"...blindness
in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come
in".
I
don't think Paul said "until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in"
in order to divide history up into two different dispensations.
I
don't think it was to state that we are now in a period of history when God has
postponed until the future His best efforts to get Israel saved and is instead
focusing on getting Gentiles saved.
I
think Paul mentioned "until the fulness of the Gentiles [specifically] be
come in" in order to summarise the argument he'd just presented in answer
to a conceited misconception about what the inclusion of the Gentiles meant for
Israel.
It
didn't mean God had withdrawn any of His efforts to see Jews saved! To the
contrary, God was even then using Gentiles in an attempt to provoke more Jews
to faith.
Paul
was explaining a present-scheme, not forecasting a future change of scheme.
"...and
so all Israel shall be saved".
Not,
and 'then' all Israel shall be saved, but "and so" - after this
manner, according to this scheme.
"According
as it is written..."
Then
he quoted two verses of Old Testament Prophecy which, if they had not already
been fulfilled, no-one has ever yet been saved!
Elsewhere
Jesus said, "And
this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness
unto all nations; and then shall the end come".
Not,
and then God's attention will turn to the Jews - but, and then cometh the end.
The Gospel was and still is the only, the final and the most effective plan God has to bring men to salvation - no matter who they are.
The Gospel was and still is the only, the final and the most effective plan God has to bring men to salvation - no matter who they are.
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