Could You Please Explain Romans 11:25-26?
This passage, Romans 11:25-26, has been more widely misunderstood than almost any other passage in the Bible. In fact, it is amazing to me that so many Bible teachers try to make Romans 11:25-26 say just the opposite of what it says.
This is terrible because they are saying, “Thus saith the Lord,” when the Lord has not said that.
The setting of Romans Chapter 11 is that God is explaining that most of the people in the nation of Israel were blinded, but there is a remnant, chosen by grace, who have become saved. Paul used himself as an example of those who have become saved. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says in verse 5:
Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Then he says in verse 7:
What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
Spiritual blindness was the condition of national Israel throughout its history and is still the condition right up to the present day. They absolutely do not want the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. They do not want Him as their Messiah. In verse 25, God begins to bring the first 24 verses of this chapter to conclusion. It is addressed to the Gentile world so that we will have an understanding of how national Israel fit into God’s salvation plan.
God says in Romans 11:25:
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 [verse 7 says it happened to most of national Israel], until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. “Until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” means that national Israel will continue to be spiritually blind, except for a remnant chosen by grace, as long as there is one Gentile, or non-Jew, anywhere in the world, who is still to be saved. In our generation, Israel has been a nation for over 50 years, and they are as adamant about their opposition to Christ as the Messiah as they were at any time in their history.There has been no change, and there will be no change. God says that their condition will remain the same until the last person who is of the elect of God becomes saved. When the last Gentile has become saved, it will be the end of the world. The world will continue to its predetermined end, but before the world can end, all those who have been elected to salvation will have become saved.
Then we read in the first part of Romans 11:26:
And so all Israel shall be saved. . . .
All kinds of Bible teachers do terrible violence to this verse. They understand this verse to say, “And then all Israel shall be saved.” In other words, they change the word “so” to “then.”
They teach that after the Gentiles have been saved, God is going to do a work in national Israel.First of all, that does not make any sense because national Israel, that is, the blood descendants of Abraham, have been on earth for 4,000 years.
What about all the Jews who lived and died unsaved during the past 4,000 years?
They are part of national Israel. They are not going to be resurrected and have a second opportunity. More than that, the word “so” does not mean “then.” “So” is not a chronological word. “So” means “in this manner,” or “thus,” or “in this way.”In what way?
In what manner?
In the manner in which God describes in Romans Chapter 11, namely, that most of national Israel is blinded, but there is a remnant chosen by grace. In this manner, all Israel that is to be saved, shall be saved. This is not talking, in any sense, about a future change in God’s plan. It simply ties back into everything that has gone before, as God has reported in the previous 25 verses. God explains why His salvation can come to the remnant of national
Israel that is chosen by grace.
He says in the second part of Romans 11:26-27:
. . . 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.
When Christ came and took on a human nature, to whom did He come?
He came to the Jews. He was born in Bethlehem, a Jewish city. He was reared in Nazareth, a Jewish city. He was crucified in Jerusalem, a Jewish city. For three and half years, He ministered mainly around the Sea of Galilee, a Jewish area. He came to the nation of Israel, and a remnant of national Israel was chosen by grace. Later, He told the disciples that they were to go into all the world with the Gospel because salvation was to come to Gentiles as well. These verses are easy to understand if we read them carefully.
We cannot superimpose something we have been taught upon these verses. God does not have a future plan for national Israel; that idea is not found anywhere in the Bible. The Bible indicates that we are in the last days; we are headed right toward the end of time. When the last Gentile has become saved, that will be the end of the Gospel era. It will be the end of the world.
Jesus is LORD! 
Hello,
Thanks for this post – I was scouring the internet for commentary on Romans 11:26. Now I feel I have a good means of explaining to dispensationalists what this really means. It seems that dispensationalism really causes some issues in understanding as well.
Can you elaborate a little further about the scene with woman at the well, when Jesus told her: “Salvation is of the Jews”? You know – its kind of funny really. Here was Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman, and clearly wanted her to believe. Yet at the same time He said “Salvation is of the Jews”
Did he mean that Salvation came from the Jews?
Also, one other passage. You remember this one:
Mat 15:24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Mat 15:25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”
Mat 15:26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
Mat 15:27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
Thanks again, and I look forward to your reply!.
“All kinds of Bible teachers do terrible violence to this verse. They understand this verse to say, “And then all Israel shall be saved.” In other words, they change the word “so” to “then.””
This was funny to read, How many actually do change the word from ‘so’ to ‘then’.
Well said.
I thought this was an insightful article.
The descendants of the house of Israel are scattered among the gentiles (non-Jews) of the world today. Very few of these Israelite-descendants are people who currently call themselves “Jews”.
Gentiles is almost always mistranslated as meaning “non-Jews” or “non-Israelites.” It actually means “peoples” and “tribes” (from the same latin root where we get “genealogy”). Depending on the context, it sometimes referred to Israelites, and sometimes to other peoples.
When the last unsaved people are converted and follow Jesus, the last “gentiles” – some of which will include descendants of the ancient Israelites – the last of part of the believing remnant of Israel will be saved…so when the “fullness of the gentiles comes in”…”all Israel [that is, the saved, Christian remnant of Israel] will be saved.”
Thanks so much. Very helpful.
I have had this twisted just in my own studies, and did not understand the meaning (or I did “in my view”) but now I feel a bunch more love for God and His Great fairness and Justice and Amazing Grace whom He bestowed upon this sinner Gentile! Praise be to You Jesus! You are Lord of lords and my First Love and I cry when I think about your love for me and the whole world!… The Cross of Christ alone will I boast!…. Nothing of me, All of YOU LORD and GOD!…
PLEASE ALWAYS NOTIFY ME ABOUT UP DATE. KEEP IT UP. DR. INNEH
Absolutely spot on. It has always bugged me that so many preach that God will save ‘national Israel’ it is nonsense & contrary to what the Bible teaches. It is by grace & faith in Christ the elect are saved according to His foreknowledge & sovereignty. Keep up the good work.
Excellent article! This topic actually begins in chapter 9. Paul states: 6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “through Isaac your descendants will be named.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.
Right away Paul says that you are not called Israel simply because of bloodline but is from having faith in the Promise. Paul also reiterates this in theme in Galatians 3 and 6 by stating that it is those who are in Christ who are the descendants of Abraham and the Israel of God.
So, according to Paul it is the church who is counted as Israel to God. The church did not replace Israel, but the true Israel became the church. This also makes dual-covenant theology incompatible with scripture.
Excellent job with the “so all Israel” part! Thanks so much.
You know of course that John Macarthur and all his dispensationalist friends (a remnant of the Judaizers Paul dealt with in Galatians… but that’s for another study); you know that they will pronounce “anathema” over you and expect bolts of lightening to descend from heaven because you’ve failed to worship at natural Israel’s footstool, don’t you? Great article.
So True! We ALL are saved by Grace through Faith!!! No matter Jew or Gentile
Very alarming that the bible can be interpreted in so many totally contradicting ways.