Romans 11:25, 26 – “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. 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: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”
In the above passage, Paul begins by expressing his desire that the reader be not ignorant of a certain mystery. And many today are ignorant of this very thing! This great mystery is fourfold, and it must be understood before one can study prophecy successfully. This fourfold mystery is stated plainly in the above passage, and is defined as follows:
1) Blindness is happened to Israel. Surely no one will argue that the term “Israel” here refers to the church. Many Jews, both in Paul’s time and in our time, are blinded to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ is their promised Messiah, but they could not see it. They crucified Him. And today is no different. They are yet blinded.
2) Israel’s blindness is only “in part.” Paul said, “Blindness IN PART is happened to Israel.” Every Jew is not blinded. There is a portion of Israel, even today, that believes that Jesus Christ is their Messiah. These are called “Messianic Jews.” There is a remnant in Israel. Some Jews are not blinded, but have been enlightened.
3) Israel’s blindness is only temporary. This is one part of the passage that some do not get. Israel’s blindness is NOT permanent. In the above passage, Paul says, “…blindness in part is happened to Israel, UNTIL…” The word “until” means “from now to a certain time.” Israel’s blindness is not permanent; it is only UNTIL a certain time. The time when Israel’s eyes would be opened is when “the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” Here is the clear Biblical teaching that, at some point, God’s dealings with the Gentiles as it is now will cease, and God’s attention will be turned back to the Jews. Paul makes it clear in Romans 11:1 that God is not finished with Israel. Zechariah 1:17 reiterates this truth that “the Lord shall YET choose Jerusalem.” Again, in Zechariah 2:12, “the Lord shall choose Jerusalem again.” When God turns away from the Gentiles and back to Israel, Israel’s eyes will be opened!
4) All Israel shall be saved. Here is another part of this mystery that many do not understand – ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED! Some interpret Paul’s words “all Israel shall be saved” to mean “all the church will be saved.” Ken and Agnes Macdonald, post-tribulation advocates, in their book, The Second Coming, have this to say about the national salvation of Israel – “ ‘And so all Israel shall be saved’ (Romans 11:26) does not mean that the entire nation of Israel will be saved when Jesus returns, as many teach. This verse refers to the salvation of the church.”* With all due respect – that’s foolish! In the previous verse, Paul states, as we have already discussed, that blindness in part is happened to ISRAEL. Surely, Ken and Agnes Macdonald, as well as other post-tribulationists, do not believe that blindness in part is happened to the church! Ken and Agnes Macdonald believe that “Israel” in Romans 11:25 deals with the nation of Israel, but in the very next verse, “Israel” refers to the church. There is no ground for this. “All Israel shall be saved” means “all Israel shall be saved!” The national salvation of Israel is also supported by many Old Testament prophecies, including Jeremiah 30:7; Jeremiah 30:10; Jeremiah 50:20; Isaiah 14:1, 2; Zechariah 1:17; Zechariah 2:12; and Zechariah 12:1.
When discussing the prominence of Israel in Bible prophecy, it is understood that volumes can be written on this subject alone. The nation of Israel is the key to Bible prophecy. To study prophecy without studying the nation of Israel is like brewing coffee without water! Israel is the key.
Nearly a year and a half ago, my heart was stirred to study Bible prophecy in greater depth. I began with a subject I had previously neglected to study; that is, the biblical doctrine of the Millennium. I posted much of that study on this blog. As a result of that study, I was convinced beyond any doubt, more convinced than I had ever been in my life, that there HAD to be a literal 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ upon this present earth. When studying this subject of the Millennium, I clearly saw that the doctrine of the Millennium has much to do with the nation of Israel. It would take place after Israel’s Messiah would return to the earth with His saints; it would take place after Christ would gather Israel from the nations to which they were scattered during the Great Tribulation; and it would fulfil literally and completely the covenants of Abraham and David. Because the Millennium occurs after the Great Tribulation, it is impossible to study the Millennium in detail, without at some point meeting the doctrine of the Great Tribulation. So, I began to study the doctrine of the Great Tribulation. It is of no surprise that the Great Tribulation is a time period of God’s dealings with the nation of Israel. The Great Tribulation serves two basic purposes; first, to deal with the nation of Israel in preparation for the coming of Israel’s Messiah and the Millennium; and second, to deal with the Gentile nations in pouring out wrath upon them. In the next post, I will deal with Israel’s place in the Great Tribulation.
*Macdonald, Ken and Agnes. The Second Coming: Tough Questions Answered. Revivals and Missions, Inc. ©1991. p. 106.
