25 For I do not want you, brothers, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
27 “And this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32 For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be repaid to him? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11: 25-36 LSB
Romans 11: 25-27
We just discussed the natural tree, the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that we as Gentiles have been adopted or grafted into. This was rooted in the Abrahamic Covenant, which is a unilateral covenant, initiated and upheld by God himself, for Abraham slept through the ceremony. This is a covenant between God the Father and God the Son.
V. 25 To be uninformed of this mystery - Paul is writing to help keep them from going the wrong way in their thinking, as to why the Jewish branches have been removed, and to what extent and duration. There is a popular opinion in much of the "church" today that would have it that God is done with Israel as a nation, and this has often been accompanied by much anti-Semitism. This has led to a worldly wisdom, being wise in their own estimation, and rejecting the clear and simple teaching here for clever formulas.
…20Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter. 21Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Isaiah 5: 20-21
V. 25c That a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in - In the context of Romans 9-11 we learn about a remnant, and that was always held by faith, not by the merit of Israel, not by birthright. In every generation there have been Jews that were brought to faith in the One and only Savior. God has used the church to replace the nation of Israel in sharing the gospel news, but has not replaced the nation with the Church in accordance to the Abrahamic Covenant, restated to Jacob, regarding the land. The duration of this is clear here, "until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in."
Marvin Vincent a Greek scholar agrees writing "Not partial hardening, but hardening extending over a part."
Paul had alluded to this partial hardening in Romans 9 writing "it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 neither are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED." (See notes Romans 9:6; 9:7)
Underline partial. Don't forget this truth. Only some of the branches were broken off (see note Romans 11:17). Certainly God is saving Jews in our own time and in fact He has always had a Jewish remnant (see study) of men and women who believed in Yeshua, their Messiah as their personal Redeemer. Thus not only was the unbelief partial but it will also be temporary as indicated by the time phrase until as discussed more below. Notice that Paul himself a Jew now believing in Messiah is evidence that the blindness or hardening was only partial. In fact, Paul opened Romans 11 with the truth that God has always preserved a remnant of believing Jews. For example, in Romans 11:1 [note] Paul presents himself as an example of that the hardening is partial, and in Romans 11:2, 3, 4 (notes Ro 11:2, 3, 4) he draws an illustration from the OT in the Divine response to Elijah that God had preserved a remnant of 7000. Then based on these examples, Paul emphasizes that...
In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious (not merited) choice. (See note Romans 11:5) - Precept Austin
…26The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise Him. May your hearts live forever! 27All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him. 28For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations.… Psalm 22: 26-28
1 The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 Now it will come about that
In the last days
The mountain of the house of the Lord
Will be established as the chief of the mountains,
And will be raised above the hills;
And call the nations will stream to it.
3 And many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
That He may teach us concerning His ways
And that we may walk in His paths.”
For the law will go forth from Zion
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 And He will judge between the nations,
And will render decisions for many peoples;
And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
And never again will they learn war.
5 Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.
6 For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob,
Because they are filled with influences from the east,
And they are soothsayers like the Philistines,
And they strike bargains with the children of foreigners.
7 Their land has also been filled with silver and gold
And there is no end to their treasures;
Their land has also been filled with horses
And there is no end to their chariots.
8 Their land has also been filled with idols;
They worship the work of their hands,
That which their fingers have made. Isaiah 2: 1-8
…21and the residents of one city will go to another, saying: ‘Let us go at once to plead before the LORD and to seek the LORD of Hosts. I myself am going.’ 22And many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of Hosts in Jerusalem and to plead before the LORD.” 23This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue will tightly grasp the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’ ”… Zechariah 8: 21-23
Is the fulness of the Gentiles the same as the times of the Gentiles? They certainly sound similar but notice that fulness is not a synonym of times, so there is some distinction between these terms. Luke introduces the term the fulness of the Gentiles is in chapter 21 teaching that "Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luke 21:24)
What characterizes these times? Is Luke speaking of the salvation of the Gentiles? Clearly, Luke is not referring to the salvation of Gentiles in this passage but to their exercise of political power and/or dominion over the city of Jerusalem by the Gentiles. In marked contrast, Paul speaks of the fulness which does refer to salvation of the Gentiles and not to their dominion over Jerusalem. Although both these descriptions occur over a period of time and that time undoubtedly overlaps significantly, we need to be accurate in our handling of these terms and retain the distinction intended by Luke and Paul. The times of the Gentiles began with the first sacking of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple by Nebuchadnezzar in 586BC (Note: that some commentators feel these times begin with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD). In either case these times extend to the Second Coming of Christ, for at that time the Gentile dominion will be removed as Messiah returns, defeats the Gentile powers gather to destroy Israel and sets up His Millennial Kingdom. on earth. At that time God will fulfill His promises to the redeemed nation of Israel, including the promise of "the Land" (see Ge )
Some commentators merge the two statements about the Gentiles. For example Henry Morris writes that "God is now "[visiting] the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name" (Acts 15:14). When the full number (known only to God) has been reached, then the times of the Gentiles (Ed note: More accurately "the fullness of the Gentiles") will end (Luke 21:24), and God will begin again to deal with Israel as His elect nation. (Defenders Study Bible)
Comment: Morris seems to merge these two phrases together and while certainly overlapping to a large extent, they still describe separate events as Dr Walvoord explains more fully below.
Dr Walvoord explains that "When the two concepts, the times of the Gentiles and the fullness of the Gentiles are compared, it becomes evident that the times of the Gentiles is primarily a political term and has to do with the political overlordship of Jerusalem. By contrast, the term the fullness of the Gentiles refers to the present age in which Gentiles predominate in the church and far exceed Israel in present spiritual blessing. It becomes clear, therefore, that, while the two concepts may be contemporaneous at least for much of their fulfillment, the termini of the two periods are somewhat different. The times of the Gentiles will end only when Israel will permanently gain political control of Jerusalem at the second advent of Christ, whereas the fullness of the Gentiles will be completed when God’s present task of winning Jew and Gentile to Christ is completed. ("The Times of the Gentiles". Bibl Sac Vol 125. Issue 497. Page 9, 1968) (See Walvoord's article The Times of the Gentiles) - Precept Austin
Vs. 26-27 And so all Israel will be saved - Despite a lot of allegorical interpretations of Scriptures, that simply stated and read, show a coming restoration of Israel to the land, that being all I can find without some special gnosis that rejects the simple reading, there are those churches who have still not reformed from their replacement theology. To read the above phrase in the context of these three chapters, and taking the whole counsel of God, from Abraham to the prophets, there is a distinction made between Israel and the Church, the Woman in Revelation who gives birth to the Child, Jesus, Who was a Jew, that Christians say they worship, and that Woman, the bride of Christ, the Church. Israel is referred to as a wife, and just read Hosea, some powerful stuff, whereas the Church is referred to as the bride, waiting for Christ to come for her.
…10On that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His place of rest will be glorious. 11 On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth.… Isaiah 11: 10-12
…4For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or idol. 5Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days. Hosea 3: 4-6
…13“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes, the sower of seed. The mountains will drip with sweet wine, with which all the hills will flow. 14I will restore My people Israel from captivity; they will rebuild and inhabit the ruined cities. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. 15I will firmly plant them in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land that I have given them,” says the LORD your God.… Amos 9: 13-15
All Israel - This phrase has been interpreted primarily in one of three ways (and only one can be correct). The "candidate" interpretations are that all Israel is...
1) The NT Church composed of Jews and Gentiles.
2) The elect remnant of believing Jews during this present age.
3) The literal ethnic nation of Israel.
4) Every individual Jew who ever lived - There is absolutely no suggestion elsewhere in Scripture that Paul means that every individual Jew that ever lived will be saved. (e.g., Mt 11:24 "Nevertheless I (Jesus as He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent) say to you (Jews) that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.")
All Israel will be saved - Notice first, Paul does not say "might be saved" but "will be saved"! This is not just a possibility but is an absolute certainty! And it is to transpire in the future.
Note also that literally the text says all Israel and the plain reading would take this as indicating all of the nation of Israel. In fact, if you are a new Christian who is reading this text and you have not been biased by someone's teaching on this verse, you are probably wondering why give such a lengthy discussion to a topic that seems so obvious on simple reading. In other words, in your reading of the text you probably read Israel and that is what you interpreted it as - Israel.
Unfortunately some commentators spiritualize (see related topics [i.] Art and Science of Interpretation; [ii.] The Rise of Allegorical Interpretation; [iii.] Understanding Symbols and Figures) this phrase all Israel and distort it to mean "spiritual Israel" or what they interpret to be the "church". In my opinion this interpretation has a faulty foundation for they usually base it on a misinterpretation of the phrase Israel of God in Galatians 6:16 (See [1] notes Israel of God; [2] Table on Israel & Church [3] excellent audio lecture - Is the Church Israel?), where the Church is said to be the spiritual Israel! Without going into the technical arguments (the interested reader is encouraged to review the studies just noted) all through the NT Israel is literally the nation of Israel. (See offsite study on The Use of the Term "Israel" in the NT) To make all Israel anything but literal Israel in this chapter is poor hermeneutics (science of Interpretation). Why do I say that? Remember that context is king in regard to accurate Interpretation. Context and usage of a term by the author (in this case Paul's use of Israel especially in Romans 9-11) are critical in establishing the meaning of a text. We are not free to interpret terms in any way we would like. What is the immediate context of Romans 11:26? What has Paul clearly been discussing for 3 chapters (Romans 9, 10, 11)? Eleven times (counting Romans 11:25) Paul uses the specific name Israel (Ro 9:6; 27; 31;10:19; 10:21; 11:2; 7; 25; 26-see notes Ro 9:6; 27; 31;10:19; 10:21; 11:2; 7; 25; 26). Take a moment and read each of his uses. How many of them refer to the literal nation of Israel? I think if you take the plain sense of the text as your rule, you will agree that every use prior to Romans 11:26 refers to the literal nation of Israel. Why would Paul try to "fool" us or confuse us by all of a sudden introducing a new, non-literal meaning for the name Israel? That makes no sense whatsoever. The clear, logical conclusion is that Paul intends Romans 11:26 to also indicate the nation of Israel and not the church! Paul in fact has just warned Gentile believers not to be arrogant (twice - see Romans 11:18-note), conceited (Romans 11:20-note) or wise in your own estimation (note Romans 11:25-note)! A number of Gentile commentators seem to have conveniently disregarded the practical application of Paul's warnings! (E.g., see the offsite analysis of Covenant Theology)
Here is an example from John Calvin a highly respected commentator (and rightly so) who interprets this passage in a non-literal sense writing that
Many understand this of the Jewish people, as though Paul had said, that religion would again be restored among them as before: but I extend the word Israel to all the people of God, according to this meaning, — “When the Gentiles shall come in, the Jews also shall return from their defection to the obedience of faith; and thus shall be completed the salvation of the whole Israel of God, which must be gathered from both; and yet in such a way that the Jews shall obtain the first place, being as it were the first-born in God’s family.”
Do you see what Calvin has done with Romans 11:26? He is saying that Israel in this passage is not just the Jews but is all the people of God, both Gentile and Jew. Now think about the logic of Calvin's interpretation -- Why would Paul have to clarify a mystery if all those who are of the household of faith, both Jew and Gentile, who are going to come to faith, will eventually come to faith?! That is hardly a mystery to say that all those who will be saved, will in fact be saved!
It is interesting to read the interpretation by Charles Hodge who is a covenant theologian and therefore one who we would expect would spiritualize all Israel, but he does not writing that...
From the context (Ed note: Notice what Hodge uses as his plumb line to aid accurate interpretation of this passage - context), Israel here must mean the Jewish people, and all Israel the whole nation. The Jews, as a people, are now rejected; as a people they are to be restored. As their rejection, although national, did not include the rejection of every individual, so their restoration, though also national, need not include the salvation of every individual Jew. All Israel does not mean here all the true people of God, as Augustine, Calvin, and others explain it; nor all the elect Jews — i.e., all that part of the nation which constitute “the remnant according to the election of grace” — but the whole nation, as a nation. (Commentary on Romans) (Bolding added) (To this interpretation we can only say "Amen!")
David Brown in Jamieson, Fausset and Brown although an older commentary has an excellent comment writing that "To understand this great statement, as some still do, merely of such a gradual inbringing of individual Jews, that there shall at length remain none in unbelief, is to do manifest violence both to it and to the whole context. It can only mean the ultimate ingathering of Israel as a nation, in contrast with the present “remnant.” (So Tholuck, Meyer, De Wette, Philippi, Alford, Hodge). Some of these critics would seem to advocate the inbringing of every individual Israelite; others, only of 'the mass' or 'majority;' but if they mean simply, 'the nation at large,' as opposed to 'a remnant,' they have brought out, as it appears to us, the precise idea of the apostle. (Commentary on Romans 11:26)
John Piper in a sermon he preached in 1982 agrees observing that
"In the context of Ro 11:12 (note "their fulfillment"), Ro 11:15 (note "their acceptance...life from the dead"), it is unwarranted to interpret all Israel here to mean anything other than corporate, ethnic Israel. So one of my guiding principles in reading Old Testament prophecy about Israel is that there is a glorious future ahead, when Israel will repent, turn to Christ, and be saved. (Read his full sermon There Shall Be A Fountain Opened) (Amen!)
Piper also had this comment on Zechariah 13:1 (see my commentary)
Finally we ask, for whom does this opened fountain provide cleansing? Who can read Zechariah and find personal hope in it? The most obvious answer is the Jewish people. (NOTE CAREFULLY - HE DOES NOT SAY "THE CHURCH!") Even though they have displeased God (1 Thessalonians 2:15) by rejecting his Son, their Messiah, to this day, God still promises mercy. He will one day lift the veil off their minds (2 Corinthians 3:14), take away the hardening of their hearts (Romans 11:25), and pour out a spirit of grace and supplication upon them, and they will turn to Jesus and confess him as Lord and Christ. We may even be seeing the beginnings of that final outpouring in the contemporary messianic Jewish movement. And we should pray for all our Jewish friends and associates, and speak to them with boldness about Christ.
In summary, all Israel in Romans 11:26 means all Israel. (See Master's Thesis paper by Matthew Waymeyer (Pdf) - Romans 11:26 The Identity of "All Israel"
The next question is when will all Israel be saved? What is the nearest time phrase? Clearly Paul has given us a clue for he has just stated that this will not occur until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. The terminus of this event as discussed is difficult to state with absolute dogmatism. The juxtaposition with another event however that can be accurately "timed" gives us a strong clue. In other words, in this same verse Paul describes the return of Israel's Messiah. Therefore one can reasonably associate the time in which all Israel will be saved with the time of the return of Christ, which we know from other passages occurs at the end of the Great Tribulation.
All Israel will be saved. This will take place when Christ returns to earth to establish His millennial kingdom centered in Jerusalem (Zec 12:8, 9, 10, 13:1,14:9), following the Great Tribulation period (Mt 24:15, 21) (see Daniel's Seventieth Week) - PA
V. 27 This is my covenant with them when I take away their sins - Faith is a gift for sure, repentance is part of that as well. It is not because they are Jews, but because of what Christ did that allowed for the promise of God to be given justly. He will not leave them in their current unbelief, and they will not come before Him unclean. He will take away their sins. Grace is mercy undeserved. If you have received God's mercy as a wild olive branch, grafted in, then you should know that it was because of what Christ did and not you. Pray for those of the house of Israel, that they be grafted back in, that they quit believing in their own righteousness, when God is saying, "there is none righteous, no, not one."
As John MacArthur says "From the midst of their fiery refinement, the elect remnant of Israel will see Jesus Christ, their Messiah and call on Him as their Savior and Lord. Israel will thus be saved and restored to covenant relationship with the Lord." To reiterate this is the all Israel who will be saved in Romans 11:26 - it is the 1/3 of the nation of Israel who believe on their Messiah.
John MacArthur explains that all Israel refers to "All the elect Jewish people alive at the end of the Tribulation, not the believing remnant of Jews within the church during this church age. Before all Israel is saved, its unbelieving, ungodly members will be separated out by God’s inerrant hand of judgment. Ezekiel makes that truth vividly clear (Ezekiel 20:33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, cf. Da 12:10; Zech 13:8, 9+) (MacArthur Study Bible)
In Daniel's great prophecy that begins in Daniel 10 and runs unbroken through Daniel 12 (it is all one subject), Daniel relates God's prophecy concerning His dealings with Israel, many of these prophecies having already been fulfilled in history (especially the section of Daniel 11:34), but from Daniel 11:35-12:13 is future prophecy regarding Israel. In this section Daniel has passages that parallel Zechariah 13:7, 8, 9+ and speak of God's final purging of Israel which result in the saved remnant of one third...
And some of those (Israel) who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge, and make them pure, until the end time (here is another "time gap" which jumps at least 2000 years to the time of the end, almost certainly the Great Tribulation); because it is still to come at the appointed time. (Daniel 11:35+)
Many (context = Jews) will be purged, purified and refined; but the wicked (Jews) will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. (Daniel 12:10+)
The Bible Knowledge Commentary notes that "All Israel will be saved does not mean that every Jew living at Christ’s return will be regenerated. Many of them will not be saved, as seen by the fact that the judgment of Israel, to follow soon after the Lord’s return, will include the removal of Jewish rebels (Ezekiel 20:34, 35, 36, 37, 38). Following this judgment God will then remove godlessness and sins from the nation as He establishes His New Covenant with regenerate Israel (cf. Jer. 31:33-34). (Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985. Victor )
33As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will rule over you. 34With a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands to which you have been scattered. 35And I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, where I will enter into judgment with you face to face.…
…36Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord GOD. 37I will make you pass under the rod and will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38And I will purge you of those who rebel and transgress against Me. I will bring them out of the land in which they dwell, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.… Ezekiel 20: 33-38
…8And in all the land, declares the LORD, two-thirds will be cut off and perish, but a third will be left in it. 9This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’” Zechariah 13: 8-9
