02 Journal 2011 Venema

MAJT 22 (2011): 19-40
“IN THIS WAY ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED”:

A STUDY OF ROMANS 11:261
by Cornelis P. Venema
Introduction
AS MUCH AS any aspect of theology, the arena of biblical eschatology has been
a battleground of competing views throughout the last two centuries. In the
history of Christian theology, interest in questions of eschatology has been
intermittent. However, in the last century or more, it would be no exaggera-
tion to say that eschatology became and continues to be one of the principal
topics for debate among interpreters of the Scriptures.
Perhaps one of the most controversial and lively topics within the orbit of
eschatology is the question of the future of Israel. Not only with the emer-
gence of dispensational premillennialism as an influential viewpoint within
North American evangelicalism, but also with the establishment of the nation
of Israel in 1948, a great deal of renewed interest has been devoted to God‟s
purposes regarding his ancestral people.2 Among Christians generally, it is
not uncommon to find the question of Israel being posed, though the answers
proffered are often widely divergent and inadequately warranted by an appeal
to biblical or theological arguments. While it will not be my concern in what
follows to detail the history of the church‟s reflection upon the subject of
God‟s purposes for Israel, it almost goes without saying that this has become
one of the more disputed topics within the contemporary Christian church.
The focus of my treatment of this question in this article will be upon
Romans 11, especially verse 26, where the apostle Paul concludes a lengthy
treatment of God‟s saving intention with respect to Israel. This passage is
generally acknowledged to be the most important New Testament evidence
that bears directly upon the question of God‟s purpose for Israel in the histo-
ry of redemption. While there would be value in considering the history of the
interpretation of this passage, we will treat it directly and offer an interpreta-
tion of its teaching against the background of contemporary debates. Howev-
er, before we take up the argument in Romans 11, and particularly the
meaning of Paul‟s language in verse 26, we need to review some broad bibli-
cal themes which provide a kind of biblical framework for the interpretation
of this passage. A review of these themes will locate our discussion of Ro-
mans 11:26 in the broader framework of biblical eschatology.
1. This article represents a revised and expanded version of an earlier treatment of the question
of “all Israel” in my book, The Promise of the Future (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2000),
127-39.
2. For general treatments of the topic of Israel and the church that are written from a Reformed
perspective, see David Holwerda, Jesus & Israel: One Covenant or Two? (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
1995); and O. Palmer Robertson, The Israel of God: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (Phillipsburg,
NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed, 2000).
20 Mid-America Journal of Theology
I. The “Signs of the Times”
In eschatology, it has become commonplace to speak of the “signs of the

times” to refer to those events that characterize history in the inter-advental
period between Christ‟s first coming and his coming at the end or consum-
mation of the age. The great event on the horizon, so far as biblical eschatol-
ogy is concerned, is the event known as the second coming of Christ, when
he will judge the living and the dead. The language of the “signs of the times”
is often used to designate those features of the history of redemption that
mark the period leading up to the return of Christ. Despite the rather com-
mon use of this expression in modern discussion, it is found in only one
place in the New Testament, Matthew 16:1. Interestingly, in this passage the
phrase refers not so much to future events but to events already present. In
Matthew 16:1 the Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus asking him to
show them “a sign from heaven” (ESV). Jesus responded, “You know how to
interpret the appearance of the sky, but cannot interpret the signs of the
times?”(to. me.n pro,swpon tou/ ouvranou/ ginw,skete diakri,nein( ta. de. shmei/a tw/n kairw/n ouv
du,nasqe). In his answer to the request of the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus
is referring to the works of God that disclose his will and purpose, like the
deeds listed in Matthew 11:5, confirming that Jesus was the promised
Christ: “the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed
and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news
preached to them.”
Though the Scriptures do not use the phrase “the signs of the times”
specifically to signify the nature of the inter-advental period prior to Christ‟s
return, it is not difficult to understand how the expression came to be used
in this way. Just as certain signs in the past history of redemption disclosed
and confirmed God‟s purpose, so certain signs in this present age point to
Christ‟s coming again. The expression, “the signs of the times,” serves as
theological shorthand to designate those events which the Word of God says
confirm that history is moving towards the day of the Lord. They are indica-
tors that Christ will come as he promised, and reminders that he is seated at
the Father‟s right hand, ruling all things for the sake of his church and
bringing history to its appointed end.
In popular usage, these “signs of the times” are often restricted to a few
events that will only occur immediately prior to Christ‟s return. However, in
biblical teaching a variety of signs are identified, many of which span the
whole period between Christ‟s ascension into heaven and his coming again,
including some that took place already at the time of the destruction of Jeru-
salem in A.D. 70. For example, the rich diversity of signs mentioned in Mat-
thew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 cannot be accommodated by the idea that
they all must occur in the period shortly before Christ‟s second coming. Nor
do these signs permit us to date the exact time of Christ‟s return. Too often
Scriptural prophecies regarding these signs are read as though they were
newspaper reports on events in the future, written with exact chronological
detail.3 The signs of the times, however, do not afford an exact timetable for
Christ‟s return. Another assumption that often plagues our understanding of
“the signs of the times‟ is that they are always abnormal, catastrophic and
3. Cf. G.C. Berkouwer, The Return of Christ (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972), 244, who warns
against what he calls a reportorial view of these signs that allows us to predict the exact time and
circumstances immediately prior to Christ‟s return.
A Study of Romans 11:26 21
spectacular.4 The tendency is often to think of unusual circumstances that

will characterize history before Christ‟s return such as wars, rumors of wars,
earthquakes, the Antichrist, and Armageddon. Not only do these signs allow
us to ascertain the imminence of Christ‟s coming, but they also are signs
that are unusual and striking.
Contrary to these popular opinions regarding the “signs of the times,” it
is important to observe that the signs spoken of in Scripture often refer as
much to the history of God‟s dealings with his people in the past and have
antecedents in the Old Testament. Many signs are also presently occurring in
what we might think of as “ordinary” history. All of them call the people of
God to constant vigilance and a hope-filled anticipation of the future in the
purpose of God. Though they do not permit us to date the return of Christ,
they are still signs of that return and are closely related to it. Whenever New
Testament passages speak of various events that will take place during the
course of history, they speak of them as indicators that the end is drawing
near. They remind the believer that history is moving toward its appointed
goal, the revelation of Christ and the consummation of the kingdom of God.
Another feature often present in the Bible‟s delineation of “the signs of the
times” is the stress upon the antithesis between the kingdom of God and the
powers of evil. As history moves forward under the lordship of Jesus Christ,
this antithesis becomes increasingly evident and the certain triumph of
Christ‟s cause is foreshadowed. Finally, “the signs of the times” remind be-
liever and unbeliever alike that today is the day of salvation. They call believ-
ers to constant watchfulness. Christ said to his disciples, “therefore, stay
awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matt. 24:42).
They also call believers to be prepared for the coming of the heavenly bride-
groom, Jesus Christ, who will receive his bride unto himself and cast his en-
emies into everlasting destruction (2 Thess. 1:6-10).
Thus, it is within the broad framework of these so-called “signs of the
times” that our question regarding the future of Israel naturally arises. In his
important study, The Bible and the Future, Anthony Hoekema offers a useful
description of the kinds of signs that will mark the period between Christ‟s
first and second coming.5 According to Hoekema, these signs may be consid-
ered under three categories: first, signs of the present working and eventual
triumph of God‟s grace (the preaching of the gospel, the salvation of “all Isra-
el”); second, signs of the antithesis, the intensifying conflict between the
kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of the Antichrist (tribulation, the Great
Tribulation, apostasy, the Antichrist); and third, signs of God‟s present
judgment anticipating the great judgment (wars and rumors of wars, famine
and earthquakes, the battle of Armageddon). The question of the future of
Israel within the redemptive purposes of God belongs, accordingly, to the
broader question of those events that will signal the progress of history under
God‟s sovereign superintendence in Christ and by his Spirit in this present
age.
From the vantage point of the biblical understanding of the “signs of the
times,” the question regarding the meaning of “all Israel” in Romans 11:26
may be expressed more precisely: does the New Testament teach that, among
the events that will portend the progress of redemptive history in the period
4. For example, Abraham Kuyper, in his Dictaten Dogmatiek, 2nd ed., vol. 5 (Grand Rapids: J. B.
Hulst, n.d.), “Locus de Consummatione Saeculi,” 136ff., maintains that what distinguishes these
signs is their extraordinary quality or abnormality.
5. The Bible and the Future (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972), 137.
prior to the consummation of the present age, the salvation of Israel, God‟s
ancestral people, will be an event of special significance?
II. Have the Gentile Nations Displaced Israel

in the Present Age?
Before we turn our attention to Romans 11, which addresses this ques-
tion in a particularly striking manner, it is instructive to observe how it is
often assumed that the salvation of the Gentile nations has displaced the
salvation of Israel as the focus of God‟s redemptive purposes in the present
age. This assumption is not difficult to explain. Since many of the people of
Israel responded in unbelief to Christ‟s ministry and the preaching of the
apostles, the missionary proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom was in-
creasingly extended to the Gentile nations. In contrast to the relatively small
number among the children of Israel who became members of the new cove-
nant community, the church of Jesus Christ, the number of Gentile believers
became increasingly predominant.
Over time many took this pattern to mean that God‟s redemptive purpos-
es for Israel had concluded, and that the Gentile peoples were now the pecu-
liar, almost exclusive, focus of his saving work through Jesus Christ. Though
the Christian church never embraced the sharp distinction between God‟s
respective purposes for Israel, as an ethnic people, and for the church, as a
predominantly Gentile community, in the manner of modern dispensational-
ism, an almost-dispensational view emerged which assumed that God‟s re-
demptive purpose for Israel had concluded in the present age. Since the
church is the new “Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16; 1 Pet. 3:9-10), any particular
attention to the salvation of Israel in distinction from the Gentiles is regarded
as problematic.
The problem with this assumption, however, is that it militates against
something that we will discover in our examination of Romans 11. The apos-
tle Paul, who was uniquely an apostle to the Gentiles, seems to have an abid-
ing interest in the question of God‟s sovereign purpose of redemption for his
ancestral people, Israel. For Paul, the salvation of Gentile believers within
God‟s electing purpose does not eclipse any further interest in the question of
the future of Israel. Indeed, for Paul the contrast between the unbelief of Is-
rael and the salvation of the Gentiles poses the question of Israel‟s future in
the most poignant manner. To appreciate why this is so, we have to take note
of the Old Testament promises regarding the future unfolding of God‟s pur-
pose for the salvation of his people. These promises include a future when
the blessings of the covenant will be extended to all the families of the earth.
But they also include the promise of a future restoration and salvation for
Israel, to whom the nations will be joined.
The promises of the Old Testament clearly include the anticipation of an
age when the gospel would go to all nations.6 From the beginning of the
Lord‟s dealings with his covenant people, his promise of salvation included
blessings for all the families and nations of the earth (Gen. 12:3). Genesis 12
is commonly regarded as describing the formal establishment of the covenant
6. See Johannes Blauw, The Missionary Nature of the Church: A Survey of the Biblical Theology of
Mission (1962; reprint, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), 15-54, for a comprehensive survey of the
Old Testament‟s promise of the mission of God to all the nations.
of grace and harks back to the Lord‟s original promise to Eve that her seed
would crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). Later, Abraham was prom-
ised a great reward (Gen. 15:1), an heir through whom the Lord‟s grace
would extend to all peoples. When Abraham was ninety-nine years old, the
Lord promised: “I will establish my covenant between me and you and your
offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant,
to be God to you and to your offspring after you” (Gen. 17:7).
Accordingly, the Lord‟s gracious dealings with Israel set the stage in the
history of redemption for the eventual extension of gospel blessings to all
families of the earth. However much this scope of God‟s saving purpose may
have been sinfully suppressed among the Old Testament people of God, it is
basic to an understanding of redemptive history leading up to the sending of
the Messiah. Not only is the promise of salvation for all people repeated sub-
sequently in the book of Genesis (see Gen. 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14), but it
is also illustrated throughout the Old Testament by the inclusion of non-
Israelites among the people of God (Rahab, Ruth, household servants, and
aliens).
It is remarkable to see how the inclusion of the nations is celebrated
throughout the Psalter (for example, Ps. 8; 19:1-4; 67:4; 103:19). Psalm 24:1
declares that “the earth is the Lord‟s and the fullness thereof, the world and
those who dwell therein.” The rule of the promised king in the line of David
will be a rule over all the earth (see Ps. 72:19). The worship of the Lord in-
cluded frequent rejoicing in his certain triumph over all his enemies (Ps.
47:2; 77:13; 136:2), the call to make him known among the nations (Ps. 9:11;
108:3), and the invitation to the nations to join in the worship of the Lord
(Ps. 50:4; 87; 98:4; 113:3; 117). Among these invitations, none is more pow-
erful than Psalm 96:7: “Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe
to the Lord glory and strength!” The language of the Psalter echoes and re-
echoes the promise that the Lord intends to make himself known among all
the nations and extend his covenant blessings to every people.
The announcement of the Lord‟s coming and the salvation of the nations
is reiterated in the prophetic writings of the Old Testament. Though there are
many facets to this announcement, all are centered in the conviction that the
Lord will come to judge the nations in righteousness and grant salvation to
all peoples (cf. Ps. 59:5; 82:1, 8; 96:13). The day of the Lord, though various-
ly described and understood, promises the outpouring of the Spirit of the
Lord upon all flesh (Joel 2:28). Isaiah eloquently announces that “in the lat-
ter days … the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the
highest of the mountains … and all the nations shall flow to it, and many
peoples shall come …” (Isa. 2:1-4; 44:8; 66:19). Zechariah proclaims a similar
announcement (Zech. 8:18-23). A new day is promised in which all the na-
tions will see the glory of the Lord and enter into the enjoyment of full salva-
tion. The seed of the woman, the son of Abraham, will come, and in him the
blessings of the covenant will be imparted to every family and people.
Only within this Old Testament setting is it possible to appreciate the
significance of the New Testament fulfillment. The preaching of the gospel to
the nations, mandated by Christ in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20),
is an end-time fulfillment of the Lord‟s earlier promise. Though this is not
often adequately appreciated, it is really a striking development in the history
of redemption. The preaching of the gospel that is “the power of God for sal-
vation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom.
1:16), is one of the clearest signs that we live in the last days of redemptive
history, days in which God‟s promises are being fulfilled and the triumph of
his covenant grace in Christ is being manifested.
This is explicitly taught in the New Testament Gospels. In Matthew 24,
we are told that the disciples came to Jesus and asked what would be the
sign of Christ‟s coming and the end of the age. Jesus mentioned a number of
signs, among them wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes, and
tribulation and apostasy. Especially prominent among these signs, however,
is the preaching of the gospel: “And this gospel of the kingdom,” Christ an-
nounces, “will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all
nations, and then the end will come” (verse 14; see also Mark 13:10). Jesus
clearly affirms that preaching is a sign that must precede the end of the age
and the return of the Son of Man. The New Testament preaching of the gospel
of the kingdom is linked with the Old Testament promises of blessing for all
nations in the end times. The Great Commission of Matthew 28 breathes the
spirit of the Lord‟s original covenant promise with Abraham. When Christ
tells the disciples to go and make disciples of all the nations, this is certainly
a fulfillment of the promise to Abraham. The same emphasis upon the
preaching of the gospel to all the nations is seen in parallel passages in the
Gospels of Mark (16:15-16) and Luke (24:46-49).
That the preaching of the gospel marks off this period as the last days is
also evident in the book of Acts, which records Christ‟s ministry through the
apostles in establishing the New Testament church. At Pentecost, the prom-
ised outpouring of the Holy Spirit was expressed especially in the powerful
preaching of the gospel of Christ (Acts 2). Acts traces the marvelous ad-
vancement of the gospel in the power and presence of the Spirit, beginning at
Jerusalem but extending to the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8). Simi-
larly in the New Testament Epistles, it is evident that the apostles under-
stood their preaching in this way (see 1 Pet. 2:6-10). Frequently, the preach-
ing of the gospel, though to the world a thing of foolishness and weakness, is
regarded as a demonstration of the Spirit and of power (1 Cor. 1:18-31; 2:4-
5). Consequently, the apostles in their preaching exhibited not a spirit of fear
and timidity but a Spirit of power (1 Cor. 4:20; 1 Thess. 1:5; 2 Cor. 4:7). The
mystery of Christ, hidden through the centuries but now revealed in the full-
ness of time, includes God‟s invincible purpose to save an elect people from
every tribe and tongue and people and nation (Eph. 1:3-14). This purpose
will be fulfilled through the ministry of the gospel of reconciliation in Christ.
However, though the Old Testament promises a future outpouring of
blessing upon the nations and peoples of the earth, it must be observed that
these promises do not exclude the people of Israel. Nowhere does the Old
Testament suggest that the salvation of the Gentile nations will occur in such
a way that the people of Israel will be left behind or forgotten. Rather, the Old
Testament promises of a future incorporation of all the peoples of the earth
include the promise of a restoration and salvation of the people of Israel. We
will have occasion to observe in our treatment of Romans 9-11, the most im-
portant New Testament passage about God‟s purposes regarding Israel, that
this promise of Israel‟s restoration forms an important context for the apostle
Paul‟s argument in these chapters.
The Old Testament promise was not that God would forsake his people
Israel, substituting the other nations as the object of his saving love, but that
he would include all the nations under the canopy of his saving mercy. The
Lord‟s promise to Israel was that through her, and not apart from her, the
promise would be extended to all peoples. This promise was confirmed
throughout the history of the Lord‟s dealings with his old covenant people,
whenever non-Israelites or aliens were gathered into and numbered among
the people of God. However particular and limited the Lord‟s dealings may
have been with a special nation, Israel, his purpose was never limited to this
nation. It should not surprise us, therefore, that the Lord‟s promise regarding
a future gathering of the Gentile nations was joined to his promise of the sal-
vation of Israel. His people Israel remained at the center of the future realiza-
tion of his purposes of salvation. When, for example, Psalm 22 speaks of the
future day in which “all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the
Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you” (verse 27),
this will be in the company of “all you offspring of Jacob … [and] all you off-
spring of Israel” (verse 23). The blessing that falls upon Israel will be the
means whereby the Lord‟s salvation will be made known among all the na-
tions (Psa. 67). The announcement of salvation to Zion will take place in the
sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of
our God (Isa. 52:7, 10). In the future day of the Lord‟s coming to save his
people, the nations are described as coming to the light of Zion, and kings
are said to come to “the brightness of your rising” (Isa. 60:1-3). Therefore, the
future for Israel held the prospect not only of the gathering of the nations
and peoples to Zion but also of her restoration to renewed fellowship and fa-
vor with the Lord.
III. The Future of Israel: “And So All Israel Shall Be Saved”
We have devoted some attention to these general biblical themes before

turning to Romans 11, because they provide a context for understanding the
question that the apostle Paul seeks to answer in this chapter and the chap-
ters preceding it. What we have described as the Old Testament promises
regarding the salvation of the nations and the future of Israel constitutes the
background to the apostle Paul‟s argument in Romans 11. All these Old Tes-
tament promises regarding the future of Israel form a Scriptural context
within which to understand the great question with which the apostle Paul
wrestles in Romans 9-11: “Has God rejected his people?” (11:1). In these
chapters, we have an extended New Testament commentary on the question
of God‟s purposes in the history of redemption with respect to the salvation
of both Jews and Gentiles. Due to the importance of this section of the book
of Romans and the argument in Roman 11 especially, we will turn in the re-
mainder of this article to an examination of how the apostle Paul treats the
question of the future of Israel in this passage.
1. The Problem Posed in Romans 9:1-6
To understand the argument of these chapters, at least the part ad-

dressed to God‟s redemptive purpose for Israel, it is necessary to begin with a
clear understanding of the problem posed in Romans 9:1-6, which consti-
tutes the occasion for the apostle Paul‟s lengthy exposition of God‟s redemp-
tive purposes, not only for the Gentiles, but especially for the people of Israel.
Put concisely, the problem Paul addresses is whether the Word and promise
of God regarding Israel have failed.
This problem arises within the setting of the apostle Paul‟s resounding
conclusion and confident affirmation in Romans 8. Having set forth the mer-
cy and grace of God in the salvation of his people in Christ through faith, the
apostle exults that nothing will be able to separate those who have been
called according to God‟s purpose and electing grace from his love in Christ
Jesus (Rom. 8:28-39). Paul‟s song of confidence in God‟s grace and redemp-
tive purpose seems almost to be the conclusion to which the entire argument
in Romans 1-8 has been leading. Though all people are by nature sinners,
deserving of the wrath and judgment of God, a way of salvation is provided
for all who believe in Jesus Christ. Though the wrath of God is being revealed
from heaven against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who
suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18-32), and though “none is
righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10), the grace and mercy of God in the free
justification and salvation of sinners is the hope of all believers. Romans 8
concludes, therefore, with a climactic affirmation of the victory of God‟s grace
in Christ for all who believe.
However, this confidence in God‟s grace in Christ raises an inescapable
problem for the apostle Paul. How can he exult in the triumph of God‟s grace
in Christ through faith, when this grace seems to be of so little effect among
the people of Israel in his day? If God‟s purposes and promises regarding Is-
rael have terminated in failure and unbelief, how can he say that the gospel
is the power of God unto salvation to the Jew first and also to the Greek?
Indeed, if God‟s Word has failed with respect to Israel, can he (and we) have
confidence that God‟s promises will not likewise fail in regard to the Gentiles?
This is the great and perplexing problem that presses in upon the apostle at
the outset of Romans 9-11, as the opening words of chapter 9 eloquently at-
test:
I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me wit-

ness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my
heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for
the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israel-
ites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants
and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are
the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over
all, God blessed forever. Amen (Rom. 9:1-5).
The question, then, to which the entire argument of Romans 9-11 is ad-
dressed, is whether the Word and promise of God have failed due to the ap-
parent unbelief of many of the children of Israel.
2. The General Resolution of Romans 9 & 10
To this troublesome question, the general answer of the apostle Paul

throughout these chapters is a resounding “no.” This is developed at some
length in chapters 9 and 10, first in terms in Paul‟s appeal to God‟s purpose
of election, which discriminates between the children of Israel who are “chil-
dren of the promise” (ta. te,kna th/j evpaggeli,aj, 9:8) and those who are not, and
second in terms of the unbelief of many of the people of Israel. These chap-
ters emphatically assert that the Word of God has in no wise failed in the
face of the unbelief of many of Paul‟s kinsmen according to the flesh. Rather,
just as had been the case in the previous history of redemption, God‟s pur-
pose according to election (h` katV evklogh.n pro,qesij tou/ qeou/) has been and is be-
ing realized (9:11). Just as that purpose of election discriminated between
some who were children of Israel only according to the flesh, and others who
were true children according to the promise and purpose of God, so that
purpose of election continues to be realized in the salvation of some and not
others.
Thus, the apostle Paul answers generally the question regarding the
supposed failure of God‟s Word and promise by arguing that throughout the
whole history of the Lord‟s dealings with his people Israel, some were brought
to salvation and others were hardened in their unbelief according to God‟s
purpose of election. At no time in this history did God‟s purpose ever fail in
any way or fall short of being realized. He also argues at some length in Ro-
mans 9:30ff. through chapter 10 that the reason for the failure of many Isra-
elites to be saved through Christ lies in their unbelieving efforts to obtain
salvation, not in the way of faith, but upon the basis of works (9:30-10:4).
Though many of the children of Israel were zealous for God, their zeal was
not according to knowledge. Rather than submitting to God‟s righteousness,
which is revealed through Christ who is the “end of the law for righteousness
to everyone who believes” (te,loj ga.r no,mou Cristo.j eivj dikaiosu,nhn panti. tw/| pis-
teu,onti, 10:4), they sought to establish their own righteousness in obedience
to the law. Consequently, the prophecy of Isaiah has been fulfilled, namely,
that Christ has become to them a “stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense”
(li,qon prosko,mmatoj kai. pe,tran skanda,lou, 9:33). The way of salvation for Jew and
Gentile alike is the same: only those who, upon hearing the Word of the gos-
pel preached, believe with their heart and call upon the name of the Lord,
will be saved.
Though it is not necessary for our purpose to trace out all of the steps in
the apostle‟s argument in chapters 9 and 10, it is evident that his initial re-
sponse to the question posed by Israel‟s unbelief and apostasy is to appeal to
God‟s electing grace and purpose, which have not and cannot fail. In the lan-
guage the apostle uses at the outset of chapter 11, there has always been a
“remnant, chosen by grace” (lei/mma katV evklogh.n ca,ritoj ge,gonen, 11:5) from
among the broader company of the children of Israel. Despite this rather ab-
breviated statement of the general resolution to the question presented in
this passage, it is not difficult to capture the gist of the apostle‟s answer to it.
In the whole course of the history of redemption, God has been working out
his electing purpose. This purpose is the only basis for the salvation of some
from the entire number of the children of Israel in the past. It is also the only
basis for the salvation of any, whether Jew or Gentile, in the present and the
future. We can be certain of one thing: the apostle is insisting that God‟s
purpose of election has not failed in the past, is not failing in the present,
and will certainly not fail in the future. All those whom God has chosen to
save in Christ will unfailingly be saved.
3. The Particular Resolution of Romans 11:

“All Israel Will Be Saved”
Paul‟s answer to the enigma of the unbelief of many of his kinsmen,

however, does not conclude at the end of chapter 10. At the close of chapter
10, he intimates that the salvation through faith in Christ that is being
granted to the Gentiles will have consequences for the children of Israel.
Quoting Moses in Deuteronomy 32:21, Paul notes that God‟s saving power
among the Gentiles will serve to provoke Israel to “jealousy,” intimating that
this jealousy may be the occasion for a renewed turning to the Lord in faith.
Though chapter 10 ends on a sobering note—the Lord has been found by

those who did not seek him, as Isaiah formerly prophesied, but among Israel
there has been a persistent disobedience to the Lord‟s gracious overtures—
chapter 11 continues to address the problem of Israel‟s unbelief and offers a
resolution that goes beyond the argument of chapters 9 and 10. Paul‟s most
direct resolution of the problem of Israel‟s apostasy is developed at some
length in this chapter, and therefore we must give it our careful attention.
This chapter leads to the critical conclusion set forth in verse 26, “And in this
way all Israel will be saved” (kai. ou[twj pa/j VIsrah.l swqh,setai), a conclusion that
provokes the apostle to burst forth in a doxology of praise to God for the
depth of the riches of both his wisdom and knowledge (11:33).
Three Views of “All Israel”
In order to interpret what the apostle Paul means in Romans 11:26, we

need to follow carefully the steps in his argument throughout chapter 11,
which lead him to the striking conclusion, “[a]nd in this way all Israel will be
saved” (kai. ou[twj pa/j VIsrah.l swqh,setai). The critical question that we will face is
the precise meaning of this expression, particularly the language, “all Israel.”
Before we trace out the argument in chapter 11, however, it should be noted
that there are, broadly speaking, three views regarding the meaning of “all
Israel” that have been advanced throughout the history of interpretation of
this passage.7
The first view takes this phrase to refer to the people of Israel as a totality
(though not necessarily every individual Jew) who will be converted at some
time after the fullness of the Gentiles has been gathered. Among those who
take this view, three distinct forms of it are often defended: first, dispensa-
tional interpreters link this conversion of Israel as a totality with God‟s spe-
cial program for the Jews in the future millennium;8 second, premillennial
interpreters who are not dispensationalists understand it to refer to a future
conversion of the Jewish nation toward the close of the present period of re-
demptive history prior to the future millennium of Revelation 20;9 and third,
some interpreters who are neither dispensationalists nor premillennialists
take it to refer to a future conversion of the people of Israel, not as a separate
nation or people, but as a large company of those among the Jewish people
who will be joined to the church.10 In all of the various forms of this view, it
7. For a good, more detailed summary of the primary interpretations of the phrase, “and in this
way all Israel will be saved,” see J. A. Fitzmeyer, Romans: A New Translation with Introduction and
Commentary, Anchor Bible 33 (New York, Doubleday, 1993), 619-20.
8. For a presentation and defence of the dispensational form of this view, see John F. Walvoord,
The Millennial Kingdom (Findlay, OH: Dunham, 1959), 167-92; J. Dwight Pentecost, Things to
Come, (Findlay, OH: Dunham, 1958), 504-7; and Michael G. Vanlaningham, “Romans 11:25-27
and the Future of Israel in Paul‟s Thought,” The Masters Seminary Journal 3/3 (Fall 1992), 141-74.
9. For a presentation and defence of the premillennialist form of this view, see George E. Ladd, A
Theology of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), 561-3; Oscar Cullmann, Christ
and Time, trans. Floyd V. Filson (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1960), 78.
10. For a presentation and defence of this third form of the first view, see Charles Hodge, A
Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (Philadelphia: Alfred Martien, 1873), ad loc.; S. Greijda-
nus, De Brief Van Den Apostel Paulus Aan De Gemeente Te Rome, vol. 2 (Amsterdam: H. A. Van
Bottenburg, 1933), 515-17; John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans, vol. I (NICNT; 1959; reprint,
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975), 91-103; G. Vos, The Pauline Eschatology (Princeton: University
Press, 1930), 89; Douglas J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans (NICNT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
1996), ad loc; Keith A. Mathison, Postmillennialism: An Eschatology of Hope (Phillipsburg, NJ: Pres-
byterian & Reformed, 1999), 121-30; and Thomas R. Schreiner, Romans, Baker Exegetical Com-
is maintained that the fullness of Israel must refer to the special people of
God who will be converted at some time in the future, as they are provoked to
jealousy by the salvation of the Gentiles. In this view, the “all Israel” of Ro-
mans 11:26 is understood to refer to a future conversion of ethnic Israel
within the redemptive purpose of God.
The second view takes this phrase to be a reference to the salvation of all
the elect, Jew and Gentile alike, gathered through the preaching of the gospel
in the whole course of the history of redemption. John Calvin, for example,
took this position and argued that Israel here refers, not to a distinct people
among the peoples of the earth, but to the people of God in the general and
comprehensive sense, embracing Jew and Gentile alike.11
The third view takes this phrase to be a reference to the total number of
the elect from among the people of Israel. According to this view, the fullness
of Israel refers to the sum total of the remnant of elect Jews whom God has
gathered, is gathering, and will yet gather throughout the entire history of
redemption until the time of Christ‟s second coming.12
Throughout the following exposition of Paul‟s argument in Romans 11,
and especially the conclusion regarding “all Israel” in Romans 11:26, I will
have occasion to interact with some of the arguments for these three views.
However, engagement with these arguments will not be my primary aim. Ra-
ther, I will primarily aim to provide an exposition of Romans 11:26 that
seems most in keeping with the flow of the argument of the apostle through-
out this important chapter, which offers an extended answer to the question
whether God‟s Word has failed with respect to Israel.
Verses 1-10: The Salvation of a “Remnant” Within Israel
[1] I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an
Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. [2]
mentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998), 612-23. Though many defenders of
this position are postmillennialists, this position is not as such a sufficient condition for taking a
postmillennialist view for the kingdom.
11. The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Romans and the Thessalonians, trans. Ross Mackenzie,
ed. David W. Torrance and Thomas F. Torrance (Calvin’s New Testament Commentaries, 1960;
reprint, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973), 255. Interestingly, this interpretation, which has had
advocates throughout the history of the church, is also the one adopted by N.T. Wright in his com-
mentary on the book of Romans. See N.T. Wright, The Letter to the Romans, vol. 10: The New Inter-
preter’s Bible, Leander E. Keck, gen. ed. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002), 688-95.
12. Cf. Anthony Hoekema, The Bible and the Future, 139-47, who provides an able defence of
this view. Others who take this view include: Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 4: Holy
Spirit, Church, and New Creation (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008), 668-72; L. Berkhof, Systematic
Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1939, 1941), 698-700; William Hendriksen, Israel in Prophecy
(Grand Rapids: Baker, 1974), 39-52; idem, New Testament Commentary: Exposition of Paul’s Epistle
to the Romans (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980, 1981), 379-82; H. Ridderbos, Paul, 354-61; O. Palmer
Robertson, “Is There a Distinctive Future for Ethnic Israel in Romans 11?” in Perspectives on Evan-
gelical Theology, ed. K.S. Kantzer and S.N. Gundry (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1979), 209-27; Robert B.
Strimple, “Amillennialism,” in Three Views of the Millennium and Beyond, ed. Darrell L. Bock
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999), 112-18. Robertson, The Israel of God, 16792, offers a slightly
revised version of his earlier argument for this position. In his revised article, Robertson ultimately
regards “all Israel” to refer to the whole church of God, the one olive tree, comprised of elect Jews
and Gentiles. Consequently, his present position seems closer to that of Calvin than the other views
I have identified. In this article, Robertson also identifies at least five different interpretations of “all
Israel”: “(1) all ethnic descendants of Abraham, (2) all ethnic descendants of Abraham living when
God initiates a special working among the Jewish people, (3) the mass or at least the majority of
Jews living at the time of a special saving activity of God, (4) all elect Israelites within the communi-
ty of Israel, or (5) both Jews and Gentiles who together constitute the church of Christ, the Israel of
God” (183).
God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what
the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? [3] "Lord,
they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone
am left, and they seek my life." [4] But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept
for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." [5] So
too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. [6] But if it is by
grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer
be grace. [7] What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect
obtained it, but the rest were hardened, [8] as it is written, "God gave them a
spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down
to this very day." [9] And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a
trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; [10] let their eyes be dark-
ened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.
In these opening verses of chapter 11, the apostle brings to the fore again
the question with which he is engaged throughout this section of the book of
Romans: are we to conclude from the unbelief of many of the children of Is-
rael that God has “rejected” or “cast off” (avpw,sato) his people?13 In typical
fashion, he uses an expression, “by no means!” (mh. ge,noito; cf. Rom. 3:4, 6,
31; 6:2, 15; 7:7, 13; 9:14), that strongly denies that this is the case. In his
earlier response to this question in Romans 9:6ff., Paul had emphasized the
sovereign grace, and especially the justice of God, in the salvation of an elect
remnant from among the people of Israel. In the opening verses of chapter
11, he repeats the emphasis upon God‟s sovereign and gracious election of
some of the children of Israel. But he does so in a way that underscores the
fact that the non-salvation of many unbelieving Israelites in no way means
that God has rejected them. Indeed, Paul himself is a confirmation of God‟s
grace and faithfulness toward Israel, since he is “an Israelite, a descendant of
Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin” (kai. ga.r evgw. VIsrahli,thj eivmi,( evk
spe,rmatoj VAbraa,m( fulh/j Beniami,nv, 11:1).
After emphatically rejecting the possibility that the unbelief of many Isra-
elites means that they have been rejected by God, Paul proceeds to adduce
the example of the preservation of a remnant during the days of Elijah the
prophet. We may be sure that God has not rejected the people whom he
“foreknew” and set apart for himself, because God has preserved today a
“remnant, chosen by grace” (lei/mma katV evklogh.n ca,ritoj, 11:5) even as he did in
the days of Elijah. When Elijah appealed to the Lord against the people of
Israel in their apostasy, the Lord reminded him that he had graciously and
sovereignly preserved seven thousand who had not bowed their knee to Baal.
According to Paul, this preservation of a remnant of Israel during the days of
Elijah constitutes a kind of parallel to his own day in which there is an anal-
ogous situation. Even though many of his kinsmen are unbelieving, the con-
clusion does not follow that God has abandoned his people. There remains a
remnant, including Paul himself, whom God has graciously saved through
faith in Jesus Christ. The salvation of this remnant constitutes clear evidence
that the Lord has not cast off or rejected his people.
Toward the close of this opening section of chapter 11, the apostle raises
pointedly the question, “what then?” (Ti, ou=n, 11:7).” This language indicates
that he now wants either to draw a conclusion from the preceding or to ex-
plore the implications of his preceding argument in another, related area.
13. The language Paul uses here is reminiscent of Old Testament passages that teach that God
will not cast off his people (e.g., 1 Sam. 12:22; Psa. 94:14; Jer. 31:37). Cf. J. Murray, The Epistle to
the Romans, vol. 2 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975), 66.
And the conclusion he draws is that the apostasy of Israel, though real, is
not complete but partial. Whereas the “elect” among Israel have received
God‟s grace in Christ, the “rest were hardened” (oi` de. loipoi. evpwrw,qhsan, 11:7).
Because many of the children of Israel have stumbled at the preaching of the
gospel (cf. chapter 10:1-4), God has delivered them over to judgment.
The interesting feature of these opening verses of chapter 11 is that they
do not seem to add anything new to the argument of the previous chapters.
The apostle Paul reiterates his point that the unbelief and apostasy of many
of his contemporary Israelites in no way cast doubt upon the faithfulness
and power of God. For throughout the course of redemptive history, includ-
ing his own day, the Lord has been gathering from among Israel an elect
remnant. This remnant belies the conclusion that the unbelief of many of the
people of Israel calls into question the power and truthfulness of the Lord‟s
promises. However, though these verses reiterate points made in the preced-
ing chapters, they do offer a hint that Paul has not concluded his answer to
the question whether God‟s Word has failed in respect to Israel. Paul is not
simply repeating himself, but offering a prelude to a further unfolding of
God‟s redemptive plan and purpose for Israel. That this is so becomes espe-
cially evident in the next section of the chapter.
Verses 11-24: The Salvation of the “Fullness” of Israel
[11] So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Ra-
ther through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make
Israel jealous. [12] Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their
failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion
mean! [13] Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apos-
tle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry [14] in order somehow to make my fel-
low Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. [15] For if their rejection means
the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the
dead?
When we come to the second section of chapter 11, Paul‟s handling of the
question whether God has cast off his people Israel continues, but with a
new wrinkle. Prior to these verses, the main burden of Paul‟s case has been
that the unbelief and disobedience of many of the Israelites did not charac-
terize all. As in the past history of God‟s dealings with his people, so in the
present, there has always been a remnant according to God‟s gracious pur-
pose of election. The preservation of this remnant demonstrates that the Lord
has not rejected his people. However, in verses 11-15 the apostle Paul adds a
further point: not only has the unbelief of Israel been partial, but it has also
not been final. The story of God‟s gracious dealings and purpose with respect
to Israel is not finished, and it is to this further story that Paul now turns his
attention.
This section opens with a question, “did they stumble in order that they
might fall?” (mh. e;ptaisan i[na pe,swsin, 11:11). The sense of this question is: how
was God‟s purpose served or advanced through the stumbling and unbelief of
many among the people of Israel? As in the opening verses of this chapter,
the apostle Paul responds to his own rhetorical question with an emphatic,
“by no means!” Whatever purpose was served by the apostasy and unbelief of
the non-elect among Israel, it was not in order that Israel might fall. Another
purpose, and one that the apostle proceeds to enunciate, was served by Isra-
el‟s falling: “through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as
to make Israel jealous” (avlla. tw/| auvtw/n paraptw,mati h` swthri,a toi/j e;qnesin eivj to.
parazhlw/sai auvtou,j, 11:11). What the apostle had only hinted at in the closing
section of chapter 10, when he cited the words of Moses in Deuteronomy
32:21 (“I will make them jealous with those who are no people; I will provoke
them to anger with a foolish nation”), is now made explicit. Within the over-
arching purposes of God, the unbelief of many Israelites was the occasion for
the extension of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. What is more, by
virtue of the extension of the gospel to the Gentiles, it was also God‟s purpose
that his people, Israel, should be provoked to jealousy.
Several features of the way the apostle Paul now returns to the question
of the salvation of Israel are worthy of brief note here. First, the distinction
between the Gentiles and ethnic Israel plays a governing role at this point, as
it has throughout this section of Romans. From the outset of chapter 9 until
this point, the recurring issue is the question of God‟s salvific intention with
respect to Israel as a distinct people. Paul does not argue, in other words,
that the salvation of many of the Gentiles has eclipsed altogether any interest
in the salvation of Israel as a peculiar and identifiable people in distinction
from the Gentiles. Second, though Israel‟s unbelief has played a special role
in contributing to the coming of salvation to the Gentiles (v. 11), this does
not, in Paul‟s view, conclude Israel‟s role in the unfolding of God‟s redemptive
purpose. There is no suggestion of a complete displacement of Israel by the
Gentiles in the redemptive purposes of God. And third, Paul reintroduces and
now emphasizes the role “jealousy” on Israel‟s part will play in the further
realization of God‟s purpose. Witnessing the faith and salvation that has
come to the Gentiles, particularly in the context of her own unbelief and loss,
will cause the people of Israel to emulate the example of the Gentiles and
thereby enjoy salvation, and not further loss.
At verse 12 the apostle begins a series of a fortiori (“how much more”) ar-
guments that draw a connection between the salvation of the “riches” (plou/toj)
of the Gentiles and the salvation of Israel. If Israel‟s “trespass” was the occa-
sion for the salvation of the Gentiles, “how much more will their full inclusion
mean!” (po,sw| ma/llon to. plh,rwma auvtw/n). The force of this “how much more” ar-
gument is that Israel‟s stumbling and loss have served as the occasion within
the course of redemptive history for the salvation of many of the Gentile peo-
ples. But this is not the conclusion of the matter, since the salvation of the
“fullness” (plh,rwma) of Israel will mean even greater riches so far as the reach
of the gospel of Jesus Christ is concerned. A contrast is drawn between Isra-
el‟s “trespass” (para,ptwma), which the apostle has previously detailed in chap-
ters 9 and 10, and her “fullness.” The language of “fullness” suggests the idea
of “completion” or “plentitude,” and stands in marked contrast with the lan-
guage of “trespass” and “loss.” It suggests the idea of the restoration of Israel
to a state of faith and blessing, which contrasts with the present circum-
stance of the salvation of only a remnant. At the close of this section, the
apostle reminds his readers of his peculiar ministry as an apostle to the Gen-
tiles. His ministry to the Gentiles, he observes, is not at the expense of his
interest in the salvation of his kinsmen. Indeed, he magnifies his ministry to
the Gentiles “in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus
save some of them” (ei; pwj parazhlw,sw mou th.n sa,rka kai. sw,sw tina.j evx auvtw/n,
11:14).
The last verse in this section is of special importance, since it introduces
language that reinforces the contrast between Israel‟s present trespass and
her future fullness. The present “rejection” (h` avpobolh.) of Israel, which has
been the occasion for the “reconciliation of the world” (katallagh. ko,smou), will
not be final. Rather, the reconciliation of the world will be enriched by what
the apostle now terms the “acceptance” of Israel (h` pro,slhmyij, 11:15). The
apostle offers in this verse a new kind of “how much more” argument: if Isra-
el‟s casting away was the occasion for the riches of the Gentiles and the rec-
onciliation of the world, then Israel‟s acceptance and life from the dead will
mean even greater riches and blessing, so far as the reach of God‟s saving
purpose is concerned.
The striking expression, “life from the dead” (zwh. evk nekrw/n), contrasts
markedly with the present circumstance of unbelief and the loss of blessing
to the people of Israel. There is some dispute among interpreters regarding
this language. Some argue that it can only be taken as a reference to the
resurrection that will consummate and climax the history of redemption. It
has, on this interpretation, a strictly eschatological complexion and refers,
accordingly, to the conclusion of God‟s redemptive purposes in the present
age.14 Others argue that it refers to the “spiritual life” that will be granted to
Israel at a future time when her present rejection will be displaced with a
“conversion of the mass of Israel.”15 On either view, the language of the apos-
tle in these verses clearly introduces the prospect of a change in circum-
stance, which contrasts with Israel‟s present loss of blessing and salvation
through her unbelief. The apostle Paul seems to be holding out in this sec-
tion the prospect of God‟s saving purpose with respect to Israel as one that
will eventuate in her more rich and full salvation.
Verses 16-24: The Re-engrafting of the Natural Branches
[16] If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the
root is holy, so are the branches. [17] But if some of the branches were broken
off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and
now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, [18] do not be arrogant to-
ward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but
the root that supports you. [19] Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so
that I might be grafted in." [20] That is true. They were broken off because of
their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but
stand in awe. [21] For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he
spare you. [22] Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward
those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his
kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. [23] And even they, if they do not
continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them
in again. [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and
grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will the-
se, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
The apostle Paul follows up his address to his Gentile readers in the pre-
vious verses with an extended treatment of the analogy of the church as an
“olive tree” (th/j evlai,aj, 11:17). After a short comparison of the church to the
dough that is consecrated to the Lord (cf. Num. 15:17-21), the apostle com-
pares the church of Jesus Christ to an olive tree, some of whose natural
branches have been broken off and replaced by unnatural branches that
14. See Geerhardus Vos, The Pauline Eschatology, 87: “„Life from the dead‟ must refer to the res-
urrection specifically so named, and so understood it presupposes the beginning of the closing act
of the eschatological drama.”
15. John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans, 2.83-4.
were grafted into the one olive tree. This imagery draws upon Old Testament
usage where the children of Israel are described as an olive tree (cf. Jer.
11:16, 17; Hos. 14:6). The purpose of Paul‟s use of the analogy of the olive
tree is to counter any boasting on the part of Gentiles, who are represented
by the unnatural branches that are grafted into the olive tree. Though it is
true that many of the natural branches, which represent the children of Isra-
el who had enjoyed the benefits of covenant privileges, have been broken off
the olive tree on account of their unbelief, this should not lead those unnatu-
ral branches, the Gentiles who have been grafted in, to become arrogant and
boastful.
The reason the apostle Paul warns the Gentiles not to become boastful or
arrogant is that they have received salvation only through the kindness and
grace of God toward them. Furthermore, the Gentiles belong now to the same
olive tree, the same people of God who were represented by the faithful
among the children of Israel. They belong to a company that includes the
faithful remnant of Israel, and their participation in the blessing of salvation
through Christ is only in virtue of their being now numbered with the natural
branches that remain. The privilege and blessing that have now come to the
Gentiles is not granted them apart from their intimate communion with the
people of Israel, but by means of their coming to share in the inheritance that
first was Israel‟s. There is no room whatever, therefore, for a kind of arro-
gance toward the children of Israel, particularly those who have fallen away
through unbelief. The apostle even appeals to the loss of the natural branch-
es who have been cut off as a warning that the same severity may be exer-
cised toward those Gentiles who should fall away in unbelief.
Moreover, he adds at the conclusion of this section the possibility that
God‟s power may yet be revealed in the re-engrafting of the natural branches
into the olive tree. Consistent with the emphasis throughout these chapters,
the apostle holds out the prospect of further blessing and salvation for the
people of Israel. Again he uses the “how much more” argument of the preced-
ing verses. If the grafting in of unnatural branches in the context of the
breaking off of natural branches has served to manifest God‟s gracious power
and blessing toward the Gentiles, surely the re-engrafting of these natural
branches will serve only to magnify even further the gracious purpose and
faithfulness of God toward them as well.
Verses 25-36: The Salvation of “All Israel”
[25] Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mys-
tery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of
the Gentiles has come in. [26] And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is
written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Ja-
cob"; [27] "and this will be my covenant with them, when I take away their
sins." [28] As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as
regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. [29] For the
gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. [30] Just as you were at one time
disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,
[31] so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to
you they also may now receive mercy. [32] For God has consigned all to diso-
bedience, that he may have mercy on all. [33] Oh, the depth of the riches and
wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how
inscrutable his ways! [34] "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who
has been his counselor?" [35] "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be
repaid?" [36] For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be
glory forever. Amen.
With these verses, we come to the climactic conclusion of the apostle

Paul‟s treatment in Romans 11 of the question of God‟s saving purpose re-
garding his people, Israel. In this closing section of chapter 11, the apostle
draws a conclusion that fully answers the question that runs like a thread
through these chapters: has God‟s Word failed with respect to those who
were the first in the history of redemption to enjoy his calling and favor?
The language with which this section begins—“Lest you be wise in your
own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery” (Ouv ga.r qe,lw u`ma/j avgnoei/n(
avdelfoi,( to. musth,rion tou/to( i[na mh. h=te ÎparvÐ e`autoi/j fro,nimoi)—underscores that the
apostle is now going to draw his argument to a conclusion. When similar
language is used by Paul in the epistle to the Romans and other epistles (cf.
Rom. 1:13; 1 Cor. 10:1; 12:1; 2 Cor. 1:8; 1 Thess. 4:13), the reader is put on
notice that a point of special importance is about to be made. Furthermore,
when the apostle adds the language of “this mystery” (to. musth,rion tou/to), he
emphasizes that he aims to disclose an important feature of God‟s will and
purpose that has been previously unrevealed (cf. Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:26, 27). By
using this language, the Gentiles to whom Paul is still speaking are alerted to
the apostle‟s intention to explain now the significance of what he has previ-
ously outlined.
After signaling to his readers that he is about to reveal a profound mys-
tery regarding God‟s redemptive purpose with respect to the Gentiles as well
as Israel, Paul reiterates two truths that have been embedded in the preced-
ing argument of chapter 11: first, the hardening of Israel was only “in part”
(avpo. me,rouj), since God‟s purpose of election was evident in the salvation of a
believing remnant from among the people as a whole; and second, this hard-
ening does not represent the final word regarding the salvation of Israel,
since it will only continue “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in”
(a;cri ou- to. plh,rwma tw/n evqnw/n eivse,lqh|). As John Murray argues in his commen-
tary on Romans, the reference to the “fullness of the Gentiles” (to. plh,rwma tw/n
evqnw/n) in verse 25 has a “complexion of meaning” appropriate to the context.
In comparison to the “trespass” and “loss” that Israel has experienced
through unbelief, the “fullness of the Gentiles” points to an enlarged blessing
in which many of the Gentiles will enter into the kingdom of God. Though it
has been suggested that this language simply refers to the sum total of the
elect from among the Gentiles, the context includes the use of similar lan-
guage with respect to Israel (11:12) where it can scarcely refer to the sum
total of the elect remnant in Israel. Because Israel‟s “fullness” is contrasted
with her trespass and loss through unbelief, it seems evident that this lan-
guage implies a greater or enlarged measure of God‟s blessing than previous-
ly was the case. Therefore, the point of verse 25 is to call attention to the
prospect of the removal of the hardening of Israel and her re-engrafting into
the olive tree of God‟s redeemed people. The contextual clues throughout
Romans 11, which point to the prospect of Israel‟s acceptance and life from
the dead, seem to be drawn together at this point in order to prepare for the
affirmation of verse 26.
But what then of the all-important affirmation in verse 26—“And in this
way all Israel will be saved” (kai. ou[twj pa/j VIsrah.l swqh,setai)? Is Paul referring
here to: (1) the sum of all the elect, whether Jew or Gentile, (2) the sum of the
elect remnant within Israel, or (3) a future circumstance of enlarged blessing
and salvation for the people of Israel as a whole? In my judgment, the likeli-
est answer to this question is that Paul is referring to a forthcoming reversal
in the history of God‟s realization of his redemptive purposes, which will be
marked by the salvation of the fullness of the people of Israel. There are sev-
eral considerations that support this interpretation.
First, as our comments on the preceding argument of chapter 11 indi-
cate, there are important clues in the context that the apostle is not referring
simply to the sum of the remnant among the people of Israel. The sum of a
remnant is still a remnant, and this would not advance the argument beyond
the point Paul initially makes in chapter 9 and again in chapter 10 and again
at the beginning of chapter 11. The context speaks of a contrast between Is-
rael‟s trespass and loss on the one hand, and the “fullness” of the Gentiles on
the other. It also speaks of Israel‟s “life from the dead” and “acceptance,”
which stands in marked contrast with her circumstance at present, which is
one of unbelief and diminished blessing. Since these contextual clues have
already been noted, including the apostle‟s intimation that he is about to
make known a distinct “mystery” heretofore unrevealed in the salvation of
the remnant of Israel, we will not develop this consideration further.
Second, the meaning of “Israel” in verse 26 can hardly be the sum total
of all elect persons whether Jew or Gentile. In the immediate and more dis-
tant setting that leads to the conclusion of this verse, the apostle Paul has
consistently used (11 times) the term Israel in reference to the theocratic
adoption of the people of Israel, the descendants of Abraham whom he de-
scribes as “kinsmen according to the flesh” (9:3). Furthermore, the parallel
between verse 26 and the verse that precedes it would be senseless, were
“Israel” in this verse to include Gentiles as well as Jews who will be saved
within God‟s purposes of redemption. The distinction between Israel as a par-
ticular people and the Gentiles governs the argument throughout the chapter
and indeed throughout Romans 9-11 as a whole.
Third, since the main point of verse 25 is that Israel‟s hardening is not
final, but will hold true “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,” the
conclusion of verse 26 would naturally suggest that Paul is now referring to a
reversal of the pattern of Israel‟s unbelief and hardening that has been the
occasion for the enlargement of blessing among the Gentiles. Within the con-
text of the sustained argument of chapter 11, it would be an extraordinary
anti-climax for Paul to conclude that Israel‟s restoration, acceptance, and life
from the dead will amount to nothing other than the salvation of a small
remnant. In his commentary on Romans, John Murray well summarizes this
consideration:
If we keep in mind the theme of this chapter and the sustained emphasis on
the restoration of Israel, there is no other alternative than to conclude that
the proposition, “all Israel shall be saved,” is to be interpreted in terms of the
fullness, the receiving, the engrafting of Israel as a people, the restoration of
Israel to gospel favour and blessing and the correlative turning of Israel from
unbelief to faith and repentance. When the preceding verse are related to
verse 26, the salvation of Israel must be conceived of on a scale that is com-
mensurate with their trespass, their loss, their casting away, their breaking
off, and their harding, commensurate, of course, in the opposite direction.
This is plainly the implication of the contrasts intimated in fullness, receiving,
grafting in, and salvation. In a word, it is the salvation of the mass of Israel
that the apostle affirms.16
And fourth, this interpretation also fits well with the apostle‟s appeal in
verses 26-27, which adduce prophecies from Isaiah 59:20, 21 and Jeremiah
31:34 to prove that this kind of salvation of all Israel, her restoration to
blessing and salvation, was promised in the Old Testament. The fulfillment of
these Old Testament promises of Israel‟s future restoration confirm, as the
apostle then reminds his readers, that God‟s “election” of Israel and the “gifts
and calling of God” that were hers, are “irrevocable.” With this language, the
apostle takes his readers back to the question initially posed in chapter 9, to
which the language of verse 26 provides a culminating answer. Israel will by
no means fall away irrevocably through unbelief, since God will ultimately
save “all Israel.” Just as the unbelief of Israel was the occasion for the salva-
tion of the Gentiles, so the salvation of the Gentiles will now be the occasion
for the salvation of all Israel. In this manner, God‟s mercy will be shown to
“all” (v. 32).
The cumulative weight of these considerations warrant the conclusion
that Paul is describing a future restoration of Israel in which an abundance
of blessing and salvation will be granted to her. However, before we conclude
our argument regarding the interpretation of “all Israel” in this passage, we
need to consider three arguments that are often raised against this interpre-
tation.
The first of these arguments calls attention to the expression, “and in
this way” (kai. ou[twj) with which the apostle begins verse 26. It is often noted
that this expression does not have a temporal meaning (“and then”) but ex-
presses the idea of manner. A literal translation of this expression would
render it by such phrases as “and accordingly” or “and in this manner.”
Those who object to the idea that Paul is referring to a future conversion of
the preponderance of the people of Israel, claim that this interpretation in-
serts a temporal sense into the text that is simply not there. 17 Rather than
referring to a future enlargement of blessing for Israel, the apostle Paul is
only summarizing what he had previously outlined as God‟s redemptive pur-
pose in the salvation of the remnant of Israel. In the way or manner of God‟s
electing purpose, which has been and is being fulfilled in the salvation of this
remnant, God is in fact securing the salvation of all Israel.
Though this argument is partially correct in its handling of the expres-
sion “and in this way” at the beginning of verse 26, it does not constitute a
significant argument against the interpretation we have advanced. This ex-
pression clearly means to link Paul‟s conclusion in verse 26 with what he has
previously stated in verse 25. As we have argued, the context to which this
expression refers is one that intimates the present, but not final, outcome of
God‟s purpose of redemption with respect to Israel. It is a context that in-
cludes a temporal indicator in verse 25 (“until the fullness of the Gentiles”).
That purpose is not fulfilled in the present circumstance of a “partial harden-
ing,” but will be fulfilled in the circumstance of Israel‟s re-engrafting into the
olive tree of God‟s people. The context of verse 26 simply shows that temporal
16. The Epistle to the Romans, 2.98.

17. See, e.g., N.T. Wright, The Letter to the Romans, 691.
sequencing is embedded in the way Paul has described the manner in which
God will fulfill his purpose for Israel.18
The second argument appeals to the language of “all” in the phrase “all”
Israel. Anthony Hoekema, for example, adduces this qualifier to conclude
that Paul must be speaking of the sum of all the elect within Israel whom
God will save throughout the course of redemptive history.19 After all, if Paul
is referring to a future conversion of a large company within Israel, even this
company would not, strictly speaking, be inclusive of all elect Jews. “All”
would not truly mean “all” then. Moreover, the strict sense of this term might
imply the future conversion not only of the preponderance of the people of
Israel but of all members of ethnic Israel without exception. This argument
by Hoekema is not difficult to answer, however, since the Scriptural usage of
“all” can and often does refer to “the mass, the people as a whole in accord
with the pattern followed in the chapter throughout.” 20 No more than the
“fullness” or “richness” of the Gentiles need refer to the salvation of all Gen-
tiles in a distributive sense, does “all” Israel require the presumption that
every person within Israel will be saved without exception.21
Perhaps the most difficult argument to answer is a third argument that
appeals to Paul‟s use of the language of “now” (nu/n) in verse 31. There the
apostle seems to speak in a way that implies the present (at the time of the
writing of the epistle to the Romans) gathering and fulfillment of the salvation
of all Israel.22 The insertion of this temporal indicator means that the apostle
Paul was not envisioning a yet-unfulfilled eschatological future for Israel, but
was describing a reality that was already being fulfilled in the context of the
present proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ to Jew and Gentile alike.
There are several observations that will help to clarify Paul‟s use of this
language. In the first place, when Paul speaks of what “now” is the case, he is
speaking in the broad context of a shift that has taken place in the history of
redemption. It is significant that his “now” contrasts in the context with his
reference to “at one time” (pote, 11:30). Whereas prior to the coming of Christ,
the Gentiles were largely excluded from the reach of God‟s saving grace, this
is no longer true in the present, in the “now” of the epoch in redemptive his-
tory that begins with Christ‟s first advent and concludes with his coming at
the end of the age. The term does not exclude any part of the present or fu-
ture, so far as it belongs to this culminating epoch in redemptive history.
Thus, the apostle‟s use of “now” ought not to be taken as setting up a con-
trast with the “future”; the contrast he envisions is with the past, pre-advent-
18. See Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., “A Postmillennialist Response to Robert B. Strimple,” in Three
Views on the Millennium and Beyond, 135-6; and Geerhardus Vos, Pauline Eschatology, 89 fn16.
Vos correctly suggests that the debate about the translation of this phrase as “and then” misses the
point, since the manner in which Israel‟s salvation will be achieved includes within itself the idea of
temporal progression.
19. Hoekema, The Bible and the Future, 144.
20. John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans, 2.98. Examples of this usage of “all” are frequent in
the Old Testament. See, e.g., 1 Kings 12:1; 2 Chron. 12:1; Dan. 9:11.
21. Geerhardus Vos, Pauline Eschatology, 89: “Just as the „riches of the world,‟ and the „riches of
the Gentiles‟ take the pagan world in its organic, collective sense, so the other term in the antithe-
sis requires the same understanding. It need scarcely be added, that „collective‟ is not identical with
a „universalistically‟-conceived extension of the two effect to all single men on either side.”
22. See, e.g., Robert B. Strimple, “Amillennialism,” in Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond,
116; Robertson, The Israel of God, 170-1; N.T. Wright, The Letter to the Romans, 694. Some manu-
scripts do not include nu/n in verse 31, but the best manuscript evidence supports its inclusion.
of-Christ, epoch in redemptive history. The future that Paul envisions in this
passage belongs to the period denominated by the language of “now.”23
It should also be observed that, as we have argued in the preceding,
there is a temporal sequencing that belongs to the context for Paul‟s conclu-
sion in verse 26. In this verse Paul says that “and in this way all Israel will be
saved.” In the verse immediately preceding it, he speaks of what will tran-
spire “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (v. 25). When Paul
speaks of what is “now” the case in verse 30, he includes both the present
circumstance of the salvation of many of the Gentiles and the anticipated
circumstance of the restoration of all Israel. This language does not permit
the determination of a kind of timetable for the unfolding of God‟s purposes
with respect to Gentiles and Israel in the present age. It only tells us that the
entirety of God‟s purposes will be concluded during the present epoch of the
gathering of the church, comprised of Jews and Gentiles alike, until God‟s
mercy to all has been manifested. These purposes accord with the Old Tes-
tament promise of the future salvation of Israel and the Gentiles.
Conclusion
Though these considerations could be elaborated upon and various objec-

tions answered further, this should be enough to show that the most likely
reading of this passage is one that takes it to teach the future ingathering
and conversion of the people of Israel. This does not mean that every individ-
ual member of the people of Israel will ultimately be saved, or that all mem-
bers of this people will be converted at some future time. The fullness of Isra-
el need not mean the salvation of every member of this people any more than
the fullness of the Gentiles means the salvation of every Gentile. However, it
does suggest that the apostle Paul taught that the time will come in which a
fullness of Israel will be converted, an engrafting again of Israel as a people, a
restoration of this special people of God to enlarged gospel favor and bless-
ing.
If this understanding of the future salvation of the fullness of Israel
through the preaching of the gospel is correct, then three corollaries deserve
to be mentioned in conclusion.
The first is that there is but one way of salvation for Jew and Gentile
alike, and that is the way of faith in response to the preaching of the gospel
(Rom. 10:1-17). The burden of the argument of the apostle Paul in Romans 9-
11 is that all are saved only as they are grafted into the one olive tree, in fel-
lowship through faith with the one and only Savior whose righteousness an-
swers to the need of Jew and Gentile. Nowhere in the Word of God do we
have a clearer repudiation of any teaching that suggests different pathways
to salvation for Jews and Gentiles. Today this idea is often taught in the form
of a “two-covenant theology,” the one covenant unique to the people of Israel,
the other unique to the Gentile nations. Though Romans 9-11 suggests that
God‟s purposes of redemption include a purpose uniquely addressed and
suited to the special people of Israel, it stands opposed to any such two-
23. Paul does use “now” in this broad, historical-redemptive sense in other places in his epistles
(see, e.g., 2 Cor. 6:2; Eph. 2:3; 2 Tim. 1:10). Cf. similar references to “now,” “the last days,” and
“the fullness of time” (Heb. 9:26; Acts 2:1617, 24; 1 Cor. 10:11; 2 Tim. 3:1; Heb. 1:1-2; 9:26; 1
Pet. 1:20; 1 John 2:18; Mark 1:15; Gal. 4:4).
covenant position.24 All who will be saved will be saved through faith in re-
sponse to the same gospel and within the fellowship of the one people of God
(Eph. 2:11-22).
The second corollary is that believers should continue to have a keen in-
terest in the preaching of the gospel to the people of Israel. Rather than con-
cluding that God‟s purposes have ended for them, we should preach and
evangelize in expectation that, because the gifts and calling of God are irrevo-
cable, his calling of Israel will not terminate in her wholesale unbelief but
rather in her fullness being saved. This should stimulate and encourage the
church in her calling to preach the gospel to the Gentiles as well as to the
Jews. The assumption that God has wholly abandoned Israel to her unbelief
is an assumption that is biblically unwarranted. The church of Jesus Christ
must continue to preach the gospel “for it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile” (Rom. 1:16).
And the church should do so in the confidence that God‟s Word has not and
will not fail, because the “gifts and calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom.
11:29).25
And third, contrary to the claim of some dispensationalists, an a- or
post-millennial eschatology does not entail a form of what is called “super-
sessionism” or “replacement” theology.26 Whereas “supersessionism” is said
to view the church of Jesus Christ as a people that replaces Israel, the teach-
ing of the apostle Paul in Romans 9-11 is that the people of God is constitut-
ed of the whole number of those whom God will save in accordance with his
purpose of election. The whole people of God, whether Jews or Gentiles, are
one “olive tree” with “natural” and “unnatural” branches. The burden of the
apostle Paul‟s argument through Romans 9-11 is that the true Israel of God
will be saved, since nothing can frustrate or prevent God‟s achievement of his
sovereign and gracious purpose. When the Gentile nations are gathered in
the fullness of time into the church of Jesus Christ, this will not occur to the
exclusion of Israel. The restoration of Israel to gospel blessing will occur in
the context of, and not in contradiction to, the inclusion of the Gentiles. Even
though God is gathering one people, and the dividing wall of hostility between
Jew and Gentile is broken down through the blood of Christ (cf. Eph. 2:11-
22), we ought not to conclude that God‟s saving intention for Israel has been
superseded. Rather, in the marvelous working out of God‟s electing purpose,
the salvation of the fullness of the Gentiles will occur in tandem with the sal-
vation, even the restoration, of Israel to gospel blessing and privilege.
24. A fine evaluation of the two-covenant view is provided by David E. Holwerda, in his Jesus
and Israel: One Covenant or Two? On the issue of the meaning of “all Israel” in Romans 11:26,
Holwerda offers what might be called a “soft” version of the view that “all Israel” refers to a future
“eschatological fullness” (his expression) of Israel (16-75). For an early, influential presentation of a
two-covenant understanding, see Krister Stendahl, Paul Among Jews and Gentiles and Other Es-
says (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1976).
25. For a more extensive treatment of the implications of this passage for Christian evangelism,
see John R. W. Stott, Romans: God’s Good News for the World (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity,
1994), 313-15.
26. For a brief but instructive discussion of this language, see Samuel E. Waldron, MacArthur’s
Millennial Manifesto (Owensboro, KY: RBAP, 2008), 5-8.

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MAJT 22 (2011): 19-40

“IN THIS WAY ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED”:

I. The “Signs of the Times”

In eschatology, it has become commonplace to speak of the “signs of the

spectacular.4 The tendency is often to think of unusual circumstances that

II. Have the Gentile Nations Displaced Israel

III. The Future of Israel: “And So All Israel Shall Be Saved”

We have devoted some attention to these general biblical themes before

1. The Problem Posed in Romans 9:1-6

To understand the argument of these chapters, at least the part ad-

I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me wit-

2. The General Resolution of Romans 9 & 10

To this troublesome question, the general answer of the apostle Paul

3. The Particular Resolution of Romans 11:

Paul‟s answer to the enigma of the unbelief of many of his kinsmen,

Though chapter 10 ends on a sobering note—the Lord has been found by

Three Views of “All Israel”

In order to interpret what the apostle Paul means in Romans 11:26, we

Verses 1-10: The Salvation of a “Remnant” Within Israel

Verses 11-24: The Salvation of the “Fullness” of Israel

Verses 16-24: The Re-engrafting of the Natural Branches

Verses 25-36: The Salvation of “All Israel”

With these verses, we come to the climactic conclusion of the apostle

16. The Epistle to the Romans, 2.98.

Though these considerations could be elaborated upon and various objec-

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