Are You Boasting Against the Natural Branches?
By
James Scott Trimm
Unfortunately I hear many in the “Hebrew Roots” and “Two House” movements boasting against the natural branches. In his Parable of the Olive Tree (Romans 11) Paul admonishes the branches from the wild olive tree to “boast not against the natural branches” (Romans 11:18). In order to understand this admonition, it is important to understand just who the wild branches are, and who the natural branches are, that is, the identity of the two olive trees.
In order to understand this parable, we must first look back to the book of Hosea:
24 (2:22) And the earth shall respond to the grain, and the wine, and the oil–and they shall respond to Yizre’el.
25 (2:23) And I will sow her unto Me in the land, and I will have compassion upon her that had not obtained compassion. And I will say to them that were not My people: You are My people, and they shall say, You are my Elohim.
(Hosea 2:24-35 (2:22-23) HRV)
This passage from Hosea brings us to a most overlooked thread of prophecy, that of the ultimate restoration of the House of Israel.
The name Yizre’el (Jezreel in the KJV) is the key to this overlooked thread. In Hosea 1:4 Hosea’s wife bears a son and YHWH names the son “Yizre’el”. Throughout Hosea the names of Hosea’s sons had special prophetic meaning. The name “Yizre’el” is a word play on “Yisra’el” (Israel) but has the maning “El sows” or “El scatters”:
4 And YHWH said unto him: Call his name Yizre’el, for yet a little while and I will visit the blood of Yizre’el upon the house of Yahu, and will cause to cease–the kingdom of the House of Yisra’el.
(Hosea 1:4 HRV)
The prophetic meaning of this name is revealed in Hosea chapter 2 where Elohim scatters Yisra’el.
At this point it is absolutely essential to distinguish the two houses of Israel in this book. In these first two chapters of Hosea it is clear that it is not the House of Judah who are facing this chastisement. In fact Hosea specifies that while he is punishing the House of Israel, He will have compassion on the House of Judah:
7 But I will have compassion upon the House of Y’hudah, and will save them by YHWH their Elohim: and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, nor by horses, nor by horsemen.
(Hosea 1:7 HRV)
By contrast the House of Israel will lose their identity as the people of YHWH. His second and third sons are named “Lo-Ruchmah” (“not compassioned”) and “Lo-Ammi” (“Not My People”).
Finally YHWH tells us that at a time when the number of the descendants of Israel is as the “as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered.” (Hosea 2:1 (1:10)) that this group known as Lo-Ammi “Not My People” will come to be known as “Sons of the Living El.”
Romans 9 begins the contrast of the “Jews” and “Gentiles” by quoting Hosea 2:25(23); 2:1 (1:10) in Rom. 9:25-26.
23 And poured forth His mercy upon the vessels of mercy, that were prepared to Eloah to glory,
24 Which we are … the called; not only from the Jews, but also from the Goyim.
25 Thus also He said in Hoshea: I will call those who were not My people, My people: and to whom I have not shown mercy, I will show mercy.
26 For it will be, [that] in the place where they were called, Not my people: there they will be called, sons of the Living Eloah. (Hosea 2:1 (1:10); 2:25 (23))
27 And Yesha’yahu proclaimed concerning the B’nai Yisra’el, that even though the number of the B’nai Yisra’el should be like the sand that is in the sea, a remnant of them would be saved.
(Romans 9:23-27 HRV)
If we look up the context of the people “which were not my people” which he calls “my people” in Hosea we find that they are the “children of Israel”:
1 (1:10) Yet, the number of the children of Yisra’el shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered. And it shall come to pass that, instead of that which was said unto them, You are not My people: it shall be said unto them, You are the children of the living El.
(Hosea 2:1 (1:10))
as opposed to “the children of Judah”:
2 (1:11) And the children of Y’hudah and the children of Yisra’el shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint themselves one head, and shall go up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Yizre’el.
(Hosea 2:2 (1:11))
So if Paul is quoting Hosea in context and contrasting Jews and Gentiles (Rom. 9:24) using Hosea 2:1-2 (1:10-11) then the “Jews” of Rom. 9:24 are the “Children of Judah” of Hosea 2:2 (1:11) and the “Gentiles” of Rom. 9:24 are the “children of Israel” of Hosea 2:1 (1:10).
If this is true then as this contrasting pair advances into Rom. Chapter 11 the two trees are the two Houses. This prophecy parallels the two “sticks” prophecy of Ezekiel 37 (note that the word “stick in Ezek. 37 is ETZ which also means “tree”).
16 And if the first is Set-Apart, the lump of dough is also: and if the root is Set-Apart, the branches [are] also.
17 And if some branches were broken off, and you who are a wild olive [tree], were grafted into their place and became partakers of the root and of the oil of the olive [tree],
18 Do not boast against the [natural] branches. But if you boast, you are not bearing the root, but the root bears you!
19 And perhaps you should say of the branches that were broken off, I will be grafted in their place.
20 These [matters] are beautiful. They were broken off because they did not have trust, but you stand, by trust. Do not be exalted in your mind, but fear:
21 For if Eloah did not spare the natural branches, perhaps He will also not spare you.
22 See then the gentleness and the harshness of Eloah: upon those who fell, harshness, but upon you, gentleness, if, you remain in the gentleness. And if not, you will also be broken off.
23 And those, if they do not remain in their lack of trust, also will be grafted in: for Eloah is able to graft them in again.
24 For if you, who are from the olive [tree] that was wild by your nature, were cut off and were grafted–contrary to your nature–into the good olive [tree], how much more then, those, if they be grafted in their natural olive [tree]?
25 For I want you to know this mystery, my brothers, so that you will not be wise in the thought of your nefesh: that blindness of the heart, in part, has happened to Yisra’el until the fullness of the Goyim should come,
26 And then all Yisra’el will have Life. Thus it is written, From Tziyon a Deliverer will come, and turn iniquity from Ya’akov.
27 And then they will have the covenant that is from Me, when I forgive them their sins. (Isaiah 59:20-21; 27:9)
(Romans 11:16-27)
The Aramaic for the phrase “fullness of the Goyim” (Rom. 11:25) could also be translated “multitude of nations” as we read the blessing of Yoseph in Genesis:
18 And Yosef said unto his father, Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn: put your right hand upon his head.
19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Howbeit, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
20 And he blessed them that day, saying, By you shall Yisra’el bless, saying, Elohim make you as Efrayim and as M’nasheh, and he set Efrayim before M’nasheh.
(Gen. 48:18-20 HRV)
Now the uncultivated olive tree in Romans 11 is clearly therefore Ephraim and the cultivated olive tree is clearly that of Judah. This prophecy tells us that branches from the tree/stick of Ephraim will be broken off and grafted into the tree/stick of Judah, are to be fed by the root of the tree/stick of Judah and are not to boast against the natural branches (Jews).”
So the Ephraimite branches are grafted into the Jewish Olive Tree, to be fed by its Jewish Root (Rom. 11:17) and to boast not against the Jewish branches (Rom. 11:18).
This brings us to a whole series of biblical prophecies that paint a picture that in the last days it is the gentiles that come to partake from Judah and not the other way around.
Ephraim Put With Judah
As we mentioned above, the Olive Tree Parable runs parallel to the Two Sticks Prophecy of Ezekiel 37:15-20.
In this prophecy each of the two houses of Israel are symbolized by two “sticks” which are brought together and made as one (Ezek. 37:15-18) the text goes on to specify that YHWH will:
…take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim,
and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him,
even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick,…
(Ezek. 37:19)
So in this prophecy, Ezekiel is commanded to take the Stick of Joseph “and put them… with the Stick of Judah” (Ezekiel 37:19) not the other way around. Just as in the Olive Tree Parable, Ephaimite branches are grafted into Judah, not the other way around.
Take Hold of Judah
Now lets look at another prophecy in Zech. 8:23:
Thus said YHWH of hosts, ‘In those days ten men
from all languages of the nations take hold,
yea, they shall take hold of the edge of the garment of a man,
a Yehudite, saying, “Let us go with you,
for we have heard that Elohim is with you .” ‘ “j
Now lest anyone think that the “Jew” (Yehudite) in this passage is a certain Jew, such as the Messiah, I must point out that in the Hebrew the word “you” in “let us go with “you” and “Elohim is with you” is PLURAL and therefore refers not to an individual Jew, but to the House of Judah. No doubt the number “ten” here implies the lost ten tribes of Ephraim, so that Ephraim says to Judah:
“let us [Ephraim] go with you [Judah]
for we [Ephraim] have heard that YHWH is with you [Judah].”
So again, not the other way around.
Salvation is of the Jews
Let us also look at the encounter between Yeshua and an Ephraimite woman (a Samaritan). There is no doubt that this Samaritan woman is to be counted as an Ephraimite because she refers to “our father Jacob” (Jn. 4:12) and Yeshua makes no attempt to correct her on this point. (Note she mentions the two different places of worship on different mountains in 4:20). Then Yeshua tells her her religion is false and that the Jewish religion is the one true faith saying:
“You worship what you do not know.
We worship what we know,
because salvation is of the Jews.
“But the hour is coming, and now is,
when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth,
for the Father also does seek such to worship Him.
(Jn. 4:22-23)
So here the Ephaimite is told by Yeshua “salvation is of the Jews.”
To Whom Have Been Committed the Oracles of Elohim
Why is it that consistently we read that Ephraim and the Gentiles learn from Judah and not the other way around?
Paul writes:
1 What advantage then has the Jew? Or what profit is there in the circumcision?
2 Much every way! Chiefly because that unto them were committed the oracles of Elohim!
(Romans 3:1-2)
Notice that the oracles of Elohim were not committed to the Ephraimites or Gentiles, but to the Jews.
We see a consistent picture in the Scriptures that the House of Israel and/or Gentiles come to Judah, to whom the oracles of Elohim have been committed, take hold of Judah to go with Judah and be fed by the Jewish olive tree.
The Natural Branches
One thing must here be clarified. The true representative of Judah is Nazarene Judaism, not Rabbinic Judaism.
As laid out above, the restoration of the House of Israel (Ephraim) is typified in the parable of the olive tree, by the grafting of wild branches (Ephraimites) into the cultivated olive tree (Romans 11:16-19).
But an even more powerful stage of the restoration involves Judah being grafted back into its own olive tree:
And if their stumbling became riches for the world, and their loss, riches to the Goyim: how much more therefore, their fullness?
(Rom. 11:12 NHRV)
For if their reprobation was reconciliation to the world, how much more therefore, their return, but life that is from among the dead?
(Rom. 11:15 NHRV)
23 And those, if they do not remain in their lack of trust, also will be grafted in: for Elohim is able to graft them in again.
24 For if you, who are from the olive [tree] that was wild by your nature, were cut off and were grafted–contrary to your nature–into the good olive [tree], how much more then, those, if they be grafted in their natural olive [tree]?
(Rom. 11:23-24 NHRV)
Paul says here: You think the restoration of Ephraim is great, wait until you see the restoration of Judah!
The restoration of Judah is the modern restoration of Nazarene Judaism, which has been unfolding over the last several decades.
The picture in Scripture is that in the last days, Ephramites and other gentiles will realize that Elohim is with Judah to whom the oracles of Elohim have been committed. They will take hold of Judah and be fed by Judah.
Are you boasting against the natural branches? Do you think that the House of Judah needs take hold of the House of Ephraim to be fed? Or are you taking hold of Judah and being fed by the root of the Jewish olive tree?
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