All Israel will be Saved

In Romans 11:25 to 32, Paul argues that all Israel will be saved eventually. This, he calls, a mystery. Paul does not want the Gentile believers to gloat over the fact that the Jews are lost, whereas they themselves have been saved.

According to Paul, Israel experienced a hardening of their hearts so that the full number of the Gentiles to be saved could come in. Once that purpose is fulfilled, all Israel will be saved. This is the mystery.

The hardening of the hearts of the Israel was neither total not permanent. It was permitted by the Lord with a purpose, that of bringing in the Gentiles. It was like the heart of the Pharaoh, which was hardened, so that God’s name might be glorified by all the miracles He performed.

God will never abandon His own people, whom He had selected from the time of Abraham; God will not reject his chosen people; they will always have a special place in His plan. God’s promises to the Patriarchs will have to be fulfilled. That is why God, in love, is pursuing the disobedient Israel.

Paul quotes two verses from the Old Testament to prove his point. Isaiah 59:20, prophecies about the final redemption of Israel. “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the Lord. The promise is that the Redeemer will come to Zion to those descendants of Jacob, who will repent their sins.

So, it is not that all Israel will be saved. It is only those who repent of their sins and look to God for salvation will be saved. Even in the church that is there today, not all church members will be saved. Only those who have been truly repentant will be saved. 

The next verse, Isaiah 59:21 says, ‘As for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children…” Another promise of God to show that the repentant Israel will follow the word of God and turn out to be obedient, even unto their descendants.

In verse 27, Paul is quoting Isaiah 27:9, “By this, then, will Jacob’s guilt be atoned for, and this will be the full fruitage of the removal of his sin.” Here is the assurance that Israel’s sins will be atoned for and forgiven by God. This would mean a new covenant that God will enter with them.

Paul is merrily mixing and matching Old Testament verses to prove his point. Here he is making use of Jeremiah 31:33, which says, “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”  

This new covenant will not be like the Old Covenant delivered through Moses, written on tablets of stone; but it would be written on their hearts, the flesh of their hearts, or the tablets of their hearts. It will be written in their minds too, so that they will obey it.

This concept is dealt in greater detail in Hebrew 8:8-12. While trying to prove that the New Covenant is far superior to the Old Covenant, the writer of Hebrews, quotes the above verse from Jeremiah and elaborates that the new testament would be written in the hearts of the people, and with the aid of the Holy Spirit, it will be easier to follow, than the law written on stone and mediated by the priesthood.

This writing of the new covenant on the hearts and minds of Israel, will ensure that they follow the commands of God and so that God could declare, “I will be their God and they will be my people.” God’s chosen people, Israel will be reconciled to Him, so that they are called his people and He will be their God.

The next verse Jeremiah 32:34 ends thus, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” God has promised that He will forgive the sins of Israel, so that they will be saved.

We find the whole concept repeated in Ezekiel 36:26-28. Here God clearly indicates saying “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. …you will be my people, and I will be your God.”

This promise of God, though made to the Israel of the Old Testament, is applicable to us, the believers in Christ, who have become His church and the New Israel. What was difficult for the Israel to follow, being a written code, a legal requirement, becomes possible to follow in the New Covenant, because the Spirit has been given to us, who enables us to follow God’s word written in our hearts.

This is the major difference between the Old Testament of Moses and the New Testament of Christ. For us the Holy Spirit has been given as the Counselor, Comforter and the Guide, who will reside in us, and guide us into all truth and enable us to walk in truth. John 14:25, 16:13. This was missing in the Old Testament time.

With regards to the Gospel, the Jews were like enemies on account of the Gentiles, to enable them to come to know Christ and come into the family of God. But with regard to their election, the Jews are loved on account of the patriarchs.

Paul now makes a profound statement. “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” More than anything this statement testifies the unchangeable nature of God. He is self-consistent and utterly reliable. He never changes His promises or His words. They are always ‘yes’ and ‘Amen.’

Gentiles were disobedient to God at one time, but have received mercy in Christ, due to the disobedience of Jews. Israel also though disobedient, will receive God’s mercy and be gathered in as God’s people. God, in His eternal purpose, has let all men to be disobedient, so that His mercy can also abound and reach to everyone, both the Jew and the Gentile. Universal disobedience of man is met with universal mercy of God.

What a great God we have! Compassionate, and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Exodus 34:6. His love is universal, extending to all of us.

Should we not access that love and be saved for eternity!

Amen.