Subject: Will ALL of Israel be saved? |
Bible Note: Hello HOTH, I appreciate the discussion. Here's what I'd add for consideration. What John Hagee teaches regarding Israel is what I'd term a "Dual Covenant Theory". He does not believe that Jews even need to be evangelized! They're saved because of their lineage! This is simply counter to the teaching of scripture and is heterodox! He is guilty of preaching another gospel (Gal. 1:8-9). Keep in mind we need to consider what Paul has already said in previous chapters of his argument in Romans. Rom 3:9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; Rom 3:10 as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; Rom 3:11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; All are under condemnation of sin; both Jews and Gentiles. Then note, Paul's only prayer for unbelievers is for his beloved Israel- Rom 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. Rom 10:2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. It is for their salvation, not that they are already saved. Next, we see who can be saved and how. Rom 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; Rom 10:10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Rom 10:11 For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." 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 on Him; Rom 10:13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." This most definitely applies to Israel. In understanding Rom. 11:27, here's a couple of perspectives: The Commentary Critical - "26, 27. And so all Israel shall be saved— To understand this great statement, as some still do, merely of such a gradual inbringing of individual Jews, that there shall at length remain none in unbelief, is to do manifest violence both to it and to the whole context. It can only mean the ultimate ingathering of Israel as a nation, in contrast with the present “remnant.” (So THOLUCK, MEYER, DE WETTE, PHILIPPI, ALFORD, HODGE). Three confirmations of this now follow: two from the prophets, and a third from the Abrahamic covenant itself. First, as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall—or, according to what seems the true reading, without the “and”—“He shall” turn away ungodliness from Jacob—The apostle, having drawn his illustrations of man’s sinfulness chiefly from Ps 14:1–7 and Is 59:1–21, now seems to combine the language of the same two places regarding Israel’s salvation from it [BENGEL]. In the one place the Psalmist longs to see the “salvation of Israel coming out of Zion” (Ps 14:7); in the other, the prophet announces that “the Redeemer (or, ‘Deliverer’) shall come to (or ‘for’) Zion” (Is 59:20). But as all the glorious manifestations of Israel’s God were regarded as issuing out of Zion, as the seat of His manifested glory (Ps 20:2; 110:2; Is 31:9), the turn which the apostle gives to the words merely adds to them that familiar idea. And whereas the prophet announces that He “shall come to (or, ‘for’) them that turn from transgression in Jacob,” while the apostle makes Him say that He shall come “to turn away ungodliness from Jacob,” this is taken from the Septuagint version, and seems to indicate a different reading of the original text. The sense, however, is substantially the same in both." Dr. Kenneth Weust offers this- "(11:26, 27) “And thus”—“not merely temporal, but under the influence of the jealousy so excited—under the impression produced on the Jews by the sight of the Gentiles in their fulness peopling the kingdom—all Israel shall be saved” (Denney). By all Israel being saved, Paul means the individual salvation of each member of the nation Israel living at the time of the second Advent. Zechariah (13:1) predicts this cleansing of Israel from its sins in the words, “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness.” This individual cleansing from sin will be followed by a national restoration to the Messianic kingdom with Messiah reigning on the throne of David in Jerusalem as King of kings and Lord of lords for one thousand years." [Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament] The verses in Matthew and Luke are speaking about the future millenial kingdon, but presume an already regenerate (hence saved) individual. I hope this helps, BradK |