All Israel Shall Be Saved – Answering An Objection #2
In the previous article we established the prophetic source and background of Romans 11:25-27 and demonstrated that Paul’s prophecy had to have been fulfilled at the time of the judgment of Israel for shedding innocent blood. Be sure to read that article.
Based on the prophetic source of Paul’s promise the undeniable reality is Romans 11 had to be fulfilled in the last days- Israel’s last days. The salvation of Israel (the righteous remnant of Israel as we will discuss in this article would be at the time of the judgment of Israel for shedding innocent blood. And Jesus unequivocally said that would be in AD 70.
Be sure to get a copy of my book, Elijah Has Come: A Solution to Romans 11:25-27. It is an incredibly powerful demonstration that “all Israel” was indeed saved at the Day of the Lord in AD 70.
In this second installment of our (brief) examination of Romans 11:25-27, I want to look at Romans 11:25-27 in light of Romans 11:7. Romans 11:7 is one of the most ignored verses in discussions concerning Israel’s kingdom hope: “Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.” Paul emphatically says that the elect, the righteous remnant, was, when he wrote, obtaining that for which Israel sought!
Do you catch the power of that?
Paul’s affirmation cannot be over emphasized, or mitigated. However you define the hope of Israel, Paul said the remnant was receiving it in the first century! (See my We Shall Meet Him In the Air: The Marriage of the King of kings, in which I extensively catalogue the hope of Israel under several headings).
Millennialists seek to deflect the power of this argument by saying Paul was speaking of the spiritual promises made to Abraham, not the nationalistic promises. We can’t address this fully, but let me address one central tenet of millennialism.
Millennialists claim that the church was not predicted anywhere in the Old Testament. This means that the church was not what Israel sought for. The millennialists argue that the hope of Israel was the kingdom. This means that Romans 11 destroys the millennial doctrine! Notice the argument:
The church was not the hope of Israel (Millennialism).
The Messianic kingdom was the hope of Israel.
Paul said the remnant was receiving the hope of Israel.
Therefore the remnant was receiving the Messianic Kingdom, the hope of Israel.
Paul said he preached nothing but the hope of Israel found in Moses and the prophets (Acts 24:14f; 26:6f; v. 21f). What he preached was what Israel was looking for. Paul said the remnant was receiving the hope of Israel in the first century! (This means that the millennial contention that the Messianic kingdom offer was postponed is falsified). Let’s tie these concepts together.
That for which Israel sought in Romans 11:7 is the salvation promised in Romans 11:26f.
The remnant was already entering into that salvation when Paul wrote (Romans 11:7).
The salvation promised in Romans 11:26f would be completed (consummated) at Christ’s coming in fulfillment of Isaiah 27 and Isaiah 59.
But, Isaiah 27 and Isaiah 59 would be fulfilled in the AD70 judgment of Israel for shedding the blood of the martyrs (Matthew 23).
Therefore, that for which Israel sought, the kingdom and salvation, was completed, (consummated) at Christ’s AD70 coming in the judgment of Israel for shedding the blood of the martyrs.
So, in Romans 11:7 we find powerful and unequivocal proof that Israel’s kingdom hope, Israel’s eschatological hope was being fulfilled in the first century. This means that the fulfillment of Romans 11:25f, being part of that hope, was not in some far distant future. Fulfillment had begun, but, consummation was not far off. In the next article, I will share why that is true. So, stay tuned!