The Daily Word of Righteousness

Grace, and the New Covenant, #17

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. (Romans 11:25-27)

God has never forgotten the people of Israel or the land of Israel. When the Lord Jesus returns to earth He will establish His throne on the Temple Mount in the city of Jerusalem. God will pour out His Spirit on the Jews who are living there and they will be born again of the Spirit of God. They will look on Christ whom they pierced and will weep for Him as for an only Son.

There is only one olive tree. That tree is Christ, the anointed One of God. We Gentiles were grafted on that tree. But in the last days the physical people and land of Israel will be joined once again to the olive tree.

Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. (Ezekiel 37:23-25)

Every word of the Prophets directed toward the physical people and land of Israel will be fulfilled to the letter. We believing Gentiles will be an integral part of Israel at that time.

There will be one olive tree, one new man, one fold, one Shepherd—Christ.

The understanding of the fourteenth chapter of John to mean the Lord Jesus is building houses for us in Heaven. "In my Father's house are many mansions." What a long-standing tradition! Yet, the Greek term monai does not mean "mansion." Also, there is no other verse of the New Testament that speaks of us living in a mansion in the spirit Paradise, and important doctrines are not to be based on only one verse.

Jeremiah would not be familiar with the concept of the saints living in mansions in Heaven. It simply is a myth.

In the twenty-third verse of the same chapter of John the same Greek term translated "mansion" in verse two is translated "abode," which is a suitable rendering of the Greek noun. The context of John, verses 1-23, show that the Lord Jesus is speaking of the Father and the Son making Their abode (mansion) in us. The Father's House is the Lord Jesus. The saints are many rooms that are being added to Christ.

To be continued.