Q: Please explain what your understanding is of the olive tree in Romans chapter 11 that we studied recently in our May 15 Watchtower. I see that you do not agree with the Watchtower explanation as you mention in your "food for thought" -- but neither did you offer any alternative explanation. . . What do you think is symbolized by the roots, the trunk, and the branches?
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A: There are numerous references to trees in the Bible to illustrate certain situations or features, often in connection with God's people, whether for good or bad. Trees can grow tall; they can provide shade; they can bear fruit, or fail to do so; they can be chopped down; have branches cut off, or have branches drafted in. (compare Judges 9:8-15; Jer. 1:11-12; Song of Solomon 2:3; 7:7; Isa. 1:30; 17:6; Dan. 4:10-17; Luke 21:29-31; John 15:1-6) In this case, the apostle Paul uses the olive tree to explain God's "sacred secret" (mystery, ESV) regarding the "Israel of God," namely, to illustrate how Jehovah has gone about completing "the full number" when he lopped off some of the natural branches (the Jews), and proceeded to graft in branches from "the olive tree that is wild" (non-Jews). (Rom. 11:25,26; Gal. 6:16) The Watchtower of May 15, 2011, that you mention, explains that "the root of the tree is holy and represents Jehovah as the one who gives life to spiritual Israel. (Isa. 10:20; Rom. 11:16) The trunk represents Jesus as the primary part of Abraham’s seed. The branches collectively represent 'the full number' of those included in the secondary part of Abraham’s seed."

In my Food for Thought section I pointed out that "if the root of the domestic 'garden olive tree' represents Jehovah, as the Watchtower article claims (new updated understanding), then who is the cultivator (gardener) who lops off some of the natural branches (the natural Jews) and grafts in wild branches (Gentiles)? The apostle Paul says that it is God himself. Since Jehovah planted the tree and therefore he is its owner and cultivator, then clearly he cannot be represented as being part of the tree, the root, can he?" Here is how Paul explains the olive tree in his letter to the Gentile disciples in Rome, according to the New World Translation:

   13 Now I speak to YOU who are people of the nations. Forasmuch as I am, in reality, an apostle to the nations, I glorify my ministry, 14 if I may by any means incite [those who are] my own flesh to jealousy and save some from among them. 15 For if the casting of them away means reconciliation for the world, what will the receiving of them mean but life from the dead? 16 Further, if the [part taken as] firstfruits is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are also.
   17 However, if some of the branches were broken off but you, although being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became a sharer of the olive’s root of fatness, 18 do not be exulting over the branches. If, though, you are exulting over them, it is not you that bear the root, but the root [bears] you. 19 You will say, then: “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 All right! For [their] lack of faith they were broken off, but you are standing by faith. Quit having lofty ideas, but be in fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 See, therefore, God’s kindness and severity. Toward those who fell there is severity, but toward you there is God’s kindness, provided you remain in his kindness; otherwise, you also will be lopped off. 23 They also, if they do not remain in their lack of faith, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree that is wild by nature and were grafted contrary to nature into the garden olive tree, how much rather will these who are natural be grafted into their own olive tree!
   25 For I do not want YOU, brothers, to be ignorant of this sacred secret, in order for YOU not to be discreet in your own eyes: that a dulling of sensibilities has happened in part to Israel until the full number of people of the nations has come in, 26 and in this manner all Israel will be saved. —Romans 11:13-26.

The entire olive tree represents the "Israel of God." (Gal. 6:16; Rev. 1:6) Who or what is the Israel of God? When Jehovah first made the promise in the garden of Eden regarding a future seed — a deliverer (the Messiah) who would at God's appointed time crush the serpent (Satan) in the head — included in that promise was a foreordained number of individuals who would be chosen from among mankind to be an integral part of that seed. (Gen. 3:15; Rev. 12:9) God kept this detail of his purpose hidden as his "sacred secret" until the time arrived for its fulfillment. (Rom. 16:25,26; Eph. 3:4-6, 9) Paul explains that God chose such ones to be in union with Christ "before the founding of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish. . . for he foreordained us to the adoption through Jesus Christ as sons to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." (Eph. 1:4,5) This predetermined and foreordained number according to God's will totals a "hundred and forty-four thousand, who have been bought from the earth." (Rev. 14:1, 3; 5:9,10)

Jehovah's covenant with faithful Abraham guaranteed that the Messiah would come from his offspring. The covenant also included that the entire number of the 144,000 associate members of the seed would likewise be chosen exclusively from among Abraham's descendents, who came to be known as Israelites. (Gen. 22:17,18; Gal. 3:16, 29) But this promise was contingent on the faithfulness of Abraham's descendents. (Ex. 19:5,6; Matt. 21:43; Rom. 11:20) By means of the illustration of the garden olive tree, Paul explains that when God lopped off some of the natural (but unfaithful) branches and replaced them by grafting in branches from a wild olive tree (who exercised faith), God did not break his covenant with Abraham. (Rom. 9:6-8, 16) In fact, since the tree is holy any branches that are grafted in, and become part of the tree, will likewise be holy. It goes without saying that the root is holy because the one who planted the tree is holy, namely God. (1 Peter 1:15; 2:5, 9) As such, the tree stands secure and cannot be uprooted. (Heb. 6:19; 12:28)

The "Israel of God" is the same as the bride of Christ, the Lamb's wife. (John 3:28,29; Rev. 19:7-9; 21:2, 9-11) As the bridegroom, Jesus is not symbolized in any part of this olive tree; unlike Jesus' illustration of the vine, where he is "the true vine" and his Father is "the cultivator." (John 15:1-8) In the case of the vine illustration, unproductive branches are taken away and pitched into the fire, but they are not replaced with other branches. There is no need to replace them because there is no predetermined size for the number of branches. (Matt. 13:40-42) Those branches picture all of Christ's disciples, for the point Jesus makes is that none of the branches can bear fruit apart from their place in the vine.

On the other hand, in regards to the olive tree, the fact that branches which are lopped off are replaced with other branches, in order to complete "the full number," indicates that the foreordained tree is of a specific size with a definite number of branches, namely 144,000. (see Revelation 7:3-9; here the 144,000 is the Israel of God; while "every tribe of the sons of Israel" out of which they are sealed refers to all of Christ's disciples.) Therefore, the 144,000 is not a figurative number. This is also true of the twelve apostles. God chose to have twelve apostles — not eleven or thirteen — who were all chosen from among the disciples. (Luke 6:13) When one of them, Judas Iscariot, lost his position among the twelve he needed to be replaced in order to keep the number intact. (Acts 1:16,17, 20, 23-26; Rev. 21:14) The twelve apostles were the first of the eventual "full number" of 144,000 to be chosen, the symbolic olive tree.  



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