IN Jeremiah 11:16 it is written: “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.”PTUK August 23, 1900, page 532.1

This is the tree of Israel. The word in Jeremiah leaves the tree only where the branches of it are broken. In Romans 11. Inspiration takes up the subject, and carries it to completion. There it is shown that when the natural branches of the tame olive tree—the Jews—were broken off, in the place of these there are grafted in branches from “a wild olive tree”—the Gentiles.PTUK August 23, 1900, page 532.2

In Romans 11. it is also shown that these natural branches of the tame olive tree were broken off “because of unbelief;” and the branches of the wild olive tree are grafted in and remain “by faith.” It is also shown that if the Jews, the natural branches, “abide not still in unbelief,” they too shall be grafted in; “for God is able to graft them in again.”PTUK August 23, 1900, page 532.3

This settles it beyond all possibility of legitimate controversy that no Jew will ever return, or shall ever be counted among the children of God, except by faith: precisely as any Gentile comes to God and is counted among the children of God. This again demonstrates the truth that “there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek.”PTUK August 23, 1900, page 532.4

The Gentile, from the wild olive tree, who is grafted in, is warned not to become exalted in his own merit and begin to boast against the branches that were broken off, that I might grafted in.” And the caution to all such in this is: “Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear: for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 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. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graff them in again. 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?” Romans 11:20-24.PTUK August 23, 1900, page 532.5

That tells the whole story, and in such a way that no one who will consider what it says can possibly fail to see that there is, indeed, no difference between the Jew and the Greek; but that when the Jews, because of their unbelief, rejected God, and, so, as dead and withered olive branches, were broken off, branches are taken from the wild olive tree of the Gentiles and grafted into the good olive tree in their places: so that, in the economy of God and the plan of his tree of Israel, the believing Gentile takes the place of the unbelieving Jew. just as He has said in another place: “They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.” Romans 9:8. Those who are of the flesh have no claims upon the Lord; for the minding of the flesh is enmity against God, and is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. They which be of faith, these only are the children of Abraham, and so the children of God.PTUK August 23, 1900, page 532.6

In the plan of God, there is the tree of Israel. As written, because of unbelief its branches withered, died, and were broken off. That left the tree incomplete. But He sends His husbandmen to the wild olive tree; and from that branches are gathered and grafted into the good olive tree—His own tree of Israel. And that work will continue until the branches gathered from the wild olive tree and grafted into the good one, shall fill all the places of the branches broken off—till these branches from the wild olive tree, by being grafted in and partaking of the root and fatness of the good olive tree, become live, fruitful branches of that good tree. And thus the good olive tree shall be caused to stand full and complete in its symmetry, as originally conceived in the mind of God.PTUK August 23, 1900, page 532.7

Thus the fulness of that broken olive tree is made up from the wild olive tree—the Gentiles. And this is the significance of that expression, “Till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” This “fulness of the Gentiles” is the fulness of that broken, good olive tree which is made up from the Gentiles as the wild olive tree. That good olive tree, with its branches all broken, is marred and incomplete: it in no sense represents the idea of God concerning it. But when all those broken branches are replaced from the wild olive tree, and that tree stands, full and flourishing, as originally planned in the mind of God, then the “fulness” of the tree is there, as originally designed: it is a complete tree. And this “fulness” of that tree—that which makes it a complete tree, after it was all marred and broken—comes from the Gentiles, from the wild olive tree. This is the “fulness of the Gentiles,” and this is how that “fulness” comes in.PTUK August 23, 1900, page 533.1

And upon all this, as the conclusion of all, it is written: “And so all Israel shall be saved.” “So” signifies “in this way,” “by this means,” “after this manner.” There it is written: “In this way, by this means, after this manner, shall all Israel be saved.” And that is the only return of the Jews, and the only salvation of Israel.PTUK August 23, 1900, page 533.2

True, as already noted, from this the original branches are not arbitrarily excluded: any one of these will gladly be grafted in again, “if they abide not still in unbelief.”PTUK August 23, 1900, page 533.3

A. T. JONES.

August 16, 1900

August 30, 1900