Who is true Israel?

Recently, my friends and I were considering who is true Isreal according to the New Testament? There are many more questions that needs to be addressed that are related to this. For example, will a temple be built? And will the Jews serve it according to the Old Testament/Covenant? I will not be able to answer these questions right now. However, in this article, I would like to write down my findings in Romans 9-11.

Paul, in Romans 9, speaks of a great grief and unceasing pain in his heart (v. 2) because "not all who are out of Israel are out of Isreal" (v. 6); "it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are accounted as the seed" (v. 8); "And Isaiah cries concerning Israel, 'Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved'" (v. 27).

Why not all physical Israel not true Israel? Because Israel, pursuing a law of righteous stumbled at the stone of stumbling because they did not pursue it out of faith but out of works and everyone who believes on Him shall not be put to shame (vv. 9:30-33). Hence, in Romans 10, Paul continues by stating that he prays for their salvation (v. 1) because "they have a zeal for God, but not according to full knowledge" (v. 2), "For because they were ignorant of God's righteousness and sought to establish their own righteousness, they were not subject to the righteousness of God" (v. 3), "For Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to everyone who believes" (v. 4) and because they are cursed because "the righteousness which is out of the law" is "The man who does them shall live by them'' (v. 5).

Furthermore, in Romans 10:8-13, it seems that the word of faith (the message/the gospel) and the Lord is same--"For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all and rich to all who call upon Him; For 'whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved'" (vv. 12-13). In other words, for Jews to be saved, they need to believe that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead and confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord, which is not different from anyone else (Gentiles). Hence the physical Jews are not blessed with Abraham's blessing in Gen. 12 but it is the Christians who have inherited the promise of Abraham (Galatians).

In verse 18, Paul asks didn't Israel not hear the gospel? "Yes surely: Their voice has gone out into all the earth and their words to the ends of the inhabited earth" (v. 18), "I will provoke you [Israel] to jealousy" (v. 19), "All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a people who disobey and contradict'' (v. 21).

In chapter 11, Paul asks "Did God cast away His people" (v. 1)? "Absolutely not! For I also am an Israelite" (v. 1); just as in times of Elijah "at the present time also there has come into being a remnant according to the selection of grace. But if by grace, it is no longer out of works" (vv. 5-6); "That which Israel is seeking after, this it has not obtained, but the chosen have obtained it, and the rest have been hardened" (v. 7). So who are the remnant and the chosen among the Jews? They are the believing Jews, like Paul.

Israel as an olive branches were broken off but "if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in" (v. 23); "For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all" (v. 32); "The Deliverer will come out of Zion; He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob." (v. 26)

Hence, it seems that the spiritual state of physical Israel is not different from the Gentiles--they are unbelievers. They have to hear the gospel and believe in the gospel. Otherwise, they will perish. By believing the Jews and Gentiles become the true Isreal of God.