It is a natural progression of your interpretation that the rapture/resurrection of Israel has already occurred. The Gentiles would have been left behind because they were not Jews, not Israel. That fits nicely with your theory that the Catholic Church is apostate (Left Behind Gentiles could not figure it out by themselves and fell into verious errors). What you don't seem to realize is you are part of a small, recent movement (the same criticism you have a Darby and Scofield, except there is historical evidence of their view in the early Church Fathers, though it was certainly not unanimous; hence the Catholic position of not being dogmatic on what remains unknown but being dogmatic about the basics: the imminent return that has not happened yet, the special part Israel has to play and their ultimate national redemption through no merit of their own but just to show God's mercy and complete his Jewish and Gentile family.
I already posted the latest historical evidence that the Jewish believers who escaped to Pella in 70 AD returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt their Messianic Synagogue after the end of the Jewish-Roman wars because they realized that the expected return of Messiah had not occurred yet. This is congruent with the testimony of the Church Fathers and tradtion of the Catholic Church, which is why almost all Orthodox, Fundamentalist, and Evangelical Christians are still waiting for the imminent return of the LORD Jesus Christ.
This so strange I don't know how to begin to respond. What is your point? Was God unfair? Did he promise the Gentiles anything I don't know about? Did any of the O.T. prophecies say the Gentiles would be part of the elect? Again, I don't know what kind of response you are expecting. I can only tell you what is in the scriptures.
>>>That fits nicely with your theory that the Catholic Church is apostate (Left Behind Gentiles could not figure it out by themselves and fell into verious errors).<<<
Well, I hadn't really thought about it that way. God's foresight is superior to all our collective hind-sights, so why would I consider it? In fact, I have, on many occasions, stood up for the Catholic church in the sense that it "carried the water" for us; that is, it maintained the manuscripts and kept the religion alive until something better came along. We have close catholic friends, and we have been close for quite some time. But we never talk about religion. LOL! I think they are good, kind hearted Christians, and they don't need my advice. One of that bunch is a former Jew who converted to Catholicism about 10 years ago. I think he is still adjusting. But he is a bona-fide convert.
>>>What you don't seem to realize is you are part of a small, recent movement (the same criticism you have a Darby and Scofield, except there is historical evidence of their view in the early Church Fathers, though it was certainly not unanimous; hence the Catholic position of not being dogmatic on what remains unknown but being dogmatic about the basics:<<<
What did the early Church fathers have to go on? There was no one left to inform them one way or another. There was an obvious absence of inspired documents. Consensus is not God's Word. We can either believe it as written, or we can speculate on what the writer was thinking when he wrote it. I personally see all the writers as mere instruments: scribes, if you will, with no say-so whatsoever in what they wrote. I didn't merely pull that understanding out of thin air: I got it from 2 Pet 1:20-21.
>>>the imminent return that has not happened yet<<<
One of them has not happened. The first resurrection has already happened, exactly when Jesus said it would. I am waiting for the second.
"…the special part Israel has to play and their ultimate national redemption through no merit of their own but just to show God's mercy and complete his Jewish and Gentile family."
If God was going to show them any mercy or privileges that he doesn't provide the Gentiles, Jesus or one of the apostles would have spoken about it. No one wrote about it. How many times did Paul say there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek? How many times did the Jesus and apostles say or imply, God is no respecter of persons?
If Paul didn't meant this, why would he say it?
"That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;" (Eph 2:12-15 KJV)
And this?
"But ye [Jews and Gentiles] are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." (Heb 12:22-24 KJV)
And why on earth would he say this?
"For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." (Rom 9:3)
And why would Moses say this?
"For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people." (Acts 3:22-23 KJV)
I really do not know where you are coming from. I wish it were true; but I don't see it anywhere in the scriptures.
>>>I already posted the latest historical evidence that the Jewish believers who escaped to Pella in 70 AD returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt their Messianic Synagogue after the end of the Jewish-Roman wars because they realized that the expected return of Messiah had not occurred yet. This is congruent with the testimony of the Church Fathers and tradtion of the Catholic Church, which is why almost all Orthodox, Fundamentalist, and Evangelical Christians are still waiting for the imminent return of the LORD Jesus Christ.<<<
All I can say is, it may have been a secret rapture after all. And these won't be disappointed.
Philip