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The 12 tribes of the two houses constitute the entirety of Israel for whom the old and new covenant are established, being one body and one bride in Christ. In the end, one only enters New Jerusalem through one of twelve tribal gates. There is no gentile gate. If one assumes the existence of a gentile church, apart from Israel, they must also assume that they somehow do not participate at all in New Jerusalem. That they do not participate in the last 2 chapters of Revelation, where the book of life is kept and the tree of life given. The simpler eschatology, is that they enter as a tribe of Israel.
We read in Rev 21 that a New Jerusalem is established through the 12 tribes, built on the foundational work of the apostles and prophets through Christ, the cornerstone. Compare below with Ephesians 2:18-22.
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.
Revelation 21:10-14,22 ESV
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:18-22 ESV
There are no gates for a gentile church in New Jerusalem, which contains those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. One walks through as one of the 12 tribes. One must therefore adopt the stance that they do in fact belong to Israel, or they do not see New Jerusalem. There is no scriptural middle ground. It is those in New Jerusalem who are written in the Lamb’s book of life, and it is those in New Jerusalem who drink from the waters of life.
There is also evidence that the early apostles believed that elements of the 12 unified tribes had already taken shape. We saw earlier that James describes gentile believers in Acts 15 as the fulfillment of Amos 9:9-12, the scattered northern 10 tribes. This is in keeping with his letter being addressed to the 12 tribes:
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.”
James 1:1 ESV
Those 12 tribes within the dispersion are those who are saved in Christ and fled Jerusalem after the stoning of Stephen. While localized, it seems there was also a sense that the 10 tribes scattered throughout the nations were also an aspect of the greater dispersion coming in. In other words, as we saw previously, those far coming near again. In effect, those far coming in as a preserved elect within the dispersion, or as Amos 9:9 reads, those pebbles preserved within the sieve, shaken by God’s wrath upon the northern tribes.
Peter also addresses his letter to elect exiles in the dispersion.
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.”
1 Peter 1:1-2 ESV
So we have James addressing his letter to those in the dispersion as the 12 tribes, and Peter addressing his letter to those in the dispersion as elect, or preserved exiles. In effect, we have a Biblical case for those in the dispersion being deemed the preserved elect of Israel’s 12 tribes. This description is in keeping with Isaiah 49:6, quoted by Paul in Acts 13 (see previous section)
It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Isaiah 49:6 ESV
Isaiah 49:6 is also quoted by Simeon as he held Christ as a child (Luke 2:25-32). It was also quoted twice by Paul and both times being addressed to an unbelieving Jewish audience. Once in Antioch in Acts 13, and once to Festus in Acts 22:
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant[e] depart in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation 31that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
Luke 2:25-32 ESV
44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 But when the Jews[d] saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
Acts 13:44-48 ESV
22 To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”
Acts 26:22-23 ESV
So we have James and Peter addressing their letters to a preserved elect of the 12 tribes of Israel, thought to be present in some shape or form in the dispersion after Stephen’s stoning. This preserved elect is also described in Isaiah 49:6. In Isaiah, the scripture speaks of Israel’s preserved elect being brought back from afar. This passage is also quoted in the NT in regards to the gentiles in multiple places (Luke 2, Acts 13, and Acts 26 above). Putting things together, there are two traditional options. The first reads incoherently, and it surmises that Israel and saved Gentiles are distinct entities. The second is logical, and states that the gentiles are to be grafted in and become members of Israel’s 12 tribes. So the first option claims a physical nature to God’s people, and separates out God’s Israel from others via genetic lineage. The second option claims God’s people are simply Israel. A spiritual people called according to His purposes..
Those within dispensational thought claim that James and Peter’s letters are only addressed to genetic Israel, and that these letters are therefore not directly applicable to the gentile church. In essence, that these books of the Bible don’t really apply to today’s Christian. As we saw earlier, there is no Biblical evidence that the gentile church exists as a distinct entity from Israel. The new covenant promises are given to the two houses, not the two houses and a 3rd. Furthermore, the content within Peter and James writings is aimed toward believers who were gentile, so a claim on these letters being addressed toward genetic Israel, who grew up in Mosaic law, seems unwarranted and non-sequitur .
Peter states in his letter that gentiles should keep their conduct pure around gentiles, which serves to demonstrate to the reader that he does not consider his audience to be gentile, and further, that his audience required reminders to abstain from sinful desires that they likely previously engaged in. Such a statement would seem unnecessary if his audience were Jewish believers who had grown up with the Torah. With this in mind, let’s now read 1 Peter 2:9-12:
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
1 Peter 2:9-12 ESV
We also see confirmation of a previously gentile audience in 1 Peter 4:4, where Peter states that gentiles will be surprised when his audience does not join them in their debauchery. It seems unlikely that gentiles would be surprised that Jews do not engage in their same flood of debauchery. It runs counter Mosaic Law. And it would seem likely that gentiles would be surprised by gentile Christian converts no longer participating in old sinful practices.
3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;
1 Peter 4:3-4 ESV
So we have Peter’s letter addressed to the elect within the dispersed, and he includes those who were once gentile (see 1 Peter 2:9-12 and 1 Peter 4:3-4). And we have James’ letter addressed to the elect within the dispersed, who are identified as the 12 tribes. James’ letter seems aimed at general principles of faith, so we cannot draw a direct association toward gentiles within the letter itself, but addressing his letter to the 12 tribes seems oddly placed without context, for 10 lost tribes were still thought to be dispersed to unknown lands. We also know from Acts 15:13-18, that James believes gentiles to be a component of Israel once saved, as he states the gentiles are the fulfillment of Amos 9:9-12, a passage aimed at the gathering of the scattered northern tribes, at the Jerusalem Council.
Further, from our previous discussion, we saw in Deut 32:21 that called out gentiles are considered not a people, having no distinct nationality, and from Hosea 1:6, 2:1-3, as those scattered northern tribes who once had no mercy, but are now beloved. From these various passages, we are led to believe that God’s people are fundamentally a spiritual one, known to Him only. Again, it is not to say that lineage is completely unimportant, just that if genetics play a role, it is for Him alone to decide. Any confidence placed in lineage as being that which saves, puts one in danger of pride and boasting.
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