Page 19 - BV7

Paul reveals that "hardening [blindness] in part has happened to Israel until the FULLNESS
OF THE GENTILES has come in. And so ALL ISRAEL will be saved..." In other words, a "part"
of Israel was blinded until the rest of Israel (fullness of Gentiles) be come in (the new covenant).
Right here Paul said who was grafted into the olive tree -- it was ALL of Israel! BOTH houses,
which includes ALL of Israel, can now be saved (verse 26). The northern ten (lost) tribes that
were put away in punishment -- broken off -- and the southern tribes once again make up the olive
tree! It is quite common for churches these days to teach that the "Gentiles" -- through belief in Ye-
shua -- are the people grafted into the olive tree. This is very true -- however, it is extremely im-
portant to realize who these Gentiles were. Romans 11:20-26 (as we have just seen) clearly
explains who were grafted into the olive tree. IT WAS ALL OF ISRAEL!! Modern churches re-
fuse to understand this truth!

The Near and the Far

In Ephesians 2:12-18, Paul states that the Ephesian Gentiles had no hope, were strangers
from the covenants of promise, being "aliens" from the commonwealth of Israel, and were without
YEHOVAH in the world. Notice --

Ephesians 2:12: "That at that time you were without Christ, being ALIENS from the
commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope
and without God in the world."
Ephesians 2:13: "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were FAR OFF have been made
NEAR by the blood of Christ."
Ephesians 2:14: "For he himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken
down the middle wall of division between us,
Ephesians 2:15: having abolished in his flesh the enmity, that is, the law of command-
ments contained in the ordinances, so as to create in himself one new man from the two,
thus making peace,
Ephesians 2:16: and that he might reconcile them both to God in one body through the
cross, thereby putting to death the enmity."
Ephesians 2:17: "And he came and preached peace to you who were AFAR OFF and to
those who were NEAR. For through him we both have access by one spirit to the Father."

Let's understand exactly what these verses are saying. The word "aliens" in verse 12 is No.
526 in Strong's Concordance, and means "estrange" -- to no longer share in fellowship and inti-
macy. What Paul is saying to the Ephesian Gentiles is that they were at one time part of the com-
monwealth of Israel, to later become "estranged" -- which is what the word "aliens" means
(Ephesians 2:12). The Ephesian Gentiles were at one time YEHOVAH's wife, and were in fellow-
ship and intimacy with Him. Please note this! As a result of YEHOVAH's divorced wife being
scattered and "sown" among all nations, these Ephesian Gentiles had become YEHOVAH's "es-
tranged" wife. Therefore, they no longer shared in the promises that were made to Israel through
the Abrahamic covenant.

Now who are the "afar off" and the "near" in verse 17 that peace was preached to? Daniel
9:7 clearly explains who the "near" and the "far off" were. Read this verse carefully:

19