Now we have a glimpse into ‘why’ God has both an “Israel of God” and also the “body of Christ.”  Having this background, we can now proceed to study the “Two Israels and the Body of Christ” as seen in the Bible. In this Study Series of “Two Israels and the Body of Christ” we explain why there are two Israels just as there are today two groups claiming to be Christians, while only one is the true “church, which is His body.”

God’s desire is only with two Biblical people groups who are to be key participants in His eternal plan. The two are involved in the recovery and execution of His rule over, 1) “the heaven,” and 2) “the earth” (cf., Gen. 1:1, Eph. 1:10). Both realms are today still fallen to Satan. To see this, we must differentiate between the three Biblical people groups of God with regard to their relationship with the Lord.

1.  The Israel of Jesus’ day was Apostate and today Israel is still Apostate, “fallen away” (Rom. 11:10-11), because: a.) Israel had killed God’s prophets, b.) killed “the Son of God,” and then, c.) killed Stephen as God’s Holy Spirit witness to them (Acts 7:58-59).

2.  Jesus’ “Little Flock” (Lk. 12:32): During Jesus’s earthly ministry unto “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” He gained only a “remnant” of believers from among Israel. This “remnant” out of Israel (Rom. 9:27, Isa. 37:31-32) believed and was saved, becoming the outcasts of Apostate Israel, who then sought to kill them.

Those of this “remnant” had; a.) received John’s testimony and water baptism unto repentance, b.) believed Jesus’ words of “the kingdom” being “at hand,” and c.) Word of the “Kingdom” offered by the 12 Apostles in early the Acts period. Of course, National Israel and its corrupt religious leaders, rejected the Jesus as Messiah and His kingdom, they “killed the Prince of life” (Act 3:14-15).

We could say John’s baptism became the new circumcision, so to speak. Whereas “circumcision in the flesh” was the mark of God’s covenant with Abraham and Israel, now John’s water “baptism unto repentance” became the line of demarcation for Israel’s genuine believers in Jesus – it differentiated between those of Israel who did believe to receive Jesus of Nazareth and those who did not.

Those of Jesus’ “remnant” believed the “gospel of the kingdom” that Jesus said was “at hand” and the that the twelve Apostles were offering to Israel in the early chapters of Acts. When Stephen was stoned to death, God set National Israel aside, they became deaf and “blinded.” This was just before Paul was called by Jesus from heaven. Paul was sent as “the (one) Apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13) with his new “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). God had turned to the Gentiles while Israel was in abeyance.

The gap between Jesus’ earthly ministry to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” and His 2^nd coming for His Israel exists only because National Israel had become Apostate, “fallen,” rejecting Jesus.

“Let their (Israel’s) eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. ¹¹ I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their (Israel’s) fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them [Israel] to jealousy. ¹⁵ For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world… ²⁵I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery… that blindness in part (temporarily) is happened to Israel, UNTIL the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (Rom. 11:10-11, 15 25)

This led to the new Gentile age that will last “until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in,” with the Rapture of “the church” to heaven. Then the Lord will return to judge and save Israel, setting up His Kingdom.

3.  Today’s Gentile “church, which is His body” exist during the time-gap between Israel’s “fall” and the 2^nd coming. Whereas in “time past” Israel was of God’s immediate interest, today “the body of Christ” is of God’s immediate interest. Unlike Israel and its ‘twelve Apostles,’ we today have one Apostle, Paul, “THE Apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13). The church today consists of all those saved during today’s “dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2), under Paul’s message of “the gospel of the grace (not law) of God” (Act 20:24) whereby salvation is “by grace through faith” in Christ Cross-work as Savior… totally apart from Israel, the Mosaic Law or works requirement (cf. Eph 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, Rom 11:6).

The meaning and power of Christ’s cross, our grace relationship with the Lord, and our eternal destiny are the main subjects of Paul’s thirteen epistles (Romans to Philemon). Paul’s “gospel of the grace of God” for today applies to “ALL men” (1Tim 2:4), meaning both “Jews and Gentiles” (Gal. 3:28) alike, without racial distinction. Today the grace gospel is for “ALL men” who will believe during the current ~2,000-year dispensational age of the “dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2).

In Romans chapters 9-11 Paul addresses Israel’s place during this age of “the grace of God.” Paul explains why the Messianic “Kingdom of Heaven” has not and…  will not come to Israel until the present Gentile grace-age is completed, as summed up with these words “... that blindness in part is happened to Israel, UNTIL the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” (Rom. 11:25)

There are various terms used by Paul to differentiate between unbelieving Apostate Israel, and Jesus’ “new covenant” believing “remnant” of Israel, which Paul calls “the Israel of God” (Gal 6:16). The differences between these two Israel’s are only apparent when we Biblically differentiate them by “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2Tim. 2:15).

We must divide that which Prophetically applies to Israel only from … God’s SECRETLY planned Gentile “body of Christ.” Paul called his Christ-sent Gentile program “the mystery” (Gk. musterion, meaning, the secret).

“Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my (Paul’s) gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation (unveiling) of the MYSTERY (Gk. musterion, a secret), which was Kept Secret since the world began, ^26aBut now is made manifest… (Rom. 16:25-26a)

Paul here below in Rom. 11:6-7 explains that at the very same time he was bringing his “gospel of the grace of God” to the Gentiles, Jesus still also had His “little flock” “remnant” of Israel during the Acts period. This duality continued during the Acts as it was the transition period, from God’s focus being upon Israel to His focus being upon the Gentile “body of Christ” This transition period ended with Acts 28:28 (also below), when Israel’s Prophetic Program of the Kingdom was fully set aside and God’s focus was then solely upon “the body of Christ.”

“Even so then at this present time (in Paul’s time during Acts) also there is a remnant (of Israel) according to the election of grace.  ⁷What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election (the believers of Israel) hath obtained it, and the rest (of Israel) were “blinded” (Rom. 11:6-7)

“Be it known therefore unto you (Israel), that The Salvation of God Is Sent Unto The Gentiles, and that they will hear [welcome] it. (Acts 28:28)

God’s attention today is fully with the members of “the church, which is His body.” But, after the Rapture of the “body of Christ” He will again turn to the Nation Israel in the Tribulation period, which follows the Rapture. He will then physically return to earth to save Israel, judging and separating the believing sheep nations who helped Israel (cf. Matt. 25:35-40) from the unbelieving goats nations, and set up His Millennial Kingdom on earth.