Romans 9 – 11 and the Nation State of Israel

 

Romans 9 – 11 and the Nation State of Israel[1]

Historical Background

Before I launch into this discussion it is critical to say a word about the historical context to the who Letter of Paul to the Romans.  You will see how important this is as I move through my argument. We know from Acts 18:1-2 that the church in Rome had existed for some time and was made up of both Jewish and non-Jewish followers. The crisis for this church began when the Roman emperor Claudius expelled all of the Jewish people from Rome. About five years later, all those Jews, including many who followed Jesus, were allowed to return. When they did, they found a church that had become non-Jewish in its customs and practice. This culture clash created lots of tension, and by Paul’s day, the Roman church was divided.[2]

The Church in Rome had a racial problem. Does God treat the Jew differently than the Greek? Those who have studied the previous chapters in Romans see that Paul systematically shows there is no difference between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians.  Both face the same plight, and both have the same Saviour. Behind Romans 9-11 exists an unspoken question, “Does God save Jews in the same way?”  Or stated more succinctly: “Don’t the Jews have national promises that Gentiles don’t have?”  “Is there a redemptive future for the nation state of Israel?”

The Purpose

This article is intended to show that Romans 9-11 does not support the popular notion that at the end of time, God will show His faithfulness to the nation state of Israel (Israel according to the flesh) and bring to pass a mass revival thus showing that “all Israel will be saved.”  In whatever way one may arrive at such a conclusion, I contend that it cannot be supported by Romans 9-11.  Here is an example of such an interpretation:

“He plans to remove the hardening of unbelief and renew His covenant with Israel. This will occur as many Jewish people come to faith in Christ at some future time. Israel remains deeply loved by God because of His irrevocable promises and calling for the patriarchs.”[3]

Supported mostly by a system of theology known as Dispensationalism, this interpretation is questionable. The statement is intended to summarize Paul’s words in Romans 11:26a (ESV): “And in this way all Israel will be saved.”  But you will note in your reading that most conservative scholars do not take that literally (A tenet of Dispensationalism!) but rather qualify it as “many Jewish people”.  It must also be admitted by those who embrace a future salvation of all Israel (and their various interpretations of such) that “all” does not mean to them as “all”.  In fact, by their own conclusions, they are speaking of a massive redemptive work of God upon the nation state of Israel that serves the salvic benefit of one generation of Jews.  However, that is not my main argument in this article.

My limited scope is to simply show that the internal evidence of Romans 9-11 does not support the notion of any end-time event analogous to a massive redemption of the nation state of Israel.  I wish to prove my thesis in 5 points.

#1. The foundation of Romans 9-11 does not support such a notion.

This foundation is the opening verses, Romans 9:6–11 (ESV):

“⁶ But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, ⁷ and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, . . . but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. . .. —in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls.”

The argument starts in Romans 8:39b, “nothing can separate us from the love of God.”  But what about Israel?  Has God’s word failed regarding Israel? No! The Israel that Paul weeps for and wishes to be accursed for is not the Israel of promise. “Not all Israel belong to Israel.”  The point that undergirds these important chapters is that God never intended to “save all Israel”.  The promise was always for a remnant chosen (elected) by grace. This principle must shape our thinking of Romans 11:26. Paul is clearly setting the parameters here.  If Romans 9:1-11 is affirming that God’s eternal plan was to save a chosen remnant from within the nation state of Israel, we must assume that to be true throughout the remaining two chapters.  God never foreknew, sovereignly elected all of the nation state of ethnic Israel.

#2. The proof of God’s faithfulness to His plan for Israel is not an end-time restoration.

Paul’s answer to the question in Romans 9:6, “Has the Word of God failed” regarding Israel is not, “No it is not failed, just wait until I tell you about the national restoration that will occur before the end of time.”  It is the saving of a remnant that responds to the question of God’s faithfulness.  And Paul will make himself as a prime example.  Note Romans 11:1–5 (ESV):

“¹¹ I ask, then, has God rejected his people?  By no means! For I myself am an Israelite . . . ⁵ So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.”

As Paul is writing this Letter, he not only proves God’s fidelity through the individual salvation of God’s elect Jews, but through that very means refutes the idea of a national ethnic restoration. The nation is in fact, not all going to be saved.  Thus, Paul writes in Romans 11:14 that it is his driving mission “in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.” (Emphasis mine).

#3. The internal evidence proves that “partial” means not “all”.

Proponents of this end-time revival of the Jewish nation take the word partial and apply it to time. Noting Romans 11:25 (ESV), we read:

“²⁵ Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”

The common Dispensationalism view assumes that God has placed a judicial hardening on the nation state of Israel and is lifted at some point in time.  For example: “The time is coming, after the right amount of the Gentiles have believed in Christ, when God will remove the hardening from the unbelieving Jews. They will turn to faith in Christ and, as a people, be grafted back onto God's symbolic olive tree.”

The problem with that is that God never uses the idea of a partial hardening of Israel in terms of time. The idea of hardening is juxtaposed with election.  In describing God’s purpose for Pharaoh, God inspires Paul to write: “So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.” (Romans 9:18).  The partial hardening again supports Paul’s instruction: Some of Israel has been hardened and some of Israel has been shown mercy (elected by grace); or stated otherwise, not all Israel is Israel.

The phrase “all Israel” is again compared with “the fullness of the Gentiles”.  Other than Universalists, no conservative, evangelical scholar would equate Gentile fullness to all of the Gentiles will be saved.  No, we would say that God has determined by electing grace to save a certain number of Gentiles. Likewise, the term “all Israel” corresponds by teaching us that God has determined to save a certain number of elect Jews.

#4. Paul does reveal a sequence of time that refutes an en-time Jewish revival.

Note Romans 11:11–15 (ESV):

“¹¹ So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. ¹² Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! ¹³ Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry ¹⁴ in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.  ¹⁵ For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead.”

Paul identifies a sequence. Jewish trespass leads to salvation to the Gentiles. Stated otherwise: Jewish trespass means riches for the Gentiles.  So, question: “How much more of a blessing will it be to the Gentiles when all of the elect Jews are saved.  Dispensationalists anticipate that when “all Israel is saved” the end shall come, and all the elect Gentiles are already saved. But the verse implies that when the “fullness of the Jews is complete, there is yet to be a blessing (“how much more will their full inclusion mean”).

Stated succinctly the text anticipates increasing blessing to the Gentiles by the salvation of Jews, but a Dispensational reading of this teaches that once the Jews are saved the end will come.

#5. Paul is describing a “way” not a “when”.

“And in this way all Israel will be saved.” (Romans 11:26).  As stated above, Paul is showing the faithfulness of God and His Word to Israel, not by promising an end-time revival before Christ’s return, but in fact showing that God is faithful to His Word in that not all Israel is chosen by grace through faith (Chapter 10) to be saved but that those Jews who are the elect according to grace are being saved through the Gospel — and that is HOW all Israel according to promise will be saved.

Summary

These chapters could be bookended this way:

Romans 9:6–11 (ESV): ⁶ But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel . . . —in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls . . ..”

Romans 11:26 (ESV): “²⁶And in this way all Israel will be saved . . ..”

All Israel, all Israel according to promise, will be saved by God’s sovereign electing grace through faith in Jesus Christ. That is the “way” all of Israel that God had fore known in eternity will be saved. And in keeping with the historical context of Romans, that is the exact same way the Gentiles will come into their fullness.

Conclusion.

I have given 5 integral arguments that exist within the text of Romans 9-11 that refute any notion that God has a plan to save the nation state of Israel in a future and final display of His redemptive plan.  If someone is to suggest the reality of such an event, they will find no support within the pages of Romans 9-11.   If they find it elsewhere, they would need to deal with an apparent contradiction in Scripture that is fatal if such existed. 

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[1] I owe a debt in this article by the good work of Dr. Sam Storms.

[2] The Bible Project

[3] https://www.bibleref.com/biblepassage/Printer?section=Romans_11:25&lang=en

BEHOLD THE DAYS ARE COMING

 

The prophecy of Jeremiah, written about 600 years B.C., is foretelling the eventual judgment of southern Israel, Judah.  The Northern tribes had already been sent into captivity.  Babylon's assault was pending.

Throughout the prophecy, Jeremiah includes phrases of hope -- hope of a restoration.  But none is as clear as is recorded in Jeremiah 23:5–6 (ESV)

⁵ “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. ⁶ In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

There are some expositors that choose to leave the time of the prophecy's fulfillment as open. "The expression days are coming is very general and has no particular time reference." [1] There are others who are adamant that this prophecy will be fulfilled in a physical, temporal Millennial reign. For example: This is referring to "Israel’s regathering and the righteous Branch will occur during the millennial reign following the Great Tribulation." [2]

I believe "the days" refer to the time between Christ's advent and His Second Coming. I also believe that the time stamp is clear.  I hold to that belief for 3 reasons:

#1. The formula "Behold the days".

In this chapter, Jeremiah uses that phrase twice (v5 and v7).  He will use it again in the well-known chapter on the New Covenant. ““Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 31:31–32, ESV)

The writer to the Hebrews in chapters 8:8bff and 10:15 clearly applies that formula to the Christian Church. In classic Biblical hermeneutics, we interpret the Old by the New.  The author to the book of Hebrews would view Jeremiah's prophecy as applying to the Church, the true offspring of Abraham, all those who have faith in Jesus Christ.  Just as the New Covenant was inaugurated by Jesus, so the Messianic reign was inaugurated at His advent.

#2. The Branch of David.

The second time stamp in this passage is the reference to the Branch of David.  Thompson comments: "The metaphor is of a shoot (ṣemaḥ) bursting forth from the Davidic tree (i.e., the dynasty), which, though cut off, is not dead. English versions have generally translated the word as Branch. In postexilic times the term became the classic technical one for the expected ideal king (Zech. 3:8; 6:12) [3].

No one disputes that the Branch, or better, the Shoot, is referring to Jesus Christ, the expected Messiah.  Jeremiah likely got that hint from Isaiah who prophesied 100 years before.  “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” (Isaiah 11:1–2, ESV).  Jesus Himself citing a parallel passage (“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;” (Isaiah 61:1, ESV) affirmed that this was about Him. (Luke 4:18-19).  Jesus believed that He was the One prophesied and He was currently engaged in the ministry foretold. 

#3. The Salvation of Israel.

In Romans 11:26 (ESV), Paul clearly tells us that he is thinking of the Old Testament restorative literature when he writes, "²⁶ 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”.  Certainly, when the audience read "in this way all Israel will be saved" they must have thought of: “In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’” (Jeremiah 23:6, ESV)

Paul was writing of contemporary things.  He describes how God has not rejected Israel, but in fact has a glorious plan of salvation based upon His electing mercies. "In this way all Israel" will be saved.  In other words, what is happening right now, as it happened to him, is how Israel will be saved.

Conclusion

Surely the authorial intent of the prophecy of Jeremiah 23:5-6, is to point us to the Coming of the Messiah at His birth and His ministry throughout the last days until His Second Return. “. . . Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:23–25, ESV)

So, it was with great cause and abundant joy that the father of John the Baptist would exclaim:

". . .“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.” (Luke 1:67–75, ESV)  

To God be the Glory.

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1. Thompson, J. A. (1980). The Book of Jeremiah (p. 489). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

2. Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M., eds. (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 1466). Thomas Nelson.

3. Thompson, J. A. (1980). The Book of Jeremiah (p. 489). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

 

Behold Your Christ: Servant, Branch & Stone

A Vision of Joshua the High Priest - Part 2

Previously we started to look at Zechariah 3  where the prophet observed a sinful priest named Joshua. In spite of Satanic accusation, we see that God intends to solve the problem through the cleansing work of Christ, the Messiah.

One would guess that this event took place while the High Priest was going about his priestly duties. It seems ironic that right along side of him was none other than God's nemesis, Satan. And all this is taking place in the midst of the Word of God, the Second Person of the holy Trinity. Satan's purpose was to accuse. "The Hebrew text has a beautiful play on words which, if translated literally, would be something like, And Satan standing at his right hand for the purpose of satanizing him." [1]

As we noticed previously, God's answer prefigured His judicial act called justification, whereby He declared the sinner justified, guiltless.  Paul repeats this fact in his great letter to Rome: “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:33–34, NIV).

Christ is prefigured in three ways in this vision: A Servant, a Branch and a Stone with seven eyes (“‘Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.” (Zechariah 3:8–9, NIV)).

What do these things mean?

The Servant 

We see the servant motif clearly revealed in Isaiah 42-53.  The latter chapter being so vivid.  This is the One that would come and take upon Himself the sin of many and by doing so justify many. “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed . . . Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:4-5, 12, NIV)

The Branch.  

The idea of the Branch comes from both prophets, Isaiah and Jeremiah.  They develop the expectation of an ideal Davidic ruler, who is identified as “the Branch” and will reign over an eternal kingdom.  “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” (Isaiah 11:1, NIV).   In Romans 15:12, Paul connects Jesus descending from Jesse to the hope of the Gentiles, too.  

The Stone

This is not any "stone."  It probably is a foundation stone for the temple. “So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.” (Isaiah 28:16, NIV).  "To the Jews at his first advent, the Messiah (Christ) was the stumbling stone and rock of offense (Isa 8:13-15; cf. Ps 118:22-23; Matt 21:42; 1 Peter 2:7-8). But to those who trusted in him, he was a never-failing refuge (Isa 28:16; 1 Peter 2:6)." [3]

 Zechariah sees this cornerstone of Zion, of God's people, as a stone with seven eyes. Seven being perfection; and eyes showing sight and knowledge, indicates this is the omniscient foundation for the Church.  Isaiah 11:2 (NIV), clarifies this:

² The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—

This vision includes but goes much wider and longer than the notion of an ethnic Israel restored to Palestine.  It certainly was designed to motivate the people to get back to work on the Temple in Jerusalem.  But the closing events parachute the reader in an eschatology trajectory that foresees the removal of the curse and divine blessing abounding, everywhere. ““And on that day, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, each of you will invite your neighbor to sit with you peacefully under your own grapevine and fig tree.”” (Zechariah 3:10, NLT).

Father what condescension, what grace it is that You would reveal Your Son to us in such earthy illustrations, that we might truly know Him and honor Him as God.  Today I come to my Servant.  Yes He willing disrobed and washed the disciples feet, but even more profound than that, He disrobed, was executed as blood poured down His own feet.  He did that because of my sin.  He had none. What mercy! Today I come to the Branch, who is not a sprout, but a sovereign. He is the obedient son of Jesse who will reign for ever and ever.  Today I come to the Seven-eyed, Seven-spirited, glorious Rock who is the cornerstone of the Church. He is a "stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.” (1 Peter 2:8, NIV).  But He is also the cornerstone for those who believe, as the Scripture says, “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”” (1 Peter 2:6, NIV).  Lord, today I put my trust in You.  Today I again receive the assurance of Your pardon.  Today I bow before You as my King and my God.  Lead on Oh King Eternal.  Grant by Your Spirit a willing and obedient heart in me, today.  Amen.

 

 

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1. KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (1804). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
2. Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Zec 3:8). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
3. Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Zechariah/Exposition of Zechariah/II. A Series of Eight Night Visions (1:7-6:8)/D. The Fourth Vision: The Cleansing and Restoration of Israel (3:1-10), Book Version: 4.0.2

Sometimes It Takes Awhile To Get Through

For 23 years I have taught relentlessly, never perfectly, always passionately on the sovereignty of God in salvation.  The tension between God's work in salvation and man's necessary response troubles many, many people.   Myriads of people struggle to accuratelyarticulate sovereign electing grace in biblical harmony with necessary human choice; and do so without diminishing one or the other. This week I experienced something so vivid it woke me up to a reality.  Like a framing hammer hitting me over the head I came to this sad but evident realization:

Many Christians will correctly fight for all they are worth to protect the truth that mankind must make a personal, conscious, free choice to accept Christ as Savior, but will not allow God, the ultimate Uncaused Cause of the Universe to make a personal, conscious, free choice of them to be saved.

How sad!  How emptying of His glory.  Isaiah 42:8

Soli Deo Gloria



Tongue Twister Extraordinaire - Part 3

Do you ever wonder why the Bible refers to some people in the most depreciating way?   For example in Proverbs 1:22 (ESV):

“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

Fools, in the Bible, are not intellectually challenged.  Fools are not stupid.  In almost hyperbolic language, the Bible equates "fools" with those who possess knowledge, but don't possess knowledge.  It's just like Paul in this tongue-twisting text in 1 Corinthians, chapter 8.  It is here that Paul unravels that floppy muscle in the cavity of our mouths and says this: The measure of your knowledge is in direct proportion to the expression of your knowledge. In fact those who don't express their knowledge in the way that God directs are indicted with these words: "[They are] people who think they know so much don’t know anything at all." (1 Corinthians 8:2, CEV).  So the question that the previous post left was this: "What will turn presumed knowledge into precise knowledge?"  The answer is sandwiched in the text.  Note:

" Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up." (1 Corinthians 8:1, ESV)

and

"But if anyone loves God, he is known by God." (1 Corinthians 8:3, ESV)

The first half of the sandwich is this: Knowledge (to be knowledge in reality and in precision) must be expressed in love.  This is well-known to us.  I remind you of 1 Corinthians 13:2.  The second half of the sandwich takes more thought and explanation.  Here is the chain of thought:

To be known by God is His foreknowledge or election (Romans 8:29; etc.)  -->
To be chosen by God is be humbled by one's inability and inadequacy -->
Therefore: To be known by means all life is by grace therefore ". . . What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?" (1 Corinthians 4:7, ESV)

So here's the punchline:  For knowledge to be precise it must be birthed in humility and expressed in love.  Do I know anything?  The measure of my knowledge is in direct proportion to the manner it is expressed.