“until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in”

This video is a follow-up to the previous “Rapture of the Church: Goodness and Severity.” These two videos, along with the next, discuss a little-studied rapture passage found in Romans 11:11 through Romans 12:2. References to the rapture are pictured for us by the Apostle Paul in the ancient practice of grafting olive trees, primarily to increase fruit-bearing. The olive tree pictured, of course, is Israel, while the wild olive branch is the church (“Gentiles”). As the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul refers to “they” and “them” as the Jews, and “you” and “we” as the church, comprised mostly of Gentiles. While it’s sad that the church at large has turned it’s back on the Jews, and distorted scripture to justify it, we believers still have this mission and will be evaluated by the Lord as to our involvement in related fruit-bearing. In fact, the Apostle predicts that the church will be “cut off,” and that the “natural branches” will be grafted back in. This is a clear reference to the restart of Israel, a God-initiated modern event, the rapture of the church, and the “saving” of children of Israel during the Tribulation period.

Romans 11:23-24 starts with the grafting analogy, “For if you [gentile believer, church believer] were cut out of the olive tree, which is wild by nature and were grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?” The practice that they had in those days was to graft a sliver from a cultivated olive tree it into a wild olive tree that the wild olive tree might produce fruit. That’s the normal way of doing it. However, it goes against logic to graft a wild olive branch into a cultivated olive tree. But you must ask yourself the question, “What is the purpose of ingrafting? Why even do it?” To bring fruit from a tree that’s not producing! Dwell on that for a moment. Moses anticipated what was coming. In Deuteronomy 32:21 he said in essence, “I’m going to take a people who are not even a nation.” David also predicted the in Psalm 102, that God would “create a people that doesn’t exist” yet. Paul goes on to apply these prophesies to the church. In fact, he states quite emphatically in Romans 11, that the role of the church in relation to the nation of Israel is to “provoke them to jealousy.” The word jealousy Paul uses is really “zealousness.” Remember, earlier in Romans 10, Paul reports that his “heart was poured out for the children of Israel because they had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” Where are they going to get the knowledge? Tribulation saints are going to get the knowledge from the Apostle Paul’s epistles and from the ministry of the church

Question: What must happen for Israel to be grafted back in? Answer: We must be cut off. This is the pre-tribulation Rapture of the church. It’s the only perspective that makes any sense Biblically. Romans 11:25 says, “I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant.” Most churches today are ignorant. Church goers are like kids lost in the city who have no idea where they are nor where they’re going. We can’t see the signs, even though they’re all around us. Let’s not be ignorant. Paul says, “I do not desire that you be ignorant of this mystery.” We’ve seen “mystery” again and again: in 1st Corinthians 15, 1^st Thessalonians 5, and 2nd Thessalonians 2. “Mystery” refers Church Age Doctrine specifically that which was revealed to the Apostle Paul. Paul says, “I do not want you to be ignorant this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion.” That’s the arrogance and attitude of superiority and condescension to the nation of Israel. “Lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until…” Here’s the key word, “until.” How long will the nation of Israel be blind? Why are they blind? The reason for the blindness is listed in 2nd Corinthians 3. Paul talks about the veil and in the reading of the law, covering their eyes. He states that, “the veil remains even to this present hour. But when they turn to Christ, the veil is taken away.” That’s been true of Jews throughout the entire duration of church history. Suddenly, however, and almost instantaneously, with the opening of the eyes of 144,000 Jewish evangelists following the rapture of the church, the veil will be lifted. “Blindness in part” now, because, some Jews have come to Christ. Yes, it’s a wonderful thing when you see a person that comes out of the people of Israel come into the church. But you know what? Once they come into the church, the fact that they’re out of Israel, doesn’t make them a superior Christian. They’re simply a member of the church. Remember that part of the mystery is that we are one body now — “neither Jew or Gentile, male or female.”

Remember that blindness, in part has happened to Israel “until” the rapture of the church. This is “the fullness of the Gentiles,” as it says in Romans 11:25. And when “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,” when the harvest of the Gentiles has come in, Jewish blindness is going to be removed. Romans 11:26 continues, “And so all Israel will be saved as it is written, the deliverer will come out of Zion.” This quotes a Second Advent prophecy. “And he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob, for this is my covenant them.” God keeps His covenants! “…when I take away their sins.” Now notice carefully. Verse 28 says, “Concerning the Gospel, they are enemies, for your sake.” There are many among the Jews who hate us. And this is amazing because their economy depends largely on tourism that is fueled by Christian pilgrims going to Israel. And they love the crowds, the groups. When you go there, you see the tour busses, you see this and that church, this, and that ministry. Most Jews love that, but they hate your faith. If you want to see some hostility, ask a Jewish person why the most famous Jew that ever walked the planet is disregarded by the nation of Israel. Try to tell them that the Messiah that they rejected is the Messiah that’s coming back. Paul captures what was true then and now, “they are enemies against you for the gospel’s sake,” because as a people, they continue to reject him. That’s their problem, their hang up. But I want you to notice what Paul says here, “concerning the gospel, they are enemies, for your sake, but concerning the election, they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.” Could I suggest something to you? The term “election” is never used for salvation in the Bible election. “Election” is always to a purpose. God chooses for a purpose. And Jew are the elect for a purpose — to give the world a Bible and a Redeemer. The preponderance of the “elect” references in scripture are about the nation of Israel. We church age believers are elect for only one reason, and that is because we were grafted in to serve a purpose for them, the children of Israel.

“Concerning the election,” namely, the choice of God for that nation, “they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.” When the church stops loving the nation of Israel because of what God did through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the others, we’ve lost our sense of direction. We are adrift spiritually. The next verse that we like to quote all the time about ourselves. Romans 11:29 says, “But the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” That’s true of us, but only by application. The context tells us Paul’s talking about the nation of Israel. He continues in Romans 11:30, “For as you were once disobedient to God and yet now have obtained mercy through their disobedience.” Look at this word “mercy.” Is Paul making a point? In verse 31, “Even so, these Israel have now been disobedient that through the mercy shown to you, they may obtain mercy for God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.” And then Paul goes into a doxology as if he is just so overwhelmed with his thoughts. And he says, “Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out. For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has become His counselor or who was first given to Him, and it shall be repaid to Him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things to whom be glory forever and ever, amen.”

Take out the chapter division and read the next two verses. Paul concludes, “I beseech you [Church] therefore, by the mercies of God.” What did we see last in Romans 11? Mercy. Mercy. Mercy. “I beg you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your body as a living sacrifice, wholly unacceptable under God, which is your reasonable service of worship, and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect?” What is the perfect will of God that He’s just told us about? A ministry of the Church to Israel — a ministry that will ultimately see them restored. This is a ministry that the church, for the most part, for 2000 years has failed in. Martin Luther was a magnificent giant, a man of tremendous spiritual stature, but he was antisemitic to the core. Luther hated the Jews. He wrote that they should be annihilated. In fact, when Hitler quoted Martin Luther to get the churches of Germany to support him in the annihilation of the Jew. Churches either went along actively or passively. The Church at large today is doing the same thing. Our world hates the Jew. What do you think Paul’s talking about when he says, “Do not be conformed to this world, be transformed by the renewing of your mind?” And then he goes immediately into spiritual gifts in ministry.

Every believer has a spiritual gift. Every believer has a ministry with a two-pronged focus — the great commission to the world at large and particularly a ministry to the children of Israel. It is a shame and a disgrace that when the world has persecuted the Jews, we as a church have not played the role that we should have played. We should have been a shield to them. There are wonderful exceptions, but they are so few and far between. The Ten Booms of history, risked their lives and ultimately paid by being sent to prison camps for hiding, protecting, feeding, clothing Jews. Similarly, during the tribulation period there will be believing Gentiles who will literally lay their lives on the line for the Jewish people. And that, by the way, is another reason why the rapture cannot come at the second advent. It must come before the tribulation, because when Jesus comes at His second advent, He is going to separate the nations. And how does He separate them? What does He call them? He calls them sheep and goats. And the goats are unbelievers, and the sheep are believers. But what does He say to those who are sheep, those who have come through this terrible, terrible time of tribulation? He says, “I was hungry. You fed me. I was naked. You clothed me. I was in prison. You visited me.” And what are they doing that He says this to them? They are doing something the church has failed to do, and that is they’re laying their lives on the line for the nation of Israel.

Can you begin to see that, you can’t just rip “the Blessed Hope” out of its historical context. You can’t divorce it from where we’ve come. You can’t take this branch called “the church” and just break it off the tree and say, “Forget the tree, forget the roots.” You and I need to be transformed. And our transformation is not only so that I can reach a world in need of Christ, but so that I can stand up as a proponent of a people who have been hated and despised since the day they were born in their father, Abraham. Could I just throw this out as a last thought? One day you’re going to walk the streets of Jerusalem. Whether the Jerusalem of the Earth or the New Jerusalem. You are going to walk the streets and you’re going to meet Moses, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Boaz, Ruth, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, etc. You’re going to meet them. Do you know that? They’re going to know your history. They’re going to know whether we, the church, did our job. They’re going to know whether we been the shield for Israel that we should have been. I don’t want to have to hang my head in their presence. I want my “blessed hope” to truly be a blessed hope.

Gene Cunningham - December 18, 2022

A Hero, a Maiden, and a Dragon

“In every great story (or in every great romance,) there are three things: a hero, a maiden, and a dragon.” G.K. Chesterton. The Maiden In Luke 1:26-29, Mary has had an appearance of an angel that calls himself Gabriel and tells her that she is highly favored and so on and so forth. For more on this scene watch the video “Blessed are you among women.” So, Mary is standing there dumbfounded, terrified, and in her mind she's thinking about scripture. She is beginning to add up the facts of scripture. What is interesting is that later in the chapter, “The Song of Mary” contains 15 references to Old Testament scriptures. Off the top of her head, she sings a song composed of 15 Old Testament texts. Anybody want to try that? This woman was a scholar of scripture, which tells me since she likely was not pushed to learn the law, she was searching on her own. She loved the word of God. So now we have the announcement of the Hero’s birth in Luke 1:30-33. The Angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary.” This command is given us more than all others in Scripture. Why is that? Because we're creatures of fear. You know why we're creatures of fear. I don't know if you're fearful about what's going on around the world, but there are, you know, sometimes fearful things that we begin to see. Faith conquers fear. God intends faith to overcome. And you say, why are we creatures of fear? Because we were born into a sinful race. You know, we're told in Hebrews 2:14-15 that Satan is the one who holds the power of fear over humans. Christ came to deliver us from fear. And so Gabriel repeats the message that God so often gives us. Gabriel next says, “You have found favor with God.” The first time that occurs is about Noah in Genesis 6:8. “The whole world was corrupt, and the Lord looked and saw that the world had corrupted its way before Him, but Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” Would you like to find favor with God? You know how you find favor? You look for it in the right place. It's right here in Scripture. As we open His word, we find that Jesus Christ is manifest before us. John 1:14 says, “The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Grace and Truth. We have to be full of Truth if we want to get the Grace. She found favor (Grace) in the sight of God. The Hero Gabriel then says, “Behold, you conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and call his name Jesus.” It might interest you to know that Jesus in the Hebrew is Yeshua which means, “The salvation of Jehovah.” Yeshua, where does Yeshua first occur in the Old Testament? Did you know that Whenever you read, “The Salvation of the Lord” in the Old Testament you're reading the name in Hebrew, “Yeshua?” First time it occurs in Genesis 49:18 where Jacob is giving prophecies concerning his sons. He comes to the son Dan and says he is like a serpent that bites the heels of the horse and causes the rider to fall a serpent. The very next thing Jacob says is, “Oh Lord, I have waited for Yeshua,” Isn’t that precious? Yeshua is next used again and Exodus 14:13 immediately after the Passover. Moses and the children of Israel have come out of Egypt. They finally got to a place where the armies of the Egyptians are behind them, mountains are on both sides and the Red Sea is in front of them. The people begin to panic. What does Moses say? “Stand still and you will see Yeshua.” I find that to be absolutely amazing, especially when just the night before they took the blood of the lamb and struck the door post and the lintel. What do you think that blood made on the door? It made a cross. Isn’t it amazing. So, there's three things that Gabriel says this Son is going to have: 1) the House of David, 2) the throne of his father, David; 3) He's going to reign over His. Once again, Mary is a student of scripture. Mary is sharp, and she hears three things: a house, a throne, and a kingdom. 2nd Samuel 7:12 says, “When your days are fulfilled, you rest with your fathers, (speaking here, of David) and I will set up your seed after you who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.” Now notice, particularly verse 13, “He shall build a house for My name. I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” You see it? A house, a throne, a kingdom. There is no doubt in my mind that Mary was able to put that together. The next section, Luke 1:34-38 starts when Mary now asks a question, “How can these things be?” How is it going to be accomplished? “Since I am a virgin.” The angel answered. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called a Son of God. Even Elizabeth, your relative, is going to have a child in her old age. And she who was said to be unable to conceive, is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail. I am Lord’s servant, Mary answered, May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. When Mary asked the question, “How can these things be?” It sounds very much like the questions Zacharias asked in Luke 1:18. Zacharias said, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, an old man, and my wife has advanced in years.” The angel rebuked him because of Zacharias unbelief.” Mary's question sounds very much the same, but you see, God knows the heart. God knows the secrets of the heart. And Mary's question here simply has to do with her virginity. “I do not know a man.” And so the angel basically explains that the entire God-head will to go to work as a team and you're going to have a child.. “The Holy Spirit,” he says, “will come upon you and the power of the Highest.” The Most High God is El Elyon of the Old Testament, Then “that Holy One” who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” And so the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit meet together. Gabriel gives to Mary further comfort. “Elizabeth, your relative, has conceived a son in her old age and is now in the sixth month for her who was called baron, for with God, nothing shall be impossible.” Did you ever stop to think that the amazing, miraculous work that God did in Mary is really in essence, what He does in every person that comes to Christ. Because at the moment we believe in Jesus Christ. He, in the person of His Holy Spirit, takes up personal residence within us. The very fact that you have the Spirit of God dwelling within you says that you have the Godhead within you. Because if you go back to Romans 8:9-11, where Paul says, “if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he has none of his,” he refers to the Holy Spirit three ways. Gabriel said to Mary, “the Lord is with you.” But you know what? The Lord wasn't with her, even in the sense that He is with us. God's work in your life is a miraculous work. Paul understood this, and Paul staked his entire life on it when he wrote to the Galatians and he said in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live; yet not I.” Here's the thing. Empty yourself. He'll fill you with the spirit. “Christ lives in me.” How? How is that possible? He said, “The life that I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” That's the secret. And it's simple. But simple doesn't mean easy. Sometimes simple can be very, very hard. It's very interesting that on one occasion, Jesus disciples, astounded at a statement that He made, said, “Who then can be saved?” You remember what He said? “With men, it's impossible, but with God, all things are possible.” You can check that out in Matthew 19:26. The last we see of Mary here before she departs from the stage, she makes two statements. “Behold a maid servant of the Lord.” And “Let it be according to your Word.” These two statements show us two things about Mary: 1) her availability, and 1) her willingness. Do you think Mary had an inkling of the cost? Do you think she might have realized that this is going to involve some pain? She recognized, for example, that people were not going to understand her situation. Here she is, a young woman who shows up pregnant inviting some shame and disgrace. She likely knew her pregnancy would create some problems for Joseph, as it did. If we look back at the story in Matthew 1:18-20, he was wrestling with in his soul. Apparently, Mary didn't tell Joseph about Gabriel’s visit. And so, we see in Matthew he is wrestling because it says when Mary was “found to be with child.” How do you find somebody to be with child? They start showing, right? She is obviously pregnant, and she is unmarried. “Let it be to me.” I wonder how many of us would be able to say that if the Lord put in front of us the greatest privilege that anyone could ever have with some of the greatest suffering and anguish that you could ever go through? Could we say, “Let it be to me, according to your word.” Do you know what she does here? She said the same thing her Son would say 33 years later in the Garden of Gethsemane. She was going through her own Gethsemane. “All those who journey sooner or late, Must pass beyond the garden gate; Must kneel alone in anguish there, and wrestle with some deep despair. God pity those who only pray, “Let this cup pass,” Who cannot say, “Not mine, but thine,” Who do not see, the purpose of Gethsemane.” We all have our Gethsemane to go through. But we can always say, “Let it be to me according to your word.” Mary couldn't have anticipated what was going to be told to her in Luke 2:35, when Simeon meets her and says, “a sword will pierce through your own soul also.” Now we're talking the cross and her eventually watching her Son die in anguish. She also couldn't have figured that 33 years later, as Jesus is contending with the Pharisees, they would take the question of His birth and throw it in His face and say, “We were not born of fornication” (John 8:41), suggesting, of course, that He probably was. The Dragon So far we’ve seen only a part of the romance of redemption. Moving forward 2000 plus years from the scene with Gabriel, document in Revelation Chapter 12 is the big picture. The woman depicted there with the 12 stars over her head and the moon at her feet represents Israel as we know from the dreams of Joseph. Who represents Israel? “Blessed are you among women.” Particularly the women of Israel. The dragon in Revelation 12 waits for the baby to be born. Here we have Herod and the slaughter of infants. Mary could not have known the phenomenal spiritual cosmic conflict in which she was a small player. Of course, the chapter also anticipates events taking place in the tribulation period. By the way, the stage of the world has been set for the tribulation. That’s where we are right now, my friends. Time is short. Revelation 12:9-10 says, “Then I heard a loud voice saying, in heaven now salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ have come for the Accuser of our brethren who accused them before our God. Day night has been cast down.” How many times you think this week the devil brought your name up to God? You know, when he accuses us, when we give him a reason to accuse us, you know, when else he accuses us, when we're blameless. He especially loves to accuse the blameless. Remember, Job? I think it was Peter that said in 1st Peter 5:8, “The devil walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” We do not know what tomorrow holds. We do not know what the next year is going to bring. We do not know what challenges we may face. But we do know one thing. God only accepts victory. The battle is fought to be won. Revelation 12:11 says “They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives, even unto death.” There are three things here. The blood of the lamb refers to the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. The Word of the testimony I take not to be my personal testimony, but the word to which I testify, namely, Word of God. Here's the challenge. What was it Mary said? “Let it be to me according to your word.” “They love not their lives, even unto death.” How can we not love our own life? Only by loving Christ more? And that's a daily decision and a daily challenge. And I pray that each one of us might have verse 11 said of us in the end. Paul said in 1st Corinthians 7:29-30, “This I say, brethren, the time is short.” “Those who weep will be as though they did not weep. And those who rejoice as though they do not rejoice.” What is he saying here? He simply saying that there are seasons in life, times of joy and times of mourning. In either case, you can take it on the authority of the Word of God that He works all things together for good. Be assured. Be comforted. After the dark comes the dawn. There is light coming. There is joy coming. There is comfort coming. We at Basic Training Bible Ministries are challenged to be more like Mary and have decided “not just to hear, but to do.” Hopefully you are encouraged in this way by these truths as well. Merry Christmas BTBM Staff