Let's talk about Israel.
Are we Israel? What is the olive tree? What does it mean to be grafted in?
If you follow my Jean of the Hills account on Instagram and look at my stories, you might have already seen me discuss this there. I took what I wrote there and expanded on it some for this article, including some recent insights from my current studies as I’m making my way through the prophetic books of the Old Testament.
(I’m almost done -- just a few more chapters of Zechariah to go, and then Malachi. And then, with all of the prophets fresh in my head for context, I’ll be diving back into Revelation, and I can’t wait.)
At any rate, some of this might feel repetitive for some of you, but I think this is important enough that it bears repeating:
Israel is represented by three plants: the olive tree, the vine, and the fig tree.
I think so much of the confusion Christians have today is not understanding what each of these plants represent, and the Church’s relationship to them. This confusion, sadly, leads so many to embrace the heretical teaching of replacement theology -- the belief that God has permanently set Israel aside, effectively divorcing her and replacing her with a new bride/covenant people, the Church
But it also leads many to err in the opposite direction, believing that the Church is grafted into Israel’s national identity and that we essentially become Jews, and should therefore keep the Law, or at least observe the Old Testament feasts.
So what, exactly, are we grafted into? What is our relationship to Israel? And is God done with Israel?
Let’s dig in.
The Olive Tree
The olive tree is the Abrahamic covenant -- the promise that through Abraham and his offspring, all the nations of the world would be blessed, because Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. This is the promise of salvation by faith, and THIS is what the Church, according to Paul, has been grafted into.
This analogy Paul uses in Romans 11 refers back to Zechariah 4, in which the prophet sees a vision of a golden lampstand with seven oil lamps (the Holy Spirit) flanked by two olive trees. Zechariah asks his angelic guide what these two olive trees represent, but before the angel can answer, he clarifies his question: “What are these two branches of the olive tree?” (verse 12, emphasis mine). The angel tells him that these are the two anointed ones -- literally, “two sons of new oil” -- who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.
In the immediate context, it appears to be referring to Joshua and Zerubbabel, the then high priest and governor of Israel, respectively, chosen and anointed by God to lead the rebuilding of the temple after the Israelites returned from their Babylonian exile. But many scholars believe it also prophetically refers to Israel and the Church. Israel is the natural branch, Abraham’s natural offspring; and the Church has been grafted in, adopted into the Abrahamic family of God.
Paul tells us that Israel, as a collective nation/people group, has had their branch removed from the olive tree by their lack of belief in Yeshua/Jesus. But he also tells us explicitly that this removal is temporary and that one day, after the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, they’ll be grafted back in, “and all Israel will be saved.” (Romans 11)
Currently, individual Jews and Israelis are grafted back in when they come to faith in Jesus, just like everyone else. They’re not grafted into the nation -- they already belong to that collective -- but they’re saved by faith and become part of the Church, which scripture calls “a new man” as well as the body and (by way of inference) the bride of Christ.
It’s the same for gentile believers. Just as believing jews aren’t grafted into something they are already part of, we also aren’t grafted into their national or ethnic identity, but into the promise of salvation by grace through faith.
The Vine
Israel’s relationship with God is represented by a vine. Jesus tells us in John 15 that He is the true vine, and we are the vine’s branches. If we abide in Him, we’ll flourish and bear fruit.
The vine doesn’t represent salvation -- it represents our fellowship with God and the spiritual blessings and rewards that come from that. Branches that abide in the vine through fellowship bear spiritual fruit. The unfruitful branches are cut off from fellowship and blessing -- NOT from eternal salvation, as many mistakenly understand that passage to say.
Israel, collectively, is currently an unfruitful vine branch, cut off from fellowship with God and from spiritual blessings. But multiple Old Testament prophecies promise that their branch will flourish once again in the Millennial Kingdom.
The Fig Tree
The nation of Israel is represented by the fig tree. The Church is never said to be part of the fig tree. The Church is not grafted into the nation, and is not in line for any of the national promises regarding the land and the earthly kingdom -- any more than we’re subject to the curses that were placed on Israel because of their unfaithfulness.
In Matthew 21 and Mark 11, when Jesus curses the fig tree because it hasn’t borne fruit, the fig tree stands for Israel and their rejection of him as their Messiah. Jesus curses the fig tree to remain unfruitful, after which it withers and dries out. Mark 11 tells us that it wasn’t the season for figs. In other words, Israel’s fruit-bearing season had come to an end, for the time being. Seasons only last for a time, and then they come back around again at the appointed time. This comports with the Romans 11 explanation that a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
In the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, it’s no coincidence when Jesus uses the fig tree’s coming back to life as an illustration of how we should know we’re in the final season and that his return is near. The fig tree budding and putting out shoots is the nation of Israel coming back to life -- this comports with the Valley of Dry Bones vision in Ezekiel 37.
This is where we’re currently at on the prophetic timeline, by the way. The fig tree has been given new life, but it’s not yet bearing fruit. The dry bones have been resuscitated, but they haven’t yet had the breath of life -- i.e., the Holy Spirit -- breathed into them. In other words, they’ve been revived, but they haven’t yet experienced revival. That will take place during the Tribulation.
At any rate, it’s THIS generation -- the generation that’s alive when the fig tree starts coming back to life -- which won’t pass away until all of the End Times events take place and Jesus returns to fully restore Israel, judge the nations and establish his kingdom on the earth.
Another way to look at this is that Israel is the older brother who forfeited part -- but not all -- of his inheritance. The Church is the younger brother who those forfeited aspects of the inheritance have passed to. We see this illustrated again and again throughout scripture -- in oldest son blessings skipping over Jacob’s oldest sons; in Isaac and Jacob being the sons of promise, despite not being the eldest; in prophecies and parables about the older serving the younger, the first coming last and the last coming first. Because of Israel’s unbelief, those who put their faith in Jesus get moved to the front of the line. But Israel is still in line, and one day (soon and very soon), they are going to collectively recognize Jesus and repent for rejecting him, “and all Israel will be saved”!
I keep seeing those who hold to replacement theology or “supercessionism” (their word for it, which amounts to the same thing) ask, “But what about Romans 9? Have you even read that chapter?”
To which I ask, “What about Romans 10? Have you read that chapter?” Romans 10 -- shockingly, I know -- bridges Romans 9 and 11. They are all of a piece. 9 explains why Israel has been cut off. 10 explains how Israel’s rejection of Jesus and his kingdom resulted in blessing for the gentiles. And 11 explains that Israel’s rejection is only temporary, and that they’re going to be restored.
11 also warns us not to be arrogant toward Israel, the OG branches.
In God’s kingdom, Israel is our older brother, but because of their disobedience, we’re promoted to eldest son status and given favor. In the kind of reversal that is so counterintuitive to our human way of thinking and so typical of how things work in God’s kingdom, in the coming earthly Millennial kingdom, they’re going to be the younger sibling, new believers who look to us to show them the ropes.
Isn’t that cool? And doesn’t that kind of make you want to pray for our wayward sibling’s restoration and deliverance?
I hope it does. But if it doesn’t and you’re hung up because you think modern-day Israel isn’t the true Israel, well, we’ll talk about that next time, but until then, spoiler: that myth has been proven false beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Until next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you and lead you into all the truth.
♥