Jews are allowed, Gentiles not required.

[shammah]

It would be best that if there be any Holy Day, it should be for Christians founded on biblicaly acurate Holy Days, and not the ones practiced today.

Honoring Holy Days without being constrained to do it as ritural, it a form of honoring the bible, God, and His teachings! There is great grace here, the Jew should not be offended that the gentile doesn't understand, but neighther should the Jew feel greater than the Gentile. But thought I'm part of the Israel of God by being grafted in only; I realize that the Jew can enjoy a greater personal revelation, by his willingness to enjoy and understand things such as the Feasts of the Lord! But this is also available to those grafted in! One who became a Jew was not look down upon by most, but became circumcised and set appart for the Lord, and their desendants became a part of the twelve tribes.

I encourage all to study the feasts and learn all they can, even change to the true Holy Days. We have all become the Israel of God, lets enjoy each other and the fulness. I have to go , but I will write more later.

Shammah-2

[Dad Ernie]

Greetings Shammah,

We have all become the Israel of God, lets enjoy each other and the fulness.

No need to continue later. This comment right here tells us that you are off-base.

Blessings,

Dad Ernie

[Guest yod]

whoa! DE!

that was an uncharacteristically rude "welcome" to our new member of the WB

Shammah is referring to Galatians 6 where it says;

14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

16 And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

if you were to say that you "think" the Israel of God does not include the gentiles, there would be some latitude for an interpretational difference.

But it's really hard to know exactly what Paul meant by this so either way we are only giving an opinion of what this means precisely.

But it is just as reasonable to think that Paul is talking about ALL who have come into the commonwealth of Israel

I leave that verse open to be either.

:::awaiting a fiery blast for bringing "that" up again:::

[Dad Ernie]

Greetings Yod,

Why did I know that you would respond to my comments? Never-the-less, when we "leave things open for ANYONE to interpret", then more often than not WE DO NOT HAVE THE MIND OF GOD ON THE SUBJECT, ONLY MAN'S, which of course will get us NOWHERE.

I do regret not having welcomed our newcomer FIRST, but it appears he has an agenda already and until he reads through some of our archived comments, he would do well to look at them. Perhaps he may have the "grace" as you do, to be patient, and perhaps even LEARN a few things. Perhaps even to teach. BUT to come on the forum and reveal YOUR AGENDA, definately sends up SMOKE signals that says "here we go again!"

Blessings,

Dad Ernie

[Guest yod]

Why did I know that you would respond to my comments?

because we are such good friends that we know each other?? :il:

::blows a kiss:::

Never-the-less, when we "leave things open for ANYONE to interpret", then more often than not WE DO NOT HAVE THE MIND OF GOD ON THE SUBJECT, ONLY MAN'S, which of course will get us NOWHERE.

I realize that you have every mystery of the Bible fully revealed in that box of yours...but most of us will admit that there are things which can't be known for certain on this side of eternity.

The "Mind of God" in those cases would gracefully allow for others to have an opinion as long as it can't be proven as contradictory to the whole of scripture.

So.......

Are you saying that "the Israel of God" can not POSSIBLY include gentiles? I halfway believe that Paul is speaking only about believing jews in that passage, also...but it can't be proven absolutely because of the way it was placed after a sentence directed at gentiles.

At least...that is my opinion on that particular verse.

I'm not sure what your beef is with that?

[Dad Ernie]

Greetings Yod,

Are you saying that "the Israel of God" can not POSSIBLY include gentiles? I halfway believe that Paul is speaking only about believing jews in that passage, also...but it can't be proven absolutely because of the way it was placed after a sentence directed at gentiles.

RE:

14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

16 And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

Doesn't even the syntax indicate Paul is speaking of TWO groups:

And THOSE who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them.

AND

peace and mercy be upon the Israel of God.

As we know from Romans 9-11, et al. Paul ALWAYS draws a distinction between Jews and Gentiles, and of course it is my personal believe that the TWO WITNESSES are actually TWO GROUP - The Jews AND the Gentiles.

But if that was not sufficient, the Olive Tree, as I have pointed out before IS "the Kingdom of God", which was taken from the Jews and given to the Gentiles (nations) (the unbelieving Jews were broken off, the believing Gentiles were grafted in).

We are also told in Ephesians 2 that through Christ we are "brought nigh" to the commonwealth of Israel. Both BELIEVING Jew and Gentile ARE MADE ONE in Christ, we are now "kith and kin" so to speak.

To say that a gentile can become a Jew, either physically OR spiritually, to me, is abhorrent, not that I might like to, but it is anathema to the scriptures. God maintains a plan for the Jews as the "Daniel Covenant" has not been "fulfilled" yet, that is when All Israel shall be restored to righteousness. But as their heart is changed, they are brought INTO the New Covenant established by the "blood of Jesus". The difference between the broken off branches and us, is that WE are entering the Kingdom of God FIRST, and they, though having received the GOOD NEWS FIRST, will enter it enmasse - LAST. Same salvation, only difference is one of timing.

But WHEN THEY DO WATCH OUT, WE SHALL BE SO BLESSED BY AN OUTPOURING OF GOD, THAT NOT EVEN PENTECOST WILL MATCH IT.

Blessings,

Dad Ernie

[Guest yod]

ok..I agree with most of what you are saying.

But the "Israel of God" doesn't necessarily denote whether someone is jewish or gentile. It could easily be a metaphor for all those who were taken "from" the nations and were now equal partakers of the commonwealth promises.

Doesn't even the syntax indicate Paul is speaking of TWO groups:

And THOSE who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them.

AND

peace and mercy be upon the Israel of God.

yes...I agree that is a reasonable assumption and view it as entirely likely to be true. However, I don't think we can make a hard-and-fast rule based on the syntax.

for example...take Hebrews 13:24

Greet all your leaders and all God's people.

Are our leader's not also God's people?

hmmm....

maybe you DO have a point there?

[shammah]

P.S I saw the previous topic and thought peace could be brought here.

Rom.11:17,; And if SOME of the (Jewish) branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in amoung them (The Israel of God-Jew and Gentile, Two types of branches on one tree) and with them partakest of the root and fatness (gentiles grafted into the depths of YHVH'sword, the old and new).

Only some of the branches were broken off, so don't boast against the branches , because you can bet that with the way the church is going some gentile branches are about to be broken off. The Israel of God is not no longer a nation, but the kingdom is within you, its a Spiritual Kingdom! And though when the time of the gentiles is over, and the Lord turns and keeps Jerusalem from destruction, it is clear that physicaly all of Israel is not saved. Many who dwell their will never be saved, and aren't true jews but of the synagod of Satan.

If you see the kingdom as Spiritual which it is, all of Israel will be saved; everyone who will choose Yah Shua and obey Him before the Late trubulation rapture, and endure unto the end, will be the Israel of God; So all Israel will be saved! The whole country isn't spared, and not every Jew will repent. The Lord has reasons for the land, and he has some people there, but the Lord will never force them to believe, and the most that do ,it will be too late to recieve resurected bodies.

I thought the same as some of you, but we have become one nation, one people, in a Spiritual Kingdom, this is hidden from the arogant gentile, and the proud Jew, but its so simple!

If we share the same root, the root of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, we have become one in the new covenant in Yah Shua's blood, one Spiritual people and nation! Who could have a problem with this, in the kingdom there is no Jew or gentile, in that there is no separation.

Much of the country of Israel and the people living there will survive, but they will remain in physical bodies, you can only get into the kingdom by faith in Yah Shua (Jesus). I know there is this thinking going around that the Lord is going to miraculesly save all of Israel , so why preach to them; but there is only one way to come into a Spiritual kindgom!

So let us act like we are brothers and sisters in one faith; let us reason together without strife. I dont expect everyone to agree with me; but I know from the other thread we need the fruits of the spirit to go on here!

Most of us have learned our opinions from others; lets start being open to the Spirit of Christ in our midst, and maybe we can come to his revelation in each of us, but if not , lets respect each other even though its hard. May only those who are willing to forgive so that they can be forgiven, and those who truely Agape love our Lord continue on in this searching out of the scriptures and truth!

Agape in Yah Shua; Shammah-2.

[Guest yod]

whoa little feller!

You are all over the board here...tribulation, rapture, olive tree, spiritual israel, Yah Shuah........oy veh and etcetera. Let's stick to a topic somewhere, ok?

[shammah]

In the Millenium we will rule and reign with Christ as priests and Kings, and as Jesus is the high priest after the order of Melchizedek, so will we become priests after this Godly Priesthood, no longer after Aaron. So the Israel of God is of a new and greater priesthood. Look at Hebrews 7; no godly man would allow the titles here as, King of righteousness, prince of peace, like unto the Son of God, and if he had no lineage it is easier stated, but this man was never born and will never die! This is the Lords priesthood, and it never was paterned after a man!

With the changing of the covenant, there needs be the changing of the priesthood; a spiritual covenant, a godly Spiritual Priesthood.

Though some natural Jews may have access to the earthly temple in earthly bodies, the true Israel of God will also have access to the Spiritual Jerusalem in Spiritual, and supernatural bodies! Which Israel do you want to be apart of?