All Israel Shall Be Saved (4)

Recall that this series began with Paul’s book to the Romans wherein he said,

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:[d] a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
    he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
27 “and this will be my covenant with them
    when I take away their sins.” (Romans 11:25-27 ESV)

This passage certainly contains a mystery, for who has understood it? How can one understand it when God uses the very same word and attaches two completely different meanings to it? When Paul states that “a partial hardening has come upon Israel” he is speaking of natural Israel and primarily of the tribes of Israel who remained in the southern kingdom of Judah, especially the Jews. Remember from the first article that God caused a hardening of natural Israel, of Judah, because he wanted the Gospel to go out into all the nations (Gentiles). Also recall that the northern kingdom of Israel had been dispersed among the nations almost 800 years before Paul wrote to the Romans.

But, the second time God uses the word “Israel” in the passage above he speaks of spiritual Israel. Here he includes all of the Gentiles who come in to this particular spiritual body. This also explains why it is so hard to understand and interpret the Old Testament prophets’ words concerning Israel. Sometimes they refer to Israel in the natural and sometimes in the spiritual. Sometimes they refer to both meanings, but the prophecy has a double fulfillment, the first relating to natural Israel and the second relating to spiritual Israel. Thus men continue to look for a new temple in physical Israel from which Jesus will reign, but this will never happen. When Jesus returns to reign he comes in the flesh (our temple). He will then rule from the glorified temple of our bodies wherever they are, not from the ancient city of Jerusalem. God calls these glorified bodies “New Jerusalem” in Revelation 21 and 22.  Again, sometimes the Old Testament prophets used the word “Jerusalem” and they actually prophesied concerning New Jerusalem, not the ancient city.

Now, in light of part three of this series, you may be thinking that I believe this spiritual entity God calls “Israel” in Romans 11:26 includes all men since I believe that all men will ultimately be saved. But, I don’t. Israel refers to something totally different. This is the great mystery. Most of the Bible actually deals with God’s active creation of Israel rather than with teaching about the restoration of all things. The reason for this is that it will be Israel’s task to restore all things as vice-regents of God Himself. To understand this we must go back to the beginning, to the first reference to Israel.

22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children,[e] and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,[f] for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel,[g]saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh. (Genesis 32:22-32 ESV)

The interpreters of the English Standard Version Bible say that the Hebrew word “Israel” here means “he strives with God.” Notice that God himself even says that the reason for giving Jacob this new name is that “you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Also notice that Jacob himself knew that he had seen God face to face. Thus he named the place “Peniel” which means “face of God.” Now consider Jesus’ words to the overcomers of the seven churches found in Revelation 2 and 3:

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”

11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”

17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”

26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— 27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’[j]— as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’

12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. 13 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 2-3 NKJV)

I believe that each promise above refers to every overcomer, not that there exist seven separate overcomer gifts. Here is a short list of God’s promise to each overcomer: 1) He (or she) receives eternal life in the paradise of God; 2) He will not be hurt by the second death. He has already saved his soul and thus will not need to be “thrown into” the Lake of Fire for purification of his sins; 3) He receives a new spiritual name and new spiritual food to eat; 4) He becomes a co-ruler with Christ over all the nations of earth and receives “the morning star” (whatever that is!); 5) He receives a glorified body, can never lose his overcomer status, and becomes personally known by Christ’s Father and the holy angels; 6) He becomes an actual part of the temple of God and Christ actually writes the name of God and the city of God, New Jerusalem, and Christ’s new name upon him (this speaks of identification with both the Father and Christ themselves); and 7) He grants each overcomer authority like his own for, he says, “I will grant to sit with Me on My throne….” This speaks of virtual identification with Christ our Savior. Thus when take all of these promises together we see that each overcomer has become fully perfected, fully made into the image of God.

And this is the meaning of the word Israel. Every member of spiritual Israel is a Biblical overcomer, one who has striven with God and with man and has prevailed (overcome!).

This entry was posted in 144000, a perfect stone, Elohim, image of God, Immanuel, New Jerusalem, Overcomers, Prophecy, Reconciliation of All Things, Restoration of All Things, Revelation, Salvation of the Soul, Sons of God, Universal Reconciliation, Word Made Flesh, Zion. Bookmark the permalink.

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