All right, go ahead and grab your Bible at night if you would and turn to Isaiah chapter 56. Isaiah chapter 56. We're continuing, and I believe we're finishing up on our study here tonight on the difference between Israel and the church. Like I say, I believe this is the last one, as far as I know. We've looked over proper division in scripture. That should have helped you, hopefully, gave you the little timeline and drew out this one up here. Hopefully, that gives you kind of a better understanding of who God is dealing with primarily and during which time period and portions of the Bible. We've determined that Israel is Abraham's physical seed through Isaac and then Jacob. God deals with Israel, with them almost exclusively between Genesis chapter 12 and Acts chapter 9. You want to call it that? God made them physical promises, land, fruitfulness, and conditional prosperity. Okay, God did not expect faith, but He expected obedience primarily from them. That's what we looked at last time. God gave Israel signs we saw that in 1 Corinthians 1.22 the Bible says for the Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom. Some of those signs we've looked at like speaking in tongues the Bible says the Sabbath was a sign for them. Also different wonders and miracles that's why there was so much healing and different things going on especially whenever Jesus showed up in the tail end of the Old Testament there. And even during that transition period, while they were still trying to get to so many of these Jews, there were still miracles that started tapering off towards the end as the Jews got more convinced, the ones that would be convinced. And so those signs kind of tapered off there. God promised Israel a literal, physical, visible kingdom. That's the kingdom of heaven. That's the one that was preached about. That was the gospel that was preached whenever Jesus was there and whenever John the Baptist was going around preaching it. But the question is, have you ever wondered about the Gentiles in the Old Testament? You know, were they all just bound for hell because they were not born of the seed of Abraham? You know, I mean, well, bad luck. You know, Abraham wasn't your daddy, so you're just going to die and go to hell. You think that was the case? It wasn't. It wasn't. God always allows a provision for those who desire a relationship with him. He has always made a way for the whosoever wills. He's not a wicked God, he's not an evil God, he doesn't sit there and make people just to destroy them. If someone seeks God, he will send someone that will lead them to him. Okay, he will reveal himself to that individual and he will get their attention. You hear in Isaiah chapter 56, let's start in verse one, the Bible says this. Isaiah 56, 1, thus saith the Lord, so the Lord's talking, thus saith the Lord, keep ye judgment and do justice, for my salvation is near to come and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this and the son of man that layeth hold on it, that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Verse three, neither let the son of the stranger that hath joined himself to the Lord speak, saying, the Lord hath utterly separated me from his people. Neither let the eunuch say, behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant. Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. Also, the sons of the stranger that join themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it and taketh hold of my covenant. Even them will I bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar. For mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. The Lord God, which gathereth the outcast of Israel, saith, yet will I gather others to him, besides those that are gathered unto him. Let's pray. Amen. So this little section that we're going over that we're going to start off with, I like to call the non-elect elect. This chapter is another nail in the coffin of Calvinism. Calvinists are another group that have great doctrinal errors due to not understanding the difference between Israel and the church. They believe that God's elect are those that he has foreordained to go to heaven. Throughout all the ages they say, God's elect, well, anybody who's up in heaven is the elect. We can tell because they're up in heaven And God predestinated them to get saved and that they would be up in heaven. Keep a marker here. Turn to Isaiah chapter 45. I want you to understand something about the elect and about election and things like that. We won't go into a deep study about that right now, but I want to point this out to you. Elect simply means chosen. You're elected to something. We elect government officials. They are chosen to fulfill that position. We choose them. We go out there and we tally it up. And so long as it's counted right and properly and legally tabulated, they are elected. They are chosen to do something. You want to guess who is God's elect in the Old Testament based on our little timeline here? Who God would say is his elect? Well, it's Israel. Israel is God's chosen people. Most of the time in the Bible whenever you see the word elect I'd say at least 80% of the time it's talking about Israel. There's a time in there the Bible talks about Jesus Christ being the elect. He is not the elect to inherit heaven through eternal salvation by believing in Jesus Christ, okay? He is God's chosen. He was God's chosen sacrifice to come and die for our sins. There is also mention of elect angels in there, okay? They're not predestinated to go to heaven or anything like that. Elect simply means chosen. Isaiah chapter 45 verse 4, for Jacob my servant's sake and Israel mine elect. I have even called thee by thy name, I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me." Okay, so Israel is God's elect, they are his primary focus, turn back to Isaiah chapter 56 if you would. But God chose Abraham and his seed to be his people, they became his elect, he picked them. Okay, so it's not that complicated. But God makes provision for anyone else who wants to worship, serve, and obey Him. Okay, and He's done this from the very beginning. Remember back here before He chose Abraham, who was it that God was dealing with? Those that wanted to deal with God. Those that desired a relationship with Him. Those that wanted to find Him and to seek Him and to please Him. That's who God dealt with, right? Noah, Enoch, Job, those other ones that we talked about. But look at Isaiah 56 verse three. Bible says, neither let the son of the stranger, who's the stranger? That's not Israel, okay? That is someone who's not Israel. Neither let the son of the stranger that hath joined himself to the Lord speak, saying, the Lord hath utterly separated me from his people. Neither let the eunuch say, behold, I am a dry tree." There's two different groups of people here, the stranger and the eunuch. Both of them represent people that are not Israel. And they're saying, well, I'm not one of the elect. I'm not one of Israel. I mean, God's not good to me. He wouldn't save me. I'm not one of his people. Well, you know, God left me out. I feel so abandoned by God. Well, what does God say? God says they shouldn't be able to say that. He says this, he said, God says, don't let the strangers and the eunuchs say that I won't let them be my people. So you look at that verse three, neither let the son of the stranger that had joined himself to the Lord speak saying the Lord had utterly separated me from his people. Neither let the eunuchs say, behold, I'm a dry tree. Okay, look at verse four. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths and choose the things that please me and take hold of my covenant. Even unto them, who's the them? That's the eunuchs. Okay, that's the ones in verse four, the eunuchs. Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than the sons and of daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. also the sons of the stranger that join themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, everyone that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it and taketh hold of my covenant, even them Who's the them? That's the strangers, the sons of the strangers in verse 6. Even them will I bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar, for mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people. Notice the conditions for the people of the nations to be part of God's people. God's given them descriptions here saying, OK, listen, you're not one of Israel, but you want to be one of my people. Here's what you've got to do. This is the conditions here. They must obey the commands that the Lord gave Israel. Notice the Sabbath keeps popping up here. Remember, Sabbath was a sign for the Jews. It was a covenant between God and Israel. OK, why are strangers taking part? Because they're wanting to be Jewish. They're wanting to get into the Jewish religion. They're not getting into the Jewish race. They're not becoming seeds of Abraham. They're joining the Jewish religion, so they need to act like a Jew. They need to keep the law like the Jews do. Keeping the Sabbath, we see that in verse 4. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths. That's one thing they've got to do. They have to choose the things that please God. We see that in verse four. And choose the things that please me. It says they have to take hold of his covenants, verse four as well. Okay, take hold of my covenant. They have to serve the Lord, verse six. Also the sons of the stranger that join themselves to the Lord to serve him. And to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants. So serving the Lord had to be part of it. What does that mean? That means keeping up with the law, doing what the Lord expected you to do, serving the Lord. It says they need to love the name of the Lord there in verse six. They join themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the name of the Lord. Keeping the Sabbaths and the covenants are mentioned again in verse six. They were mentioned in verse four, they're mentioned again in verse six. So if a Greek or a Roman or a Philistine or an African or an Asian wanted to be one of God's people in the Old Testament, he could be, even though he was not one of the physical seeds of Abraham. What would he have to do? Well, he'd have to get circumcised, he'd have to keep the Sabbath, keep the law, have sacrifices, have sacrifices offered for his sins, eat only clean animals, and do everything that God expected the Jews to do. They're taking over the role of the Jews. They're not taking over, they're being just like them. Notice, though, what the Lord gives these obedient, God-desiring strangers and eunuchs. In verse five, even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and daughters. He gives them a place in his house. Why do we get to go to heaven? Because we got in. He wasn't ready just for us. We get in there, okay, because the Jews rejected him. See if I can find my place here. Oh, he gives them a better name than sons of daughters. I like that. I like that. And a name better than of sons and daughters. Faithful Israelites already have a place within God's house. They already have a name of being God's chosen people. They're already God's elect people. Okay, they've already got that name. But God promises these strangers some things that are better than what the sons and the daughters have, like a name. Why is that? Well, did you notice who God says was responsible for bringing these strangers and eunuchs into a relationship with him? The strangers and the eunuchs were. They were. It doesn't say God compelled them to do it. It didn't say God forced them to do it. Look at what the Bible says here. Look at verse three. Neither let the son of the stranger that hath joined himself to the Lord." Who's causing the joining? The stranger is. God says that the stranger joined himself to the Lord. That was initiated by the stranger. It wasn't God dragging him along or compelling him or unconditionally electing him or anything like that. The stranger joined himself to the Lord. He saw the Jews. He saw the God of the Jews. He saw what God can do. And he goes, I fear their God. That's the true God. That is the real God. I want to serve that one. That's his people, I wanna be like them. I'm gonna do what they do. How can I be like you guys? Well, keep the Sabbath, keep the law, sacrifice these animals, do what we do. Okay, because that's the real God. I wanna be just like that. They join themselves to the Lord. Look at verse six, it says the same thing. Also the sons of the stranger that join themselves to the Lord. See, they're the ones doing it. There's no irresistible grace here. There's no sovereign election. There are just some regular, non-elect, unspecial people who wanted a relationship with the one true God and joined themselves to him by doing what his chosen people did. God makes room and a place for all those who choose him. That's what we see in verse 7 and 8. Even them will I bring into my house, into my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar, for mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people. God which gathereth the outcast of Israel, saith, Yet will I gather others to him besides those that are gathered unto him." Israel's already gathered to him. Israel's already called out. They're already a special, elect, chosen people. They know they're special. They know Abraham's their father. They know their history. They've heard about the miracles. They know everything that God's done for them. So, they're already collected. God says, there's going to be some other people that are going to be joined together that are not you guys, and they're going to be special too. That's us. We get in. Kind of like Ruth, the Moabitess. She wasn't Jewish. She was a Moabite. Yet in Ruth 1.16 she says this, and Ruth said, entreat me whenever Naomi was trying to compel her to leave and say, go back to the gods and the Moabites and everything, I'm going back to Israel, you know, all the guys are dead, I'm heading back over here, you know, just go back, you're not going to wait for me to have another husband or have another kid that you can have, he can be your husband or anything. Ruth says this, Ruth 1.6, and Ruth said, entreat me not to leave me, or to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go. And where thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Ruth loved Naomi so much, she said, you're Jewish, your God's my God. I'm going where you're going, your people's going to be my people, I am assuming a position alongside you. Kind of like Rahab the harlot. who hid the spies of Israel because she feared God and knew that he was the one true God. That's in Joshua chapter two. She knew, she heard the stories about what everything that God has done is part the seas and everything like that, part of the Red Sea. And she said, it's, we know how powerful your God is. I fear him. I know he's the one true God. So your spies coming in. Yeah, come on in. Just be nice to me and my family. She was one, she wanted part of that. People who join themselves to God and his chosen people Israel in the Old Testament did not have a change in DNA. They did not become the physical seed of Abraham, okay? Their skin didn't change to match the tone of Israel or anything. Their hair didn't change color. Their facial features didn't change. Their nose and ears didn't change size or anything like that. Their religion changed, not their race. They're called proselyte Jews. Okay, proselyte Jews. Let me spell that out for you here so you understand. Because that is a Bible word. It is mentioned there in the Gospels. Proselyte, P-R-O-S. Boy, I can't spell it worse. Right. Y-T-E. There we go. Proselyte. They're proselyte Jews. That means someone that's not a natural born Israelite, but he becomes Jewish. That's a proselyte. Okay? But see, the same scenario happens in the New Testament. See, God's got his chosen people and he's dealing with them a certain way. Let's turn to, let's see here. I believe it's Acts chapter, yeah, Acts chapter 10. Let's turn to Acts chapter 10. In the New Testament, from Calvary on, you remember, if you want to get saved, it's by grace through faith. During this time, from Calvary to Acts 10, God's focus is still on the Jews. How to get saved has changed. Now the final sacrifice was made at Calvary. Now salvation is by grace through faith. All they have to do is trust in Jesus Christ, and that starts off to the Jews first. So the people is the same. The condition of salvation has changed because the payment was made. That's how the Jews were getting saved from Calvary to Acts chapter 10. In Acts chapter 10, if a stranger or a eunuch or an unbeliever wanted to be a child of God, they had to get saved the same way that a Jew did at that time. Remember, from Calvary to Acts chapter 10, the Jews are getting saved by grace through faith. That's how the Jews are getting saved right then. If a Gentile, if a Greek or a Roman or anybody else wanted to get saved, they had to get saved the same way that Jews were getting saved at that time. Just like back here, even though it was by works and keeping the law and everything like that, if a Gentile wanted to get saved, he had to do it the same way a Jew was doing it. So after Calvary, Gentile had to get saved the same way a Jew was doing it. It opened up to the Jews first, but salvation was the same after the cross. Acts chapter 10, look at verse 34. Acts 10, 34. This is when Peter and them are just finding it out. And then Peter opened his mouth and said, of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all. That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all these things which He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, who they slew and hanged on a tree. Him God raised up the third day and showed Him openly. Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. So we're talking about this is how you gain salvation in the New Testament by believing this happened to Jesus Christ, that he was the Christ. Verse 42, and he commanded us to preach unto the people and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be judge of the quick and the dead. Verse 43, to him give all the prophets witness that through His name, whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins." See, there we have it. There's New Testament salvation. It happened to the Jews first, now He's preaching to the Gentiles the same way. All right, that's why in verse 44, while Peter yes spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word, and they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God, then answered Peter, can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? So for a Gentile to get saved in the New Testament, they had to do what a Jew had to do to get saved in the New Testament, as believe on Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, for a Gentile to get saved, they had to do what a Jew had to get saved in the Old Testament. That's by works and keeping the law and all the things they had to do to earn a place in paradise, you know, God's waiting room for heaven there. But Jews in the New Testament got saved by believing on Jesus Christ, not by being Jewish and keeping the law. What they did is they left Judaism and became Christians. They got placed in Christ. Okay, there we go. That's my blue one. So let's see here. We've got a couple different groups. The red one here. Because of course in the New Testament, we have the church here. I'm gonna say Christ, this is the body of Christ. And first, we got the Jews. over here. I'm going to have some other ones here. It's going to be a full box because I didn't stop. See the Gentiles over here. Oh, that already kind of goes together. Let's just continue on there. In the New Testament, the Jews to get saved, they have to be placed in Christ. Gentiles in the New Testament, they have to be placed in Christ. Do that by grace through faith. If a Gentile wants to get saved in the Old Testament, what they have to do is they have to attach themselves and become a Jew. Okay, you don't get saved in the New Testament by becoming Jewish. You don't get to be saved in the New Testament simply by being Jewish and keeping the law and all that. You have to be placed in Christ. So now the Jews, if a Gentile, if they just act Jewish in the New Testament, that doesn't get them salvation. They gotta be in Christ. The difference is, Jew and Gentile, they have to both be in Christ. Because remember this, so that basically, they're leaving behind Judaism because remember, in Christ, there's neither Jew nor Greek. There's no difference in them, so they're not, Saved Jews in the New Testament aren't Jews anymore, now they're Christians. They're part of the body of Christ. They've left Judaism and they've become Christians. Okay, remember Jesus fulfilled the law, Matthew 5, 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. Turn to Hebrews chapter 12. fulfilled the Law. He didn't break it. But see in the book of Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 12 Paul of course writing to the Jews here in the book of Hebrews he says something very significant that I think a lot of people misunderstand. I've had some people say it to me in a very odd way. But in Hebrews 12 look at verse 2, Paul, speaking to Jews, said this, Hebrews 12.2, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. So Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Who is the our that he's talking about there? Is it Christians? No, it's not Christians. It's in the book of Hebrews. He's writing to Jews. So Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of what faith? Of the Jewish faith. He's the author and finisher of the Jewish faith. Jesus is the culmination of everything that God has promised Israel. He was the one that was gonna fulfill all the promises. Jesus is the one who met with, spoke, and gave the promises to Abraham. You remember we went over Jesus in the Old Testament. You remember whenever Jesus was the one, he's the manifestation of God in the flesh. He's expressed image, something about the image of God. I'm messing up on that verse there. But he is God in the flesh and wherever God shows up in the Old Testament, he shows up in the person of Jesus Christ. So it was Jesus Christ that showed up to Abraham. When Abraham saw God, he was seeing Jesus. He was talking to Abraham in the Old Testament. Jesus is the one that chose Abraham. Jesus is the one that gave Moses the law. Jesus Christ is the author of the Jewish faith. Jesus Christ is the finisher of the Jewish faith, the author and finisher of our faith, because he's the one that was the last sacrifice. Jesus is the one who paid the final sacrifice for sin. Jesus is the author and finisher of the Jewish faith. Christianity is not an offshoot religion of Judaism. It is the acceptance of the one who came to complete Judaism, okay? And listen, don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying God is done with the Jews or anything like that. We know he's not done with Israel. What I'm saying is Jesus Christ is the culmination. He's the finisher of the Jewish faith. Why don't we have to be Jews anymore? Because we have Jesus Christ. He finished it. but they're still a group of people. The Jews that have not finished, they haven't accepted God's conclusion to the Jewish faith. They haven't accepted Jesus Christ, so they still need him. They still need to accept him. Gentiles in the New Testament get saved not by becoming Jews, but by getting in Christ by faith in Jesus Christ, just like the Jews at that time did. When you got saved, you did not become a physical seed of Abraham. You did not become Jewish. But by being placed in Christ, who was a Jew and came for the Jews and focused on the Jews, you became a spiritual child of Abraham. You didn't become a physical child of Abraham. You became a spiritual child of Abraham. Why? Because you're joining yourself to the same faith that Jesus Christ started back here with Abraham. Okay, Abraham was the start of a physical seed. He was the start of a spiritual seed. Okay, there was a faith that started back there with Abraham, the Jewish religion that we accepted the completion of at the Cross of Calvary. Okay, turn to Galatians chapter three. I apologize if this is confusing. You could ask me some questions afterwards. Maybe I can clear it up a little more then or make it even more confusing. I could definitely do one or the other. I'm not sure which one. Galatians chapter 3, because you've heard the kid's song, right? I don't remember all the dance moves to it, but, Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had Father Abraham, you know, and then they dance around or do something, I don't know all the moves to it, but I could get Jessica up here, because I'm sure she remembers all of it, and she can do it all really, really good. But that song always bothered me, I was like, I'm not Jewish, I'm not, Abraham's not my father. Well, he's our spiritual. Father, we're a spiritual seed of Abraham. Galatians 3, look at verse 6. Galatians, New Testament, right? Pauline epistle here, this is our mail, this is to us, Galatians 3, 6. Even as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness, know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. and the scripture, for seeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, proceeded before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed. So that they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. The Bible just says, hey, you remember back there in Genesis, whenever God told Abraham, I'm gonna bless all nations through you, all the families of the earth are gonna be blessed through you and everything like that, he said, That was a point to these heathen that are going to be saved through faith. He said, there's going to be a people that are not my people, that I'm going to let them become my people. And they're the heathens, but they're getting in through faith. We're a culmination of that promise. Look at verse 22, Galatians 3, 22. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, Remember, New Testament, it's by faith. Old Testament, it's by works and everything. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Remember, there wasn't a lot of faith in the Old Testament. Verse 24, wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith. But after the faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. Schoolmaster is the law, it just told us that. Verse 26, for ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you're all one in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ's, then are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." You see that? You've got to be in Christ, there's no difference between Jew and Gentile now. And the Bible says if you are in Christ, you're the seed of Abraham. not the physical seed of Abraham, you're the spiritual seed of Abraham, by faith. Because whenever the law, our schoolmaster was to lead us to Jesus Christ, lead the Jews to Jesus Christ, once that was completed, it was no longer by just obeying the law, now it's faith, the law was done away with, we have Jesus Christ, we don't need to be school, we don't need a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ whenever we already have Christ. So that part's done away with. So has the church replaced Israel? Absolutely not. No way, we did not. We got in because of Israel's rejection of Jesus Christ. That doesn't make us better. It makes us fortunate and blessed by the grace of God and his love and desire for Israel. We should thank God that he loved Israel so much that to get their attention again, he let us in. I thank God for Israel because without them, we wouldn't have got in. Okay, it's it's a great thing turn to Romans chapter 11 Romans chapter 11, you know in the Old Testament whenever we were reading there and Isaiah 56 How it said that the the strangers and the the eunuchs they got a name that was better than sons and daughters They were strangers, but they joined themselves to Jesus Christ and they got something better We weren't his children we were strangers and But we joined ourselves to Him by accepting Jesus Christ and we got something better. What was something better? We didn't have the law. We didn't have to keep the law. We got in just by accepting Him. That's something better. We got something great there. Romans chapter 11. Look at verse 1. Is God done with Israel? Let's see what the Bible says. Romans 11 1. I say then, hath God cast away His people? His people, that's Israel. God forbid. For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Watch ye not what the scripture saith of Elias, how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets and dig down thine altars, and I am left alone and they seek my life. But what sayeth the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself 7,000 men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal." Give an Old Testament account here of Elijah. Elijah thought he was the only one. Well, God's just forsaken me, I'm the only one, you know, I'm ready to just die. God says, I got 7,000 you don't even know about that are on our side. I got 7,000 that still love the Lord, that are still, they haven't bowed, they need to bow. You just don't know them. Whenever we're talking about Israel, has God forsaken them? Has God cast them away? Paul says, and there's so many other Christians over here, there's so many other people that love God that they're just, they're not Israel so you don't know them, but I've got a lot more of them. Look at verse 11, Romans 11, 11. I say then, speaking of Israel then, I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid, but rather through their fall salvation has come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness." It's talking about how Israel fell away from God, they rejected the Messiah. And it says that, now if the fall of them be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentile, how much more the fullness. It did a great thing for us, us allowing us to get in by the fall of Israel. Israel fell away from God, we get in. That was great for us, it was bad for them. It says if their falling away was so good for us, how much better would their coming back to the Lord be for us? Could you imagine today if all the Jews got saved? They just all accepted the Lord right now and everything. How much better our world would be with their knowledge and wisdom and their financial ability and all the strengths that they have, if that just all came to the glory of Jesus Christ right now, we would be much better off for it. That would start a revival there. That'd be great. What verse are we in? Verse 13, For I speak to you Gentiles, and as much as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify in mine office. If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. He's desiring to see Israel saved again. He wants just a couple of Jews. Come on, somebody get saved. Verse 15, For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead? For if the firstfruits be holy, the lump is also holy, and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, were graft in among them, and with them partakest of the root, and fatness of the olive tree, boast not against the branches." So see, he's saying the seed was started back here with Abraham. The seed of faith started growing up in a tree. That tree is Israel. They broke down. Those branches broke off. We're a wild olive tree. We got grafted into that tree. We get into their faith. We get to be part of them there in the Old Testament. Now we get to be in Christ with them. We're grafted in there along that same tree there. And it says, verse 17, And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, were graft in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree, that root, that goodness that's in there, that's the Lord Jesus Christ, boast not against the branches. We shouldn't be saying how much better we are than the Jews. We shouldn't be anti-Semitic or anything like that. That's blasphemy. That's ridiculous. We're thankful to those Jews. Verse 18, boast not against the branches, but if thou boast thou barest not the root but the root thee. You're going against Jesus Christ if you're bashing the Jews. He was Jewish. Verse 19, thou will say then the branches were broken off that I may be grafted in. That's why God let Israel fall. Israel purposely caused them to fall so I could get in because it's all about me. No, no, no. No, no. Verse 20, well, Because of unbelief, they were broken off, and thou shalt standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear. For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed, lest he also spare not thee. Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity of God on them which fail, severity, but towards thee, goodness. If thou continue in the goodness otherwise, thou also shalt be cut off. You know what we got today in America is we got a lot of proud Christians that are sitting there thumbing their nose at the Jews and saying, oh yeah, we're chosen, we're God-elect, we replaced Israel, we're so much better than them. They're heading for a break-in. You gotta break them right back off and say, you're not my people. You better take heed if you're going after Israel. So listen, you need to understand. Let's see, verse 23. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. Jews can get saved today, but they've got to come to Christ. Verse 24, for if thou were cut out of the olive tree, which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to the nature into a good olive tree, how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? What a wonderful thing it is for a Jew to get saved today. What a wonderful thing. Imagine how well you would understand the Old Testament growing up Jewish and then coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. They'd be a force to be reckoned with. They would see so many great signs or pictures, types of the Lord in the Old Testament, it'd be amazing. But listen, we are not Israel. We have not replaced Israel. They were Abraham's physical seed with physical promises. That's the kingdom of heaven. We are joined into the climax of the Jewish faith. That's Jesus Christ. Okay, we are Abraham's spiritual seed. God promises us spiritual blessings. We are part of his present spiritual kingdom. You in Romans, turn to Romans chapter 14. Romans 14, 17. You know what I like is that God gave his people, both of his people, a kingdom. He gives the Israelites the kingdom of heaven. He gives us the kingdom of God, lets us be part of the kingdom of God. Romans 14, 17. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, those are physical things, but righteousness and peace and joy and the Holy Ghost. Those are spiritual things. That's our kingdom. That's the spiritual, not visible kingdom that we're a part of right now. Don't expect physical prosperity, lands or signs or blessings that God has promised Abraham's physical seed. Ours is spiritual. Abraham's seed spiritually because we are in Christ. I hope that helped straighten up some of that. If people can get a hold of it, that will save you from all sorts of false doctrine because people keep trying to steal things from Israel. Leave the Jews alone, okay?