Romans 11 And The Future Of Israel

Romans 11 is one of the most difficult chapters in the Bible to interpret.  It is highly controversial.  Before I share my interpretation, I want to say that this is a third-order issue.  Your interpretation of Romans 11 and the future of Israel is not a core tenet of Christianity; it is not a gospel issue.  At my church -- Church Acadiana -- you are free to agree or disagree on this issue.  The only requirement is respect -- don't accuse those who hold differing opinions of being bad Christians, or heretics, or anti-Semitic.  That's out of bounds.  

Now let's get to my interpretation of Romans 11.  Rather than give a verse-by-verse exposition of the entire chapter, I mainly want to focus on the most contentious verses -- verse 12, and verses 25-26.  The most popular interpretation of Romans 11 is that Paul is prophesying a mass conversion of ethnic Jews just before the return of Christ.  This view is held by Dispensationalists, and many pre-, post-, and amillennialists.  I disagree with this interpretation for two main reasons.  

First, it doesn't fit the context of the chapter.  Paul is giving proofs that even though most Jews have rejected Christ, God hasn't rejected the Jews; He isn't finished with them.  His main argument is not that God will save the majority of Jews in the final generation, but that God is already at work saving a remnant of Jews, including Paul himself, and that He has a working plan to use the salvation of the Gentiles to make the Jews jealous and turn to Christ.  Again, Paul's proof that God isn't finished with the Jews is not an end-times promise, but that God was already at work saving a remnant of the Jews.

Second, it doesn't fit the context of the New Testament.  The promise that God will save most of the Jews in the final generation is a pretty big deal.  If it was true, then surely it would be repeated elsewhere in the New Testament -- probably several times.  But it's not.  Nowhere in the New Testament is this promise made.  The only place it can be found is in Romans 11:25-26, and then only if you interpret it accordingly.  It's hard for me to believe that this is what Romans 11 is saying when you can only find it in one highly contested verse.  

So let me begin with Romans 11:12.  Paul is saying that if the Jews' rejection of the gospel led to spiritual riches for the Gentiles, then the Jews' acceptance of the gospel will lead to even more spiritual riches for the Gentiles.  But what about the word "fullness"?  Many believe this refers to a mass conversion of Jews in the last generation before Christ returns.  But in verse 25, it says that this mass conversion will take place after the full number of Gentiles has already been saved.  So how will a mass conversion of the Jews lead to spiritual riches for the Gentiles if they have already been saved?  Instead, I think the word "fullness" refers to the full number of Jews who are predestined for salvation throughout history, not merely in the last days.  (By the way, as an Arminian I believe predestination is based on God's foreknowledge of who will believe.  See Rm 8:29.)  As the full number of predestined Jews in the first century turn to Christ, they will enrich the Gentiles in the first century.  And as the full number of predestined Jews in the sixth century turn to Christ, they will enrich the Gentiles in the sixth century.  And as the full number of predestined Jews throughout all of history turn to Christ, they will enrich the Gentiles.  

Now let's to go on to Romans 11:25-26.  Paul makes four important points.  First, he doesn't want his hearers to be ignorant of "this mystery."  Usually a mystery in the NT refers to something that was once concealed but has now been revealed by God.  The mystery in Rm 11 is not God's promise of a mass conversion of Jews in the last days, but God's ongoing plan to use the Jews and Gentiles to reach each other.  The hardening of the Jews led to the salvation of the Gentiles, and the salvation of the Gentiles led to the jealousy and conversion of the Jews.  

Second, Paul says that a partial hardening has come upon Israel.  I believe this partial hardening meant that all Jews are hardened, but not in a way that makes salvation impossible.  In Rm 11:23-24, God says the Jews can be grafted back into the olive tree if they don't remain in unbelief.  In Rm 11:13-14, Paul says that he works all the harder to convert the Gentiles so that it "might" make more Jews jealous and turn to Christ.  

Third, the partial hardening will last until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in.  I believe this refers to the full number of Gentiles predestined for salvation throughout history.  Since the Gentiles will continue to turn to Christ until the second coming, then the partial hardening will last until Christ comes back.  

Fourth, Paul says, "And in this way all Israel will be saved (Rm 11:26)."  I believe that "all Israel" refers to all the Jews who are predestined to be saved throughout history.  "In this way" refers to God's plan to save the Jews, not merely in the final generation, but throughout history.  The plan is what Paul has been describing in Rm 11.  The hardening of the Jews led to the salvation of the Gentiles, which in turn will lead to the jealousy and salvation of the Jews.  

So my interpretation of Rm 11:25-26 is this:

1. God has partially hardened all ethnic Jews.  It is partial because they can still be saved.
2. This hardening will last until God is finished saving the Gentiles at the return of Christ.  
3. God will use this hardening to save all believing Jews throughout history.  The hardening of the Jews leads to the salvation of the Gentiles, which leads to the jealousy and salvation of the Jews. 

Lest anyone accuse me of being anti-Semitic, I believe my interpretation is better for the Jews for at least two reasons.  First, according to my interpretation, God has a plan to save not merely the last generation of Jews, but Jews in every generation since the first century.  Second, according to my interpretation many more Jews will be saved, since it includes Jews being saved throughout all of history rather than merely the Jews in the final generation before Christ's return.