All Israel will be saved: Notes on Romans 11:26

19 May, 2012 Gary DeMar Israel Prophecy Reformed Theology Permalink
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As with most theological positions, there are a variety of interpretations of this passage: (1) The salvation of every racial/ethnic Jew. This is an impossible interpretation. Why preach the gospel to the Jews if they’re all going to be saved?”[1] (2) the salvation of believers–racial and spiritual Jews–throughout history. This position changes the meaning of Israel, going from literal (Rom. 11:1) to spiritual (11:26). While it’s possible; it’s unlikely; (3) the salvation of a remnant of Jews at the end of history. This is the position of the Westminster Confession of Faith (Q. 191 LC). Two-thousand years have passed since Romans was written. The Jews have had plenty of time to be “jealous” (Rom. 11:11). The Jews in Paul’s day were jealous. That’s why Jews were persecuting the church; (4) salvation of those Jews who survive the Great Tribulation. This becomes a debate over when the GT took/takes place. A remnant of Jews was saved prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, therefore, the GT is a past event; (5) the remnant of Jews living during the period of covenant transition until the time Jerusalem was judged and the temple destroyed. This interpretation makes the most sense given the time indicators in the passage.

1. Paul is describing the remnant in his day (11:5) in the same way that Elijah was describing the remnant in his own day (1 Kings 19:10).

“I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin” (Rom. 11:1).
The remnant is alive “at the present time” (11:5), that is, in Paul’s day. It’s this remnant that Paul hopes to save through the preaching of the gospel, many of whom have already been saved (cf. Acts 2:5–12, 37–41).

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    • http://www.missiontoisrael.org Ted R. Weiland

      When you identify both the Jews/Judahites and ethne (poorly
      translated “Gentiles,” even the capitalization is incorrect), this is
      actually quite simple. The term “Jews” (better rendered Judahites) do no
      represent all twelve tribes of Israel, but only the southern two-tribed
      house of Judah. The Greek word “ethne” (the same with the Hebrew word
      “goyim”) does not mean non-Israelites. It’s a generic word that means
      simply nations (sometimes non-Israelite nations, sometimes Israelite
      nations), leaving the context of each passage in which it’s found to
      determine which nations the author is referring to.

      The context
      (and the Old Testament prophets, such as Hosea in Romans 9:23-26)
      demonstrate that the ethne/nations being referred to by Paul in Romans
      are the divorced and dispersed descendants of the house of Israel in
      contrast with the Judahites, that is the descendants of the house of
      Judah.
      Roman 9:27 and Romans 11:5 both declare that only a remnant
      of Israelites will be saved whereas Romans 11:26 declares that all
      Israel will be saved. Indeed! A remnant of born again Israelites from
      all Israel, that is, from both the house of Judah and the house of
      Israel.

      Furthermore, when the Judahites and ethne are identified
      correctly in Romans, we find the literal fulfillment of Hosea’s prophecy
      that the house of Israel would be remarried to Yahweh in Romans 9:23-26
      and a most thrilling fulfillment of Ezekiel 38′s two-stick prophecy
      regarding the reuniting of the house of Judah and the house of Israel.

      For more, see “The Mystery of the Gentiles: Who Are They and Where Are They Now?” at http://www.missiontoisrael.org/mystery-of-gentiles/index.php.
       

    • http://www.missiontoisrael.org Ted R. Weiland

       “Nations,” John, not “Gentiles”! (I see you’re continuing to improperly
      capitalize the word.) Which then requires that we ask the question,
      “What nations?” The context and the Old Testament prophecies cited or
      referred to (like Hosea 1 and 2, referenced by Paul in Romans 9) are the
      only legitimate means for us to then determine the answer to that
      question.

      The context, the fact that Jews or Judahites only refers to two tribes rather than all twelve tribes, other internal evidence, and the Prophets all prove that, for example, the ethne/nations in Romans 9:23-26, are the ten tribes.

      Paul even says “As he also says in Hosea…” Well, what did He say in Hosea? He didn’t say that He was going to call non-Israelites His people or the children of the living God. HE SAID THAT about the ten tribes whom were about to be divorced.

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