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swore by Himself to uphold and apply it to another people! The people that rejected Christ were
no other people than the two southern tribes of the House of Judah. They simply refused to believe
that Christ was the Messiah, and what his death accomplished for both of the houses of Israel. The
covenant that YEHOVAH made with Abraham was an EVERLASTING covenant with a people
called Israel -- and it will always be with the SAME people. The Bible clearly upholds the fact
that YEHOVAH keeps His promises and does not change! He does not -- and could not -- change
the covenant that He Himself swore to uphold, and apply it to a different people other than Israel-
ites! Writes Malachi: "For I am YEHOVAH, I do not change, therefore you are NOT consumed, O
sons of Jacob."

The Olive Tree

In Romans 11:16-17 we read that some of the branches of an "olive tree" were broken off
-- what does this mean? What was Paul referring to by writing about this "olive tree"; and WHAT
does the "olive tree" represent in the Bible? Notice --

"For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the
branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a WILD OLIVE
TREE, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fat-
ness of the olive tree..."

According to Jeremiah 11:16-17, this olive tree represented the House of Israel and the
House of Judah. It was YEHOVAH God who "planted" this olive tree and pronounced evil against
it because this "olive tree" had done evil in provoking YEHOVAH to anger. As a result, according
to Paul, some of the branches were broken off. Let Jeremiah explain:

"YEHOVAH called your name, Green Olive Tree, lovely and of good fruit. With the noise
of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, AND ITS BRANCHES ARE BROKEN. For
YEHOVAH of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced doom against you for the evil of
the HOUSE OF ISRAEL and of the HOUSE OF JUDAH, which they have done against
themselves to provoke Me to anger in offering incense to Baal."

Paul correctly says that these branches that were broken off were at one time part of the ol-
ive tree. He then stresses the fact that this olive tree was holy to YEHOVAH. This fact simply
means that YEHOVAH's people Israel (both houses) were holy -- which is what the olive tree rep-
resented. In Romans 11:20 Paul states that they were broken off because of unbelief, and in verse
23 he says they will be grafted in again. Notice: "Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken
off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear." Now verse 23: "And they also, if they do
not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again." Notice the
word "again." In verses 25-26 Paul explains what he meant in the preceding verses:

"For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should
be wise in your own opinion, that hardening [blindness] in part has happened to Israel un-
til the FULLNESS OF THE GENTILES [House of Israel] has come in. And so ALL IS-
RAEL will be saved, as it is written: The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will
turn away ungodliness from Jacob."

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