The Millennium: Pre, Post, or Realized? #8

Well, I was wrong about the number of remaining posts regarding Romans 11. No big surprise considering the depth of the passage and the historical theologies that, at least in my mind, seem to tangle the understanding of it; they at least make it more difficult to come down on one side or another regarding the precise outcome of "Israel", because a number of theologians who write on this topic and provide exegesis and conclusions, do so clearly and with cogent arguments (at least of the surface) making it that much more difficult for the lay-theologian such as myself in an attempt to understand the passage correctly. So, I'll just say this, here is the next installment in Romans 11:

21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

Regarding verse 21, it is not likely, no, even stronger, it is not possible given the justice of God, that He endlessly tolerate wicked and unbelieving wild branches (grafted in contrary to nature) if He did not tolerate to infinite ends, the insolence of the natural branches; how much more easily would God show His justice in the condemnation of us aliens? Except that we have been adopted as sons and given the seat of sons along side those whose adoption was prior, and we all, if in Christ’s righteousness, need never fear the wrath of God against our sins, for He has poured out infinite judgment on the One who could withstand it infinitely for us—Christ Jesus our Substitute, so that we may never have to endure such divine rejection! How then shall we “…continue in His kindness.”? Kindness in verse 22 is contrasted with the severity of God, and continuing in that kindness is contrasted with falling away. It is clear, due to the context, that we may say that the Israel of the flesh (natural branches) had fallen away and received God’s severity and that, because of God’s kindness, the gentile nations (the wild branches) had received the kindness of God. God’s severity was displayed through His just exclusion (the cutting off of the natural branches) while His kindness was displayed through His inclusion (the grafting in of the wild branches). But the warning is given to the recently included nations that if they do not continue in the kindness of God, then they too will be pruned. In effect, the kindness of God eventually and always runs out for those who fall and do not continue in His kindness. God’s kindness is show to all of His creatures, wicked and righteous, but in the end, the wicked are eventually judged for their unbelief because they do not see their need for God to be kind to them, and the righteous are rewarded with eternal life because their need for God’s kind and generous mercy has been graciously shown to them and by no reason within themselves, but solely based on the good and holy will of their Creator.

23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

And regarding verses 23 & 24, how much more possible is it for God to graft the natural branches back onto the cultivated olive tree than to graft wild branches in? The point being, that if God is able and willing to include gentiles in the nation of His choosing, how much easier do you think it would be for Him to reinstate the Kingdom citizenship of those who are naturally part of the Kingdom. It is like this, a King has 12 sons who are grossly disobedient to their Father. So much so, that they are considered to have broken the familiar covenant bond, thus judiciously placing them outside of the family relationship. Because He needs and desires heirs of His Kingdom, the King seeks those who were once outsiders, vagabonds and nomads who generally held the King and His Kingdom in contempt. The King takes a few from that outside tribe and adopts them as His sons and grants them all the Kingdom privileges and then He even promises them all the future riches of the royal inheritance. He does this not only for an end in itself, but also to make the natural sons jealous and cause them to return to the Kingdom and obey His commands. These natural sons do eventually repent and return to the Kingdom, and the entire world: the people within the Kingdom and without, rejoices in the fact that the King has had an unprejudiced mercy by accepting the repentance of royals and non-royals alike and, even though not all individuals of every nation repent toward the King and His Laws, His greatness is nonetheless proclaimed because He has accepted the repentance represented by the sons He has adopted from all the nations of the world. And the story of this mercy travels the expanse of the globe.

Well, there will be at least one more post issued on this chapter and then, as I mentioned in the previous post, I will proceed to briefly summarize the three views presented in the title of this series and list several of their proponents. In addition, I believe we can all agree that this set of chapters alone do not (or at least should not) determine one's view of the nature of the future God has in mind for ethnic Jews, so I will also address other passages with the intent of coming to such a conclusion based on the whole of scripture, given that the title of this series has to do with varying explanations of the nature and character of the millennium.