And So, All Israel Shall Be Saved

This is a chapter from my book, Creating The Israel of God. Available on Amazon.

[Rom. 11:25-27]
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

[Isa. 45:17]
But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.

Paul’s excursus on Israel in Romans has been the focus of many books, dissertations, and arguments. Why does it hold such fascination for us? For one thing, it is definitely one of the most difficult portions of his writings to bring clarity to. Also, some attempt to prove their position of a future national restoration of Israel from it, with the usual cafeteria-style (pick-n-choose) theology. Lastly, the only true way of gaining insight and understanding of his point is to take the whole section, chapters 9-11, as one unit. Paul did not cut and paste things together. He is building a viable position, reaching his true conclusion in the final verses of chapter eleven. The conclusion he reaches in his argument is,

33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Before we address what Paul means by “And so, all Israel shall be saved,” we need to answer a few questions.

• Q. What does Paul mean by the mystery of blindness in part to Israel?
• Q. What does he mean by the “fulness of the Gentiles be come in”?
• Q. Why does Paul use the phrase “all Israel,” instead of just saying, “And so, Israel shall be saved?” Why add the ‘all’?
• Q. Who does Paul define as Israel?
• Q. How is “all Israel” to be saved?

Let’s start with this question.

Q. Who does Paul define as Israel?

Paul has already given his definition and understanding of who constitutes Israel.

9:6-9 Not all Israel is Israel. This is a very strange thing for a Jew to say. What does he mean by this? His point is that just because you can trace your ancestry back to the fathers, does not mean you are counted as part of God’s covenant Israel. It is not genetics that count, but faith.

I need to restate this truth. There were two Israels: natural Israel, those who are counted as the physical offspring of the fathers, and Israel of faith, those whose circumcision was of the heart. This is the distinction Paul is making.

As we have already pointed out, Abraham had many children, apart from Isaac. He had Ishmael by Hagar the servant of Sarah. After Sarah died, he had six more sons by Keturah [Gen.25:1].

Rom. 9:7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.

The true children of Abraham are counted in the Seed of Promise.

Earlier in Romans, Paul established the fact that Abraham was the father of faith for both the circumcised and the uncircumcised.

Rom. 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

Abraham was deemed righteous before God by faith, while he was still uncircumcised, i.e., while he was still a Gentile, so to speak. In this sense, he is the father of the Gentiles who come to faith in Christ.

It should not be overlooked, that when God made the covenant with Abram, he was still uncircumcised [Gen. 15]. He was not above 84 years old when this covenant was made. He was not circumcised until he was 99 years old [Gen. 17:1]. It was at this time God changed his name to Abraham. The point of interest, is when God cut covenant with Abram, he was an uncircumcised Chaldean, a Gentile, who believed God. Of course, at this point, all were “Gentiles.” God made the covenant with Abram, which Israel boasts of and depends upon, with an uncircumcised Chaldean (Babylonian). What made Abram special in the eyes of God, was not his DNA, but his faith.

He received circumcision as the sign or as “a seal of the righteousness of the faith.” Circumcision was to act as a sign that he had been deemed righteous by the Lord, based upon his faith. The Faith of Abraham preceded his circumcision, just as faith in Christ is to precede the act of baptism. Baptism doesn’t save, anymore than circumcision of the flesh saves. If you’ve been baptized apart from faith, you just got wet. If the Jew is circumcised in his flesh without faith in God through Messiah Jesus, it counts for nothing. Neither baptism nor circumcision means anything apart from an abiding faith in Christ Jesus.

Christ saves by grace through faith. It is for this reason that if circumcision of the heart does not accompany circumcision in the flesh, then the circumcision of the flesh is no better than mutilation. Paul was the first to say this.

So, those who are of the Seed of Promise are the true children of Abraham and heirs of the promise. In the immediate sense, this would apply to Isaac. The natural Jew would say, Amen, to this.

In the fullest and ultimate sense, this Seed of Promise can apply only to Christ Jesus. Paul details this in greater fullness in his letter to the Galatians.

Gal. 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Gal. 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

It is only those who are in Christ, i.e., New Covenant Israel, who are counted as Abraham’s seed. If you are counted as Abraham’s seed, then you are also heirs according to the promise.

Back to Paul’s argument in Romans 9. Here, Paul defines Israel as those who are of the Promised Seed, which is Christ Jesus.

Rom. 9:8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

Let’s put it like this. If Paul is speaking strictly of Isaac being this seed of promise, then all those descended from Isaac, and Jacob (Israel), would be the bona fide children of Israel, according to the promise. Paul would have no grounds for making any such distinction between children of the flesh and children of the promise, if he meant Isaac was the ultimate seed of Promise. If this is so, then this whole portion of Romans (chapters nine - eleven) is the ramblings of a heretic.

However, since Paul does make such a distinction, the Seed of Promise can only refer to Christ. This marks the true distinction between children of the flesh (those of natural Israel) and children of the promise (those in Christ). By accentuating the difference between the two groups, Paul makes the distinction between those of Israel and those not of Israel. This is Paul’s point. Rom. 9:6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. All those out of natural Israel are not counted as Israel.

So Israel, as God counts them according to Paul, are those who are counted the children of promise, through Christ [Gal. 3:29].

Next, we should address the question,

Q. What does Paul mean by the mystery of blindness in part to Israel?

Paul makes it clear that this hardening or blinding was only partial and temporary. It was partial, in that only a portion of Israelites were blinded to the gospel truths. Later, Paul notes that these were those who were “enemies of the gospel for your sakes.” [Rom. 11:28]

This partial blinding or hardening, was regarded as a mystery. Paul’s use of the term mystery, might throw some people off. In the NT, the term mystery (μυστήριον mystērion) describes, “The disclosure of truth to which the Scripture already bears witness. In other words, the knowledge of a “mystery” entails insight into the message of Scripture, which, although present, formerly was hidden and unknown.”

A mystery is a Biblical truth, which is already established in Scripture, although it might be hidden or not plainly revealed. This mystery of blindness can be seen in John 12:37-40; Matt. 13:13-15; Isaiah 6:9-10; 42:18-25.

We can see an example of this partial blindness at work, in John 12:42-43.

42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

Many of the rulers, members of the Great Sanhedrin, believed upon Jesus. This would include men such as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. Yet, the main body of Pharisees did not believe upon him. Those who did believe, did not openly confess because they feared being ousted from their positions among the ruling class. As John states, they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

This also gives us a hint as to the source of the blindness and hardness of heart. The main body of Pharisees was governed not by the Word of God as given to Moses and the prophets, but by their own traditions, referred to by Jesus as “the tradition of the elders.” These traditions were the Pharisees’ ultimate authority, as it is to this very day [the modern rabbi is a direct spiritual descendant to the Pharisees of Jesus' day]. These traditions were originally oral, but later were written down and became known as the Talmud. To this very day, these rabbinic traditions, as seen in the Talmud, keep many modern followers of Judaism blinded and hardened to Christ Jesus and His Gospel. In order for many Jews to believe in their Messiah, the deceptive, hellish grip of the Talmud must be eradicated. Those who are under the rabbinic, Talmudic spell are held in “prison houses” [Isa. 42:22]. The breaking of this Talmudic spell over the Jewish people absolutely requires an act of God.

Paul also refers to this blindness of Israel as having a veil over their face, when the Scriptures are read [2 Cor. 3:14-16]. In this passage [2 Cor. 3:14], Paul states that the veil that keeps them from seeing is done away in Christ.

14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

In verse 16, Paul states that this veil that blinds their minds, is done away when they turn to the Lord.

16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

Hence, this blindness is not a perpetual hardening. It was laid by God on a portion of Israel. Yet it is removed when one turns in faith to Christ.

Q. What is the relationship of this mystery to the “fulness of the Gentiles” coming in?

The blindness was temporary, or to be removed at a certain point. Paul states that this hardness would be removed when the “fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”

The term fulness, signifies a completion, or a full measure. Paul states that when the fullest measure of Gentiles come into the Body of Christ by faith, then the hardening or blindness would be removed. When this fulness is reached is known only to God.

Does this mean that when the hardness is removed, all Jews will come to faith in Christ? No, Paul never states such a conclusion. It is only when this fulness is reached, that the cause of the blindness or hardness is removed.

As he states in 2 Corinthians 3, the veil (the cause of the blindness) is taken away, so that they might be able to read the Old Testament without hindrance. It would then be up to each individual whether they would turn to the Lord in faith. For those who do turn in faith to Christ Jesus, they are simply grafted back into the Olive Tree of the Israel of God. They are no longer broken branches.

Some have mistakenly read into this, that there is a renewal of Israel’s covenant. This is an impossibility. Why? Because both the Sinai and Abrahamic Covenants are fulfilled in Christ. The only covenant left to natural Israel is the New Covenant, promised by God through Jeremiah, and fulfilled in Christ. This statement of the removal of the blindness of Israel, is not describing a national conversion en masse, of natural Jews to Christ. I say again, the only covenant left to the natural Jew is the New Covenant in Christ Jesus.

Q. Why does Paul say, “All Israel,” instead of just “Israel”?

Paul has answered this in the beginning of chapter eleven. When he asks the question, “Has God cast away His people?”, he answers, “God forbid.”. As we already stated, Paul added a caveat that God has not cast away those whom He foreknew. We have already seen the implication of this caveat. Those He foreknew, are spread over the span of the centuries. Each generation adds more children of promise to the Israel of God. The Israel being saved grows with each generation.

Hence, All Israel, points to all those whom He foreknew, whom He predestinated, called, justified and glorified, [Rom. 8:29-30] over the course of the passing of time.

As O. Palmer Robertson states in The Israel of God,

“This kingdom of the Messiah is continuing to realize its fullness as elect Jews and Gentiles are added to the community of the redeemed in every generation.” (p. 195)

Q. How is “all Israel” to be saved?

In the beginning of this verse (11:26), it says, “And so.” The word, so, means in this manner, or after this fashion. It is an adverb describing how something is accomplished. It can refer to what comes before or after it. In this case, it refers to what comes after it.

26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

All Israel is to be saved in this manner. As it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

It seems Paul draws inspiration from at least two OT passages; Ps. 14:7; Isa. 59:20.

Ps. 14:7 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
Isa. 59:20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

Israel will be saved by the Deliverer out of Zion, and He shall turn away or turn back ungodliness from Jacob. It is important to note the use of the name, Jacob. This was Israel’s name before his encounter with God. It is his pre-conversion name. This points to those who have not yet had an encounter with God. This Deliverer, Jesus the Messiah, will turn Jacob away from ungodliness through His covenant, Israel’s New Covenant, wherein He will take away their sins.

In Peter’s message, recorded in Acts 3, he states the same message of deliverance to the Jews then present.
Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. [Acts 3:26]

It may be the same passage in Isaiah (59:20) that Peter had in mind when he told of Jesus “turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”

How is all Israel to be saved? In the same manner all are saved, by faith in the finished work of Christ upon the cross. Hence, He is the Deliverer out of Zion, and all Israel is saved.

There is nothing in Paul's teaching here, that speaks of a future national salvation for the Jews. Paul only holds out hope for individuals, as broken branches, who are grafted back into God’s Olive Tree through faith in Christ. Paul never speaks of a turning of the Jews to Christ at the “second coming.” This is not found anywhere in his writings, or any other Biblical writer. Scofieldism has conveniently inserted it into their ideology and the notes in their Bible. For some, it seems that the Schofield notes are regarded as having the same authority as Holy Scripture. This is a very deep ditch.

There Is No Difference

There is a portion (actually, many portions) of Paul’s argument, which stands in stark contrast to Scofield’s.

In Romans 10:11-13, Paul establishes “Whosoever believes” shall be saved.

Rom. 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Notice he states with perfect clarity,

10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek:

This is in specific reference to salvation. Contrary to the opinion of some, God does not have a plan of salvation for Jews, and a different plan for the Gentiles. As we noted in an earlier chapter, John Hagee stated in his interview with the Houston Chronicle,(Hagee, John. Houston Chronicle, April 30, 1988.)

“There is no form of Christian evangelism that has failed so miserably as evangelizing the Jewish people. They (already) have a faith structure. Everyone else, whether Buddhist or Baha'i, needs to believe in Jesus, he says. But not Jews. Jews already have a covenant with God that has never been replaced by Christianity,” he says. “The Jewish people have a relationship to God through the law of God as given through Moses,” Hagee said.

Hagee is the true anti-semite, by excluding them from the kingdom of God in Christ. This seems very similar to the position taken by Franz Rosenzweig, when he said,

“We are all wholly agreed as to what Christ and his church mean to the world: no one can reach the Father save through him. No one can reach the Father! But the situation is quite different for one who does not have to reach the Father because he is already with him. And this is true of the people of Israel.”
Nahum N. Glatzer, Franz Rosenzweig: His Life and Thought (New York: Schocken Books, 1961), p. 341.

It appears Hagee and Rosenzweig have more in common with Talmudic, rabbinic Jews, than with those who follow Christ Jesus.

Since God has already established the New Covenant with Israel, this made the first covenant, the Sinai Covenant, obsolete and already vanished. (Heb. 8:13)

In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. [Heb. 8:13, ESV]

God made this abundantly clear when He destroyed the visible symbol of the Mosiac Covenant, the Jerusalem Temple

If the Jews don’t need Jesus because they already have “a faith structure,”

• Why is Paul grieving and sorrowing over his brethren in the flesh [9:2]?
• Why would he wish himself accursed for them [9:3]?
• Why does he seek to provoke them to jealousy, so that some of them might be saved?[11:14]. Save them from what?

Hagee continues his spiel for the Zionist cult of Israel,

“The Jewish people have a relationship to God through the law of God as given through Moses.”

This statement is Biblically wrong on so many levels. It is a complete repudiation of the whole of New Testament teaching. It also nullifies the work of Jesus upon the cross. If what he says above is true, Why did Jesus say He came “only to the lost sheep of Israel?”[Matt. 15:24] Why did He consider them lost? Why did He instruct the disciples to do the same [Matt. 10:6].

Was Jesus mistaken, in that they weren’t really lost?

Did Jesus not know about this Jewish faith structure that was acceptable to God? Could He have saved Himself from the cross if only He had realized they already had a relationship with God through Moses?

Or is Hagee a ravenous wolf in sheep’s clothing, injecting the poisonous, Talmudic filth of the leaven of the Modern Pharisees into the Body of Christ? In other words, is he just a Zionist puppet? If I have to choose between believing Jesus or Hagee, I’ll stick with Jesus.

Hagee continues his argument that the Jews have no need of Jesus. In the same interview, he stated,

"The law of Moses is sufficient enough to bring a person into the knowledge of God until God gives him a greater revelation. And God has not." (ibid)

According to him, there has been no greater revelation to the Jewish people than the Law of Moses. In this he denies the coming of the Messiah Jesus to His people. He denies the Voice that spoke on the mount of Transfiguration, in the presence of His disciples, Moses and Elijah. That Voice said, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him!” He denies that Jesus is a greater revelation than that of Moses. He only refers to Jesus as a “prominent rabbi.” He stands on the opposite side of the field to the Writer of Hebrews. The book of Hebrews is focused on one point, that Christ Jesus and the New Covenant is better, stronger and more excellent than Moses and the Sinai Covenant.

When speaking of the debt of gratitude owed to the Jews, he stated,

“The Jewish people gave us the word of God. They gave us the prophets, the patriarchs, the first family: Mary, Joseph and a very prominent Jewish rabbi, Jesus Christ.” (ibid)

He can only refer to Jesus, as “a very prominent rabbi.” He cannot call Him Israel’s Messiah. You might say, “Yes, but he does refer to him as, Jesus Christ.” Yes, he does. However, that name can be understood simply as, Jesus the Anointed. God anointed men for various reasons: prophet, priest, or king. The fact remains that the only descriptor he uses for Jesus is that of a prominent rabbi, not Israel’s Messiah, or the Son of God. It is commonly known that he states in His book, In Defense of Israel, that Jesus did not come to be the Messiah, nor did He ever claim to be the Messiah.

However, it appears that he is in conflict with one of Scofieldism’s most notable writers, Clarence Larkin. Mr. Larkin notes this,

“But His claim of being the Messiah was rejected by His own people. They joined hands with the Gentiles in crucifying the "Lord of Glory," and in A. D. 70 the Roman armies came, Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by Titus and the Jews were scattered among the nations of the earth.” (Dispensational Truth. 1918, p.60)

Obviously, Mr. Larkin believes, in opposition to Mr. Hagee, that Jesus made the claim of being Israel’s Messiah.

Paul’s Conclusion to His Israel Excursus

Paul’s conclusion causes him to shout praises to the Lord for His wisdom in dealing with both Jew and Gentile.

Rom. 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? The depth of God’s wisdom is past finding out.

In order to be merciful to all, both Jew and Gentile, God concluded them all in unbelief.

Rom. 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

God used the Jewish voice to reach out to the nations with the Gospel. God used the Gentile believers to reach out and preach the Gospel to unbelieving natural Israel.

Rom. 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

This is done so that no flesh may boast. The Jews cannot claim they have always been faithful to God, for they were not. In their history, they played the whore with the idols of other nations. When faced with the coming of their long awaited Messiah, they rejected Him, crying out for His crucifixion. God left a remnant according to the election of grace, i.e., those He foreknew.

The Gentiles throughout their time on earth, have given themselves over to idolatry, perversions of the flesh, sacrificing to demons, and more. God had given them over to a reprobate mind. However, through the Gospel, He shows them mercy, and New Covenant Israel is the face of that mercy.

Through the Israel of God, the call goes out to the nations that the God of Israel, through His Messiah, has provided the way of salvation for them. It is for this reason that Jesus said, “Salvation is out of the Jews.” Speaking to the Samaritan woman, He was revealing to her that God’s plan of salvation for the nations would come out of the Judeans, or those of Judah. Jesus, God’s salvation, came out of Judah. The New Covenant Israel came out of Judea. The Word of the Lord came out of Zion, which is in Judea. Hence, salvation came out of the Judeans. The word, Jew, did not exist until the mid-1600’s. It was a word meaning, of Judah.

Now through the Israel of God, the call of the Gospel goes out to all, both Jew and Gentile, “Whosoever will may come and take of the tree of life freely.”

The Jews cannot boast because of their sin and unbelief. The Gentiles cannot boast because of their sin and rebellion. No flesh may glory in His presence.

Rom. 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!