Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Jew or Gentile?


What is a Jew?
What is a Gentile?
The answers to these questions are easy, if we are viewing things physically.
The nation of Israel is historically known as having a culture that centered around their worship of the Biblical God. Physically, a Jew is physically from the lineage of Abraham, and belongs to the physical "Nation" of Israel. 
The nations/Gentiles are historically known as a culture that centered on conquest, power, control, and riches... while many paid homage to a variety of gods. Physically, a Gentile is physically from lineage other than physical Jew (Oriental, Celtic, Indian, Latino, Slavic, etc.). 

    

What about spiritual nationality? 
Is there such a thing?

At John 8:33,39, Abraham's physical descendants, claimed to be of Abraham's lineage.
This may have been true in a physical sense, but take note of what Jesus disclosed...
John 8:37,39,40,41,42,43,44.
So apparently, Jews can lose Abraham as their father. Obviously, Jesus was not talking about losing a genetic identity. He well knew that the Jews were Abraham's physical descendants (John 8:37).
Abraham was a man of Faith. This was the reason he received the promise of blessings for him and his seed (Rom.4:13).
Those who imitate Satan, become Satan's seed. The Jews who imitated Satan in lying and deadly intent, lost Abraham as their father.

Can physical Gentiles, gain Abraham as their father?
Those who imitate the faith of Abraham (Rom.4:13,16; Gal.4:28; 3:7; Heb.11:8; 13:13; Rev.18:4), are "grafted in" to the promises given Abraham, becoming his seed (Gal.3:29; Matt.3:9; Rom.9:6,8,7; (Heb.11:17; John 3:16) Rom.8:28,29,30). (Isaac is fulfilled in Christ)
These physical Gentiles, can become spiritual sons of Abraham (through imitation of his courageous faith)...spiritual Jews...receiving the "circumcision of the heart" (Rom.2:28,29; Phil.3:3; Col.2:11).

If a physical Gentile can become a spiritual Jew...
Can a physical Jew become a spiritual Gentile?
Well we have already seen that, at John 8:39,44; But please consider these words:
Jer.9:25,26; Acts 7:51; 13:46; Eze.31:18; 32:19; Rom.2:25; Amos 9:7,8,9,10; Rom.11:7,19,20,21,22

The scriptures teach us that there are Jews....
physical Jews,
 and spiritual Jews (through faith in Christ).
The scriptures teach us that there are Gentiles...
physical Gentiles who may come to be considered spiritual Jews by God,
and spiritual Gentiles, who are not considered God's Nation,
even if they are, physical Jews.

Review:
There are four groups:
Physical Jews (Physical descendants of Abraham
                         -lost their inheritance unless they accept Christ.
                         -Matt.21:43; Acts 13:46; John 3:36; Luke 19:41,42,43,44;
                          Matt.23:37,38; Deut.31:17; Micah 3:4; John 7:1; Matt.27:23,24,25)
Spiritual Jews  (Spiritual descendants of Abraham-heirs of the promises given Abraham 
                          -Gal.3:29; John 1:47; Deut.11:18; Rev.14:1,5; Jer.31:33; 7:23)
Physical Gentiles  (Physical descendants "of the Nations" outside physical Israel-
                             Can become spiritual Jews. -Rev.5:9,10; 7:4)
Spiritual Gentiles  (Not anointed, hearts uncircumcised by Spirit, unwashed from sin,
                            -Can be a physical Jew.
                            -awaiting life's provisions through acceptance of kingdom ambassadors
                            -John 13:20;  1Cor. 4:1; Mal.2:7;  2Cor. 5:20)
                            These are NOT PERMITTED to serve as anointed priests/"Jews" (Rev.2:9)
                             in Christ's Temple arrangement (2Chron. 23:6;  1Cor. 3:16;  1Pet. 2:5,9),
                            although the un-anointed elders today, do so.
                            (Mark 13:14; Eze.44:6,8,9;  2Chron. 13:9; Matt.24:15,16)
                            (see pearl-disgustingthing.blogspot.com)

The little flock is thought to be all anointed, while the "other sheep" are thought to be not anointed.
This is not correct.
The little flock are the fleshly Jewish anointed, and the "other sheep" are the fleshly Gentile anointed.
When Jesus said I have other sheep and these too I must bring in (to be one flock -John 10:16), he said this because Jesus and the apostles only "called" (Rom.8:29-30) fleshly Jews to inherit the kingdom during his 3 1/2 year ministry (Matt.15:24; 10:6), out of a preference which resulted from the promises given to Abraham (Rom.11:28). When as a race, they rejected and slaughtered God's Son (Matt.21:38,39,40,41,42,43; 23:37,38;  1Chron. 28:9; Matt.27:24,25; 23:35,37), the deficiency of the new anointed priesthood (1Pet. 2:9,10; Rev.5:9,10), was compensated for by fleshly Gentiles who would "produce fruit when due". This is still God's requirement for those to be His Nation (Matt.21:43; John 15:8; Matt.24:45,46). (Acts 13:46; 3:25,26; Rom.15:8; 1:16; John 4:20,21,24; Luke 24:47; Acts 11:9,12,15,17,18; 2:33; 10:45,46,47). After the Jews rejected God's Son, He turned to the Nations to make up the lack of the "full number" (Rom.11:25; 9:18; Rev.14:1; Heb.12:22,23; Luke 10:20).
Are physical Jews today producing such true fruit, due to their unity with Jesus Christ? (John 15:4,5; 17:21) If not, then they are still not the nation producing that fruit when due. This means that the Kingdom, still does not belong to them (Matt.21:43).
It was not until later that Gentiles were also being brought in by holy spirit, which spirit was sent because Christ returned to the father and sent it (John 14:28,16; 16:7). This was how he fulfilled his words..."these also I must bring in" (John 10:16).

These anointed (both fleshly Jew and fleshly Gentile) became one anointed flock. They were no longer separated by their flesh
(Eph.2:11-22 --(click on, to read);  Gal.3:26,27,28,29; Acts 10:34,35; Gal.6:15,16), but rather all together became spiritual Jews, the "Israel of God", God's new nation under a New Covenant (Heb.8:13) to become New Jerusalem.

The designation "little flock" no longer matters, because it has been almost two thousand years since that little Jewish flock was gathered together with the other sheep into one flock. There is no longer "Jew" or "Greek" (Gal.3:28), but rather, the temple of God, made of all nations, tribes people and tongues (Rev.5:9,10) chosen to become the New Israel of God (Rev.7:4). One's flesh no longer matters, because it is through Faith, that the kingdom promises given to Abraham are inherited (Gal.3:29,28; Heb.6:12)

Understanding the distinction between spiritual Jews and spiritual Gentiles, is essential, in understanding the identities of Revelation. In symbolic terms, both "Jews" and "Gentiles", are depicted.
Understanding "what will soon take place" is not possible, if the details pertaining to those two identities, are not discernible.
There is a "Gentile" Beast, from the "sea" (Rev.13:1; Isa.57:20; Rev.13:8,7; 11:2),
and there is a benefactor of the "sea Beast"... a lamb-like lying Beast ("Jew"), from the "earth" Rev.13:11,15; 19:20 who has broken her marriage covenant with God (Isa.1:21; Jer.23:10; Hosea 6:7; Isa.28:15).
Once we accurately perceive these two allies, we can understand how the "Man of Lawlessness"/"abomination of desolation" (2Thess. 2:4; Rev.13:18), received "his" power over God's Temple (Eph.2:20-22;  1Cor. 3:16-17;  1Pet. 2:5) and Holy Place (Matt.24:15-16; Rev.11:2; Luke 21:24; Rev.13:10,7) (Dan.11:31-33; 8:24-25;  2Thess. 2:8,3).
("Two Beasts") ("Iron and Clay") (disgusting-thing/abomination)

I hope this explanation helps to make other posts clearer.

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4 comments:

  1. If a Physical Jew, is physically from the lineage of Abraham, than how is it that Ruth and Rahab who are not physically ancestors of Abraham, but are of Jericho and Moabite descent, ancestors of Jesus.

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    Replies
    1. Because just as stated... a physical Gentile can become a spiritual Jew (meaning, one of God's people). It is not through the flesh that one is a seed of Abraham. It is through Faith, in imitation of Abraham.
      I speak of the promises (covenant) God made with Abraham, to become heir of the physical creation. This is the covenant to be fulfilled in Christ and his Bride. Abraham was also promised, that he would become a father to "many nations" (Gen.17:5).
      (Rom.4:13,12; 9:8; Gal.3:29; Heb.6:12

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    2. You would do far better, if you read each scripture. There were five minutes between your two comments. If you truly desire understanding, it will only come through the scriptures cited.

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    3. Ezra6:21 and Isaiah 56:1-8 may help to illuminate God's relationship with repentant foreigners.

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