One of the
most basic beliefs of dispensationalism, or Christian Zionism, is the idea that
the Bible teaches that God is not finished with physical Israelites because he
is preserving them for the final day. You will often here it stated like this,
“God is not finished with Israel.” And often it will be accompanied with this,
“Therefore, don’t be arrogant and think you have replaced Israel.” Two sections
of Romans 11 will often accompany these statements:
“25
Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this
mystery, 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
Jacob”;…” (Rom. 11:25-26, ESV).
And,
“18 do not be
arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support
the root, but the root that supports you” (Rom. 11:18).
The way this
is presented is that if you say you are part of Israel because you believe in Jesus,
or if you say that the Church is Israel, then you are being arrogant, because
Paul “clearly teaches that God is not finished with Israel, but has a plan to
bring them back in at the end of days.” It’s a sure sign of external conditioning
that almost all Christian Zionists refer to these exact verses, and in almost the
exact same way.
When diverse
and sundry people use almost the exact same argument, with almost no
variations, this is a sign that they have been taught this and have not come to
it naturally. I would also note that it is evidence that their argument is
rather weak, because a stronger argument would be able to draw on a wider range
of Scriptures. This is very strong evidence that this argument originates with
programmed messaging.
It is a bit
like when people say, “Well, if that were true it would be in the news.” You
know someone who says that is just saying it because they have been conditioned
to think that way from constant messaging.
Of course, a
Christian Zionist could turn around and assert, “Well, no, the argument from
those passages is so clear that of course we all use the exact same argument,
there is no way to get around what those verses say!” And it is valid to say that we
should never try to get around what verses in the Bible say. God forbid that we
should ever do such a thing. But do these verses actually say this? Or are they
legitimately read differently. Is another reading perhaps even more legitimate?
The truth is
there are many things in the Bible that can be read in different ways, as we
look through a mirror darkly. As I have argued in a
previous piece, this is why we should not weight to greatly how we view
political events like wars in the Middle East on the most debateable possible
passages about the end times. This leads to a judging these events with
unbalanced scales. So, let’s see if this passage fits into this category, or if
it is best read another way.
We will mostly
focus on verses 25-26 of Romans 11 and refer to the context where relevant. I
will use three translations as a balancing guide: the KJV, the NKJV, and the
ESV. I am not going to throw Greek at you, because sometimes people can feel
like the wool is being pulled over their eyes when preachers do this. We live
our lives and develop our beliefs in light of the English translations on a daily
basis, and so I want to stick to that in this article. All three of these
translations are heavily respected, well used, and faithful to the original
languages, and between them represent a broad swath of the manuscript tradition
as well. So, let’s now examine this famous passage.
Note what
Paul says, what he actually says,
“25
Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this
mystery, 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
Jacob”;”
So, Paul does
not want us to rely on human philosophies or our own inventive minds. He tells
us that Israel was hardened in part, until the “fullness of the Gentiles has
come in…” Ok, let’s pause here.
The way
Christian Zionists read this is to say that physical Israel, the Jewish people,
have been largely hardened, or given over to being lost, until all the Gentiles
are saved, after which point the plan will turn back around to Israel, and
there will then be a revival in Israel. But is that what Paul actually said?
I want to
say, for charities sake, that it may be possible to read it that way. But that
is a massive stretch to get this from this passage. First it mentions the name
Israel, but does not specify this happens in the modern country called Israel.
These two things are not the same. I also don’t think it was the intention of
Paul to prophesy such a revival. That reading is not supported by this text,
nor does it really follow with his argument. Paul has already argued that only
those who believe in the promise are true Israel, “not all Israel are Israel”
(Rom. 9:6). So, for him to now reverse this and say that “all physical Israel
will be saved” in the final day, would mean he was contradicting himself.[1]
Rather, what
Paul is saying here is better read in light of what he says in other parts of
the Bible about the “mystery of the gospel.” When Paul speaks on this “divine
mystery”, he is always referring to the Gentiles and Jews being united as one
people in Christ. For instance he says in Galatians,
“4
When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5
which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now
been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery
is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers
of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:4-6).
For Paul the
mystery is the hidden nature of God’s plan to make himself a people from all
nations of the world through faith in Jesus. Hence, what Paul is saying in
Romans 11:25 is that Israel needed to be hardened in part so that this mystery
could be revealed, and the Gentiles could be included in the people of God; Israel. The KJV reading says the same thing, “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, until the fulness of
the Gentiles be come in.” As does the NJKV, “25 Lest you be wise in your own
sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial
hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”
All these English translations agree here on how to phrase this verse.
It is Paul’s
use of the phrase “fullness of the Gentiles” that confuses Christian Zionists
here. They read it to mean the “full number of the Gentiles”, and they tie this with
a verse from Luke which speaks of the “times of the Gentiles.” Luke says in
chapter 21 of his gospel, “24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be
led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the
Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). In the Dispensationalist
scheme the Gentile age is the Church age. This “Church” age will come to an
end, and then the Jews will reclaim Jerusalem and eventually there will be a
revival of “all Israel.” This is getting a lot out of very scant evidence.
Paul here is not
talking about some future revival, though, he is talking about the mystery of
the gospel that brings Jews and Gentiles together. What he says in Romans
confirms that this is his intent. We know this by reading the conclusion of his
argument in Romans 15 and 16, where he says,
“4
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that
through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have
hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such
harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may
with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore
welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8 For I
tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's
truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and
in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore
I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”
Paul’s whole
argument in Romans is that Jews and Gentiles have the same hope; Jesus Christ.
Paul even tells us here directly that God’s promises to the patriarchs are
fulfilled in Jesus, not in some reclamation of the land. There is no separate
plan for Jews and Gentiles. Especially not in Romans. His goal is to encourage
the Jews and Gentiles in the Roman church to worship God and “with one voice
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” who had promised in ages
past to the Patriarchs that the Gentiles were always part of his plan. After
all, Abraham was the father of many nations right?
The ending of
Romans 16 shows this again and makes it even more explicit,
“25 Now to him who
is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus
Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept
secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic
writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the
eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be
glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen” (Rom. 16:25-27, emphasis added).
Do
you see that? Paul notes in the very last words of Romans that “the mystery” is
not some secret plan to save the last generation of Jews at Armageddon or a
revival in the nation of Israel, but is the “gospel and the preaching of Jesus
Christ.” How could he make it more clear?
In fact, the
whole point of Romans is to be Paul’s treatise on the revelation of the mystery
of the gospel. It is his gospel magnum opus, and throughout he consistently
says Jews and Gentiles have the same issues and the same hope, “23 for all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God,.. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all
men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men”
(Rom. 3:23; 5:18). All can now enter into God’s covenant people by faith. To then
flip this consistent message from Paul from one verse and say the mystery is that there will be a national
revival in Israel is a travesty of interpretation.
But, you may
be thinking, Paul says that after the fullness of Gentiles comes in then God
will save “all Israel.” He does?
Let’s read it
again, “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all
Israel will be saved, as it is written,…” Notice what Paul says here? He does
not say, “After the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, then all the Jewish
people or physical Israel will be saved." This is how Christian Zionists read
it, but Paul does not say that.
What he
actually says is, “…in this way all Israel will be saved…” in what way? By the
fullness of the Gentiles coming in.. The fullness of the Gentiles is “all Israel being
saved.” This is not because Paul is saying that the Gentiles replaced Israel. This
is because the mystery of the gospel is that God always intended to bring the
Gentiles into Israel without the law. God's plan was that we should “live in such
harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may
with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom.
15:5-6). In other words, by the inclusion of Gentiles into the tree, all God’s
people are saved. “Fullness of the Gentiles” should be read as “inclusion of
the Gentiles.”
Paul is
basically explaining how God hardened Israel in part so that this fullness or inclusion could happen.
I keep emphasizing they were hardened “in part” because Paul does, as he was an
Israelite, as was most of the early church, at least at the beginning. Because Israel
was partially hardened they killed the Messiah, who rose again and opened the
way for Jews and Gentiles to become one people in Christ (Gal. 3:28), “…The
Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; 27 “and
this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” Did Jesus not achieve this for us on the cross?
The deliverer,
Jesus, was killed by the partially hardened Israelites. He has come from Zion. He has
dealt with our sins. He has fulfilled the covenant. And he will return from
Zion (heaven, cf. Heb 12:22-24) to remove us from the presence of sin one day
as well, “27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that
comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of
many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are
eagerly waiting for him” (Heb. 9:27-28). Hebrews tells us that sin has been
dealt with, the next coming of Jesus is about our being restored to our
perfected state. We hope not in the secret rapture which takes faithful
Christians from this world and leaves the Jews and backslidden Christians to
experience Jacob’s trouble. We wait upon the second coming where Jesus comes to
vindicate all those who have trusted in him, both Jew and Gentile.
And what Paul
says directly before and after these verses in Romans 11 supports this reading.
Firstly, the arrogance he refers to is not thinking Christians are part of
Israel, but being tempted to think we are special in and of ourselves and hence
relying on the flesh rather than faith,
“18
…do not be arrogant toward 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 fear. 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” (Rom.
11:18-22).
We see with
the Pharisees in the gospels how they thought they were special because of
their relation to Abraham. John the Baptist even challenges them about this (Matt.
3:7-10). It is actually remarkable how many Christian Zionists I have seen
misunderstand this passage and accuse Christians of arrogance who say the Church is Israel. Paul is simply saying, “Some physical Israelites got
arrogant, rejected the faith, and were cut out of the olive tree. Don’t be
arrogant like them. If that can happen to them, it can happen to you, so
continue in humble faith.”
I am not sure
why so many of them misread this to think Paul is saying you are arrogant if
you assert that only believers are in the tree, or Israel, because this is
exactly Paul’s point. The only explanation I can think of it is more evidence
of that conditioning we talked about earlier. Because it is almost reflectively
on their tongues to make this claim. But it is just plain strange to say it is
arrogant to assert that faith makes you a part of the tree. Because faith in
God is the opposite of arrogance. Faith in God is a product of a heart and mind
that knows that we can do nothing to earn God’s favour, except trusting in him.
Trusting in God is the opposite of arrogance.
Even Paul’s
conclusion to chapter 11 drives this same message home. He emphasizes here not
that there is some unique plan to get physical Jews back into the land of
Canaan, but rather that their sin put them in the exact same position as all
the rest of us, in need of God’s mercy,
“28
As regards the gospel, they are enemies 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 For 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 disobedience, that he
may have mercy on all” (Rom. 11:28-32).
Christian
Zionists read “the gifts and call of God are irrevocable” to mean that the Jews
are still the special chosen people of God. But Paul does not say that. He is
simply noting that because of God’s love and mercy for their forefathers that
they still have the same chances to be saved that were promised to the Patriarchs,
“32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.”
God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable, correct, and they have also always
been based on receiving mercy through faith and grace. This is still on offer
to all Jewish people. Both Jews and Gentiles are in the exact same position of
needing mercy. It is a weird reading of the text that concludes there are
separate plans based on ethnicity here, because that is the opposite of how
Paul himself concludes this section.
In other
words, Paul says the opposite of what Christian Zionists teach. He does not say
that because of the gifts and call of God, the Jews are still his chosen people,
and the last generation of them will be saved. He says that because of God’s
promises to the patriarchs they can still receive the gift of mercy if they
turn back to God in faith. He is noting that even though they were partially
hardened so that the Messiah could be killed and fulfil his plan, they can still
receive mercy just like the Gentiles can. That is his conclusion. Should we not
read Paul in light of Paul? To put it another way, Paul says the Jews have not
been given over to perpetual hardening until the end of days, but can turn and
trust in Jesus just like Gentiles can. We are all in the same place. We all
desperately need God’s mercy.
This is
thoroughly consistent with where Paul starts off in the book of Romans, “16 For
I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the
righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The
righteous shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:16-17). Do you see that? It is also
consistent with what Paul says in the last verses of Romans, as we saw earlier.
Paul says in Romans 1 and in Romans 11, and in Romans 15 and Romans 16, and in
every other chapter of this book, also in Ephesians, Galatians, and elsewhere
that the Jews and Gentiles have the same hope, salvation in Jesus, and we are
in the same position of needing mercy. This is the simplicity of the gospel.
And people confuse it for strange end times readings.
I am not even
denying a revival can happen in Israel. It could. It could happen anywhere the
Spirit wills it. The Spirit goes where he goes as we know (John 3:8). My point
is not that a revival can’t happen, it is that Romans 11 is not about that. It
is best read as talking about the unification of believing Jews and Gentiles into the one
Israel of God, his people, the flock, the tree, the vineyard, Israel, the bride,
etc. etc.
You may read
this differently, of course. But to say it is a given that the nation of Israel
must be reconstituted so that there can be a revival of “all the nation of
Israel” in the final days is neither the superior nor necessary reading of
these verses. Rather what Paul says in Romans 11 fits with everything else in
his writings that shows that the gospel is a universal call to all peoples who
are offered salvation by faith, if they would only turn from their sins and
place their faith in Jesus Christ who died to take the penalty for our sins.
Any other position on these verses takes us away from the New Testament
position of the simplicity of the gospel and is really speculation based on
very scant evidence. It is irresponsible to take such a spurious translation
and use it to justify what is happening in the Middle East at the moment, especially.
If you say
the passage is unclear enough to support the Christian Zionist reading, we
should still let the clear interpret the unclear and this is clear: Paul
offered the same message of hope to Jews and Gentiles and so should we.
List of
References
[1] I
have heard some Christian Zionists say in response to this that they don’t
think this literally means that every single Jewish person in Israel will
become a believer in this final day, just that the majority will. But this is
them conceding the point that not all Israel is Israel and therefore it does
not mean all of the nation will repent.
