Plucking the Eagle's Wings

2001 to 2008 and the Fullness of the Gentiles

(Genesis 6:3). At the baptism of Christ, the Spirit descended upon Him like a dove (Matthew 3:16). Yet, the religious leaders in Israel rejected Christ. The dove had no place to rest His feet. Then the Gentiles were grafted into the olive tree! The dove plucked an olive leaf from an olive tree, carrying it into the ark, typifying a time when the Gentiles would be plucked from the wild tree and brought into the safety of God's provision. After seven days, the dove left the ark permanently. This suggests the time of the seven-year tribulation, when God will remove His Spirit and visit the Gentiles with judgment instead of mercy! When the flood subsided, Noah and his family settled once again on the land. Noah planted a vineyard and made wine from its grapes. Noah even became drunk from the wine (Genesis 9:21). In this drunken condition, his son Ham saw his father naked and told his two brothers. As a result, Ham's son Canaan was placed under a curse (Genesis 9:25). This may point to the warnings given to Israel concerning the vineyard. It was to produce fruit, but instead it brought forth wild grapes (Isaiah 5:2). The overseers of the vineyard were cast out (cursed) and ownership of the vineyard was given to others. After Ham's son was cursed, Ham's promised blessings were passed to Shem. Another story about oil and wine comes from a parable of Jesus called the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:33-36). A man left Jerusalem and went to Jericho. While journeying, he was robbed and beaten. Both a Priest and a Levite avoided the wounded man on the side of the road, but it was a Samaritan, who was part Jew and part Gentile, that found the man and poured oil and wine into his wounds (Luke 10:34). This parable reveals a preview of prophetic events. Many of the religious Jews (Priests and Levites) rejected Jesus, but the outcast Samaritans experienced great revival (Acts 8). It was the Gentiles who received the oil (the Holy Spirit) and the wine (the vineyard) and ministered the Gospel. They loved the lost and bound up their wounds. The Tribulation and the Oil and Wine During the first half of the tribulation, famine strikes the earth. In his vision, John heard a voice saying, "Hurt not the oil and the wine" (Revelation 6:6). During the tribulation famine, a Jewish remnant of 144,000 will be protected from the judgments. At this time, God will begin to restore the olive branch (the oil) and the vineyard (the wine) to a remnant of natural Jews! God's will is that all Israel shall be saved

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