Romans 11:26

"The first clause of Romans 11:26 is the storm center in the interpretation of Romans 9-11 and of NT teaching about the Jews and their future." [Note: Moo, p. 719. See H. Wayne House, "The Future of National Israel," Bibliotheca Sacra 166:664 (October-December 2009):643-81, for a discussion of the major views.]

"It is impossible to entertain an exegesis which understands ’Israel’ here in a different sense from ’Israel’ in Romans 11:25 ([that is, it is impossible to understand "Israel" in Romans 11:26 as meaning] ’a hardening has come upon part of Israel’)." [Note: Bruce, p. 209.]

"All Israel" means Israel as a whole in contrast to the relatively small believing remnant of Jews. The context makes this clear. This conclusion does not require that every individual Israelite living will be saved. It only requires the salvation of the bulk of the nation (cf. Zechariah 12-13). [Note: Ibid. Cf. Mickelsen, p. 1218.] Whenever the name "Israel" appears in the New Testament it refers either to the whole nation of Jacob’s racial descendants (ethnic Jews) or to the believing remnant within that group. It is not another name for the church. John Calvin believed Israel meant the church, and covenant theologians have followed in his train. [Note: See John Calvin, The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Romans and to the Thessalonians, p. 255.] "All Israel" does not refer to all Jews who have been believers throughout history either. [Note: For defense of this view, see Ben L. Merkle, "Romans 11 and the Future of Ethnic Israel," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 43:4 (December 2000):709-21.] If that were what Paul meant, this statement would be irrelevant to his argument. [Note: Murray, 2:96-98.]

"Thus" or "so" means "when that has happened" (NEB) or "then after this" (JB). It may also mean "in this manner," namely, the way that Paul described in Romans 11:11-24. [Note: Cranfield, 2:576.]

The quotation from Isaiah 59:20-21 not only confirmed Paul’s assertion but also hinted at the time this revival will take place. It will happen when Messiah will come out of the heavenly Jerusalem (Galatians 4:26; Hebrews 12:22). This will be at His second coming (Zechariah 12:10). [Note: See Toussaint and Quine, pp. 146-47.]

"Israel . . . was chosen for a fourfold mission: (1) to witness to the unity of God in the midst of universal idolatry (cp. Deuteronomy 6:4 with Isaiah 43:10-12); (2) to illustrate to the nations the blessedness of serving the true God (Deuteronomy 33:26-29; 1 Chronicles 17:20-21; Psalms 144:15); (3) to receive, preserve, and transmit the Scriptures (Deuteronomy 4:5-8; Romans 3:1-2); and (4) to be the human channel for the Messiah (Genesis 3:15; Genesis 12:3; Genesis 22:18; Genesis 28:10-14; Genesis 49:10; 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:1; Romans 1:3)." [Note: The New Scofield . . ., p. 1226.]