The Olive Tree

The Root and Branches of the Church

By

Lee

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

KJV Psalms 52:8

 8.  But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

In this article I will attempt to prove three things; that there are two Israel’s, carnal and spiritual; The history of the church before Jesus was born and that the olive tree mentioned by Paul in Romans 11 is the true church of spiritual Israel.

KJV Romans 11:16-25

 16.  For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

The root Paul is speaking of is the saints of old before Jesus was born, the people listed in Hebrews 11.

KJV Hebrews 11:1-2

 1.  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

 2.  For by it the elders obtained a good report.

KJV Hebrews 11:4

 4.  By faith Abel

KJV Hebrews 11:5

 5.  By faith Enoch

KJV Hebrews 11:7

 7.  By faith Noah

KJV Hebrews 11:8

 8.  By faith Abraham

KJV Hebrews 11:10

 10.  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

This is speaking of the new Jerusalem.

KJV Hebrews 11:11

11.  Through faith also Sara

KJV Hebrews 11:13-16

13.  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

These men and women of faith knew and believed the same things we do today.

14.  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

 15.  And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

 16.  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

KJV Hebrews 11:20

20.  By faith Isaac

KJV Hebrews 11:21

 21.  By faith Jacob

KJV Hebrews 11:22

 22.  By faith Joseph

KJV Hebrews 11:24-26

 24.  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

 25.  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

 26.  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

Moses knew of the future promise of a messiah, Moses knew the new covenant of grace and all the rewards that come with it.

KJV Hebrews 11:31

 31.  By faith the harlot Rahab

KJV Hebrews 11:32-35

 32.  And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

 33.  Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.

 34.  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

 35.  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

The better resurrection is the first in which the church is made immortal and this is why these people served God in faith.  They all had the holy spirit and died in the faith without having received any of the promises because God intends to resurrect the entire church both old and new all at the same time.

KJV Hebrews 11:39-40

 39.  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

 40.  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Paul continues:

17.  And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

Carnal Israel was given the oracles of God, shadows of the new covenant but only a very small number of them understood the meaning of the shadows.  The law was a shadow, a schoolmaster, that had very important lessons to teach but most of carnal Israel never learned the message but tried to earn salvation by the works of the law.  These carnal branches were broken off so that the gentiles could be grafted in.

 18.  Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

 19.  Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.

 20.  Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

 21.  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

  Jesus cursed the fig tree because it had no fruit and this was done to show that carnal Israel, the fig tree, bore no fruit to God and as branches were broken off.

KJV Matthew 3:7-10

 7.  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

 8.  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

 9.  And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

10.  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

KJV Matthew 7:16-20

 16.  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

 17.  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

 18.  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

 19.  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

 20.  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

KJV Matthew 12:33

 33.  Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

KJV Matthew 21:19-20

 19.  And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

 20.  And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

KJV Proverbs 27:18

 18.  Whoso keepeth the fig tree (the law) shall eat the fruit thereof, (death): but he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.

KJV Isaiah 34:4-5

 4.  And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

 5.  For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.

KJV Jeremiah 8:13

 13.  I will surely consume them, saith the Lord: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.

KJV Hosea 2:12

 12.  And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.

KJV Hosea 9:10

 10.  I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

KJV Joel 1:7

 7.  He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.

KJV Nahum 3:12

12.  All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.

KJV Luke 13:6-9

 6.  He spake also this parable; a certain man, (God) had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

 7.  Then said he unto the dresser, (Jesus) of his vineyard, Behold, these three years (the length of the ministry of Jesus) I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

 8.  And he, (Jesus) answering said unto him (God), Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

 9.  And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou (God) shalt cut it down.

Continuing with Paul in Romans 11:

22.  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

 23.  And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. (The second resurrection)

 24.  For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?

 25.  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

The total number of members of the true church of God are spread out over many centuries from Able until today and that number is 144000.  These are the elect, the chosen saints from times before and after Jesus.  Faith is not bound by time and if the ancient saints looked forward to Christ but we look back on Christ it is still the same Christ.  Moses never saw Christ but neither have I but we both have faith in the same Christ.

The green olive trees branches were broken off due to the evil they did against God.

KJV Jeremiah 11:16-17

16.  The Lord called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.

 17.  For the Lord of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.

God is able to graft these people back into the olive tree if they do not continue in disbelief.

KJV Exodus 27:20

20.  And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.

KJV Hosea 14:5-7

 5.  I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.

 6.  His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.

 7.  They that dwell under his shadow (The law)shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

KJV Habakkuk 3:17-18

 17.  Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

 18.  Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Carnal Israel is for the present time a fig tree and not an olive tree and is cut off from the flock that is the olive tree; there is yet hope for them and thus reason to rejoice in Gods salvation.

The pure olive oil is Gods holy spirit and is the light that shines in a true Christian and it is beaten because all who live Godly in Christ shall suffer as Christ suffered.

The ten virgins of Matthew 25 are a representation of 5 wise and 5 foolish churches.  The wise had olive oil but the foolish did not.  All of these 5 foolish will receive correction but only 2 will obey and repent 3 will not.

KJV 1 Kings 7:49

 49.  And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold,

KJV 1 Chronicles 28:14-15

14.  He gave of gold by weight for things of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service; silver also for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service:

 15.  Even the weight for the candlesticks of gold, and for their lamps of gold, by weight for every candlestick, and for the lamps thereof: and for the candlesticks of silver by weight, both for the candlestick, and also for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick.

KJV 2 Chronicles 4:7

7.  And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form, and set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left.

KJV Revelation 1:12

12.  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

KJV Revelation 1:20

 20.  The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

At first there were ten churches, ten golden candle  sticks but when we read Revelation there are only seven that remain, Why?  10 - 3 = 7

KJV Zechariah 11:7-11

 7.  And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.

During the tribulation God will feed the flock of the multitude even though they will be slaughtered but the poor of the flock, Gods elect will know this. They, the multitude, will become silver candle sticks.

8.  Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.

Three churches that will not hear what the spirit is saying to the churches will be cut off from the total flock.  The fate of those cut off is verse 9 & 10.

 9.  Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.

 10.  And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.

 11.  And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the Lord.

KJV Revelation 2:5

 5.  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Jesus is very serious about the churches hearing what the spirit is saying to them but there will be three of them that will not repent so the covenant is broken with them and they are cut off.

To summarize;

The history of the true church of God dates back to Able and all those mentioned in Hebrews 11.  These ancient saints had the holy spirit and the same faith and hope as the saints today.  The church did not begin on Pentecost but rather on that day God was setting His hand to the calling out of the gentiles, (The second loaf of bread of Leviticus 23:17), to replace the branches broken off due to carnal Israel’s, the fig trees, disobedience and unbelief.

The olive tree is the true church of God while the fig tree is carnal Israel, there are two Israel’s. The Israel of God is the church composed of both Israelites and gentiles. The Israelites came first, the root, and the Gentiles last, the branches.  All these will be glorified and made immortal together when Jesus returns and the total number of them is 144000.

These will all be in the first resurrection at the same time.

Many more will be in the first resurrection as the innumerable multitude will be there as well but they will suffer martyrdom as the punishment for being luke warm and out of oil. This multitude will no longer be a golden candle stick but silver and other churches that do not hear the spirit and yet are evil will be totally cut off.  It seems that the seven in Revelation will be those who do hear, some early some too late.  After all these things and when the kingdom is on the Earth the elect saints, the 144000, will be kings and priests ruling over and teaching those who survive into the millennium. Even more will come to the knowledge of salvation during this 1000 year period.  After the millennium the second resurrection will occur.  In this time all who have ever lived and died without having known the truth of God will be resurrected to human life again and given their first opportunity to hear the gospel and hope for salvation. 

Teachers

By

Lee

Monday, June 18, 2012

How does a person come to know the truth of God?  Is it because some other person who claims to be a teacher taught you?  The things of God are spiritual and cannot be know by the carnal mind.  It requires a spiritual mind to understand spiritual things.  Only by the Holy Spirit can anyone come to know the truth of God.  This means that Gods spirit must be the teacher and that no man can teach you unless both you and that other man has the Holy Spirit and then the Holy Spirit is still the teacher and the one speaking is a catalyst used to stir up your human spirit united with Gods Holy Spirit that actually does the teaching.  If anyone preaches the truth of Gods word it would be useless for the hearers unless God opens your mind to understand.  Without God opening the mind there would be no understanding at all.  In the first century the apostles had the task of preaching the gospel, the great commission, and they went out preaching but their words would mean absolutely nothing unless God gave the hearer understanding.  A person can also learn Gods truth by reading scripture only and God can open understanding this way as well.  The idea in anyone’s mind that they can teach another Gods truth is not true.  I can preach till I am blue in the face and if God does not give the understanding then it will not profit.  God alone determines who is called and chosen to be a saint and in the true church, no one makes first contact with God, God makes first contact with you.  In this current evil age God calls very few people as God is only calling out the elect at this time to serve as laborers in future harvests.  The first of all harvests is that of these elect, then the innumerable multitude, the millennium and finally the second resurrection.  The elect, the true church today, will serve in the last three.  The true end time revival is during the great tribulation and not at the present time.  This shows that all the false churches out there preaching their false gospels are ignorant and do not even know that God is not at this time trying to save the world.  The salvation of humanity happens in stages at different times.  At this time it is only the elect who are being called and chosen.  The elect are not preaching the gospel to the world because they know God is not trying to save the world but only the church, the elect, the saints.  Once these elect are sealed just before the tribulation strikes they will during the tribulation instruct many and with the two witnesses also preaching at this time the innumerable multitude will be saved.  After the tribulation the elect will teach the people who survive the tribulation in the millennium that will last 1000 years.  After the millennium the elect will teach those who are in the second resurrection.  Today the elect, the saints, the true church of God are busy learning themselves and are being prepared for the time they will teach in the future. Much truth has been lost because of Satan’s lies in all the false churches of the world and this truth needs to be restored to the elect.  This takes time and study for them in giving themselves over to Gods Holy Spirit and receiving truth by divine revelation, they are taught directly by Gods Holy Spirit and by no human person.  You see all of Gods elect are prophets and prophetesses.  They are taught by God directly by divine revelation.  At this time they are not yet ready to teach in the world because they themselves have more to learn first.  If they were to try to teach they would teach some lies because they do not yet have all truth restored at present.  The elect saints, the true church is not trying to fulfill the great commission because they are yet being taught themselves.  The truth must be restored by the spirit and power of Elijah or the Holy Spirit of God that was the spirit and true power behind Elijah in the book of Kings and John the Baptist. Elijah and John did not do their work by their own power.  The elect saints must wait for their spiritual training to be completed before preaching to the unconverted world during the tribulation.  None of the worlds churches are the true church of God, none of them.  No matter how good they look to you they are all Satan’s ministers posing as angels of light, wolves in sheep’s clothing.  The fact these false churches preach their gospels to the world is only another proof they are false churches.  None of these churches have the truth of God at all and the elect saints, the true church, is still learning it. 

The false preachers take great pride and satisfaction that they have enlightened some uninformed person but all they have done is make them a two-fold more child of the devil then they were before.  False preachers are a penny a dozen but true preachers, the elect, have not even been fully trained yet.  People should not desire to be preachers at this time because God has a stricter judgment on them because being untrained by the Holy Spirit will lead them to preach lies based on their own imaginations rather than the truth of God.  False preachers say God called them to preach when God has not called anyone at this time to preach. 

I had to learn this lesson myself the hard way and after being rented, ridiculed, accused and condemned realized that I needed to keep my mouth shut.  Now I only speak to the brethren or to those who ask me a question showing respect and with spiritual discernment I decide to answer or not.  This blog is here only if God wants to use it, if God does fine, if not that is fine too.  I felt inspired to create this blog so I did in the hope God may want to use it to call and choose those He wishes to make His elect in this age. 

Tithing

By Lee

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Many churches use the system of tithing to support the mission of their church, which is to preach the gospel to the world, fulfill the great commission.  Is tithing an obligation in the new covenant?  In other articles I have written I prove that the duty of the church to proclaim the gospel is not for this current time due to the rise of false churches that preach a false gospel.  The true church of God is a scattered and unorganized very small number of people and God alone today adds to the church those who are being saved.  No church today has any authority to preach the gospel or collect tithes from people to support that effort. 

KJV Genesis 14:18-20

 18.  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

 19.  And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

 20.  And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Abraham paid a tithe of the spoils to Melchizedek not because of a command of the law, that would not exist yet for another four hundred years, but as a spontaneous act of respect to the priest of the most high God.  This cannot be used as proof that people must tithe today.  True Christians are not under any of the law but under grace.  Tithing was instituted under the law and was only to be collected by the high priest of Israel, a direct descendent of Aaron.

KJV Numbers 18:24

 24.  But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

KJV Deuteronomy 26:12

 12.  When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled;

No person of any title in the true or false churches has the right to collect tithes from anyone, only a direct descendent of Aaron the Levite, the high priest of Israel had this authority.

KJV Hebrews 7:5

 5.  And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

KJV Hebrews 5:4

 4.  And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

KJV Numbers 18:8
 8.  And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.
 

The scripture below is used by many to say that tithing is for Christians today.

KJV Malachi 3:8-10

 8.  Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

 9.  Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

 10.  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

False preachers who demand tithes from people are robbing God and using the old covenant to do it.  Tithes are not required in the new covenant but rather in the new God loves a cheerful giver and not one commanded to give by the law.  These false preachers use this money to preach a false gospel and provide themselves a lavish life style when the tithes were also to be given to widows and orphans.

The ministers today need to get themselves a real job just like everyone else and if they preach they do so without pay.  The Apostle Paul did not expect a salary for his being an Apostle but he did expect and did have the right to be aided in his travels by the people who would provide him with food, lodging or other needs as Paul traveled.  This would be out of Christian love and not by a law of tithing. 

The facts about tithing are listed below;

Tithing is old covenant law and not for new covenant Christians.

Ministers of the new covenant expected help for their needs while traveling but did not expect to be paid a salary.

Only a direct descendent of Aaron, the high priest of ancient Israel, had the right to collect tithes from the people.

The churches today are false churches preaching a false gospel and should not be paid anything.

It is not the duty or obligation of the true church today to even preach the gospel as God alone calls those who He wants to be in the church.

Since the true church is scattered and unorganized with no human leadership, only leadership by Jesus through the holy spirit, they are unable to preach the gospel to the world.  The world will hear the true gospel during the tribulation by the two witnesses and the remnant of the  144000 elect that are yet alive and remain at that time.

If you are tithing to any church today you are being ripped off by false preachers of Satan the devil who feed you a false gospel and you are deceived.