Verse 11
I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.
The Greek verb for stumble is “ptaio,” which means to cause to stumble. The Greek word for fall is pipto, which means to fall into ruin. Paul was using these words as the illustration as to what can happen to any Gentile nation in the dispensation of the Church. Jewish rejection of their spiritual heritage resulted in rejection of Christ as Savior. This apostasy, which we might classify as unbeliever reversionism, resulted in the eventual administration of the fifth cycle of discipline, the final administration in A.D. 70. The fifth cycle of discipline administered by the Romans in A.D. 70 destroyed the client nation status of Israel and ushered in the times of the Gentiles mentioned in Luke 21:24.
The fifth cycle of discipline to Israel was not designed to destroy Israel but to transfer their spiritual heritage to the Gentiles temporarily until the Second Coming of Christ. Gentile nations have become client nations to God so that Gentiles throughout the world with positive volition at God-consciousness can be evangelized. As stated at the end of this verse, an additional purpose in the evangelization of Gentiles is to stimulate the Jews to faith in Christ. We live in the dispensation where Gentiles evangelize Jews, rather than Jews evangelizing Gentiles, as per the dispensation of Israel and as per the dispensation of the Millennium, as well as the Tribulation.
Verse 12
Now if their transgression be riches for the world and their failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!
The Greek word for transgression is “paraptoma,” which refers to apostasy and reversionism, referring to the Jews’ falling away from their spiritual heritage. The Greek word for failure is “hettema,” which means a defection. The defection of Israel from their spiritual heritage has become the riches of the world. The spiritual heritage of Israel included its client nation status with the responsibility of missionary evangelism. The failure of Israel in this regard resulted in the “times of the Gentiles.” The apostasy of Israel in rejecting their spiritual heritage and transferring of evangelistic and missionary responsibility to other than Jewish nations results in salvation riches to nations throughout world history.
If Jewish apostasy and discipline to Israel has become a blessing to the Gentiles, it follows a fortiori that their restoration at the Second Coming as a client nation during the Millennium will be even a greater blessing than ever before. Paul is using this system of logic under the ministry of the Holy Spirit to demonstrate that not only have the Jews not been set aside permanently, but their future is greater than their past. God will not withhold the greater blessing to the Gentiles in the Millennial restoration of Israel as the client nation to God. While the Gentiles have great blessing in the Church Age and the times of the Gentiles, they will have even greater blessing in the Millennium in the time of Israel’s fullness. Perfect environment, a greater blessing, cannot exist in this world until Christ supersedes Satan as the ruler of the world, and until Israel is restored to client nation status.
Verses 13 & 14 are a parenthesis in which we have Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles.
Verse 13-14
But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow-countrymen and save some of them.
Paul inserts a parenthesis to magnify the ministry to the Gentiles. This is because as the Gentiles are blessed from the perception of doctrine, so that blessing will overflow back to the Jews. The Jews receive their blessing, not directly from their spiritual heritage but from the Gentile client nations.
As the apostle to the Gentiles, Paul magnifies his ministry because it is his ministry to bring blessing in the Church Age. It is the ministry of doctrine which the Gentiles accept whereby they fulfill one of the ministries of the client nation, which is to provide a haven for Israel during the 5th cycle of discipline, and in some cases evangelize Israel. The Gentiles are blessed by Jewish cursing in this dispensation, but Paul anticipates that Gentiles will receive even greater blessing when Israel is restored as the client nation to God in the Millennium.
Therefore, Paul has a ministry which not only blesses the Gentiles, but in turn provides blessing for true Jews. The blessing to the Gentiles through justification results in the establishing of client nations and the evangelization of the Jews. As an individual Jew responds to the message of salvation presented by the Gentile believer, the curse is turned into blessing and he becomes a member of the Royal Family of God, forever.
Not only does the believing Jew of this dispensation receive eternal life but he is entered into the Royal Family of God by means of the baptism of the Spirit and has the same option and opportunity to use doctrine to advance to maturity.
We have great encouragement knowing that in times of maximum evil and degeneracy God preserves the believer, whether Jew or Gentile. No matter how bad things become for each believer, God’s plan moves right on. Historical disaster does not in any way imply that God’s plan is cancelled. Some of the greatest advances to spiritual maturity are accelerated by disaster.
No historical disaster can hinder the plan of God for the Jews or the Gentiles; no historical disaster can hinder the momentum of those believers who are positive toward Bible doctrine. No historical disaster can cancel either present blessing to the Jewish remnant or future blessing to restored Israel of the Millennium. God is faithful; God keeps His word. The faithfulness of God is based on the integrity of God which is composed of two divine characteristics: righteousness and justice.
Divine judgment of apostasy never hinders divine blessing to the pivot of mature believers. Nor does historical disaster hinder the momentum of advance to maturity. Jewish failure cannot destroy the Jewish future. The failure of Israel does not hinder the plan of God, and therefore does not hinder the future of Israel. Today many Jews throughout the world are the richest people of the world, yet their wealth can never replace for them their spiritual heritage, the true riches.
Verse 15
For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
The Greek word for reconciliation is “katallage,” which means to change from enemy to friend. It is man who is “hostile” towards God and has become rebellious by means of his inherent sin nature. It means that mankind is the enemy of God and it is man who needs to be reconciled to God.
This Greek word came to mean a change from being one’s enemy to being one’s friend. This is the meaning throughout the New Testament. At salvation, the believer is reconciled to God. This means that the believer is no longer God’s enemy but that peace has been made as a result of the person’s change of mind towards Christ (the true meaning of repentance). (Romans 5:10)
Reconciliation is accomplished by the removal of the sin barrier by Jesus Christ at the Cross that exists between God and man. Once this barrier is removed, the possibility exists for peace between God and man. The barrier that separates God from man is sin. Every person is born with a sin nature, which is passed down genetically from the father. Man also possesses Adam’s original sin, which is imputed to him at birth by God. It is Adam’s original sin that condemns man. Personal sins are committed because man possesses a sin nature.
The results of reconciliation cannot be felt or seen; it takes place spiritually. In Colossians 1:21 the Bible says we were “aliens and enemies in our minds.” The Greek word for enemy is “echthros” and primarily denotes hatred or hostility. The word also means adversary. The Greek word for aliens is “apallotrioo” and means to be estranged from. This means that prior to salvation we were estranged from and the enemies of God. Since this hatred is in the mind, it is our thinking that needs to be transformed before and after salvation. When a person responds to the message of the Gospel, they automatically change their mind (the true meaning of repentance) from lack of faith in Christ to faith in Christ. For the believer in Christ, peace now exists between him and God and he is no longer estranged from God.
The removal of Israel as the client nation to God through the 5th cycle of discipline had two results: the halting of the dispensation of Israel and the insertion of the Church Age. This means that Jews who believe in Christ in this dispensation are automatically royalty, whereas Jews who believed in Christ in the past dispensation were not. The second result was the beginning of the times of the Gentiles or the function of Gentile nations as client nations to God. In the previous dispensation that was a function for Israel only. This change opened the door for many Gentile nations to be evangelized and to be reconciled to God through faith in Christ.
Their acceptance is a reference to the restoration of Israel as a client nation to God at the Second Coming of Christ. The restoration of Israel includes not only the regathering of Jews from their present dispersion but the resurrection of all of the Old Testament saints, including the Jews, and the fulfillment of all the covenants to Israel. Life from the dead is a reference to the resurrection of all the Jewish believers of the Old Testament. The future restoration of Israel in the Millennium means fantastic blessing for the entire world in the environment of the Millennial government.