We have come to accept the prophetic accounts in the Hebrew Scriptures such as Isaiah and Jeremiah have direct application to the end times, and we recognize the attributes of ancient Israel as applicable to the Christian congregation today. However, the Christian Greek Scriptures or the New Testament also contains much prophetic information that is relevant today. The apostle Paul, in the book of Romans, presents many valuable prophetic gems for those seeking God today.

The boundaries of Spiritual Israel

The prophets address God’s people. And the majority of judgments from Jehovah are addressed to His own nation. In the initial instance it was to the fleshly nation of Israel but in the grand and final fulfillment it is to spiritual Israel or ‘the house of God’ where the judgment starts. (1 Peter 4:17) So, we need to establish who exactly makes up ‘Spiritual Israel’.

According to the Watchtower, this group today is specifically faithful anointed Christians among Jehovah’s Witnesses associated with the Watchtower. The Watchtower teaches the faithful remnant has been sifted out of Christendom since 1914. There are several problems with this theory. Firstly, both Hebrew and Christian prophets describe an apostasy of God’s people prior to Christ’s return, (He did not return in 1914) thus ‘Spiritual Israel’ apostatizes before the end and after already noting the deplorable condition of the Christian congregation, we know this apostasy has not climaxed yet. Therefore the group cannot be made up of faithful Christians only. Secondly, there are a growing number of faithful anointed Christians that have been under the umbrella of the Watchtower that are being thrown out and branded apostate, not to forget the faithful Christians that are not born again as sons of God, being treated the same way. Thus the boundaries of ‘Spiritual Israel’ are beyond the walls of the Watchtower; the boundaries must include any and every so-called Christian around the globe. How do we prove this?

How does one become a Christian? A true Christian is chosen by God after hearing and putting faith in the good news about the Christ, his spirit and the spirit of God connect, so that a new ‘father – son’ relationship ensues. And after having this hope set upon him he purifies himself, and with the force actuating his mind he is made new; born again into the adoption as a righteous son of God! (Compare John 6:44) Because this process is private and personal it is open to charlatans, agents of the devil, assigned to mislead the chosen ones. These ones call themselves Christians and dwell among the true sons, inside the figurative lands of Spiritual Israel. Also some of the true sons reject their father and turn to the darkness while still claiming son-ship; more agents of the devil. These also are inside Spiritual Israel. There are also a growing number of people who love Jehovah and Jesus, they have heard about the ransom but have not been adopted as sons, and these hope for a reward here on earth, in paradise forever; these ones call themselves Christians too. So the figurative ‘lands’ of the Israel of God span every individual that calls himself a Christian whether he strives to worship in spirit and truth or not.

As a parallel, fleshly Israel descended from Abraham via Jacob; an Israelite was such by birthright. The spirituality of the individual had no bearing on whether they were in covenant with Jehovah. They were God’s people by default. The Christian congregation has become the same. Each member has entered into a covenant with God by claiming the title ‘Christian’ – on one hand, if they have faith in God thru the ransom the blessings are theirs, on the other hand, if they are counterfeit and prove false to the power of their ‘Godly devotion’, they will perish in the first judgment against the house of God. The spirituality of the individual has no bearing on whether they are in covenant with Jehovah. Thus, the people of Christendom are ‘spiritual’ Israel; Jehovah’s Witnesses have not fled its walls. To assert they have fled, is to deny their apostasy.

In Romans chapter 9, Paul is describing this pitiable condition of fleshly Israel and the sad fact that the majority of them have rejected the truth. Using discernment and our powers of reason we can deduce the prophetic element of these verses; the vast majority of spiritual Israel today is rejecting truth. Let’s take a closer look at Romans 9 in order to attain a clearer view of our situation.

Not all who spring from Israel are really Israel

In verses 1-5, Paul observes and bemoans the fact that not all [spiritual] Israelites accept the truth. I am telling the truth in Christ; I am not lying, since my conscience bears witness with me in holy spirit, that I have great grief and unceasing pain in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were separated as the cursed one from the Christ in behalf of my brothers, my relatives according to the [figurative] flesh, who, as such, are Israelites, to whom belong the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the sacred service and the promises; to whom the forefathers belong [figuratively speaking] and from whom the Christ [sprang] according to the flesh: God, who is over all, [be] blessed forever. Amen. Figuratively speaking, the Christian congregation is comprised of ‘fleshly’ brothers and sisters, inasmuch as they claim a common inheritance, and a common master, Christ. Today, much of the household of spiritual Israelites are ‘separated as the cursed one from the Christ’; despite their claim to the adoption as sons, or their claim to be ‘related’ in the faith with such ones; this ‘birthright’ is going unfulfilled. This fact justifies this question: how can the seed of Abraham fail to receive the promised blessing? 

Anticipating this question Paul says in verses 6, 7- “However, it is not as though the word of God had failed.” Is this the predicament we find ourselves in? Because we see the failings and apostasy of the leaders and members of the congregation, do we start doubting the word of God? How do we reconcile this sad situation? Paul answers, “For not all who [spring] from [spiritual] Israel are really “[spiritual] Israel.” ⁷ Neither because they are [figuratively] Abraham’s seed are they all children, but: “What will be called ‘your seed’ will be through [a promise] Isaac.” This is neither a fleshly birth right or claimable merely because you say you have it or are it. As Paul continues, “That is, the children in the [figurative] flesh are not really the children of God, but the children by the promise are counted as the seed. ⁹ For the word of promise was as follows: “At this time I will come and Sarah will have a son.” Abraham had many children from other women but the true seed of Abraham is through the promise and is a gift from God, not due to the efforts of man, as Paul continues, “Yet not that case alone, but also when Re·bek´ah conceived twins from the one [man], Isaac our forefather: for when they had not yet been born nor had practiced anything good or vile, in order that the purpose of God respecting the choosing might continue dependent, not upon works, but upon the One who calls, it was said to her: “The older will be the slave of the younger.” Just as it is written: “I loved Jacob, but E´sau I hated.” As will become more evident, our claim to the inheritance is irrelevant, Jehovah is the Judge.

“…God, who has mercy”

What shall we say, then? Is there injustice with God? From our perspective as humans, this is a fair question. Scriptural principals such as, ‘If anyone does not want to work, neither let him eat,’ and ‘whatever a man sows, this he will also reap’ spring to mind. In fact Paul himself said earlier to the Romans, ‘to the man that works, the pay is counted’ - Romans 4: 4a. So, is there injustice with God? Never may that become so! Paul continues in Romans 4: 4b, ‘the pay is counted, not as an undeserved kindness but as a debt.’ For he says to Moses: “I will have mercy upon whomever I do have mercy, and I will show compassion to whomever I do show compassion.” So, then, it depends, not upon the one wishing nor upon the one running, but upon God, who has mercy. Yes, our glorious God has mercy! His mercy would be redundant if our wish or effort in running determined our fate. All we need do is trust him to care for us, but at the same time not use his merciful nature as an excuse for wickedness. For the Scripture says to Phar´aoh: “For this very cause I have let you remain, that in connection with you I may show my power, and that my name may be declared in all the earth.” Merciful Jehovah extended mercy to Pharaoh 9 times! Pharaoh’s own actions uncovered his black heart and determined his own end; instead of responding to God’s mercy with humble gratitude, he mistook it for weakness and abused it. So, then, upon whom he wishes he has mercy, but whom he wishes he lets become obstinate. 

Again, Paul speaks for the human perspective…You will therefore say to me: “Why does he yet find fault? For who has withstood his express will?” Fair question. How can God, who has mercy, find fault – why doesn’t he just have mercy? Paul answers, O man, who, then, really are you to be answering back to God? Shall the thing molded say to him that molded it, “Why did you make me this way?” What? Does not the potter have authority over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel for an honorable use, another for a dishonorable use? If, now, God, although having the will to demonstrate his wrath and to make his power known, tolerated with much long-suffering vessels of wrath made fit for destruction, in order that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory, namely, us, whom he called not only from among Jews but also from among nations, [what of it]? Yes, what of it? Jehovah has condescended to exhibit his righteousness, so we can have something to base our faith in Him on, namely, the blood of Jesus. Knowing our God to be righteous and merciful is more than enough proof of His trustworthiness in matters of judgment. The haughty sons of ‘spiritual’ Israel will be weeping and gnashing their teeth when they see ‘worldly’ ones reaping the blessings of the kingdom. It is as he says also in Ho·se´a: “Those not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved ‘beloved’; and in the place where it was said to them, ‘YOU are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

Dear reader, do you call yourself a Christian? If so, are you listening? To quote our grand king, Jesus, ‘to the one that has ears to listen, listen!’ Our father has tolerated the wicked sons in order to bless the faithful with ‘the riches of his glory’. The wicked mistake his tolerance for absence (Psalms 94: 7) thus their hearts are exposed. How do we feel as Jehovah’s witnesses, when we consider Catholics and Anglicans as our brothers, sharers in the hope? How do we feel, when we consider the prospect of ‘worldly’ people sharing in our inheritance? Jealous? Does the fact Jehovah will have mercy on people of the nations and yet find people of [spiritual] Israel fit for destruction, disturb you? “…upon whom he wishes he has mercy, but whom he wishes he lets become obstinate…O man, who, then, really are you to be answering back to God?”

Paul continues, Moreover, Isaiah cries out concerning [spiritual] Israel: “Although the number of the sons of [spiritual] Israel may be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved. For Jehovah will make an accounting on the earth, concluding it and cutting it short.” The field is full but most of the plants are weeds. Also, just as Isaiah had said aforetime: “Unless Jehovah of armies had left a seed to us, we should have become just like Sod´om, and we should have been made just like Go·mor´rah.” Praise Jah for the promise to Abraham! Now Paul concludes this section of his letter to the Romans, What shall we say, then? That people of the nations, although not pursuing righteousness, caught up with righteousness, the righteousness that results from faith; but [spiritual] Israel, although pursuing a law of righteousness, did not attain to the law. For what reason? Because he pursued it, not by faith, but as by works. They stumbled on the “stone of stumbling”; ³³ as it is written: “Look! I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock-mass of offense, but he that rests his faith on it will not come to disappointment.” Yes, the haughty leaders of this people have not rested their hope on Christ. They have honored works of their own hands; their organizations. And they have developed doctrines that make the law of the Christ invalid, by promoting works as a way to salvation – they have stumbled on this rock mass of offense.

Friends, we love our God and his Son Jesus, but let’s not fool ourselves into thinking our years of faithful service have put us to the front of the line for blessings. The first will be last. Let us not presumptuously judge anyone as unworthy, as if only we have the [birth] right to inheritance. It depends, not on the one wishing or running but, on God, who has mercy.