covenant God made with Israel was also offered to the alien and stranger. The best example of this is demonstrated by Caleb. Caleb was of/in the tribe of Judah but was NOT a physical descendant of Jacob. Rather, he was a Kenezzite from the land of Canaan. Any person, regardless of birth, could choose to enter into the Covenant God made with Israel and come out of the pagan nations to worship YHWH.
At the time the covenant was made, Israel was a united nation and all of Israel entered the promised land. However, shortly before entering, God foretold that Israel would not be faithful and, as a result, Israel would be scattered to the nations but that He would gather them back to the land. This scattering and Israel becoming a multitude of nations can be seen in the promises to Abraham (the father of many nations) and is most evident in Jacob's prophetic blessing over Ephraim that he would be a multitude of nations, or as most of you have read this in the New Covenant writings, the "fullness of the Gentiles."
As we trace the history of Israel, there is a consistent tension between the 10 northern tribes and Judah. Even during the time of the "united" kingdom, this tension exists until we see the sin of Solomon and, as a result God tore 10 of the tribes from his son upon his death and gave them to Jeroboam from the tribe of Ephraim. After this division, the northern tribes are consistently referred to as the house of Israel, Ephraim, house of Joseph and/or Samaria since it became the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel. In contrast, the southern kingdom of Judah is then called the house of Judah, the house of David and/or is associated with Jerusalem since it was the capital.
God promised Jeroboam that if he would walk in his ways and obey the covenant, God would establish his house forever. However, Jeroboam immediately changed God's appointed days, established his own priesthood and set up idols in Bethel and Dan (does this sound familiar). Although Judah had kings which followed God, none of the kings of Israel did and in Hosea, God tells him to marry a harlot and conveys a prophecy to the northern house of Israel/Ephraim by the names Hosea is to call his three children. The first child is named Jezreel which means to scatter or sow
TO BE COMPLETED
This is your About section. Click to edit and tell your visitors about the connections you have made. Where do you connect with others? How do those connections help you in your practice?
The house of Joseph/Ephraim joined together with the house of Judah to form a united Israel. Ez 37.
The vision of Zechariah 4 in which the two olive trees supply the oil for the 7x7 menorah.
The olive tree consist of the natural branches (Judah) and the wild branches of the nations (Ephraim) being joined together into the singular olive tree and support by the root which is Messiah.
The two witnesses of Revelation which are the two menorahs (lamp stands) and two olive trees.