More about time of the Gentiles

Paul wants you to understand this mystery: A partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (Romans 11:25) Let's take some time to see if we can solve the mystery with a teaching from Romans 11 focusing on the meaning of the enigmatic phrase, "the fullness of the Gentiles."

Grafted In

In Romans 11, Paul speaks of the Gentile disciples as branches from a wild olive tree, grafted in to a cultivated tree, but the symbolism leaves room for ambiguity. Who is who in the metaphor, and where does the rest of Israel fit in to the picture? Who are the broken branches, who are the roots, and how do they all fit together? This teaching examines the famous "grafted-in" passage in the context of the broader discussion of Romans 9-11 and by comparing it with a similar Talmudic teaching.

The Remnant

Has God rejected his people? Did Israel stumble and fall? Romans 10-11 offers us a crash course on Paul's theology regarding the election of Israel, the Messianic Jewish remnant, the inclusion of the Gentiles, and the final redemption. This Bible study fills in the missing pieces in Paul's arguments to make sense out of these difficult passages:

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." (Isaiah 52:7)

The Stumbling Stone

What about the Jewish people who rejected the Messiah? Did God "harden" their hearts? Why did they stumble over Yeshua, and what were the implications? Did the Messianic promises fail? Romans 9 is a pivotal passage for understanding Paul's theology regarding Messiah and Israel. This teaching takes the most difficult chapter of the Epistle to the Romans head on from a Messianic Jewish perspective.

So then he has mercy on whomever he wils, and he hardens whomever he wills. (Romans 9:18)

25 Times of the Gentiles

What is the "time of the Gentiles" and how long does it last. This teaching on Revelation 11:1-2 provides the background for the command to "rise and measure the temple" and insights into the trampling of the holy city.

Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, "Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. (Revelation 11:1-2)