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writings of men who were prominent teachers among "The Brethren" whose testimony,
had it been followed, would have led the believer over the dispensational frontier of
Acts 28:, into the exclusively new and parenthetical dispensation of the Mystery,
leaving intact Matt. 24: with its association with Dan. 9:, as the hope of Israel, and
yet allowing the position laid down in Rom. 11: to colour the teaching, as it should and
does, of the early epistles of Paul, namely Galatians, Hebrews, I and II Thessalonians,
I and II Corinthians and Romans. These epistles while giving the great doctrinal basis
of Justification by Faith for all time, revealed that Israel was still "first", that the Gentile
believer though "justified" was, dispensationally, a "wild olive" grafted contrary to
nature into the existing olive tree of Israel. The organ of the Sovereign Grace Advent
Testimony (Watching and Waiting, March-April 1953) gives the testimony of one such
teacher among the early Brethren. He saw that the lo-ammi condition of Israel since the
rejection of their Messiah, demanded some compensatory change in the dealings of God
with the Gentile world, and practically demanded the church of the new calling which
was revealed to Paul as the prisoner of Jesus Christ. The article in question is entitled:
HOW B. W. NEWTON LEARNED PROPHETIC TRUTH
and one or two statements there recorded indicate how near that man of God came to
ascending the hill country of the Amorites and entering into the high calling of the
dispensation of the Mystery.
"The question is (says J. J. B. Coles in his opening article in `Things to Come',
March 1907), have we entered Canaan by way of the mountain of the Amorites? or, are
we going with the multitude by the way of Jordan? The lesson of Kadesh-Barnea has
been lost to many, and Caleb's whole-heartedness has found but few imitators. We must
of course be careful not to press an Old Testament type beyond a legitimate application."
B. W. Newton's immediate quest was the true interpretation of Prophecy, but Scripture is
one in its testimony, so that to approximate to the truth of Prophecy will necessarily lead
to the illumination of related revelation.
First we quote B. W. Newton's interpretation of Rom. 11::
"Romans Chapter 11 Considered
Circumstances, however, occurred, that led me to consider with care the eleventh
chapter of Romans. I could not close my eyes to the fact that the future history of the
literal Israel was there spoken of; and that it was put in marked contrast with the history
of those who are at present being gathered out from among the Gentiles, during the time
of Israel's unbelief. I saw the words `there shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and
shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob' could not be explained of any past act of Grace
that has hitherto been shown, either towards Jews or Gentiles. I saw that it could be
explained only of the future forgiveness of Israel, as a nation. I saw also that Israel when
nationally converted, are not to be merged in the present Gentile Church, for then they
would have been represented in this chapter as graffed in upon the Gentile branch, which
constitutes in Rom. 11:, the symbol of the present professing Church. On the contrary, it
is said in this chapter that, as a distinct branch, they shall be graffed back into their own
olive tree. These, and a few other connected truths, I began to discern, though dimly and
imperfectly."