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.