I know we are not talking about a piece of land. That has been one of my points and it is biblical. Israel in the Bible especially in the New Testament is not about land or genetics any more. It hasn't been for two thousand years. It is spiritual. Anyone who accepts Jesus as their personal Saviour, have His faith and keep His commandments are Israel.Phipps... why do you stop at v.25?
We aren't talking about a piece of land, here-- we're speaking eternally-- salvation through Faith (SEE: IRREVOCABLE).
All Israel Shall Be Saved
I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
"The Deliverer will come from Zion;
He will remove godlessness from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs.
For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience, so they too have now disobeyed, in order that they too may now receive mercy through the mercy shown to you. For God has consigned all men to disobedience so that He may have mercy on them all.
Of all judgments, spiritual judgments are the sorest; of these the apostle is here speaking. The restoration of the Jews is, in the course of things, far less improbable than the call of the Gentiles to be the children of Abraham; and though others now possess these privileges, it will not hinder their being admitted again.
By rejecting the gospel, and by their indignation at its being preached to the Gentiles, the Jews were become enemies to God; yet they are still to be favoured for the sake of their pious fathers. Though at present they are enemies to the gospel, for their hatred to the Gentiles; yet, when God's time is come, that will no longer exist, and God's love to their fathers will be remembered. True grace seeks not to confine God's favour. Those who find mercy themselves, should endeavour that through their mercy others also may obtain mercy.
Not that the Jews will be restored to have their priesthood, and temple, and ceremonies again; an end is put to all these; but they are to be brought to believe in Christ, the true become one sheep-fold with the Gentiles, under Christ the Great Shepherd. The captivities of Israel, their dispersion, and their being shut out from the church, are emblems of the believer's corrections for doing wrong; and the continued care of the Lord towards that people, and the final mercy and blessed restoration intended for them, show the patience and love of God.Romans 11:26 Commentaries
Paul has made it clear in his writings that no one group has been rejected for salvation. Salvation is open for all who accept it, Jew and Gentile alike. It should be remembered that the early converts to Christianity were all Jews, for example, the group that was converted on the Day of Pentecost.
“all Israel shall be saved” does not mean every Jew will by some divine decree have salvation in the end time. Nowhere does the Bible preach universalism, either for the entire human race or for a particular segment. Paul was hoping to save “some of them” (read vs 14). Some accepted the Messiah, some rejected Him, as it is with all other people groups.
We are all favoured by God. Jesus and the apostles make that very clear in the New Testament. This point caused a lot of contention in the early Christian Church because some Jews thought Gentiles were less than them. It took a special vision and miracle to convince the apostle Peter that the Gentiles had equal access to the grace of Christ (Acts 10; compare Acts 15:7–9) and that the gospel was to be carried to them, as well.
One writer wrote, “There is a mighty work to be done in our world. The Lord has declared that the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and not the Gentiles only, but the Jews. There are among the Jews many who will be converted, and through whom we shall see the salvation of God go forth as a lamp that burneth. There are Jews everywhere, and to them the light of present truth is to be brought. There are among them many who will come to the light, and who will proclaim the immutability of the law of God with wonderful power.”
Remember the Bible doesn't contradict itself. If something seems to contradict itself, then its us who've misunderstood it and we need to pray to God to give us understanding of what He is trying to tell us through His Word. God bless.