Who is "All" Israel in the New Covenant?

[Vic]

Hi Frank,

You said,

Quote:If Christ's sacrifice bestowed mercy on all of Israel then where is Israel's need to accept Him. The sacrifice is complete. The mercy has been dispensed. Is Israel saved? They don't even understand it was a sacrifice. If they had known it, they wouldn't have sacrificed Jesus [1 Cor 2:8]. Where is the mercy in ignorance of the blessing?

You are making a distinction that need not be made. How many Gentiles have rejected Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord over the ages...a few...thousands...millions?

How many Jews...?

How many came to Christ--when He walked the earth...The Jews...including the apostles and the thousands of Jews that believed HIm while the apostles were alive, because of their call to proclaim Him. Jews and Gentiles. Notice that---there were many thousands of Jews who came to Christ...then and through the years. The nation of Israel---as with all nations are not believing, acceptiing or living for Jesus Christ. There is not one nation that does live for Him. Despite attempted claims and false claims to the contrary.

There are individuals from every nation who have come to Christ--worldwide. From Israel, too. Because it is no longer about Israel as a nation, but about Christ and each individual person's belief in, and relationship with, Jesus Christ. The Body of Christ is made up of Jews and Gentiles. Not Jews, Gentiles and something from the future....

It was always to the Jew first---they were a chosen people first, Christ went to them first, to fulfill prophecy, but He also spoke to Gentiles. And then the apostles went to the Jews first...and then Paul ...went to the Jews first, and then to the Gentiles. Every opportunity has been given to all mankind, including the Jews, to come to Christ. Every person that rejects Him does so by choice--regardless of race or history. Because the cross made a level playing field in that we all have sinned and all fall short of the glory of God. Jews and Gentiles.

The New Covenant is based on that truth. This thread is soo off topic, I am not sure exactly where to split it and move this conversation, which is really about understanding the New Covenant and what it means to all mankind. Jew and Gentile. Not Jew, Gentile and Jews of the nation of Israel not converted to Christ-yet....or on equal footing...not Gentiles that have not converted to Christ yet.

Frank

Quote: If Christ's sacrifice bestowed mercy on all of Israel then where is Israel's need to accept Him. The sacrifice is complete. The mercy has been dispensed. Is Israel saved? They don't even understand it was a sacrifice. If they had known it, they wouldn't have sacrificed Jesus [1 Cor 2:8]. Where is the mercy in ignorance of the blessing?

The Jews who really believed the Scriptures, the law and the prophets, walked by faith and believed the prophecies and hence, believed Christ. No different than those Gentiles who came to Christ---by faith. And full belief in the truth of the Gospel and the precious promises given in the New Covenant, and those proclaiming His coming. If they had faith, as some had, they would have known Christ was fulfilling the prophecies.

Zechariah 3:8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.

Isa 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

Isaiah 53:1-11 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? 2. For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.[/color]

[color=#1E90FF] Those and many other prophecies were declared and those who believed and had faith, believed Christ.

In the NT it was written about the necessity of the changing of the priesthood and the changing of the law----changing....and focusing on the spiritual, because of Christ.

Hebrews 7:12-19 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. 13. For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. 14. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. 15. And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 16. Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. 17. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 18. [b]For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. 19. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

Quote: The time for blind Israel to be convicted of sin will come. But it will follow the time God gave them the spirit of slumber.

Rom 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
Rom 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

But Israel's blindness, like every other purpose of God, has been given a time and season [Eccl 3:1].

Rom 11:25 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.

Israel's awakening will occur after the fulness of the gentiles is achieved. No one God has blinded until the fulness of the gentiles comes in can undo what God has done by making a choice they do not know they have.

I bolded a couple of things....blindiness in part has happened--meaning many rejected Christ and many accepted Him.

"The time for blind Israel to be convicted of sin will come".

Every single Jew who has come to Christ has been convicted of sin...from the apostles--who were Jewish-- forward. That's why the gospel was preached to their fellow Jews and also Gentiles. Because the partition was removed and all had equal access to Christ and the truth of the Gospel. It was because of the faith like Abraham that many declared they had seen the fulfillment of prophecy in Christ...

Luke 1:68-79 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, 69. And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; 70. As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 71. That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 72. To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; 73. The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, 74. That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 75. In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. 76. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; 77. To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 78. Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 79. To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

1Jn 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Ephesians 2:15-20 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17. And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

It is about Christ Frank, and the truth of the cross and all He did for us--Jew and Gentile. It's not about heritage. It's about the difference between the flesh and the New Jerusalem...spiritual versus the physical. It's about knowing that Christ is sufficient for all mankind, and conviction of the Holy Spirit is for all mankind. If it wasn't then there would not be one Jew who accepted Christ...right from 33 AD forward. Not one would have known Him, or could.

Paul, a Jew, wrote:

Romans 11:5-7 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 7. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded..

In other words...those who had ears to hear and hearts that desire truth...then, throughout the years...and today...will belong to Christ. Those who don't...both Jew and Gentile....won't.