Jewish people have never lacked resourcefulness. In fact they have proved to be a clever race in every field of endeavour, with the exception of spiritual perception and obedience in things concerning the Will of God. For the Lord dulled their sensibilities⁽¹⁾ in order to make them jealous of "a nation that is no nation"⁽²⁾ because of their stubbornness. A nation, that is gathered out of many nations, which our Lord prophesied would be gathered to him by Holy Spirit,⁽³⁾ namely the Gentiles. But now that the full predestined number of them are complete, God will now turn His attention to gather the remaining ones of the complete number of 144,000, and the remaining ones of the "great crowd", out of the Jewish nation;⁽⁴⁾ through The Christ Jesus removing their insensibility and wickedness by giving them spiritual perception!

"STUMBLING BLOCKS", AND SAVING JEWS OUT OF THEIR JEALOUSY AND ENVY.
The curse from our Lord for them was uttered: "Let their table become for them a snare and a trap and a stumbling block and a retribution; let their eyes become darkened so as not to see, and always bow down their back." ⁽⁵⁾

There is an excessive preoccupation among Jews over scriptural food observances (of "their table") until it has become a snare and a trap to their spiritual growth. ⁽⁶⁾ Righteousness cannot be attained through foods, even though Jews may observe the law of God in that regard. They also foolishly bow down their backs before a temple wall. ⁽⁷⁾ But now, following the "trampling" of the last of the Gentile remnant and the casting out of those who did the "trampling", ⁽⁸⁾ the time has come for the Jewish remnant to be saved.

As it says: "'From Zion shall come the Deliverer; he shall remove wickedness from Jacob. And this is the covenant I will grant them, when I take away their sins.'" ⁽⁹⁾ But previously this could not take place until their dulled sensibilities were corrected, to see the "Way of Holiness",⁽¹⁰⁾ and the full number of Gentiles gathered. They have both been fulfilled.

Although The Christ Jesus says that he will remove wickedness, it will be removed from among repentant ones, by a purging towards sanctification (See Zech 12:10-14), because of their previous lack of faith. Jews have a misdirected zeal for God, one of their own making ⁽¹¹⁾ and they cannot be saved by it. Only righteousness acquired through one's active faith according to accurate knowledge can save; that is, righteous conduct within the loving principles of The Word, that The Christ Jesus taught. Regarding the scripture: "Remember the law of Moses My servant, the rules and precepts which I bade him deliver to all Israel at Horeb" ⁽¹²⁾, these rules are now to be understood and obeyed spiritually, in faith. For Christ annulled the Mosaic Law, to reconcile the two (Jews and Gentiles) in a single body to God. ⁽¹³⁾ Therefore, one's understanding of those laws and their punishments must not be allowed to stumble those Jews turning to God through faith.

Until now, the "good news" through The Christ for the Jews has mainly been exercised through the quality of enticement, through jealousy. Now that the "good news" has come to a finish ⁽¹⁴⁾ it is also out of their fear of the calamities taking place on earth. ⁽¹⁵⁾ Other "stumbling blocks", such as their separatist behaviour expressed through the wearing of "outlandish dress", ⁽¹⁶⁾ skull caps, ⁽¹⁷⁾ and other offending ritual observances, will cease among those being saved.

(1) Rom 11:7-10 NWT.      (2) Rom 10:19 NEB.               (3) 2 Cor 1:21,22. John 3:5.     (4) Rev 7:4.

(5) Rom 11:9,10 NWT.      (6)(7) Rom 11:9, 10 NEB.      (8) Rev 11:1,2.                          (9) Rom 11:26,27 NEB.

(10) Isaiah 35:8-10.           (11) Rom 10:1-21 NEB.          (12) Mal 4:4 NEB.                    (13) Eph 2:14-16.

13/9/90.