Yet we must be careful at this point. Our aim is not to make Scripture fit a system, but to allow Scripture to speak for itself. Frameworks may help us see the outline, but they must never control the meaning. If they do, we will soon find ourselves explaining away what God has plainly said.
With that in mind, we now come to one of the most important questions in this discussion. Is there a future for the nation of Israel? Has Israel’s rejection of the Messiah resulted in the nation being permanently set aside? Or does God still have purposes to fulfil concerning the nation of Israel corporately?
The clearest answer is found in Romans 11.
God Has Not Rejected His People
Paul opens with a direct and searching question, “has God rejected his people?” (Romans 11:1 ESV). His answer is immediate and emphatic, “By no means!” There is no uncertainty here. God has not cast away His people. Paul first supports this with his own testimony. He himself was an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, and of the tribe of Benjamin. His conversion is not an exception, it is evidence. If God had rejected Israel entirely, Paul could not have been saved.
He then reaches back through Israel’s history to the days of Elijah. At a time of widespread departure, when the prophet believed he stood alone, God had reserved for Himself seven thousand who had not bowed to Baal. The principle is clear. No matter how great the corporate failure, God has always preserved a remnant.
So it is in the present day, he states. There is still “a remnant according to the election of grace” (v.5). Jewish men and women who believe in the Lord Jesus do not cease to be Jews, but they are brought into the church, the body of Christ, where Jew and Gentile are united in one new man (Ephesians 2:11,16). This establishes a vital truth. Israel’s present condition cannot be described as total rejection. There is a remnant, and that remnant is proof that God’s dealings with the nation are not finished.
Israel’s Fall Is Not Final
Paul then moves from the present time to the wider purposes of God. Israel’s rejection of Christ has not frustrated the plan of God, it has served it.
“Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles” (Romans 11:11 ESV).
The gospel has gone out beyond the borders of Israel to the nations of the world. What appeared to be failure has become the means of blessing on a global scale. Yet even this has Israel in view, for Paul adds that this has happened “to make Israel jealous” (v.11 ESV).
But what are the prospects for the Jews as a nation? Paul raises the question, “did they stumble in order that they might fall?” Again the answer is decisive, “By no means!” Their stumbling is not final, nor is it beyond recovery. Indeed, Paul argues that if Israel’s fall has brought riches to the Gentiles, then their restoration will bring far greater blessing (vv.12,15). The logic of the passage points forward, not backward. It anticipates a future work of God with the nation as a whole.
The Warning to the Gentiles
The illustration of the olive tree reinforces this truth. The natural branches, representing Israel in unbelief, have been broken off. Wild branches, representing the Gentiles, have been grafted in. But this is not a reason for pride on the part of the Gentiles. Rather, it is a call to humility, “do not be arrogant toward the branches” (v.18 ESV).
Gentile believers do not support the root, the root supports them. The blessings they now enjoy are connected with promises that began long before the gospel reached the Gentile world. The root speaks of those covenant purposes of God associated with Abraham and his seed. Paul’s warning is solemn. If God did not spare the natural branches because of unbelief, Gentiles must not assume that they stand on any other basis than faith. Blessing is always on the ground of faith. It is never secured by privilege, history or religious association.
This is not a warning to true believers that they may lose their salvation. Rather, it is a warning to the Gentile world, and particularly to a professing church that may assume a position of favour while lacking reality. The lesson is clear. There must be no boasting over Israel’s rejection.
Israel’s Future Restoration
Paul now brings the argument to its climax: “a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25 ESV).
Two words are crucial: “partial” and “until”. Israel’s blindness is not total, there is still a remnant. It is not permanent, there is a defined end in the purposes of God. Then comes the great statement, “And so all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26). This cannot refer to the church as, throughout the chapter, Israel and the Gentiles are carefully distinguished. Nor does it mean that every individual Jew of every age will be saved irrespective of faith. Rather, it points to a future national turning to God, when Israel as a people will recognise and receive their Messiah (Isaiah 25:9).
Paul confirms this by appealing to the Old Testament, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob” (Romans 11:26 ESV). The promise was always there, though the means by which God would accomplish it had not been fully revealed. The certainty of this future rests not upon Israel’s faithfulness, but upon God’s.
“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (v.29 ESV).
God does not abandon His purposes. What He has promised, He will perform (Romans 4:21).
Why This Matters
This is not a secondary matter. It touches the very character of God. If God could permanently cast away the nation to whom He made covenant promises, what confidence could any believer have in His word? Romans 11 stands as a defence of the faithfulness of God. The same God who chose Israel, preserved a remnant, and extended salvation to the Gentiles, will yet fulfil every promise He has made (Philippians 1:6).
At the same time, Paul gives us the present perspective. Israel, in relation to the gospel, are “enemies”, yet, in relation to God’s purpose, they are “beloved for the sake of their forefathers” (Romans 11:28 ESV). There is both solemn responsibility and enduring love.
Three Simple Implications
These truths are not merely to be understood, they are to be felt and lived. First, there must be humility. Gentile believers have been brought into blessing entirely by grace. There is no room for pride. Second, there must be a concern for the gospel among the Jewish people. Like all men and women, they must be reached with the message of Christ. There is only one way of salvation, through faith in Christ (Acts 4:12). Third, there must be hope. Israel’s present unbelief is not the end of the story. Scripture points forward to a day when the nation will look upon the One whom they pierced and turn to Him (Zechariah 12:10).
A Response of Worship
Paul does not end this section with argument, but with worship.
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” (Romans 11:33 ESV).
The plan of God, so perfect in its wisdom, so rich in its mercy, so certain in its outcome, leads him to adoration. It should do the same for us.
“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (v.36 ESV).
In the end, the future of Israel is not merely about Israel. It is about the glory of God, the faithfulness of His Word, and the supremacy of His Son.
(This article is based on Chapter 4 of His Coming, titled “The Future of the Nation of Israel”, by Iain Jamieson; the book is available here.)
