Seven Thousand Who Have Not Bowed to Baal – 2
I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, ”LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. Romans 11:1-6
Romans 11 is one of those watershed passages. How one interprets it depends on one’s “plan of the ages” paradigm. If you haven’t read James Jordan’s The Future of Israel Re-examined, you need to. Due to its ramifications for interpretation of much of the New Testament, I believe it should be recognised as one of the most important writings of our time. It puts Romans, and especially chapters 9-11, fairly and squarely within a first century context. All would be fulfilled before AD70. God would make “a short work” in the Land. And He did.
It also helps with the interpretation of Revelation. Christ was a new Moses, just as Elijah was. He ascended and gave a double portion of His Spirit to the church as Elisha. The new body witnessed to Gentiles to provoke the hard-hearted Jews to jealousy. This has nothing to do with our day. It was a process confined to the end of the Old Covenant.
Not only do we see the fulfilment of Revelation’s Jezebel and false prophet (Balaam) in Herodian worship, it explains the references to Moses and Elijah as witnesses against Herod’s Egypt-Sodom-Israel, and his calling “fire from heaven” to deceive those who were not elect. As mentioned earlier, Paul’s reference to the Circumcision as the “mutilation” labels the Judaisers as prophets of Baal. The showdown on Carmel occurred at the cross but Israel continued in sin. [1] Instead of Assyria and Babylon, the Lord brought Roman armies as a flood to wipe out the “sons of God.”
Paul wrote Romans between these two events. Like Moses’ Israel, the first generation would not obtain what they sought.
Romans 11:
Sabbath – Seed of Abraham
Passover – Prophets killed, altars torn down, God’s man abandoned and alone
Firstfruits – Divine response: “You are not alone. You are the Covenant head.” Discussion of grace and works concerns the Law. Also, it is at this point in the greater structure of Revelation that the Jewish saints are sealed. Only Jews are numbered in the Bible. Gentiles never. Gentiles are a swarm.
Pentecost – Again, concerning eyes (stars) and the Lampstand and the wilderness, the rest were blinded. This blindness of Jews to bring sight to Gentiles is prefigured in Luke’s account of Elymas the Jewish Sorcerer (Acts 13; cf. Rev. 9:21), and of course in Paul’s own blindness before his commission as a witness to the Gentiles.
Trumpets – Paul’s witness to the Gentiles, who become “plunder“, a new army
Atonement – Jews cast out that Gentiles may come in. The reconciling of the world
Tabernacles – Discussion concerning the olive tree and its branches. The prophecy of Zechariah concerning Gentiles keeping the feast of Tabernacles was fulfilled in the first century. After AD70 there is no longer Jew nor Gentile in God’s economy, but one new complete Body.
Now, please go and read Jordan’s essay! One more post to go on this subject, concerning Revelation 11:13:
“In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.”
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[1] See No More Sacrifice for Sins.
