Romans 11:26 “And so all Israel shall be saved” Explained in Context
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I’m really excited to write this article! Until today I never fully understood Romans 11:26. I think I do now thanks to a good Covenant Theology preacher I listened to by the name of Ryan Rufus. But rather than share directly from him, I want to use the Bible and explain it directly from God’s Word.
Romans 11:26 is often quoted by Christian Zionists as one reason for their support of the modern nation of Israel. All Christian Zionists are Dispensationalists whether they know it or not or whether they call themselves that or not.
If you are a regular reader of my website, you should already know the difference between Dispensational Theology – which is the most prevalent and popular evangelical view today – and Covenant Theology which is held by Reformed Churches and is the standard Protestant view before Dispensationalism became popular. If you don’t know anything about Dispensationalism, please first read: Have You Been Duped by Dispensationalism?
Dispensationalists, Futurists and Christian Zionists teach that Paul is prophesying that the entire modern nation of Israel will be saved. But did Paul really mean that?
First of all, let’s read carefully what Romans 11:26 says:
Romans 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Paul is quoting from Isaiah 59:1:
Isaiah 59:20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.
This is a Messianic prophecy that was fulfilled at the time of Jesus Christ!
Hermeneutics: How to Interpret the Bible
Interpretation of Bible Scripture is known as hermeneutics. It’s derived from the Greek word ἑρμηνεύω, hermēneuō, meaning to “translate, interpret”. Hermeneutics is the theory and methodology of interpretation of biblical text. The rules of hermeneutics are:
- Let Scripture interpret Scripture. Scripture is always the best interpreter of other Scripture.
- The meaning of a word, phrase, sentence, or paragraph must be derived from the context.
- Interpret the Scriptures knowing that the goal in interpretation is not to discover hidden, secret truths or to be unique in your interpretation.
- Interpret the Scriptures literally unless you have good reason to believe that they are figurative.
- Do not interpret Scripture in light of personal experience but interpret experience in the light of Scripture. In other words, read out of Scripture which is called, “exegesis”, and not put your own ideas into Scripture which is called “eisegesis”.
- When interpreting the Scriptures, investigate the meanings of keywords in their original languages.
- Interpret the Scriptures bearing in mind that many commands, directives, and duties were made to an individual and not all people.
- Interpret the Scriptures bearing in mind that Biblical examples are authoritative only when supported by a command.
- Interpret the Scriptures keeping in mind that Christians are living under the New Covenant instituted by Jesus, not the Old Covenant that God gave to Israel.
All false interpretation of Scripture is the result of breaking one or more of these rules!
Let’s see how Dispensational Christian Zionist preachers interpret Romans 11:26:
John MacArthur of Grace Community Church says:
All Israel must be taken to mean just that—the entire nation that survives God’s judgment during the Great Tribulation.
John MacArthur calls himself a “leaky dispensationalist. He is breaking at least three rules of hermeneutics. He is reading into Romans 11:26 what isn’t there! The context is not about God’s judgement during a time of great tribulation. He’s not using any of the preceding verses in Romans 11 to get the context. And he’s not using Scripture to interpret Scripture by quoting Isaiah 59:1. And his dispensational bias tells him Romans 11:26 must be a future end-time event. And if we let him explain further, he will probably tell you that this happens after the Church is raptured.
Dispensationalists wrongly divide the Word of truth because they break the rules of hermeneutics. We should not base a doctrine solely on the interpretation of a single Scripture!
Let’s read verses Romans 11 before verse 26 to determine the context:
Romans 11:3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
God told Elijah that though most of Israel broke God’s covenant, there was still a remnant left, 7000, who continue to keep the covenant. And Paul applied that to his day as well. The remnant will turn to Christ and be saved just like the gentiles.
Romans 11:11 I say then, Have they (the people of Israel) stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
In other words, that Israel may see how God has blessed the Christ believing Gentiles that they might want what the Gentiles have, namely Christ.
Romans 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
The fullness of the Gentiles means the salvation of the Gentiles.
Romans 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Meaning Israel will be saved just like the Gentiles are saved, through faith in the Deliverer, Jesus Christ! Paul was not talking about an endtime event. When he says all Israel, he’s speaking about the Jews, the elect that are saved, but he’s also speaking about the spiritual Israel the Gentiles that are included and together that makes up all of Israel, and so this is how all of Israel will be saved.
Jews continue to get saved today. I have met many brothers and sisters in Christ who were raised Jewish.
The video that inspired this talk
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