By Robin and Michael
Answer: Romans 11:26 plainly says, “All Israel will be saved”. The question that arises is “What is meant by Israel?” Is the future “Israel” literal or figurative (i.e. referring to the ethnic Jews or referring to the Church)? Those who take a literal approach to the promises of the Old Testament believe that the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will be restored to a right relationship with God and receive the fulfilment of the covenants. Those who advocate replacement theology basically affirm that the Church has completely replaced Israel and will inherit God’s promises to Israel, but will not inherit the curses; the covenants, then, will be fulfilled only in a spiritual sense. In other words, replacement theology teaches that Israel will not inherit the Promised Land; the Church is the “new Israel”, and ethnic Israel is forever excluded from the promises.
At Awake To Israel, we believe the literal approach is correct. Consider the context of Romans 11:25 clearly states that “Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in”. This is extremely difficult to view as figurative for the Church, as it makes no sense at all. Also, the preceding text (Romans 11:16-24) depicts Israel as distinct from the Church: the “natural branches” are the Jews, and the “wild branches” are the Gentiles. The “olive tree” is the collective people of God. Some of the “natural branches” (Jews) are “cut-off” the tree in unbelief, and the “wild branches” (believing Gentiles) are grafted in. This has the effect of making the Jews “jealous” and then drawing them to faith in Christ, so they might be “grafted in” again and receive their promised inheritance. The “natural branches” are still distinct from the “wild branches”, so that God’s covenant with His people is literally fulfilled. Romans 11:25-29 (which cites both Isaiah 59:20-21 and Jeremiah 31:33-34), says:
Romans 11:25-29
For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.” 28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Paul emphasises the “irrevocable” nature of Israel’s calling as a nation. Isaiah predicted that a “remnant” of Israel would one day “be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD” (Isaiah 62:12). God proclaims that while His covenant with the natural ordinances are still in effect, Israel will not cease to be a nation before Him (Jeremiah 31:35-37; 33:19-26). Paul speaks of the “full inclusion” of Israel in the future (Romans 11:12). Regardless of Israel’s current state of unbelief, a future remnant will in fact repent and fulfil Moses’ prediction of Israel’s permanent restoration to the land (Deuteronomy 30:1-10). God’s larger redemptive plan involves both Jews and Gentiles. When Paul says Israel will be “saved”, he means their deliverance to this physical inheritance as integral to God’s ultimate plan (Romans 11:30-36).
So how will “all Israel be saved” and restored to the land? The details of this deliverance are filled out in passages such as Zechariah 8 – 14 and Revelation 7 – 19, which speak of end-times Israel at Christ’s return. The key verse describing the coming to faith of the future remnant of Israel is Zechariah 12:10, “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a first-born”. This occurs during the tribulation prophesied in Daniel 9:24-27. The apostle John references this event in Revelation 1:7. The faithful remnant of Israel is epitomised in Revelation 7:1-8 and 11:1-12. God will seek them out:
Zechariah 8:7-8
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east And from the land of the west; 8 I will bring them back, And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people And I will be their God, In truth and righteousness“.
The tribulation period will feature unprecedented apostasy in Israel for 3 ½ years, then during the second half of the Tribulation, Satan will be confined to the earth (Rev. 12:7-12) and once Satan is confined to this earth he knows his time is short (Rev. 12:12), and, knowing his time is short, he persecutes the Jews (Rev. 12:17). He must try to destroy the Jews before they have a chance to plead for the Messiah to return. The persecutions of the Jews will begin in the middle of the Tribulation and will continue until we come to the beginning points of the Campaign of Armageddon, towards the end of the Tribulation. During the period of the persecutions of the Jewish people, approximately two thirds of the Jewish population of that day will be killed, but one third will be left in the closing days, weeks, or months of the Tribulation. The Campaign of Armageddon is specifically organised by Satan for the purpose of annihilating once and for all the one-third Remnant of the Jewish people still living. Then there will be a “second exodus” arranged by God to protect the faithful remnant from Satan (Revelation 11—12) just as in the first Exodus. Some people believe this will be in Bozra, but we don’t wish to speculate on this.
The basis of the Second Coming of Messiah is Israel’s national regeneration. Until Israel as a nation confesses their sin & is saved; until Israel as a nation looks to the One whom they have pierced; until Israel as a nation cries out for Him to return with the words: “Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord”; there will be no Second Coming (Leviticus 26:40-42; Jeremiah 3:12- 18; Hosea 5:15-6:3; Zechariah 12:10; Matthew. 23:37-39). While the Rapture of the Church has no preconditions and can happen at any moment of time, the Second Coming does have this one precondition. We believe from scripture that both Israel’s regeneration and Messiah’s second coming will be at the closing stages of the tribulation. Isaiah predicted this as well: “In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people” (Isaiah 11:11). The gospel will be preached to all the world, and Christ will return to meet the faithful remnant (Revelation 14) and destroy the armies gathered against Him in rebellion (Revelation 19). The apostates left in Jerusalem will be purged, and the remnant set apart forever as God’s holy people (Zechariah 13:8-14:21). Isaiah 12 is their song of deliverance: Zion will rule over all the nations defeated under the banner of Messiah the King, and Israel’s “salvation” is the wholeness and peace she will enjoy during the millennial reign of Christ.