God is not done with His people, but He has purposely put a partial hardening over Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. What’s in the future for the Jews?

1. Rom 11:25, 26 – “ For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in; and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” AND THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.” – full text – Rom_11:25-31
         25For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
               “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION,
               HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.”
         27“THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM,
               WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.”
   28From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.
         33Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 35Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? 36For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
2. Some understandings:
   • “mystery” was not some mysterious mystical thing, just explanations being supplied as facts unfold.
   • “partial” is to be understood as a hardening extending over a part, ie, not everyone has a partial hardening, only a part (of the nation of Israel) is hardened.
     1. Look at Rom 10:16 “However, they did not all heed the glad tidings; for Isaiah says, “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?” They “did not all heed” indicates that some did heed the glad tidings.
     2. Look at Rom 11:5 “In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.” A remnant from Israel was part of God’s family during the time of the church of which the New Testament provides many examples.
   • “until” indicates that the hardening has an end, it is not forever, it is temporary.
   • “happened” is not by chance or luck or circumstance but rather this is a plan executed by God for His purposes.
     1. i. Rom 11:5 “In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.”. It came about by a Sovereign God doing what’s needed for His plans.
     2. ii. Rom 11:8 “just as it is written, “GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.” It is God who is in control.
     3. iii. Rom 9:15,16 “For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”
        • Rom 10:12 “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him;”
        • John 6:44 “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. “
     4. Why might God be doing this? A strong hint from Rom 9:22-26 – “What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. As He says also in Hosea, “I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.'” full text – Rom_9:22-33
              22What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.25As He says also in Hosea,
                    “I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’
                    AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’
              26“AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, ‘YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,’
                    THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD.”
              27Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED; 28FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY.”
              29And just as Isaiah foretold,
                    “UNLESS THE LORD OF SABAOTH HAD LEFT TO US A POSTERITY,
                    WE WOULD HAVE BECOME LIKE SODOM, AND WOULD HAVE RESEMBLED GOMORRAH.”
              30What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; ¨C11Cbut Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at ¨C12C law. ¨C13CWhy? Because ¨C14C not ¨C15C by faith, but as though ¨C16C by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
              ¨C17Cjust as it is written,
                    “BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENCE 
                   AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
        • Rom 10:12
        • John 6:44
   • “fullness” is suggested to be understood that it is not until every single Gentile has come in, but a significant group of those God chose has been brought into the family of God.
     1. i. It is suggested that the nation concept of Israel and Gentile (people groups, not individuals) is meant similar to how the concept of nations fits in with Rom 11:12 “Now if their transgression be riches for the world and their failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!”
     2. f. “all Israel will be saved” Scholars have not agreement on this statement but many say things like this “that “all” bears a less exact reference here, as so often in Scripture, and means “in general;”—“Israel in general, the Jews of that day as a great aggregate, on a scale unknown before, shall be saved.” Examples include Is 59:20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the LORD.”
4. When will the fullness of the Gentiles occur? Scriptures are not clear. Here is one explanation: “Paul seems to be building on the foundation of Daniel 9, in which is revealed a 490-year prophetic timeline after which God will accomplish His covenant blessings for Israel. After the first 483 years of the timeline, the Messiah was cut off (Daniel 9:26a), signaling a shift in the focus away from Israel as Gentiles (Rome) would dominate, and there would be wars and desolation. But one day in the future, the ruler who would be known as the Antichrist would make a seven-year agreement with Israel. That last seven years of the timeline would begin to return the focus back to Israel and would conclude the times of the Gentiles of which Jesus spoke in Luke 21:24.”
   • a. Rom 11:29 “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” God keeps His promises, Jews will be saved.

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