Thank you Mike. Our church is in Romans 9-11 and has been for several months now. We just finished chapter 10 and will be starting chapter 11 this coming Sunday. I am also teaching an adult Sunday School class in Galatians and will be finishing in a few weeks. Clarifying “the Israel of God” is one of the main tasks there. I’m thanking the Lord for His providence and kindness in bringing these things up both in your videos and in Peter Goeman’s podcast recently. SDG! 🙏
Hello, Mr. Vlach. I'm from Brazil and have been learning a lot with your books and speech. I would like to study more with you. Because Dispensationalism has been challenged with the increase of reformed theology. God bless you
Michael, I believe a better title would be Israel's relationship to Christians. Thoughts? I value your work and admire your love for God and His people.
Since our amillennial friends believe the church is the new or true Israel, can we go through our NT and replace the word "church" with "new Israel" or "true Israel"???🤔 I tried it and it seemed kinda lumpy.
Makes sense. Question: Was the sign of circumcision for ethnic Israelites abrogated in the NT? I'm thinking not, since it's Abrahamic Covenant, not Mosaic Law, but not sure if I'm missing something. In other words, Paul is clear that Gentile believers ought not to practice religious circumcision, but he never teaches/implies that for ethnic Israelites.
(I am not pre-trib, but I am try to understand your position). Would you say that Jews and gentiles who come to faith after the rapture are part of the church? ie. Would they meet in congregations and practice baptism and the Lord's Supper?
I would consider them tribulation saints. I could be 100% wrong and am open to these matters. But my belief is the church will be raptured pre trib; people of faith post rapture would be considered tribulation saints.
At the point of the rapture, the church age will be complete. The Bride of Christ is only being built during the church age. There will still be many that come to Christ during the Tribulation (70th Week of Daniel) but I would also consider them tribulation saints and not the bride of Christ or the church as the church is not appointed to the Wrath of God. At least that is the way I understand it.
One thing people miss is that Jesus is truly God and truly man. He is a Jewish man, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and the seed of David. He retained his humanity in glorified form because he has to be the seed of David who will return to reign on the Throne of David. The aspects of Israel still being in covenant with God today are even confirmed in the Jewish humanity of our Messiah.
Thank you for this message. Are Gentile believers fellow citizens with the saints and members of the commonwealth of Israel? Who was grafted into the cultivated olive tree of Romans 11? Who was grafted into the cultivated olive tree of Romans 11? Paul wrote that a true Jew is one inwardly with a circumcised heart, and that circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, and not by the letter? Is the inward Jew a member of the cultivated olive tree? In the epistle to the Romans, Paul writes, “Not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.” Is the Israel that Paul is referring to, the cultivated olive tree? In the epistle to the Ephesians, Paul writes about a mystery-that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. Is this one body the cultivated olive tree? Jesus said He has two folds and they will become one flock. Is the one flock of Jesus the cultivated olive tree? Hebrews 11:39-40 informs us that the NT and OT saints are made perfect together. Are these perfected, glorfied saints the cultivated olive tree? Hebrews 12:23, in a vision, identifies an assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, coming to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant. Is this assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, the cultivated olive tree? This prophetic vision meets fulfillment in Revelation 14:1-5, in the heavenly Mount Zion; the redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb. Cultivated olive tree? Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 points to a group of people who Jesus Christ has redeemed by His blood, to be a kingdom and priests. Is this kingdom of priests, freed from sin by the blood of Christ, the cultivated olive tree? Revelation 7:9 prophesies this same group, resurrected and raptured, glorified, and standing before the throne of God and the Lamb, from every nation, tribe, and tongue, wearing white robes and holding palm branches. Cultivated olive tree? Is there a spiritual Israel? What do you call the body of glorified saints who will rule and reign with Christ on earth? Are the glorified saints members of the cultivated olive tree? Is the cultivated olive tree the Israel of God? In Isaiah 49 the Messiah is referred to as Israel. Because Gentile believers are in the Messiah, Jesus, does that include them as members of the cultivated olive tree, the Israel of God? Are the sons of Abraham the Israel of God? Who are the sons of Abraham? The sons of Abraham, counted righteous by faith, comprise the cultivated olive tree; they are Jew, and Gentile-the “Israel of God…” All the saints in salvation history… The firstborn enrolled in heaven… The redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb… The eternal covenant community of YHWH redeemed by the Lamb… The bride of Christ. The saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever. Blessings
One helpful thing is that the church is never called the heir/seed of Jacob. In the OT, whenever the part of the promise to Abraham was mentioned, it was always emphasised for the Patriachs, or “Abraham, Issac, and Jacob”. However the church has never once been addressed through Issac and Jacob. That tells us something.
@@hajoel5505 Hi Ha Joel... The church, with reference to the people of God, is simply the assembly, congregation, or gathering of called-out ones on the earth at any time; Israel was the church (ekklesia); Christians (Jew & Gentile) currently are the church. The promises were made to Abraham and his seed... Galatians 3:16 (NKJV) "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ." I see Scripture bearing out a dual fulfillment of the promises to Abraham through the Seed. A fulfillment of land, people, and blessing to the natural descendants of Abraham in the Messianic kingdom, as well as a fulfillment to the sons of Abraham counted righteous by faith, the glorified saints (Israel of God/cultivated olive tree/bride of Christ), in the Messianic kingdom as well as eternity future (heavenly Jerusalem, new heaven, new earth). For example, with regard to the land promise, to the natural descendants of Abraham, I believe we will see the borders of Israel in the Messianic Kingdom as they are described in Genesis 15... Genesis 15:18-21 "On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites." And with regard to the fulfillment of the land promise to the spiritual sons of Abraham, counted righteous by faith, the answer is revealed in the following verses... Romans 4:13 "For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith." Matthew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Blessings
Thank you Dr. Vlach. Sound teaching
Very solid teaching. If only churches could start from here.
Thank you Mike. Our church is in Romans 9-11 and has been for several months now. We just finished chapter 10 and will be starting chapter 11 this coming Sunday. I am also teaching an adult Sunday School class in Galatians and will be finishing in a few weeks. Clarifying “the Israel of God” is one of the main tasks there. I’m thanking the Lord for His providence and kindness in bringing these things up both in your videos and in Peter Goeman’s podcast recently. SDG! 🙏
Excellent teaching that is needed in the church today. Thanks for teaching sound doctrine.
Excellent substance and style.
Hello, Mr. Vlach. I'm from Brazil and have been learning a lot with your books and speech. I would like to study more with you. Because Dispensationalism has been challenged with the increase of reformed theology.
God bless you
Thank you. I hope our materials can help. Keep me posted.
Michael, I believe a better title would be Israel's relationship to Christians. Thoughts? I value your work and admire your love for God and His people.
Since our amillennial friends believe the church is the new or true Israel, can we go through our NT and replace the word "church" with "new Israel" or "true Israel"???🤔 I tried it and it seemed kinda lumpy.
Makes sense. Question: Was the sign of circumcision for ethnic Israelites abrogated in the NT? I'm thinking not, since it's Abrahamic Covenant, not Mosaic Law, but not sure if I'm missing something. In other words, Paul is clear that Gentile believers ought not to practice religious circumcision, but he never teaches/implies that for ethnic Israelites.
(I am not pre-trib, but I am try to understand your position). Would you say that Jews and gentiles who come to faith after the rapture are part of the church? ie. Would they meet in congregations and practice baptism and the Lord's Supper?
I would consider them tribulation saints. I could be 100% wrong and am open to these matters. But my belief is the church will be raptured pre trib; people of faith post rapture would be considered tribulation saints.
At the point of the rapture, the church age will be complete. The Bride of Christ is only being built during the church age. There will still be many that come to Christ during the Tribulation (70th Week of Daniel) but I would also consider them tribulation saints and not the bride of Christ or the church as the church is not appointed to the Wrath of God. At least that is the way I understand it.
One thing people miss is that Jesus is truly God and truly man. He is a Jewish man, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and the seed of David. He retained his humanity in glorified form because he has to be the seed of David who will return to reign on the Throne of David. The aspects of Israel still being in covenant with God today are even confirmed in the Jewish humanity of our Messiah.
Thank you for this message. Are Gentile believers fellow citizens with the saints and members of the commonwealth of Israel? Who was grafted into the cultivated olive tree of Romans 11? Who was grafted into the cultivated olive tree of Romans 11?
Paul wrote that a true Jew is one inwardly with a circumcised heart, and that circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, and not by the letter? Is the inward Jew a member of the cultivated olive tree?
In the epistle to the Romans, Paul writes, “Not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.” Is the Israel that Paul is referring to, the cultivated olive tree?
In the epistle to the Ephesians, Paul writes about a mystery-that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. Is this one body the cultivated olive tree?
Jesus said He has two folds and they will become one flock. Is the one flock of Jesus the cultivated olive tree?
Hebrews 11:39-40 informs us that the NT and OT saints are made perfect together. Are these perfected, glorfied saints the cultivated olive tree?
Hebrews 12:23, in a vision, identifies an assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, coming to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant. Is this assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, the cultivated olive tree? This prophetic vision meets fulfillment in Revelation 14:1-5, in the heavenly Mount Zion; the redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb. Cultivated olive tree?
Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 points to a group of people who Jesus Christ has redeemed by His blood, to be a kingdom and priests. Is this kingdom of priests, freed from sin by the blood of Christ, the cultivated olive tree? Revelation 7:9 prophesies this same group, resurrected and raptured, glorified, and standing before the throne of God and the Lamb, from every nation, tribe, and tongue, wearing white robes and holding palm branches. Cultivated olive tree?
Is there a spiritual Israel? What do you call the body of glorified saints who will rule and reign with Christ on earth? Are the glorified saints members of the cultivated olive tree?
Is the cultivated olive tree the Israel of God?
In Isaiah 49 the Messiah is referred to as Israel. Because Gentile believers are in the Messiah, Jesus, does that include them as members of the cultivated olive tree, the Israel of God?
Are the sons of Abraham the Israel of God? Who are the sons of Abraham?
The sons of Abraham, counted righteous by faith, comprise the cultivated olive tree; they are Jew, and Gentile-the “Israel of God…” All the saints in salvation history… The firstborn enrolled in heaven… The redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb… The eternal covenant community of YHWH redeemed by the Lamb… The bride of Christ.
The saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.
Blessings
One helpful thing is that the church is never called the heir/seed of Jacob. In the OT, whenever the part of the promise to Abraham was mentioned, it was always emphasised for the Patriachs, or “Abraham, Issac, and Jacob”. However the church has never once been addressed through Issac and Jacob. That tells us something.
@@hajoel5505 Hi Ha Joel... The church, with reference to the people of God, is simply the assembly, congregation, or gathering of called-out ones on the earth at any time; Israel was the church (ekklesia); Christians (Jew & Gentile) currently are the church. The promises were made to Abraham and his seed...
Galatians 3:16 (NKJV) "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ."
I see Scripture bearing out a dual fulfillment of the promises to Abraham through the Seed.
A fulfillment of land, people, and blessing to the natural descendants of Abraham in the Messianic kingdom, as well as a fulfillment to the sons of Abraham counted righteous by faith, the glorified saints (Israel of God/cultivated olive tree/bride of Christ), in the Messianic kingdom as well as eternity future (heavenly Jerusalem, new heaven, new earth).
For example, with regard to the land promise, to the natural descendants of Abraham, I believe we will see the borders of Israel in the Messianic Kingdom as they are described in Genesis 15...
Genesis 15:18-21 "On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites."
And with regard to the fulfillment of the land promise to the spiritual sons of Abraham, counted righteous by faith, the answer is revealed in the following verses...
Romans 4:13 "For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith."
Matthew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
Blessings