ADDRESSES ON ROMANS I was in my study at seven o'clock this morning, reading from the prophecy of Zechariah, and my heart was stirred when I read of Israel and those nations which will enter into the millennial reign of Christ. Read the words of the prophet, spoken by God to His people, Israel: "Sing and rejoice, 0 daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee. And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. Be silent, 0 all flesh, before the Lord: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation ... And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof ... In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLi.. NESS UNTO THE LORD" (Zech. 2:10--13: 8:5: 14:20). These and scores of such promises Paul had in mind when he wrote, saying that Israel should be given "life from the dead." "For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, ·so are the branches" (Rom. 11 : 16). 2. THE PARABLE OF THE OLIVE TREE, verses 17--24. The reference to "the root" and "the branches" leads Paul to give the parable of the olive tree. Israel, in the Word of God, is pictured by three trees- . the fig tree, the vine, and the olive tree. The fig tree represents Israel in her national life: the vine represents Israel in her spiritual life: and the olive tree represents Israel in her covenant relation with God. You will remember that Christ referred to Israel as a fig tree in His Olivet Discourse, saying, "When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors" (Matt. 24:32,33). This means that the spirit of national life in Israel will revive, and we are seeing that very thing today. The Jews are going [Page 215
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