I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: ISRAEL has experienced a HARDENING in part until the FULL NUMBER OF GENTILES has come in. And so ALL ISRAEL will be SAVED, as it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.
Romans 11:25
- Of what and whom was Paul speaking? Let’s look at what the versions say.
- until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in; (EMTV) (ESV) (ASV) (KJV) (LITV) (MKJV)(Murdock) (NASB) (RV) (Webster)
- until the complete number of Gentiles comes to God. (AMP) (CEV) (GNB) (ISV) (NLT)
- till all the Gentiles have come in; (BBE)
- until all of God’s non-Jewish people are included. (GW)
- Its effect is to open things up to all the outsiders so that we end up with a full house. (MSG)
- till the fulness of the nations may come in; (YLT)
It is clear Paul is talking about the full number of the Gentiles who will come to faith and enter in to the kingdom of God. Does this mean all Gentiles will come to faith? No! It is a parallel to “all Israel”. Remember the meaning of the 153 fish in John 21:11. The number indicates the perfection of the number of those saved at the end of time. God knows all who are His and none will be lost. The same can be applied to this concept. The full number of the Gentiles means those whom God has determined for salvation. He knows beforehand those who are His and none will be lost. Thus there is a progression. When the full number of the Gentiles predestined for salvation is complete then the focus / the clock switches to Israel again.
It is interesting to note in the text that Paul starts the clause related to “all Israel” being saved with “and thus . . .”. Or as above “and so all Israel will be saved”. This clause doesn’t open verse 26, it closes verses 25. Once the fullness of the Gentiles has been completed this will usher in amazing blessing for the Jews. Their hardness, callousness will be ended and their hearts will be open. Note their hardening is limited. Limited how? Limited in time certainly, but also possibly limited in extent. There are some Jews being saved but they are one by one against the tide. There is a time coming when multitudes in number will respond. So the effect will be over all of “Israel” in all parts of the globe. Because, as one of my readers pointed out with the question those who are in the nation of Israel at the moment are a remnant of the Diaspora or Jews. Jews are still scattered all around the globe. There is a time coming when there will be an outpouring on all Jews and many Jewish hearts will turn to their Messiah in repentance.
Remember too Paul’s comments related to the full meaning of Israel in Rom 4:16 “Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to ALL ABRAHAM’S OFFSPRING – not ONLY to those who are of the LAW, but ALSO those who are of the FAITH OF ABRAHAM.”
You need also to harmonise your thoughts with this verse in your final conclusion on this passage.
To live without risk is to risk not living.
Anon
If you’re not living on the edge you’re taking up too much space.
Anon