 |  |
excision in Romans 11:22 must refer to the `dispensational' position which
then obtained, and must not be misused to invalidate Romans 8:31-39.
Romans 11:11-32
A
11-25.
Israel's fall occasions Gentile reconciliation.
B
C1
11.
Provoke
`If'.
D1
12.
Fulness of Israel.
C2
13-15.
Provoke
`If'.
D2
16.
Firstfruit.
C3
17-24.
Provoke
`If'.
D3
25.
Fulness of Gentiles .
A 26-32.
Mercy to Gentiles occasions Israel's reconciliation.
B
E 26. All Israel shall be saved.
F 26. Deliverer: turn away ungodliness .
G 27. The covenant.
H 28. Enemies Gospel
For your sakes.
H 28. Beloved election. For the fathers' sake.
G
29. The gifts and calling.
F
32. Concluded in unbelief.
E
32. Mercy upon them all.
The Olive Tree Explained
In endeavouring to understand the various factors in
this presentation of truth, let us first seek an answer to
the question: `What does the olive tree represent?' In attempting to answer
this question we do not propose to quote the parable of Jotham given in
Judges 9:1-15. Jotham's purpose in the parable is simple and evident, and it
would seem to be a distortion of the context to make the olive, the fig and
the vine in that parable stand for different aspects of Israel's privileges.
The Old Testament passages with which we are most concerned are to be found
in Jeremiah. In chapter 11 we read:
`The Lord called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly
fruit ... the branches of it are broken' (Jer. 11:16).
Not only does Paul take the figure of the olive tree, and its broken
branches, from Jeremiah, but he also refers to Jeremiah 31:31 in Romans
11:27, where the olive tree is once more complete. There are some who have
sought to show that the olive tree of Romans 11 is to be found in Christendom
today, but such teaching is contrary to Jeremiah 11 and 31 and Romans 11
alike. The Book of Jeremiah consists of fifty-one prophecies, each
introduced by some phrase as, `The word of the Lord came'. The opening
prophecy is indicative of all the rest:
`See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms,
to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to thrown down, to
build, and to plant' (Jer. 1:10).
The subjects of this prophecy are clearly `nations' and `kingdoms', not
churches, either real or professing. Also the prophecy is two-fold: first,
judgment in the form of `rooting out', and then, restoration in the form of
`planting'.