The Fullness of Israel and the Gentiles

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION – A PREVIEW OF ROMANS 11:26 IN ITS CONTEXT

GOD IS SAVING THE REMNANT OF ISRAEL (Romans 11:1-10 verse-by-verse)

GOD IS SAVING THE GENTILES (Romans 11:11-24 verse-by-verse)

CONCLUSIONS AND APPLICATIONS (Romans 11:25-36 verse-by-verse)

Introduction – A Preview of Romans 11:26 in its Context

Romans 11:26a says, "and so all Israel shall be saved.” 

The importance of this study is that Romans 11:26 is a watershed verse. If the correct translation is “and then all [national] Israel shall be saved,” we tend to believe in either the Dispensational, the Historic Premillennial, or the Post Millennial understanding of prophecy. If the correct translation of Romans 11:26a is “and in this way all [saved or true] Israel shall be saved,” then we gravitate to the Amillennial understanding of prophecy. Brackets mine.

However, there are godly Christians in all four of the above whose beliefs do not conform to these patterns.

Biblical Prophecy is not a subject about which believers should argue with one another.

On the other hand, no Christian wants to sin against God in his interpretation of Scripture.

2 Timothy 2:24 says, “And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing.”

There are extremes to avoid. If we are quarrelsome with one-another, we sin against God. And if we fail to try earnestly and lovingly to teach one-another, we sin against God. God wants Christians to desire the truth, learning from Him both in private studies and from each other. No Christian has all the gifts and should listen attentively to the insights God has given to others. Interaction around the word of God is the essence of Christian fellowship.

Another importance of the Biblical information in this post is that the chief persecutors of the Church has been the Jews. Romans 11:28 says, “Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account…”

As we appear to be entering a time of persecution for the Church, we should be aware of our possible enemies. Matthew 10:16 says, “Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” The teaching in this post helps Christians not to be gullible. Jews were the chief persecutors of the early Church. They have once again become a new nation. Christians must know the hazards while being as innocent as doves. We must learn and apply the techniques for dealing with unjust suffering before it is too late.

The thesis of this post is that the correct understanding of Romans 11:26a is: “and in this way all saved or true Israel shall be saved.” The context of Romans 11:26a dictates that its meaning is: “and in this way all [saved or true] Israel shall be saved,” not all [national] Israel. Brackets mine.

According to Romans 11:25 there are two parts of Israel. One is blind to the Gospel and the other can see Jesus by faith. And in this manner, all the Israel that is truly Israel will be saved (Romans 11:26a).

The Holy Spirit substantiates this by quoting two Old Testament verses (Romans 11:26b & Romans 11:27), both of which foretell the first coming of Christ and what He will do in His first coming.[1]

Further, this same situation of God only saving the one part of Israel, will exist until He has saved the full number (fullness) of Gentiles that believe (Romans 11:25b-26).

God is filling the fullness of Israel now during the Church Age. He is doing this by saving the fullness of Israel (Romans 11:12), and by concurrently saving the fullness of the Gentiles (Romans 11:25). He is saving both Jews and Gentiles together in the Church. And by doing that, He is saving all true Israel (Romans 11:26a).

Proof that Romans 11:26a is a turning point text is that if we believe that its correct meaning is “and then all [national] Israel shall be saved,” we tend to interpret Romans 11:26b-27 as belonging to the time of the second coming of Christ. But if we believe the correct meaning of Romans 11:26a is “and in this manner all [true or saved] Israel shall be saved, we are prone to believe that the time of the fulfillment of Romans 11:26b-27 begins in the first coming of Christ and culminates in His second coming.

Romans 11:26a says, “and in this way all Israel will be saved.” NIV This post is about the correct definition of “Israel” in Romans 11:26a. Exploring the context of Romans 11:26 will decide the definition of the word “Israel” in Romans 11:26a.

When Paul writes Romans 11:26, he believes that his readers have already read the definition of Israel in Romans 2:28-29 and 9:6. Therefore, he sees no reason to define it in Romans 11:26.

Romans 2:28-29 says, “A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical. 29No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart…”

The Holy Spirit defines a true descendant of Israel as one who is like Abraham in his heart.

The above defines the true Israel and influences the correct interpretation of Romans 11:26a.

Romans 2:28, 9:6, and 11:25-26 clarify God’s definition of New Testament Israel.

TABULAR VIEW OF NATIONAL AND TRUE ISRAEL 

Romans 9:6	Romans 2:28-29	Romans 11:25-26
They are not all true Israel which are of [descend from] national Israel Romans 9:6 (Italics & brackets are mine)	He is not a true Jew because he is one outwardly 2:28 He is a true Jew because he is one inwardly 2:29 (Italics mine)	Blindness in part is happened to national Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles is come in, 26and in this manner all true Israel shall be saved. (italics mine)

Romans 9:6 says, "It is not as though God’s word has failed. For not all who descend from Israel are Israel."

He says that God's word of promise to Israel has not failed because not all native Israelites are true Israel. Italics mine.

So, “all Israel” in Romans 11:26 refers to all “true” descendants of Israel, Abraham’s grandson aka Jacob.

And “Israel” of Romans 11:26 speaks of true Israel or born-again Israel. So, we translate “in this manner God will save all [true] Israel.” Brackets mine.

He further explains this by Ishmael, who is Abraham's seed but not his true son. So, in Romans 9:8 he says,

"So, it is not the children of the flesh [Ishmael] who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise [like Isaac] who are regarded as offspring" (Romans 9:8). Brackets mine. 

The child of Abraham’s flesh but not his heart is Ishmael. Ishmael is not born again.

The child of God’s promise to Abraham is Isaac. Isaac is born-again by the Spirit of God (Galatians 3:14).

The Apostle thinks we have read this because people read a letter from the first page on. The Epistle to the Romans is a letter.

We cannot understand Romans 11 unless we believe in some form of divine election, whether conditional election or unconditional election. Election is throughout Romans chapters 9-11.

Romans 11:12 speaks of the fullness of Israel. The word "fullness" denotes the total number of chosen and justified Israelites.

Romans 11:25 explains the fullness of the Gentiles. The "fullness" of the Gentiles is the total number of chosen and justified Gentiles whom God has saved and will save by grace through faith in Christ. And, by these two occurrences, filling the fullness of Israel and filling the fullness of the Gentiles, God will save all [true] Israel (Romans 11:26a). Brackets mine.

Occurrence #1 is the filling of God’s full number of the fullness of Israel by saving them from sin (Romans 11:12).

Occurrence #2 is the filling of God’s full number of the fullness of the Gentiles by saving them from sin (Romans 11:25).

The combination of Occurrence #1 and #2 is in Romans 11:26a which says, “And in this manner all [true] Israel shall be saved.” That is, the sum of the total of Occurrence #1 and Occurrence #2 = all [saved or true] Israel of Romans 11:26. Brackets mine.

TABULAR VIEW OF GOD’S WAY OF SAVING ALL ISRAEL OF ROMANS 11:26a 

God will save all Israel	In the way He describes in Romans & especially in Romans Chapters 9-11.
God will save all Israel	In the way in which He saved some among the patriarchs, saving Isaac and Jacob and overlooking Ishmael and Esau. (Romans 9:6-13).
God will save all Israel	In the way in which God is saving the Gentiles (Romans 9:25-26).
God will save all Israel	In the way in which God is saving Paul (Romans 11:1).
God will save all Israel	In God’s way of saving those whom He foreknew (Romans 11:2-5)
God will save all Israel	In God’s way of reserving the 7000 Israelites who did not bow to Baal (Romans 11:4-5).
God will save all Israel	In His way of saving all the elect of Israel (Romans 11:5).
God will save all Israel	In His way of saving by grace through faith (Romans 11:6).
God will save all Israel	In His way of letting the unbelievers of Israel harden their own hearts (Romans 11:7-10).
God will save all Israel	In His way of saving some Gentiles & grafting them into the Israel tree (Romans 11:11-17)
God will save all Israel	In His way of cutting the unbelieving Jews out of the olive tree (Romans 11:17).
God will save all Israel	In His way of saving part of Israel and hardening unbelieving Israel (Romans 11:25).
God will save all Israel	In His way of fulfilling prophecies about the first coming of Christ (Romans 11:26b-27).
God will save all Israel	In His way of dying for them & removing their sins in Jesus’ first coming (Romans 11:26-27).
God will save all Israel	In His way of imputing His own righteousness to those who submit to Him (Romans 10:3-4).
God will save all Israel	In His way of saving Gentiles who become the spiritual seed of Abraham when they believe in Christ as Lord and Savior (Galatians 3:29).

“Israel” in Romans 11:26 can mean “all natural descendants of Israel” but that does not fit the context. The Holy Spirit’s context dictates that the right interpretation is that “all Israel” in Romans 11:26 means “all [true] descendants of Israel.” They are all the saved Israelites. (See Romans 2:28-29 and 9:6 above for substantiation of this.)

The question of Romans 11:1 sets the near context of Romans 11:26 which is, "Has God cast away His people?"

Paul does not answer this question for us by saying, "No, God has not cast away His people, and the proof is that He will save them in the latter day."

Rather, Paul proves that God has not cast away His people by pointing to himself. Paul is a Jew, and God is saving him. He says, "I am the seed of Abraham." That proves it. God never did save all[2] of Israel from sin and He will not do it in the future. But if He does, He does not foretell it in Romans 11 unless it is something that we are overlooking.

Romans 11:5-6 says, "In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace." There will always be a remnant of Israel chosen by grace. That is Paul's point in the entire chapter.

Romans 11:26a says, "and in this way all Israel will be saved." NIV In what way? In the way described in Romans Chapters 9-11. It is God’s way of saving some among the Patriarchs. It is God’s way of saving Gentiles. It is God’s way of saving Paul. It is God’s way of saving those He foreknew. And it is God’s way of reserving the 7000 men to Himself in Elijah’s day, which foreshadows the remnant of the Israel of the New Testament (Romans 11:1-5).

Which Israel? Answer: The only Israel that the context describes, which is true Israel, or the Israel God is saving from sin now, during the Church Age.

When? When the Deliverer (Christ) comes out of Zion. When He, by the New Covenant takes away their sins in His first coming all the way through to & including our Lord’s second coming.

Romans 11:26-27 says, "And so all [true] Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob. 27And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.” Brackets mine.

Note that Romans 11:26b quotes Psalm 14:7. The ultimate and only way of taking away Israel’s sins is in Christ at His first coming and His death on the cross.

Psalm 14:7 says, "Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!"  

Isaiah 27:9 says, "Therefore Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for,"

Romans 11:27 quotes Isaiah 27:9. The ultimate atonement for Jacob’s sins is in Christ at His first coming.

The covenant of Romans 11:27 is in Jeremiah 31:33-34 as follows, "But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. 34No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more."

For the fulfillment of this prophecy see Hebrews 8:6-13. The fulfillment is in the Church Age.

Remember that our Lord Jesus said, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood." The Deliverer already came from Zion, atoned for Jacob's guilt, and made a new covenant with the true Israel, His disciples. Now it is up to Jews and Gentiles both to accept Him as Messiah.

The above is the thesis of this blog. Now let us proceed to the verse-by-verse analysis of Romans Chapter 11 to demonstrate that this interpretation of Romans 11:26-27 is true.

God is Saving the Remnant of Israel (Romans 11:1-10 verse-by-verse)

Question: Has God cast away His people? (Romans 11:1)

This question is anticipating the Jewish objection to the teaching of the Christians that God is accepting the converted Gentiles as if there is no difference between the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews thought that if this were true, it would mean that God had permanently cast all His people Israel away. 

The Jews could have solved this misunderstanding for themselves by simply studying the Old Testament better. Had they understood that God, from the very beginning of Israel, only saved the Israelites that believed in Messiah, it would have ironed out their misunderstanding.

But perhaps they thought that the Israel of the Exodus and of the Law was the prototypical Israel. In fact, however the Israel of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs was the original.

The entire Epistle to the Romans is a defense of the truth of Christianity against charges made against Christians by the Jews.[3] Prompting Paul’s teaching in Romans are questions and allegations from Israelites about Christian beliefs. That is especially true in Romans Chapters 9-11.

Romans 9:6 says, “It is not as though God’s word has failed. For not all who descend from Israel are Israel.” So, Paul answers by showing that there are two Israel’s, one that believes and the other that does not trust Yahweh to give them everlasting life.    

Jews believed that there was something wrong either with the Christians’ interpretation of God’s promises to Israel or with the Christians’ understanding of the faithfulness of God.

The first question was in Romans 9:6 which is: ‘Has the word of God in promising Abraham that God would always bless his seed failed? Paul answered this in Romans 9:6 by saying that not all the descendants of Israel are true Israel. Romans 9:6 says, “It is not as though God’s word has failed. For not all who descend from Israel are Israel.”

The second question is in Romans 11:1 as follows, “I ask then, did God reject His people? Paul answers this throughout Romans Chapter 11.

TABULAR VIEW OF THE JEWS’ OPINIONS OF CHRISTIAN TEACHING OF GOD’S PROMISES TO ISRAEL

Scripture	Jewish belief of Christian teaching about God’s promises to Israel	Paul’s remedy for this Jewish misunderstanding.
Romans 9:6	“It is not as though the Word of God has failed.” Jewish point: Christians interpret God’s promises to Israel incorrectly.	There are two Israel’s. One is the promised seed who believe God’s promises. The other Israel has no part in the promises and does not believe God. Jews who believe God are those God promised to Abraham (Romans. 9:6).
Romans 11:1	Did God reject His people?” Jewish point: Christians do not believe in God’s faithfulness to Israel.	God did not reject His people whom He foreknew. But He only foreknew Jews of faith (Romans 11:2).

Paul answers this question in the following manner:

The true Israel is the remnant of Israel of whom God promised to Abraham originally. So, God did not reject His people. The New Testament Jews misinterpreted who God promised as Abraham’s seed.

There is a fullness of Israel. This means that the total number of those Jews whom God will save has never changed. God is filling that full number of Jews now in the Church (Romans 11:12).

In the manner of saving God’s full number of Jews and Gentiles, He will save every Jew that He originally intended to save when He made the promises to Abraham (Romans 11:26).

Paul will also support his answer by prophecies from the Old Testament which show that there are two Israel’s, those who trust in Jesus the Messiah and those who try to justify themselves by obeying God’s Law.

So, now we return to the explanation of Romans Chapter 11.

Answer to the question of Romans 11:1 which is: “Did God reject his people?”

“God forbid.” This means “perish the thought that God would ever reject His people to whom He made promises.” Even to pose that question is sinful. God will never sin. He is faithful, trustworthy, and just. He will always keep His promises. But God did not make the eternal promises to some Israelites. He made temporal promises to Abraham’s unsaved seed. He made eternal promises to his eternal seed. But He did not make eternal promises to any Jewish people who would always rebel against God. Eventually they go to hell. God does not bless people in hell.

Romans 11:1 says, “I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.”

The example of Paul. Paul’s salvation proves that God has not rejected His people the Jews. If there is only one Israelite who believes in Christ, God is keeping His promise to Abraham not to reject his true seed. And Paul is one who believes. The very fact that God is saving Paul proves that God is not rejecting His [true] people. See the previous post on Romans 9 & 10.

TABULAR VIEW OF SCRIPTURES THAT PAUL THINKS HIS READERS HAVE READ

Romans 2:28-29	“A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical. 29No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God.”
Romans 3:22-24	“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” NIV
Romans 4:9-15	“Is this blessing only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10In what context was it credited? Was it after his circumcision, or before? It was not after, but before.” 11And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. 13For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless, 15because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.”
Romans 9:6-12	“It is not as though God’s word has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.” 8So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring. 9For this is what the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.” 10Not only that, but Rebecca’s children were conceived by one man, our father Isaac. 11Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand, 12not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”

Remember that Paul thinks that his readers have already read and believed Romans 2:28-29; 3:22-24; 4:9-15; 9:6-12; 9:24-10:21.

A man is not a true descendant of Israel whom God included in His promises to Abraham, unless he is like Abraham in his heart (Romans 2:28-29). And even if he is a Gentile, if he has Abraham’s faith, he is a son of Abraham.

God saves all true Israelites in Christ. They are the promised seed (Romans 4:9-15).

Abraham’s true seed are those who accept Messiah by faith (Romans 3:22-24). There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek.

So, when they ask, ‘Has God cast away His people,’ the Jews are defining Israel as all born Israelites. But Paul is defining the nation as two Israel’s in one nation because of the teachings of both the Old Testament and the New Testament. The two Israel’s are believing Israel and unbelieving Israel. And God made His eternal promises to believing Israel.[4]. They trusted themselves to obey God’s law.

Remember from Romans 4:9-15 that Gentile Christians are also Abraham’s true seed if they have Abraham’s heart. And God re-birthed Abraham when he was still a Gentile (Romans 4:9-12). So, Abraham, the original Hebrew was a Gentile before he circumcised himself and became an Israelite. This proves that God did and does save Gentiles.

Romans 11:2 says, “God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew.”

“His people” – Remember that God’s true people are those who accept Messiah. They are God’s true chosen people. Not one of those whom God purposed to save ever failed to reach glorification (Romans 8:28-30).[5]

Remember that not all descendants of Israel are Israel (Romans 9:6-13). Ishmael and Esau, though descendants of Abraham, are neither Abraham’s sons nor God’s sons.[6]

Remember that those whom God did not re-birth are not Abraham’s true seed.

TABULAR VIEW OF THOSE WHOM OUR LORD JESUS KNOWS AND FOREKNOWS

Matthew 7:23	“Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.”
2 Timothy 2:19	“The Lord knows those who are His.”
John 10:14	“I know My sheep and My sheep know Me.”
1 Corinthians 8:3	“But the one who loves God is known by God.”
Galatians 4:9	“But now that you know God, or rather are known by God…”
Romans 8:29	“For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…”
Habakkuk 1:13	“Your [God’s] eyes are too pure to look upon evil.” Brackets mine.
Romans 11:2	“God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew.”

To avoid confusing the two Israel’s, simply remember that God chose national Israel to be a figure of the true Israel. God used events in the lives of national Israel as examples, written for Christians’ admonition (1 Corinthians 10:11). There are times in which a Bible reader may think that God is speaking of the example[7] Israel rather than the true Israel.

Even the Patriarchs and Matriarchs are allegorical of Christians in some ways.

TABULAR VIEW OF ALLEGORICAL ISRAEL in Galatians 4:21-31

Abraham had 2 sons, 1 by the slave and other by the free woman (Gal. 4:22). His slave Hagar birthed a slave child. Abraham believed a promise from God to get s son by his wife, 4:23, 28	Abraham in the illustration represents our Lord Jesus Christ who is the everlasting Father of Isaiah 9:6 as the Father of the New Testament Israel. Abraham represents Christ who believed God’s promise to redeem eternal sons of God (Titus 1:2; Ephesians 1:4-5) Abraham represents Christ who founded the adopted nation of Israel via the law. Abraham represents Christ who united Himself to the Israel under the Law of Moses. Jesus obeyed the law perfectly and earned His resurrection from the dead. Earthly Israel disobeyed the law. Abraham represents Christ who died to take the penalty of the Law, not for Himself, but for those His Father gave to Him.
Sarah the free woman represents (Galatians 4:22)	Sarah represents the grace that God used to birth Isaac via His promise (Galatians 4:23-24). Sarah represents the only covenant that gives liberty from sin (Galatians 4:26). Sarah represents the covenant that produces regenerate sons of God (Galatians 4:26). Sarah represents what God’s promise can do (Galatians 4:27).
Isaac was the product of a miracle birth. His mother was grace. His father was God.	Isaac represents all whom God promised before their birth by name (Galatians 4:23, 28). Isaac represents all whom God rebirthed by grace through faith (Galatians 4:26). Isaac represents all whom the world the flesh, and the devil persecute for their faith 4:29 Isaac represents all who inherit everything that Christ inherits (Galatians 4:30). Isaac represents all whom Jesus saves and are not slaves of sin (Galatians 4:31).
Hagar was a slave woman who birthed a slave son who was flesh born 4:23 God evicted her from the Promised Land with her son Ishmael. She never inherited anything from Abraham.	Hagar represents what the Law says about salvation by Law (Galatians 4:21). Hagar represents the Law of Moses from Sinai in Arabia (Galatians 4:25). Hagar represents earthly Jerusalem who are slaves of sin (Galatians 4:25). Hagar represents the covenant in which Christ expels unbelievers through their unbelief (Galatians 4:30).
Ishmael was born a slave & of the flesh Gal 4:22-25. He was born by the law 4:24 He persecuted Isaac when Isaac was only 3 years old Gal 4:29	Ishmael represents all people who are born of the flesh as slaves of sin, who live as slaves of sin all their lives while rejecting grace (Galatians 4:21-25) Ishmael represents those Israelites and by extension all the world who persecute those born of the Spirit (Galatians 4:29 Ishmael represents all Israelites who reject grace & try to be saved by keeping the Law of Moses (Galatians 4:21). Ishmael represents all Israelites who do not inherit the land and Heaven (Galatians 4:30).

“Whom He foreknew.” Notice that God personally foreknew the people, not what they would do. This is like “I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.” KJV See below.  

In Matthew 7:23 Jesus says, “Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” KJV

In 2 Timothy 2:19 the Holy Spirit says, “The Lord knows those who are His.”

John 10:14 says, “I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me.”

1 Corinthians 8:3 says, “But the one who loves God is known by God.”

Galatians 4:9 says, “But now that you know God, or rather are known by God…”

Romans 8:29 says, “For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…”

God cannot even look with pleasure at people who are in the flesh, say nothing about knowing them. Habakkuk 1:13 says, “Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil.”

Romans 11:2 says, “God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew.”

It does not matter when God knows or does not know people. The important fact about it is that He cannot foreknowsinners any more than He can know sinners while they live on this earth. So, God’s knowledge of sinners must be of those whom He sees clothed in the righteousness of Christ, His only begotten Son.

God knows about everyone. He is omniscient. But He only knows those who know Him by faith. This is God’s knowledge of approbation or approval. He only has a relationship with those who are in His Son. He approves of His Son and only those Israelites who trust His Son.

A man might correctly say, “I know about other women, but I only know my wife.” God only knows those who know Him. See Romans 8:28-30.

Romans 11:2b says, “Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel:”

Elijah prayed to God, accusing Baal-worshipping Israelites of murdering the prophets. These murderers were not born-again Israelites even though they were descendants of Abraham.

Romans 8:3-4 says, “For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

It is grace rather than law that changes one’s heart and causes him to walk according to the Spirit. So, Israel, living as men devoid of grace, became a nation of idolators and murderers.

The example of Elijah:  Romans 11:2b-3 says, “Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel? 3“Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.”

In Elijah’s time there was an Israel that was not Israel. And the true Israel was the Israel that God reserved unto Himself. The Baal worshipping Israelites were not true Israel. Of them God did not approve.

The Event: Elijah’s intercessory prayer against those who were Israel in name only. (1 Kings 19:10, 14) So, Elijah was praying (not for Israel) but against the Israel that was not actually Israel. They were not Abraham, Isaac, and Israel’s true sons unless they had the hearts of those three Patriarchs. And they did not have their hearts. They did spring from the patriarchs, but they were not true Israel.

Jesus said that those Jews who were trying to murder Him were descendants of the devil (John 8:44).

None of these fleshly Israelites had their name in Hebrews Chapter 11, which is God’s gallery of faith. They were unsaved Israelites. As such, they were far different than Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were like Ishmael and Esau.

As Elijah prays to Yahweh, he accuses the false Israelites who worship Baal.

Romans 11:3 says, “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.” Elijah thought he was the only true Israelite still alive.

Can this Baal worshipping, prophet-killing nation called Israel be Israel? Answer: Romans 9:6 says, “They are not all [true] Israelites who descend from Israel.” Brackets mine.

How about the people who insisted upon the crucifixion of Christ? Were they true sons of Abraham? Our Lord Jesus said no. Spiritually, they were of their father the devil (John 8:44).

So, one had be a member of God’s remnant of Israel to be true Israel. And the promises that God made to Abraham and Isaac did not include Ishmael and Esau. They were descendants of Abraham but not his sons. Neither of them inherited even one square inch of the land. Isaac & Jacob inherited it all.

TABULAR VIEW OF THE ELECTION OF ISAAC AND THE ELECTION OF JACOB

Exhibit A	Exhibit B
God chose Isaac.	God chose Jacob.
Abraham wanted God to choose the older son, Ishmael (Genesis 17:18).	Isaac wanted God to choose the older twin, Esau (Genesis 27:4).
God promised a miracle birth via Sarah, who could not conceive. She was twice barren Genesis 16:1; Romans 4:19.	God selected the younger twin before the birth so that His purpose in Election might stand (Romans 9:11).
“Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’ 8In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. 9For this was how the promise was stated: ‘At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son’” (Romans 9:7-9; Genesis 21:12.). NIV	“Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. 11Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in Election might stand: 12not by works but by him who calls—she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ 13Just as it is written: ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’” (Romans 9:10-13; Genesis 25:23). NIV

Romans 11:4-6 says, “And what was the divine reply to him? ‘I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ 5In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.”

God’s first reply to Elijah’s complaint against false Israel was: “I have reserved to myself 7000 men who have not bowed the knee to Baal” (1 Kings 19:18).

So, God scattered all Israel to Gentile nations in the Assyrian Captivity. They could not, as Baal worshippers stay in Yahweh’s land.

Psalm 37:9 says, “For the evildoers will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.”

The tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained in God’s land until the Babylonian Captivity.

True Israel was only those whom God reserved to Himself. How did He reserve them to Himself?

Answer: He is God, and He reserved them to Himself without taking away their free moral agency. Since He is God, He can do things that people cannot do.

Reserving Israelites to Himself was an “Act of God.” In all acts of God, He entitles Himself to perform feats that supersede the moral, spiritual, and scientific laws of men. He can destroy nations, raise up nations, choose people, save people, destroy people, and bless people without asking men’s’ permission or complying with laws that He requires men to keep. Acts of God are the prerogatives of Deity. His prerogatives are different from His laws for us. Otherwise, He could not judge the world (Romans 3:6).

Another Act of God is justification, in which He imputes His own righteousness to those who turn from sin and trust in His Only Begotten Son and in His righteousness (Romans 10:1-4).

If everyone is going to hell anyway and most are. And if God saves some from sin, and He does. Has He sinned against those whom He did not reserve to Himself? Does anyone deserve Heaven? Answer: No!!!

But God saved them via sending some to go and tell them the Word of God. Unless you try to play the role of the philosopher instead of simply believing what God says, this is easy to believe. It is simple. He is God and we believe what He says.

As the angel said to Mary concerning the Virgin Birth of Jesus the Messiah, “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).

Paul’s explanation of the New Testament meaning of God’s answer to Elijah’s complaint against Israel:

Romans 11:5 says, “In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.”

TABULAR VIEW OF THE METHOD OF THE ACTS OF GOD

How did God?	Reserve the remnant to Himself?
Reserve the 7000 Israelites to Himself in Elijah’s day?	It was an act of God. We cannot scientifically explain it. But He is God, and we are finite.
Reserve the Jewish remnant to Himself in New Testament times?	In the same way that He reserved the 7000 to Himself in Elijah’s day, He reserved the Jewish remnant to Himself in Paul’s day. It was an act of God (Romans 11:5).

Romans 11:5 begins with the phrase “In the same way.” In the same way that God reserved the remnant to Himself in Elijah’s day, He is reserving the remnant of Jews to Himself in Paul’s day.  

Israelites who demanded the crucifixion of Christ are not true Israel.

When an Israelite or Gentile became a Christian under Paul’s ministry, God had just reserved another person to Himself in salvation. God did it by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) via the preaching of His word.

When God reserved Elijah the Prophet to Himself in the Old Testament times, He regenerated him by grace through faith.

So, we cannot take the credit for those whom God uses us to lead to Him.

The true Israelites are not the unbelieving Israelites of Paul’s day who persecuted him. Jesus says those who plot to murder Him are Satan’s seed (John 8:37, 39, 44). He is referring to Genesis 3:15, which says, “And I will put enmity between you [Satan] and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Brackets mine.

God is reserving the remnant to Himself by sending soul-winners.

God’s second answer to Elijah’s prayer is in Romans 11:6 as follows, “who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”So, we must ask ourselves, “Does God consider Baal worshippers to be Israel?”

Leviticus 18:28 says, “So if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it spewed out the nations before you.”

Baal worship, murder, and adultery defile the land (Jeremiah 3:1).

Jeremiah 3:1 says, ““If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers—and you would return to Me?” declares the LORD.

Since God made the land a figure of Heaven, sin in the land pictures defiling Heaven.

So, God allows the land to vomit the Baal-worshipping spiritually adulterous Israelite nation out of it. This is the cause of the Assyrian Captivity of Israel in 722 BC.

Israel has not reached her goal which was righteousness.

Romans 11:7 says, “What then? What Israel is seeking, this it has not obtained, but the elect obtained it. And the rest were hardened,”

The goal of Israel was righteousness. But they sought it in a way that dishonored God.

Romans 9:31 says, “but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.” They did not attain the righteousness they sought because of the wrong method of acquiring it. They did not seek it by faith. They sought it by the works of the law.

Romans 10:2-3 says, “For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not based on knowledge. 3Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.”

So, Israel was competing with God. They wanted to become good enough by keeping God’s law that God would have to invite them into Heaven. But God does not like competition. He does not agree to give man the credit for saving himself from sin. That would not be truthful. God cannot sin. Only when we realize that there is nothing that we can do to gain God’s favor do we look away from any personal achievement and look to the Lord Jesus Christ to save us from the bondage and the penalty of sin.

When we unconditionally surrender ourselves to God, He saves us. It is an act of God.

Which Israelites reached the goal? Answer: The elect part of Israel called the remnant, reached the goal of righteousness. So, the elect part of Israel is the remnant. Note that any portion of elect Israel can be true Israel if God saves them.

Who did not reach the goal? Answer: “The rest were hardened” (Romans 11:7). “The “rest” were the Jews whom God did not reserve unto Himself.

The great prize is not man becoming as righteous as one can be. We receive His righteousness when God imputes to our account His own glorious righteousness.

Imagine if God Himself were to declare to all of Heaven and earth that you are as righteous as He is. He will charge that to your account in Heaven if you simply trust His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to save you.

Romans 10:4 says, “For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes.”

Romans 9:8 says, “So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promisewho are regarded as offspring.”[8]

God had not regenerated most of the people who wandered in the wilderness with Moses. A sizable percentage of them were not true Israel.

In Deuteronomy 29:4 Moses said to the people, “Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.”

Spiritual stupidity,[9] blindness, and deafness are characteristic of unsaved people.

Romans 11:8 says, “God gave them a spirit of stupor.” God is the hardener of hearts, but He does not put a hardening agent into their hearts like we use with Bondo. He simply stirs them more slowly as punishment for their sin. Their hearts are like liquid concrete. If God does not keep it moving, it hardens. God is restraining our sin. When He removes some of the restraints, we harden our own hearts. God hardens our hearts by relaxing His restraints. Then we, by our free will, harden our own hearts. We all have a hardener in us called sin. See Romans 1:21 and 7:13.

Everyone in the world is either growing in Christ or hardening their hearts against Him. Which kind are you? A word to the wise should be sufficient.

The real hardener of a person’s heart is sin.

Romans 7:13 says, “It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.” ESV

Sin pollutes us all. But we cannot see sin in ourselves. It is invisible.

We can, however, see the results of indwelling sin in our hearts. Matthew 15:19 says, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.”

Be careful that you do not harden your heart. When you know to do right and do not do it your heart automatically hardens.

Psalm 69:22-23 says, “May their table become a snare; may it be a retribution and a trap. 23May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.”

David calls down well-deserved curses from God in Psalm 69:22-23 above.

Romans 11:9 says, “Let their table be made a snare and a trap and a recompense unto them.”

Israel’s table was their privilege with God. For some of those privileges see Romans 9:1-5.

Israel’s trap was their privilege. if we do not use privilege for God’s glory, it becomes a trap. And Israel did not use the blessings God gave to them to honor Him.

Recompense is retribution from God. Divinely given privilege begets our great responsibility to God. And great responsibility to God brings on big sins.

Romans 11:10 says, “Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see and bow down their back always.”

King David prays for judicial blinding for Jewish sinners. He asks God to spiritually blind some of the sinful Israelites (Psalm 69:23).

The bowed back refers to grief, terror, and bondage to sin.

Conclude this by saying that there were both godly and ungodly Israelites in the Old Testament. God called the Israelites who were godly, His remnant of Israel. He hardened the sinful ones.

God is Saving the Gentiles (Romans 11:11-24 verse-by-verse)

Romans 11:11 says, “I ask then, did they stumble to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not![10] However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.” 

God, in allowing, (but not causing) Israel to fall, was not aiming to destroy Israel so that they would never exist again.

God’s purpose in their fall: Romans 11:11 says, “I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.”

TABULAR VIEW OF FOUR ACTIONS OF GOD CONCERNING SIN

God forbids sin	Example is the Ten Commandments
God restrains sin	God is kind to those who continue in His kindness (Romans 11:22)
God permits sin	God punishes sin with greater sin by not restraining it (God gave Israel a spirit of stupor (Romans 11:8),
God directs sin	God directs sin for His purpose by restraining it and permitting it, but not by causing it. Romans 11:11 says, “…because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.”

Just as Joseph welcomed his brothers into Egypt after they sinned against him, so our Lord and Savior welcomed both Gentiles and Israelites into His Kingdom after they crucified Him, and He rose from the dead. Jesus arose to bless His brothers just as Joseph became the second ruler of Egypt and welcomed his family.

Sin has captured man’s heart. God restrains some of the sin that is in our hearts. If He removes the restraints, we become worse morally and spiritually. God’s restraint of sin in our hearts is an act of God. As our Creator He can restrain sin as it seems good to Him. He accomplishes His purpose in the lives of unbelievers by turning them over to the depravity of their hearts. This is God’s action behind His act of allowing Israel to fall.

Psalm 76:10 says, “Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.” KJV

God allowed Israel to fall to bring salvation to the Gentiles. See Matthew 8:11-12 and Acts 13:46 below.

Matthew 8:11-12 says, “I say to you that many will come from the east and the west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the sons of the kingdom [natural Israel] will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Brackets mine.

Acts 13:46 says, “Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you [Jews] first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.” Brackets mine.

It was to fulfill the prophecy of Deuteronomy 32:21. God was provoking them [Israel] to become jealous of His blessing on the Gentiles so the Jews might seek God, resting in Messiah for salvation. Gentile Christians preach the Word of God to all nations, including Jews.

In Deuteronomy 32:21 God says, “They [natural Israelites] have provoked My jealousy by that which is not God [an idol]; they have enraged Me with their worthless idols. So, I will make them jealous [motivate them] by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation without understanding.” See also Romans 10:19. Brackets mine.

Romans 10:19 says, “Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, “I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.” Moses lived about 1500 years before Christ. And God prophesied through him back then, that the Gentiles would evangelize the Jews and that most Jews would hate it.

The Jews emulate God’s gifts of grace that the saved Gentiles have from God. God blessed the saved Gentiles with the unsearchable riches of Christ.

Ephesians 3:8 says, “Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,” This is God blessing a Jew named Paul, so that he may then be a blessing to the Gentiles. Then the converted Gentiles go to Jewish people who are unsaved and share the good news with them.

The thought is that, as a Jewish person wrestles with God about becoming a Christian, he may observe the millions of loving, peaceful, and joyful Christian Gentiles, wishing that same salvation for himself.

One of God’s purposes in saving Gentiles was to stimulate the Jews to think of the spiritual treasures they could have in Christ. So, Jews minister to Gentiles and Gentiles minister to Jews.

In Romans 11:12 we learn that God still has a wonderful future for Israel. But they must trust in their Messiah to get it.

Proof of this is that He has some [elect] Israelites yet to save. God has not yet reached that full number of Israelites whom He plans to save. So, an Israelite has every reason to be optimistic that God will accept him in Christ. God promises Jews that if they believe on Christ, He will re-birth, justify, and keep them.

Romans 11:12 says, “But if their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!” Note: Israelites who worship Christ have an indescribable spiritual blessing.

TABULAR VIEW OF THE TWO ISRAEL’S 

Part of Israel trusts Jesus the Messiah	These have love, joy, and peace.	They are true Israel.
Part of Israel is hardening their hearts toward Yahweh.	These become more sinful in rejecting Yahweh as they age.	They are not true Israel

As David and Solomon amassed a great fortune of earthly treasure, so, Israelites who are in Christ can build wonderful spiritual treasures to last forever.

Unsaved Jews and Gentiles do not evaluate treasure as God assays it. But the life of faith gathers a great eternal weight of glory.

The fullness of Israel is the completion of the full number of [true] Israelites. It includes their gifts, their rewards, their sufferings, their priorities, and everything in them that proceeds from their faith.

God also gave gifts of grace to each true Israelite. Then He told them all to bring Him glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). In using the word “fullness,” Paul spoke of, not merely the salvation of each Israelite, but of the total glory that each saved Israelite brought to God during his Christian life.

Many Jews need to learn the lesson that God taught Jonah. Jonah hated Gentiles. He knew that God would forgive them of their sins if they turned from those sins while believing in Yahweh. Jonah thought it a horrible event that Nineveh, a whole city of Gentiles would worship Yahweh. God taught Jonah to serve Him and not hate the Gentiles. 

But Paul and Jonah were distinct kinds of Israelites. Paul loved the Gentiles while Jonah hated them.

When Israel fell, the world became wealthy. To know Christ is the greatest riches of all. And the elect of the Jews and Gentiles became rich in Christ.

Overall, the Gentiles returned the favor to the Jews, bringing many of them to Messiah.

Much more their [Israel’s] fullness (Romans 11:12). Brackets mine.

This is the fullness, not of natural Israel but of elect Jews. This fullness is the total number of Jews whom God will save. Not only will He save them in Christ, but He will give them other spiritual gifts to use to serve Him in their Christian lives.

Through Israel’s fall God enriched the elect Gentiles. Much more (even more certainly,) God will enrich the elect Jews by the same salvation. There is no difference in the coming in of the fullness of the Jews in Romans 11:12 and their receiving in Romans 11:15. Natural Israel is a dead nation in trespasses and sins. God’s dealing with Israel (saving Jews) is life from the dead. God is not totally casting off His people. He is still saving Jews. Even in Old Testament times not all Israel was true Israel. It is no different today. Some Israelites are true Israel.

There could be no greater blessing for anyone than what some Jews are receiving in Christ. Their true Messiah rules the world, and He is blessing Israel with the most superlative blessings possible.

Many carnal people see no value in spiritual gifts. But Christians love faith, hope, love, joy, peace, justification, adoption, predestination, conformity to the image of Christ, salvation by grace through faith, preservation of the holy ones and many more spiritual truths.

The elect of Israel are a great blessing to the Gentiles. Every writer of the New Testament is a Jew except for one Gentile named Luke. So, when we read the New Testament, God is blessing us through Hebrews.

God blessed and established the early Church primarily through the ministries of Jews.

Christians do not believe that born-again Gentiles are replacing the Jews. Christians believe themselves to be the spiritual sons of Abraham (Genesis 17:5-6; Romans 4:12; Galatians 3:29).

The riches of the Gentiles mean greater riches for the Jews. When God saves an Israelite like Paul, it is exceptional grace to both Gentiles and Jews (Romans 11:13-14).

In the entire context of Romans 11 the Holy Spirit speaks of God’s acceptance of Israelites in salvation in Christ.

It is amazing that some think that if God were to take Israel back to her Old Testament status it would fulfill the prophecies for Israel. It is not so.

The acceptance of the Jews is life from the dead (Romans 11:15).

At the present time [Church Age] there is a remnant of unsaved Jews whom God chose by grace through faith. Brackets mine.

The recovery of Israel is the salvation of the remnant of Israel (Romans 11:11).

The riches that came to elect Gentiles and elect Jews are the riches of salvation, not the riches of the restoration of national Israel (Romans 11:12). They are the same kind of riches for both.

So, the fullness of Israel is the salvation and gifting of the full number of Jews whom God elected unto salvation in Christ (Romans 11:12).

Romans 11:11-12 says, “I ask then, did they stumble to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. 12But if their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring?”

It does not make sense that there would be one kind of riches for the Gentiles while a far lesser kind of riches would be for the Jews.

TABULAR VIEW OF GOD’S BLESSINGS ON ELECT ISRAEL & ELECT GENTILES

What does not make sense	That God’s great future blessing on the Jews would be a future reversion to the past blessings of God upon Israel without salvation.
What does make sense	That God’s great future blessing on the Jews and the Gentiles would be treasures in Christ for both Jews and Gentiles.

Justified Israelites today are descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob whom God chose for salvation in Messiah (Romans 9:6-13). 

They are both Jewish & Gentile descendants of Abraham whom God calls “my people” (Romans 9:24-25).

They are Israelites who receive Christ as Savior and Lord the same as Gentiles (Romans 10:12-13).

Since it is true that God has far better blessings for people in Christ than for people in Moses, may all Jews look to Jesus the Messiah. Below is a table of the better things for both Hebrew and Gentile Christians.

TABULAR VIEW OF BETTER THINGS FOR ISRAELITES IN CHRIST THAN IN MOSES

Hebrews 1:3-4	Jesus has a Name & a rulership above all names & positions.
Hebrews 7:6-7	Jesus’ priesthood is far better than Aaron’s priesthood. See Hebrews 8:6 also.
Hebrews 7:19	“(for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.”
Hebrews 7:22	Jesus is the Guarantee of a better covenant because He is a priest forever. See also Hebrews 8:6-13.
Hebrews 7:27	Jesus is a Superior High Priest Hebrews 7:27
Hebrews 8:6	God establishes Jesus’ ministry upon better promises (Hebrews 8:6).
Hebrews 9:11	Better Tabernacle
Hebrews 9:9-11	Better Gifts and sacrifices. See also Hebrews 9:23
Hebrews 10:3-4	More Effectual Sacrifices
Hebrews 11:4	Better Sacrifice
Hebrews 11:10	Better City & Country
Hebrews 11:16	Better Country
Hebrews 11:26	Better Reward
Hebrews 11:35	Better Resurrection
Hebrews 11:40	Better Revelation of Christ
Hebrews 12:9	Better Life
Hebrews 12:24	Better Blood Sacrifice
Hebrews 13:9	Better Altar

Conclusion: The fullness of Israel in Romans 11:11-12 is the filling and gifting of the full number of the Israelites that God saves. It is not the restoration of Israel to the status of the previous nation of Israel. The New Testament Israel is only the saved remnant of Israel. And it is not the salvation of thousands of Jews in the very last days. That could occur but if it does, this text does not clearly teach it. 

Romans 11:13-15 says, “I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them. 15For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

His position: Apostle to the Gentiles Romans 11:13.

His action: “I glorify my ministry” – He exalts his office. That is, he likes to talk of God’s work through him and of God’s salvation of Gentiles. He is the Apostle to the Gentiles.

Reason for this testifying about his ministry: To provoke Israel to jealousy. That is, Paul believes that when the Jews see the effects of God’s grace working in the Gentiles, they will want that grace for themselves. God will use it as an evangelistic tool to save both Jews and Gentiles.

So, a Jew who sees God in the life of a Gentile should praise God for it rather than becoming angry because he thinks the Gentile has replaced the Jew.

Rationale:  Romans 11:15 says, “For if their [Israel’s] rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?”

The acceptance of Israel in this context is their spiritual salvation in Christ. It is reading too much into the text to imagine that their acceptance is of a different kind than in Romans 11:1-14.

The casting away of the unsaved Israelites brings on the reconciling of the world of the elect Gentiles. This began in the early Church and continues through our time and into the future until our Lord Messiah comes again.

Note that as God is saving Jews, He is also saving Gentiles. Born-again Gentiles are spiritual descendants of Abraham. Galatians 3:29 says, “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.

Thus: The receiving of the Jews is like a resurrection from the dead (Romans 11:15). And they are dead in sin until they know their true Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

A resurrection of the dead is an Act of God. God evicted the Jews from the land because they sinned against Him. They fully deserved the punishment that God sent to them. So, God was not replacing the Jews with Gentiles. But their absence left a void. God filled it by saving Gentiles.

This is the salvation of the fullness of the Jewish remnant during the Church Age. God is already saving Jews and He will save more of them until He reaches the total number of Israelites and Gentiles that He plans to save.

God’s grace for Jew and Gentile flows through the promises that God made to Abraham Romans 11:16-24. 

God’s grace for Jew and Gentile does flow through the promises that God made to Abraham. But why? Why would God not bless the Church directly through Christ? The answer is that He does bless the Church directly through Christ. But God chose to make Abraham’s descendants into a figure of Christ and the Church. See Galatians 4:21-31. Old Testament Hebrews are allegories and illustrations of Christ and the Church.

Romans 11:16 says, “If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches.”

Israel gave the first of the harvest dough to Yahweh in the form of the offering of a cake. It was ceremonially holy because God said it was. And if it was holy, it consecrated the entire batch that the harvest produced. See Numbers 15:17-21.

The dough represents remnant Israel. The first part of the dough represents only the saved or holy part of the original Israel. God chose, justified, and sanctified all the Patriarchs and Matriarchs. They were the first Israelites, and they were the first part of the dough and the root of the tree.

So, Israel must be a holy nation. Their foundation is holy. True Israel cannot include unsaved people since the original Israel exclusively consisted of regenerate people.

All true Israel is an offering to God. Unsaved Israelites are not part of the holy offering. They possess leaven.

God views the true nation of Israel down through history as an offering to Him (Compare with Romans 12:1-2).

The first fruits were the Patriarchs, Matriarchs, and their true children. Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, and Leah were believers in Yahweh. As such, they were all holy (saints). The burial of all six of these Patriarchs and Matriarchs was in the Cave of Machpelah near Hebron in the Land of Canaan.

Not included among the Patriarchs and Matriarchs were Ishmael and Esau and their wives and children. They were unsaved people. 

So, the first fruits of Israel were holy and their [true] descendants must also be holy, which means born-again by the Spirit of God.

Jesus said that the proof that one is a true descendant of Abraham is that he does the works of Abraham (John 8:39-40).

Not included in the true Israel through the ages and in the New Testament times are the unregenerate Israelites. The dough only pictures regenerate Israel.

And the Church consists only of saved people from both Jews and Gentiles.

Romans 11:16b says, “If the root is holy, so are the branches.”

The root of the Israel tree represents the Patriarchs and Matriarchs and their saved family members. Ishmael and Esau are not true members of the root.

So, the olive tree must now, in New Testament times consist only of saved people.

It is a mistake to believe that the olive tree only has Jewish branches (Galatians 3:29).

The olive tree changed from what it was in the Israel that the Law of Moses created. The Israel of the Law consisted of all the descendants of Israel regardless of whether God had saved them or not. But God broke off the merely[11]ceremonial branches in New Testament times. Jesus’ branches were not ceremonial people. His Church consisted only of the true people of faith to whom the ceremonial branches pointed.

If national Israelites of the Old Testament never repented of their sins and believed in Yahweh they perished. They were merely shadows of the true Israel.[12] But if they trusted in Messiah, who was the Yahweh of the Old Testament they had eternal life and were part of the remnant (Judges 6:11-14).[13]

In previous studies in this prophecy series, it was clear that from the time of Moses until Christ, the true Israel was not the outer shell of Israel, but it was the white cocoanut inside the cocoanut. And Jesus said that some descendants of Abraham were sons of the devil (Romans 8:37, 39, 44). So, such a person was part of the rough exterior of the cocoanut during the time of ceremonial Israel.

In Romans we saw that in New Testament times God is saving elect Jews just as in the Old Testament.

So, the olive tree of Israel is like the Vine and the Branches,[14] which consists completely of true Israelites (John 15:1-5).

And the Olive Tree of Romans 11 only consists of believers. God breaks unbelievers off and throws dead branches into the fire like in the illustration of the vine and the branches (John 15:6).

Romans 11:17-18 says, “Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root, 18do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.”

Jeremiah 11:16 says, “The LORD once called you a flourishing olive tree, beautiful with well-formed fruit. But with a mighty roar He will set it on fire, and its branches will be consumed.” This was the prophecy of breaking off the unsaved Hebrew branches from the Olive Tree. Perhaps the Babylonian Captivity was a near fulfillment of the severing of Jewish Branches in New Testament times.

The setting on fire of the entire tree is perhaps the destruction of the ceremonial Israel tree that existed from the time of Moses until the time of Christ. That was the shadow tree and not the true olive tree.

This is also the prophecy of breaking off the Hebrew branches from the Olive Tree to make it once more consist only of believing branches.

The severed branches were the Jews of the nation of Israel who were in unbelief. They insisted upon the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. They were born under the Law but when our Lord resurrected, the period of the ceremonial Israel ended.

Jesus was the new Israel. The new Israel of the new dispensation began. So, God detached all Hebrews who rejected Christ. They seemed to be in the olive tree by birth. But our Lord Jesus revealed that, in fact, the true branches were the remnant (John 8:33-44).

Others whom God breaks off are the Jews and Gentiles who believe in Christ with dead faith and do not persevere to the end (Romans 11:20-21; John 15:6). If God’s people have genuine salvation, He keeps them believing (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Luke 22:32).

The Israelites of the Patriarchs are the true root out of which all genuine believers come. The sap that brings the nutrients from the root to the branches represents the Holy Spirit. Abraham in the parabolic Israel represents Christ, the Father of the saints (Isaiah 9:6; 1 Corinthians 15:48-49; Deuteronomy 9:14).

The Israel of the Law were those unsaved Israelites who argued with God in the wilderness, who disobeyed Yahweh throughout the Old Testament, who worshipped a Calf and called it God, and who insisted upon the crucifixion of God’s eternal Son. They were nearly all unsaved people. They were the shell of the nut. But inside the nut was the true Israel.

The Israel of the Patriarchs are the same kind of people as the remnant of Israel under the Law and as the remnant of Israel in the New Testament era. They have obedience to prove that they are born-again.

Further, the Israel of the Law is a parenthesis from the time of Moses until the crucifixion of Christ. They are the shadow Israel (1 Corinthians 10:11). They consist of both believing and unbelieving Jews.

The broken-off branches illustrate the “casting away or rejection of Israel” in Romans 11:15. It is the fall and the loss of Israel of Romans 11:11-12. It all fits together.

Our Lord Jesus illustrates the broken-off Israel branches in parables.

The broken off Jewish branches are the wicked tenants of God’s vineyard who killed the landowner’s son (Christ) of Matthew 21:33-41.

They are the persons whom the king invited to the wedding banquet for his son [Messiah] but refused to come [Matthew 22:1-14]. Brackets mine. 

They are all those whom Jesus renounced in the whole of Matthew Chapter 23.

TABULAR VIEW OF THE TIMELINE OF THREE ASPECTS OF ISRAEL:

Dates	1921-1689 B.C.	1530-1410 B.C.	860 B.C.	4 BC – 30 A.D.	31-70 A.D.
National or (Ceremonial) Israel	Patriarchs & Matriarchs & Families	Moses & all National or Ceremonial Israel	National or ceremonial Israel	Jesus & all National Israel/Ceremonial Israel[15]  Jesus lived under the law.	Destruction of National Israel
Remnant/ Saved Israel	Patriarchs & Matriarchs except Ishmael & Esau	Moses, Joshua, Caleb & others	Elijah & 7000 whom God reserved to Himself	Our Lord Jesus & His unified Jewish & Gentile disciples = The Church. Plus, severed Jews re-ingrafted in the olive tree.	The Remnant of saved Jews and saved Gentiles called the Church
Unsaved & unbelieving Israel	Ishmael & Esau & families	Most of Israel was unsaved.	The Baal worshipping Israel	Israel of the Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees & Herodians	Unbelieving Jews deported and/or slain. Plus, professing Christians who do not persevere in faith.

[15] See Deuteronomy 9:14 where God threatened to destroy Israel and make of Moses a new nation. God said this to Moses, but Moses is a type of Christ. God fulfilled this in Christ. He made a spiritual nation out of Christ, fulfilling Deuteronomy 9:14.

God depicts justified Gentiles as a wild olive shoot whom He has grafted in among the Jewish believers to share in the nourishment of the olive root, which represents the Patriarchs & Matriarchs. The ingrafting of the Gentiles is union with Christ. He is the vine, and we are the branches.

God did not graft Gentiles into the olive tree.

God grafted Gentiles in who had temporary faith in Messiah among the living branches of the tree even though they had dead faith (John 6:66). The classic example of this was Judas Iscariot (John 6:70).

He placed them there but if they failed to persevere, He cut them out and cast them into the fire because they did not have saving faith (John 15:2, 6).

John 15:6 says, “If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.”

Christian Gentiles must not boast over the broken off branches. This is the possible vice of the Gentiles.

Romans 11:18 says, “do not boast over those [Jewish] branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.” So, we derive sap and nutrients from the root which is the Patriarchs.[16] The same Holy Spirit that possessed them indwells us. And Abraham represents the father of the new race who is Jesus Christ. Brackets mine.

What is the source of the sap in the root? It is not the natural fleshly spirituality of the Patriarchs. They derive the Holy Spirit from our Lord Jesus Christ, appearing to them as Yahweh.

The Patriarchs represent Christ, who is the true root. From Him all blessings flow.

Galatians 3:14 says, “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” NIV

So, the blessing that Yahweh gave to Abraham was the Holy Spirit. 

Philippians 3:3 says, “For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.”

People without the Spirit of God could not live godly lives like those of the Patriarchs. The flesh is dead to God.

Romans 11:19 says, “You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”

Reason not to boast.

The situation: The Gentile boasts that “some of the [Jewish] branches were broken off so he could be grafted in. (Romans 11:19). Brackets mine.

His former status: A wild olive tree

His present status: Grafted in among the [elect] Jewish branches and partaking of the blessings of the root (Abraham). So, have special respect for believing scions of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

What we must remember: “The root bears you.” John Gill in his Baptist Commentary shows how the Jewish root supports the Gentiles.[17] This is to cure Gentile boasting over the Jewish branches.

We must ask ourselves, “For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Corinthians 4:7)

Erroneous assumption: God broke the branches off so that I might be grafted in (Romans 11:19). This betrays the heart of a person who believes that he is the center of a huge act of God.

Thus, there is a haughty and contemptuous attitude among Gentiles toward Israel. The example is Esther 3:8.[18]

Correction of this erroneous assumption: See Romans 11:20-24. 

Matthew 3:9 says, “And do not presume to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham as father.' For I say to you that out of these stones God can raise up children unto Abraham.” The point is that we would simply be stones were it not for God’s grace. God makes stones and people of the same dust.

Romans 11:20-24 says, “They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant but be afraid. 21For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will certainly not spare you either.”

“22Take notice, therefore, of the kindness and severity of God: severity to those who fell, but kindness to you, if you continue in His kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24For if you were cut from a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into one that is cultivated, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!”

It is true that God broke off the Jewish branches in judgment. Then He grafted in the believing Gentiles. But His main reason was because of the sin of the Jews. It was judgment on the Jews because some of the Jewish branches did not believe in Yahweh, their Messiah.

Romans 11:20 says, “That is correct: They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant but be afraid.”

God broke them off because of unbelief.

You stand by faith. You cannot boast. Romans 3:27 says, “Where then is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of works? No, but on that of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”  

If we quit believing we perish. But we cannot quit believing if we are genuinely born-again by the Spirit of God. If sin captures and dominates us, we do not have salvation. So, we must trust God for our salvation as if it all depends upon God, and it does. We must strive to overcome sin as if it all depends upon us repenting, believing, and obeying, and it does. But through it all, we must so believe in “comfortable justification.”[19]

Be not arrogant but fear – This is humility and awareness of the perils to faith.

Romans 11:21 says, “If you do not believe, God will not spare you.” This is not an attack on the security of the believer because temporary faith simply advertises the fact that that kind of faith is dead faith. Faith that is a gift of God is living and permanent faith.

Someone said, “Faith that fizzles before the finish was flawed from the first.”

God did not spare the natural branches.

Romans 11:22 says, “Take notice, therefore, of the kindness and severity of God: severity to those who fell, but kindness to you, if you continue in His kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.” 

We need proper understanding of the goodness of God (Romans 11:22).

The goodness of God: God is good to us if we continue to believe in His gracious promises.

Acts 13:43 says, “many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.”

Romans 11:23 says, “And if they [the Jews] do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.” 

Which Jews did not continue in God’s kindness? Answer: They were those who worshipped Baal.

They were not those who had temporary lapses of faith. They persisted in unbelief. Their unbelief became a lifestyle of worshipping a false god.

We also need proper understanding of the severity of God. – “Severity toward them that fell if they do not continue in God’s goodness.” Remember, God’s salvation produces stability of faith. Those who do not persevere with God to the end, have no proof that He saved them. When it becomes necessary, God becomes severely just in His judgment of those who join and remain in cults.

Romans 11:24 says, “For if you were cut from a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into one that is cultivated, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

In grafting practice no one affixes lesser quality branches into a better olive tree. We splice better branches into a lesser quality olive tree. But God, in grace, grafts the worst into the best. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. He grafts us into Him. The result is Union with Christ. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob represent Christ in the allegory.

If God can graft in wild branches contrary to nature, He can surely (much more) graft in natural [Hebrew] branches (Romans 11:24).

This is a promise to you Jews that if you will turn away from your sin to our Lord Jesus Messiah, God will graft you into your olive tree again. But you will become a born-again Christian.

Jews already knew to obey the Ten Commandments but many of the Gentiles whom God employed the Apostle Paul to convert, came from pagan backgrounds. So, the grafting of Jewish branches was an easier process than the grafting of Gentiles. Unsaved Jews had more common grace than unsaved Gentiles.

Conclusions and Applications (Romans 11:25-36 verse-by-verse)

TABULAR VIEW OF THE MYSTERY OF ISRAEL’S BLINDNESS

A Mystery is a truth that we can only know if God discloses its meaning to us and even when He does, only God understands everything about it.

It is a mystery that part of Israel is blind. They are blind like Adam’s race is blind. This is the mystery of iniquity.

It is a greater mystery that part of God’s people Israel, whom He cultivated for 2000 years, so intentionally blinded themselves to Him and insisted upon the crucifixion of His only begotten Son.

The depth of this mystery is that God so punished Israel that they have stupor, blindness, deafness, and slavery to sin. This is the deep part of the mystery of iniquity (Romans 11:8).

The gargantuan mystery is that God‘s love so motivated Him to sacrifice His only begotten Son for such people who purposely hate and reject Him.

God’s purpose in revealing this mystery to us is that He does not want us to be conceited, thinking that anything other than His love and unmerited favor motivated Him to save part of Israel (Romans 11:5-6, 25). He wants us to say, “There but by the grace of God go I.” And He wants us to live a thankful life for such an unspeakable and wonderfully sacrificial and costly gift.

And He wants us to know and feel His love for us.

Romans 11:25 says, “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.”

“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery” (Romans 11:25).

Reason: Lest you should be wise in your own conceits. God’s truth is the cure for spiritual pride.

Puffed up against the Jews – Confer with Romans 11:20 which says, “Rightly so: They were broken off by unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be high minded but be afraid.” One can both have assurance of salvation and a fear of doing anything that displeases God simultaneously (John 15:6).

There are acts of God and there are responsibilities of man. An act of God is breaking off the unbelieving Jewish branches. The responsibility of man is to refrain from thinking that you are better than Israelites because God broke unbelieving Israelites out of the His tree.

We must be careful to properly interpret all acts of God. It behooves us to never put a prideful interpretation onto an Act of God.

In AD 70 God sent a Roman army to destroy and deport Israel.

If we say that the reason the Romans did not kill the Gentiles also, was that Gentiles were better people than the Jews, we commit the sin against which God warns the Gentile Christians in Romans 11:20.

God saved us purely out of His grace. It was nothing we did, and it was nothing that anyone else did.

If they did something for us, it was because an act of God inspired them to do it. If we say that the person whom God did not save was worse than we were, we sin against that person and against God.

Ignorant of what? Answer: “Ignorant of this mystery”

Nature of this mystery: The mystery is that part of Israel is blind to Jesus the Messiah and part of Israel can see Him by faith. See the Tabular View on this subject above.

Blindness in part happened to Israel. It was an act of God.

God saves all Israel of Romans 11:26 by reducing Israel to only saved Jews. He does this by breaking the unbelieving Jews out of the Israel Tree and by judicially blinding part of Israel.

“In part” – This does not mean that each Israelite is partly blind. Rather, it means that part of Israel is completely blind to God and His truth. This part of natural Israel are the unsaved Jews who are blind to Jesus our Messiah. They inherit that blindness from Adam. But the intensity of it is due to their own sin.

TABULAR VIEW OF THE BLIND PART OF ISRAEL OF ROMANS 11:25

The blind part of Israel are	Those against whom Elijah prayed (Romans 11:2-3)
The blind part of Israel are	Those who worshipped Baal (Romans 11:4)
The blind part of Israel are	Those who wanted God to save them by works of the law (Romans 11:6).
The blind part of Israel are	Those who did not receive the righteousness they sought (Romans 11:7).
The blind part of Israel are	Those whom God blinded in righteous judgment (Romans 11:7).
The blind part of Israel are	Those whom God gave the spirit of spiritual sleep, blindness, & deafness (Rom 11:7-8)
The blind part of Israel are	Those whom God allowed to fall into a trap, stumble over Christ, lose spiritual vision, and lapse into spiritual slavery (Romans 11:8-9).
The blind part of Israel are	Those whose fall brought salvation to the Gentiles (Romans 11:11).
The blind part of Israel are	Those who fell and those whose salvation blesses the world (Romans 11:12).
The blind part of Israel are	Those whom Paul wants the example of the Gentiles to motivate (Romans 11:14).
The blind part of Israel are	Those whom God broke out of the Israel tree (Romans 11:17, 19).
The blind part of Israel are	The natural branches whom God did not spare (Romans 11:21).
The blind part of Israel are	Those with whom God was severe (Romans 11:22).
The blind part of Israel are	Those whom God will graft in again if they turn to Him in Messiah (Romans 11:23).
The blind part of Israel are	The natural branches whom God may graft in again (Romans 11:24).
The blind part of Israel are	The blind part of natural Israel of Romans 11:25.
The blind part of Israel are	Those Jews whom God did not include in the New Covenant (Romans 11:27).
The blind part of Israel are	Those Jews not included in the promises God made to the Patriarchs (Romans 11:27).
The blind part of Israel are	Those Jew who are enemies of the Gospel of Christ (Romans 11:28).
The blind part of Israel are	Those Jews who do not obey Messiah now (Romans 11:31).

From the context, this blind part of natural Israel is not the regenerate Jews like the Apostle Paul (Romans 11:1-2).

They are not the Israelites and Gentiles whom God foreknew (Romans 11:2).

They are not the Israelites of the remnant (Romans 11:2-7).

They are not the remnant that is like the 7000 of Elijah’s day, whom God reserved to Himself (Romans 11:5).

They are the branches whom God cut out of the tree (Romans 11:17).

They are the branches who are no longer in the tree. So, they are not part of the true Israel, though people call them Israel (Romans 9:6).

They are the Jews who are in Palestine now with the exception of those whom God has saved.

TABULAR VIEW OF THE ROMANS 11:25 PART OF ISRAEL THAT HAS SPIRITUAL SIGHT

The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	Regenerate Jews like Paul (Romans 11:1-2).
The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	Born-again Jews of Romans 11:1-2 who have spiritual sight.
The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	The Israelites whom God foreknew (11:2).
The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	The remnant that is like the 7000 of Elijah’s day whom God reserved to Himself (Romans 11:4-5).
The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	Part of national Israel which we call true Israel because they are born-again by grace (Romans 9:6; 11:6).
The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	The Israelites whom God calls the “election” & who may be members of our Churches (Romans 11:7).
The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	Those who are part of the fullness of Israel (Romans 11:12)
The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	Those whom Paul leads to Christ (Romans 11:14).
The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	Those whom God receives (Romans 11:15).
The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	Those whom God did not sever from the olive tree 11:17
The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	Those who stand by faith (Romans 11:20)
The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	Those who continue in God’s goodness (Romans 11:22)
The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	Those who continue in the faith (Romans 11:23).
The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	The natural branches whom God grafted into their own olive tree (Romans 11:24).
The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	The Israel whom God saves of Romans 11:26
The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	The Jacob to whom Jesus came in His first coming 11:26
The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	The Israel of the new covenant to whom Jesus came & took away their sins of Romans 11:26.
The Israelites who have spiritual sight of Romans 11:25 are	The Israel whom God calls the election who are beloved for the sake of the Patriarchs (Romans 11:28)

“Israel” of Romans 11:25 is the totality of national Israel. So, part of them is blind and part of them can see spiritually.

The final terminal is “Until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.”

The ultimate point in Romans 11:25-26 is that God is saving the part of Israel by culling national Israel down to only saved/elect/believing /true Israel, consisting of regenerate Jews and Gentiles.

This demonstrates the final terminal of the blindness. It does not imply a change later. He is saving true Israel while eliminating Israelites who reject their rightful Messiah, Jesus Christ.

The fullness of the Gentles is the total number and gifts of Gentiles whom God will save. And it is the full glory that God will receive from the true Israelites and Gentiles.

“Fullness” is more than a number. It represents the measure of God’s grace. Perhaps there is an angel in Heaven whose job it is to keep up with the total number of those God saves. By doing so, he would be studying God. With each one that God saves by grace the angel might say, “Wow, God surely is good, and gracious, and patient, and faithful, and kind, and wise!!” See Ephesians 3:10.

There is nothing in the text that indicates at what rate the number grows. There is no record of how many God will save except those Scriptures that say that the number will be as the grains of sand of the seashore and the stars in the sky.

The context shows that the filling of this number is the same as the grafting into the olive tree.

Explanation: Romans 11:26 says, “and in this way all [true] Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from [true] Jacob.” NIV Brackets mine.

“In this way” The NIV translated this correctly, so we quoted from the NIV. Some Bible versions translate “in this manner” as “so.” The Greek word for “in this way” is houtos. Please follow the sense of this below:

English Bibles rightly translate this same word houtos as “so also” in Romans 5:18, 21; 6:4, 19; 11:5, 31. Romans 5:18 says, “…just as one trespass brought condemnation for all men, “so also” [houtos] one act of righteousness brought justification and life for all men.” Brackets mine.

Some Bible versions correctly translate houtos as “even so” in Romans 5:18; “likewise” in Romans 6:11; “even so” in Romans 11:31; “on this wise” in Romans 10:6; as “after this manner” in 1 Corinthians 10:7; and many others.

Houtos never means “then” as if it means “And then all Israel shall be saved.” It can mean “consequently” as in Romans 5:12 where “so” means a necessary consequence.

Our Lord uses houtos in John 3:16 where we translate it as “so.”  God “so” loved…” It means “In this manner.” God in this manner loved the world that He gave …”  God tells us the nature of the love that He has for us. He so loved us that He gave His Only Begotten Son…” “So” means “in this manner.” God “so” (in this manner) loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.

The best rendering of houtos in Romans 11:26 is “in this manner or way” or “like this.”  So, the meaning is, “blindness in part happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles is come in, and “in this manner or way,” all [true] Israel will be saved.”

Many English Bibles properly translate houtos as “so” in Romans 11:26. According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary’s first definition of “so,” it means “in this manner” or “in the way indicated or suggested.” This concurs with the NIV translation of houtos in Romans 11:26. Conclude that houtos, means “in this manner” or “in this way” or “like this.”

See if this translation fits with its preceding verse.

Here are the two verses together: Romans 11:25-26 says, “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26And so [in this way] all [true] Israel will be saved, as it is written…” Brackets mine.

Notice that Romans 11:25 says, “A hardening in part is come to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.”

A hardening “in part” indicates that there are two parts of [national] Israel. The two parts are [true] Israel and [unbelieving] Israel.

God does not graft saved Gentiles into the unsaved part of Israel. He grafts born-again Gentiles into the born-again part of Israel. Notice that in Romans 11:16-17 where the true Israel is both the [true] root and the [true] branches. Romans 11:16 says, “if the root is holy [saved from sin], so are the branches.”

The Israel of the context is the New Testament Israel, which consists of professing believers whether Jews or Gentiles.

There is no difference between the “Israel” of Romans 11:26a and the “Israel” that God represents as the olive tree in Romans 11. This “Israel” looks different from the “Israel” of the Old Testament because the Old Testament Israel was a census of all Jews born into Israel. Therefore it consists of the whole population of the nation of Israel.

But the New Testament olive tree consists only of born-again Israelites. That is why God cut the branches out at the changing of the dispensations. The New Israel exists under the rules our Lord Jesus inaugurated for interpreting the Vine and the Branches.

Thus, the full number of the Gentiles is the full number of regenerate Gentiles. This means that the pre-defined Israel is the “Israel” of Romans 11:26. It is saved Israel of both the Jews and the Gentiles.

So, when Romans 11:26 says “And so all Israel will be saved…” the point is that “so” means “in this manner.” Thus, the meaning of Romans 11:26 is, “And in this manner (or in the manner defined in Romans 11:25) all Israel (already defined Israel,) which is [true Israel]) will be saved...”

So, here is Romans 11:25-26 with the preceding information in brackets.

Romans 11:25-26 says, “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: [Natural] Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the [regenerate] Gentiles has come in, 26and in this way all [true] Israel will be saved…”. NIV Brackets mine.

Natural Israel has two parts, believing Israel and unbelieving Israel. God is blessing believing Israel while He is letting unbelieving Israel harden her heart.

Believing Gentiles are also in Romans 11:26. Gentiles who believe in Christ are spiritual descendants of Abraham. They have Abraham’s regenerate heart (Galatians 3:29; Romans 2:29).

Romans 11:26 says, “And in this manner [or “in this way”] all Israel will be saved. Brackets mine.

The manner or way of the salvation of all Israel is in the word “this.” The word “this” looks back to the previous context which teaches that the remnant is the [true] or [saved] Israel. God will save all the true remnant, which consists of born-again Israelites by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ during the entire Church Age and until He comes again.

“All Israel” of the context of Romans 11:26 is “all true Israel.”

Paul’s point is that God will save all Israel that He chose, and who believe in Christ, as He saves the true Israel during the Church Age. It includes born-again Gentiles since Gentiles are spiritual descendants of Abraham (Galatians 3:29).

It is the Israel which Paul defines as the “remnant” in Romans 11:1-12. But it also includes the Gentiles who inherit the heart of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob from Messiah.[20]

TABULAR VIEW SHOWING THE DEFINITION OF TRUE ISRAEL

Romans 9:6	Romans 2:28-29	Romans 11:26
They are not all true Israel which are of national Israel Romans 9:6	He is not a true Jew because he is one outwardly 2:28 He is a true Jew because he is one inwardly 2:29	Blindness in part is happened to national Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles is come in, and in this manner all true Israel shall be saved. (italics mine)

We best interpret “Israel” in Romans 11:26 from Romans 2:28-29; 4:16-17; 9:6 as believing and justified Israel.

Since Romans is an Epistle and since people read a letter from first to last, Paul believes that we have already read and believed Romans 2:28-29; 4:16-17; and 9:6. So, he does not use much ink explaining them again. He thinks we know what the New Testament Israel is.

Paul has already explained in Romans that a person who has the genes of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is not necessarily Israel. “They are not all true Israel who descend from Israel” unless they are born-again in Christ (Romans 9:6).

In Romans 11:26a, we interpret “all” from Romans 9:6. So, this means that God will save all true Israel by grafting them into the olive tree during the Church Age. Romans 2:26-29; 9:6; 9:24-25 and 11:1-25 must govern Romans 11:26. It is a sin to put one’s preconceived idea of what Israel is, into the word Israel, when God’s Apostle has used so many words in his Epistle to define it. See Psalm 14:7 and Isaiah 59:20.

Substantiation

TABULAR VIEW OF GOD’S SALVATION PURPOSE IN ALL AGES

God is	By	Biblical Basis	Quotation
Fulfilling His purpose of Ephesians 1:11[20]	Filling the fullness of Israel	Romans 11:25-26	“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to [national] Israel, until the full number of the [regenerate] Jew & Gentiles has come in. And in this manner, all [true] Israel shall be saved” Romans 11:25-26a
Fulfilling Scripture Psalm 14:7	Sending His Son to save His remnant	Romans 11:12; 11:26b Psalm 14:7	as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob.” Romans 11:26b quoting Psalm 14:7) [This, our Lord Jesus Christ already has & still is, fulfilling.]
Keeping His covenant Isaiah 27:9; 59:20-21	By taking away the sins of His people	Romans 11:27 quoting Isaiah 27:9 & 59:20-21	“And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins” (Isaiah 27:9). “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression… declares the LORD. 21“…this is My covenant with them…” (Isaiah 59:20-21). [This Covenant is the new covenant which Jesus already ratified.]

[20] Ephesians 1:11 says, “In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,”

Notes on the Tabular View above

God purposed in Himself to save a certain number of Hebrews called the “fullness of Israel” (Romans 11:12). He also planned to save a certain number of Gentiles labelled “the fullness of the Gentiles” (Romans 11:25). He called the sum of both numbers “all Israel” in Romans 11:26).[22] Gentile Christians are part of [spiritual] or “born-again” Israel (Galatians 3:29).

He blended the two Israel’s together in one nation during the times of national Israel. One Israel believed Him, and the other did not trust Him.

God conducted this purpose by causing Scripture to say that He would send His Son to save His fullness, which He called His remnant in Psalm 14:7. He also effected this purpose by making His eternal covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He then fulfilled that covenant by the death of His Son as the sacrificial Lamb, raising Him from the dead, causing Him to ascend into Heaven, and enthroning Him at His own right hand.

Romans 11:26b says, “as it is written: The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob.”

Romans 11:26b quotes Psalm 14:7, which says, “There shall come out of Sion the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.”

Our Lord fulfilled Psalm 14:7 in His first coming. Many imagine it to be only a great future revival among the national Israelites. David is foretelling the first coming of Christ. Jesus came and turned ungodliness away from true Israel by the blood of His cross.

This author believes that there may be one or more future revivals for Israel. But that is not what God teaches in Romans 11:26. God foretold Jesus to come, and He did. He came and He is still turning ungodliness away from [true] Jacob.

There is no reason to omit Romans 11:26b from prophecies of the first coming of Christ. Our Lord did come and turn ungodliness away from His disciples and the early Church. He is still fulfilling Psalm 14:7. He is still saving Jews. We do not know at what rate He will fulfill Psalm 14:7. If there is a great Gospel revival at some future time, it will be part of God’s fulfillment of Psalm 14:7. The event that turns ungodliness away from true Israel is the crucifixion of Christ. It occurred in His first coming.

Jesus began to fulfill Psalm 14:7 at His first coming. David wrote Psalm 14:7 at about 1011 BC. One thousand years later our Lord came and fulfilled it. He continues that fulfillment to this day.

The fulfillment of Psalm 14:7 is in Christ.

And, at His first coming our Lord Jesus established the covenant prophesied in Romans 11:27. It is the New Covenant.

Who is the Israel of Romans 11:26a? Answer: The Israel of Romans 11:26a is saved Israel of the context of the entirety of the Book of Romans.

TABULAR VIEW OF THE IDENTITY OF THE ISRAEL OF ROMANS 11:26a

Romans 9:6 calls saved Israel “all Israel.”	“They are not “all Israel” who are of Israel (Romans 9:6)
Romans 2:28-29 says that a mere natural descendant of Abraham is not a Jew but the son with the right heart is.	“A man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart” (Romans 2:29).
The “Israel” of Romans 11:26 is the Israel that God will save.	“And so, God will save all Israel.” (Romans 11:26)
God is hardening part of Israel until He saves the full number of Israelites (Romans 11:25-26).	“Hardening in part… until the full number of the Gentiles has come in & in this manner all Israel will be saved.”
God will save His Israel of Romans 11:26a	In the manner of saving some of national Israel and bypassing others of national Israel (Romans 11:26)
God will save His Israel of Romans 11:26a	By fulfilling His prophecy of Psalm 14:7 in Jesus’ first coming as recorded in Romans 11:26b
God will save His Israel of Romans 11:26a	By Jesus ratifying the new covenant of Jeremiah 31:33-34; Isaiah 27:9; as recorded in Romans 11:27. See Hebrews 9:15
God will save the Israel of Romans 11:26a	By breaking off the unbelieving branches & grafting in Gentile Spiritual Jews of Romans 11:17. See Galatians 3:29.
God will save the Israel of Romans 11:26 by saving everyone in the tree like He saved the holy root	Romans 11:16 says, “if the root is holy, so are the branches.” So only saved persons can be in the olive tree.
God will save the Israel of Romans 11:26	By finishing His salvation of the Gentiles that He already began in Acts chapters 10-11)
God will save the Israel of Romans 11:26 by                 >	Reducing Israel to only saved Israelites by breaking off all unbelieving branches from the Israel tree and by saving those who believe.

Romans 11:27 says, “For this is My covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins” See Isaiah 27:9; Jeremiah 31:33-34; Hebrews 8:8-13; 10:16; John 6:45; Isaiah 59:21; Romans 8:3-4.

Isaiah 27:9 says, “Therefore Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for.” Our Lord Jesus atoned for our sins in His first coming, not His second coming.

When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He spoke of this covenant.

Luke 22:20 says, “…after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.”

“This Covenant” is the New Covenant. God through Isaiah foretold it in Isaiah 27:9.

Isaiah 27:9 says, “Therefore Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for.” Jesus’ blood atones for [true] Jacob’s guilt. And He shed His blood in His first coming and not in His second coming.

Isaiah 27:9 speaks of the cure for Israel’s idolatry. The cure is salvation in Messiah Jesus.

That cure will come in the form of a new covenant which will guarantee a holy life for the covenantees.

When Jesus unilaterally enacted that New Covenant, He atoned for the sins of the true Israel of Romans 11:26 at His cross. His blood washed away the sins committed under the first [Mosaic] covenant (Hebrews 9:15).

Hebrews 9:15 says, “…He has died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”

The two main elements of the New Covenant are power over sin (Romans 11:26b) and forgiveness of sin (Romans 11:27). These are what we have in Christ now. Jesus’ disciples had this in the first century.

We do not await the second coming of Christ to have power over sin and forgiveness of sin.

The Holy Spirit already empowered us over sin but not as much as when Jesus comes again or when we die and go to Heaven. So, the fulfillment of Isaiah 27:9 as recorded in Romans 11:27 is already here but will be complete both at His second coming and in Heaven. We will be perfect in Heaven by the power of His blood.

TABULAR VIEW OF THE RIGHT WAY TO THINK OF ISRAEL

Emotions	Our right reactions	God’s main plan
Natural Jews hate the Gospel & everyone it helps. But God loves them.	Simply to understand that Israel is the way it is & live accordingly. They will always persecute Christians. Apply unjust suffering truths to our lives (Matthew 5:10). Evangelize them in hope. God is saving some. But we must understand their blindness.	Does not center on non-elect Israel. It is mainly about Christ & His people. Christians must have mercy upon Israelites and attempt to bring them to their Messiah (Romans 11:31).
God loves His elect Jews with His Son-loving love >	Christians must treat elect Jews as justified. Their final judgment is already over. >	Is about our Lord Jesus Christ & His elect Jews & Gentiles. God will never alter His gifts & calling (Romans 11:30).

Two standards by which God evaluates Israel:  Romans 11:28 says, “Regarding the gospel, they [unsaved Israelites] are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they [elect Israel] are loved on account of the patriarchs.”

According to the standard of the Gospel, unsaved Jews are enemies of God [and His people]. The blind Jews of Romans 11:25 hated the Gospel of Christ and insisted on His crucifixion. Therefore, unbelieving Jews made God their enemy.

Individual Jews who reject the Good News of Christ have the wrath of God remaining upon them like unbelievers of all nations. John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”

Reason: “For the sake of the Gentiles” - Jews became lividly angry because Paul preached the Gospel of Christ to the Gentiles, telling them that God would accept them by faith in the Lord Jesus their Messiah.

Acts 22:21-22 says, “Then He [Jesus] said to me [Paul,] ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” 22The crowd [of Jews] listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!” Brackets mine.

So, as soon as Paul mentioned the word “Gentiles” as the mission that God gave him, the Jews wanted to kill him.

Dr. John Gill comments on this in his Baptist Commentary as follows: “they were suffered [permitted] to reject the Gospel, and treat it with hatred and virulence, that by this means it might be taken away from them and carried to the Gentiles; so that the present enmity of the Jews to the Gospel, turned to the advantage of the Gentiles …”[23] Brackets mine.

 The crucifixion of Christ, as instigated by the Jews was the legal basis for the final rejection of Israel as a nation.[24]

Israelites made themselves enemies so that God might send salvation to the Gentiles.

According to the standard of election, (another way to think of Israel) they [the elect Jews] are beloved (God loves them). God loves all men but especially He loves those who believe. See Ephesians 1:4-5. He chose and adopted Israel as His own nation without saving many of them.

Though the Hebrews had made themselves the enemies of God, there was another way to think of them.

God still had a chosen remnant of Israel which He faithfully retained to Himself.

Why did He choose a seed of their nation? Answer: God had made promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that He would always retain their elect descendants unto Himself. There were a chosen people among them who were beloved of God, which would be made manifest because of the promise God made unto their fathers.

Reason – For the sake of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob (The Fathers) the promise made to them is unchangeable. Even though the Jews have fallen, God will continue His covenant with them to save a specific seed of their nation. Remember that He also saved a seed of their nation in Old Testament times and especially in the families of the Patriarchs.

Also, God is saving the world by saving certain ones from among the Gentiles. Compare 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.[25] In the language of New Testament times, if God is saving a portion of a nation, He is saving that nation. In this same way God is saving Israel by saving a seed of their nation. 

Romans 11:29 says, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Romans 11:29).

These gifts to Abraham are God’s unconditional promises to save a seed of his descendants.

God gave His promises to Abraham concerning his natural descendants by conditional promises. He conditioned His conditional promises upon the obedience of Abraham’s progeny. 

So, God’s conditional promises were not eternal gifts, and they were not eternal callings. They were not eternal gifts and callings because they depended upon man rather than upon God.

God gifted His unconditional promises to Abraham to save an elect segment of his seed.

The fulfillment of God’s unconditional promises depends upon God, not upon man.

The calling is God’s call to eternal life of some of Abraham’s seed whom God would summon to eternal life like He called Lazarus out of the tomb.

God will never change His mind about the eternal promises which guarantee the effectual calling of His elect people.

God chose and called a remnant of Jews whom He faithfully retained to Himself (Romans 11:28). Of that He will never change His mind.

This means that God’s election and His calling are unconditional since they depend upon God’s faithfulness, not upon man’s performance.

Romans 11:30-32 says, “Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience, 31so they too have now disobeyed, in order that they too may now receive mercy through the mercy shown to you. 32For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone.”

Now Paul continues with his theme in which God chooses His people.

In Old Testament times God left most of the Gentiles in their sins. Gentiles were “formerly disobedient” (Romans 11:30).

The Gentiles in view here were the mass of Gentiles whom God left alone throughout the times of the Israelites.

Acts 17:30 says, “So having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now proclaiming to mankind that all people everywhere are to repent.”

God did not give grace to many Gentiles in the Old Testament times. This proves that if God had elected none, no one would have come to Him. And it proves that all unbelievers are slaves of sin.

During this time of ignorance of the true God, idolatry, and superstition prevailed among the Gentiles. 

God did not inject sin into their hearts. They inherited it from Adam.

During this time, the Holy Spirit was restraining the sin of the world. But God said that His Spirit would not always contend with man [concerning man’s sin] (Genesis 6:3). Brackets mine

The sin of the Gentiles in Old Testament times came from the following sources.

First, the Gentiles inherited a spiritually dead nature from Adam. So, they had nothing in their hearts except a sin-inhabited conscience to guide them. Because they were dead in trespasses and sins, their sinful Adamic nature always overruled their conscience except when God restrained them to the contrary (Genesis 6:3).

Second, Adam represented them when he sinned, so God charged the guilt of Adam’s sin to all humans (Romans 5:12-18).

Third, each Gentile or Jew was responsible to God for his own sin. 

But in New Testament times God showed mercy to His elect Gentiles. He saved the Gentiles that He chose. But He bypassed those whom He did not choose (Romans 11:30).

The non-elect Jews had disbelieved, and God broke them off (Romans 11:31). 

Gentiles received mercy because of the disobedience of the non-elect Jews (Romans 11:30).

God’s purpose in allowing the disobedience of the Jews in the New Testament times, was so that the Gentiles would be merciful to them. God was merciful to the Gentiles in the New Testament times. He expected the Gentiles to evangelize the Jews.

In Old Testament times God had mercy upon the elect Jews and made national Israel His adopted nation (Romans 11:31).

Romans 11:32 says, “For God has consigned everyone [Jew and Gentile] to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone.”

The bottom line is that God gave both Jews and Gentiles a lengthy period to go their own way (Romans 11:32). He did this to demonstrate that no one could save himself. One must have God’s electing and converting grace, so that he does not remain in his sins. God saves by grace through faith.

Saving faith is a gift of God. God gives it by grace. Salvation is an act of God. God refuses to save anyone when they try to get Him to save them by their own works.

If God had continued this situation in which He was saving mostly Israelites, it would have appeared that Israel was better by nature than other people. So, He reversed the arrangement by primarily blessing Gentiles for a time while overlooking most Israelites. God did this to prove that salvation is an act of God. It is not a human achievement. 

There were many American Indians whom God saved by grace through faith.[26]

Paul praises God in Romans 11:33-36 as follows

“O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways! 34“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?” 35“Who has first given to God, that God should repay him?” 36For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.”

We praise God for the depth of His riches of wisdom and knowledge. God is too wise to allow anyone to take away His glory in saving His people.

God cannot allow people to take the credit for their own salvation. All salvation comes from Him. Salvation is an act of God like creation, providence, and judgment of the world. God never would sin.

TABULAR VIEW OF THE GLORIOUS WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

Wisdom – Sophia	Knowledge – Gnoseos
Who has been the Lord’s Counsellor? Answer: No one Romans 11:34	Who has known the Mind of the Lord? Who = No one Romans 11:34
His ways are past finding out (Ways are reasons why God is doing what He is doing. They include His methods also.)	His Judgments are unsearchable. These are decisions of God about the affairs of men & angels. The best Artificial Intelligence cannot understand why He decides as He does unless it believes God.
“Past finding out” means that we cannot trace out why God does what He does. Neither can we understand His methods. But we can believe what He tells us about them.	Unsearchable means that we cannot examine the mind of the Lord. But we can believe what He says about His judgments.

One reason that man cannot fathom the ways of God is that man is extremely selfish. Natural man opposes God at every turn.

God is the gracious giver to whom we are all debtors (Romans. 11:35-36).

All things are Of Him – He is the source of everything.

All things are Through Him. He is the energizer of everything.

All things are To Him – He is the goal of all things. Everything is for His glory.

Paul has now finished His teaching about God’s right to harden Israel in His judgment upon sinful Israel.

He also showed that God was right in His choice of certain Gentiles to be branches in His Israel Tree.

Now Paul extolls God’s wisdom in those ways as He applies them to Israel and to the Gentiles.

Proof that sin spread into all Adam’s descendants is that man completely refuses to give God His rightful glory in salvation. God chose and regenerated some men regardless of what carnal mankind’s philosophy says.

NOTES

[1] See the details of this in the verse-by-verse exposition of Romans 11:25-26 in this post.

[2] The word “all” in the Bible means literally “all” of a mutually understood group. If that mutually understood group is everyone in the world, then “all” means everyone in the world. But if that mutually understood group of people means “all those whom we are discussing, then “all” only includes the smaller group. For example, Paul uses “all” in 1 Corinthians 13:7, which says, “Love believes all things…” But it does not mean that love is gullible. Love does not believe false things about our Lord Jesus. Love does not believe the devil is going to Heaven. The word “all” means, “all those things about which we have been discussing of a mutually understood group of things.” In other words, “Love believes all things” like those things specified in Philippians 4:8. It tells us what kinds of things God allows us to think about. It says, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.” So, when God tells us that love believes all things, He must mean that love believes all true, honorable, right, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy things. They are those things about which God allows us to think. So, here we see that we must allow the context of Romans 11:26 to define the meaning of “all” in Romans 11:26a. The sum of the fulness of the saved Jews plus the fullness of the saved Gentiles defines the word “all” in “all Israel” in Romans 11:26a. All the verses prior to 11:26 and all the verses after Romans 11:26 speak of true and false Israel. But the common interpretation of Romans 11:26 is that “Israel” in Romans 11:26 is a completely different “Israel” than the true Israel of the context. The common interpretation is that “all” Israelites without exception will turn to God in the last day. But all Israel, which includes both Jews and Gentiles has been turning to God every day since our Lord Jesus came and died for us. So, Israel in Romans 11:26a is the true Israel. Saved Gentiles are also part of true Israel (Galatians 3:29). The “all” of Romans 11:26 probably comes from its use in the prophecy in the Old Testament that foretells the New Covenant, which is Jeremiah 31:33-34. And when it foretells the New Covenant, it foretells the people of the New Covenant, which consists of both Jews and Gentiles. See Hebrews 8:6-13 which quotes and explains the meaning of the New Covenant.

[3] Jesus commissioned Paul to preach to the Gentiles. In the process of that He gave to the Apostle the correct interpretation of the Old Testament understanding of Gentile salvation. Paul used this learning in his many debates with Israelites. So, he knew the teachings of the Hebrews about Christian teaching. Then Paul wrote this letter and sent it to the Christians at Rome.

[4] Unbelieving Israel did believe God to some degree. They believed that God had chosen them and promised to be their God. But they did not trust God to deliver them from their sins. They trusted themselves to obey God’s Law. They believed that their obedience to that law would prove that they were righteous. They did not trust God to impute His righteousness to them (Genesis 15:6; Luke 18:12-13; Romans 10:1-4).

[5] The brand of election, whether conditional or unconditional does not matter in this issue. Whether God chose His eternal people out of His good pleasure or from foreseen faith does not matter in this point. The fact is that God chose His people. This author believes in unconditional election, but conditional election believers can still grasp this section on prophecy.

[6] The reason that Abraham’s sons and God’s sons are the same people is that Abraham and his true family are an allegory of the true people of God. They foreshadow the Church of the New Testament. Romans 9:8 says, “So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring.” See also Galatians 4:21-31.

[7] 1 Corinthians 10:11 says, “Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.” See also Matthew 13:35; Hebrews 8:6-13.

[8] Philippians 3:3 says, “For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—"

[9] The spirit of stupor of Romans 11:8 leaves people in a state of spiritual stupidity.

[10] They stumbled over Christ.

[11] “Merely” means the Jewish branches who were not born-again were those whom God severed. There were two categories of branches that were ceremonial branches. But only the unregenerate among them did God cut off.

[12] 1 Corinthians 10:11 says, “Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.”

[13] In the Old Testament Yahweh condescended to be the “Yahweh of Hosts.” This means that He revealed Himself to the myriads of angels as an Angel who was the eternal Yahweh. And He often visited Israelites such as Gideon as the Angel of Yahweh. He was not an angel. But as the Yahweh of hosts, He looked like an Angel. He was the second Person of the Trinity, who later incarnated Himself in the form of an Israelite. In Judges 6:11-14 He appears to Gideon and commissions Gideon to serve Him. In Judges 6:11 “the Angel of Yahweh appeared to Gideon. But in Judges 6:14 when he speaks, it says “The LORD [Yahweh] turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. The word LORD in all capitals is Yahweh in Hebrew. So, the Angel of Yahweh, speaks as Yahweh and is Yahweh. He is Messiah and will be Yahweh in the flesh. So, the Yahweh of the Old Testament is also the Yahweh of the New Testament. But in the New Testament He is Messiah, which means Christ.

[14] In Isaiah chapter 5 God represents national Israel as a vine. But in John chapter 15 the vine is Christ, the seed of Israel. And the branches are those who believe in Him and receive nutrients from Him via the Holy Spirit.

[16] Note that the Patriarchs received their blessings from Yahweh the Messiah.

[17] thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. The Jews received no advantages from the Gentiles, but on the contrary the Gentiles from the Jews, to whom were committed the oracles of God, and by whom they were faithfully kept and transmitted to the Gentiles; the Gospel itself came out first from among them; the first preachers of it were Jews, who carried it into the Gentile world, where it was greatly succeeded to the conversion of many, who by this means were brought into a Gospel church state, and so enjoyed all the privileges they did: yea, Christ himself, according to the flesh, came of them, was sent unto them, was the minister of them, lived and died among them, and wrought out the great salvation for his people; hence "salvation" itself is said to be "of the Jews", John 4:22, so that the root and foundation of all their enjoyments were from the Jews, and not those of the Jews from them; hence there was no room, nor reason, for boasting against them, and vaunting it over them.” Gill, John ibid.

[18] Then Haman informed King Xerxes, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from everyone else’s, and they do not obey the king’s laws. So, it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.”

[19] A “comfortable justification” denotes a person whose faith is such that he never ceases to have assurance of salvation. He does not nervously vacillate from believing he is unsaved to assurance of salvation daily or even yearly. God justifies the elect at the beginning of their life of faith and not at the end of it at God’s final judgment.

[20] Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob received that regenerate heart from Yahweh who would later incarnate Himself as Messiah. Some say that Abraham, being an Old Testament person was not born again. However, it is unthinkable that God justified him (Genesis 15:6) without the Holy Spirit sanctifying him. The blessing of Abraham was the Holy Spirit. And it is impossible to separate justification and sanctification (See Galatians 3:14 and Romans 6:1-14). Romans 6:1 says, “Shall we [who are justified] continue in sin…?” Romans 6:14 says, “Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies…” So, it is impossible to be justified without being sanctified if it is true justification.

[22] Rationale: The word “Israel” is synonymous with “the elect. The true Israel and the total number of the elect mean the same thing.

[23] THE BAPTIST COMMENTARY SERIES: Dr. John Gill’s Exposition of the Old & New Testaments Volume 8 John to Galatians page 539. Reprinted in 1989 by The Baptist Standard Bearer. Also online at https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/romans/11.htm

[24] Since 1948 there is something new. Israel is back in the land. What God will do now; we wait to understand. We must be careful not to take a stand on what we see. Colossians 2:18 says, “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you with speculation about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up without basis by his unspiritual mind.”

[25] 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 says, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them.”

[26]https://www.amazon.com/Five-Civilized-Tribes-Cherokee-Chickasaw-ebook/dp/B00KS7ZZO6/ref=sr_1_2?crid=13PLEBAE46NLS&keywords=five+civilized+tribes+act+book&qid=1677375388&sprefix=book%3A+five+civil%2Caps%2C141&sr=8-2&asin=B00KS7ZZO6&revisionId=d4221b18&format=2&depth=1