Statement: When no explicit definition exists, default to Israel before the "middle wall" is broken (Acts 10–15). Break default only if verse or context clearly names another group.
Why warranted:
Covenant structure from Gen 12 onward focuses on Israel.
Gentile inclusion is rare, explicit, and marked in the text.
There is a “middle wall of partition” that separates Jew from Gentile.
OT, Gospels, and Acts pattern shows Israel-first orientation.
NT examples:
Matt 10:5–6 — Go to the lost sheep of Israel.
Matt 15:24 — Sent only to Israel.
Rom 15:8 — Jesus as minister of the circumcision.
Rom 1:16; Acts 13:46 — To the Jew first.
Connection to “many”: If Israel is default audience, untethered "many" naturally refers to them.
"Many" as covenant descriptor:
Gen 15:5 — Seed as stars.
Exod 1:7 — Multiplied greatly.
Exod 5:5 — Pharaoh: "now are many."
Deut 1:10 — Stars of heaven for multitude.
1 Kgs 4:20 — Many as sand by the sea.
Ezek 33:24 — "We are many."
Two key points:
1. Numerical greatness is covenant marker..jpg)
