Christ the “Root” of the “Olive Tree”
In the past I have taught that the “Root” of the “Olive Tree” in the parable in Romans 11 is the Abrahamic Covenant. I was wrong. It is the “Seed” promised in the Abrahamic Covenant, who is Christ according to Galatians 3:16. This is God’s Son who was betrothed to Israel first under the Mosaic Covenant, but then again under the New Covenant. Here is my reasoning:
Romans 11:16-29 (NKJV) 16 For if the FIRSTFRUIT is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the ROOT is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the ROOT and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the ROOT, but the ROOT supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? 25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.” 28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.
The first thing that caught my attention, and suggested that the “Root” is not the Abrahamic Covenant, is the parallel statements in verse 16:
“For if THE FIRSTFRUIT is holy, THE LUMP is also holy;
And if THE ROOT is holy, so are THE BRANCHES.“
This is clearly a parallelism which is very common in Jewish literature. The two allegories are meant to make the same point but in different words. Also, it is clear that the “branches” in the Olive Tree allegory are people, those who are true believers, and the broken-off branches are the unbelievers of Israel. So what is meant by the first statement about “firstfruit” and the “lump?” The language comes from the Law of Moses where the unleavened (holy) bread was made from the “firstfruits” token barley offered to God during the Passover season. In Paul’s allegory, the “firstfruits” barley is Christ, and the “lump of dough” is the holy people of God in covenant with Him. The allegory does not work if the “firstfruit” is the Abrahamic Covenant. The “Abrahamic Covenant” is not portrayed “holy,” rather individuals are considered “holy,” especially Christ. Applied to Christ and His Body, Christ is the “firtfruit” and the lump or dough is the “Body of Christ.” Since these are clearly meant as parallel statements, the “Olive Tree” allegory which is then expounded by Paul must have the same referents as the “firstfruit” and “lump” of dough in the first allegory.
Here, the “Root” of the Olive Tree is “holy” (Christ) and therefore so also must be the branches, the people of God joined to Him by covenant. Yet it is clear as Paul continues that the branches that were broken off were the Israelites who rejected Christ and the Gospel. Consequently, Israel was joined to Christ before He came as a Man.
Secondly, there is no question that Paul borrowed this allegory from Jeremiah 11-12.
Jer. 11:15-17 (NKJV) 15 “What has My beloved to do in My house, Having done lewd deeds with many? And the holy flesh has passed from you. When you do evil, then you rejoice. 16 The LORD called your name, Green Olive Tree, Lovely and of Good Fruit. With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, And its branches are broken. 17 “For the LORD of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced doom against you for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke Me to anger in offering incense to Baal.”
Notice that “My beloved” in vs. 15 is female, which corresponds to the many statements in the prophets about the espousal and then divorce of the “daughter of Zion” from the Lord, and the eventual voiding of the marriage contract (the Old Covenant). The Lord divorced this feminine entity which is then called the “Green Olive Tree” which He will severely judge. In the next chapter Jeremiah complains about the prophecy, because God said He was going to send a pagan nation (the Babylonians) to destroy the Temple and Jerusalem, yet Jeremiah complains that the Babylonians are even worse in their paganism, yet they go unpunished.
Jeremiah 12:1-2 (NKJV) Righteous are You, O LORD, that I would plead my case with You; Indeed I would discuss matters of justice with You: Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease? 2 You have planted them, they have also taken root; They grow, they have even produced fruit. You are near to their lips But far from their mind.
God answered Jeremiah by saying that their judgement will also come. But notice that the pagan nations of Jer. 12:1-2 are the “wild olive trees” of Paul’s allegory, which God also planted and sends rain for them as well. So the entities are exactly the same in Jeremiah 11-12 and Romans 11.
In Jeremiah 11, the separation and judgment is between the Lord and some of the “branches,” the unfaithful Israelites. In Romans 11, the referents are identical. Consequently, the “Root” of the Olive Tree is Christ. This is also affirmed in the other major “Root” passages in Isaiah 10 and Revelation.
Isaiah 11:1-10 (ESV) There shall come forth a SHOOT from the stump of Jesse, and a BRANCH from his ROOTs [ROOT is singular in the LXX] shall bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. 6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. 9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. 10 In that day the ROOT of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples– of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
In verse 1 the Messiah is portrayed as a “shoot” or “branch” that grows out of the stump of Jesse, David’s father. The “stump” is the Davidic dynasty that was cut off at the time of the Babylonian exile. Yet, with the virgin birth of Christ from Mary who was David’s descendant through Nathan, the Davidic dynasty is to be restored. Yet, the same one who is the “shoot” from this stump in verse 1 is also called “the ROOT of Jesse” in verse 10, thus preceding Jesse. In Revelation 5:5 Jesus is called “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David.” Again, in Revelation 22:16 Jesus declared, “I am THE ROOT and THE DESCENDANT of David.”
In all of these passages a genealogical tree is being depicted, which requires that the “root” is the very first entity which gives rise to the entire tree and all of its branches. Christ is the “ROOT” of this Olive Tree, the same Olive Tree in which Gentile Christians are grafted into. Consequently, the Son preexisted in the Old Testament, and has always been the “ROOT” both before and after He “became flesh,” “becoming in the likeness of men.”
One fascinating fact about Olive Trees is that they can live for thousands of years. Also, very old trees that no longer bear olives are sometimes cut down and a new tree will grow up out of its stump and begin producing olives once again.