God’s Plan for Israel: Four Essential Parts (Rom. 11)
I. understanding God’s mystery concerning Israel
25 I do not desire…that you should be ignorant of this mystery…that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 So all Israel will be saved… (Rom. 11:25-26)
11 Have they stumbled that they should fall (permanently losing their national leadership calling)? Certainly not! But through their fall (stumbling), to provoke them to jealousy, salvation (leadership in the gospel) has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their fall (stumbling) is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead (Millennium)? (Rom. 11:11-12, 15)
A. In Rom. 11, Paul gives us insight into how God will release His worldwide salvation purposes. God’s plan includes the fullness of the Gentiles (v.25) and the fullness of Israel (v.12). We must understand His plan in order to cooperate with it. God’s mystery refers to His “secret plan” that He hid in His heart through the ages, until He revealed it to the early apostles (Eph. 3:5, 9).
B.
This teaching will highlight four
essential parts of God’s plan to bring the gospel to the nations.
1). All Israel will be saved (v. 26) and then brought to fullness (v. 12).
2). The fullness of Israel (v. 12) will lead to
God’s glory filling the millennial earth (v. 15).
3). The Jewish people have a temporary spiritual blindness on them at this time
(v. 25).
4). The fullness of the Gentiles (v. 25) will provoke Israel to seek Jesus for
salvation (v. 11)
C. God sees the nations in two broad categories: Jews and Gentiles. God has given a distinct international assignment to both Israel and the Church in the Gentile nations.
D. Israel’s original national calling was to have the “primary leadership role” in bringing God’s salvation to all the nations (Deut. 4:6-8; Isa. 43:10-12; 44:8-9). Israel’s divine election as the leading nation in God’s purposes was inherent in His original promise to Abraham (Gen 12:3).
5 If you will obey My voice…then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people…6 You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Ex. 19:5-6)
E. Paul used the word “fall” three times, but in two different ways. Twice it is used (v. 11a, 12) in the sense of Israel stumbling in sin and unbelief. Once it is used (v. 11b) of Israel temporarily losing her leadership role in bringing salvation to the nations, which is referred to as their failure (v. 14) and their being cast away (v. 15). She has stumbled in sin and thus, has a temporary spiritual blindness. She has not “fallen” (v. 11b) by permanently losing her leadership calling.
F. For the last 2,000 years, the Church in the Gentile nations has had the “primary leadership role” to bring a witness of the gospel of the kingdom to all nations (Mt. 24:14).
G. Summary: The fullness of the Gentiles (v.25) will lead to the salvation of Israel (v. 26) then to her fullness (v. 12), which will result in God’s glory filling the millennial earth (v.15; Hab. 2:14).
II. All Israel will be saved
26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer (Jesus) will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob (Israel)… (Rom. 11:26)
A. Literally all Israel will be saved. This will happen in context to Jesus’ return and the Millennium. This means that 100% of the Jewish people who survive the Tribulation will believe in Jesus.
B. God will pour out His Spirit on the Jewish people before Jesus returns, leading to the salvation of many Jewish people. Today, there are more Jewish people who are being saved than in any time in history. There are about 250,000 messianic believers worldwide. There are approximately 125,000 in the USA, 60,000 in Russia and the Ukraine and 10,000 in the land of Israel.
C. The saved remnant of Israel (messianic believers) today prophetically shows us that the whole of Israel is holy or set apart with a special purpose. They are also a prophetic foreshadowing of a harvest of salvation coming to the nation of Israel in the future. The two witnesses (Rev. 11:3-6) and the 144,000 prophetic singers (Rev. 14:1-5) will be powerfully anointed messianic believers.
16 If the firstfruit is holy (set apart), the lump (of dough) is also holy (set apart); and if the root is holy, so are the branches. (Rom. 11:16)
D. The dough was used in offerings in the temple (both leavened and unleavened dough) in both tithes and free will offerings (less than a tithe). When the tithe of Israel’s finances or agriculture was given, then the rest of their resources were sanctified for their personal use. Rabbinic Judaism counts about 13 million Jews worldwide (those with Jewish mothers). There are about 18 million Jews worldwide by counting those with Jewish fathers, but Gentile mothers.
E. Jesus’ return is contingent on Jewish people turning to Him. Is God waiting for the tithe?
19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your (Israel) sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you (Israel) before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by…of all His holy prophets… (Acts 3:19-21)
III. The fullness of Israel will lead to God’s glory filling the earth
12 If their fall is riches for the world…how much more their fullness…15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? (Rom. 11:12-15)
A. The fullness of Israel (v. 12) will lead to God’s glory filling the earth in the Millennium (v. 15). The fullness of Israel includes the full number being saved, who walk in the fullness of power and godly character and therefore, fulfilling the fullness of God’s purpose for them as a nation.
14 The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD… (Hab. 2:14)
B. Israel will walk in the fullness of her original national calling with the “primary leadership role” in bringing God’s salvation to all the nations (Gen. 12:3; Deut. 4:6-8; Isa. 43:10-12; 44:8-9).
C. Jesus as King of kings will personally govern a worldwide kingdom from Jerusalem. Then the fullness of Israel’s national leadership role will be restored over all nations in the Millennium.
17 At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. (Jer. 3:17)
D. From Jerusalem, Jesus will train the nations in God’s ways (political, economic, spiritual, educational, agricultural, family, media, technology, etc.).
3 Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the House of the God of Jacob; He (Jesus) will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths." Out of Zion shall go forth the law…the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Isa. 2:3)
3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. (Isa. 60:3)
E. In the Millennium, all the kings of the earth will be saved and worship Jesus (Ps. 72:11; 102:15; 138:4; 148:11; Isa. 62:2; Rev. 21:24) and base their national governments on God’s Word.
11 All kings shall fall down before Him; all nations shall serve Him. (Ps. 72:11)
IV. The Jewish people have a temporary spiritual blindness
A. The Jewish people have a temporary spiritual blindness at this time (v. 25). Israel has stumbled in sin and unbelief and thus, has a temporary spiritual blindness.
B. Their blindness includes not being able to see Jesus as their Messiah as well as their unique hostility against Him.
C. Israel’s blindness does not mean she has permanently “fallen” from her original national calling to have the primary leadership role in the earth in the Millennium.
D. If the Church is ignorant of the temporary “blindness” on Israel then we will wrongly conclude that God is finished with them instead of laboring for their salvation and full destiny in God.
E. Rom. 11 was written to assure us of Israel’s primary leadership role in the future (Isa. 2:2-4). Israel's rejection of Jesus is not total (Rom. 11:1-10) and it not final (Rom. 11:11-32).
F. The sovereign calling of God on each nation and/or person is irrevocable (Rom. 11:29).
28 Concerning the gospel they (Israel) are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved…29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Rom. 11:28-29)
G. Unconverted Jewish people are both enemies to the gospel, yet beloved of God. Israel’s animosity against the gospel has led to various benefits for the Gentiles. For example, there has been a greater expansion of the number of Gentile converts as a result of the primary leadership in the gospel being entrusted to Gentiles. These Gentiles have consequently ministered the gospel in the diverse cultures and languages of many Gentile tribes and nations across the earth.
V. THE FULLNESS OF THE GENTILES WILL PROVOKE ISRAEL TO SEEK JESUS
11 Through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. (Rom. 11:11)
A. The fullness of the Gentiles (v. 25) will provoke Israel to seek Jesus for salvation (v. 11). The fullness of the Gentiles includes the full number being saved, who walk in the fullness of power and godly character and thus, fulfilling the fulness of God’s purpose for them (Eph. 4:13; 5:27).
B. Salvation coming to the Gentiles speaks of more than individual Gentiles experiencing the new birth. It refers to the Gentiles being anointed as God’s primary instrument for bringing the gospel to the nations during the last 2,000 years and their role to give witness of it to all nations.
14 This gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Mt. 24:14)
C. The greatest revival in history will occur before Jesus returns. I believe over a billion Gentiles will be saved. The revived and enlarged Church will be dynamically used in Israel’s salvation.
D. To be provoked to godly jealousy means that Israel will desire what Gentile believers have spiritually. They will want their spiritual inheritance that they see in the Gentiles.
E. Something drastic will need to happen to change Israel's hostile view of Jesus and His Church. The unique reality of the Tribulation will create the necessary context to change Israel's views.
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Mt. 24:21)
F. Satan wants to completely destroy the Jewish people so that a believing remnant cannot invite Jesus to rule Israel (Mt. 23:39; Rev. 12:13-17). Satan will persecute the Church for loving Jesus and standing with Israel (Dan. 7:21, 25; 8:24; 12:7; Rev. 6:9-11; 13:7; 17:6; 18:24; 19:2).
G. The Church will provoke Israel to jealousy: By risking their life in providing refuge for Jewish people in flight (due to persecution); by sharing resources with them; by performing miracles like those Elijah and Elisha did (such as multiplying food, healing the sick and prophesying, etc) and by living godly lifestyles in walking fearlessly in the face of death because of their hope of the resurrection and by resisting sin in a world filled with deep darkness.
H. We must not remain in ignorance (v. 25) because ignorance can become arrogance, which can become passive resistance (being silent in refusing to help Israel), then active resistance (helping those who persecute Israel) which will then lead to being cut off by God (v. 22).
18 Do not boast against the branches…20 Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches (Israel), He may not spare you either. 22 Consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off…25 I do not desire…that you be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion (Rom. 11: 18, 20-22, 25)