In regards to the article "Did Spiritual Israel replace Natural Israel", there is a possibility that some might be confused by the Apostle John's words at Revelation 7:4 which reads: "And I heard the number of those who were sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel:"
One might ask, how is it possible for the 144,000 to be the Israel of God when it is said that they're sealed OUT OF the sons of Israel? Is Jehovah making a distinction here? Paul says that is indeed the case; Romans 9:6-8 states:
"But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED." That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants."
Here Paul is stating that according to Jehovah, just because an individual is a descendant of Abraham does not mean they're part of "Israel". But rather, it is those who are chosen to fulfill Jehovah's promise in creating "a royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9) making up the 144,000 persons to rule as priests and kings. (Revelation 20:4-6)
Paul also makes clear that these individuals are chosen by Jehovah for his own purposes, and not through any specific actions of their own. (Romans 9:11) This group makes up the Israel of God. So what about those who have the earthly prospect? They are represented as the "sons of Abraham" mentioned in Galations 3:7-9:
"Surely YOU know that those who adhere to faith are the ones who are sons of Abraham. Now the Scripture, seeing in advance that God would declare people of the nations righteous due to faith, declared the good news beforehand to Abraham, namely: “By means of you all the nations will be blessed.” Consequently those who adhere to faith are being blessed together with faithful Abraham."
Please note that these persons who exercise faith in Jehovah are referred to as "sons of Abraham", but NOT the Israel of God. So if we re-read the scripture at Revelation 7:4, we would come to understand that the "Israel of God" are sealed [or chosen out of] the "sons of Israel", which would be the equivalent of "sons of Abraham". Or in other words, the royal priesthood to rule as kings and priests are chosen out of those God declared righteous due to faith.
Tell me what you think, did I make any sense?
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A: Thank you for the additional information and your research concerning my article on the Israel of God. You indeed make sense and I am glad you got the point I was trying to make.
The “Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16), or simply “Israel” at Romans 9:6 and 11:26, refers to the 144,000 who have been chosen and sealed by Jehovah out of “every tribe of the sons of Israel.” (Rev. 7:4-8) As can be seen, there is a clear distinction between “Israel” (Israel of God), and the twelve tribes of Israel. Had the Jews as God’s people proved faithful to their covenant and accepted Christ Jesus as the promised seed, then the entire “Israel of God” would have been exclusively chosen from among them, the twelve literal tribes of Israel (Jacob). Since they rejected the promised Messiah, God in turn rejected them, and replaced some of those who would have been chosen as natural branches on the domestic tree of the Israel of God, with wild branches of people of the nations. “If the root is holy, the branches are also.” “And In this manner all Israel will be saved,” the entire number of 144,000. (Rom. 11:13-32; John 15:1-6)
Paul, an apostle to the nations, explains:
“9 Now then, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it for Gentiles, too? Well, what about Abraham? We have been saying he was declared righteous by God because of his faith. 10 But how did his faith help him? Was he declared righteous only after he had been circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? The answer is that God accepted him first, and then he was circumcised later!
11 The circumcision ceremony was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous--even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are made right with God by faith. 12 And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 It is clear, then, that God's promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was not based on obedience to God's law, but on the new relationship with God that comes by faith. 14 So if you claim that God's promise is for those who obey God's law and think they are "good enough" in God's sight, then you are saying that faith is useless. And in that case, the promise is also meaningless. 15 But the law brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)
16 So that's why faith is the key! God's promise is given to us as a free gift. And we are certain to receive it, whether or not we follow Jewish customs, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. 17 That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations." This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who brings into existence what didn't exist before.” —Romans 4:9-17, New Living Translation.
Thus, “every tribe of the sons of Israel” mentioned in Revelation 7:4-8, refers to all of Christ’s disciples who have faith like Abraham, whether Jew or Gentile, and from among them God has chosen and sealed 144,000 who are the Israel of God, or simply “Israel”. These are the ones Jehovah foreordained and chose “in union with [Christ] before the founding of the world,” when first mentioning the promised seed back in the Garden of Eden. (Gen. 3:15; Eph. 1:3-5) The old Law covenant produced the promised seed, Christ Jesus, while the new covenant makes possible the sealing of those in union with Christ, the Israel of God. (Rom. 7:4; Heb. 8:6; 9:15; 10:15-22)