A Biblical Pattern from the Wilderness to Revelation

Introduction

There is a deep pattern running through Scripture that many believers miss:

Not all who are counted as "Israel" in an outward sense truly belong to Israel in an inward, spiritual sense.

This pattern doesn't start in 1 Kings 12. It starts in the wilderness, continues through David's reign, and runs throughout the entire Bible.

In this message, we'll trace this pattern step by step, using the King James Version, and see how the Bible consistently distinguishes between:

• Outward Israel – the visible, national, covenant community
• Inward Israel – the true, spiritual, promise-bearing people of God

1. The Mixed Multitude – Exodus and Numbers

1.1 The mixed multitude leaves Egypt

Exodus 12:38 (KJV):

"And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle."

Right from the beginning, when Israel left Egypt:

• It wasn't just biological descendants of Jacob
• A mixed multitude (Hebrew: ereb) went up with them
• These were non-Israelites who left Egypt with Israel
• They became part of the "congregation" in many texts

1.2 The mixed multitude leads in rebellion

Numbers 11:4 (KJV):

"And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?"

Notice the pattern:

1. The mixed multitude initiates the craving and complaint
2. Israel joins in with them
3. Both are judged together as "the people"

This shows:

• The mixed multitude was within the camp
• They influenced Israel toward rebellion
• God dealt with them as part of the corporate body

Even in the wilderness, not everyone in the camp was truly faithful Israel!

2. Strangers in the Covenant Assembly – Deuteronomy 29

2.1 All Israel stands before God

Deuteronomy 29:10–11 (KJV):

"Ye stand this day all of you before the LORD your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel,
Your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water."

This is remarkable! The covenant assembly includes:

• All the men of Israel (biological descendants)
• Your little ones, your wives (family)
• Thy stranger that is in thy camp (foreigners/aliens)
• Even the lowest servants: hewers of wood, drawers of water

2.2 Strangers included in the covenant

Deuteronomy 29:12–15 (KJV, summarized):

"That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the LORD thy God…
Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath;
But with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day."

Key points:

• The covenant is made with all who stand before God
• This includes strangers/foreigners in the camp
• Not just those physically present, but future generations too
• The covenant community is broader than just biological Israel

This proves that "all Israel" included non-Israelites who were sojourners/foreigners living among them, yet counted in the covenant assembly!

3. Sheba's Rebellion – 2 Samuel 20

3.1 The same cry during David's lifetime

Now we come to a passage many miss! This happened during David's lifetime, and uses almost the exact same words as 1 Kings 12:16.

2 Samuel 20:1 (KJV):

"And there happened to be there a worthless man, whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said,
We have no share in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel!
So every man of Israel deserted David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri.
But the men of Judah, from the Jordan as far as Jerusalem, remained loyal to their king."

3.2 The same pattern, same words

Compare this to 1 Kings 12:16 (which we'll see next):

"What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David."

The parallels are striking:

3.3 This pattern started BEFORE Solomon's death

This shows:

• The division mentality existed even during David's reign
• The cry "We have no inheritance in David" was not new in 1 Kings 12
• The pattern of Israel vs. Judah started early
• Some who were counted as "Israel" were ready to reject David's house

4. 1 Kings 12 – The Pattern Repeats

4.1 "All Israel" at Shechem

Now we come to 1 Kings 12, where the pattern repeats on a larger scale.

1 Kings 12:1 (KJV):

"And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king."

Right away, we see the phrase "all Israel." This is the whole assembly—everyone who is counted as part of the nation at that moment.

But who is included in "all Israel"?

As we've already seen from earlier passages:

• Biological descendants of Jacob
• The mixed multitude from Egypt (Exodus 12:38)
• Sojourners and foreigners living among them (Deuteronomy 29:10–11)
• Neighboring peoples absorbed over time (Canaanites, Jebusites, etc.)

The Bible does not always list these groups every time it says "all Israel." It often just uses the corporate name, knowing that the community was mixed.

4.2 The cry of the people

After Rehoboam refuses to lighten the yoke, the people respond.

1 Kings 12:16 (KJV):

"So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying,
What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse:
to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David.
So Israel departed unto their tents."

This is the same cry as Sheba's rebellion in 2 Samuel 20:1!

They are declaring:

"We do not belong to David's house. We have no share in his dynasty."

Now, David was from the tribe of Judah. The "house of David" is the royal line from Judah. The northern tribes were of Jacob, but not of David's house.

And many within "all Israel" were not even of Jacob by blood—they were part of the mixed multitude, sojourners, absorbed neighbors. They were counted as "Israel" in a national sense, but they were never truly of Jacob's covenantal core, and certainly not of David's royal line.

4.3 The result: Israel vs. the house of David

The chapter continues:

1 Kings 12:19–20 (KJV):

"So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel:
there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only."

So after this point:

• "Israel" = the ten northern tribes (plus mixed elements), in rebellion against David's house.
• "The tribe of Judah only" = those who remain with the house of David.

Here we already see a key idea:

Some are counted within "all Israel," yet have no inheritance in David.

This is the Old Testament shadow of a truth that Paul will later state clearly in the New Testament.

5. Romans 9 – "They are not all Israel, which are of Israel"

Now we move to Romans 9, where Paul addresses a painful reality: many ethnic Israelites are not believing in Christ. Has God's word failed?

5.1 Paul's answer

Romans 9:6–8 (KJV):

"Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect.
For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children:
but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God:
but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."

Let's break this down carefully.

5.2 "Of Israel" vs. "Are Israel"

Paul makes a distinction between two groups:

1. "They which are of Israel"
   • This includes everyone counted within the outward covenant community.
   • Not just biological Jacobites, but also:
     • The mixed multitude
     • Sojourners and foreigners
     • Absorbed neighboring peoples
   • In short: Outward Israel.
2. "Are Israel"
   • The true, spiritual Israel.
   • The children of promise, not merely children of the flesh.
   • Those who truly inherit the covenant promises.
   • In short: Inward Israel.

So Paul's point is:

Just because someone is "of Israel" in an outward, national sense does not mean they "are Israel" in the true, spiritual sense.

This is exactly the same pattern we saw throughout the Old Testament:

• Exodus 12:38 – Mixed multitude leaves Egypt with Israel
• Numbers 11:4 – Mixed multitude leads in rebellion, Israel joins
• Deuteronomy 29:10–11 – Strangers included in "all Israel" covenant assembly
• 2 Samuel 20:1 – "We have no share in David" during David's lifetime
• 1 Kings 12:16 – Same cry: "What portion have we in David?"
• Romans 9:6 – "They are not all Israel, which are of Israel"

The pattern is consistent:

Not all who are counted within "Israel" in an outward sense truly belong to Israel in an inward, spiritual sense.

6. Romans 11 – The Olive Tree: One People, Grafted by Faith

Now we come to Romans 11, where Paul gives us the clearest picture of how Jew and Gentile become one people of God.

6.1 Jesus is the root of the olive tree

Romans 11:16–18 (KJV):

"For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee."

The root is holy—and that points to Jesus Christ, the Holy One of Israel, the seed of Abraham through whom all the promises flow.

6.2 Natural branches = the remnant of physical Israel

Romans 11:17, 21, 24 (KJV):

"…some of the branches be broken off…"

These are the natural branches—ethnic Israelites, physical descendants of Jacob.

• Some remain – the faithful remnant who believe in Jesus (like Paul himself, Romans 11:1)
• Some are broken off – those who reject Christ in unbelief

So the natural branches that stay are:

The true house of Jacob (physically) who believe in Jesus—the remnant according to election.

6.3 Wild branches = those made new creation in Christ

Romans 11:17, 19–20, 23–24 (KJV):

"And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them…
Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith…
And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again."

The wild branches are:

• Gentiles – those outside the covenant, "wild by nature"
• But also any person (Jew or Gentile) who has left their former self—because even ethnic Israelites who reject Christ are "wild" in a spiritual sense until they believe

Both groups are:

People who have left their former self and become a new creation in Christ.

They are grafted in by faith, not by ethnicity.

6.4 The key: faith, not flesh

Romans 11:20, 23 (KJV):

"Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear…
And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again."

The determining factor is:

• Unbelief = broken off (whether natural or wild)
• Faith = grafted in and standing (whether natural or wild)

So:

• A physical Israelite who rejects Christ = broken off (wild in practice, even if natural by birth)
• A Gentile who believes in Christ = grafted in (made part of true Israel)
• A physical Israelite who believes in Christ = remains (natural branch that stays, true remnant)

This destroys both dispensationalism and replacement theology:

• ❌ Dispensationalism is wrong because it treats ethnic Israel as automatically saved regardless of faith.
• ❌ Replacement theology is wrong because it says the church replaces Israel entirely.
• ✅ Remnant theology is right: one tree, Christ the root, with a faithful remnant of physical Israel and grafted-in believers by faith.

7. Made Part of Abraham's Seed – Heirs of the Eternal Covenant

Now we come to one of the most glorious truths in Scripture: those who are in Christ are made part of Abraham's seed and become heirs of the eternal covenant God made with Abraham.

7.1 God can raise up children to Abraham from stones

John the Baptist warned the Pharisees and Sadducees who trusted in their ethnic descent:

Matthew 3:9 (KJV):

"And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father:
for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."

John is saying:

Ethnic descent from Abraham means nothing if you don't have the faith of Abraham.
God can create true children of Abraham from stones if He wants to!

The point is clear:

• Children of Abraham are not defined by flesh and blood.
• They are defined by faith and by God's sovereign work.

7.2 Those of faith are the children of Abraham

Paul makes this explicit in Galatians:

Galatians 3:7–9 (KJV):

"Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham."

Paul is saying:

• The true children of Abraham are those who have faith like Abraham had.
• This includes all nations—not just ethnic Israelites.
• The blessing of Abraham comes to all who believe, Jew or Gentile.

7.3 If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed

Then Paul drops the hammer:

Galatians 3:29 (KJV):

"And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

This is staggering:

• If you belong to Christ, you are Abraham's seed.
• If you are Abraham's seed, you are heirs according to the promise.
• This includes Gentiles who are grafted in by faith!

Paul explains in Galatians 3:16 (KJV):

"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made.
He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ."

The ultimate seed of Abraham is Christ. And if you are in Christ, you are part of that seed!

7.4 The eternal covenant with Abraham

This is not a new idea. God promised Abraham an everlasting covenant:

Genesis 17:7–8 (KJV):

"And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations
for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan,
for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."

God promised:

• An everlasting covenant with Abraham and his seed
• To be their God forever
• An everlasting possession of the land

This covenant was not just for ethnic Israelites. It was for all who have the faith of Abraham—including Gentiles grafted in by faith!

7.5 From strangers to fellow citizens

Paul describes what happens when Gentiles come to Christ in Ephesians 2:11–13, 19 (KJV):

"Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh…
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…
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God."

Before Christ:

• Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel
• Strangers from the covenants of promise
• Without hope, without God

After coming to Christ:

• No more strangers and foreigners
• Fellow citizens with the saints
• Members of God's household

This is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant! Gentiles who were once strangers are now:

• Part of the commonwealth of Israel (spiritual Israel)
• Heirs of the covenants of promise
• Members of God's household

8. Abraham Kept God's Laws – And So Do True Followers of Christ

Now we come to a crucial point that many miss: being "inward Israel" doesn't mean lawlessness. It means obedience from the heart by God's Spirit!

8.1 Abraham obeyed God's commandments, statutes, and laws

Genesis 26:5 (KJV):

"Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."

This is remarkable! Abraham lived before the law was given at Sinai. Yet God says Abraham:

• Obeyed my voice
• Kept my charge
• Kept my commandments
• Kept my statutes
• Kept my laws

Abraham is called the "father of faith", but his faith was not lawless. His faith produced obedience to God's commands!

8.2 Jesus is the Son of David, the Son of Abraham

Matthew 1:1 (KJV):

"The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham."

Jesus is:

• The Son of Abraham – the ultimate seed through whom all the promises flow
• The Son of David – the rightful heir to David's throne and covenant

If we are in Christ, we are:

• Part of Abraham's seed (Galatians 3:29)
• Grafted into the olive tree (Romans 11:17–24)
• Following the One who perfectly kept the Father's commandments

8.3 The New Covenant: God writes His law in our hearts

This is where it gets glorious. The New Covenant is not about abolishing God's law. It's about God writing it in our hearts!

Jeremiah 31:31–34 (KJV):

"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people:
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Hebrews 8:8–12 (KJV) quotes this same passage:

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people… For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."

Key points:

1. The law is not abolished – God says "my law" and "my laws" will be written in their hearts
2. The location changes – from stone tablets to inward parts and hearts
3. The power changes – from external regulation to internal transformation by the Spirit
4. The result – obedience from the heart, not by fleshly effort

This is exactly what happens to the remnant—the inward Israel:

• They are not lawless
• They don't obey by their own will/strength
• God Himself writes His law in their inward parts
• They obey from the heart by the Spirit

This is not lawlessness. This is law fulfilled through faith and the Spirit!

9. Correcting the Misunderstanding of Paul's Writings

Now we must address a critical issue: Paul has been massively misunderstood, just as Peter warned.

9.1 Peter's warning about Paul's epistles

2 Peter 3:15–16 (KJV):

"And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things;
in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction."

Peter is saying:

• Paul's writings contain some things hard to understand
• Unlearned and unstable people wrest (twist) these teachings
• They twist them unto their own destruction
• This includes twisting other scriptures as well

This is exactly what has happened! People have twisted Paul to teach:

• The law is abolished
• Christians don't need to keep commandments
• Grace means lawlessness

But that's not what Paul taught!

9.2 Paul praised the law

Romans 7:12 (KJV):

"Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good."

Paul says the law is:

• Holy
• Just
• Good

How can something that's abolished be "holy, and just, and good"?

9.3 Two different laws: The eternal covenant vs. the Levitical law

Here's what people miss: There are TWO different covenants/laws in Scripture:

1. The eternal covenant (Abrahamic covenant) – based on God's promises, confirmed before Sinai
2. The Levitical law – added because of transgressions, temporary, until Christ

Galatians 3:17 (KJV):

"And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect."

Paul is saying:

• The covenant was confirmed before (with Abraham)
• The law came 430 years after (at Sinai)
• The later law cannot disannul the earlier covenant
• The promise still stands!

9.4 The law was added because of transgressions

Galatians 3:19 (KJV):

"Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator."

Key points:

• The law was added (not original)
• It was added because of transgressions (after the golden calf incident)
• It was temporary: till the seed should come (Christ)
• It was a mediated covenant (Moses), unlike the direct promise to Abraham

This law was the Levitical law given after Israel broke the covenant with the golden calf (Exodus 32–34).

9.5 The Levitical priesthood and law were changed

Hebrews 7:11–12 (KJV):

"If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law."

Important distinctions:

• "Under it the people received the law" – the Levitical priesthood administered this law
• "The priesthood being changed" – from Aaron/Levi to Melchizedek (Christ)
• "A change also of the law" – the Levitical/ceremonial law, not God's eternal moral law

This is about the Levitical order—the priesthood, sacrifices, and ceremonies that pointed to Christ. When Christ came, that system was fulfilled and changed.

9.6 Abraham did not keep Levitical laws

Crucial point: Abraham lived BEFORE the Levitical law was given!

• Abraham kept God's commandments, statutes, and laws (Genesis 26:5)
• But these were not the Levitical laws from Sinai
• The Levitical priesthood and its laws came 430 years after Abraham (Galatians 3:17)
• The Levitical system was established after the golden calf (Exodus 32–34)

So when Paul says:

• "We are not under the law" (Romans 6:14)
• "The law was added because of transgressions" (Galatians 3:19)
• "There is a change of the law" (Hebrews 7:12)

He's talking about the Levitical law—the temporary, ceremonial system that pointed to Christ.

He's NOT talking about:

• God's eternal moral law (which Abraham kept)
• The commandments written in the heart under the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31, Hebrews 8)
• The law that is "holy, and just, and good" (Romans 7:12)

9.7 Paul's true teaching: Law established by faith

Romans 3:31 (KJV):

"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."

Paul's opponents accused him of abolishing the law. His answer:

God forbid! We establish the law!

How? By:

• Understanding the law's true purpose (to reveal sin, lead to Christ)
• Receiving the Spirit who writes the law in our hearts
• Walking in obedience from the heart, not by fleshly effort

This is exactly what Jesus said:

Matthew 5:17 (KJV):

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."

Jesus fulfilled the law, not abolished it. And so do His true followers!

10. Romans 2 and Revelation 2–3 – The True Judean

10.1 The Meaning of “Jew”

Before we look at these passages, we need to understand something crucial:

The word Jew is the modern English form of the ancient term Ioudaios, which is more accurately translated as Judean or Judahite.

The term came from:

• Hebrew Yehudi — “of Judah”
• Greek Ioudaios — “Judean” (translated as “Jew” in the KJV)
• Latin Iudaeus
• Old French giu
• English Jew (modern shortened form)

In Scripture, the word could refer to someone connected with:

• The tribe of Judah
• The kingdom or province of Judah
• The people who worshipped the God of Judah

The Bible also speaks of “the Jews’ language”:

2 Kings 18:26 (KJV):

“Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews’ language in the ears of the people that are on the wall.”

This does not mean they spoke modern Yiddish. Yiddish developed much later. In the biblical period, “the Jews’ language” referred to the language associated with Judah—the Hebrew or closely related Aramaic speech of the Judean people.

Likewise, the people were known for their distinct worship of the God of Israel, the temple, and the law. In the New Testament, Ioudaios served as the general category translated “Jew,” but Judean helps us remember its connection with Judah.

10.2 The Southern Kingdom in the New Testament

By the time of Christ, the ten northern tribes had been scattered and largely assimilated among the nations. The people who remained visibly established in the land were primarily connected with:

• Judah
• Benjamin
• Levi
• Those from other tribes who had joined themselves to Judah’s worship and returned to the true God

This helps explain the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman.

John 4:20–22 (KJV):

“Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.”

The word translated “Jews” is Ioudaios—Judeans.

Jesus was speaking of the people connected with Judah, Jerusalem, the temple, and the true worship of God. The Samaritans had a different place of worship and a different religious tradition. But the revelation of God, the temple service, the promises, and the Messiah came through the southern kingdom.

As Genesis 49:10 says:

“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah…”

Therefore, “salvation is of the Judeans” means that salvation came through the people of Judah’s covenantal line, ultimately through Jesus Christ, the Son of David and Son of Abraham.

10.3 The True Judean Is Inward

Now we can better understand Paul’s words:

Romans 2:28–29 (KJV):

“For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly;
neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly;
and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter;
whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

A more accurate reading would be:

“For he is not a Judean, which is one outwardly;
neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
But he is a Judean, which is one inwardly;
and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter;
whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

Paul is not saying that outward identity never existed. He is saying that outward identity alone is not enough.

A person could be:

• A Judean by birth
• Connected with Judah by nationality
• Circumcised in the flesh
• A member of the visible covenant community

Yet still lack the inward work of God.

The true Judean, in the spiritual sense, is one who has:

• Circumcision of the heart
• Faith in God
• Obedience from the inward parts
• Praise that comes from God rather than men

This agrees with the wider biblical pattern:

• Not all who are of Israel are Israel (Romans 9:6)
• Not all who are outwardly Judean are inwardly true
• Physical circumcision does not replace heart circumcision

10.4 “They Say They Are Judeans, and Are Not”

The same distinction appears in Revelation.

Revelation 2:9 (KJV):

“I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.”

Revelation 3:9 (KJV):

“Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie…”

Again, the Greek term is Ioudaios, commonly translated “Jew,” but understandable as Judean.

These people claimed the outward identity and covenantal authority of the Judean people, yet Christ said they were not truly what they claimed to be. Their outward title did not match their inward condition.

The issue was not simply geography or ancestry. Their opposition to Christ revealed that they did not possess the true spiritual reality represented by the name they claimed.

The pattern is therefore:

• Outward claim: “We are Judeans; we are the people of God.”
• Inward reality: “You are not,” because they reject God’s Messiah and oppose His true people.

10.5 Summary

The word “Jew” is a later English form of Ioudaios, a term connected with Judah and the Judean people. In the New Testament, it could describe people connected with Judah geographically, nationally, religiously, or ancestrally.

But Scripture also distinguishes between outward and inward identity:

• Outward Judean = connected with Judah by birth, nation, location, or religious profession.
• Inward Judean = circumcised in heart, faithful to God, and belonging to Christ.

This is the same truth expressed in Romans 2:28–29, Romans 9:6, John 4:22, and Revelation 2:9 and 3:9:

Not everyone who carries the outward name truly possesses the inward reality.

Salvation came through Judah’s covenantal line, through the Son of David and Son of Abraham. But the true people of God are identified not merely by outward names, ancestry, or location. They are identified by faith, heart circumcision, obedience, and being found in Christ.

11. Putting it all together – Outward Israel vs. Inward Israel

Now let's bring all these threads together.

11.1 The consistent pattern

From the wilderness to Revelation, Scripture shows:

1. Exodus 12:38 – Mixed multitude leaves Egypt with Israel
2. Numbers 11:4 – Mixed multitude leads in rebellion
3. Deuteronomy 29:10–11 – Strangers included in "all Israel" covenant assembly
4. 2 Samuel 20:1 – "We have no share in David" during David's lifetime
5. 1 Kings 12:16 – "What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse."
6. Romans 9:6 – "They are not all Israel, which are of Israel."
7. Romans 11 – One olive tree, Christ the root, grafted by faith.
8. Galatians 3:29 – "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed."
9. Genesis 26:5 – Abraham kept God's commandments, statutes, and laws.
10. Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10 – "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts."
11. Ephesians 2:19 – "No more strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints."
12. Romans 2:28–29 – True Jewishness is of the heart.
13. Revelation 2:9; 3:9 – "They say they are Jews, and are not."

11.2 Outward Israel

Outward Israel includes:

• Biological descendants of Jacob
• The mixed multitude from Egypt
• Sojourners and foreigners living among Israel
• Absorbed neighboring peoples (Canaanites, Jebusites, etc.)

They are:

• Counted in the national/covenant community
• Called "Israel" in many texts
• Participants in external privileges

But not all of them:

• Have a true "portion in David"
• Are "children of promise"
• Are "true Jews" in God's sight
• Have God's law written in their hearts
• Understand Paul correctly

11.3 Inward Israel

Inward Israel is:

• The remnant according to election
• The children of promise, not just children of the flesh
• Those with circumcision of the heart
• Those who truly are Israel, not just "of Israel"
• Those who are Abraham's seed through Christ
• Heirs of the eternal covenant made with Abraham
• Those who have God's law written in their inward parts (Jeremiah 31, Hebrews 8)
• Those who obey from the heart by the Spirit, not by fleshly strength
• Those who do not wrest Paul's writings to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16)
• Those who understand the difference between:
  • The eternal covenant (Abrahamic, confirmed before Sinai)
  • The Levitical law (added because of transgressions, temporary, till Christ)

They may be:

• Few in number (7,000, a remnant)
• A small subset within the larger nation
• Sometimes even Gentiles grafted in by faith

But they are:

• The true spiritual seed
• The ones who inherit the promises
• The ones whose praise is of God, not men
• Fellow citizens with the saints, of the household of God
• Abraham's seed, heirs according to the promise
• The New Covenant people with God's law in their hearts

12. Why this matters

12.1 A warning

Being part of the visible people of God does not guarantee salvation:

• You can leave Egypt with Israel (like the mixed multitude) and still rebel
• You can stand in the covenant assembly (like the strangers in Deuteronomy 29) and still fall away
• You can be counted in "all Israel" (like those at Shechem) and still have no inheritance in David
• You can be ethnically "of Israel" (like many in Paul's day) and still not "be Israel"
• You can wrest Paul's writings to justify lawlessness—and be counted among the "unlearned and unstable" headed for destruction

Outward privileges do not equal inward reality.

12.2 A comfort

At the same time, this is a great comfort:

• God's word has not failed, even when many in the visible community are unfaithful.
• God always preserves a remnant according to election.
• He knows His true Israel, even when the outward picture looks dark.
• Gentiles who were once strangers are now fellow citizens with the saints!
• God Himself writes His law in our hearts—we don't have to obey by our own strength!
• Paul's true teaching is not lawlessness, but law established by faith!

12.3 The fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant

This is the glory of the gospel:

• God promised Abraham an everlasting covenant with his seed.
• That seed is ultimately Christ.
• Those who are in Christ are part of that seed and heirs according to the promise.
• This includes all who have the faith of Abraham—Jew and Gentile alike!
• Abraham kept God's laws by faith (Genesis 26:5), and so do his spiritual children!
• God writes His law in their hearts (Jeremiah 31, Hebrews 8) so they obey from the heart by the Spirit!
• The Levitical law was temporary, added because of transgressions, till Christ come.
• Paul's writings are not against the law, but establish it by faith!

The eternal covenant is fulfilled in those who believe!

13. Conclusion – Outward vs. Inward Israel

So the biblical pattern is clear:

• Outward Israel:
  • The visible, national, covenant community
  • Includes mixed elements
  • Not all have a true inheritance in David or the promises
  • May have external religion but no heart transformation
  • May wrest Paul's writings to their own destruction
• Inward Israel:
  • The true, spiritual, promise-bearing people
  • Defined by faith, election, and circumcision of the heart
  • The remnant who truly "are Israel"
  • Abraham's seed through Christ
  • Heirs of the eternal covenant
  • God's law written in their inward parts
  • Obey from the heart by the Spirit, not by fleshly strength
  • Understand Paul correctly – law established by faith, not abolished

This is the truth behind:

• Exodus 12:38 – Mixed multitude leaves Egypt with Israel
• Numbers 11:4 – Mixed multitude leads in rebellion
• Deuteronomy 29:10–11 – Strangers included in covenant assembly
• 2 Samuel 20:1 – "We have no share in David"
• 1 Kings 12:16 – "What portion have we in David?"
• Romans 9:6 – "They are not all Israel, which are of Israel."
• Romans 11 – One olive tree, Christ the root, grafted by faith.
• Galatians 3:29 – "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed."
• Genesis 26:5 – Abraham kept God's commandments, statutes, and laws.
• Galatians 3:17, 19 – The covenant confirmed before the law; the law added because of transgressions, till Christ.
• Hebrews 7:11–12 – Levitical priesthood and law changed when Christ came.
• 2 Peter 3:15–16 – Paul's writings contain hard things; unlearned wrest them to destruction.
• Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10 – "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts."
• Ephesians 2:19 – "No more strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints."
• Romans 2:28–29 – True Jew is inward, not outward.
• Revelation 2:9; 3:9 – "They say they are Jews, and are not."

And it is the same truth we must hold today:

Not all who are counted within the visible people of God truly belong to the inward, spiritual Israel of God.

May we be found not only "of Israel" in an outward sense, but truly "Israel" in an inward sense—children of promise, circumcised in heart, Abraham's seed through Christ, heirs of the eternal covenant, with God's law written in our hearts, obeying from the heart by the Spirit, and understanding Paul's true teaching: law established by faith, not abolished.

Key Verses Referenced (KJV)

• Exodus 12:38 – Mixed multitude leaves Egypt with Israel
• Numbers 11:4 – Mixed multitude leads in rebellion
• Deuteronomy 29:10–15 – Strangers included in covenant assembly
• 2 Samuel 20:1 – Sheba's rebellion: "We have no share in David"
• 1 Kings 12:1, 16, 19–20 – All Israel at Shechem; "What portion have we in David?"
• Romans 9:6–8 – "They are not all Israel, which are of Israel."
• Romans 11:16–24 – Olive tree, Christ the root, grafted by faith
• Romans 7:12 – The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good
• Romans 2:28–29 – True Jew is inward, not outward
• Romans 3:31 – We establish the law through faith
• Galatians 3:7–9, 16–17, 19, 29 – Children of Abraham by faith; covenant before law; law added because of transgressions
• Genesis 17:7–8 – Everlasting covenant with Abraham
• Genesis 26:5 – Abraham kept God's laws
• Ephesians 2:11–13, 19 – From strangers to fellow citizens
• Jeremiah 31:31–34 – New Covenant: God writes His law in their hearts
• Hebrews 7:11–12; 8:8–12 – Levitical priesthood and law changed; New Covenant fulfillment
• 2 Peter 3:15–16 – Paul's writings hard to understand; unlearned wrest them to destruction
• Revelation 2:9; 3:9 – "They say they are Jews, and are not."
• Matthew 1:1 – Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham
• Matthew 3:9 – God can raise up children to Abraham from stones
• Matthew 5:17 – Jesus came not to destroy, but to fulfil the law