Paul said in Romans 9: 2-4, that "That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
4. Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;"
Paul had a sadness in his heart for his kinsmen because he knew from the revelations he got from Christ (Acts 26: 15-18) that the multitude of Old Covenant Israel were to reject Christ and be cut off. A remnant of them would accept Christ, be born again and would be the first fruits of the New Covenant.
Then in Philippians 3: 2-9 Paul says "Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
4. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5. Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:"
Paul has strong words for his kinsmen, of the concision, calling them dogs and evil workers. Here he does not use circumcision, but concision, which means mutilation, Strong's number 2699. But then he contrasts the "dogs" and evil workers of the mutilation with "We" of the circumcision who worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. By this group - "We" he must mean those of Old Covenant Israel who have accepted Christ in faith and were reborn by the Spirit.
Then Paul lists his credentials as a member of the physical bloodline and as a Pharisee -circumcised, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, having zeal as a Jew to persecute the ekklesia or congregation,and having righteousness in the law. But then he says he counts all of his credentials as a Hebrew of Hebrews as dung, that he might win Jesus Christ.
Paul shows a strong between those of the mutilation who do have confidence in the flesh - and admits that he also was once like like them or even better as a Pharisee and Hebrew of the Hebrews - and those of Old Covenant Israel who were born again in Christ of the Spirit.
There is a huge difference between the multitude of Old Covenant Israel who are "dogs", of the mutilation who are evil workers having confidence in the flesh and those of the remnant who are born again of the Spirit through Christ.
We now live in a time of apostasy of the ekklesia when there is a difference between those who are not born again but are still in the spiritual state of the natural man (I Corinthians 2: 14), who does not discern the things of the Spirit and those who are born again.
Northeye,
You are priming the OP to be irrefutable even now. I'm not sure if you see it or not, but you agree that Israel, the natural branches, were cut off.
You go so far as to point this out,
Paul said in Romans 9: 2-4, that "That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
4. Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
Then you add to it,
Paul had a sadness in his heart for his kinsmen because he knew from the revelations he got from Christ (Acts 26: 15-18) that the multitude of Old Covenant Israel were to reject Christ and be cut off. A remnant of them would accept Christ, be born again and would be the first fruits of the New Covenant.
Now compare what you just quoted to this,
Romans 11:24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
To emphasize it all you quote this,
Then in Philippians 3: 2-9 Paul says "Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
4. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5. Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
Now read this in light of the scripture you just quoted,
Romans 11:25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:
“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”
28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
Doxology
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Now, re-read the OP points and see how most of your reasoning supports it.
Irrevocable
Jews cut off
Natural branches regrafted in (future tense)
Gentiles grafted in
Enemies of the gospel
Partial Blindness
Fullness of the Gentiles
These phases and context expose the lies of preterists and replacement wolves without fail. The context of these verses are protected by their surrounding chapters.
Anti Zionists Wish they could "Revoke" God's Promises to Jacob's defendants, but they can't. Moses even gambled his salvation on God's promises outweighing human failure.
Exodus 32:32 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”
Anti-Zionists fear how deeply these verses expose their conceited error.
Lastly Consider this response that I might repost as an Opening post at a later date and a more accurate explaination of how it all fits together.
Keep in mind, Prophecy happens more than once on the back of one passage of scripture. This is a fact that Christ's first Advent Revealed. You're hanging all of your theological hope on a one time interpretation of "This generation shall not pass away."
From Jacob to Paul, why Preterism and Reformed Covenant Theology are Systematically Heretical
.
Foundation of OP rebuttal against Reformed / Council of Nicea Covenant Blending and Preterism
The OP title is signant of the Bible's actual system of theology and the contrasting birth of the Heresies that are now taught as Preterism and Covenant Theology. The Name covenant theology is deceptive in and of itself. Covenants are promises and those promises are never revoked by God. Dispensational theology actually understands the Covenants of God more clearly than Covenant Theology.
God never changes, but we do. The Bible shows God adjusting His approach to us in ways that fit our choices and global circumstances. Each of the many covenants in the Bible have a specific purpose and lesson to humanity. These promises build on one another and teach a central Truth about God's mercy, but they are not meant to blend together into one narrative. Blending the entire bible together by teaching that God demands obedience and throws away the disobedient is the quickest way to damn all of humanity and make God out to be a failure.
Jacob is the human origin of Israel. Moses became the representative head of Jacob's descendants as the human Dispensational mediator of the Stone covenant. Jesus was born of Israel, but walked with us as the Son of God and the Presence of the Father. Seeing Jesus is to have seen the Father. Jesus is the King of Israel. Peter is the King of Israel's Emmisary to Israel, while Paul is the post ascension Emmisary of Jesus to the Dog's that are now the Sheep of the Body of Christ.
The Distinguishment of the Joining.
Jacob was joined to God through faith by Promise and contention with God.
Israel was joined to Moses by Jesus.
Jesus joined The Body of Moses to Peter.
All Spiritual descendants of Abraham are uniquely considered descendants of Abraham by Faith in Jesus.
All are joined to Abraham by faith in Jesus.
Not one verse in scripture Reassigns Israel to mean anything other than Blood and Nationality.
Direct Support that Dispensationalsim is Correct
.
1D Jesus Distinguished Israel from the Gentiles exactly as Dispensationalists do.
2D Jesus came for Israel during the time of His first Physical Cosmos presence with humanity. Even Samaria or the Northern Kingdom is visited by Jesus as Israel.
3D Jesus shunned Gentiles but approached Israel of National and Genetic origin as the people His physical ministry was dedicated to.
4D Jesus told Peter to Feed His Sheep and Peter is to the Circumcision, per Paul.
5D Peter rejecting Christ before His resurrection is identical to Israel rejecting Christ before His 2nd Coming.
6D Paul is commissioned to take the Gospel to the Gentiles by Jesus after Christ's ascension.
The Preterist and Covenant, Replacement Theology Rebutting Quick Notes
1T Jesus Prophetically Divided the Sheep of Israel from the (Then unknown) Sheep of Paul with His words in Matthew 15, John 10 and John 21. Paul acknowledges this division in Galatians 2 and Romans 11.
2T Israel (The Body of Moses) is first divided into 2 flocks (Belief and Unbelief), before the New (Body of Christ) Flock is born of the Resurrected and Ascended Jesus, through Paul.
The short expanded version of the OP
1S Jesus said he came for the Sheep of Israel and contrasts this by calling Gentiles dogs.
2S Jesus explains that there are sheep of another fold. This is a problem for preterists and dispensational rejectors. If Jesus was going to replace Israel, Jesus would have specified that Israels name would become another folds name.
3S Jesus came for the Lost sheep of Israel and in doing so, verified that Israel is divided into Lost and Found.
4S Are Gentiles sheep, in this age of Grace? Certainly. Are Gentiles the flock of Israel. Absolutely not! Israel is divided into believing and unbelieving Israel. Gentiles are divided into believing and unbelieving Gentiles. But, each flock is its own flock! I can divide a flock, but it is simply a divided flock. I can add part of a flock to another flock, but that part still came from its original flock and is unique to its new flock that didn't come from its previous flock.
5S Peter rejected Jesus like Christ Rejecting Israel presently has.
6S Peter was forgiven and told to feed God's Sheep.
7S Peter is specifically said to be to the Jews or Circumcision by Paul.
8S To follow scripture correctly, it must be understood that Israel is the descendants of Jacob and came first (Before the Body of Christ). Israel was divided by the coming of Christ. It is the Flock of the Circumcision and it has stages of development. It is separate from the flock of Gentiles in matters of Christology and biblical exegesis, per the words of Jesus.
Simplified stages of Israel (The 12 stages of the 12)
1- Jacob contends with God and is called Israel.
2- Jacob has 12 Sons
3- Through the selling of Joseph into slavery, Israel became enslaved by Egypt.
4- Israel was Liberated from Egypt and identified as the Body of Moses through God's provision of the Law and assignment of Moses to Israel as its supreme human representative.
5- Israel contends for its promised Land.
6- Israel gains its land, but is in constant peril to keep it. It divides into the Northern Kingdom of 10 tribes and the Southern Kingdom of Judah and Benjamin. David, the second king of the Southern Kingdom, is recognized as the birth conduit for the Prophesied Messiah by Israel's prophets.
7- Israel is overrun and partially dispersed time and time again by Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. The Assyrian and Babylonian Dispersion is the major Onslaught that defines what is commonly referred to as the Diaspora and refers to all of Israel, North and South. There are many Exiles that took place over the years, but Assyria towards the North and Babylon towards the South.
8- The Messiah is Born of the bloodline of Israel. (Specifically David). The Roman Government held Israel at the time and Israel had been named Palestine by the Roman Government to mock Israel. (Palestine is lingual equivalent of Philistine)
9- Jesus is accepted by the literal poor people of Israel as Israel's King and the presence of God, but rejected by its wealthy Priest class as Israel's King and the Presence of God. The 12 apostles are all from the more impoverished origins. (Wealth - Spiritual Pride and Boastful in Election - Self Righteous - Better than Others / Poverty - Poor in Spirit and Admittedly Condemned - Sinful - Unworthy)
10- Christ rejecting Israel is ensnared into blindness while Christ accepting Israel becomes the picture of the fullness of God's plan for Israel and eventually becomes enveloped into the grace age Body of Christ, through Paul.
11- Christ rejecting Israel is in Peril and is further dispersed while it continues to exist as the land of Palestine and a people of Old Testament tradition for over 2000 years.
12- Israel reemerges from its ashes and now awaits the return of its True King, while the gentile nations oppress it, once more.
The Exegesis with a simplified delivery.
Jesus came for Israel, the Lost sheep. During His physical ministry, God never changed this. A good example of this is the gentile mother that sought God's help.
Matthew 15:22*A Canaanite (Gentile) woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David,have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” 23*Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 24*He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”. 25*The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. 26*He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s breadand toss it to the dogs.”
Israel are the sheep. Gentiles are the dogs. Jesus said so. At least we're not the goats.
John 10:16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
Jesus speaks of another flock. He doesn't say that Israel is about to be permanently replaced, but says that He has another flock. Who feeds this other flock flock? Could it be one who rejected Jesus and then was told to Feed God's Sheep if he Loved Him? No! Peter is to the Circumcision or Lost sheep of Israel. This other flock that is a mystery is the post ascension flock that Paul is sent to. Not only did Saul hate Christ following Israel, but he ended up being instructed to by God Himself to preach Christ (God) to the Gentiles. Humility and mercy are always asked by God and provided by Him, to boot.
Luke 22:60*But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61*And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62*And he went out and wept bitterly.
Peter denied Jesus. This is a major deal! Peter denied the Messiah! What is the response of Jesus to being denied by Peter?
John 21:15*So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
16*He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
17*He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
Peter is a picture of Christ rejecting Israel. To miss that scripture repeats itself perfectly is to miss one of the most amazing aspects of scriptural narrative. Israel is like Peter, waiting for Christ to be resurrected, but filled with a sore heart, missing the presence of God. Christ's return will be Israel's breakfast by the Sea with God. After all, God told Peter to feed His sheep as He ate fish with the disciples.
About feeding God's sheep and Peter being told to feed God's sheep if He loved Him, who did Peter feed?
Galatians 2:8 For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles.
Peter is to the Jews. Jews are physically circumcised and though they are named of the Tribe of Judah, they signify the culmination of Israel under the Joining of Judah to his father Jacob (Israel). Paul is to the Gentiles. Gentiles are the physically uncircumcised, but Spiritually circumcised. There is no book that is as dispensationally gentile specific as Galatians. It even speaks about Gentiles and Jews having to learn to acclimate to one another. Galatians rejects the idea of allowing the circumcision that are still mixing the two covenants together to influence the uncircumcised. Paul even calls Peter out for separating himself from the Gentiles while Peter is obviously living like a Gentile. The separation and simultaneous emphasis on coexistence is a further reminder of God's distinction between Israel and the Gentiles.
For Paul to still distinguish between the Circumcised and the Uncircumcised as far in scripture as Galatians, it is apparent that Dispensational understanding was embraced by the very Body of Christ that is spoken of in the Bible.
