ROMANS 11:25-36                                

Israel’s future

 
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.
26
And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27
For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28
As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
29
For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30
For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31
Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32
For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34
 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller?
35
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
 
(Vs 25.)
"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery," What is this mystery that is so important that Paul wants to be sure we are not ignorant of it? Review verses 11-24 to see that God has temporarily set Israel aside and offered her spiritual blessings (eternal life, redemption, forgiveness etc) to the Gentiles. This was a mystery, not prophesied anywhere in the scripture previous to Paul. (Eph 3:1-6; Col 1:25-27)
          What do Gentile believers think about Israel, when they are ignorant of this mystery?
They think they themselves are spiritual Israel with Israel's promises and future. That's being "wise in their own conceits", they think are someone they are not. (Gal 6:3; Jer 33:24-26)
          "
...that blindness in part is happened to Israel," Is the nation of Israel ignorant of this mystery too? Yes, but only "in part", because Paul informed Jesus’ disciples and their converts of his new message (Gal 2:2,7-9; Acts 15:1,2,5-12; II Peter 3:15,16), and any Jew since then can get saved and come to the knowledge of this truth just like a Gentile. (I Tim 2:4; Rom 10:12; Gal 3:26-28)
          When
will Israel’s blindness end? It will last "until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in." That is when our time period of Gentile equal opportunity is finished. Everybody with a future in heaven will be taken off the earth, (I Thes 4:13-17 ) and then Israel's earthly program will be re-started and fulfilled. (II Peter 3:9,10)
 
(Vs 26.)
"And so all Israel shall be saved:" When will all Israel be saved? Not until after "the fullness of the Gentiles be come in" (our age ends), and then the "Deliverer", Jesus Christ, comes back to earth. (Rev 19:11-16)     When He "turns away ungodliness from Jacob"(Jacob=Israel, Gen 32:28), all the unbelievers in Israel will die in that time of fiery judgment. Only those Jews who believe and follow Him will survive, (Is 4:2-4; Amos 9:10; Zech 13:8,9; Mal 3:2-4; Mat 24:37-42) and He will make them sinless. (Zeph 3:13)
 
(Vs 27.)
What is God's covenant unto Israel? It is called the new covenant in Jer 31:31-34 and Heb 8:8-12. (See also Is 59:20,21 and Ez 36:24-28.) By supernaturally causing Israel to keep the law, and therefore stop sinning, God can give them all the physical blessings promised for obedience, instead of the curses.(Ex 23:25-27; Deut 7:12-16; 28:1-28) Are we under the new covenant today? Read Jer 31:33,34 again carefully to be sure. Does all Israel know the Lord now? See vs 26 above. (No, we are not under Israel’s new covenant now.)
          When
will God take away Israel's sin? (Acts 3:19-21). That happens when Christ returns to earth, (verse 26) and makes the new covenant with them. Notice in Col 2:13 and Eph 4:32 how different it is for us in this age. We believers today are already forgiven all trespasses.
 
(Vs 28.)
The Jews persecuted those who preached the gospel of grace, so they were enemies of the gospel. But God has promised their fathers (Deut 4:37; 7:6-8; 10:15) that He will make them into His royal nation of priests to rule the earth, (Ex 19:5,6; Is 61:6; I Peter 2:9; Rev 5:10) and that election still stands. (Jer 31:35-37)
 
(Vs 29.)
God will never change His mind (repent) about the gifts and calling He has given. What are Israel's gifts, as listed in Rom 9:4,5? What is Israel's calling? See Israel's election above. Has God given Israel's priesthood to us? (I hope by now you're saying NO !)
 
(Vs 30.)
Paul says you Gentiles "in time past" did not believe God, but now that Israel has been set aside because of their unbelief, God offers mercy directly to you through Christ. (II Cor 5:19-21)
 
(Vs 31.)
Now the Jews can hear of God's mercy from the believing Gentiles. This is opposite from Israel’s program in which the Jews were God’s channel of blessing to the Gentiles. (Gen 12:3; Is 2:3; Zech 8:22,23)
 
(Vs 32.)
The Gentiles had long ago been concluded in unbelief. (Rom 1:21-28) Then in Paul's time, God concluded the nation Israel to be in unbelief too. (Acts 7:51-53; 13:45,46) So now there is no difference to God between Jews and Gentiles. (Rom 10:12) All are sinners (Rom 3:9), to whom God offers free pardon through the payment for sin that Christ provided (Rom 3:22-25). That’s having "mercy upon all"!
 
(Vs 33.)
"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" (See Is 55:8,9) Paul marvels at the wisdom of God's great plan. It was so unsearchable that no one knew it, not even Satan, or "they would not have crucified the Lord of glory". No one knew "the things that God hath prepared for them that love him. But (NOW) God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit" from His word. (I Cor 2:6-10) Through Paul, God "hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, Having made known the mystery of his will". (Eph 1:9,10; 3:9)
 
(Vs 34.)
"For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?" Previously, no one could know what God had in mind. He had no councillors, in other words, no one else was in on His plan. It was a complete secret. (Rom 16:25; I Cor 2:16)
 
(Vs 35.)
"Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?" No one helped God with His plan, so He doesn't owe anything to anyone..
 
(Vs 36.)
"For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen." God "worketh all things after the council of his own will" (Eph 1:11). God’s wise plan was authored and executed entirely by Him, and it will demonstrate His holy character (glory) throughout eternity.

M. Dent

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