By Jon Zens
Jon Zens' Web Page 'Searching Together'

While this section of Scripture led Paul to a doxology (11:33-36), it has often led Christians into arguments about the place of "Israel" in God's plan. One text that has been the source of much discussion is Rom. 11:26, "and so all Israel will be saved However, before dealing with this context, a few words need to be said about some approaches to "Israel" in the past.

After politics and the visible church were wedded beginning with Constantine around 325 A.D., it was necessary for theological justification to be found in O.T. themes for many practices (since they were absent in the N.T.).

Jews did not fare well in the Middle Ages or in the Reformation. With regret, we must remember that "at the Nuremberg trials after [WWII], Julius Streicher quoted the writings of Martin Luther in his own defense. As the Reformation spread to England, it came into vogue to speak of her as "God's Israel." Later, when Puritan principles came to America, New England was viewed as an "Israel." They were becoming a people of God with a political identity and so they stood in precisely the same relationship to God as did O.T. Israel [Gov.] Winthrop accordingly assumed that he could transfer the principles of nationhood found in ancient Israel to the Mass. Bay Company with no need for explanation [This] led them to interpret Scripture in an ultimately pretentious way that gave their own state and society the exalted status of a new Israel.

Increasingly since the 1830's, and especially since 1948, Dispensationalists have viewed the restoration of earthly Israel as an eschatological center point. Contemporary preachers are dogmatizing that all nations must support Israel or incur God's wrath. To equate the militaristic nationalism of present-day Israel with "God's cause" is certainly out of step with the nature of Christ's kingdom, and tends to deflect people from the centrality of Jesus Christ in history .

We want to suggest that Israel must be approached in a Christ-centered way. Our study would indicate that there is no hope for Jews outside of the gospel, and that any future dealing of God with them will be in terms of their coming into the body of Christ, along with Gentiles. Examining the use of the word and concept of "Israel" in Rom.9-l1 may help us to sort through conflicting viewpoints.

Verses that refer to Israel will be divided into two categories, "national" (N) and "spiritual" (S). "N" indicates a reference to the nation outside of the gospel, while "S" indicates a reference to it in connection with gospel salvation.

9:4 -- "lsraelites" (N).
9:6 -- "not all the ones of Israel" (N, oi ek Israel) "are Israel" (S, outoi Israel).
9:7-8 -- children of flesh (N), children of promise (S).
9:24 -- Jews & Gentiles "called" (S).
9:25 -- Hosea 2:23 originally addressed to Israel, is applied to Gentile salvation.
9:27 -- "Israel" (N); "remnant" (S)·
9:31-- "Israel" (N).
10:l--"lsraelites" (N).
10:3 -- Israel not submitting to God's righteousness in the gospel (N).
10:12 --''Jew'' (N).
10;16 -- "lsraelites" (N).
10:21-- "Israel" (N).
11.1 -- "His people" (N).
11:2 -- "Israel" (N).
11:4 -- Remnant of 7000(S).
11:5 -- "Remnant chosen by grace" (S).
11:7--"lsrael"(N); "elect" (S).
11:7 -- "Others hardened" (N).
11:11 -- "Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery?" (N).
11:11 -- "Their transgression" (N).
11:11 -- "Make Israel envious" (N)
11:12 -- "Their transgression" (N).
11:12--"Their loss" (N).
11:12 -- "Their fullness'' (S).
11:14 -- "Arouse my people" (N)
11:14 -- "save some of them" (S)
11:15 -- "Their rejection" (N).
11:15 -- "Their acceptance" (S).
11:16 -- "Root is holy" (S).
11:17 -- "Branches broken off" (N).
11:19 -- "Branches broken off" (N).
11:20 -- "Broken because of unbelief" (N).
11:21--"Natural branches" (N).
11:22 -- "Those who fell" (N).
11:23 -- "if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in" (N leading to S).
11:23 -- "God is able to graft them in" (N leading to S).
11:24 -- "How much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree" (N leading to S).
11:25 -- "Israel hardened in part" (N).
11:26 -- "So all Israel will be saved" (N leading to S).
11:28 -- "They are enemies" (N).
11:28 -- "They are loved" (N).
11:30 -- "Their disobedience" (N).
11:31 -- "They too have become disobedient in order that they may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you" (N leading to S).
11:32 -- "All people are disobedient so that He may have mercy on all" (N leading to S).

Analysis

From this brief overview of Paul's reasoning, I think several observations can be made. First, it seems difficult to avoid some sort of historic progression. There was a harvest out of Israel at the beginning of the gospel age. But then Israel became hardened, and the message was mainly directed to Gentiles. God used the wrath of the Jews against the gospel to fulfill His original promise to Abraham, "in you all nations will be blessed" (Ga1.3:8). It appears that in Paul's thought, there may be many Israelites saved in the future. Can we not see this basic progression? Israelite harvest - Israelite hardening - Gentile fullness - Israelite fullness.

Secondly, it is obvious that Paul focuses on God's election of a remnant within Israel. This would have a bearing on the "all" in 11:26. This "all" cannot be comprehensive, just as the "all" in 11:32 is not comprehensive - unless we believe in the salvation of all men. If anybody - Jew or Gentile - is saved, it is because of election (11:5-6; 9:11).

Thirdly, in light of our analysis of "Israel" in Rom.9-11, it seems strained to take the word "Israel" in 11:2 to mean "all of God's elect." The flow of Paul's thought would indicate that he has God's salvation-purpose regarding the nation in view.

Lastly, it is clear that whatever God's intentions are in the future for Israel, they are related to the gospel, not to a separate earthly purpose to be resurrected after the ''rapture" of the church. Paul desires for Israel to be "saved," not to be deluded by false hopes for an earthly millennial kingdom.