Jew, Gentile, and Sons of Kingdom
Romans 4:3 “For what does the Scripture say?” Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
And then God called Abraham. When God separated Abraham to Himself, He added another people group into the world. The new people group that God added was the Hebrew nation. However, the Hebrew nation never replaced the people group of believers in the earth. The sons of the kingdom remained, and continue even until this present time. However, unlike the sons of the kingdom, which are only included in that people group by faith, inclusion in the Jewish nation is based purely on ancestry and genealogies. Faith plays no part in whether one is included in the people group of the Jewish nation. The only way that one can become a part of the Jewish nation, is if you are born into it or if you convert to Judaism and become circumcised. When the Lord separated the Jewish nation to Himself from the rest of the earth, the term gentile was introduced to describe the rest of the nations in the earth to distinguish between these two new people groups. Although God from that time distinguished between Jew and gentile, something did not change, i.e. the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the wicked one. Both people groups of Jews and gentiles continued to have within them, both sons of the kingdom and sons of the wicked one. Abraham himself is an example of one who was included in both the Hebrew nation and the people group of believers. For Abraham is the biological father of the Jewish nation, but as the above passage of scripture declares, he is also a believer who has been included among the sons of the kingdom.
1 Kings 19:18 “Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
There are many examples given in scripture of Jews after the flesh who were also sons of the kingdom. Moses, Samuel and David were all Jews by genealogy, and were at the same time believers, thus making them heirs of the righteousness of God. The clear majority of Jews however, were not sons of the kingdom. Most of the Jews living in the time that Jesus walked the earth did not believe in Him and He called them the sons of the devil, for He said to them “you are of your father the devil” (John 8:44). At the time when Elijah complained to God about how the Jews had killed His prophets and were trying to kill him, there were approximately three million adult Jews living in Israel. In the above quoted passage of scripture God revealed to Elijah at that time, that He had reserved seven thousand to Himself. That means that the balance of two million nine-hundred and ninety-three thousand Jews were all sons of the wicked one.
Luke 11:32 “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed, a greater than Jonah is here.”
Among the gentiles, all through the generations after Abraham, the principle that was applicable among the Jews also applied to the gentiles, for although the clear majority of gentiles were unbelievers, there were gentiles who were also believers. King Nebuchadnezzar, King Darius and Naaman the Syrian, are all examples of gentiles who also were believers, thus making them heirs of the righteousness of God. In the above quoted passage of scripture our Lord Jesus placed the men of Nineveh into the same people group of believers, and they were all gentiles.
Romans 2:5-11 “But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, (6) who "will render to each one according to his deeds": (7) eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; (8) but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness--indignation and wrath, (9) tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; (10) but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (11) For there is no partiality with God.”
Being part of the Jewish nation is only applicable in this life. After physical death, God makes no more distinction between Jew and gentile. On the day of judgement both Jews and gentiles will be judged exactly the same. As the above passage of scripture declares, Jews may be first in line to be judged, but the judgement incurred will be exactly the same for both Jew and gentile. There is no eternal reward or punishment for that matter, for being included in the Jewish nation.
Michael E.B. Maher
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