In the upper room, Christ had said: I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser... I am the vine; you are the branches (John 15:1,5). Consequently, as we have seen, we have two Israels. On the one hand, there was the first Israel; that is, the natural, national Israel, the old-covenant Israel. On the other hand, there is the new Israel, the true Israel, the Israel of the new covenant, the fulfilment of all that the first, temporary Israel stood for. It all hinges on Christ‟s use of „true‟. This is the key. |