Church Series-The Church's Relationship to Israel-Regenerate Jewish Church Age Believers Compose the Remnant of Israel
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday January 10, 2016
The Church Series: The Church’s Relationship to Israel-Regenerate Jewish Church Age Believers Compose the Remnant of Israel
Lesson # 29
Tonight, we will continue our study the relationship between and Israel and the church.
There are five factors revealed in the Scriptures which clearly indicate that they are connected by the remnant of regenerate Jews living during the church age and by the fact that regenerate Gentiles have been engrafted into regenerate Israel.
However, they are distinguished from each other because of race.
Thus far, we’ve seen that a true Jew is one who is a biological descendant of Jacob and has been declared justified by the Father through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
Next we noted that the Jews were given four unconditional covenants which are the Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic and New covenants.
We noted in Romans 11:17 that Gentile believers are engrafted into Jewish believers.
We left off noting that Paul taught in Galatians 3:26-28, Ephesians 2:11-22 and Colossians 3:11 that the church is composed of both regenerate Jew and Gentiles.
The last point we need to establish in order to understand the relationship between Israel and the church is that regenerate Jews in the church compose the remnant of Israel.
One of the great doctrines contained in the Bible which has received a great detail of attention in recent decades in the church is that of “the remnant of Israel.”
It is very important for the church age believer to understand this doctrine since it first and foremost reveals the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His promises to the Jews.
It is important because it will protect the church age believer taking Old Testament promises given directly to the Jews and applying them to the church.
Thus, it will protect the church age believer from the false doctrine that the church is the “new” Israel and has replaced Israel in God’s program for the ages.
What is the doctrine of the remnant of Israel?
It asserts that within the Jewish nation, God will always set aside a certain amount of Jews who will believe in Him in every dispensation and in every generation of human history.
It is based upon the unconditional promises contained in the Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic and New covenants.
All of which were given directly to the nation of Israel and not the church.
A member of the remnant must meet two requirements.
First, they must be Jewish meaning that biologically or racially, they are descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob whose name was changed to “Israel” by God.
It is not enough to be a descendant of Abraham because two other branches of Arabs descended from this man and not just the Jews.
One branch of Arabs came from Abraham through Hagar and the other came from Abraham through Keturah who was Abraham’s wife after the death of Sarah.
The second requirement which must be met is that of trusting in the Lord.
During the dispensation of Israel under the Mosaic Law, in order to become a member of the remnant of Israel, a biological or racial descendant of Jacob must place their trust in the God of Israel who the New Testament identifies as being the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
During the First Advent of Jesus Christ, a biological or racial descendant of Jacob must trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
This holds true during the dispensations of the church, the seventieth week of Daniel and the millennial reign of Christ.
During the dispensation of Israel, there was a certain number of Jews within the nation of Israel who trusted in the God of Israel.
God had also set aside a certain number of Jews within the nation of Israel who trusted in His Son Jesus Christ as Savior during the First Advent of Christ.
Also, often overlooked and not understood by even many dispensationalists, there is a certain number of Jews during the church age who have become a part of the remnant of Israel through faith in Jesus Christ.
Consequently, they not only are a part of the remnant of Israel but also they are members of the church as well.
Therefore, they are a unique group of people in history.
During the seventieth week of Daniel, there will be a believing remnant in Israel who will trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
The Scriptures also teach that during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, there will be a believing remnant in Israel who will enjoy the blessings of this greatest time in human history.
In the Old Testament, in relation to the nation of Israel, a “remnant” referred to a certain number of the population of the nation of Israel who survived divine judgment in the form of the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions and deportations.
The concept has its roots in Deuteronomy 4:27-31; 28:62-68; 30:1-10 and in these passages, Moses warns Israel that they would be dispersed throughout the nations for their disobedience but would be brought back to the land based upon God’s grace and covenantal faithfulness.
The prophets subsequent to Moses continued this doctrine when teaching the nation of Israel during the time each lived.
The remnant doctrine appears in 2 Kings and is used in relation to the days of King Hezekiah when Sennacherib invaded Israel and threatened to destroy Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:13-2 Kings 19:37).
The prophet Jeremiah uses the word often of the remnant in his day (Jeremiah 40:11, 15; 41:10, 16; 42:2, 15, 19; 43:5; 44:7, 12, 14, 28; 44:28; 47:4, 5; 50:20).
In Jeremiah 42:2 and 50:20 the remnant refers to those Israelites returning from the Babylonian captivity.
Jeremiah uses the remnant of those Israelites who will experience the millennial reign of Christ (Jeremiah 23:3; 31:7).
Zechariah also speaks of a remnant of Israelites during the millennial reign of Christ (Zechariah 8:6, 11, 12).
The prophet Micah also speaks of a future remnant of Israelites during the millennium (Micah 2:12; 4:7; 5:7-8; 7:18).
The remnant doctrine appears in the writings of Isaiah (Isaiah 10:20-22; 11:11, 16; 15:9; 16:14; 17:3; 28:5; 37:4, 31, 32; 46:3) and is used in Nehemiah (1:3) and in the writings of Ezra of the returning Israelites from Babylon (Ezra 9:8, 13, 14, 15).
Haggai speaks of this remnant that returned from Babylon (1:12, 14; 2:2) and the concept of the remnant appears several times in the book of Zephaniah (2:3, 7, 9; 3:11-13).
There are only three major passages in the New Testament which refer to the doctrine of the remnant of Israel, namely Romans 9-11 and Revelation 7 and 14.
Matthew 3:7-10 and Luke 3:7-9 allude to this doctrine.
Paul teaches in Romans 11:5 that regenerate Jews living during the church age compose the remnant of Israel.
Therefore, we have established that though there is discontinuity with regards to the relationship between Israel and the church, there is also continuity.
This is indicated by several factors.
First of all, Paul taught in Romans 2:28-29 and 3:21-31 that a true Jew is one who is not only a biological descendant of Jacob whose name was changed by God to “Israel,” but also they have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Paul teaches in Romans 9:1-5 that the nation of Israel was given the covenants which is a reference to the Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic and New covenants.
In Romans 11:17, Paul also teaches that Gentile believers, who he describes as a “wild olive tree,” are engrafted into regenerate Israel who he describes an “olive tree.”
Consequently, regenerate Gentiles benefit from the promises of the covenant.
The Abrahamic covenant is the “rich root” in Romans 11:17.
The apostle to the Gentiles also taught in Galatians 3:26-28, Ephesians 2:11-22 and Colossians 3:11 that the church is composed of both regenerate Jew and Gentiles.
Paul also teaches in Romans 11:5 that regenerate Jews living during the church age compose the remnant of Israel.
Thus, the church and Israel are connected by this remnant of regenerate Jews living during the church age and by the fact that regenerate Gentiles have been engrafted into regenerate Israel.
However, they are distinguished from each other because of race.
In fact, in support of this the Lord Jesus taught His apostles in Matthew 19:28 that they would be judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
This implies that they have authority over Israel.
So we know that the apostles’ teaching was the foundation of the church and here the Lord is saying that they would have authority over Israel implying that though they are a part of the church, they are also a part of the nation of Israel.
Matthew 19:28 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth: In the age when all things are renewed, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (NET)