Israel Is The Church

Saturday 12-31-22 7th. Day Of The Weekly Cycle, Tevet 7, 5783 11th. Winter Day

Israel Is The Church

Israel is one of Jesus’ names

ADAM: (1 Corinthians 15:45)
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

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ADVOCATE: (1 John 2:1)
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

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ALMIGHTY: (Revelation 1:8)
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

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Love, Walter and Debbie

Figures and fulfillments

“Israel is one of Jesus’ names”

The figure established in Moses law

“And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: and I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭4:22-23‬ ‭KJV‬‬

the prophets witness outside the frame of time

“When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.”
‭‭Hosea‬ ‭11:1-2‬ ‭

the fulfillment and reality

“and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2:15‬ ‭

the Old Testament speaks in figure and example all Pointing to the gospel and time that the son of God would come d dwell among us

also many times in the gospel we read “ these things were done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet “ it’s because the Old Testament is a figure professing the new testements eternal nature of Jesus Christs the gospel

“whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

…Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭3:21, 24, 26‬ ‭KJV‬‬


Its like a blueprint , and then a rough draft , and then the completed house

figure , prophecy , fulfillment

the law , the prophets and the gospel

Weeeeell

Looking through scripture, Israel is called 'the church' in the wilderness.

They were together and visible. A huge number of people, but still a local assembly.

This is not the New Testament church, though. Not the body of Christ.

Matt 16:18... Jesus building His church.
This is the New Testament church.

It's when church is uses in the non-specific sense. Not referring to one in particular. But it IS still meaning the local assembly. Why?

Because Matthew 18:20 describes the process for resolving sin issues in the local New Testament church.

Jesus wouldn't have this local church meaning if the Mathew 16:18 church was 'universal, invisible '

It is the same thing.. a non specific church.. the unit of the local NT church.

Coming to Acts then.. this also has 'the church'. Which kind?

The church at Jerusalem. This is a specific church.

A local and visible assembly of saved, baptized believers. Covenanted together to carry and the great commission and commandment.

That's what the church.. the Body of Christ is.

Not an 'invisible, universal' entity. Not every believer yet.

The church will be every believer when we are all assembled in the New Jerusalem.

Still not 'universal, invisible' but 'local and visible'

Then Corinth...

In 1 Corinthians 12.. the church at Corinth gets called 'the body of Christ ' .. by Paul.

Not part of the body.. THE body .

That's a local and visible New Testament church of saved, baptized believers.

I could keep going. Point being.. this concept of an 'invisible, universal ' church of all redeemed.. is foreign to scripture.

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things,

as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭8:1, 4-5‬ ‭

“Looking through scripture, Israel is called 'the church' in the wilderness.”

Earthly israel is called out of Egypt by God to a new and better place , the promised land , where he will be thier God and walk among them.

This is a pattern given in the Old Testament of Jesus coming to lead the elect people of all nations of the earth , out of slavery to satans Will which is sin and death into a promised land where God will eternally dwell
Among them and he will be thier God and they his people

awe have the earthly examples and patterns in the old testament so we can better understand the meaning of the New Testament when we start hearing the gospel and epistles well understand then better if we have knowledge of the law but our faith is in Christ.

Not because they answer the questions we have about God but because they serve as examples and figures by which we can understand the New Testament revelations of the lord

What I mean is the that happened to israel in the ot unfold on the church on the New Testament as the gospel spreads israel in the wilderness is a figure of the church in the world headed to a promised land

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:13-14, 16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Even earthly Jerusalem is only a pattern and figure of what’s in heaven and all that happened to them becomes examples and lessons for us

So what I mean is those figures of the church in the ot , serve as very important admonishment for us in Christ the church.

“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:1-11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

understanding the figures in the ot and seeing them from the gospel perspective of fulfillment teaches and admonishes the church now the law and prophets help to teach us in Christ important understanding about sin and death

Both allegations are false. Walter has gone off the rails which is rather unfortunate. Beware of false teachers.

That word ekklesia in the Greek text (and in view of the history of Israel in the wilderness) should have been translated as either congregation or assembly. Definitely not "the church", since God was willing to TOTALLY WIPE OUT the Israelites because of their idolatry and rebellion. Indeed they all perished in the wilderness, and only Joshua and Caleb remained from that generation.

All that believe in Yeshua/Jesus Christ are the Church. In Israel as most know your not to ever talk about Jesus. To believe in Him is a sin and those that do believe in Him well they are treated as if I was over there, not Jewish just another gentile. Talking about Jesus and Jews. I remember there was this old Jewish man lived in NewYork. The year was 2000 and this old Jewish man living in NewYork never heard about Jesus before. I think we take it for granted ALL in the USA have heard. Not talking young this man was told and living in NewYork never once heard about Yeshua. He got saved so.. praise God. One vine many branches

I appreciate the link you shared "The Word of Righteousness". I am looking forward to reading more of those sermons there. Thank You.

Thank you! Someone had to say it!!

Church is correct. The NT church is the body of Christ. The OT church was Gods physical people Israel. The NT church is gathered as one in Christ.

There was NO OT Church. The Church could not come into existence until (a) Christ had finished His work of redemption, (b) Christ had ascended up to Heaven, and (c) the Father and the Son had sent down the Holy Spirit to earth on the day of Pentecost.

There was no "church" in the wilderness since almost all who came out of Egypt were punished for their idolatry and rebellion and perished in the wilderness: And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. (Acts 7:41-43)

In the context of what Stephen had said here, it was an EGREGIOUS ERROR to call the Israelites "the church in the wilderness". That would be like calling pagans "the redeemed of the Lord".

You're making the mistake of defining the word church as the body of Christ. Yes, the NT church is the body of Christ, however, the OT church was God's people Israel. The NT church is sealed in Christ. The OT church had no such place.

From a friend...The meaning of church is merely "A called out assembly." The "church" which is Christ's body (Eph. 1:22,23) is a living organism., and although its members are found in local congregations (Acts 9:31; 11:22; 15:3; 4:22) it is more than an organization: It is an Organism. The O.T. Church mentioned included lost and saved together (Heb. 3:16-19), exactly as a local congregation today includes them.

Yes, assembly or congregation is the better term. Thats what the Greek ecclesia means. In fact it should be congregation or assembly every time for the word church to be more accurate.

What difference does it make? Much!

An assembly... is assembled.. so is a congregation.

So it excludes the 'universal invisible ' idea of 'the church'

That seperates eternal salvation from 'the church'

It's a big difference

Wasting your time brother trying to explain this.
The original definition of Ecclesia has been so corrupted over the years, like so many other original meanings.

Not when it comes to the NT church which scripture defines as the body of Christ. Allow scripture to define itself, no Greek necessary.

Thanks for the reply. The Body of Christ is the NT church. The church is the ecclesia when looking at root words.

Paul calls the church at Corinth the body of Christ. And also 'the' is an add on. The definite article isn't in the Greek either. So it can be read 'a' body of Christ.

Body .. meaning 'assembly, gathering,congregation'

There is going to be a body of Christ of all redeemed in the New Jerusalem. But that hasn't happened yet. It's a future event .

Anyway , I'm done. There are few Christians who really let the word church keep its local and visible meaning.

Peace