How is there nothing natural about israel...?
this is the only thing I have e ve r disagreed with you on epi, your i insistence that Israel will not come to faith in Christ one day, en masse.
the apostle speaks of a mystery he does not want us to be unaware of so that we do not become wise in our conceits, and that mystery, he says, is that a blindness in part has come to Israel until the time of the gentiles is full, at which time Israel will be saved.
Romans 11 along with: from now on you will see me no more until you say...gives every indication that Israel's blindness will one day be lifted and they will see Jesus.
There is a Dispie teachings that reserves a place in the kingdom for unbelieving Jews.
Of course, if a Jew responds to the gospel and comes to Christ...he is most welcome...since the offer from God is first to the JEW THEN to the Gentile.
But this doctrine makes it....First to the Gentile and THEN to the Jew. This is backwards, of course.
The error stems also from the rendering of ALL Israel. Messianics fight tooth and nail over this part of the word that they have misunderstood.
When Ephraim, which is the fullness of the Gentiles, comes in THEN ALL ISRAEL will be saved. How? Well, the coming in of the nations into Christ completes Israel. The Jews are already represented in the kingdom. It is the time of the nations. After that the Lord returns.
Jesus said....this gospel must be preached in ALL the nations THEN the end will come (since ALL Israel is completed by the Gentiles)
What Jesus did NOT say is...First this gospel must go to all nations THEN the gospel will finally be preached in Judea.
NO, Rather the gospel message began in Judea and then into all the world. The Gentiles are the remnant of Ephraim. Once Ephraim is joined to Judah....the 2 shall be ONE stick in the hand of God and Jesus will be shepherd over them.
It is a Messianic Jewish myth that God has not already redeemed all nations. The Jews are not like a special race of people that are destined to rule over the nations. This is a confusion based on self-interest.
The SAINTS (coming from all nations) will rule with Christ as His Bride over the nations.
Just because we are today called "the nations" does NOT mean we are forever limited to "the nations." This is the error of many Jewish believers.
Jesus said that many will come from the nations and sit down with the OT saints....where? The New Jerusalem.
Does self-interest inherit the kingdom of God? God forbid!
If the New Jerusalem is the "Mother of us ALL" then ALL men have an opportunity to be in the Bride of Christ. Dispies dispute this. I have talked with a LOT of Messianic people and rabbis on the matter.
Dispies make Gentile believers only GUESTS in the wedding feast. Having NO access to rule with Christ. They see the lowest saved Jew is greater than the highest saved Gentile.
And you have Gentile believers saying..."Amen!"