“And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”” -Romans 11:26–27
God will save all Israel in the way he just described—and is about to finish describing in vss. 28-32—by hardening Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has been achieved. It is in this way that the mystery will unfold. To support his argument, he references God’s promises to Israel in the Prophets, namely, Isaiah 59:20–21 and Jeremiah 31:33–34:
“And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord. “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.” -Isaiah 59:20–21
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” -Jeremiah 31:33–34
But what does Paul mean by all Israel? There is a prominent view among modern evangelicals that Paul is pointing to an end-time event, Christ’s return, when the Jews still living after the fullness of the Gentiles has been achieved, will suddenly repent and be instantaneously grafted back into the olive tree. All Israel are those saved at that time.
But following Paul’s train of thought since the beginning of chapter 9 would not support such a view that only the Jews living at a particular time in history (i.e., Christ’s return) is not supported by the text or by reason.
It is clear Paul means all Israel in the sense he has already articulated in 9:6: “…For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,”
And, given the fact that he contrasts the Gentiles with Israel, referring to Israel no less than 10 times since the beginning of Chapter 9, it is additionally clear that Pauls is speaking of the believing remnant of Israel in every generation, the total number of elect Jews.
In his commentary on Romans, William Hendriksen points out that in verses 25 and 26, “All Israel parallels the fullness of the Gentiles.” God is saving his elect from both groups and making them one people of God (Ephesians 2:14 Cf. Revelation 21:5).
What is most striking, and what should never be forgotten as we journey through Paul’s letter to the church at Rome, is that all of Paul’s arguments are made in light of the gospel, the unmerited favor of God toward hard-hearted sinners.
Though God rightly judges deserving sinners (i.e., gives them justice), he also gives mercy and grace to innumerable undeserving sinners (i.e., gives them non-justice). What he never gives is injustice. He is both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).
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