Amellianial view of ROM 11, Hosea, REV 20

[Brad]

My brother recently challenged me concerning these 3 areas of Scripture and his strong adherence to dispensationalism. Upon reading this, he rejected it as vehemently as ever, but that's par for the course with him. Others may find it useful. My comments on the Scriptures in blue.

Romans 11
Israel's Rejection Not Total [ In light of previous chapters, the question is really, "can a Jew even be saved?" ]
1 I say then, has God cast away His people? [ The dispensationalist answers yes (temporarily), but Paul answers no. Note that this question is for the time Paul is writing, not future. Why would God cast away his people in any case? Sucks to be born a Jew now, but glorious to be one later? ] Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 "LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life"? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? "I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written:

" God has given them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes that they should not see
And ears that they should not hear,
To this very day."

9 And David says:

" Let their table become a snare and a trap,
A stumbling block and a recompense to them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,
And bow down their back always."

Israel's Rejection Not Final
11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
[ Now we begin talking about the tree. Note that the tree has remained the same; it always consisted of some Jews (the believing remnant) and some Gentiles. The only difference between OT and NT is the proportion of each. The tree never contained, nor will it ever (as is made clear in this chapter) be made up of anything but the faithful ]
16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, [ This isn't the first time branches have been broken off (JER 5:10: Go up on her walls and destroy, But do not make a complete end. Take away her branches, For they are not the LORD's.). Notice that even those branches (Jews) weren't the Lord's. ] and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in." 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? [ Jews are now being grafted in through faith ]
25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery [ The mystery is that Gentiles and Jews make up the same body - (EPH 3:3-6: how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel) ], lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel [ unbelieving Jews are blinded ] until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so [ This is most crucial: "and so" or "and thus" or "in this way" Israel will be saved. If dispensationalism were true, it would have to be "and then" - after all the Gentiles come in ] all Israel will be saved [ All spiritual Israel - the Israel of God - the remnant will be saved (ROM 9:27: "The remnant will be saved") ], as it is written:

" The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; [ the original verse indicates that the redeemer comes to those who turn from sin, not that he will turn them from their sin (ISA 59:20: The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," Says the LORD). ]
27 For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins."

28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. [ Jews can still be saved; the call and gifts are still available - again, the chapter answers the question of whether Jews still have any chance with God. ]

Revelation 20 [ This chapter so clearly lies out eschatology - Christ binds Satan, his saints rule, there is a final rebellion, Christ returns, the judgment follows ]
Satan Bound 1000 Years
1 Then I saw an angel [ The 'angel' represents Christ - no literal angel is powerful enough to do to Satan what's described. Jesus is the angel (messenger) of Malachi 3 ] coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound [ Binding: MAT 12:28-29 speaks of the fact that Jesus bound Satan & his demons ("But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house"). The nations were in complete darkness before Christ bound Satan. Christ disarmed the enemy (COL 2:15: Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it). Just as David slew the giant and the Israelites had to mop up, so this is our situation in the church age ] him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years [ The number 1000 is never used literally in Scripture (E.G., 2PE 3:8; PSA 50:10) & this book is the most likely place to find symbolic numbers. The number always means many in Scripture. Here it is used in contrast with a little while ] were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

The Saints Reign with Christ 1000 Years
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls [ souls = disembodied in heaven - another indication that the first resurrection below isn't physical, but rather spiritual. They await the physical resurrection @ the end of the chapter. This reigning takes place in heaven ] of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus [ all the martyrs of the church age ] and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast [ beast = world system ] or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands [ they don't think or act as the world ]. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished [ they only partake in the final resurrection to judgment ]. This is the first resurrection [ first resurrection refers to regeneration. JOH 5:24-25 ("Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming [final physical resurrection], and now is [regeneration - spiritual resurrection], when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live") ]. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power [ The second death is described in vs 14 as the lake of fire. Those who take part in the first resurrection (the regenerate) won't suffer that death ], but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years [ the souls reign with Christ in heaven and we as priests (1PE 2:5) reign "on earth as it is in heaven" ].

Satanic Rebellion Crushed
7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them [ this is no doubt the second coming (2TH 1:6-10, 2TH 2:8, 2PE 3:10-13 (notice none of these verses tell of a tribulation following his coming). Rev 20-21 sure appear to be intact chronologically. This means the second coming happens after the millennium and Satan's rebellion ]. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The Great White Throne Judgment
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them [ The one physical resurrection (ACT 24:15: "I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust") (JOH 5:28-29: "the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation") ]. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Hosea [ I'm not going to paste all of Hosea in here. Your main point was that God will return to his wife after divorcing her. This restoration is discussed in chapters 3 and 14. ]
Hosea 3
Israel Will Return to God
1 Then the LORD said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the LORD for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans."
2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley. 3 And I said to her, "You shall stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man—so, too, will I be toward you."
4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim [ I think this is speaking of the inter-testamental period ]. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David [Christ] their king [ I think this is the same thing described in ROM - the remnant ]. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days [ when the NT writters speak of "these latter days" I think they're speaking of the end of the Jewish age ].

Hosea 14
Israel Restored at Last [ This whole chapter speaks of the millennium - the church age ]
1 O Israel, return to the LORD your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
2 Take words with you,
And return to the LORD.
Say to Him,
" Take away all iniquity; [as Christ did]
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. [we no longer offer animal sacrifices]
3 Assyria shall not save us,
We will not ride on horses, [we don't trust in military might - we've beaten our swords into plowshares to plant the seed of the Gospel]
Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, 'You are our gods.'
For in You the fatherless finds mercy."
4 " I will heal their backsliding,
I will love them freely,
For My anger has turned away from him.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel;
He shall grow like the lily, [Jesus spoke of the lilies]
And lengthen his roots like Lebanon.
6 His branches shall spread;
His beauty shall be like an olive tree,
And his fragrance like Lebanon.
7 Those who dwell under his shadow shall return;
They shall be revived like grain, [ 1CO 15:37-38: "And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body" ]
And grow like a vine. [Jesus the true vine]
Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 " Ephraim shall say, 'What have I to do anymore with idols?'
I have heard and observed him.
I am like a green cypress tree;
Your fruit is found in Me." [ MAT 21:43 ("Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it") ]
9 Who is wise?
Let him understand these things.
[ Here is an interesting thing - at the end of the book he asks this question as if to indicate that nobody at that time would understand the fulfillment.
We see something similar in DAN 12:8-10 ("Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, "My lord, what shall be the end of these things?" And he said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand")
Daniel asks the question, but is denied. But then in 1PE 1:10-12 we read ("Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.")
Daniel asked when these things would be and Peter answers. Also, in DAN 12:5-6 we read ("Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank. And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?"). Peter tells us that the prophets inquired, and even angels inquired about the things that are fulfilled to us (1PE 1:12) ]
Who is prudent?
Let him know them.
For the ways of the LORD are right;
The righteous walk in them,
But transgressors stumble in them.