Luke 10:18 (NKJV) And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
Without going too much into WHY Jesus said this, it has long intrigued me as to WHEN Jesus saw what He did here and how it fits in the chronology: And how it might be related to the events of Revelation 12. — Question from Eric H

I believe the evidence points in the direction that Jesus sees in the disciple’s jubilant report of success in casting out demons in His name, not only Satan’s present loss of power, but the sign and foretaste that by Jesus’ binding of the strongman (Mk 3:27), Satan’s ultimate downfall has already been set in irresistible motion. With this confirmation of success, Jesus promises yet further success in the future, even power “over all the power of the enemy” (Lk 10:17-20).

Later, when His hour was most immediately at hand, Jesus would say, “NOW is the judgment of this world; NOW shall the prince of this world be cast out” (Jn 12:13). With His proclamation from the cross, “it is finished” (Jn 19:30), and the resurrection as proof of the Father’s full acceptance of His blood as the sin offering (Isa 53:11; Ro 4:25), all that was necessary to set in motion the end of Satan’s tenure as the “god of this age” (2Cor 4:4) was NOW accomplished (“finished” / tetelestai).

The wound to the serpent’s head had been fatally inflicted (Gen 3:15) but the full conquest and subjugation of Satan’s influence would require two more decisive stages. Those being Christ’s return at the end of the unequaled tribulation (Mt 24:29-31; 2Thes 2:8; Rev 19:19-20) and the final and brief revolt at the end of the thousand years (compare Ps 110:1; Acts 2:34-35; 3:21; 1Cor 15:24-25; Heb 2:8-9; Rev 20:4-10 with Isa 24:22).

I think all of this has something to do with what scholars have called, “the already and the not yet”, referring to the mysterious tension between what has been both newly fulfilled and newly revealed versus what remains to be fulfilled in light of the ‘unexpected’ revelation of Messiah’s coming, departure, and return to Jerusalem. It is what Jesus called, “the mystery of the kingdom of God” (Mk 4:11), and Paul called, “the mystery of the gospel” (Ro 16:25-26; Eph 6:19 with 1Pet 1:11-12).

The revelation of the mystery made clear that the ultimate victory over Satan and the full bringing in of the kingdom on THIS present earth would be realized in stages.

Through decisive actions at appointed moments (“in the fullness of time” / “appointed times”), the kingdom is making progress to “that day” when, after the last and unequaled tribulation Jesus will return to assert His rod iron rule over all nations. But even beyond that day is yet another stage towards the ultimate post-millennial “end” when Jesus, having subdued all things, will hand His fully accomplished work over to the Father in final completion (1Cor 15:23-28).

So I agree with what I suspect you’re perceiving, that Jesus sees in the disciple’s power over the devils a foretaste of the future empowerment that will come to the Maskilim of the end at the very same time that Satan will be cast down in the middle of the week to begin his “short time” (Rev 12:12).

It is supremely important to observe that this mighty, unprecedented victory in heaven is seen as tremendous good news. This is the very event in heaven that makes possible the revelation of the mystery of lawlessness on earth that has so long stood in the way of Jesus’ return (2Thes 2:3-9).

It is not only that Satan’s forcible dejection means the kingdom of God may come, but the scripture says, the strength and power of the yet coming kingdom has NOW come (Rev 12:10).

What was in the way of Jesus’ return has now been removed, but with its removal, a new “power and strength” has NOW come upon a people who “love not their lives unto death” (Rev 12:11). This is a very significant correlation.

Immediately, when Michael thrusts Satan out of heaven down to earth, all of heaven breaks out in jubilant rejoicing, with the glad announcement that “Now (not the end but the middle of the week) is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.”

Note the paradox. The very event they will signal the beginning of the most unprecedented time of woe for the “earth-dwellers” is seen as a high-point of jubilation, not only for the host in heaven, but for the saints on earth who NOW receive power and strength to “love not their lives to the death”.

The final martyrdom appointed to the saints will be met, not with forbidding fear but welcomed with the glorious liberation of that perfection of love that cast out fear. It is this love and the peace of Isa 26:3 that will be their greatest witness to Israel and the nations in the midst of unprecedented deception, cruelty, and chaos.

What Jesus was seeing in the jubilant report of the returning 70 is what will happen in that great transition in the middle of the week when Michael prevails to dislodge Satan from his place in heaven. This decisive removal (compare Dan 10:13 with 2Thes 2:7; Rev 12:9) permits the mystery of lawlessness to be revealed that Paul shows is necessary before Christ can return (2Thes 2:3-9).

We may be sure that just as Daniel’s deep self-abasement and travail of intercession was indispensable to the removal of the mighty demon prince of Persia, even so, it will be the deep intercession of a corporate Daniel that will empower Michael to remove Satan as the great restrainer that holds back the decisive revelation of the mystery of lawlessness that releases the tribulation judgments that bring Jesus back to rule the nations from a restored and fully renewed Jerusalem.

This is when, as “the beast that was, and was not, and yet is”, i.e., the revived and now fully empowered man of sin, will be filled with “all power” (2Thes 2:9) and proceed to enter the temple in Jerusalem of Judea to place the abomination of desolation, as he exalts himself above every other form of deity or worship (2Thes 2:4; Dan 11:36-37.)

Now here’s what we do well to observe: It is precisely then, as this is happening, that kingdom power and strength will be coming upon the maskilim of the end, (the Maskilim are simply all the believers who will be believing and “understanding” saints at that time).

Not only do we see power coming on the two witnesses at this time (Rev 11:2-3), but it is immediately after mention of the abomination and removal of the daily sacrifice in Dan 11:31 that Dan 11:32-33 follows with this declaration of power and success in instructing many, which, according to Dan 12:3, results in “turning many to righteousness”.

“And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.”

This can only refer to the great evangelistic thrust of the final 3 1/2 years that will result in the salvation of a multitude beyond natural ability to count (Rev 7;9, 13-14). It is significant that whereas the gospel has been preached to all nations since Pentecost, Jesus speaks of it as especially reaching is full goal at the time of the end in Mt 24:14, and this is exactly what we find in Rev 14:6 where the gospel is being released in greatest power just as great Babylon is about to be judged fatally and finally at the Lord’s post-tribulation return.

All’s to say, the scripture certainly holds for us, not only a hope, but glorious certainty that a great preparation is coming, yea, is already underway for this great transition and breakthrough of an “open heaven” into full apostolic love and power for the final sending, for the final witness, “WITH SIGNS FOLLOWING”.

“For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Lk 1:37).

________________

* This article is also available on Substack.

Yes, I believe and affirm that God preserves an ethnic distinction from among the natural branches precisely in order to demonstrate and set on public display His covenant word to Israel for the vindication of His sovereignty in divine election, and for the instruction of the nations and the fallen order of principalities and powers through what He has purposed to show through them. A preserved remnant from among the natural branches will indeed be born in a day (Isa 66:8; Zech 3:9) and gathered from all nations, never to be invaded again. That is sure and certain! Until then, they are made sufficiently distinguishable as a distinct ethnic race precisely in order to show in them the discipline of the covenant and to test the hearts of all nations concerning this blinded people who, though momentarily enemies of the gospel, are NONETHELESS BELOVED, and are to be so regarded, to the chagrin of those nations who have laid malicious, unfeeling hands on God’s afflicted in their pitiable ghetto condition, a presumption that will be much required in that day.

But this Pauline insistence that the covenant cannot be fulfilled in its complete scope apart from their return is a vast remove from the presumption that the salvation of Christ is somehow mysteriously operating among the nations on the principle of some hidden DNA. Interesting, is it not? That such a genetic connection is conveniently hidden under the radar of a Hitler? Do we put confidence in a genetic connection that is so hidden as to escape the costly identification with the nation that is marked off by a special divine discipline that has pursued the Jewish people across the millennia, that was to be a public instruction to all the other nations? (Amos 3:2). No, to find the Israel that is set apart for both a discipline of ultimate astonishment and an age concluding salvation, in order to trace the people of that well foretold history, one must follow the trail of tears and blood! That’s where you’ll find the people of the double curse who are destined for the double glory on a restored millennial earth!

A uniquely severe covenant curse attaches to this people of the high, but failed calling, as history has so conspicuously witnessed in its unrelieved, ever repeated cycles of judgement and persecution that must continue to the day of the Lord. This supposed hidden DNA, on the other hand, is able to conveniently escape the peculiar corporate suffering that has been the long witness of a continual divine pursuit that does not end till ‘that day’, the day of the Lord.

Due to its obscurity, this genetic connection is also able to escape Satan’s persecuting attentions. Shall we believe that it has only now been discovered, just in time to distinguish itself by its beliefs and its teachers for such a time as this? I don’t think so! It all smacks of pride to even look, or need to look, for some distinction that is other (for how could it be more?) of the inheritance of all things that is secured to even ‘the least of these’ who put simple faith and trust in Christ, and worship God in the Spirit with no confidence in the flesh.

What person from any nation could possibly profit by being distinguished as a descendant from one of the tribes that were taken into captivity by Assyria in the 8th century B.C.? Who needs it? According to Paul in many places, such a thing would count for nothing (Gal 6:15). It is pride to even investigate the evidence one way or the other. Even if it were true, it’s the last thing the flesh could need. All such vanity should rather be fled than pursued.

Therefore, in all simplicity, the only requirement, which is no small requirement, is that one be born again. This requires no prior virtue, since there isn’t any acceptable virtue outside of Christ, and nor any advantage through physical descent, except as God has determined before the world began to bring certain ones to faith. For that very cause, and to give His election a visible outward form for the sake of instruction, Israel exists in a visible way as an unbelieving nation precisely to make that demonstration through them, not on the basis of works but of Him who calls (Ro 9:11).

As also their special discipline is a reminder that whether in faith or unbelief, the covenant of both requirement and promise remains with them, as they show through their history the fearful truth of Jesus’ dictum that to whom much has been given (privilege, gift, stewardship), much more is required.

Obviously, or what should be obvious, regardless of belonging to a called and set apart nation, there is no personal benefit of the blessing of the covenant, or the inheritance of the New Covenant unless one is born again. Instead, there is only the special liability and exposure to covenant wrath if a Jew is NOT born again. I don’t see this special discipline on gentiles in general, as I would certainly expect if they belonged to the elect seed of either of the houses of Israel.

It is impossible to be “in Christ” and not also be “in Israel”. That’s why it is only in Him, the One seed, that the promises are yea and amen, nowhere else. This is only remedied through the new birth, nothing else. I see the church as ‘the Israel within Israel’ in continuity with the remnant according to the election of grace and the elect of all ages. To be newly revealed does not mean that the church is newly existent. The body of Christ exists wheresoever the Spirit indwells a believer, as it was nothing less than “the Spirit of Christ” who was “IN” the saints and prophets of old (1Pet 1:11). As Jesus would reprimand Nicodemus for his failure as a teacher to recognize that it is only by the Spirit that the nation will one day be born in a day in order to inherit the kingdom of God, how then could it be any different for the individual? So the new birth and the indwelling of the Spirit is not new, though its eternal basis in the blood of the everlasting covenant has come more fully to light in Christ.

In short, it is the new birth that holds together the whole redemptive drama. The physical-visible side of the promises only serve to underscore its necessity. The promise is not made on the basis of any virtue or natural advantage where the physical descendants of Abraham are concerned, obviously, and that’s precisely the point. Israel exists to destroy all boasting, simply because Israel exists (as a set apart, visible, corporate entity) to show the sovereignty of God’s electing grace in a people prone always to wander and slide back from the high standard that cannot be met except by the Spirit of Christ, who is only given on the basis of the holy exchange and imputation, which had its operation through the Spirit even before the mystery of how this would be accomplished, and its eternal basis in the blood of Christ would be revealed.

Since the revelation of the mystery of the gospel, there has been a notable change in the stewardship of responsibility, and this recognition of dispensational change does not make one a dispensationalist, of course, but all schools of thought, if they are Christian, will necessarily recognize a dispensational distinction of some kind. Since the revelation of the mystery, identification with Israel is no more through circumcision or any other such thing. That is why the gentile believer has been loosed from these things. “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law” (Heb 7:12). If this were not so, the freedoms that the Jerusalem council pronounced for gentile believers would have been a breach, not merely of Jewish custom, but the stewardship of responsibility enjoined on everyone living under that dispensation.

The identification is in the Spirit of Christ. That is why one born of the Spirit should be more burdened and touched with what touches Israel, even in its unbelief, than even the natural Jew or home born Israeli. Israel is not be made jealous because we keep all the laws they do, but because, quite conspicuously apart from Kosher observance and the works of the law, the light and love of Israel shines through believing gentile faces towards all men, but most appropriately to the Jew first. This is God’s leverage to reason with His disobedient but no less elect people that the promised Spirit is received not through the law but through faith.

We must not rob God of this very leverage of demonstration by seeking to accommodate ourselves to any human presumption that suggests that Christ is not sufficient, or that His / the Spirit’s work depends on anything in man or that man can do. This is the upshot of NT revelation as I understand it: The only thing that God can accept is what He does in us and through us by His Spirit (Gal 6:15), not as a means unto but as the sure results of an already secured salvation, even the salvation of the everlasting covenant promised to Israel and received by whosoever will in Christ.

Again, to be in Christ is to be in Israel. No outward forms are its proof but the new heart, which, of course, will show itself in love and good works. Hence, you need not become anything other than a Christian in order to receive all things and full identification with Israel, and not the Israel of God only, but also the Israel that is in pain to be delivered for whom we travel till Christ be formed in them, since it is only in them, as a distinct ethnic race in the earth, that the covenant of grace will be finally and openly vindicated in the sight of all nations.

This is the clear teaching of the NT. We tend to complicate it: In Him are all things and He is the head and we are complete in Him. It’s that simple. To be in Christ is, in a sense, to be ‘already there’ seated with Him in heaven, being already delivered from this ‘present age’ (Gal 1:4), enjoying even now the first-fruits of the kingdom and foretaste of the “powers of the age to come” (Heb 6:5).

What I’d really like to talk about, and what I’m writing about occasionally, is the glories of the everlasting covenant that Christ has made sure to every believer now, as He will to ‘all Israel’ in that day. When we’re in Him, its a sealed deal. When we’re in Him, we’re automatically in both houses! We don’t need to sweat which house we belong to. We’re in His house forever! Where else is there?

I close with this admonition and warning to us all, which I suspect may be most especially applicable in these discussions:

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Chris (2Cor 11:3).

In brotherly love, Reggie

“I only see differences WITHIN Israel”.

(What follows is part of a reply to friend’s objections to misleading ideas connected to what he argues is the misused and poorly translated term, ‘church’, as typically implying an entity separate and apart from Israel)

I’ve always maintained that “this one and that one were born in her” (the heavenly Zion; Ps 87:3-7; Gal 4:16; Heb 12:22-23; Rev 12:1-2, 17; 19:7; 21:2, 9-10 with Jn 3:29). The Psalmist can’t conceive of any of the saved of the nations, regardless of geographical location, as being born (born again) outside of Zion. But which Zion? There is an heavenly and an earthly, but until the twain do meet in that coming day, they remain distinct, though never separate.

The gentiles have always been debtors to their Hebrew roots since God first separated Abraham and declared His electing love of Zion. All redemptive goals take us to the heavenly city of the saved of all nations, but on the way towards that ultimate, post-millennial goal, the line of sovereign election must pass through the Jerusalem which is now in bondage with her children. The covenant must be openly vindicated on this present earth by its ultimate realization in the salvation of “all Israel”, preserved in faithful obedience by the new heart of the New Covenant for a thousand years. Here, we take a comparatively rare view of Paul’s meaning, “and so all Israel shall be saved” (Ro 11:26).

We are intensely agreed that Paul is NOT speaking of the full ingathering of all of God’s elect, an attractive suggestion by supercessionists, if looked at only superficially. But rather, Paul is reiterating what all the prophets understood as the climax and final resolution of the covenant, as the prophets envisioned an all saved Jewish, nation empowered by the outpoured Holy Spirit, and controlled by a new heart and new spirit to abide in covenant faithfulness for a thousand years of open testimony to the nations.

As shown elsewhere, scripture is clear that this will not only the mean the salvation of every Jewish survivor of the last tribulation, but also every child born to Jewish parentage “from that day and forward” (Isa 4:2-3; 45:17, 25; 54:13; 60:21; 66:22; Jer 31:34; Eze 39:22). None shall ever again depart (Isa 59:21; Jer 32:40). But what is far too overlooked, but especially to be underscored is that this amazing promise applies ONLY to the Jews for a thousand years of open, visible demonstration of God’s faithfulness to fulfill every jot and tittle of “My covenant with THEM.” Many scriptures agree to show that such uniform salvation is NOT promised to any other nation.

This is the great and significant anomaly of the millennium that so few recognize. If taken literally and plainly in their proper contexts, a considerable collection of scriptures agree to show that to NO OTHER nation is such a promise made of the salvation and preservation of all its members without the exception. The saved of the nations will be a remnant, perhaps a very large remnant in some localities, but no other nation will be completely saved and kept for a thousand years of open, covenant demonstration. Even less considered is God’s grand point in all of this, but my point is that for God to fully make and punctuate HIs point, He deliberately imposes and preserves distinctions, in this case, even within the body of Christ itself.

So where’s the body of Christ in the millennium? In our view, the body of Christ has been translated / raptured to assume a new capacity of rule. Yet, we hold that those coming to faith ‘AT’ Jesus’ return are NOT translated at that time with those who are already in the body, but enter the millennial age as newly born, Spirit filled believers, still in their natural bodies. In contrast with dispensationalism, we hold that these who do not believe until Jesus’ return become no less the body of Christ on earth at the day of the Lord when they look upon Him whom they pierced (Isa 66:8; Eze 39:22, 29;; Zech 12:10; Mt 23:39; Acts 3:21; Ro 11:26; Rev 1:7). There has been no “reversal of Pentecost”, as in dispensationalism. Nothing has changed, or ever could change the once and for all NT revelation that all who are in union with Christ through His Spirit are members of His body.

So what is my point? It is that here are distinctions, even among the saved of Israel and the saved of the nations who, though one body, are distinct, with assignments of stewardship during the millennium. Just as now, although differences such as male and female, Jew and Gentile are done away “in Christ” / “in the Spirit”, they are nevertheless maintained in the natural creation for abiding purposes of contrast and division, which is how God has always managed His household and mediated His revelation.

Obviously, this is never a matter of advantage or superiority, simply functional stewardship in the order of the mediatorial government of God. It is, however, a matter of sovereign election, which invariably tests the proud entitlement of the natural heart that envies against the Potter’s freedom to choose as He will choose. As one so well said, “God is not an equal opportunity employer”. So God’s free prerogative in election, unbiased by anything meritorious, is part of His enforcement of His sovereign right to rule, which to challenge is to challenge His rule.

Of course, with all of the above you happily agree. The only point I most wanted to stress for the refinement of our present discussion is this issue of distinction that does not separate or divide the essential unity of the one body by the one Spirit, which I see as obtaining across the ages. I’ll return to this.

In order to clarify some things easily confused, we need to see that the language of scripture supports two distinct kinds of election, personal and corporate. Every Jew belongs to a corporate election that does not guarantee personal regeneration, but with the advent of the millennium quite the opposite will be true when Israel’s corporate election will indeed guarantee the personal regeneration of every Jew. Until that day, Isaiah will distinguish the “holy seed” (Isa 6:13), and Paul will distinguish the “remnant according to the election of grace” (Ro 11:5, 7 with Mt 24:22; 2Tim 2:10), from the larger, mostly unregenerate ‘assembly’ of Israel.

You will also agree that this ‘holy seed’, the circumcised of heart, saw themselves, as we should now see ourselves, as inextricably bound and identified with the larger nation in its apostasy and affliction, as bound with them, not only in their destiny, but in their experience. Like the prophets before him, this apostle to the nations suffered the pathos that comes from knowing that until ‘ALL’ Israel will be saved and regathered, apostasy, desolation and death must continue to plague the nations. He also knew what all the prophets understood, that Israel’s repentance and return at the day of the Lord would be as “life from the dead”, not only for themselves but for the nations.

For all its glorious gains through the revelation of the gospel and the powerful in-breaking of the power of the kingdom, the present age can hardly compare to what “their fullness” will mean for the exponential increase of blessing that will abound to the nations in the thousand year reign of Jesus. So how can a burden for the nations be separated from God’s ‘special’ burden for Israel? But the way to this hope for the nations will be the way of reverencing and loving God’s election, not only His election of His only begotten Son, but the election of His national son, all of which meet in the body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all, where His glory forever resides throughout all ages, world without end (Eph 1:23; 3:21).

In my view, the revelation of the mystery of the gospel made possible the related revelation that every child of God who is born of the Spirit is vitally connected to the Messiah in an organic union that the NT understands as belonging to the beginning (first-fruits) of the new creation of eschatological promise. I would differ with Dan Gruber that this is true only now since Pentecost. The revelation of the body of Christ is indeed new, but the reality is not. I see the body of Christ in continuity with that godly remnant, not yet revealed as the fullness of Messiah’s spiritual body in the full mystery of incarnation, of course, but always present in its essence as the living remnant of the Spirit, the “Israel within Israel”. I’ve often argued that the body of Christ, though newly revealed in conjunction with the revelation of the mystery of the gospel that came initially with the Spirit’s descent at Pentecost (see 1Pet 1:11-12), and more fully revealed to Paul, did NOT begin to exist at Pentecost. For something to be newly revealed does not necessarily imply new existence. Neglect of this principle is a great oversight that has created the ‘illusion’ of an entirely new, and ‘separate’ entity called ‘the church’. Not so! The revelation of the gospel has only identified and distinguished the living church of God, i.e., the remnant of the Spirit who were always there in the nation’s midst.

The future tense in Mt 16:18 tends to make the church seem to be something entirely new and future. This is a great overstep. Rather, it is the “revelation” (Mt 16:17) of Jesus’ identity as both Messiah and Son of God that becomes the new basis on which the church will be built in all its future progress. This will be the new dividing line of manifestation of who is under the salvation and blessing of the New Covenant. For those ‘outside’ the circle of Jesus’ disciples, this was a divinely kept secret (Mt 16:19) until the appointed time of revelation and public declaration (1Cor 2:7-8).

The revelation of Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah and divine Son would become the stone of division that would constitute the new dividing line that would pass through Israel, manifesting and distinguishing the living church of God from the rest of the nation that had been blinded. The revelation, and the confession based on the revelation is indeed new, but this does not mean that the body of Messiah did not exist in essence wherever there were those throughout the OT period who were “indwelt” by the “Spirit of Christ” (1Pet 1:11), and joined to the Lord by the one Spirit (1Cor 6:17). The visible and comprehensive ‘assembly’ or ‘kahal’, on the other hand, whether of Israel or the assembly of Jesus confessors, is a far more embracing concept, NOT to be equated with much more narrow concept of the body of Christ. This is why the word, ‘church’, can be so misleading if we fail to distinguish between the visible assembly, which is often a very mixed bag, if even alive (Rev 3:1), and the body of Christ, which by definition is comprised strictly of the regenerate.

Because of the ease with which this can be mistaken, together with some inadequate, if not false, understanding concerning the nature of regeneration, and particularly the Spirit’s role in the regeneration of OT believers, the unity and continuity of the one people has been greatly misunderstood. This has contributed dramatically to the church’s understanding of its relation to Israel. And certainly the converse is equally true. Israel has defined itself over against the church’s claim to replace Israel with a new religion that can trace its origins no further back than Pentecost. It’s a mess; but one that we should see as divinely ordained. Not that God approves of the pride that has made it so, but the historic impasse between church and synagogue is no accident of history. In His larger, overarching providence, God is using the sin of human self-reliance to bring, not only to bring the greater exposure and judgment on religious pride, but to bring the greater glory to Himself in His ability to resolve the impasse that is humanly impossible.

However we conceive of this “Israel of God” that is the “Israel within Israel”, even before we come to the further question of gentile inclusion, it is clear that this is what Paul calls, “the church of God”. This is the entity that Paul persecuted before his conversion when it was still entirely Jewish (Gal 1:13). Here was an example of Israel “after the flesh” persecuting the Israel ‘after the Spirit’, what Paul would later call the “Israel of God” (Gal 6:15 with Ro 2:28-29;9:6; 11:5; Rev 12:17)).

After his conversion, Paul commanded the elders of the largely gentile church at Ephesus to feed the “the church of God” (Acts 20:28), and to this could be added many examples of his inseparable association of the local assemblies of the body of Christ with the “church of God” (1Cor 1:2; 10:32; 11:22; 15:9; 1Cor 1:1; 1Tim 3:5). My point is that before this persecuted Jewish nucleus swelled to include gentiles from all nations, with assemblies scattered all over a very gentile world, it was called “the church of God” and was the equivalent, at least at that time, with what Paul would call, “the Israel of God”.

With many, I see the growing community of Jewish confessors of Jesus in continuity with the “holy seed”, the circumcised of heart, the perennial “remnant according to the election of grace”. Even if the term is not explicitly used in scripture, how is this not a distinct “Israel within Israel”? It is into THIS ‘Israel of God’ within the larger nation, that gentile believers are added and en-grafted upon their believing in Jesus. It is what Paul will call, “the household of faith” (Gal 6:10), and “household of God” (Eph 2:19; 1Tim 3:15; 1Pet 4:17).

These terms are manifestly NOT inclusive of the nation as a whole, but only of the regenerate assemblies of the saints, newly revealed as “the one new man” of the new creation. But again, I reiterate, one cannot be grafted into this ‘Israel within Israel’ without also being put into an inextricable bond of relationship with the whole of the elect nation on its way to its millennial fullness for which all creation groans in waiting. Even as the faithless vinedressers (stewards) of the vineyard are ‘replaced’ by faithful, we may be sure that the fruitful nation (the regenerate body), will not become usurpers, but travail in expectation for a kingdom that will only come in its fullness when ‘all Israel’ shall be saved. (Mt 21:33-43; Ro 11:25-29).

As I’ve often said, it is theologically impossible to be “in Christ” and not be “in Israel”. But to be “in” the Israel of God is also to be profoundly bound in spirit and deepest identification with the nation as a whole in all its tragic history and glorious story, sharing, as it were, in Jeremiah’s lamentation and Paul’s travail “till Messiah be formed” in them’ (Gal 4:19). It is not too far to say that perhaps the best way to conceptualize the church’s relation to Israel is to compare it to the relationship between the believer’s renewed spirit to the body awaiting resurrection. The two are distinct but inseparable, the one incomplete without the other.

How is that an argument for a separate entity? My mantra and oft repeated refrain in this discussion has been “distinction without separation!” As long as the church of God is defined as something internal to Israel, in spiritual essence and identification, by no means equivalent with affirming Israel’s political policies, of course, then isn’t this what you’re conceding? If not, I invite your kindness to present corrective evidence to the contrary.

Now, a second tier to our discussion must be ask, what are to make of this unexpected influx of gentiles into the one covenant people of God? Here is the question that faced the Jerusalem council. To what then were the gentiles being added by the Holy Spirit?. Was it to the larger kahal (congregation) or assembly of Israel as pertaining to the ethnic nation, without discrimination between saved and unsaved? If it was, then we need to carefully qualify what we mean, because larger Israel would have had nothing of it.

Let’s face it; the parting of the ways was inevitable and built right into God’s design that Jews be made jealous by gentiles believers, contrary to any natural probability. But we see Paul’s faith for the future of this largely gentile entity that rises from within Israel but appears outwardly as a detached, independent entity. This is the false illusion that we all deplore, but God has permitted the illusion for a still greater purpose. The question for us is do we have Paul’s faith for the church, that living organism that Jesus will not deny, despite all the defect and error in her visible assemblies? While it is true that the visible assembly is not the exact equivalent of the body of Christ, and must not be confused with the true seed of faith that exists only where saints are genuinely indwelt by the Spirit of Jesus, we must be careful of plucking up the wheat in our zeal to weed out the tares. By what standard are we judging?

No, believing gentiles were being added to the Israel within Israel, the church of God, equipped with its own, distinct, visible government. However, as pointed out, to be in the one is to be in the other, as there was no other nation with whom God has made this particular, everlasting covenant of grace. There is no other place to be grafted but Israel, because the covenant stands with no other people except by inclusion into THAT irrevocably elect people. Salvation is of the Jews! (Jn 4:22; Mt 10:6; 15:24, 26) and to the Jew first. If you will be saved, it is by being grafted “in among them”, and by “them”, Paul had in mind the natural branches as a whole. The olive tree is “THEIRS” (Ro 11:24), and God will see to it that the nations know it and submit to it.

As we have made much of the fact that it is naive to pray for the kingdom to come without notice that it must come through much tribulation; it is blind error to imagine a kingdom that can come on earth without the return of ‘all Israel’ to covenant favor, and that this will not happen in a vacuum. But in that qualified sense, I fully agree with you that to be ‘in Christ’ is to be also grafted “in among them”, not only to the inmost spirit of the nation, but to share, as the prophets shared, not only in Israel’s glorious future, but the agony of their present experience and fallenness as no less elect and beloved, as in it with them, feeling their afflictions as God is afflicted in their afflictions. That is what the church’s calling to be priest and servant means.

I’m saying that the Jews that were being added daily to the church and the gentiles that have been added ever since have always had gatherings and assemblies that were NOT received or incorporated into the religious government of the larger nation, but had their own governments and portable ordinances. I know this is obvious, but I’m just reminding us of how inevitable, even foretold that some of these increasingly gentile assemblies, and even very early on when yet heavily populated by Jews, would become aberrant and shot through with defect and error, some falling so far away as to have a name that they live while dead (Rev 3:1). Well, what did we expect? The question for us is what has God said He’s going to do about it? And what’s our part in the process?

When Paul warned of the gravity of missing this mystery, as when he corrected so many other serious errors, note how many times he showed patience, bearing with the ignorant, the blind, and the out of the way “UNTIL” we all come into the unity of the faith. There’s a lot of bearing with the assemblies of Jesus’ body in their various degrees of spiritual health, and a lot of wheat still to be found among the tares, both of which must wait till fully ripened and manifest, lest in our zeal (or disgust) we pluck up some of the wheat with the tares.

There is much to discuss, both doctrinally personally, even emotionally. There are many stones that have not been adequately turned over in our whole approach and stewardship of this mystery. To be continued …

Reggie

This is exactly the distinction Paul is making in such texts as Ro 4:14; 9:6. But since Paul so clearly identifies believing gentiles as “Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Ro 8:17; Gal 3:29), some (I think not unreasonably), argue that Paul is indeed redefining the term, “Jew” in this context to include anyone who has the inward circumcision of the heart. I am one premillennialist who has no problem with that view, since, in my opinion, it is not crucial to the larger question. So who is a Jew?

Even if it is maintained that Paul is disqualifying the Jew who is only one outwardly from deserving of the name, and even if it could be certainly established that Paul is re-defining the term in this particular context to mean anyone who has the “inward circumcision of the heart, in the Spirit”, still, there are many contexts that will bear no such redefinition. Context determines usage.

Unlike many premillennialists who, because of abuse and misuse, are keen to avoid any reading that might lend support to so-called replacement theology, I am one among many premillennialists who believe that if gentiles can be reckoned as the true circumcision (Phil 3:3) and other such appellations once applied only to Jews (Ro 9:25; 1Pet 2:9-10), then it is no leap of faith for Paul to include regenerate gentiles among the true “Israel of God” (Ro 11:17; Gal 6:16; Eph 2:19). Whether anyone’s strong position will incline them to agree, it is only humility to see how easily these inferences can be made. For example, when we place Phil 3:3 side by side with Ro 2:29, it is difficult not to see the manifest parallel.

Phil 3:3: For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Ro 2:29: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. Romans 2:29

If Paul can speak of an “Israel according to the flesh” (1 Cor 10:18), it becomes an almost necessary inference to understand that there must be an ‘Israel according to the Spirit’. While it may be reasonably argued that in some contexts Paul has included gentiles in his definition of what constitutes the true Israel of God, this bears nothing on the many other contexts in both testaments where a large remnant of Jews (unbelieving until that time), are yet predestined for future salvation on the basis of an abiding, irrevocable covenant election that remains outstanding and unfulfilled until “their fullness” (their full inclusion; Ro 11:11, 25-29). Will you concede that much?

I am not among those who believe that believing gentiles belong to some new, separate entity. It is rather the case that believing gentiles are “grafted in among them” (Ro 11:17), that is, into the “commonwealth of Israel”, which, in my view, is the living “Israel of God” (Ro 9:6; Gal 6:16). The living, and therefore persevering wild branches are one eternal body with the living Jewish branches that remain connected to the life-giving root of the good olive tree. So I’m miles from the usual dispensational position.

I see a continuity of one corporate, fully regenerate people of God, not only since Pentecost, but wherever saints (the remnant circumcised of heart) were ‘indwelt’ by “the Spirit of Christ” (2Cor 13:5; 1Pet 1:11). There is one fold and one Shepherd. This newly revealed (not newly existing!) “body of Christ” / “one new man” extends beyond the present age into, and all throughout, a yet future millennium.

Unlike dispensationalism’s two peoples of God, in our view, the penitent survivors of Israel will be no less the body of Christ on earth in the coming millennium, ‘brothers of the others’, albeit with a unique millennial stewardship for the sake of the covenant demonstration that God has reserved for that unique period. This poses no conflict with the one new man anymore than the abiding distinction of male and female, both in creation and the governance of the body of Christ, raises any question of disadvantage or inferiority. It is a question of stewardship and not of any presumed spiritual advantage or superiority.

After the body of Christ has been revealed (not newly existing, but newly revealed), the one new man (the regenerated man of the Spirit) exists without distinction or superiority in one place only, “in Christ”! Notwithstanding, the scripture itself recognizes an abiding distinction between Jew and gentile in the creation, just as there remains a distinction in the role of male and female in the natural order. This distinction is preserved, actually quite miraculously, across the ages for a very important purpose. That purpose is to publicly vindicate in open display God’s abiding, covenanted commitment to the “natural branches” “For this is My covenant with THEM when I shall take away THEIR sin ….”

Their covenanted election, and the sovereign power manifested in their corporate salvation will be put beyond all question for a thousand years of open display, as God makes of this people the great object lesson of history. In the salvation of ‘all Israel’ (in the sense that Paul intends that phrase), God is vindicating openly and publicly in the sight of all nations His very purpose in first setting Jacob apart before birth or before behaviour. This was “in order that the purpose of God might stand, not of works but of Him who calls” (Ro 9:11, 16). There it is! God has preserved the visibility and abiding distinction of the Jewish race for this one primary purpose. That purpose is to show in them His ability to bring in, finally and forever, the very people He first brought out (Num 14:11-21).

This He will do by bringing them to the end of their power in the final time of unequaled trouble (Deut 32:36; Dan 12:1, 7), and to the place of regeneration by faith, thus securing their ability to remain safely and permanently in the Land without further threat of the curses of the broken covenant. Only by an ‘everlasting righteousness’ (Dan 9:24; Jer 32:40), that is NOT their own (Isa 45:25; 54:17; Jer 23:5-6), extending not only to a remnant, but to ‘all Israel’ (regenerate Israel) “unto children’s children” (Deut 30:6; Isa 59:21; 65:23; Eze 37:25). Only then can Israel keep their covenanted Land forever in abiding safety and peace. Only by such an eternally secure righteousness can the abiding threat of covenant jeopardy be overcome forever. The thousand years is set apart to mark and make much of this open spectacle of covenant fulfillment.

Only a righteousness that is forever can possess the Land forever. This is the point that God is determined to press upon the nations in an open, visible, undeniable display of sovereign, electing grace and power that will continue unabated for one thousand years before concluding His purpose for this earth in the final perfection of new heavens and new earth. He has a point to make through the Jewish people that is dear to His heart. It is a point that is directed against all forms of pride and self righteousness. How? “They will look upon Him whom they pierced (Zech 12:10; Mt 23:39; Rev 1:7). When?  “From that day and forward” (Eze 39:8, 22, 28-29), “they will all know Me from the least of them to the greatest” (Jer 31:34).

Not only will the penitent survivors of the last tribulation all know Him “from that day and forward”, but this uniformity of salvation will continue “unto children’s children, without fail or exception throughout all their succeeding generations. Sound fantastic, unheard of, inconceivable? Read it there in the scriptures (Isa 4:3-4; 45:17, 25; 54:13; 59:21; 60:21; 61:9; 65:23; 66:22; Jer 31:34; 32:40; Eze 20:40; 37:25; Zeph 3:13, et al).

This is what Paul means when he says, “and so then (when the Deliverer comes to turn away ungodliness from Jacob), ALL Israel shall be saved.” Then will an all-holy nation of penitent survivors be “born in one day” (Isa 66:8; Eze 39:22; Dan 12:1-2; Isa 59:20-21; Zech 3:9; 12:10). Now begins the millennial demonstration of the everlasting covenant that still stands irrevocably with THEM (i.e., the “natural branches”; Ro 11:25-29), thus fulfilling a vast host of OT promises connected to an inviolable, eternal covenant promise that must be fulfilled on this earth with this people (Daniel’s people) in particular (Dan 2:44; 12:1).

This great revelatory seeing of Jesus (not by mere sight, of course, but by the Spirit of revelation, as with Paul on the Damascus road) will secure for the surviving remnant of Israel the everlasting righteousness of the everlasting covenant that is now, according to the revelation of the mystery, available to every penitent believer in the resurrected Jesus. Yet, this revelation must at length break upon the understanding of a final remnant from among the natural branches. This is in order to fulfill all that God promised to that nation in particular. This takes place at no sooner time than the return of Jesus to raise the dead (Dan 12:1-2; Mt 24:29-31). This is the “set time” that He has chosen to “favor Zion” (Ps 102:13). It is the time that His people will have been made “willing in the day of His power” (Ps 110:3).

You are right about some things that dispensationalists are wrong about, but I believe you need to much more carefully consider whether you may be wrong about some things futurists (not necessarily pre-trib dispensationalists), may be right about. It’s the old tendency towards “guilt by association” that tends to toss out the baby (at least parts of the baby) with the proverbial bath water.  It is no wonder that Paul calls this a “mystery” (Ro 11:25), as it will invariably elude prideful self reliance. They will never see rightly who do not approach the revealed mysteries of God with genuine fear and trembling. I’m sure you agree.

Speaking of my intelligence, it may interest you to know that the last grade I finished was the 9th. I can’t imagine charging you, or any other earnest believer honestly seeking the harmony of scripture, with “tickling their intellectual fancies”.

Cordially yours in His great name,

Reggie Kelly