Through the Bible with Les Feldick, Book 25

LESSON ONE * PART I

HATH GOD CAST AWAY HIS PEOPLE?

ROMANS 11:1

We hope you will get your Bible and follow along with us, and not depend so much on what you've heard or thought, but rather search the Scriptures with us and see what they really say and don't say. I don't mind you disagreeing with me as long as it's based on Scripture - but if you're going to disagree just because your denomination doesn't agree, then I think you're on pretty thin ice. I feel that we're staying as true to The Word as is humanly possible, and depending totally on the leading of the Holy Spirit as we teach. Paul tells us that these things are spiritually discerned in I Corinthians.

I Corinthians 2:14

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

We can't comprehend these things from the natural man, we must have first and foremost a Salvation experience ourself, and then of course the Holy Spirit enlightens us, and the Scriptures then begin to open up. Now here in Romans Chapter 11 we're dealing with future Israel, and as we study this Chapter you will see that this Chapter flies in the face of what I guess 90% of Christendom stands on. And that premise is that God is all through with the Jew - that when Israel supposedly cried for the crucifixion of Christ that God just turned them out, turned His back on them, and is through with the Jew. So consequently all the Old Testament prophecies and promises fell through the cracks because God is no longer dealing with them. Well if Christendom is going to take that approach then they have to take at least Romans Chapter 11, besides lots of other verses, and tear them out of their Bibles, and throw them away. Because here in this Chapter God just trumpets, and blasts out that God is not through with His Covenant people Israel.

Granted, they're out there for these past 1900 + years in Spiritual blindness, and the nation as such is blinded. But as I pointed out in our last lesson, all the way from Genesis Chapter 12, "The call of Abram" to well into the Book of Acts it is predominantly Jew only, with exceptions. And we always like to mention the exceptions. There was Jonah who went to the city of Nineveh, Naaman the Syrian General, Rahab the harlot, Ruth the Moabitess, those were Gentile exceptions, but for the most part God was dealing with Jew only. Now when we get way into the Book of Acts we find the Apostle Paul called aside, and God tells Him, "I'm going to send you far hence to the Gentiles" Let's look at Acts Chapter 28 for example, plus there are a lot of other verses that apply here.

Now of course by the end of Acts Paul is in prison in Rome, he's not too far from his martyrdom, and he's still going to be writing his prison epistles, but nevertheless Paul has already been out there among the Gentiles for many, many years, and at the same time he goes first to the Jew, to the synagogue, and when they reject his message, he goes to the Gentiles. By the time we get to the end of Acts, and Paul has finished his missionary journeys, and he's in prison in Rome, he calls for the Jewish leaders in Rome to meet with him, and he goes over all these things again. How that all the Old Testament Covenant promises had been presented to Israel, but they rejected them when they crucified their Messiah. Now look at Acts Chapter 28, and verse 28.

Acts 28:28

"Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it."

Now it says they will hear it, but it doesn't say that they're all going to be saved. No way, but they will hear it, and we know from Scripture that they have. That's why all the world stands guilty, and that's why Romans 1 says they are without excuse.

Romans 1:20

"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."

So now with the advent of the Apostle Paul going out, it is predominantly now Gentiles only, with again, exceptions. But now who are the exceptions? Jews. You see Jews can become believers of this Gospel (Ref. I Corinthians 15:1-4) but they're few and far between. By far and most of the calling out the Body of Christ is predominately Gentiles, so you see it's become a complete flip flop. Now back to Romans Chapter 11.

Romans 11:1a

"I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid."

And remember most of Christendom is taught that He has. Most of Christendom has been taught that the Jews were the Christ killers. They were persecuted unmercifully in the name of religion, and as a result most of Christendom is taught that God's all through with them. But oh, listen, God's not through with the Jew. He's set them aside, and blinded them, but now this Chapter 11 is going to tell us that God is still going to come back, and finish His dealing with His Covenant people, which of course all the Old Testament taught. Ezekiel 37, Deuteronomy 29, Zechariah tells of the day when He will fulfill these promises to His chosen people. But tonight they're out there in blindness, and unbelief, but God has not cast away His people, and I can't emphasize that enough. Now continuing on with verse 1.

Romans 11:1b

"...For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin." Now I've wondered more than once why Paul tells of that. In the Book of Philippians we also read:

Philippians 3:5

"Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews;..."

Why did the Holy Spirit inspire the Apostle Paul to emphasize the tribe that he came from. Now we know that Christ came from the tribe of Judah, but other than that there's not much emphasis on their tribal background, but Paul is inspired to emphasize it. I'd like go back to the Book of Genesis, Chapter 35 and just give you food for thought if nothing else. Now here we have the account of Rachel dying in childbirth for the little baby Benjamin. But as she's dying there in verse 17 we see:

Genesis 35:17,18

"And it came to pass, when she (Rachel) was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, `Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.' And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin."

Now why the two names? Well you see Benoni in the Hebrew meant, "The son of my suffering, or sorrow, my heart break." Because she was dying, she had hard labour, but Jacob turns around and names him Benjamin which meant in the Hebrew, "The son of my right hand, or the son of strength, the son of power." Now you see the ancient rabbis took this and studied it, they mulled over it for centuries, and some of them came forth with an idea that this must be a picture of two Messiahs. And so a lot of them taught that there would be a suffering Messiah, the Benoni, but also there would be a ruling Messiah, the Benjamin. They couldn't picture at all that both of these would be embodied in the One and only Messiah. When He came the first time He was the Benoni, He was the suffering Messiah. But when He comes the second time He's going to be the ruling Messiah, the Son of Power, and Strength.

That's the main lesson that I know the Scriptures are teaching here, but I have to keep mulling over in my mind why does the Holy Spirit make Paul emphasize that he too was from the tribe of Benjamin. Now let's on over to Genesis Chapter 49, and not lose sight of the two aspects of the baby Benjamin, the son of sorrow, and also the son of strength. Now here we find old Jacob on his death bed is making some prophetic utterances concerning all the twelve sons, and we won't look at all of them, but rather just the one that deals with Benjamin and that would be in verse 27, and here Jacob is speaking.

Genesis 49:27

"Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, (Now that's a picture of viciousness) and at night he shall divide the spoil."

Here's where I like to bring Saul of Tarsus, and Paul into the picture, and maybe you had never thought of it before. I think that this is why Paul is making reference to the fact that he's from the tribe of Benjamin. What was Saul of Tarsus in his early life? I've referred to him as a raging bull, a religious zealot, hating anything concerning Jesus of Nazareth. I think that in the same light with the two names of Benjamin, in God's eyes Saul was a heartache, how he hated Jesus of Nazareth. But Saul had another side to him just like the name of Benjamin had, and now what does Saul of Tarsus become? Paul the great apostle, the one I'm sure just thrills the heart of God, as he suffered, and suffered, and suffered for the sake of The Gospel. Because of that one little Jew, Christianity swept across the Roman empire, and I think this is a tremendous lesson for us. That way back here in Genesis God already had the Apostle Paul on His mind, as well as the prophecies concerning the Messiah, and we're not taking anything away from Christ in all of this, but in a lesser role, in a smaller scale the Apostle Paul fits so beautifully as well.

Now if you will come back to Romans Chapter 11 we find that God is not through with His Covenant people, and even this great apostle himself is a Jew, a son of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. I guess I need to take you to another verse in I Corinthians, Chapter 15. And here again Paul makes a tremendous statement that most people miss entirely, and yet it's such a fantastic truth when you see it as I think the Scripture intended you to see it. Here Paul's talking about the resurrection of Christ of course, and let's start at verse 6.

I Corinthians 15:5-8

"And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. (died) After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time."

Remember Paul didn't see Jesus as He walked on the earth after His Resurrection, Paul didn't see Him until after his conversion experience on the road to Damascus, which of course, was about 8 years after Pentecost. So what he's claiming is he saw the crucified, resurrected, ascended Lord face to face, and I know that he did. We won't take the time to take you back to the Book of II Corinthians, Chapter 12 where he was caught up into the third heaven. But rather let's look at the last part of verse 8 that we just read. What is Paul referring to when he said that he was born out of due time? Well he's making reference about a physical birth and a physical mother. If a mother gives birth to her baby before the due time, what do we call it in our present day language? A "Premie." It came prematurely, and that's exactly what Paul is likening himself to in regards to the whole Nation of Israel. He was born as a "Premie" which means at some future date, and remember that a thousand years with God is just a day, but at some future date the whole Nation of Israel is going to experience the same kind of Salvation that Paul did on the road to Damascus. And we know that they are, we know that the Book of Zechariah tells us that they will look on Him as the One they pierced.

Zechariah 12:10

"And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son,..." Why?

Because just like Paul did on the road to Damascus, the Nation of Israel will suddenly understand Who Jesus really is. And then Isaiah, Chapter 66 tells us that the nation will be born in a day, and so this is all the things that Paul is talking about in this chapter. At the present time the Nation of Israel is set aside, and God is dealing primarily with the Gentiles, and we'll be dealing with that a little deeper a little further into the chapter. But always remember that Israel is still in God's program, Israel is still going to experience her greatest glory. We've been teaching the Book of Acts in one of our other classes, and back there in Chapter 1, remember the disciples ask Jesus a question.

Acts 1:6

"When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?"

And I always ask, why did they use the word again in that verse? Well they were thinking of all the glory of Solomon's Kingdom. That was Israel's high point so they wanted to know if they were going to experience something like that again. Now Jesus didn't ridicule them and say, "Get that out of your head because we're talking about spiritual things." No He didn't tell them that, because its not a mater of if, but rather when that Kingdom is going to be established, and that's what He told them.

Acts 1:7

"And he said unto them, `It is not for you to know the times or the seasons,...'"

It's not a matter if the kingdom is coming. You bet it is! Israel is going to have the glory, and then some, far more than she did under David and Solomon when they finally have their King, "The King of Kings." And I tell you it's getting closer, and closer every day. The more you read about the exploding technology, and the more you read about electronics and communications, the more it should just scream at us because it just brings us that much closer to the end of this Age of Grace, when Christ is going to return. And we know that He is coming, and if the world scoffs at us that's beside the point. In fact, some one told me the other night, "Les, they've been talking about The Lord coming back for years and years now, and nothing's ever happened." I grinned at him and said, "My, I'm glad you said that, you're fulfilling exactly what the Scriptures say." And then I took him back to the Book of II Peter.

II Peter 3:4

"And saying, `Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.'"

People have been talking about these things for a long time, but not on a scale like it is today. The world is just screaming at us with all the things that are taking place - that The Lord is coming, and He's coming soon, and we'd better be looking up, and we had better be ready. Now back to Romans Chapter 11, and so here in Paul we have this great man of God. You know I've said more than once that other than Christ Himself, I think the Apostle Paul is the greatest human being that ever lived. I think that he even overshadows Moses, and I also think that when the Bride of Christ is introduced to Christ in glory, I think that the Apostle Paul will be the one that will do the introducing. He has been such a fantastic instrument that God has used to bring this glorious Gospel, and the joy and power of it. So now verse 2.

Romans 11:2

"God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew...."

You know I've taught it for years, when the religious leaders of Israel and Rome consorted together (see that's why they can't call Israel the Christ killers), Israel didn't do it alone. Oh they asked for it, they demanded it, but who carried it out? Rome did, and that's exactly what Psalms 2 tells us.

Psalms 2:2

"The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers (of Israel) take counsel together, against the LORD,...."

And so I don't know where people get it that Israel alone is guilty of killing the Christ. Jew and Gentile together crucified the Christ. But was God caught by surprise? No! It was all in God's foreknowledge, He knew exactly what was going to happen. Jesus Himself told the Twelve just before He went up to Jerusalem to be crucified. And Jesus told them detail by detail of what was going to happen to Him.

Luke 18:32-33

"For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again."

So Christ told them these things, He knew, and He didn't just know it from His earthly ministry, He knew it from eternity past.

Romans 11:2a

"God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew...."

Nothing Israel did caught God by surprise. They were operating under a free will as a nation of people. Anymore, I don't even try to understand how God could set this whole system of humanity in motion, back there in Genesis. He gave men and nations their free will, and yet everything they do is according to His plans. Everything they do is bringing everything to the end that He has planned, and it's all according to His foreknowledge. Now that's hard to comprehend, but God is able, He's Sovereign. He's Omniscient, and is absolutely in control of everything. God has not and will not cast away His people. Let's go to II Samuel, Chapter 7; we always use this passage when we teach the Abrahamic Covenant. After God gave Abraham that Covenant promising a nation of people dwelling in the land, and that some day there would come a government. That Covenant concerning the government did not really come into play until God gives it to King David. Here we have it in this chapter where David is promised that coming from his loins would be a royal family of kings who would rule and reign over the little Nation of Israel. But through that line of kings would some day come the King of Kings, and that of course was Christ born of Mary with Joseph his legal father, and both Mary and Joseph come down those royal family blood lines of David, and Solomon. Here is the promise beginning with verse 14.

II Samuel 7-14-16

"I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, (And we know Israel has) I will chasten him with the rod of men, (And we know God has.) and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. (And here in verse 16 we find God's promise to the Nation of Israel) And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever."

God doesn't lie, God can't lie. God told David that this royal family would go down through history, and beyond history right on into eternity, and out of this royal family of David would come the King of Kings The Lord of Lords, and He is going to come as He did the first time to the Nation of Israel. That's why they have to be in the Middle East at the time of His coming. He's going to come back to the Mount of Olives as He left in Acts Chapter 1. So regardless what may take place in Israel tonight, rest assured one way or another the Jews are still going to be there when Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation, because He has promised it, and God just cannot lie.

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LESSON ONE * PART II

HATH GOD CAST AWAY HIS PEOPLE?

ROMANS 11:1

In our last lesson we talked about how God has not cast aside his people Israel. They are still in God's program. They have been set aside for the past 1900 + years, and in the meantime God has turned to the Gentiles. A few Jews can be saved, and they are being saved, but as we'll see in the coming verses it's just a remnant, and God has always kept His remnant. But the day is coming, as we'll see when we get to the end of the Chapter 11, that God is yet going to come back and finish His dealings with the Nation of Israel. They are still going to enjoy all those Covenant promises. They're still going to enjoy a glorious earthly kingdom. And all the earthly promises that God has given the nation are yet going to come to fruition. So don't subscribe to the idea that God is through with the Jew. They are out there in unbelief, and as I have told my classes here in Oklahoma for years and years, don't expect that Israeli government in Jerusalem to be any more spiritual than our government in Washington or the government anywhere else. They are all secular, they are all under the god of this world, Satan, and Israel is no different, but God still has His eye on them as His Covenant people.

Now then in Chapter 11 we just about finished verse 2 in the last lesson, and the last part of that verse says:

Romans 11:2b,3

"...Wot (know) ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, `Lord they have killed thy prophets, and digged down (or destroyed) thine altars: and I am left alone, and they seek my life.'"

You remember old Elijah's setting don't you? That was during the reign of King Ahab, and his wife Jezebel. She was probably the worst of the worst. In fact I always ask people, "Have you ever seen anyone name their little girl Jezebel?" I don't know of one, and I don't think any mother in her right mind would. But old Ahab and Jezebel had been ruling up there in the northern kingdom. They were an ungodly, wicked king and queen. And they had been promoting the worship of Baal, and idol worship, and the Israelites had been falling for it. Elijah had even gone so far as to cause it not to rain for three years, and still Ahab and Jezebel would not change their ways. It finally got to the place by the end of that three years of draught that northern Israel was burned up for lack of water, and Elijah got all the Israelites and the prophets of Baal together up there on Mount Carmel.

Mount Carmel juts in from the Mediterranean Sea, and just south of the present day city of Haifa. When you come off Mount Carmel you go down to the valley of Jezreel (or the valley of Armageddon) where the final great battle will be fought some day. And then it's just a flat plain almost to the sea of Galilee. Well here they are gathered on Mount Carmel, and Elijah is getting ready to test these gods of Baal.

I Kings 18:26-29

"And they (the Baal prophets) took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, `O Baal, hear us,' But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. (After this Elijah began to taunt the prophets of Baal) And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, `Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.' (So Elijah torments them even more.) And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.."

So the prophets of Baal got no answer from their god and now it was Elijah's turn and you know the story of how alters were built with a ditch dug around them, and filled with water. And how the sacrifices were soaked with water probably from the Mediterranean Sea. So Elijah approaches God:

I Kings 18:36b-39

"LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, `The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.'"

So Elijah proved to Israel that Jehovah was still the God of Israel. Well you know what happened then. Elijah demanded that they kill the 450 prophets of Baal, and they did.

I Kings 19:1,2

"And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, `So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.'"

Now this is what's so hard to understand in all of Israel's history. In spite of all the manifestations of the power of their Jehovah God, yet at the drop of a hat they could sink into unbelief. Even this great man Elijah did. Here he had just performed this tremendous miracle, calling down the power of God, had the prophets of Baal put to death, and with one threat from one little woman over there at Jezreel, he runs scared. Now the old boy must have been in awfully good physical shape, because you know how far Elijah ran? All the way down to Mount Sinai, and in my reckoning that's something like 150 miles. Now he probably didn't do it in an hour or two, but nevertheless he ran until he finally sit down under a juniper tree, and we know from the rest of the account that it was down at Mount Sinai.

I Kings 19:4a

"But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die;..." Elijah tells God that he's the only one left.

I Kings 19:14b

"... and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away."

That's the way lots of Christians are today We think sometimes that we're the only one left. No we're not. Everywhere you go you can find believers. Oh, they're getting fewer and fewer, but nevertheless they're there. Why? Because God has always kept His remnant. Paul rehearses what took place back there in I Kings, Chapter 19, and he says in verse 4 of Romans 11.

Romans 11:4

"But what saith the answer of God unto him? (Elijah) I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal."

Now we like to think that those seven thousand men had believing wives, and children so maybe there was fourteen to twenty thousand Jews that were still believers in Jehovah. I've always taught my classes over the years that beginning in Genesis to the end of Revelation you have a doctrine of the remnant. You can always pick them out because God has always kept a remnant. Now when you get into Christ's earthly ministry He promotes that so beautifully with the analogy, "Of the wide way, and the narrow way." The mass of humanity go down the wide or broad way, but the remnant takes the narrow way, and we find that all the way through Scripture. Now Paul goes on to say with regard to the Jew in this Age of Grace which is predominately Gentile.

Romans 11:5

"Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant (a small percentage of Jews that had become believers) according to the election of grace."

I just finished reading a book this past week about the testimonies of Jews who have become believers of this Grace Gospel. They were from all different kinds of backgrounds, and it was just amazing how God manipulated the lives of these Jewish people until they came to the place that suddenly they could believe Jesus of Nazareth was indeed The Messiah Who had died for their sins, and it was thrilling reading. But they are remnants, very, very few can believe it, but they're there, and they're testimonies of this very thing that Paul is saying here in verses 4 and 5. That even as Elijah was shown that there were seven thousand that hadn't fallen to idolatry, so today there is that remnant of Jews who also can recognize the very Gospel of Grace and the election of grace. Now verse 6, and for these Jews it is no different than for us Gentiles, and you remember I emphasized that especially back in Romans Chapter 3, and Chapter 6 where Paul tells us there is no difference.

Romans 3:9,10

"What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

A Jew doesn't come in on a different level from a Gentile, he doesn't come in on a lower level, but Paul tells us they are all unworthy and without hope: Jew and Gentile. So a Jew has to be saved the same way we are today, and Paul explains that.

Romans 11:6a

"And if by grace, (that Gospel by which we are saved according to I Corinthians 15:1-4) then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace."

And even our Jewish people have to understand that. If they're going to be saved by this Gospel of Grace they have to drop all their works religion of Judaism. As beautifully as their ceremonies may be, and I will be the first to admit that, for example, their Passover service is a beautiful picture of the whole program of Grace. So many of their feast days are beautiful pictures of our doctrine of Grace, but they won't be saved by keeping those Jewish feast celebrations. They have to come away from that and suddenly realize that it's not by works, not by keeping feast days, but it's all of Grace. There can be no works for a Jew anymore than there is for a Gentile. He says in verse 6:

Romans 11:6b

"...But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."

Does it sound like double talk? Well it isn't. Again Paul is emphasizing what he has been almost screaming since we started Romans. "Our Salvation Is Faith + Nothing!" Or it's no Salvation at all. Just as soon as we attach something to The Gospel of Grace, be it ever so small, then it becomes a works religion. Christianity today is just inundated with works religion, and it can come in various forms, it's so subtle. I was talking to a lady in one of my classes the other night who, when she was living out in California and her husband was serving in Vietnam, was under a lot of stress raising her kids. And the New Age people took her under their wings, and so subtly just drew her into all this New Age phenomena, but fortunately The Lord opened her eyes, and she was able to turn around and come out of it. But you see all of this "stuff" and that's what I call it, is based on works, and when it's works it cannot be Grace. And so whether it's Jew or Gentile, if is works, it's not Grace, and so we have to come God's way, and that is by faith, and faith alone.

Romans 11:7

"What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded."

Now how can God do this? Because He's Sovereign, and can do anything that He wants to do. Let's go back to Romans Chapter 1, and let's review for a moment beginning with verse 23. This takes us all the way back to the Tower of Babel when all of this "junk" really began. All of the roots of the oriental religions, and idolatry, and paganism all started back there at the Tower of Babel, and what happened?

Romans 1:23

"And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."

In other words, they dreamed up every kind of a god you could think of. And isn't that exactly what Egypt was doing when Israel came out of bondage under Moses? Every one of the plagues was directed at one of the gods of Egypt. Now since mankind had become so saturated with the the worship of these man-made idols look what happens in verse 24.

Romans 1:24

"Wherefore (because they fell into idolatry) God also gave them up to uncleanness..."

What's God doing to them? God is judiciously causing mankind to even go deeper into his sins. Now we can't comprehend that, but that's what the Scriptures teaches, and when they went into a lower level of sin, you find in verse 26 God put them even lower. Why? Because their unbelief, their rebellion, their behavior)...through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:"

Romans 1:26

"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:"

Now that's not loose language. That says that a Sovereign God judiciously said, "All right, if you want to live at that level, then go down one level lower." Now coming back to Romans 11 we have the same dealing with the Nation of Israel. Oh, they had every opportunity to know the will of God. They had everything going for them. In fact, for a moment let's look at Romans Chapter 3, and this says it better than I ever could.

Romans 3:1,2

"What advantage then hath the Jew? (remember by the time Paul is writing this Israel has already been blinded) or what profit is there of circumcision? (or being a practicing Jew? And here's the answer in the next verse) Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles (or The Word) of God."

In other words, why did God come down so hard on the Nation of Israel in their unbelief? Because they had The Word of God. They had had it for centuries, and what did they do with it? They ignored it, they refused to believe it. I've said it over and over in the years that I've been teaching that when Jesus came on the scene and presented Himself as the King of Israel, Israel should have known, because it was in the Old Testament plain as day. But Israel didn't know. Why? Because of their unbelief, they refused to search the Scriptures. We have the same thing here in Romans Chapter 11. Israel wanted all those things promised from the Old Testament. They didn't want the suffering Saviour that was foretold in the Old Testament Who would suffer and die for the sins of Israel. But they were looking for that King and Kingdom. A glorious earthly Kingdom over which the Son of God Himself would rule and reign, and Israel would be the top dog of all nations. They didn't want anything to do with a suffering Saviour. Why? Because they would have to deal with their sins.

And it's the same way today. You offer America a utopian kingdom with a benevolent dictator or king, would they buy it? Oh, you bet they would. There's nothing that the world wants more than peace and prosperity, and everything going hunky-dory, but you tell America to deal with their sin problem, what are they going to do? They don't want any part of having to deal with that. People need to realize that sin is sin and you can't gloss it over, but that's the world we're living in, and the Jews of Christ's day were the same way, they did not want to deal with their sins, but they wanted those Romans out of Jerusalem, they wanted the peace and prosperity that a Messiah would bring.

Back to verse 7; we see that Israel wanted all that, but they didn't get what they were seeking. Oh, they wanted the King and the Kingdom, but they didn't get it, because in unbelief they wouldn't reckon the fact that they had to deal first with the sin problem; they had to have a Redeeming Saviour, not just a ruling King. How many times have I given the illustration that back in the ancient days, the perfect illustration of a conquering hero was to come riding in on a big white steed, prancing like a show horse. That was what Israel was looking for, but instead of riding in on a beautiful Arabian steed, He came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, and not even a grown one at that. And that just blew their minds. No king comes in on a donkey, He should be coming in on a great white stallion, and so they rejected Him; they crucified Him; but not all. Verse 7 again.

Romans 11:7

"What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded."

Now remember that all through Scripture, from Adam all the way to the end of the human experience, who are the Elect? The believer. And so some of these Jews have been elected, yes, they have come to the place of Salvation, they're the chosen, they're in the Body of Christ with the rest of us. But the rest of them have been blinded, and so tonight the Nation of Israel is out there, some of them practicing their religion, some orthodox, some secular, but for the most part they are spiritually blind. Now verse 8.

Romans 11:8

"(According as it is written, (Old Testament. Probably going back to the Book of Isaiah) God hath given them the spirit of slumber, (sleeping spiritually) eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day,"

And you know Paul could write this today, because it hasn't changed a bit. It's just as applicable today as it was when he wrote the Book of Romans. Now verse 9, and again he's going back to the Psalms and quoting King David.

Romans 11:9

"And David saith, `Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them.'"

What table do you think that the Psalmist was referring to when he said, "Let their table be made a snare?" The 23d Psalm.

Psalms 23:5

"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over."

What table was he referring to? God's table. Israel was literally feasting at God's table, and they were getting all the blessings and ramifications of it, but that exalted position of literally sitting at God's table became a snare and a recompense, and it caused them to fall. Horror of horrors, but you know what? He's going to warn us Gentiles that much the same thing can happen to us. That we had better not take all these blessing and this Grace for granted.

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LESSON ONE * PART III

HATH GOD CAST AWAY HIS PEOPLE?

ROMANS 11:1

Let's get back to Romans Chapter 11, and we were commenting on verse 9 where David said in the Psalms:

Romans 11:9

"...Let their (that is Israel's as a nation) table be made a snare,..." (and I made reference to that in the last lesson that Israel was literally feasting at the table of God Himself, but it became a snare,) and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them:"

As a result of their unbelief and rejecting of all the good things that Jehovah had showered upon them the conclusion was:

Romans 11:10

"Let their eyes (spiritual eyes) be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway."

And so in their unbelief God just made sure that they really wouldn't believe by putting a spiritual blindness upon the nation. I've taught over the years that God deals with the Jew on two levels, National, and Individual. Nationally they're blinded, waiting for the coming of their Messiah at the end of the Tribulation, when all of a sudden the remnant that has been protected will be saved. But today, in the Age of Grace, nationally they're blinded, but an individual Jew has every opportunity to believe The Gospel (Ref. I Corinthians 15:1-4). So don't feel sorry for the Jew that he has no chance, because he does. He has just as much chance of believing The Gospel of God's Grace as we Gentiles, but on the national basis as God dealt with them by bringing them out of Egypt, and He dealt with them on the basis as a nation of people, that has ended. He has blinded them nationally, but individually they can still come into the Body of Christ. Now verse 11, and on that national basis:

Romans 11:11a

"I say then, Have they stumbled (as a nation of people, as a Covenant people) that they should fall? (in other words, out of God's program, that they're completely removed from anything more to do with their God. Well look at his answer.) God forbid:..."

Don't even think such a thing. They haven't fallen out of God's program. God has simply set them aside for a period of time. In the Book of Acts, where you don't really expect to see prophecy, Paul had started his ministry (I think he was on the island of Cyprus), and Elymas the sorcerer tried to keep Paul from ministering to that Roman deputy, what did Paul do?

Acts 13:11

"And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand."

Although Paul gave him a blindness it wasn't permanent, but only for a season. Now that was indicative of the nation of Israel. They too have been blinded, not forever, but for a season. Now it's been a long season in human reckoning, as it's been over 1900 years, but it's not going to last forever. One day, and we trust that we're getting closer and closer as time runs out, Israel will once again have her spiritual eyes opened. Now continuing on with Romans 11:11.

Romans 11:11a

"...but rather through their fall (because the Nation of Israel rejected their Messiah, and King) salvation is come unto the Gentiles,...

And that had been unheard of, it was beyond human comprehension, how that the Holy God of glory could use something as graphic and as awful as that Roman Cross to bring about a Gospel that He could send out to the Gentiles free! Without works, without religion, without a ritual, without a priesthood, it was a Gospel that merely had to be believed. Now that's what most people can't comprehend - it's too simple, but this is the way God intended it so that no one Jew or Gentile can ever say, "Well I just couldn't measure up, I couldn't reach that." No one can say that, it's out there for everyone because Israel fell.

This is strictly hypothetical, from the human stand point, if Israel would have accepted the Christ, if they would have embraced Him as their Redeemer, Messiah, and King, what would have happened? Oh, they could have had the King and the Kingdom, but according to the Old Testament prophecies had they had done that then what could Israel have done? They could have evangelized those Gentiles, and just brought them in by the millions. That was their prospect, but you see that's hypothetical. In the foreknowledge of God it couldn't happen, because He had to die, and so the Nation of Israel rejected Him, they crucified Him, and they continued to reject Him in the early Book of Acts, although Peter and the eleven preached their hearts out. And finally when Israel proved that they were not going to believe, God raised up that other little Jew, that rebel, that raging bull who hated Jesus of Nazareth. He saved him by Grace, and that is the epitome of Grace in the Salvation of Saul of Tarsus.

Then He told Saul before he even got out of Damascus, that He was going to send him far hence to the Gentiles. Israel is going to go out into a spiritual blindness, but Saul would go to the Gentiles, and so this is what this verse is saying. What Israel really did when they rejected The Christ, was open up the windows of heavens for us Gentiles, whose forefathers were pagan. Everyone of us, if we could follow our family tree all the way back, would find that every one of our ancestors were steeped in idolatry, they were steeped in the occult, in mythology or whatever it might be. Israel alone had the true knowledge of the one True God. But God has now done something totally different, as He sent this apostle out to those pagan Gentiles, and they suddenly almost began to swarm to The Gospel. They had a spiritual hunger that Israel could not comprehend. If you know your Book of Acts, every place that Paul went and preached The Gospel, when the Jews would reject it, he would go to those pagan Gentiles, what would those Gentiles do? They would embrace it, they were thrilled by it, but that made the Jews hate Paul and the Gentiles, because they were infringing upon their God. So the Jews were the chief opponents of Christianity.

Now it's amazing how human nature works. As the Jew then became the chief opponent of Gentiles being saved in time, how did the Gentile react to the Jew? He began to hate them. Now let's look again at this verse. See this is where human nature goes contrary to the will of God.

Romans 11:11

"I say then, `Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them (the Jew) to jealousy.'"

Now all you have to do is go back to a couple of kids in high school who are dating, and having a good time, and are in love, and all of a sudden there's a falling out. And I dare tell you, unless kids have changed remarkably more than I think, what's one of them going to start doing in order to win their little love back? Well, they're going to date somebody else. Why? To promote jealousy! And this is exactly what God intended to do. God was going to turn to the Gentiles with the idea that Israel would get jealous. "Hey, they're taking my place. I'd better wake up and get back to where I belong." But contrary to what God intended it went the other way, and not only did it turn Israel in anger against the Gentiles, they precipitated in return the persecution of the Gentiles against them. Go back and read human history. Ever since Christianity became more or less the official empire religion way back in the early centuries, what did they do to the Jews? Persecuted and killed them by the thousand, chased them out of every place where they had established a community. Why? Because they were the Christ killers, they were the enemies of God, and some of our earlier reformers said horrible things about the Jews, and it was all human reaction to circumstances. Now that isn't the way God intended it, he intended it to turn Israel to Himself by promoting a jealousy.

Romans 11:12

"Now if the fall of them (in other words they're rejecting everything and God is setting them aside and turning to the Gentiles) be the riches of the world,..."

The word `world' here in the Greek is `cosmos,' which means the world's system. It isn't talking about terra firma - the earth - it's talking about the human system. The politics and economy and the world population, predominately of Gentiles, of course. So the fall of this nation Israel, out of God's program for them, is going to bring about the riches of the world. Now I'm not talking about the riches of wealth, money, gold and silver. We're talking about spiritual riches, what we as Gentiles have enjoyed. Whether we're poor as church mice, as we saw down in Haiti. You can't imagine the poverty. You can't imagine how hungry those poor people are. And yet, what did they have? A spiritual joy! I wish you could have heard those people sing. They'd just raise the roof. Why? They had that joy unspeakable in spite of their poverty. That's what Paul is alluding to when he says:

Romans 11:12

"Now if the fall of them be the riches (the spiritual riches) of the (Gentile) world...."

And it's true. Never lose sight of the fact that our forefathers were steeped in idolatry. They were steeped in paganism, superstition and fear. They didn't have the freedom that we have as believers. I always tell women the greatest feminist movement that ever happened to the human race is Christianity. That's what set women free. If you go back into ancient history and into those pagan cultures, who did all the work? The women! Who did all the child raising? The women! They did it all. I can remember seeing little old eight millimeter film from missionaries coming home from the mission fields, back when I was a kid, and the women were doing it all. They were planting the crops, harvesting, they were grinding the grain, washing the clothes, taking care of the kids, and where were the men? Sitting up against some hut drinking hooch - getting drunk. But Christianity changed all of that. Christianity brought the woman up to the place of respect and on an even keel with mankind. It's been abused, of course. But listen, this is the riches that Paul is talking about. Christianity has just set people free.

Again, I'm logical and I look at things logically as well as spiritually. Have you ever stopped to wonder why did the western civilization explode and bring their standard of living ten times higher than any other place on earth? Why? Christianity! Just stop and look at it for a moment. As Paul went across the Aegean Sea into Greece, The Gospel went to Europe and Europe became the breeding ground of all our inventions and men of science. You go back into every bit of it and it either began on the continent of Europe or England or as they came over to America. And so all of our technology, almost without exception, where did it come out of? Western civilization which had been predominately "Christian." Why? Because Christianity set people free. It loosed them from the superstitions of the pagan world. It loosed them from all the hang-up and the detriment to women and so forth. Christianity did it! And so we'd better thank our Lord that we too have been brought under this Christian influence rather than under some of these pagan religions that do nothing but keep their people subservient, and in ignorance and in superstition. If you don't believe me, go to the library and read the history books. It's in there just as plain as day. But so often time we just don't stop to think. Reading on:

Romans 11:12

"Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them (putting them out in a spiritual blindness, taking away their homeland, priesthood, religion and their temple) the riches of the Gentiles; (now here it comes) how much (what's the word?) more their (now we're talking about Israel. Their what?) fulness?"

They've never attained it yet. They've never attained the fulness God has in store for them. But it's coming. Don't you ever sell the Jew down the river. It's coming. They're going to go through some horrible times. You can already see it in the little nation of Israel. They're being backed into the corner a little bit tighter all the time. And this is why they're so frantically trying to make peace. As I told one of my classes the other night, Israel today is no different than Israel back in the time of Samuel. What was the problem with Israel when Samuel was the last judge? They said, "Samuel, not anything against you, but we want to be like the nations around us. We don't want to be different anymore. We want to be like the rest of the Gentile nations. We want a king!" And Samuel says, "Now stop and think. If you get a king, you're going to be taxed to death. If you get a king, he's going to draft your kids. If you get a king, he's going to put his thumb on you." But they said, "That doesn't matter. We want to be like the rest of the world."

Israel is no different today. The government of Israel tonight is frantically seeking to be accepted by the Gentile world. They want their economy to mesh with the European Common Market. They want to be out there competing with the Gentile nations of the world. And God says, "No you're not! You are a separated people." And they haven't learned their lesson. And so as they try to assimilate and try to become just another member of the family of nations, they're getting deeper and deeper into the hole they are digging for themselves. And they're getting backed into the corner. I'll keep emphasizing as long as I live, we're getting closer to the day when Israel will have no hope except the coming of their King. And He will come. The false king first, we know that. Jesus said it in John's Gospel:

John 5:43

"I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive."

That's the Anti-Christ. Sure they will. They're getting ready for it. I've told you more than once that I've had Jewish people tell me what they're looking for in their Messiah. And they can't comprehend that the Messiah is going to be God. He's going to be a man, but he's going to be a superman. He's going to be somebody that has a lot of military apropos. He's going to have a lot of economic for him. He's going to have charisma. He's going to be able to do all the things they think a superman can do. You know what I tell them? "You're describing the Anti-christ." But they just don't see that. So what is left for the nation? Their fullness! All of the fulfilling of all those Old Testament promises are still coming. They've been withheld for almost 2,000 years. God hasn't forgotten them. They're still coming. Now let's go on and don't lose sight, that just because Paul has been dealing with the nation of Israel for three chapters, don't lose sight of what he is. And you highlight this verse. You lock it into your memory bank. Because this is an important verse, one of the most important verses in all of Paul's epistles.

Romans 11:13

"For I speak to you Gentiles, (he's been talking about Israel for three chapters, but who is he talking to? The Gentile believers at Rome and those in our own time.) inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office."

Some of the newer translations move the "the" preceding apostle and put in an "an." And when I first saw that, my hair stood on end, because that is a complete violation of the text and it changes Paul's whole position. If he is just another apostle, then he is a liar. Because he claims in all of his letters, as he defends his apostleship, that it was to him and him alone that God revealed these great doctrines of grace. And see how subtly they change the meaning of a verse? But he says, "I am the apostle of the Gentiles." And that's not the half of it. He said, "I magnify my office." You know what that means? He was never going to back down from his role of being God's man for the Gentile world. I tell people all the time, you on your prayer knees, better thank God for this little Jew who was willing to suffer all the things that a human being can suffer in order to get The Gospel to you and I as Gentiles. There's a verse that we use so often, and let's look at it again in the Book of II Peter. I don't know if pastors take the time to listen to me or not, but if they do I hope, and pray, that if they don't get anything else from my teachings at least they get the idea that they have to get into Paul's letters. You are not going to see a viable, living ministry if you do all your preaching and teaching from the Four Gospels. It's just not back there, and you have to leave those things behind, which I call the "Milk of the Word." And Paul himself in Hebrews tells us:

Hebrews 5:13,14

"For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

So we should get off that milk bottle. I used to tell my high school Sunday School kids years ago when they would come out of junior high into my class, to throw their milk bottles away. We're going to start eating T-Bone steaks, potatoes, and vegetables. Well, that's what the meat of The Word is all about. Now look what II Peter says shortly before he's martyred.

II Peter 3:15,16

"And account (understand) that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; (and that's what the whole Scripture is about.) even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, (that's Romans through Hebrews) speaking in them of these things; (what things? Salvation!) in which (these epistles) are some things hard to be understood, (now good old Peter says that years and years after he had experienced that earthly ministry) which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest... (or twist the Scriptures.. And we see that every day, how they twist the Scriptures, and Paul says that when they do that they make it another Gospel, and the anathema of a Righteous God rests upon these people when they do it. So they twist the Scripture) unto their own destruction."

But you know what the sad part is? It's not just to their own destruction, but also all those people that are under them. Every time somebody twists the Scriptures to their people, whether it's a small or large congregation, they are destroying those people who are listening to them. So we have to come back and search the Scriptures. Peter is telling us to get back to the writings of Paul, and we do have to get into his epistles, because, "He is the apostle to the Gentiles." The Holy Spirit prompted him to say that, and so when some one calls or writes, and says, "I want to start reading my Bible more, Where should I start." I always tell them to start with Romans Chapter 1, and read Romans till they're blue in the face, then go on to one of his other epistles.

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LESSON ONE * PART IV

HATH GOD CAST AWAY HIS PEOPLE?

ROMANS 11:1

Now back to where we were. We left off in Romans Chapter 11, and that would be in verse 13. Paul is writing to the believers at Rome, and you and I today.

Romans 11:13

"For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office."

In other words, Paul is never going to take a back seat to anybody concerning his apostleship. Now whenever I teach the other letters of Paul I always comment on the fact that whether it's Galatians, or Ephesians or whatever, Paul is always having to defend his apostleship. And of course that is understandable, because people can readily understand the Twelve, and their unique position with Christ in His earthly ministry, and people don't have any problem with that. But here comes this gentlemen who was like a raging bull, fighting against everything that spoke of Jesus of Nazareth, and then to proclaim him as an apostle, and especially the apostle of the Gentiles? Even people today have a hard time reconciling that. I've had lots of people that have told me that they have had people in leadership positions in Sunday School tell them that Paul's letters didn't even deserve to be in the Bible. Well, I know that's evident, but you see he's always defending his apostleship because of his unique calling, and his unique background.

Have you ever stopped to think that no one but Saul of Tarsus could have fulfilled the role of this apostle of the Gentiles? Everything just fits so beautifully. Here he is, a Jew's Jew, an Israelite, a Hebrew of the Hebrews of the tribe of Benjamin, and yet he was a Roman by citizenship. Fluent in the Greek, fluent in the culture of the then-known world, and yet in that culminated all the things that were necessary to go, yes to the Jew as a Jew, but also to the Gentiles as a Roman. So it's just unique, and that is why he is the apostle that he is.

Romans 11:14

"If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, (his fellow Jews, if he could make them envious of what the Gentiles are enjoying) and might save some of them."

Now look what he said back in Chapter 9, let's look at verse 3 for a moment. This was the man's heart for his kinsman in the flesh, the Jew.

Romans 9:3,4a

"For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites...;"

Paul never lost that love for his fellow people, the Jews. And even though he recognized himself as the apostle of the Gentiles, yet his heart's desire was to see Jews come into this knowledge of Salvation. But we know they were his enemies everywhere he went. They were his constant opposition, especially as he came down the shores of Greece, from Philippi, to Thessalonica, down to Berea, and Athens. They pursued him from city to city. Why? Instead of creating an envoy that would bring emulation, they created a hatred.

Romans 11:15a

"For if the casting away of them (and blinding them) be the reconciling of the world,..."

That doesn't mean the whole world is going to be saved. A Scripture just comes to mind in II Corinthians, Chapter 5, and verse 18, so let's turn there for a moment. Here the Apostle is writing to the Gentile believers at Corinth.

II Corinthians 5:18

"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;"

Now you all know what reconciliation means. It's taking two parties that have been alienated, that are at odds with one another, and bringing them back to a fellowship. The world tonight is set aside from God, they're at odds with Him, they're enemies of God, and God has done everything possible to reconcile them to Himself. Now verse 19.

II Corinthians 5:19,20a

"To wit, (to say) that God was in Christ, (there's His Deity) reconciling the world (now we'll see this defined a little better when we get back to Romans Chapter 11, but I want you to see the language, that God was in Christ while He hung on that Cross reconciling the whole world) unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ..."

We are to carry out God's bidding while we are in foreign territory. But what I wanted you to see is that the work of the Cross was the reconciling of the whole world. The Book of Hebrews tells us that Christ tasted death for how many? For every man. He didn't die for just the few believers. He died for the whole human race. The subject was brought up in one of our classes last night about the dramatizing of the Cross. There are so many plays about that, and using ketchup for the blood and so forth. But when you stop to think about it, how in the world can any human hope to dramatize the work of the Cross. It's like blasphemy, because it took the very God of creation to do the work of the Cross. That is so far beyond the human endeavor that we can't even reconcile it. That blood was not ordinary blood, and nothing can take its place. That blood was Divine, it was Holy, it had the power within it to cleanse the whole world's sin problem, and then we think we can reduce it to human endeavor. No way! Now back to Romans 11, so Paul tells us that if all this reconciliation was accomplished because Israel rejected it, and now it's been given over to the Gentile world:

Romans 11:15b

"...what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?"

Now when you think of Israel coming back from the dead, I want you to immediately think of one chapter in the Old Testament: Ezekiel Chapter 37. The chapter about the "Dry Bones." Ezekiel saw that valley filled with dry bones, they were very dry, they had been there so long they were as white as snow, and all of a sudden God told Ezekiel, "Prophecy on those bones" and we know in verse 7 they began to shake, rattle, and roll. And all of that was merely a picture of the Nation of Israel who had been out of the land of promise, who had been away from their temple worship, they'd been away from God, they'd been blinded, but now God's going to bring them back to life. It was a picture of the nation of Israel coming back to their homeland as we have been seeing now for the last 48 years.

So the nation of Israel has been shaking and coming back to life, coming back to Israel from every nation under heaven. Oh, the muscle has come back on the bone, the skin is coming back on them as promised in Ezekiel 37:6, but there is still no Spiritual life in them. They are still, even as we speak, spiritually dead. This is the same analogy that Paul is using in Romans Chapter 11, the same thing that Ezekiel saw in Chapter 37. That this is the whole nation of Israel coming back to their homeland, coming back to life, waiting for the Second Coming (His first coming the Jews think). You know I've told you about the evangelical pastor and the Jewish Rabbi who were discussing the things concerning the Messiah, and this evangelical pastor was trying to convince this Jewish Rabbi that Christ was here the first time, and would be coming again. And the Rabbi said, "No, He's never been here before, He's coming the first time when He comes." And after a bit of argument, finally the Rabbi said, "Ok, let's put it on hold, and when He gets here we'll ask Him if He's been here before."

Well, you see this is the whole mentality of so many people, they cannot reckon the fact that He has been here. He was rejected, He went back to glory, He's coming again, and we're getting close. Now here in verse 15 Paul is referring to this. If this program of reconciliation that has been poured out on the Gentile world, great as it has been however, it's nothing compared to what is going to happen to Israel when God comes back and fulfills His promises with them. And what shall it be?

Romans 11:15b

"...but life from the dead?

Yes, when the nation of Israel is out in the world they're dead, they are not a viable entity, but oh, they're coming back to the land, and that's why we're seeing the little nation of Israel in the news every single day. And I'm always reminding people, "Look, what other nation on earth that is comprised of only 3-4 million people, and is about the size of Rhode Island, is in the news constantly? That's miraculous. And why? Because they're God's people, and He's getting them ready for His soon return.

Romans 11:16,17

"For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. (so now we come into an interesting illustration, we're going to go into horticulture.) And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, (speaking to Gentiles now.) being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, (the Jews) and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;"

Now we need to stop a moment. Do you realize when you study this verse that it's the direct opposite of how we normally graft things? It's totally opposite, because under normal grafting you take the old root that is native to a particular area. It has survived the climate and soil, and all that, it is native, but it's fruit probably isn't all that good. So what do the horticulturists do? Well they breed up a good hybrid, and of course the only one that I'm acquainted with is the pecan tree. So we've got the old natural pecan, and then you take a hybrid, which is your big nice soft shell, and you cut off that old original trunk of that native pecan, and graft in this beautiful paper shell. Now that's the normal way of grafting, but this is opposite. This is taking the beautiful tree, and casting it aside, and grafting in an old wild olive tree. Now if I under stand the wild olive tree correctly, it didn't produce any fruit, it was worthless.

And that's like the Gentiles are. We, as a no-good olive tree, have been grafted into the beautiful original which was Israel. And when I teach this I want to make it very plain that we're not talking about the believers here being grafted in, although we're certainly part of it, but we're talking about the whole Gentile system that has been grafted into that which was original Israel. Now, stop and think, How and through what man did the nation of Israel come about? Abraham. All right let's go back to Genesis Chapter 12 for a moment, and we'll go directly to verse 3. And remember this has never be abrogated, God has never taken this promise away. Paul has never refuted it, and no one else has, so it's still valid. It's still set in concrete.

Genesis 12:3

"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee (Abraham) shall all families of the earth be blessed."

Not just Israel, but all the families of the earth. Now then we know that ever since this promise was given to Abraham until we get into Paul going to the Gentiles, Israel enjoyed the fatness of the root of Abraham. Israel was in the promises given to Abraham, but never lose sight of the fact that God also told Abraham he'd be a blessing to all the rest of the world also. Now he can't do it two times at once, so what did he have to do? God had to set Israel aside, broke them off from the fatness of root of Abraham, and He put in Gentiledom. I'm going to use the word Gentiledom as a group of people, the whole Gentile system has now been by the Grace of God, put into the place that Israel enjoyed in that Old Testament. Now wait a minute. Did that mean that all those Israelites were believers? No. But they had the opportunity to be. They had the Word of God, they had everything going for them, but again most of them weren't true believers.

Most of the Israelites in the Old Testament were renegades in unbelief, but yet they were on the root of Abraham. Are you with me? Gentiledom is in the same situation today, they're resting on the root of Abraham. Now that doesn't make us Jews anymore than a grafted paper shell pecan can become a native pecan. We are merely feasting off that which God had promised the man Abraham. Now as the Gentile system has been feasting on all the blessings of the father of Israel, Abraham, that means that The Gospel (Reference I Corinthians 15:1-4) has been going to the Gentiles, he's had just as much opportunity at Salvation, and a relationship with God as Israel did back there. But what has Gentiledom done with this glorious opportunity of being in the place of blessing that Israel lost? They did the same thing that Israel did, they've walked it underfoot, they have cast it aside, they've said thanks, but no thanks. Even though they're in that place of tremendous opportunity, they won't take advantage of it. So the Gentiles have experienced that position now for almost two thousand years. What's going to happen next?

Romans 11:17-20a

"And if some of the branches (Israel) be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, (Gentiles) wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness (promises to Abraham.) of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches, But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. (that would be the Gentile boast) Well; because of unbelief they (Israel) were broken off, and thou standest by faith."

Israel was enjoying the fatness of Abraham, but, what did they do with it? They rejected it in unbelief, and they lost that exalted position that we read about in Romans Chapter 2 or 3. They had the Word of God, and had everything else going for them. So continuing on in verse 20 Paul tell us:

Romans 11:20b-22

"Be not high-minded, (as a Gentile) but fear. (and here's why.) For if God spared not the natural branches, (Israel, the good tree) take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, (Israel) severity; (oh, absolutely God dealt with Israel severely because they rejected so much.) but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."

But you see, we Gentiles are fast approaching that same place, where God is going to finally get fed up with the Gentile world system who are rejecting His offer of Grace, and who are rejecting His blessings, who are rejecting believing Who He is and what He is. So what's He going to do? He's going to do the same thing to the Gentiles that He did to Israel. He's going to break off the Gentile, and when He's through with the Gentile, who is He going to put back? The Jew. Do you see how beautiful that is? See what I meant four programs ago when I said anybody who maintains that God is through with the Jew, that there's no more fulfilling of Old Testament prophecy, they've got to take this chapter and tear it out. They have to throw it away because it just sits here and it trumpets, just screams at us, that God is not through with Israel. God is yet going to fulfill all the promises made to Abraham. We've just been fortunate enough that in the interim, while they've been blinded, we've been brought into the place of blessing, as Gentiles! I'm not talking about believers necessarily, I'm talking about the whole Gentile world. We've been brought into the place of having the simple requirement of believing The Gospel. Verse 22 again:

Romans 11:22,23a

"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, (Gentiledom) goodness: if thou continue in his goodness, (in other words, respond to this offer of Grace and recognize all of His blessings that have been showered upon us) otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in:..."

In other words, one day their unbelief is going to be removed. Will a nation be born in a day? Absolutely! When they see Him coming in the clouds of glory! That remnant of Israel (I think down there in the mountains southeast of Jerusalem that went out in Matthew 24). God has protected them down there for three and one half years from the horrors of Tribulation. He keeps them just like He did Israel in the wilderness under Moses. And that remnant of Israel, when they see Him coming in the clouds of glory, in power, crushing the Gentile world that has taken over the Middle East, then they will recognize Who He is. They will see Him and the nation, the remnant will be saved in a moment and they'll be grafted in. Continuing on:

Romans 11:23b

"... for God is able to graft them in again."

God's not through with Israel. Sure they've been set aside for over 1900 years, but that's nothing in God's program. That's just a flick of the eyelid. And He's going to graft them in again.

Romans 11:24a

"For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature,..."

It's unproductive. I think the name of it was the old Oleander Tree, if I'm not mistaken. It was an olive tree but it didn't produce any olives. And so that's the analogy of Gentiles. They were no good, they were pagan. God had no reason to go to them except by what? By grace! And so He took the no-good Gentiles and He brought them in and made them a part of the fatness of the Abrahamic Promises. But He says be careful. If you reject this like Israel did, you're going to be cut off just as well as they were and it's going to happen. The day is coming when God will stop the Age of Grace and He's going to set the Gentiles into the horrors of the Tribulation and He's going to turn again to His Covenant people. Looking at verse 24 again:

Romans 11:24

"For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature (just opposite of what we normally do when we graft) into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, (the Nation of Israel) which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?"

Now listen, just stop and think. If God took that which was natural, broke it off, set it aside and grafted in an old wild olive tree, the Gentiles, and He's been letting them enjoy all the possibilities of Salvation and blessing that Israel at one time had, but when they have rejected it, and rejected it, and rejected it, then God will do the same thing with the Gentiles that He did with Israel. He will cast them aside and He will set Israel back on that root of Abraham and Israel is going to go into the kingdom enjoying the blessings.

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LESSON TWO * PART I

MYSTERIES GIVEN PAUL;

GOD HAS NOT CHANGED HIS MIND-ROMANS 11:25-34

Now let's go right back to where we left off in the last lesson and that would be in Romans Chapter 11, and verse 25. This chapter is where Paul, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is making it so plain that God is not through with the Nation of Israel. The little nation has been set aside for the past 1900 + years, without their temple, priesthood, sacrifice, and without a homeland until our generation, but God is not through with His Covenant people. We saw that so vividly in the grafting process where Israel was removed, her branches were broken off, and the Gentiles grafted in. Gentiledom has now been placed over the root of the father Abraham, and so Gentiles have been under that blessing of having The Gospel, the opportunity for Salvation. But their day is fast coming to a close because they too have been walking it underfoot, and God's grace and patience is one day soon, we think, going to run out, and then He will go back and pick up where He left off with Israel. Now here in verse 25 Paul writes to the believers:

Romans 11:25a

"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant..."

Ignorance is not a lack of brain cells, but rather a lack of having been taught. And I think that's where the church, if I may use the term generally speaking, has failed so miserably because they have not taught their people. And it doesn't matter what group it is. I maintain you ask the average Roman Catholic, "What do you believe?" you will find that most of them can't tell you. You can ask the average Episcopalian, Baptist, Methodist, or any other group and most of them cannot tell you what they really believe. Why? Because nobody teaches them, and so this is what Paul is driving home, that the believers are to be a well-taught people. We should be well-read in the Scriptures, so this is his statement here.

Romans 11:25a

"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery,..."

And I've stressed the word "mystery" over the years that this word is one Paul uses so often, and in the Greek, the word is musterion, and it simply means, "secret." The word can be translated either way, A mystery or a secret. So what Paul is saying then is, "That he doesn't want the Gentile believers to be ignorant of a secret that God had kept in His own mind until He revealed it to the Apostle Paul." Now I'm going to stop at this word for just a few moments because it's been quite a while since we stressed it. But I've told my classes here in Oklahoma over and over, if you want to do a good Bible study some evening, take a good concordance and just simply look up the word "mystery" as it appears in Paul's epistles and you can just make a two or three hour Bible study and it will be so interesting. Then put together all of the concepts that Paul associates with this revelation of a mystery. We constantly remind folks that all of these things that we refer to as coming from the epistles of Paul were never revealed previously in any of God's dealing with mankind. So many of Paul's doctrines you can't find in the Old Testament. You can't find them in Christ's earthly ministry. You don't find them in the early parts of Acts. They were revelations that God had kept secret since the beginning of human history or even before. Now the verse I always like to start out with in that regard, of course, is back to Deuteronomy 29:29. We've looked at it more than once even on the program before. Let's look at it again. Way back there in the beginning of the Bible. And it's something you can sink your teeth in even today.

Deuteronomy 29:29

"The secret things..." (see, there's that word) belong unto the Lord our God:..."

Why? Because He's Sovereign. He's the Creator of everything. He can do whatever He wants to do. He's Sovereign. Too many people today have gotten the idea that God is just some big, what shall I say, easygoing grandfather type that they can just sort of manipulate and tweak His nose and get whatever you want. That's not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is Sovereign. He is absolute. He is holy. He is righteous. And yet He is a God that is loving and kind and merciful and patient. But, in His sovereignty He has every right in the world to keep things secret as long as He wants to and He will reveal it when He's good and ready and not until. Let's read on.

Deuteronomy 29:29

"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed (are no longer secret) belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law."

This of course was written by Moses. But as I explained to someone in a conversation last night, you want to remember the God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New, even though we're under a whole different set of responsibilities and everything. Yet God hasn't changed. The things that God hated back in the Old Testament economy, God still hates them today. The very things that God forbade Israel back there in the Levitical system, God still does not condone today. And so even though this was spoken by Moses to the Nation of Israel, yet it's the same God and the same secret holder that we deal with today. Now then if you'll come back to Romans a moment we'll look just quickly at a few of these secrets that God has held all the way up through human history, and revealed only when He called the apostle Paul to be the apostle of the Gentiles. One of the first ones of course, if we'll go through chronologically, so you won't have such a hard time looking for it, is right here in Romans the last chapter - Chapter 16 and verse 25. And don't just shrug these off as unimportant. They are basic to all of the Pauline doctrines. They are different concepts but they are all part of that revelation of the mystery. Now in Romans 16:25:

Romans 16:25a

"Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery,..."

Do you see that? In other words, Paul says "The Gospel that I preach is going to be that Gospel which is part and parcel of these revelations of secret things that had never been revealed before." That's The Gospel according to the revelation of the mystery. Now let's continue on and finish the verse.

Romans 16:25b

"...which was kept secret (how long?) since the world began."

And that's exactly what Deuteronomy 29:29 is talking about, that God can see fit to keep things secret as long as He wants. But once He reveals it, then it becomes the human responsibility to believe it. Now then, your next one is Corinthians and so you might just want to go on there for a moment. I Corinthians Chapter 4. Now he puts a responsibility on believers of this age. And I know that he's talking here in the first person, but whatever Paul applies to himself, he applies to all of his listeners. And now he says in verse 1:

I Corinthians 4:1

"Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the (what?) mysteries of God."

Now what's a steward? He's a caretaker, he's a manager, he's an overseer. How in the world can you oversee or manage, something that you don't know anything about? So if you're going to be what the Bible expects you to be, you'd better be studying. You'd better be learning. What are you to be ready to administer? What should you be looking to be a manager of? The mysteries! Well how can you manage them or share them with somebody if you don't know what they are. Let's read on.

I Corinthians 4:2

"Moreover it is required in stewards, (or a manager) that a man be found faithful."

What we have to do is that once we get a hold on these mysteries that we are faithful in passing them on to those who have probably never heard or those who know nothing of it. Now let's just keep turning on through and come to Ephesians Chapter 3. I'm not going to touch on all of them. I'm just hitting a few of the plainer ones, the easier ones to understand. Let's look at Ephesians Chapter 3 and verse 1. Paul again is establishing the fact that he is dealing primarily with Gentiles.

Ephesians 3:1

"For this cause (in other words, all the things that took place in these first two chapters) I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles." Now let's look at verse 3.

Ephesians 3:3

"How that by revelation (in other words he revealed these things from the ascended Lord in Heaven) he made known unto me the mystery;..."

That revealed body of truth that no one ever before had any concept of. It was of course, back in the Old Testament, in latent form, much of these things that Paul is proclaiming to the Gentiles. Now that we understand this we can go back to the Old Testament and can see that God had it on His mind, but He had not revealed it as it was kept secret. Verse 4.

Ephesians 3:4

"Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ"

People have often asked, "After Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus, and God led him down to Mt. Sinai in Arabia for three years, why would it take so long?" Well, I've got several reasons but one of which of course, you want to remember, is that Saul of Tarsus was steeped in Judaism. Saul of Tarsus was just as human as the rest of us and so it probably took a little while to cleanse his thinking and his behavior under Judaism. But on the other hand, to give the man such a clear-cut understanding of things that had never been revealed before, would naturally take some time. And he had to be so prepared that when he came back from that Arabian experience ready to go out among the Gentile world, going out among abject pagan idolaters, he had to be skilled in what he was proclaiming. And I think that's part and parcel of that three-year training time down in Arabia. But he makes it so plain that all of this was revealed to him and he takes the responsibility of now passing it on to the whole world. Now then, come on and read verse 4 and following:

Ephesians 3:4,5

"Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge (his complete understanding) in the mystery of Christ." (or the secrets) Which in other ages (in other past generations. In other words that takes you all the way back to the Old Testament) was not made known (see how plain the language is? These things that Paul is now revealing were never made known before. And he makes double sure we understand that.) unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed..."

Always go back to Deuteronomy and what does it say? And once it's revealed they belong to us, which means we had better believe it. Now then verse 6. This is this part of the mystery that Paul is dealing with in Ephesians 3. There are all kinds of segments to the mysteries. This is the one he is talking about now.

Ephesians 3:6

"That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ (not by Judaism, not by the Mosaic Law, but how?) by the gospel. (His finished work)

Have you ever read anything like this back in the Old Testament, that Gentiles would become one with Christ or with God? They didn't understand Christ as much back there, but that Gentiles would become one with the God of Abraham? Well, whoever heard of such a thing. Jews would have thrown up their hands in horror if anybody would have approached such a subject. But they didn't. They had no concept. Now God had the Gentiles on His mind - don't ever lose sight of that. But it was under a whole different set of circumstances that what we're seeing here. Now let's read on.

Ephesians 3:7

"Whereof (of this message of revealing this mystery) I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power."

Ephesians 3:9

"And to make all men see (not just Israel or the Gentiles, but the whole human race) what is the fellowship of the mystery, (secret) which from the beginning of the world (age) hath been hid (where?) in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ."

The Sovereign God. It's His prerogative to keep things secret if He wants to. And that's where it was. It was hidden in God, the same God who created all things by Jesus Christ. Now let's move on quickly to another little book of Paul's and that's Colossians, that we might get an understanding that one of the aspects of the mysteries is, yes, Israel is going to be spiritually blinded for almost 2000 years. Another revelation is that the Gentiles are going to come into a privileged position with Israel's God in the form of the Body of Christ. Here is another aspect of the mystery, and here he speaks of the Body in which all Gentiles who are now believers are now part of.

Colossians 1:25,26

"Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, (do you see the order?) to fulfil the word of God; (and here it is in verse 26) Even the mystery (secret) which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:"

Do you see how plain that is? All these Pauline truths were held in the mind of God. Israel never had a concept of them, the Twelve had no concept of them, but here comes this renegade, this Saul of Tarsus that God saves by Grace, and to him God now reveals the secrets, the mysteries. And that's why he now has been given the authority to pen these epistles that become the essential part of our Scripture. Paul is the one to whom God has revealed the mysteries. Now to Chapter 2, beginning at verse 2.

Colossians 2:2,3

"That their hearts (and Paul is speaking of the believers up there in Laodicea in Asia Minor) might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment (or the acceptance) of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

So we see that all treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in the mysteries of God. What is the revelation here that the Old Testament is vague about? The Trinity! Now we know that the Old Testament has evidences of the Triune God, but you see this is why the Hebrews, and the Rabbi's even of our own present day, call Christians almost pagan because we worship three Gods. They don't recognize the Trinity back there in the Old Testament, and they still don't. But here is a revelation that God is a Triune God, and it's a revelation that Paul brings out that God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Turn to I Corinthians 15, and again we have Paul talking about a mystery. Something totally different again. First he talks about the Gentiles becoming one with God. Then he talks about God, and the revelation about Who He really is as the Triune God, and now we come to a revelation of something totally different, but yet all part of that same complex revelation. Something that is never referred to anywhere else in Scripture, and that's why people have such a hard time contemplating it even today and that is what we call, "The Rapture." That's a Pauline doctrine that you won't find anywhere else in your Bible. But now look what Paul calls it.

I Corinthians 15:51a

"Behold, I shew you a mystery;..."

Something that has never before been revealed. Now what's this mystery or secret? Oh, that there's going to be one group of believers who are not going to die physically. They're going to be alive when everything comes to a culmination, and you can't find that anywhere else in Scripture, and so it's part of the mystery. There is going to be a group of believers at the end of the Church Age that are going to be suddenly changed, and be from here to there in a split second. I was mulling it over again just the other day and it's hard to comprehend. No wonder the unbeliever scoffs at it. I can understand why he would because it takes some faith to believe that all of a sudden Christ will leave Glory, will come to the atmosphere, the trumpet's going to sound, the archangel is going to shout and all of a sudden, all the dead believers of the Church Age are going to be raised from wherever they are. They're going to be resurrected, gone up to meet The Lord in the air and then a split second right behind them, here we come that are still alive and remain. This is hard to comprehend. I can't envision millions of people suddenly congregating up there someplace in the atmosphere and then going back with Christ to Heaven. But what does The Book say? Exactly that. And so I believe it even though I can't comprehend it. This is a mystery, a secret, revealed to the Apostle Paul and now it's no longer a secret and we're to believe it.

I Corinthians 15:51b

"We shall not all sleep, (die physically) but we shall all be changed."

And then of course he goes on to say how it will happen. Let's go to I Thessalonians Chapter 4. He doesn't use the word "mystery" in this portion, but nevertheless, he's talking about the same thing, so it too is part of the mystery. And that is what we call the outcalling or the Rapture of the Church. And again he uses the same word he uses in I Corinthians 15, "I would not have you to be ignorant."

I Thessalonians 4:13

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (your loved ones who were believers and have died) that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope."

I always call this the qualifications for the Rapture. This is all you need to be in that great company that one day soon is going to be called out of here.

I Thessalonians 4:14

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,..."

Do you believe it? The Gospel. (Ref: I Corinthians 15:1-4) I had a gentleman here and he will never know what his testimony meant to me. He'd always had trouble with the resurrection. He could believe all the rest of it, but he couldn't believe the resurrection. A highly educated man, a brilliant man, he said, "All of a sudden one day, The Lord opened my eyes somehow or another and I believed it. And everything changed."

I Thessalonians 4:16,17

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be (what) caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:...."

Those are the words that we have coined the word "Rapture" - caught up to meet The Lord in the air.

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LESSON TWO * PART II

MYSTERIES GIVEN PAUL;

GOD HAS NOT CHANGED HIS MIND-ROMANS 11:25-34

Let's start where we left off in Romans Chapter 11 verse 25. What we want you to do is to become a student of the Word. But most people judge it without ever looking at it. I've often asked people, "Have you ever made comment about a book of fiction that you never read? Do you ever tell somebody that that book is not worth reading?" The answer is usually, "Well, No." I say, "Then why do you do it to this Book, because it's still a book." And all that we ask is before people begin to criticize it and scoff at it that they take some time and study it. Let's turn to Romans Chapter 11 and we will look at the next part of verse 25.

Romans 11:25

"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel,..."

Now that's the core of this particular part of the mystery. This is something that nowhere else in Scripture has ever been, revealed that the nation of Israel would be sovereignly, judiciously blinded by God for a long period of time, which of course has been 1900 years. Now we know the Old Testament certainly warned Israel that if they were disobedient that God would chastise them. He would bring in their enemies and so on and so forth. But I can think of nowhere in the Scripture where God actually told Israel that a day would come when they would be spiritually blinded. We get a little brief preview back in Acts Chapter 13 beginning at verse 6. Now just for a little background, Paul now is beginning his missionary journey among the Gentiles. The church at Antioch is going to send him and Barnabas out. Now when they came to the island of Paphos:

Acts 13:6-11

"And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a [what?] Jew, [now remember the island of Paphos is primarily Gentile and no doubt under Roman dominion] whose name was Barjesus. Which was with the deputy [governor] of the country, [who was a Roman] Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. [he wasn't any dummy and for some reason or another, he called for Paul and Barnabas because he had some spiritual interest and questions.] But Elymas the sorcerer [this Jew] (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, [in other words he did everything he could to keep that Roman deputy from hearing the word of God from the lips of the Apostle Paul] seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. [As a result of this Jew's imposing opposition,] Then Saul, (who is also called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost [in other words he didn't do it just as a human reaction in anger or anything like that] set his eyes on him. [this Jew, this sorcerer] And said `O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease [or stop] to pervert the right ways of the Lord?' [in other words, Are you not going to stop hindering the gospel from going to a Gentile? And evidently the answer was no because you go right into the next verse] And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, [Paul didn't do anything but turn it over into God's hands] and thou shalt be blind, [physically blind,] not seeing the sun [not for the rest of his life but for what?] for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand."

Now you know what I think that is? That is a preview of what the Nation of Israel would do from that point on. Because you see everywhere that Paul went he would normally first go to the Jews in their synagogues, and when they rejected his message these Jews would then stir up trouble when Paul would turn to the Gentiles. So the Jews became his chief opposition, and they opposed Christianity left and right, and then as we saw back in Romans Chapter 11, and verse 7, they were blinded. This is exactly what God did to the nation as a whole, just like Paul did to Elymas the sorcerer:

Romans 11:7

"What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election (the believers) hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded."

Who blinded them? God did, and He set a spiritual blindness on the nation that is holding until this very day. But it's not going to last forever, because one day that blindness is going to fall from the nation's eyes, and God will once again pick up where He left off with them. Now let's come back and continue our study about this mystery given to Paul in Romans 11:25. Nothing in Scripture foretold that there would be a long 1900 + period of time that Israel would be spiritually blinded as we have seen them be. But now let's see when the Scripture says that will be. Looking at the last part of verse 25 again we find:

Romans 11:25b

"...that blindness in part (not forever) is happened to Israel, until..."

Now those of you who have heard me teach for a long time know that "until" is a time word. I shocked one of my classes a couple of weeks ago. They all know that I've always taught that there is no way we can know the day, month or year that The Lord is coming for the Church. It's an eminent return, but we never set dates. Then I just shocked that class when I said, you're all wondering when the Church is going to be raptured. Well I'm going to tell you exactly when it will be raptured, and some thought that I had gone out into left field. When is the Church going to be raptured? When the last person has been saved and completes the "Body." Now I don't know what day, month, and year that will be, but that is the "until." Israel is going to remain blinded "until." The rest of the verse reads:

Romans 11:25b

"...that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in."

Now what's the fulness of the Gentiles? The Body of Christ. Those are the only Gentiles that God is filling and filling and filling, and He's bringing them in. Now we need to turn to the Book of Acts again Chapter 15 for a reference. And of course here in this chapter is the big controversy between Peter and the eleven down at Jerusalem. The Apostle Paul is dealing with the Gentiles up at Antioch, and telling them that they were having Salvation apart from Judaism, without circumcision, without commanding them to keep the Law. So they've brought Paul and Barnabas all the way up to Jerusalem, and are really trying to settle the matter. "Are you not going to stop teaching these Gentiles that they can be saved without keeping the Law?" If you doubt me, come on up to verse 5 of Chapter 15 in Acts.

Acts 15:5

"But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed (they were part and parcel of that Jewish congregation at Jerusalem) saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, (that is the Gentile believers up there at Antioch) and to command them to keep the Law of Moses."

Paul said there's no way that's going to be part of my message. And so there was a confrontation, a big argument. As we studied the Book of Acts several months ago, Peter finally came to Paul's defense, remembering a long time ago. How long ago? About 14 years back, that he had gone to the house of Cornelius. And he had witnessed that God would save a Gentile without ascribing to Judaism, without repentance and water baptism. They were saved even before Peter got that far. Now Peter wakes up here in Acts 15 which is a long time after that.

Acts 15:7

"And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, `Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, (that is from among the Jewish believers) that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.'"

Now after Peter goes through all his explanation, you come down to verse 12:

Acts 15:12-14

"Then all the multitude (that is of these Jewish believers there at Jerusalem) kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. And after they had held their peace, (they finally settled down and listened to some common sense approach to all of this) James (who was moderating the meeting) answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon (or Peter) hath declared how God at the first (that would be at the house of Cornelius) did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them (the Gentiles) a people for his name."

Now what is that? The Church, which is his Body. So for the last 1900+ years now the Church is being formed mainly by Gentiles who are being called out from among what they are, pagans or whatever, and becoming members of the body of Christ. Now as we've already seen then, as soon as that began, the Jews got envious and began to oppose it everywhere that Paul went. And God put a blindness upon the Nation. Remember, I'm always teaching and always reminding people, God deals with the Jew on two levels: National and personal. Now when he blinds them nationally, that does not take away the personal opportunity for Salvation. So don't ever think that God's being unfair. A Jew still has every opportunity for Salvation that we do, but it's on a personal basis and not on a national. So God is now calling out Gentiles as a people for His name, which is what we refer to now from Paul's epistles, as the Church which is His Body, the Body of Christ.

Now I'd like to use this analogy. I had just read an article, written by a physiologist, or he might have been an embryologist. He dealt with the fetus in the womb. And of course I'm not going to tell you anything you don't know, but I think it's such a beautiful analogy. At the beginning of pregnancy, that mother's body immediately begins to put all kinds of different cells into exactly the right place. And by the time that 9-month period is over, that little fetus has got all of his little fingers, fingernails, the eyes and everything now complete. And isn't it amazing, as this author pointed out, that the body rarely makes a mistake by making one finger much longer than it should be or making toes longer. But everything stops its cell-making process at exactly the right time. And when it's all completed and that little baby is complete and the cell-making process stops, then what? Delivery!

Now the Church is the same way. God has been adding individual believers from all around the world; Chinese, Japanese, Russians, Burmans, French, British, Americans, Canadians, whatever. Believers are coming into the Body one at a time. But isn't it amazing, just like the fetus in the mother's womb, one day the Body of Christ is finally going to have the last person in place. We don't know where it will be, but one day the last person is going to be put into the Body of Christ - It's complete. Now what's God going to do? He's going to deliver it from it's confines here on earth and we're going to Raptured out, as we saw in our last program, and that then becomes the "until" of Romans 11:25. Because you see, as soon as God has completed His work with the Gentile Body of Christ, where is He going to turn to? The Jew! Now of course, the Jew is going to have to go through those seven years of Tribulation before he enjoys all the blessings of Christ's return.

But nevertheless, we know from II Thessalonians Chapter 2, that as soon as the Church is gone, the Anti-christ is going to make his appearance and the world is going to go into that seven years, which is predominately the time that God starts dealing with Israel. And so that's when their blindness is going to fall away. As soon as the Church is gone and the Tribulation begins. Now at the same time, since we have the times or fulness of the Gentiles here in Romans 11, go back with me to Luke 21 and we have the other side of the coin, so far as Gentiles are concerned. And this of course is the unbelieving element. Now the fulness of the Gentiles here in Romans are the Church-Age believers, but Luke 21 speaks of another group of Gentiles who will be the unbelievers. The unsaved world of Gentiledom. Let's look at verse 23 and Jesus is speaking.

Luke 21:23

"But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people."

Now he is speaking in Palestine, he's speaking to Jews, and so this is where all of this is going to take place, isn't it? But he's not talking about the end-time, He's talking about 70 A.D. here. He's talking about Titus' great invasion and destruction of the temple. We pick that up now in verse 24.

Luke 21:24

"And they (the Jews of Jerusalem) shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: (now there's the clue that this is 70 A.D. and not the last of the Tribulation, because at the end of the Tribulation the Jews are not going to be led captive into all the nations. They're going to just survive until their Messiah appears. But here they were and we know they were. They were emptied out of the land and they were dispersed into every nation on the face of the earth.) and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, (what's the next word?) until (there's your time word. How long is Jerusalem going to be under the boot of the Gentile armies?) the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled."

Now what are we talking about? Beginning way back here in 606 B.C., way back at Nebuchadnezzar's invasion of Jerusalem, is the first time that Jerusalem falls under the complete control of a Gentile empire, Babylon. All the way up through human history. All the way to the time of the Cross and at that time it was the Romans. And even as you come on into modern history, Israel has been under the control of various Gentile nations; the Moors, the Turks, and lastly before Israel finally made her independence, was Great Britain, under mandate. Britain was in charge of the Nation of Israel. Now of course, they've had a semblance of sovereignty, but for the most part, Israel is under the heavy hand of the U.N. or all the other nations and so forth.

And so they have been under the control of Gentiles ever since 606 B.C. and they will be until Christ returns at His Second Coming. Right now, running sort of parallel to that (not totally, but at least since the onset of the Church Age, which of course would be sometime between 30 and 40 A.D., when the Church, the Body of Christ, had its beginning). For the last 1900+ years the Church has been accumulating, they've been brought into the Body, and it will be filled and Christ will take it out at what we call the Rapture. The Rapture will take place 7 years before the Second Coming. Here's what I want all of you to see, and even those out in television, that the Rapture will take place just before the Tribulation. All the way back here, we've had the out-calling of the Gentiles into the Body of Christ, which is the Church. It will end with the Rapture. These two processes, the times of the Gentiles, during which Jerusalem is under Gentile control, is going to end at the Second Coming. The fulness of the Gentiles will end at the Rapture. Have you got that?

All the way since 606 B.C., what has the Gentile world been doing with regard to the God of this Book, progressively? Well, more and more rebellion. More and more accumulating wickedness. I've been showing my classes here in Oklahoma that many of the writers of the so called New Age religions, began their authoring of books in the late 1800's. After the return of the century, more came out. But the average church person never even heard about it. Very few people read their books and so forth. But they've been out there. And now, of course, it's beginning to snowball. Now with the advent of all this New Age religion, remember it's pagan, and they may talk a good line, but their basic behavior is anti-Christian, anti-God, it's wickedness in one way or another. Now, you remember when God told Abraham in the Abrahamic Covenant there in Genesis, that He would make of him a great nation? You remember one of the first prophecies in your Bible is that God told Abraham that his offspring would end up in a land that was not theirs and that they would be there in slavery for 400 years? And then he gave the reason why the children of Abraham would have to stay out of the land of Canaan. And what was it? The iniquity of those Canaanites was not yet full. In other words, God gave the Canaanite people 400 years to straighten up their act. But instead, what did they do? They went deeper and deeper into wickedness. And so, when Joshua finally came across the Jordan River, what did God tell Joshua and the children of Israel to do with the Canaanites? Destroy them! Don't spare a one! Why? Because they had gone down so far.

The Gentile world is fast approaching the same place. Now I read just as much as anybody, I guess, of the media and so forth. But there's nothing that the press likes to ridicule more than the outpouring of God's wrath. They just think that's totally ridiculous, that there is no such thing as God intervening in human history in pouring out His wrath. Well, I've got news for them. God is patient tonight, He's gracious, He's kind. He's letting man just take his own way. But listen, there's a day coming because this "until" is still in Scripture. And when this "until" happens, when the times of the Gentiles will have run their course, in will come that last 7 years of Tribulation with the horrors of it. You and I can't begin to imagine what the last 3 and 1/2 of those 7 years are going to be. It is beyond human description, but it's coming. But you see these two parallel Gentile groups, you have the outcalling of the Church here in Romans 11:25, which is the fulness of the Gentiles. That obedient group of Gentiles who have believed The Gospel. (Ref: I Corinthians 15:1-4) Running concurrent with it ever since 606 B.C. you have the times of ungodly Gentiledom. And all you have to do is look at human history. What have they brought on the world? Misery, war, famine, disease, despair. That's been their lot and it's going to culminate in those final 7 years. The last 3 1/2 will end the Gentile domination of the city of Jerusalem, when Christ returns.

I was just writing a little article for our newsletter about praying for the peace of Jerusalem, as Psalms instructs us.

Psalms 122:7

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee." When you pray for that you pray for The Lord's return.

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LESSON TWO * PART III

MYSTERIES GIVEN PAUL;

GOD HAS NOT CHANGED HIS MIND-ROMANS 11:25-34

In the past few lessons we've been talking about how God is not through with the Nation of Israel, they've been blinded, and broken off from the roots of Abraham, and have been out there now for the past 1900 + years in a spiritual national blindness, but God hasn't lost track of them. God knows where everyone of them are, and as we have seen in our generation, the Jew is coming back to his homeland. He's certainly not out of the woods, and they have a long way to go yet before they have the reality of their King and their Kingdom, but nevertheless they're coming back from every nation under heaven you might say, and getting ready for what now we'll pick up in verse 26. We studied about the fulness of the Gentiles coming in in our last lesson, so they're (The Church) is out of the way as The Lord takes them up to glory (Rapture) and the unbelieving Gentile world will go on into the Tribulation, but the Tribulation is primarily God dealing again with His Covenant people.

Romans 11:26

"And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:"

All Israel? Well hardly, but remember, what part of Israel is God interested in? The believers, and so all of believing Israel will be saved. Unbelieving Israel? No. We need to go to the Book of Zechariah, and look at Chapter 13. I'm sure that the word "all Israel" in verse 26 speaks to a remnant, and not to the total number of Israelites that will be living on the planet at that time. You all realize that the number of Jews today is around 15 million. Only 3 or 4 million are in Israel itself, and the rest are still in America, Russia, and various other areas of the world. But here in Zechariah it tells us something that chases up all the way back to Romans Chapter 11 that "all Israel shall be saved:"

Zechariah 13:8,9

"And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, (Israel) saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. (now there's your remnant) And I will bring the third part through the fire, (the fires of Tribulation, the wrath, the vexation) and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, `It is my people:' and they shall say, `The LORD is my God.'"

Now go to Jeremiah Chapter 31, verse 31, in that little portion of Scripture that we call, "The new Covenant." The new Covenant is not Church ground, but rather Israel.

Jeremiah 31:31

"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, (this sets it in concrete, and nothing can change it.) that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:"

All Israel. Don't you buy this stuff that the ten tribes of Israel are lost, because God knows where they all are, and each of the twelve tribes will be represented in the end times. So God tells us that He will make a new Covenant with Israel. Now verse 32.

Jeremiah 31:32,33

"`Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; (in other words this Covenant is not the Law) which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them,' saith the LORD. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel ; `After those days,' saith the LORD, `I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.'"

Isn't that exactly what Zechariah said? The day would come when that 1/3 who would be a surviving remnant will suddenly realize that Jehovah is their God. They'll recognize that Jesus of Nazareth is their Messiah, and God is going to call them, "My People" once again. He doesn't call them that today, but He will then, and this is the new Covenant. Now verse 34:

Jeremiah 31:34

"And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, `Know the LORD:' (that's what Moses had instructed them back in Deuteronomy) for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Now that's Israel's future, but only a remnant of them, or a third, the rest of them will be cut off as we read in the Book of Zechariah, and die. Now go to Matthew Chapter 24. And here again Jesus is speaking to the Twelve. They are there on the Mount of Olives, and they have been asking questions:

Matthew 24:3

"And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, `Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?'"

So in those first 14 verses Jesus tells about everything that's going to open up that seven years period of Tribulation. The famines, wars, and pestilences, earthquakes, and so forth. But now in verse 15 he brings them to the mid-point of that Tribulation. So at the end of that first 3 1/2 years of that Tribulation we find:

Matthew 24:15,16

"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, [that's in Daniel Chapter 9, verse 26 and 27] stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:"

In order to make this stick let's go back to the Book of Daniel for a moment, and look at Chapter 9. I think you have to see it for yourselves or else it may go in one ear and out the other. And remember earlier in this chapter Daniel says that there are a total of 490 years of prophecy determined upon the Nation of Israel, and here we have the first 483 in verses 25 , and 26.

Daniel 9:26,27

"And after threescore and two weeks (that's 62 weeks, + the other 7 weeks that were earlier makes a total of 69 weeks or for a total of 483 years) shall Messiah be cut off, (His crucifixion) but not for himself: and the people of the prince (The Anti-christ) that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; (who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D.? Titus the Roman general. So it's the Roman people from which this Anti-christ will come, or at least the old Roman Empire.) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Now we come to that final week or 7 years. We have 483 years fulfilled almost to the exact day of the 490 years that were prophesied on Israel from the time of Nehemiah until the crucifixion. But we still have 7 years or 1 week left, and here they come in verse 27.

Daniel 9:27a

"And he (the Anti-christ, this prince that shall come from out of the boundaries of the old Roman Empire) shall confirm the covenant (or make a treaty) with many..."

Normally we feel that this treaty is with the Nation of Israel, but it's also going to involve a lot of the Arab worlds, as the whole Middle East is a powder keg, not just Israel. I think this man Anti-christ will come in and make this peace agreement with Israel and her neighbors. Now let's finish verse 27.

Daniel 9:27b

"...and in the midst (middle) of the week: (that's at the end of 3 1/2 years) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."

Now, whenever you read a verse like that, I always tell my class people to stop and ask yourself a question. Simple questions. In order for Israel to practice sacrifices what do they have to have? The Temple! So this verse tells us that before the midpoint of the Tribulation takes place, Israel will have to have her temple. Right now, it kind of seems hopeless, but don't give up on God. He says they're going to have their temple again someday. Whether the anti-christ will make an agreement back here at the beginning with the Muslim world, that will permit Israel to somehow erect a place of worship next to the Mosque of Omar, or whatever, I don't know. But I know they will have their temple and it's going to be operating by the mid-point of the 7 years because this man is going to come into it and he's going to cause the sacrifice and the oblation, the rituals, to stop.

Daniel 9:27b

"...for the overspreading of abominations (it's going to get awful) he (the Anti-christ) shall make it (the temple) desolate, even until the consummation, (end) and that determined (all the things foretold in the book of Revelation: the trumpet judgments, the bowl judgments, the things that are going to happen on the earth in that last 3 1/2 years. That's what Daniel is referring to. All those things are going to happen) shall be poured upon the desolate (the Anti-christ)." So here is what Jesus is now talking about when he says:

Matthew 24:15

"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)"

And that is that the Anti-christ will come from his place, I think in Western Europe, to come down to stand in the holy place (the Temple in Jerusalem). He's