Pictures of the Gospel Age

“For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own
conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be
come in” (Romans 11:25 RIV).

— David Larson

After generations of living under God’s law as His favored people, the descendants of Israel were faced with a test. Their long‑prophesied king, Jesus, came among them and sought to find those who had, under the Law’s influence, developed a heart and mind that loved God and His ways above all else. This allowed some Jews to recognize their king. Jesus called these to a path of dedicated service that would lead to an almost unimaginable reward (Matthew 6:19‑21). This reward was foretold many generations before Jesus’ coming, when God delivered a grand promise to the forefather of the Jewish people, Abraham. Although this promise has beautiful and eventual implications for all mankind, it has special meaning for Israel.

The dramatic events of the First Advent marked a time of great transition in God’s plan for mankind. Through a lack of faith that led to an insufficient number of Jews recognizing their king, the call to follow Jesus’ teachings and dedicate their lives to serving God was opened to the Gentiles (see Acts chapter 10).
Although not subject to every requirement of God’s law as the Jews were, the Gentiles nevertheless required time to understand God and be enabled to offer a truly heart‑felt consecration to Him, just as many of the Jewish people had in their generations under the Law. The time when God’s calling would be open to Jew and Gentiles alike would come to be known as the Gospel Age.

As is sometimes the case with all changes, the opening of God’s calling to all people was not always well understood in the early days of the Gospel Age. This frequently led to friction and divided opinions. In the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul addresses the changed relationship between Jews, Gentiles, Jesus, and God. The early Christian church was comprised of Jewish people who, like Paul and Jesus’ other disciples and apostles, had recognized their king and savior through faith. These had embarked on a life committed to serving God. The concept of the Jewish law being fulfilled by Jesus (Matthew 5:17‑18, Galatians 2:16, Romans 10:4‑10) was understandably difficult for some early Christians to grasp. Further, as Gentiles began to join the early church and consecrate to God, confusion over the role of these “newcomers” was also a concern. Some facets of this confusion continue even today.

As part of God’s plan, the main goal of the Gospel Age is the calling and development of a group of individuals who demonstrate faithfulness to God and will be used to further His plan (Romans 8:22‑23). Paul’s writings have been a treasured guide and inspiration to this class throughout the centuries, even to this day. In particular, the book of Romans examines the continuing role of the Jews in God’s plan and their relationship to the Gentiles. Paul uses the time‑tested teaching approach of using metaphors or pictures to explain complicated concepts. In Romans chapter 11, he incorporates several overlapping metaphors to clarify the relationship between Jew and Gentile during the development of the Church. In so doing, he provided a picture of important aspects of the Gospel Age as well as an insight into Israel’s place in God’s plan during the next age.

Picture 1: Firstfruits and Mixture

In Romans 11:16, Paul presents the first of three overlapping pictures, regarding the relationship between Jew and Gentile in the Church: “For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy.” The word “firstfruit” is translated from the Greek meaning “a beginning of sacrifice, i.e. The (Jewish) first‑fruit (figuratively).” In the preceding verses of Romans, Paul emphasizes that the Jewish people have not been permanently separated from God. He points out that the years of living under God’s law have been a valuable experience for them, in that it brought them much closer to God than the rest of mankind (Romans 3:1‑2). One interpretation of Paul’s words in verse 16 is that the “firstfruit” refers to Israel. Being God’s favored people, they will be the first of mankind to turn back to God in the days following the completion of the Church, and, as such, blessings will “flow from them” (Romans 1:16, Isaiah 2:1‑4). In the years following, as the remainder of mankind is returned to harmony with God, Israel will be seen as a forerunner or “firstfruit” of the eventually perfect race of mankind.

Under the Law, Jews were required to provide the firstfruit of their harvests as an offering to God. This offers a similar lesson when examining Paul’s metaphor more closely (Leviticus 23:10). Since “the firstfruit” was the first part of a larger harvest, it harmonizes with Paul’s comparison of Israel as the firstfruit. He compares the firstfruit of wheat to “the lump.” The word “lump” is translated as “dough” in the RVIC translation, and “mixture” in the Diaglott. The high calling was first opened to the Jewish people. They were chosen by God (Deuteronomy 28:1, 2, Exodus 19:7‑8), and thus, holy. Because of this, the Church class, first taken from among the Jews, was also holy.

Picture 2: Roots and Branches

In the second half of verse sixteen, Paul uses a second metaphor: “and if the root be holy, so are the branches.” Israel is sometimes pictured as an olive tree in the scriptures (Jeremiah11:16, for example). All trees, including the olive tree, have roots. The root anchors the tree, gives it position in the world, and ultimately enables it to live. If a tree is cut down and all that remains are the roots, the roots will wither and die. Likewise, a tree without its roots cannot stand nor feed and will soon perish.

Israel traces its generational roots back to Jacob, who was renamed Israel (Genesis 35:10), and even further back to Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham. God delivered His promise to Abraham, and repeated it to Jacob (Genesis 22:15‑18, Genesis 28:13‑14, for examples). This promise, also known as the Abrahamic Promise, is the “root” of the nation of Israel. That nation figuratively grew from this promise like a tree grows from its roots.

Paul also refers to “the branches,” a symbol he will continue using in subsequent verses. The Jewish people are the branches produced from the root of the Abrahamic promise. The promise was given by God, and is thus holy. Paul’s point is that since the root is holy the branches must also be holy. So, the Jewish people are holy because the promise is holy. Paul then considers the Gentiles in his next metaphor.

Picture 3: The Natural Branches and the Wild Branches

In Romans 11:17-19, Paul continues his metaphor by comparing a cared‑for olive tree to a wild olive tree. “And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; boast not against the branches” (verses 17, 18). Because these verses are directed at Gentile members of the Church (see verse 13), the use of the word “thou” in verse 17 indicates that the Gentile members of the Church are the “wild olive branches.” In agriculture, a branch of one tree may be grafted to a different tree of the same fundamental type. An existing branch is first cut off from the tree. This makes room for the new branch and provides an open and tender area on which the new branch can thrive. Once fused to the tree, the branch receives life‑sustaining nutrients from the same root system as the natural branches.

Paul uses grafting as an analogy to illustrate that although the Abrahamic promise was originally given through Abraham to the Jewish people, Gentiles also have the opportunity to answer God’s calling and become “heirs to the promise” (Galatians 3:28‑29). Some members of the “natural tree” were first “cut off.” This refers to the cutting off of Israel’s favor with God and its exclusive invitation to the high calling. This allowed the call to be opened to the Gentiles (the “wild olive tree”). Eventually, a full number of faithful branches, called from both Jews and Gentiles, will be gathered. The call will cease and the Gospel Age will end. The next phase of God’s plan then will begin.

The Fulness of the Gentiles

Paul calls attention to the completion of God’s calling in Romans 11:25. Throughout the Gospel Age, most Jewish people have rejected Jesus as their king and as the only means to salvation. Paul refers to this as “hardness.” Note that he is careful to include the phrase “in part” when referring to Israel’s hardness. Paul, a Jew himself, recognized Jesus and, as an apostle, could hardly be considered “blind.” The same can be said of Peter, James, John, and all of Jesus’s other apostles. However, most of those called during the Gospel Age have been Gentiles. Thus, in verse 25 Paul refers to the “fulness of the Gentiles” as the time when all branches from the wild olive tree have been “grafted in.”

Paul’s Two Warnings

Paul delivers two warnings to the Gentiles (those of “the wild olive tree”) who have answered God’s call. In Romans 11:20‑21 he notes that any Jew (“the natural olive branches”) “broken off ” during the Gospel Age (temporarily set aside) remains so because they do not believe in Jesus as their Messiah and the means to salvation. Paul then notes that the Church’s standing with God is based on faith (verse 20, see also 2 Corinthians 5:7, 1 Timothy 2:3‑6).

Paul notes that the Jewish people were God’s chosen people for generations (Amos 3:1‑2). God delivered His Law to them. They inherited the promise made to their forefather Abraham. Even so, because of a lack of faith, most could not be part of the grandest calling and reward ever offered. Faith is that important to God. This warning to the Gentiles (Romans 11:23) should be sobering to all seeking to please and serve God. If a lack of faith can disconnect God’s chosen people from Him even temporarily, it can also happen to Gentiles.

In verse 20, Paul further warns Gentile readers to “be not high‑minded, but fear.” A significant number of today’s society harbors negative feelings toward the Jewish people. Some Christians even elevate themselves above them by considering the “cutting off ” of Israel from God’s favor to be a permanent arrangement. In this view, Christians are permanent “replacements.” This is an erroneous thought. In verse 23, Paul says that God is “able to graft them in again.” This indicates that the lack of faith that led to the “cutting off ” of the Jewish people is not an irredeemable condition. Even in the early days of the Christian church, Paul admonished his brethren against such high‑minded thoughts that elevate one above another (Romans 14:10). God’s followers are best served by appreciating the grace by which they can stand before God and always remember His son’s great sacrifice, which alone provides a promise of true salvation (Ephesians 2:8‑10).

Faith and Character

In the few sentences of Romans 11:11‑26, Paul has presented a beautifully succinct picture of the Gospel Age. The Gospel Age will end when the full number of God’s called ones prove faithful and become “heirs to the promise” (Galatians 3:26‑29). Only Jews and Gentiles who demonstrate their faith in Christ are eligible to answer God’s call during this age. Answering this call and being found worthy are requirements for membership in the Bride of Christ.

Faith and character development are the ultimate requirements. Faith has temporarily separated most of Israel from God’s promise to the overcomers (Romans 8:37‑39). Faith has allowed Gentiles to share in God’s heavenly promise. However, the time is rapidly approaching when this calling will be complete.
When it is complete, God’s plan for Israel will come to fruition as they accept Jesus as their Messiah. Wonderful blessings will subsequently begin to flow to Israel, and through them, to all people (Revelation 21:1‑4, Zechariah 14:8). As the Gospel Age ends, the eternity of ages to come will begin to unfold. The never ending warmth and joy of God’s favor and blessing will continually shine forth as both Jew and Gentile find themselves drawn to their All‑Wise and All‑Loving Creator, never to be separated or “broken off ” again.

Psalms 145:3, “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.”