Tuesday 25 May 2010

Will All Israel be Saved?

"...and so all Israel will be saved".

Is that a prophecy about a future nation-wide revival in Israel?

One explanation I heard is that it means, "In this manner can all elect Jews be saved". It is claimed that it comes out of left-field to think Paul would suddenly introduce the idea of a nation-wide revival. It is claimed the background was that the Roman believers were becoming conceited in their election against Jews and were even thinking that Jewish people could no longer be saved. So Paul wrote to them to explain the manner in which it was still possible for a Jewish person to be saved.

Another explanation I heard is that the Romans thought it was somehow a failure of God's promises that Israel was not being saved. So Paul sought to explain the method of God's dealings in the matter, thereby demonstrating the faithfulness and wisdom of God.

I personally don't think Paul was prophesying a future, nation-wide salvation of the Jews. I think he was explaining the manner of God's dealings with Jews, as it stood even back in the first century. A Jewish person could still be saved, and whenever Jewish people do get saved, it benefits Gentiles no less than how they have benefited through the Israel's unbelief.

When Paul quoted the prophet saying that the Lord would turn ungodlilness away from Jacob, my feeling, based on the flow of Paul's argument, is that Paul wasn't implying some special future period in Israel's history when there will be a nation-wide revival - rather, I think Paul was merely pointing-out that it was and still is always part of God's plan to turn Jewish individuals away from ungodliness. The door of repentance is still open for Jews! And that fact demonstrates God's faithfulness to His promises, not a failure of His promises.

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