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began to cease fruit-bearing, the insertion of a wild graft had the same effect upon the
tree that Paul hoped the insertion of the Gentile would have had on Israel; it "provoked"
the flagging olive tree to "emulation". The practice has been revived in our own day to
provoke certain shy-bearing pear trees to fruitfulness. Columella flourished about
A.D.40, so that Paul was not speaking "without the book".
The fact that the Gentiles who believed had received "the blessing of Abraham" in the
form of the promised "spirit" (Gal. 3: 14), and that they possessed the gifts associated
with Pentecost (I Cor. 14: 21), was intended to provoke Israel to wake up to the fact that
their unique position was going. The whole point of the olive tree in Rom. 11: lies in the
purpose with which the wild olive was graft in--namely, to provoke Israel to jealousy.
Gentile nations are not in view in Rom. 11:, for such cannot be addresses as "brethren",
neither do they stand "by faith".
If we teach that the "olive tree" position still continues after Acts 28:, let us see
what the Apostle's words imply. Into that same olive tree from which some of the
branches had been broken out, God assures us that He will graft them again. We shall
see by the references yet to be adduced that when this takes place Israel as a nation will
be restored. How is it possible for Israel to be restored as a nation by having any number
of branches graft in to any existing Christian community? Will any present-day calling
ever eventuate in a restored Israel? There is but one answer. Only while Israel existed as
a people, was it possible for believing Gentiles to be graft in among the other believing
branches, and so become linked up with the blessing of Abraham, and partake of the root
and fatness of the olive tree. We are preserved from any attempt at spiritualizing the
expression "All Israel shall be saved", by the fact that the Apostle quotes Isa. 59: 20,
where the Deliverer Who comes out of Zion shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
We have never met anyone who would teach that "Jacob" can mean anything but the
literal people of Israel.
Moreover, all this is in fulfillment of the New Covenant:
"For this is My Covenant with them, when I shall take away their sins" (Rom. 11: 27).
Under the terms of the New Covenant, the forgiveness of sins leads to the restoration
of the Nation (Jer. 31: 31-37), and in verse 37 we read:
"If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out
beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel, for all that they have done, saith the
Lord" (Jer. 31: 37).
With the knowledge of this promise under the New Covenant, the Apostle writes:
"As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes, but as touching the
election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes; for the gifts and calling of God are
without repentance" (Rom. 11: 28, 29).
By the gracious permission of our brother Mr. S. Van Mierlo, we are able to
reproduce in English form the diagram used in his book (in Dutch) dealing with the