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Did the Apostle Paul believe that the Jews (natural Israel) were Rejected by Jehovah Forever?

Romans 11:1 (New World Translation)

I ask, then, God did not reject his people, did he? Never may that happen!”

Let us see how Paul continues to answer this questions in Romans 11.

* In Rom 11:7, 8 shows that the nation of Israel did not obtain what it sought. Paul goes on in verses 9 and 10 showing that their eyes were darkened so they would not see the truth.
* Paul continues his thought in verse 11 showing that Israel did not stumble so as to fall. The purpose of their stumbling is so the Gentiles would also have an opportunity to be anointed and be part of the 144,000, but even so, verse 1 says that “God has not rejected His people” Israel.

* Not only did they not utterly fall, but there was a purpose to the fall.  Their disobedience was for a purpose, which is to bless all.  This is where it gets really exciting! Verse 15 begins a section which shows the true purpose of Israel being blinded, and allowed to fall for a time is the “reconciling of the whole world.”

*  In verse 12, Paul shows that their rejection results in the “reconciliation of the world” and their future acceptance (“fullness”) will mark the time of “life from the dead.”

* All Israel will be saved (verse 26), both fleshly and spiritual.

*  Verses 25-29 is so beautiful. It shows that Israel was “blinded UNTIL the fullness of the Gentiles comes in,” that is until the 144,000 are complete. And then the blindness and their sins will be removed (verse 27). Verse 28 shows this that they are enemies for the sake of the Anointed, but beloved for the sake of the fathers – God still keeps them in His plan and will help them.

Romans 11:28 says, ” From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers”

How can Romans 11:28 be speaking of anything other than the nation of Israel, when it specifically says:

1. They are enemies for the Gospel’s sake
2. They are beloved for the father’s sake

Are Christians (Jehovah’s Witnesses) enemies for the Gospels sake?  I should hope not.  So this group of enemies is natural Israel who are “beloved for the fathers’ sake.”

Moses told natural Israel that Jehovah loved them in Deut 7:6-8, “For thou art a holy people unto Jehovah thy God: Jehovah thy God hath chosen thee to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth. Jehovah did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all peoples: but because Jehovah loveth you, and because he would keep the oath which he sware unto your fathers, hath Jehovah brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”

Rom 11:29 tells us that, “the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.”  What are the gifts and calling of God to the natural nation of Israel that are irrevocable?
* God will bless all the nations of the world through them (Gen 12:3)
* They will own the land of Israel forever (Gen 13:15)
* They will eventually be planted in their land and never again plucked up out of it (Amos 9:15)

In Luke 21:24 (NASV) Jesus said, “they (the Jews) will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”  Notice that the time of Jerusalem’s trampling ended in 1914 with the end of the Gentile times.  WWI which began in 1914 produced the Balfour Declaration through which the British Empire set aside land in Palestine for a Jewish nation, which became a reality in 1948.  So the early Watchtower (C.T. Russell) was then correct in connecting the reestablishment of the nation of Israel with the end of the Gentile Times.  Here is what the early Watchtower wrote about Israel:  http://www.mostholyfaith.com/bible/volumes/C08.asp

Jeremiah 31:35-37 NIV “This is what the Lord says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that the waves roar — the Lord Almighty is his name: “Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,” declares the Lord, “will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me.” This is what the Lord says: “Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done,” declares the Lord”

 

41 comments to Did the Apostle Paul believe that the Jews (natural Israel) were Rejected by Jehovah Forever?

  • hank

    To Jeff;

    14:1, That spectacular day, has already come and will have him as a fighting warrior at the end at Armageddon. So it has almost been 100 years. How long did Jesus say the preaching would go on? So 14:1-3 is during that time.

    Now after Armageddon, the earthly survivors get right into a spiritual paradise. Those who fought against heavenly Jerusalem are gone. They can no longer fight against heavenly Jerusalem for two reasons. As stated they are gone, but if alive they are now living when the wedding has taken place in heaven so there are no representatives of that class they can war with.

    So lets pick up with the great crowd of survivors. A resurrection begins, and there will be people coming back you did fight against representatives of the kingdom 2000 years ago. Remember those against Jesus himself? What did he say as to their coming back? It would be easier for those coming back from Sodom.

    And then we find what will happen to those who find it to hard and they refuse to come and worship Jehovah. The scourge will take care of them.

  • hank

    Sorry Jeff I must have hit a wrong button but the evidence was so over whelming on Daniel 9:24-27 that I feel if you go over it, you will see that Jesus came on time and did what he was suppose to at that time.

    Now Zechariah 14:1-3 and 16. I just saw the post, do you read it?

    Verse 1 refers to a city-not earthly Jerusalem–Heb. 12:22-heavenly Jerusalem.

    Now Jeff, The heavens were cleansed in 1914 in Jehovah’s day. Rev.11:15 For people to fight against heavenly Jerusalem, it is by going against the living on earth members of the bride class.

    Will be continued Jeff. Try to absorb that. Because I believe you claim to be a member of the bride class? So it should be of interest to you.

  • hank

    To Jeff please keep repeating your questions as there is to much to cover in one answer. So, did you grasp that one day is but like a 1,000 years to Jehovah?

    And did you understand the Bible saying a day for a year? And a year for a day? Saint Joseph Edition Luke 21:24, “Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfill.”

    Jesus was the speaker, and shows fulfillment is future. Jesus does not supply information as to how to calculate it. But keep in mind Jesus did say everything he taught was from the one who sent him. So, one can reason God himself did not supple the needed information at that time.

    Is it possible to prove he provided it at a later time. And is it possible that when he does it has nothing to do with the 490 years because that one was already fulfilled. Did everybody understand its fulfillment? Very few did!

    So lets consider that God Gave this Revelation to Jesus all the way to John to the slaves of God. That word slaves of God, is a small part of the earths population. Rev. 1:10, “On the Lord’s day I was caught up in ecstasy.” John continues, “and I heard behind me a piercing voice like the sound of a trumpet.”

    11:15, “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet. Loud voices in heaven cried out, “The Kingdom of the world now belongs to our Lord and to his Anointed One, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

    Does this have something to do with Luke 21:24? Most certainly. Why? Was not the nation of Israel told that after they no longer had a king, that one day one would get that kingship back?

    “Raise up the low one, and bring high the low one…And it will not belong to anyone until the one who has the legal right comes, and I will give it to him.”

    Remember, Jehovah cannot lie. Heb. 6:18; 1 Tim 1:2 So for those who believe Jehovah, we can try to figure out, who, and when this one who would receive would be. Also would it be here on earth or in heaven? If in heaven, how would that benefit Israel?

    Did or is their proof that someone fulfilled the seventy weeks prophecy? What are some things that would happen?
    1.It would be for the Israelite people and their holy city.
    2.The seventy weeks prophecy, footnote NRNWT, “That is, weeks of years.”
    NJB footnote, “The ‘weeks’ are ‘weeks of years’; the number 70 implies completion.
    3.”to terminate the transgression.”
    4.”to finish off sin.”
    5.”to make atonement for error.”
    6.”to bring in everlasting righteousness.”
    7.to seal up the vision and the prophecy.”
    8.”to anoint the Holy of Holies.” footnote, “or Most Holy.”
    9.it then shows starting point, and what is being started, and ends with Messiah, Leader=69 weeks.
    10, The rebuilding would be done but in hard times.
    11.The angel mentions three frames of the seventy weeks,7 weeks, 62 weeks and 7 weeks.
    12. 455 to 406=7 weeks 406 to 29 C.E. = 62 weeks, 29 to 36=1 week.
    13. Whoever this was showing up at 29 would have to be cut off a the half week, or 3 and a half years. Footnote on cut off, “Or, put to death.”
    14. People will be coming to destroy the city and the holy place.
    15. At the half week the covenant will remain for the 3 and a half years. Gentiles brought in to spiritual Israel.

    We have a choice. Is the evidence there to see that the 490 was fulfilled?

    I will answer yes. Please let me know your answer.

  • hank

    To Jeff;

    On the word day please consider a few verses. Numbers 14:34,”According to the number of days that you spied out the land, 40 days, a day for a year, a day for a year, you will answer for your error 40 years.”

    Ezekiel 4:6, “and you will carry the quilt of the house of Judah for 40 days. A day for a year, a day for a year.”

    1 Peter 3:8, “However, do not let this escape your notice, beloved ones, that one day is with Jehovah and a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.”

    So Jeff we are left with some choices. These men before Pastor Russell lived were wrong on calculating 2,520 years, thus making Pastor Russell the most wrong bot luckiest guy for publishing the end of the Gentile Times for 28 years and hitting it on the nose.

    Or those men before brother Russell were right, but lacked understanding on it, which Bother Russell enhanced to some degree but had a few things wrong because the time for total understanding had not come yet. Which is taught in the Bible.

    Here is a hard part for many people to understand. They think when God uses people a sheds some light it must be to many peoples. But were about 120 people a great number in the book of Acts? No, it was a small number. Did the rest of the world get that information? No! Could we say they were clue less? Yes!

    Likewise, it was a small group who got more understanding on some verses, and just like back in the early times it did spread . Acts mentions 5 thousand, but that is still a fraction of the population. Likewise in the modern times he spread and grew but only a fraction compared to almost 8 billion people have it.

    So what about those back in the Acts period. Most of mankind never really got the truth. Why false Christianity spread like gangrene and even though they were called Christian, they had no understanding on many things in the Bible. And back then the ones saying they were the offspring of Abraham, for the most only a remnant moved into the new light.

    Likewise in the modern time, most of those in Christendom don’t move into the new light, but a remnant comes out of it.

    • Jeff M

      Hank,

      I am really interested in what you have to say for these questions.

      1) The nations which attach Jerusalem in verses 1-3 are around in verse 16. How do you interpret this.

      2) The 70 weeks and 7 times of Daniel are each interpreted as 490/2520 years, yet the other times of Daniel, the 1260, 1290 and 1335 days are not. Why?

      Without Revelation interpreting the 1260 as times, time, and a half a time, 42 months, 1260 days and 3.5 years, it would not be possible to interpret the 2520 years by determining that you could multiply 360 by 7.

  • Hank,

    You have many interesting things to say but I am looking for some specific answers to some questions I have asked.

    1) The nations which attach Jerusalem in verses 1-3 are around in verse 16. How do you interpret this.

    2) The 70 weeks and 7 times of Daniel are each interpreted as 490/2520 years, yet the other times of Daniel, the 1260, 1290 and 1335 days are not. Why?

  • hank

    To Jeff;

    Here are some interesting words from Pastor Russell. “On Zechariah 14:5 D654 First blessing spiritual Israel
    Second blessing Israel or who wants to join them. By exercising the faith and obedience od Abraham. All mankind may become Israelites indeed.
    It will include “every one that is called by my [Jehovah’s] name.
    Israel will then apply to all people.
    When the lease of power to the Gentiles shall have run out, when the Gospel Age shall have ceased.

    One has to read that as though it may be 10 or whatever years before 1914. And what is interesting he shows this to be talking about the bride class first getting the blessings, then Israel and any who want to join them. Also he shows that Israel and those who join him will exercise faith and be obedient and will be called by his name Jehovah.

    I know of one group who does neither of the three. Fleshly Israel. I know another group who does all three, the remnant of the bride class spiritual Israel. But they also have non spiritual Israelites joining in them in exercising and being obedient and also called by Jehovah’s name. Hmm, where can we find them?

    Take care

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