The "Secret" About Israel That Modern Prophecy Preachers Forgot

Here in the Philippines, prophecy conferences are incredibly popular. We love our end-times charts. Often, the focus is squarely on the modern political state of Israel. It’s usually framed in a way that implies that if you aren't a Dispensationalist, if you aren't actively waiting for a "secret rapture" or a rebuilt Third Temple in Jerusalem, you somehow don't take God’s promises to the Jews seriously.

I’ve had a few friends ask me about John MacArthur’s 2007 Shepherds’ Conference talk titled, “Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist Is a Premillennialist.” I listened to it, and honestly, it felt a bit out of character. The tone was sharp, almost like a defensive reaction to the shifting theological landscape.

Pastor John argued that if you believe in the "sovereign election" of individuals for salvation, you must consistently believe in the sovereign election of the national state of Israel for a future earthly kingdom. He claimed that election cuts both ways. The implication is heavy: if you disagree, you're accused of holding to "Replacement Theology" or even harboring historical anti-Semitism.

But hold on a second. Let’s pause and actually check our history and our Bibles. Saying that Dispensationalism is the only theological framework that offers "hope" for Israel just isn't historically accurate.

The Historical Reality Check

A lot of us forget that modern Dispensationalism is actually a pretty recent invention. It only really gained traction in the late 19th century and exploded into the mainstream with the Scofield Reference Bible in 1909. Long before that, the Reformers and the Puritans maintained a massive, robust hope for the future of Israel.

They weren't Dispensationalists, but look at their track record:

• The Puritans and Early Reformers: Giants of the faith like Martin Bucer, Theodore Beza, and the theologians behind the Geneva Bible firmly believed that God wasn't done with the Jews. They taught that the "fullness of the Gentiles" coming into the Church would eventually provoke a massive spiritual awakening among ethnic Israel.
  
  
• The Westminster Standards: Even though it isn't talked about much today, the Westminster Larger Catechism (Q191) explicitly instructs believers to pray for the global spread of the Gospel and the specific conversion of the Jews.
  
  
• Jonathan Edwards: In his History of the Work of Redemption, Edwards didn't look forward to a restored secular state in the Middle East. Instead, he anticipated a miraculous, worldwide outpouring of the Holy Spirit where the Jewish diaspora would finally recognize Jesus as their Messiah.

These men expected the Gospel to conquer the world. They expected the conversion of the Jews, the fullness of the Gentiles, and the fall of the Antichrist to happen within history, driven by the power of the Church. To claim that only modern Dispensationalists take Israel seriously is simply historical revisionism.

The "Remnant" Logic: What Paul Actually Said

Let's go back to the Scriptures. The Dispensational argument assumes that God needs a geopolitical national state to fulfill His promises to Israel. But let’s look closely at Romans 9-11.

Paul writes: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved” (Rom. 9:27).

Paul makes it crystal clear: God’s election has always been focused on the spiritual remnant, not biological lineage or political borders. Back in the time of Elijah, when the prophet despaired and thought he was the only believer left, God told him, "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal" (Rom. 11:4).

Paul's logic here is simple but profound. When he talks about the mystery that "All Israel will be saved" (Rom. 11:26), he is not talking about every single Jewish person alive, nor is he talking about a secular government. He is talking about the elect remnant. He uses the metaphor of the Olive Tree to show that there aren't two separate peoples of God, one for earth (Israel) and one for heaven (the Church). There is only one tree. When Jewish people come to faith, they are grafted back into their own tree.

Isn't it much more exciting to realize that Jewish people are being saved right now, grafted into the New Covenant alongside us Gentiles? We don't need a reconstituted, nationalistic state to validate God's Word. The Gospel of the Kingdom is already doing the work.

Why This Matters for Us

As Filipinos who grew up in an environment obsessed with matching the evening news to the Book of Revelation, it's easy to get tricked into thinking that our faith hinges on Middle Eastern politics.

This is especially personal for us at Former Adventists Philippines (FAP). When people leave the Seventh-day Adventist church, they are stepping away from a system built on intense prophetic anxiety, fear of the 1844 Investigative Judgment, the Sunday Law, and the Mark of the Beast. When they transition into mainstream evangelicalism, the last thing we want is for them to simply trade Adventist fear for Dispensational panic. We don't want young believers paralyzed, passively waiting for a secret rapture while society decays around them.

That’s exactly why FAP leans into New Covenant Theology and Partial Preterism. We want to shift the focus entirely to the finished work of Christ. The future of Israel is not on some separate, parallel track from the Church; it is intricately bound to the ultimate victory of the Gospel. If we truly trust that Christ is reigning right now, it frees our youth to stop panicking and start building, planting churches, reforming culture, and boldly sharing the Gospel with confidence.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the latest prophecy chart or the most recent headline. But let’s trust the bigger picture. God is sovereign over history, and His redemptive plan doesn't rely on human politics, the rebuilding of stone temples, or a return to animal sacrifices. It relies completely on the finished work of Jesus Christ, who is the King of kings right now.

What do you think? Have we been over-emphasizing a political view of Israel at the expense of the spiritual reality of the Remnant? Let’s chat in the comments.

Is Today’s Israel Still God’s Chosen People? A Doctrinal Position from Former Adventists Philippines

Introduction

The question of modern Israel’s status in God’s redemptive plan continues to stir debate among Christians, especially in light of ongoing Middle Eastern conflicts and prophetic speculation. Many claim that Israel, as a nation, remains God’s chosen covenant people and that modern geopolitical events involving Israel fulfill end-time biblical prophecy.

The Former Adventists Philippines (FAP), embracing a consistent Partial Preterist, New Covenant Theology (NCT), and Reformed Arminian framework, holds a biblically grounded perspective on this issue, centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ and the nature of the New Covenant.

Romans 11:25–29 in Context

The Apostle Paul, in Romans 9–11, addresses the tragic unbelief of ethnic Israel and God’s sovereign purposes through it. In Romans 11:25–29, he reveals a “mystery” — that a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has entered the kingdom.

Many have interpreted “all Israel will be saved” (v. 26) to mean either a future national conversion of Israel or ongoing prophetic significance for modern ethnic Israel. However, from the Partial Preterist and NCT perspective:

• “All Israel” refers to the totality of God’s elect people, including both believing Jews and Gentiles, united under the New Covenant in Christ.

• The promises made to Israel in the Old Covenant era were fulfilled in Jesus Christ and now apply to those who are in Christ by faith.

As Paul earlier clarifies:

"Now it is not as though the word of God has failed, because not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Neither is it the case that all of Abraham’s children are his descendants. On the contrary, your offspring will be traced through Isaac." Romans 9:6-7 (CSB)

This establishes a distinction between ethnic Israel and the spiritual Israel of God — the Church.

The Partial Preterist Interpretation

Partial Preterists affirm that many of Israel’s prophetic promises and judgments, including those involving national Israel, were fulfilled in the first century, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 (cf. Matthew 24:34).

Romans 11 addresses:

• The hardening of Israel in Paul’s day

• The inclusion of Gentiles into the covenant blessings

• The eventual salvation of elect Jews who come to faith in Christ

The “all Israel” being saved is not a reference to modern Israel as a political nation but to the full number of the redeemed from both Jews and Gentiles under the reign of Christ.

New Covenant Theology: The One People of God

New Covenant Theology teaches that the Old Covenant has been abolished (Hebrews 8:13), and God’s promises now find their fulfillment in the New Covenant community — the Church.

According to NCT:

• There’s one people of God: those united to Christ by faith, regardless of ethnicity.

• Ethnic Israel no longer holds special covenantal status apart from faith in Jesus.

• The designation “chosen people” is now applied to the Church, both Jewish and Gentile believers.

As Paul writes:

"And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise." Galatians 3:29 (CSB)

Reformed Arminianism and Salvation for All Peoples

Reformed Arminian theology upholds both God’s sovereign election and human responsibility. Within this view:

• Israel’s hardening was judicial, partial, and purposeful — to open the way for Gentile inclusion.

• Individual Jews, like Gentiles, can still be saved through faith in Christ alone.
  
  
• God’s call remains open to ethnic Israelites, but they have no distinct redemptive advantage apart from the gospel.

"Since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him." Romans 10:12 (CSB)

Doctrinal Conclusion

The Former Adventists Philippines affirm the following:

• Modern ethnic Israel, as a political nation, is not God’s chosen covenant people today.
  
  
• The promises made to Israel under the Old Covenant were fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

• Under the New Covenant, the Church — composed of both believing Jews and Gentiles — is the true people of God.

• Salvation is available to all people, including ethnic Jews, but only through repentance and faith in Christ.

• Modern events involving Israel, while significant politically and historically, are not fulfillments of biblical prophecy in the eschatological sense.

Supporting Scriptures

Romans 9:6-8 (CSB)

"Now it is not as though the word of God has failed, because not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Neither is it the case that all of Abraham’s children are his descendants. On the contrary, your offspring will be traced through Isaac. That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring." 

Romans 11:25-29 (CSB)

"I don’t want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you will not be conceited: A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, The Deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins. Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage, but regarding election, they are loved because of the patriarchs, since God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable." 

Galatians 3:28-29 (CSB)

"There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise." 

Hebrews 8:6-13 (CSB)

"But Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second one. But finding fault with his people, he says: See, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah — not like the covenant that I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. I showed no concern for them, says the Lord, because they did not continue in my covenant. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And each person will not teach his fellow citizen, and each his brother or sister, saying, “Know the Lord,” because they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them. For I will forgive their wrongdoing, and I will never again remember their sins. By saying a new covenant, he has declared that the first is obsolete. And what is obsolete and growing old is about to pass away." 

Galatians 6:16 (CSB)

"May peace come to all those who follow this standard, and mercy even to the Israel of God!" 

Ephesians 2:11-22 (CSB)

"So, then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh — called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” which is done in the flesh by human hands. At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death. He came and proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit." 

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." 1 Peter 2:9-10 (CSB)

Final Word

While loving and praying for all people, including ethnic Jews, Christians must resist sensationalist prophecy claims and hold fast to the sufficiency of Christ’s work and the unity of His New Covenant people. The hope for Israel, like all nations, is found in one place: the gospel of Jesus Christ.

"There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (CSB)

For more inquiries, contact us:

Email: formeradventist.ph@gmail.com

Website: formeradventistph.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/formeradventistph

Phone: 09695143944

Former Adventists Philippines Perspective on the Current Israel and Iran Conflict

Partial Preterism teaches that most biblical prophecies, especially those concerning Israel, judgment, and tribulation, were fulfilled in the first century, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The Former Adventists Philippines (FAP) adopt this framework in understanding biblical prophecy while affirming a future, final Second Coming and resurrection.

Position Summary:

FAP holds that modern geopolitical events involving Israel and Iran are not direct fulfillments of biblical prophecies but are part of general world history unfolding under God’s providence. The prophecies commonly cited about “Israel’s enemies” or an “end-time war” (often applied to Iran as ancient Persia) were historically fulfilled in the biblical context.

Key Bible Passages and Commentary

Matthew 24:34

"Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place."

Jesus was referring to the events He described in the Olivet Discourse—wars, famines, persecutions, and the destruction of the Temple—as occurring within the lifetime of His first-century audience. Partial preterists see the A.D. 70 fall of Jerusalem as the fulfillment of these prophecies, not awaiting a modern recurrence involving Iran or the modern state of Israel.

Daniel 8:20-21

"The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king."

Some prophecy teachers try to link Iran (Persia) in modern times to end-time wars. However, Daniel explicitly interprets these visions as relating to ancient Persia and Greece. Partial preterism views these prophecies as fulfilled in history—Persia’s defeat by Alexander the Great—and not predictive of modern Iran.

Ezekiel 38–39

“Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog...”

Dispensationalists often associate Gog and Magog with modern nations like Russia and Iran against Israel. Partial preterism, however, interprets these chapters as apocalyptic imagery of Israel's historical enemies and the first-century judgment of apostate Israel, fulfilled in A.D. 70. The ‘latter days’ phrase is understood within Israel’s covenantal history, not a modern 21st-century timeline.

The Former Adventists Philippines maintain that God’s redemptive plan culminates in Christ and His Church (both Jew and Gentile), not in modern national Israel as a prophetic time clock. Modern conflicts, including those involving Israel and Iran, are significant historically and politically, but are not direct fulfillments of biblical end-time prophecy according to a partial preterist framework.

Hebrews 1:1-2 beautifully confirms this:

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son...”

The ‘last days’ began with Christ’s first advent, not in our contemporary political events.

How Should Christians Respond to the Current Israel-Iran Conflict?

1.) Recognize God’s Sovereign Rule Over History

Though wars and rumors of wars continue, Christians believe God remains sovereign over the nations.

"This word is by decree of the watchers, and the decision is by command from the holy ones. This is so that the living will know that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms." Daniel 4:17 (CSB)

We are not to be driven by fear or speculative prophecy charts but to trust that history unfolds under God’s providential hand. Every war and conflict happens within His permission and ultimate plan.

2.) Commit to Prayer for Peace, Justice, and the Spread of the Gospel

While we acknowledge these events are part of the ebb and flow of world history, we are still called to pray:

* For peace and the protection of innocent lives (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

* For wisdom for global leaders

* For the comfort of those who mourn

* For the spread of the gospel amid turmoil

"Pray constantly." 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (CSB)

3.) Offer Real Hope—Not Fearful Speculations

Many people get anxious when global conflicts arise. As Christians, we offer a secure hope not based on geopolitics but on Christ’s finished work.

Offer encouragement to others.

• Christ’s kingdom is unshakable (Hebrews 12:28)
• Our hope is not tied to earthly nations but to a coming new heavens and new earth (2 Peter 3:13)
• God’s promises are for His people in every generation, regardless of global events (Psalm 46:1-2)

4.) Focus on Evangelism and Compassion

Crisis moments often soften hearts. As Christians, this is a time to:

• Preach the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15)
• Extend compassion to the suffering
• Encourage people to fix their eyes on Christ, not on fearful headlines

5.) Strengthen the Church’s Witness and Unity

We should avoid divisive end-times speculations that harm our witness. Instead, proclaim:

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe." Hebrews 12:28 (CSB)

Christians must remain united in faith, love, and service, being a steady, hopeful presence in a fearful world.

Summary

As Christians and as part of the Former Adventists Philippines ministry:

• Recognize God’s control over history
• Pray faithfully for peace and gospel opportunities
• Encourage people with the hope of Christ’s unshakable kingdom
• Avoid speculative, fear-driven prophecy claims
• Use these moments to show compassion and preach the good news

Conclusion:

Modern Israel and Iran’s conflicts are not fulfillments of Bible prophecy in the Former Adventists Philippines' partial preterist view. The prophetic passages frequently cited for this were historically fulfilled in the Old Testament or in the first century, particularly at the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The focus of prophecy is on Christ’s completed work, the growth of His Church, and the promise of His final return.

THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL

    Old Israel has been excommunicated, cut off from the covenant by the righteous judgment of God. On the surface, this presents a serious problem: What about God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? God had sworn that He would be the God of Abraham's seed, that the covenant would be established with Abraham's seed "throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant" (Gen. 17:7). If salvation has gone from the Jews to the Gentiles, what does that say about God's faithfulness to His word? Is there a place for ethnic Israel in prophecy? These questions are answered most directly in Scripture by the Apostle Paul in Romans 11.

Israel's Rejection Is Not Total

    God never totally rejected ethnic Israel, Paul points out. After all, Paul was "an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin" (v. O. And Paul is not an isolated case. In fact, as he shows, it is consistent with the history of Israel that only a few were truly believers in the Biblical faith. For example, he cites the story of Elijah (I Kings 19), who complained to God that he was the only faithful Israelite left. God reproved Elijah, declaring that He had reserved seven thousand faithful in Israel for Himself, men who had not bowed the knee to Baal. Similarly, says Paul, "There has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice" (v. 5). 

    In His sovereign grace, God has chosen to save some out of Israel, even as He has condemned Israel as a whole, so that "Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were hardened" in their unbelief, like the ungodly Pharaoh of Egypt (v. 7; cf. 9:14-18). For the majority of ethnic Israel, "God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day" (v. 8; cf Acts 28:25-28). Upon those excommunicated from the covenant will come the curses of the Old Testament: "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a recompense to them; let their eyes be darkened that they may not see, and bend their backs forever" (v. 9-10). Nevertheless, God still had His elect among ethnic Israel. Like Paul, they would be saved. God's rejection of Israel was not total.

Israel's Rejection Is Not Final

    Not only is it true that there will always be a faithful minority in Israel, but God's word also teaches that someday a majority among ethnic Israel will be saved. The people of Israel, as a whole, will turn back to the faith of their fathers and will acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Their fall into apostasy is not permanent, says Paul. For just as their ex-communication resulted in the salvation of the Gentiles, the salvation of the Gentiles will someday result in the restoration of Israel:

"Because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous. Now if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much more riches will their fullness be! ... For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?" (Rom. 11:11-15).

The order of events thus seems to be as follows:

1. The Jewish apostasy resulted in the salvation of the Gentiles;

2. The salvation of the Gentiles will someday bring about the restoration of ethnic Israel; and, finally,

3. The restoration of Israel will cause an even greater revival among the Gentiles, which (compared to everything earlier) will be much greater "riches" (v. 12), like "life from the dead" (v. 15).

The Olive Tree

    From the beginning, God has always had His one covenant people. The New Testament church is simply the continuation of the true "Israel of God" (Gal. 6:16) after the false Israel had been cut off. Paul shows how this took place by using an illustration: believing Gentiles were "grafted" into the stock of the people of God, while Israelite branches were being broken off.

"And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in." Well said. Because of unbelief, they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore 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 "(Rom. 11:17-22).

    Those who are faithless and disobedient to the covenant are cut off, regardless of their previous standing or genetic heritage, while those who believe are grafted in. This contains an important warning to all who profess the Christian religion, to continue in the faith. The Jews who forsook their Lord could not

lay claim to God's blessing and favor; and, as Paul points out, the same is true for Gentile Christians. God requires obedience and perseverance Calvin said, a life of continual repentance. "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called 'Today,' lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast until the end" (Heb. 3:12-14).

    But Israel's rejection is not to be the final chapter of its history. Although the body of Israel was excommunicated for unbelief, restoration to the covenant will come about through repentance and faith: "And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, who are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?" (v. 23-24). Note carefully that the text not only says that God can restore "natural" Israel, but that He will do so. This point is reinforced in the following verses:

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that hardening in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins" (Rom. 11:25-27)

As we saw above, God hardened the people of Israel in unbelief (v. 7-10). But this hardening was only temporary, for Israel as a whole will turn back to the Lord, as Paul states elsewhere:

But their minds were hardened; for until this very day, the same veil remains unlifted during the reading of the Old Testament because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart; nevertheless, whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away (2 Cor. 3:14-16).

    The judicial hardening and rejection of Israel will not last forever. Someday the veil will be lifted, and the people as a whole will be converted back to the true faith. But Israel will not return until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in - in other words, until the Gentiles as a whole have been converted to Christ (compare the usage of the word "fullness" in verses 12 and 25). And thus, after the conversion of the mass of the Gentiles, all Israel will be saved, in fulfillment of God's promises to His ancient people. Even though Israel has been unfaithful,

    God remains true to His covenant. Israel is now an enemy of the gospel, yet God still loves them for the sake of their fathers. The privileges He bestowed upon them have not been withdrawn forever, and because of His promises, Israel's calling in the covenant is ultimately irrevocable (v. 28-29). Paul repeats the basic lesson: "For just as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, even so, these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown to you, they also may obtain mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all" (v. 30-32).

Summary

    Our study of Romans 11 has been necessarily brief. Those who desire a more in-depth treatment should consult the commentaries of Robert Haldane, Matthew Henry, Charles Hodge, and John Murray, as well as the lengthy exegesis in Iain Murray's important work, The Puritan Hope. The following points, however, have clearly emerged from our examination of the text.

1. The entire Gentile world will be converted to faith in Jesus Christ. The mass of the Gentiles will come into the covenant until the conversion of the Gentiles reaches the point of "fullness" (a word meaning completeness or totality, v. 25).

2. Genetic Israel will be converted to faith in Jesus Christ. While there will always be some Hebrews who become Christians, the Jewish people as a whole will only be converted after the conversion of the Gentiles (v. 11-12, 15,23-27). This means that the key to the conversion of Israel is the prior accomplishment of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20), the salvation of the nations.

3. Not every individual Gentile or Jew will be converted. The conversion of both Israel and the Gentiles will be analogous to the rejection of Israel. Even though Israel as a whole was cut off from the covenant, some Jews have continued in the true faith (v. 1-7). Even so, when the Gentiles and Israel are converted as a whole, this does not mean or require that every last individual in either group will become a Christian. There will always be exceptions. But just as the overwhelming majority of Jews rejected Christ when He came, so the overwhelming majority of both Jews and Gentiles will be grafted into the stock of the faithful people of God.

4. The conversion of both Jews and Gentiles will take place through the normal means of evangelism in this age. Nothing is said here of any cataclysmic event - such as the Second Coming -which will result in mass conversions. The large-scale conversion of the world will occur as the gospel is preached to the nations; in fact, this very passage categorically denies any other means of conversion (10:14-17). The insertion of the Second Coming into this passage by some writers is completely speculative and misleading. The entire context demands that the conversion of the world take place as the normal continuation of processes already at work, as a simple reading of v. 11-32 plainly indicates. As Charles Spurgeon said: "I myself believe that King Jesus will reign, and the idols be utterly abolished, but I expect

the same power which turned the world upside down once will still continue to do it. The Holy Ghost would never suffer the imputation to rest upon His holy name that He was not able to convert the world."

5. The motive for the conversion of Israel will be jealousy. The Jews will see all the Gentile nations around them, happily enjoying the covenant blessings promised to God's people of old; they will see that God's mercy has been extended throughout the world; and they will become jealous (v. 11, 31; cf. 10:19). Again, this will not be the result of any cataclysmic event (such as the Rapture), for it is the continuation of a process already at work in Paul's day (v. 14). Jews (such as Paul himself) were already becoming converted through this holy jealousy, and Paul hoped to restore others by the same means. But he points to a day in the future when this will happen on a grand scale, and the Jews as a people will return to the faith

6. Converted Jews, in every age, belong to the Church of Jesus Christ; they are not a distinct group. There is, properly, no such thing as a "Hebrew Christian," any more than there are separate Biblical categories of "Indian Christians," "Irish Christians," "Chinese Christians," or "American Christians." The only way for Gentiles to be saved is by becoming grafted into the one "olive tree," the faithful covenant people (v. 17-22). And the only way for a Jew to be saved is by becoming a member of God's people (v. 23-24). There is no difference. By His finished work Christ "made both groups into one" (Eph. 2:14). Believing Jews and Gentiles have been united "in one body," the Church (Eph. 2:16). There is one salvation and one Church, in which all believers, regardless of ethnic heritage, become children of God and heirs of the promises to Abraham (Gal. 3:26-29). The creation of a special Jew-Gentile distinction within the body of Christ is ultimately a denial of the gospel.

7. Israel will not be restored as the Kingdom (Matt. 21:43; 1 Pet. 2:9). The Bible promises the restoration of Israel as a people, but not necessarily as a State; nothing requires that the two must go together. Even assuming, however, that there is still a State of Israel when the Jews are converted, Israel would simply be one Christian nation among many, with no special standing. The people of genetic Israel will be part of the covenantal tree of life, but there is no longer any religious significance belonging to Palestine. The whole world will become the Kingdom of God, with all nations standing on an equal footing within that Kingdom.

On that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, "Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance" (Isa. 19:24-25).

8. The conversion of Israel will result in an era of great blessings for the entire world. There will be even greater fulfillment of the covenantal promises, an overflowing abundance of Spiritual riches, so much so that, compared to the previous state of the world, it will be like life from the dead (v. 12, 15). This is when the Biblical promises of the Kingdom's earthly blessings will reach their highest and most complete fulfillment. God's Holy Mountain will have encompassed the world, and "the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea" (Isa. 11:9).