Hi Rex,
Yes, I did misunderstand your point. I had not had Judah in mind at all (for divorce) as it's clear He preferred to exile them for a season. RB introduced Judah, although Jeremiah was clearly
not speaking to Judah when he referred to
Israel as being divorced. All the way through Jeremiah's prophecies, are references to Israel and it is always distinct from Judah, for by then they had been separated for about four hundred years, Isaiah and Hosea having prophsied a hundered years earlier.
Hi Purity,
Yes, Paul was a flesh 'Jew' (of the tribe of Benjamin) but it wasn't his
flesh which believed. Faith is spiritual. There is only hope for the resurrection to life for those who are willing to lay down their
fleshly status. Do you understand that?
Regarding your comment about Gentiles being in the same boat as Israel or the Jews, I don't see it. The oracles of God were committed to certain men both before and after circumcision, and during the era of circumcision Israel was supposed to be the light to the Gentiles. God wasn't expecting the Gentiles AT THAT TIME to be a light to the Jews and Israel. There is a huge difference. You cannot keep flipping backwards and forwards between wanting to give Israel some kind of untouchable prominence and status, and then bring in the equalities which exist under the New Covenant, and start applying them retrospectively. That may work in literary criticism, but you can't do it with scripture. That is the whole point!
Yes, the word of God is living and active, but it is not
all continually being re-enacted again and again. Some prophesies have served their purpose historically, and they are over. There will never be another flood in the way that Noah had to envisage. There will never be another Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Messiah. These people have moved on in their relationship with God in life and in death. There really is going to come a time when the door is shut, and those who are not inside with the Bridegroom will not get in some other way. They are excluded for ever. That is a fact. People need to know there will be an
appointed end - a 'fulness of time', and they cannot rely on God to make a special exception of
them.
Hi Arnie,
This here (in bold) is 'dual covenant theology'. It is not in scripture, even though some people think it is.
I suppose I am trying to make the point that they missed the salvation of Christ .... but in their minds they probably feel they are "just as saved" as the OT people .
Who knows .... maybe God feels the same way too and will apply OT salvation to them even though they made a horrible mistake by rejecting Christ .
We (Gentile Christians) are told the Jews are enemies of the gospel from our perspective .... but it also says God has not completely rejected them either
Anyone think the OT Israelis will be in the kingdom with us ??? .... I do .
Could the NT (unbelieving Jews) be saved the same way ? .... just some thoughts.
'Anyone think the OT Israelis will be in the kingdom with us??? .... I do .'
Are you referring to those who believed, only, and who kept the commandments and ordinances and laws like Abraham did, or are you throwing a net around every single person in the OT and calling them 'saved'?
Could the NT (unbelieving Jews) be saved the same way ? .... just some thoughts.
You mean, after Messiah had come?
No. Once He had come, He was their only hope of salvation. Everyone has to make a proper
decision to believe.
After all .... Paul did call it a mystery
Actually, the only things Paul called a mystery, were the transformation which will occur in those who will be changed in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet, and the parallel between spouses, and Christ and the church.
He said previous mysteries had been revealed to the apostles and prophets.
To find out more, read Ephesians with your thinking cap on. And 'mystery' in chapter 5 does
not mean 'sacrament'.