Contributor: Alex Kokobili

INTRODUCTION

We had previously studied how the Gentiles became saved and became ingrafted into the body of Christ (Romans 11:11-24). The lesson reminded us of how Israel’s rejection of salvation paved way for the gospel to spread to the Gentiles who received the word of God with the fullness of salvation. Paul also considered his ministry to the Gentiles as an opportunity to spread the gospel to other nations but more so to his Jewish people. Although the Gentiles were not originally of Abraham but have now been engrafted as partakers of the blessings of Abraham through the salvation in Christ Jesus. Our focus on today’s study is on  Romans 11:25-32 with emphasis on “All Israel Shall Be Saved”. The rejection of Christ by the Jews was a mystery itself (John 11:11 “He came unto his own, and his own received him not”) but this didn’t change God’s promise to Israel as His chosen (Isaiah 41:8 But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend). Therefore, as we progress in this study, we will understand that God’s prerogative is for all Israel to be saved is certain and unchanged despite their initial rejection of Christ.

1. Israel’s Rejection of Christ Is Temporal & The Gentile’s Salvation Is Timely (Verse 25).

“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” (NKJV)

Paul admonishes the believers about how God revealed His salvation to the Gentiles by temporarily hardening the hearts of the Jews should not be taken for granted at all. The Jews’ current blindness to the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ is but temporary because they are not even aware of their ignorance. The salvation of Gentiles came at this time so that they could also preach to the Jews’. The hardness of the heart of the Jews is not permanent but that the same message of Christ rejected by the Jews will now be preached back to the Jews by the Gentiles. This means that since Israel who is the chosen elect rejected God’s salvation, then God’s grace was also made available to the Gentile nations to receive the vastness of His salvation, and at the fullness of time, the Jews will eventually realize the magnitude of God’s salvation.

2. All Israel Shall Be Saved (Verses 26-27).

“26 And so all Israel will be [b]saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.” (NKJV)

At this point, it seems as if it is only the Gentiles that are getting saved but the salvation of Israel is God part of God’s covenant to Israel and so Israel shall be saved as it was written. See also Isaiah 59:20 - ”The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob, says the Lord”.Ezekiel 34:30 ^“Thus they shall know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people,” says the Lord God”. But at this point, all Israel is a combination of both the true Jews and those by adoption provided they all believe in Jesus Christ. Note, after a while, God will release the grace for faith to the Jews receive Christ Jesus (in verses 23) because God has a covenant to take away their sins and if they repent from their unbelief, they will be engrafted in like the Gentiles as one people of God. For now, the gospel will continue to spread far and wide to all nations of the world until Christ’s coming when He will banish ungodliness from the house of Israel. See also  Mathew 23:39 “I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”.

3. For the gifts and calling of God are without Repentance (Verses 28-29).

“28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (NKJV)

At this point, Israel is described as a people who rejected the gospel of Christ and became an enemy against God’s salvation but we must still realize that according to God’s covenant with Abraham they are still His beloved. Now it may seem as if the Jews are God’s enemies but their rejection of the Christ resulted in the persecution of the early church which propelled the gospel of Christ to other parts of the world. This became an opportunity for us Gentiles to receive the gospel but regardless of this, the Jews are still a people loved by God, and His promise of salvation to Israel cannot be revoked.

4. Man’s Disobedience and the Show of God’s Mercy (Verses 30-32).

“30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has [c]committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.” (NKJV)

It is important to realize that we Gentiles who have received the salvation of Christ were not different from the Jews who reject Christ while we are still in ignorance. Both the Jews and Gentiles were both disobedient to God and now God’s mercy is available to us to repent from our sins and to receive Jesus as our Lord and saviour. This also calls for reflection to the Gentiles who are believers to appreciate the salvation of God upon their lives and that is why Apostle Paul often rebuked the Gentile churches who started compromising their salvation in sinful conducts such as in Galatians 3: 1, 1 Corinthians 5:1, 11:18, etc. At this point, God has decided to be merciful to all people either Jews or Gentiles so that we all can have the opportunity of eternal salvation.

CONCLUSION

The second coming of Christ is real and God desires that we who have already received Christ live a rapturable life so that we can go with the rapture. This is because the reign of the antichrist will begin after the rapture (This is also known as the Great Tribulation ) and it would be more difficult for people to receive the salvation of Jesus Christ but God’s mercy unto salvation would still be opened to the Jews. See also Revelation 7:4  And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel. This is because God’s covenant to save Israel as His chosen people cannot be revoked (Romans 11:28). More so, all the promises of God in Him are Yea, and Amen (2 Corinthians 1:20).