Romans 11 Part B

Those Jews that are saved today will depart in the rapture, so they will not be in the land. That's right, brother. Amen, yeah.

Don't confuse it with the future. That's right. I'll keep it up, brother.

Everybody hear the question? Here's another question. After the rapture, will there be blessings just on earth for the Jews? You need to repeat the question. One minute, brother.

His question was, after the rapture, no. Prior to the rapture, the Jews that are saved today, they will depart in the rapture. They will go at the rapture, exactly.

But after the rapture, there will be, and even during the tribulation, there will be a worldwide preaching of the gospel. There will be multitudes saved then, who have never heard the gospel before. There will only be those that have not heard it before.

It seems that way. Those that have heard it now, there's no second chance. Amen.

If they reject it. Amen. In spite of what some Englishmen say.

I'm a Welshman. I only happen to live in England. There's a man in this country who's written a bunch of books, too.

Left Behind was one, and he indicates that. Brother, your question again? Keep going here. After the day of grace is ended.

In other words, the difference between the blessings the believers today in Christ enjoy, and the blessings that people who are saved after the church is gone will enjoy, the nations as well as the nation of Israel. Well, they'll enjoy salvation. We know that.

We'll look back to the cross. So will they. They'll know the work of Christ was sufficient to meet their need.

As far as earthly blessings, the Lord doesn't tell us too much about that in the coming day. But ours are in the heavenlies. Heavenly.

Ours are in the heaven. That's what he's dealing with. Our blessings will be heavenly.

You would say this, Brother McCullough, You would say this, that the blessings after the rapture will be linked with whatever national blessings God had promised the nation in the Old Testament. I think so. That's good, Jim.

Thanks. I think the bottom line is that God has a purpose for Israel in the future. For His people.

And He is preserving a remnant of people. This has been said, if they get saved, they'll go to heaven. He is going to preserve a remnant of people so that when the day comes, His people will be there.

There will be living bodies that will be saved in that day. But there will be living bodies. The people will not be annihilated.

He will keep a remnant, a number of His people. They're all over the world. Somebody said, you wanted them all in New York.

I said there are more in New York than in Israel. Yeah, there you are. And so they're all over the world.

And God knows where they are. We don't. And they'll all be gathered together.

God will order things. But He's going to keep them around. He's going to have them.

They will not be annihilated. Wait a minute. I think there might be a slight confusion in people's minds.

We are talking about the remnant today. Yeah. That's a different remnant.

And we're comparing it with the remnant in the future. In the tribulation. Yes.

That's different. So, at the rapture of the church, all believing Jews and believing Gentiles will be taken home. After the rapture, there will be Jews saved.

And as far as we know, they will, well, at least 144,000 seem to be the ones that preach the gospel of the coming kingdom. And as a result of that, there will be other Jews and other Gentiles saved. And there will also be a remnant then as there is a remnant now.

Absolutely. Right. And then at the end of the tribulation, when the Lord comes, all Israel shall be saved.

And yet there's a psalm, brother, forget the psalm, about those that will yield feigned obedience. Oh, yes. So, there will be some that make a profession that won't be genuine during the kingdom age.

So, brother Eric, can I ask you, verse number 7, it says then, What then Israel hath not obtained, and then it speaks of the election having obtained it. Are we looking at two circles here? There's a broad circle, which is Israel, that is, those who are physical descendants of Abraham. But there is another circle, and that is those who have accepted grace and the gospel.

Yeah, that's it. So, they come into a righteous standing before God and the others don't. Right.

Very good. Anybody else now, before we move on a bit? That verse tells us the reason they hadn't obtained what they had hoped was they were blinded. Who blinds them? As a nation? God blinds them.

God blinds them, exactly. Chapter 9. But it's their fault because, end of verse 9, it's a recompense. That's right.

What they've done, God recompenses them as a nation, not individuals because they're remnant. That's good. That's what we have to keep in mind.

It's the nation he's talking about that's blinded. Individual Jews today, they hear the gospel, they can accept it and come into the blessing of salvation. But nationally, the nations are blinded, the nation of Israel.

In fact, just case in point, a few years back, Jim was with us. We were on a tour of what they call the Holy Land. A Scotsman might tell you that's Scotland, but anyway, it was Israel.

And when we got to the area where they had the Dead Sea Scrolls, I said to the guide, show me chapter 53. And she said, there's 52 and there's 54. She said, 53 is missing, but it's in my Bible at home.

I said, well, I'll tell you why it's not there. So I reminded her of what generally they think about the Messiah. They rejected him.

But in a coming day, they'll receive him. They'll accept him. So 2 Corinthians 4, there's a veil over their eyes to this day.

To this day. They can't see the glory. But there's individuals, according to the election, they've been taken out.

So it's divine choice first again. Then they've received God's offer of mercy. That's good.

Did that occur at the martyrdom of Stephen when they stopped their ears? It says. And then they took off stones and killed him. I would take it in the imagery of the parable.

They sent a messenger after him. We will not have this man. That could well be the moment.

That's good. You know, anyway. Stephen or the Lord? The martyrdom.

That was the son. They sent a messenger after him saying we, you know. I would take it that was Stephen.

He was the final rejection. Seems almost that's God's final voice to Israel. To Israel as a nation.

And after that, it seems to move to the Gentiles. Right. That's good.

Matthew 22 as well. Yeah. You don't think that the whole book of Acts is necessary to bring the rejection to a complete finale? I had always thought that Acts 28 verse 28 was the final point myself.

But that's just something to throw out so others can look at it. I'd say there's a number of points that God, that they turned away from the Gentiles. Turned to the Gentiles.

Yeah. That's what I should say. And then I think you're right.

By the time, indisputably, by the time you finished Acts, Israel's finished as a nation. Yeah. When he talks about not giving sleep to their eyes or slumber to their ears they should not hear.

And giving them spirit of slumber. Eyes that they should not see. It seems he has in mind the same idea regarding Pharaoh.

He hardened his heart. I think it says it maybe eight or ten times. And then finally God hardened his heart.

The same is true of the nation. They blinded their eyes. They wouldn't listen.

They wouldn't hear. God blinded them. And then it says God did this on to this very day.

He has blinded the nation. And a number of translations you'll see offered. Blinded.

The alternative is hardened. Hardened. Same as Pharaoh.

You'll see it in Darby in his margin. You see it in Newbery margin. Yeah.

And it obviously throws you back in thought to chapter nine. Yes. It's the same thought.

They hardened themselves. And if you read the full quotation in Isaiah you see it even more. That they closed their own eyes.

We have a partial reference here. But if you go on in Isaiah chapter six you'll find that it's Israel blinding themselves. It's the principle that the Lord expressed also, isn't it? He said to them they have ears to hear.

But they will not hear. Their eyes are blinded. And really it was a rejection of his teaching that he's speaking of.

All the prophets pointed to him and yet they would not receive them. And when he declared them and revealed them they still did not accept his word. So the Lord accepted that in their rejection of the Lord Jesus.

It would be necessary for it to be repeated in the Book of Acts, wouldn't it? In terms of the testimony was spreading geographically. But wherever it encountered Jews there came that point where in a national way they rejected the message. So verse number nine there.

Let their table be made a snare and a trap. Could we suggest that the table there is actually the law? And what they were boasting in as a nation. And the very thing that they were seeking righteousness in and through.

It actually became the snare that through that they rejected their Messiah. It should have been blessing, shouldn't it? But because of their rejection it stumbled them. It became a snare to them.

And a recompense. I wonder too as he goes into the next verse too and he talks about their back being bowed down always. Their eyes dark and they may not see.

He seems to be talking about cruelty, hard taskmasters. As in Pharaoh's day. And their backs bent.

A burden laid upon them. So that the judgment of God was the result of their own disobedience. God did this.

God blinded them. So it's the thought of their slavery and their bondage. You have the same thing in John chapter 8. They weren't aware of it.

They said we're not in bondage to any man. Bondage at the moment as they spoke. It's a reminder is it not too of a fulfillment of prophecy.

I mean Psalm 69 is where this is taken from. As we realize. And Psalm 69 divides at that point.

At the rejection of the Lord prophetically. Then God says and let their table become a snare. So it has to do with their rejection of the person.

That's right. That's right. That's good Jim.

Jim, you were going to say something? Pardon? Were you going to say something? No. No. Well now we're at verse 10.

And we can move on if we're through with that. Again he's asking questions. I say then.

Have they stumbled? That they should fall. In other words the idea of this fall is something that's absolutely beyond any recovery. Does it mean there's no recovery for them? God forbid.

They will be picked up again. So the other word that is in this verse. Have they stumbled? They should fall.

By no means rather through their fall. That's a different word isn't it from the first one. It's rather the idea of a misstep or a step taken in the wrong direction.

So it's not an ultimate final. Right. It's a totally different word.

And he's just unfortunately our authorized version translates it the same. Paul seems to labor that idea about jealousy toward the Gentiles doesn't he? He goes back to it often. In other words what happened to the Jew would actually affect the Gentile believer in a jealous way.

They would see these Jews brought into, Gentiles brought into blessing. Now he's saying you Jews there's going to be jealousy here. But it was provocation to a good thing.

That's it. Good thing. Not like provocation to love.

That's right. That's the difference. It's not to bad things.

Make them jealous for it. Not against it. That's right.

And now it's down to verse 14 to save some. It's the remnant again. Paul will say later to save some.

It's a realistic situation. Now he understands the nation as a whole not going to be saved. Not yet.

But some will. But he intimates that doesn't he in verse number 13. The fullness.

And we use the expression life from the dead. He uses the expression their defection and their diminishing. Again to underline that God hasn't totally finished with them.

It's just their diminishing. And the result of that is these lovely expressions. The riches of the world.

And the riches of the Gentiles. In contrast that really takes us in where we are right now. So the fullness and the receiving of them.

That's a future day. Future. So we're getting now into a millennial scene.

Because that's the future day, isn't it? Why would it change from riches of the world to riches of the Gentiles? I'm just wondering. I wonder too. You tell us, William.

I don't know. Well, the riches of the world would include the Jew. The Jewish element that's believing.

Perhaps. I've wondered if it has to do with the millennium. I think it's what it has in mind.

Riches of the world. And he brings into that and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles. So that is the present riches that we have through grace.

Well, the ultimate end, of course, is to Abraham. In thee all nations of the earth shall be blessed. Amen.

It's the whole world. Ultimately. All the world.

But the step-by-step progress at the moment. At the moment. It's this defection.

As the brother said. And the diminishing of Israel. But then when that's finished.

Then will be dawned this wonderful day. Blessing for all. So how much more their fullness.

That's when Israel as a nation would be restored. To God. Brought back to God.

And they will be the channel then of divine blessing to the whole earth. Yes. That's it.

To the whole world. That's right. Good.

So ultimately God is glorified in both, isn't he, Brother McCullough? There's not only that there was blessing as a result of their failure. But there will even be more as a result of their restoration. Which you have mentioned, Brother Englund.

That's important to see that. The best days are ahead for Israel. That's right.

So when he talks about the fullness at the end of verse 12. Much more of their fullness. He goes back to that again down toward the end of the chapter.

Verse 25. Till the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And it may be alright just to interject that what he's saying here is.

This is a spiritual thing. The fullness of the Gentiles. When the last Gentile is saved.

God's purposes for them will be complete. Then there will be the Lord's coming. But the fullness in verse 12 is the fullness of Israel, isn't it? That's right.

Whereas the other is the fullness of the Gentiles. The fullness of the Gentiles. Verse 25.

But it's still fullness. That means completion, doesn't it? You didn't think, Brother Eric, that it went beyond the rapture? The fullness of the Gentiles? Well, it brings them into a place of future blessing. Is that what you had in mind? Yeah.

I take it to a future day even into millennial blessings really. Yeah, that's good. Why? It's alright.

Paul seems to, I wouldn't say glory, but he's almost exalting in the fact that he's an apostle of the Gentiles. I magnify my office, he said. I'm glorifying in this ministry that I'm bringing to you Israelites and you Gentiles.

I'm glorying in it. It's not the idea that he's proud of the fact that he's a minister to the Gentiles, but he's appreciating what he's bringing before them about the coming glories. That's how I see it.

You agree with that, Sandy? I think, yeah. He was zealous in his office. He labored among the Gentiles hoping that as Jews saw fruit among the Gentiles, it would create jealousy to want the same thing.

It's interesting, again, I think someone mentioned different phrases Paul uses repeatedly. Here's one of them, if by any means. Nice to trace that to his epistles, if by any means.

1 Corinthians 9, if by any means I may save some, and so on. Philippians 3 and elsewhere as well. Help us with that phrase there in verse number 15.

If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world. Is this teaching universalism, Brother McCullough? In verse 15? Yeah. The casting away of them be... The reconciling of the world.

The reconciling of the world. Well, I think he's saying that this temporary casting away... God will do it. But he says in spite of that, I'll be their God.

Right to the very end. And they'll be brought into a realm of blessing. A receiving of them as life from the dead.

In other words, there's a coming day of blessing. They're going to be raised to enjoy this blessing. You have something else in mind? 2 Corinthians 5, God was in Christ reconciling the world.

So spiritual blessing that was specially Israel's domain, now God has made available to the entire world. So it's potentiality? Potentiality rather than... Actuality. You know, universalism, yes.

But we also have the thought in Colossians that the world is going to be reconciled. That's it. It will.

In the millennium. In the millennium, yes. It does not mean that all men will be reconciled.

But all who will can be reconciled. Yeah. So it's the offer of the gospel to the whole world that there is reconciliation available in Christ.

And that has come about because Israel set aside the gospels going out to all the Gentiles. Yeah. Then the contrast, what shall the receiving of them be? That is in the future when Israel restored, but life from the dead.

There will be full blessing to all the earth. It says, Colossians 1, by him to reconcile all things unto himself. By him I say whether things in earth or things on earth and things in heaven.

So here's the days of heaven on earth. Life from the dead. Life out of the dead.

Yes. So that's the new creation. That's right.

That's like the sailors Ezekiel says, isn't it? I shall be their God, they shall be my people. He's talking about that. He's not speaking about the earth.

He's speaking about the world. It's not gay. It's cosmos.

He's speaking about the world. So I have to make a difference between what's going to happen in the new creation to creation in the millennial scene. This seems to be a little bit different here to me.

I'm not sure what it is and what way the world is reconciled. Apart from the fact that the work has been done and the opportunity is universal. Then you've got what you read.

The word world is a number of ways of understanding. You have to look in the context. The context here seems to be, and it's a picture of resurrection.

Life out from among the dead ones. It's resurrection again. It's by picture.

Picture of a resurrection. If the tribulation is death, then millennium is life. So the world would be the people's? I would think in the context.

I had thought, Brother Duncan, that Paul has in mind the idea that when Israel is brought back again, there'll be great blessing on this world. Yeah. Because of their position now.

Restore. One thing he is establishing, which is very beautiful really, even though God has to deal with Israel, he has to deal with them because of circumstances. He's never going to leave them out of whatever happens.

He's bringing them and they are the reason for many things. It's the faithfulness of God to his word and promise to them as was in chapter 9 and 10. So it's the casting away, though.

Setting Israel aside is the reconciling of the world. Still not clear on what you're telling us. And then the receiving of them, what will it be? So it's a casting away.

And that's now. So what does it mean? Because Paul preaches to the Corinthians, be ye reconciled to God. That's a message that's gone out to men.

So in what way do I understand that the world is reconciled? And Brother, what's his name again? He's the Welshman. I know. You had some thoughts there.

Well, Colossians 1, of course, relates it in two ways. That's the ultimate long-term one, reconciling all things to himself. But then also to Colossians, who were largely Gentiles, he would say, Yet now hath he reconciled, you hath he reconciled.

So present reconciliation of individuals. You hath he reconciled is to his audience. That's right, individuals.

But potentially now it's long-term reconciliation of heaven and earth. That's the future, David. Now hath he reconciled.

I'm looking at now. I understand the millennial scene. That's not a problem.

I'm looking at now where I can see universal reconciliation today. Trying to understand that. I think Brother Meakin has mentioned this is potentiality rather than actuality.

Before, God was just dealing with a nation. Having set them aside, now those blessings become available to all on the principle of faith. So not just one nation but to the entire world.

Those blessings are now available. So it's availability. Go ahead, I'm sorry.

So this is spiritual. As a spiritual reconciliation. It would have to be.

Because certainly not all men reconcile to God. And the world, the creation is not reconciled to God. Still cursed.

Amen. Yeah. But in the coming day, when Israel is brought into a place of blessing, the Gentiles, they'll wish they were a Jew.

They'll say, let us go up with thee to worship in a coming day. So there will be blessing in this world when Israel is restored. I understand that.

I have no problem with that. Okay. It was just today.

You mean today. All right. This is my issue.

I'm not worried about after that. I've got quite clear on that. It's just if casting away is the reconciling of the world.

It doesn't actually say it is today. And potentiality is certainly acceptable. If you look at the verse literally, there are no verbs anyway.

I know. I know. So you can't put time.

There's no time line there. No. I'm happy with that.

We must relate it back to verse 13, though, mustn't we? I speak to you Gentiles. So that's outside the realm of Israel. He's turning to the Gentiles with the gospel.

And I think that's involved in that reconciling of the world. We better let Brother Eric move on. Yes.

Come to verse 16. He talks about the first fruit being holy. I take that to be Abraham.

And the lump, the nation of Israel, is also holy. And if the root be holy, so are the branches. And he seems to be using the figure of the baking, the early day when they baked their cakes and offered them to God.

The first fruits were given to God. And then he moves from that to this grafting in of the branches, Israel. They were broken off, and yet the day is coming when they're going to be grafted in again.

Now, our brethren can come in and give us some help here. I don't want to monopolize this whole section. Just vital to underline, as was mentioned, I think, in the first reading, this is national privilege.

Not individuals being cut off and losing their salvation. And could you say something about the use of the olive tree as the imagery here? The Old Testament, the fig, the olive, the vine, all emblematic of Israel. So what is the thought in the olive, and why does he choose that here? Fruitfulness, of course, is suggested from the olive.

The olive tree was the source of the olive oil. Testimony for God. Which was testimony for God.

So is it the place, is the olive tree then, let me ask a question. Is the olive tree representing here the privilege of testimony for God on earth? I'm taking that. That's good.

That's what I thought. Okay. Very good.

So whereas it once belonged to Israel, it presently belongs to the Gentile, the church, and it will again belong to Israel in the future. The place of public testimony for God. Spiritually again, isn't it? This is the fatness spoken of.

The privilege of public witness. It was Israel's spiritual blessings, wasn't it? Spiritual. Exactly.

And when it comes to the fig tree, you think of it more as national blessings. And then when you come down further, he speaks of a vine that is spiritual privileges that are found. So in the oil, it's that which would shine for God.

With the fig tree, it's that which is fruitful to God. And with the vine, that which would bring joy to God. So he's linking them with Abraham again here, isn't he? Spiritually.

So this is simply the sphere of testimony. And into that sphere of testimony, which began with the fathers, he mentions that further down in verse number 28. Began with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Into that, there came just profession. They professed to bear testimony for God, but there was no reality. And that's why they had to be broken off.

Then there were other branches grafted into that sphere of testimony. They were Gentiles. And if they do not continue, if there is again profession, they will be cut off.

So the Gentiles were the wild olive tree of verse 17. And they were grafted into the root and the fatness of the true olive tree, the testimony for God that was Israel's possession or privilege. Which is contrary to nature.

You don't do that. Gentiles are not brought into that place of public testimony for God. The reverse of nature, which is a picture of grace.

Yeah, it's contrary. Grafting, men that know anything about it tell us, you take the good branch and you graft it into a wild root. But here they're grafted into the good olive.

So the nation that was broken off, he tells us later here, down to verse 23. I'm just jumping to that for a minute. The day's coming when God says he's able to graft them in again.

They will again be linked with that root. The key is the branch will take character from the root. That's the thing.

We get people who can take an apple tree and take a standard tree and graft it in and they'll get apples. So it's not taking character from the root. But here, the branch and the fruit will take character from the root.

Yeah, that's good. So, for example, if we're enjoying listening to our brother Smith here in ministry on the tabernacle, bringing out truths regarding the person of Christ, would that be us partaking of the root and the fatness of the olive tree? That's a good application. That's an application.

Good. We're appreciating something of what was Israel's exclusively in the past. That's good.

One interpretation, many applications. Isn't it getting the life and that from the root? The totality of the life of the branch is going to be what it's getting from the root. And that's what Matthew 7 teaches us.

But if the ultimate object of an olive tree is olive oil, which is the only normal root, then the fatness is this olive oil. And the olive oil speaks of, surely, public testimony because it's going to be burned in a lamp. And that's testimony, any kind of testimony.

Gospel testimony as well. Sure. That was an application.

Yes. We just expand it out. The olive is one tree that they can use every part of it.

That's right. But the olive tree is strange. A couple of weeks ago I was in India walking around with some friends and we saw this tree with things sticking out of it.

I said, what's that? He said, it's an olive tree. I said, it's got no leaves. And there were olives growing out of this thing.

Before the leaves. No leaves. I'd never seen that and I was quite amazed.

And what people said is true, that here is the thing. It's not leaves. It's not outward profession.

It's real fruit bearing. That's good. There was an occasion, you know, when Brother Eric got anointed as a priest with olive oil.

Wow. Yeah. Whose Italian house was he in? I was in Israel.

They anointed him as the low priest. And Al Christopherson was the high priest. Brother Eric, some of the branches, those expressions, some of the branches were broken.

Would this speak of the unbelieving Jews? Yes, yes. Some of them. The unbelievers.

Really the branches there contributed nothing, did they? No, but he says they will be grafted in later. That's right. Because of unbelief they were broken off.

Suppose not against the branches. It's not our place to look down our nose, as it were, upon Israel and their unbelief. It's not for the believer today to take a crusade against the Holy Land.

You see, some of them were saying, in fact, verse 19 indicates that, Thou wilt say that I, that's a very emphatic word, it's a mark of pride. They're saying, we're going to get linked again with that good root. And Paul's rebuking them for saying that.

They're boasting. Thou wilt say then, the branches were broken off, that I might be grafted. Does that go back to, I think it was Brother Barnes this morning mentioned, that there was certain friction in the assemblies in Rome between the Jew and the Gentile, and this is a very practical thing, that there is not to be this sense, well, I know you Jews, you rejected it, we have been brought into it, and it would give them a sense of superiority.

Is it a practical thrust that is being offered here? Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I'm sure they would emphasize it, because you've got the weak and the strong later. Yes.

And if it starts there, you say, well, you're part of the weak nation, it's unbelief, and then it goes on adding to that with their days and diets and everything else. It would be part of it, yeah. So the Gentiles were not to be high-minded, but they were to fear.

Verse 21, be not high-minded, but fear. For if God spared not the natural branches, that is, the Jewish nation, take heed, lest he also spur not thee. Now, surely that's got nothing to say about the security of the believer in his salvation today.

No, no. But rather it's the public testimony of the fact that God has set aside Israel, the natural branches, and Gentiles are to be aware of the principle that he can also set aside the Gentiles and take up Israel again as testimony for God on earth. It's a warning, isn't it? Right.

He's telling them the danger. You can be set aside and Israel will be taken up again. Yes.

So Christendom will fail and God will set it aside. That's right. Exactly.

You see, the Israelites always did fail, the Gentiles, I mean. They failed. They talk about at the end of verse 22, he talks about, if thou continue in his goodness, otherwise thou shalt be cut off.

Well, the Gentiles didn't do that. They always failed. They still fail.

So God is going to take up Israel again. After rebuking them for saying we're going to be drafted, he says at the end of verse 20, instead of gloating over that, you should stand in awe about it. You should be awestruck.

And to be very practical, each of us should feel that way regarding the grace of God to us. Why was I made to hear his voice and enter a wilder's room? Nothing to rejoice in. So in what way would I understand the Gentiles being cut off? If you don't continue in his goodness, you're going to be cut off.

What would that mean? Just set aside. When? Now? When? No, no. Because this is the Gentiles as a group.

Offered the gospel of grace, rejecting it. It's the end of the tribulation, I take it. Had their opportunity there.

So it is actually going to happen. It will happen. Like it's a warning, but we know that the Gentiles are going to be cut off.

They are going to not continue in the goodness of God. So we can be clear, this is not going to happen before the rapture. That's right.

Oh no, that's right. It's not something that's just going to suddenly, because the absolute wickedness of the world we live in is terrible. It's not going to happen now.

The next step is the rapture, and that will not be changed. It will have to happen when the Lord Jesus comes back to earth. That's when they will be cut off, not before.

So the time is actually given at the end of verse number 25, until the fullness of the Gentiles will come in. So there actually will be like a transition during the tribulation, won't there? Like as there was a transition in the book of Acts of bringing in the Gentiles, and the Gentiles becoming testimony for God. Israel set aside.

There was a progression through the book of Acts. Interesting. A transition.

So in the tribulation period, there will be a remnant of Israel taken up again as testimony for God on earth, but it's just remnant in character. And at the same time, there's the false church that will be rejected and cut off, if you will. And the folks believing a lie.

Right. And then we get to all is who shall be saved. So you've got the thing turned around the other way.

Can I ask you in verse 25 that you should be ignorant of this mystery? What is the mystery in verse number 25? That blindness in part. It's not in order that. There's a definition of what is.

Is it not the fact of the manner of how Israel is going to be saved manifested in verses 26 and verse 27? Well, that includes that. No doubt about it, John. Blindness until.

Verse 23 and 24, God is able. Verse 25 to 27, God will. So it's his ability and now the manner in which he will do it.

So give us again. I think it's vital for just a good understanding. Give us the untils that you mentioned in the word of God relative to Israel in the future.

Well, there's one here. The fullness of the Gentile until the fullness of the Gentiles become in. I take that to be a spiritual idea.

When the last soul is saved. The fullness of the Gentiles. It'll be come in.

It'll be complete. Then he went back to Luke chapter 21. It's a political thing.

He's talking about the times of the Gentiles. So we should notice that difference. The fullness of the Gentiles is at the end of the church age.

Then end of the church age when the last soul is saved. If that's the case, why does he link it there to the manifestation in verse number 26? If it's the end of the church age at the rapture. And so all Israel shall be saved.

Is it not the fact that it will continue? The fullness of the Gentiles will continue until the end of the tribulation. That transition idea. I take it that that will be after the rapture.

There'll be a national conversion of Israel. Takes us on to that. All Israel shall be saved.

And during millennium, presumably, more will be saved. More Jews will be saved. Yes.

So when did the fullness of the Gentiles begin, Brother Eric? The fullness of the Gentiles began with the Cree of Nebuchadnezzar. So that's the times of the Gentiles. That's the political rule.

The fullness of the Gentiles. When can we say that that began? The fullness of the Gentiles. Well, politically, viewing back to Luke 21.

Just look what he says. It's when it ends, not when it begins. Do you think it began maybe in Acts 10? When does the terminus begin? It's just a bit strange wording to say the fullness of the Gentiles began.

Really, we're looking at when it actually takes place. When the completion of it. That's what it says.

The fullness of the Gentiles become end. So there's no fullness of the Gentiles until the absolute end. And that is when God says, enough.

It's over. But anything that had an end has a commencement. Well, the times of the Gentiles, that's a political thing.

I can fill a jug with water, and there'll come a point when that jug is full. But you started filling it. That's when the Gentiles were around.

It's already the first thing. When those wild branches were grafted in, that's when it began. When they're cut off again is when it ends.

And then the natural are grafted in. That's Israel and restoration at the beginning of the millennium. So when the fullness of the Gentiles, that's when the Gentiles are cut off again.

So you've told us about until the times of the Gentiles, until the fullness of the Gentiles. Your house is left unto you desolate. You shall not see me hence until you shall say, Blessed is he that cometh.

Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. All of these tremendous prospective things link with the word until. And when the kingdoms of this world come to an end, then it will be the kingdom of our God, Jesus Christ.

So it's when the deliverer comes out of Zion, verse 26, that Israel shall be saved nationally. They will receive him as their Messiah. And isn't it, it's not that every Jew will be saved, because some of those Jews will have accepted the man of sin.

But you were saved under David Craig, isn't that right? That's right. He taught on this, and his words were all believing. Are you that old? No.

He died when I was four. But you really enjoyed his ministry before that. Those first four years were holy years.

You were a good learner. What are you saying, John? All believing Israel shall be saved. That's right.

Or really, it's the nation again. All Israel as a nation will be saved. But a nation shall be born in a day.

We are looking at a national conversion. Now, whether it's every one individual, okay. But nevertheless, it's able to stay there, and they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn and repent as a nation.

And then they'll be brought into all their blessings again. Blessings that they've lost out on. They'll be restored.

Now, just a few minutes for the end. This is doxology. What about Zion, brother? He says that she'll come to deliver her to Zion.

And we have Jerusalem in the New Testament. Often it's government, but Zion is grace. Zion is grace.

Yeah. Good. Good, Murray.

Yeah. And he says they're enemies, but touching election they are beloved. Wonderful.

The contrast between those who have accepted it and those who have rejected it. So God, again, is saying he has made choice of the nation. And then at the end, it's all mercy.

Mercy of the Gentiles, mercy of the Jews. Grace to both of them. And then he concludes by saying, Oh, the depths of the riches, the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out.

Now, I've got a question. Three minutes. He talks about the mind of the Lord and a counselor and what has been given to God.

Would it be all right to link those with the expressions at the very end? Recompense and again to him. Knowing him, the one who knows all things and the one who was the counselor available for us as people now for the Gentiles. He's available for us.

So there's the mind of God here and the one who was counselor and what has been given to him. Anybody, any thoughts on that? God didn't take advice from anybody. On the other hand, if we'd done it like that, sorry, if we'd done it, it wouldn't have been like that.

It would have been otherwise. Romans starts off with human religion. What men did and developed their own religion without God.

Here, it's the sum total of what God has done. And we would never have done it like that. He is seen as inscrutable, inexhaustible in his wisdom, inscrutable in his ways, unsearchable in every way.

Independent in his wealth, indispensable in his works. He stands unique and supreme at the end of this chapter. So his judgments, would you think, Brother Eric, here are all his providential dealings as to his dispensations, his decisions, his decree.

Good. They're without tracing. Good.

Now anybody in the audience have any questions they'd like to ask us? There'll be no questions tomorrow. I have a question. This chapter, you spoke on replacement theology or something.

Yeah. I have a neighbor who is a Seventh-day Adventist preacher. And they have dismissed Israel.

All the promises of Israel are now, they take to the church. This would be a good chapter to take it to, wouldn't it? Good. Very good.

That's right. So now you know all the answers. Well, thank you, brethren, very much for your participation.

To him be glory forever. We appreciate it. Amen.