Romans Chapter 11 Vs. 25

The Mystery of Israel's Salvation

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. Rom 11:25

ignorant of this... See Rom. 1:13.

The word mystery is used to refer to New Testament truth previously not revealed. This mystery has two components.

(1) Israel has experienced a partial spiritual hardening; and

(2) that hardening will last only for a divinely specified period of time.

Mystery

 

Greek: musterion, something previously hidden, but now fully revealed. In the New Testament it always means any doctrine that has not, in former times, been made fully known to people. It is found 27 times in the New Testament and not once in the Old Testament

Eighteen Mysteries of Scripture:

1. The kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God (Mat. 13:11; Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10)

2. Israel’s blindness (Rom. 11:25)

3. Salvation in Christ (Rom. 16:25)

4. The wisdom of God (1Cor. 2:7)

5. The doctrines of God (1Cor. 4:1; Col. 2:2; 1Tim. 3:16)

6. The gospel (Eph. 6:19)

7. Gift of knowledge (1Cor. 13:2)

8. Speaking in tongues (1Cor. 14:2)

9. The rapture of the church (1Cor. 15:23, 15:51-58; John 14:1-3; 1Thes. 4:13-16)

10. God’s will (Eph. 1:9)

11. The church (Eph. 3:1-9; 5:32)

12. Christ in people (Col. 1:26-27)

13. Doctrines of Christ (Col. 4:3)

14. Spirit of lawlessness (2Thes. 2:7)

15. Faith of the gospel (1Tim. 3:9)

16. Seven candlesticks (Rev. 1:20)

17. God’s delay in casting out of Satan (Rev. 10:7; 12:7-17)

18. Mystery Babylon (Rev. 17:5, 17:7)

wise in your... Is another warning to the Gentiles against spiritual pride and arrogance.

blindness in part... The 2nd New Testament prophecy in Romans (Rom. 11:25-27, unfulfilled). Next, Rom. 14:10. The revealed secret here is of the blindness of Israel until Christ comes when she will be restored (Rom. 11:25-29; Isa. 66:7-8; Zec. 12:10-13:1; 14:1-21). Although the nation’s blindness does not extend to every individual Jew. Through all of history God has always preserved a believing remnant.

the fulness of... The same as the times of the Gentiles (see, Luke 21:24). This could not mean that Gentiles will no longer be saved, because God will continue to save Jews and Gentiles even through the tribulation period (Acts 2:16-21; Rev. 7:1-17; 15:2-4; 20:4-6). The fullness of the Gentiles will end at the second coming and the national conversion of Israel (Rom. 11:25-29; Isa. 66:7-8; Zec. 12:10-13:1; 14:1-21). The times of the Gentiles end then also (Luke 21:24; Rev. 11:1-2; Zec. 14:1-21; Mat. 25:31-46). “Until” refers to a specific point in time, “fullness” refers to completion, “has come in”: translates a Greek verb often used to speak of coming to salvation. Israel’s spiritual hardening (which began with rejecting Jesus as Messiah), will last until the complete number of elect Gentiles has come to salvation.

It greatly concerns me when I hear someone run our Jewish brothers down. We have been warned over and over in the Holy Bible not to think ourselves better than the natural Hebrew. We are not the tree. We do not decide who is part of the tree and who is not. The tree, (Jesus) decides which branches He will accept and which branches He rejects.

It is none of our business. He does not have to explain to you and me why He does it either. We should just be happy that He allowed us to be grafted into the tree.

In Israel’s Salvation

Israel’s corporate stumbling, which is temporary, not permanent, is called a mystery. In Scripture a mystery is not a truth difficult to understand, but a truth previously unrevealed (and therefore unknown) which is now revealed and publicly proclaimed (cf. Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:26; at Mat. 13:10-16, see the chart that lists NT mysteries). Paul wanted to make sure his Gentile readers knew about the mystery concerning Israel in God’s sovereign choice. God’s purpose was so that you may not be conceited (lit., “wise in yourselves”). God’s sovereign plan to put Israel aside temporarily in order to show grace to Gentiles is no basis for conceit on the part of the Gentiles; it is designed to display further the glory of God.

God purposed that some from all nations should by faith receive the righteousness provided by grace. In order to achieve this goal Israel’s relationship as God’s Chosen People was rescinded for a time and Israel is now experiencing a hardening in part until the full number (plērōma, “fullness”) of the Gentiles has come in. There is a fullness for Israel (Rom. 11:12) and a fullness for the Gentiles. God is now “taking from the Gentiles a people for Himself” (Acts 15:14).

In Rom. 11:25 are two specific facts about Israel’s hardening (cf. Rom. 11:7-8): (a) it is partial, “in part” (because throughout this time “there is a remnant chosen by grace,” Rom. 11:5), and (b) it is temporary (because it will end when God’s sovereignly chosen number of Gentiles has been saved).

“Hardening” is pōrōsis (“hardening, dulling”); it differs from the verb sklērynei (“hardens”) used of Pharaoh (Rom. 9:18) and the noun sklērotēta (“stubbornness,” lit., “hardening,” Rom. 2:5). The first noun (pōrōsis) refers to dullness, the second suggests stubbornness. 

Ezekiel Chapter 39 Vs. 24

 Prophecy against Gog

Ezekiel 39:24 "According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them."

God hid His face from Israel, when they were involved in false worship.

Isaiah 54:8 "In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer."



Israel in exile and dispersion has been like a wife whose husband has rejected her. But this is only for a brief time compared to the everlasting kindness she will enjoy when the Messiah returns to gather the woeful wife.

Romans Chapter 11 Vs. 24

 

Gentiles Grafted In

For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? Rom 11:24

contrary to nature... A fruitless branch grafted to a good tree is contrary to custom.

how much more... Question 79. Next, Rom. 11:34. It being contrary to custom to graft unfruitful branches into a good and fruitful tree, how much more will it be natural to graft branches into their own fruitful tree?

We can see, this is not a statement of just the Old Testament, but of the New Testament as well. God loves all Israel; physical and spiritual and the Church.

These are the branches of the olive tree.

In the future, Israel will repent of unbelief and embrace the Messiah. In the terms of Paul’s analogy, God will at that time, gladly graft the believing Jewish people back into the olive tree of His covenant blessings because it was theirs originally, unlike the wild branches, the Gentiles.

The “olive tree” is not the church; it is the spiritual stock of Abraham. Believing Gentiles are included in that sphere of blessing so that in the Church Age both Jews and Gentiles are in Christ’s body (Eph. 2:11-22; 3:6). Yet someday Israel as a whole will turn to Christ (as Paul will discuss in Rom. 11:25-27). This passage does not teach that the national promises to Israel have been abrogated and are now being fulfilled by the church. This idea, taught by amillenarians, is foreign to Paul’s point, for he said Israel’s fall is temporary. While believing Gentiles share in the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:3) as Abraham’s spiritual children (Gal. 3:8-9), they do not permanently replace Israel as the heirs of God’s promises (Gen. 12:2-3; 15:18-21; 17:19-21; 22:15-18).

Ezekiel Chapter 39 Vs. 23

 Prophecy against Gog

Ezekiel 39:23 "And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword."

God is expressing, in this verse that judgment truly began at the house of God. Israel was not allowed to go on worshipping false gods. God did not overlook her transgression. He let many of Israel die by the sword, because of their sins. It was not God's inability to protect Israel. It was God's judgment on Israel.

When Gog and his companions came against Israel, God showed His might and was giving them time to repent.




God’s stunning defeat of Gog will force Israel to acknowledge His power.

Romans Chapter 11 Vs. 23

 

Gentiles Grafted In

And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. Rom 11:23

if they abide... This is always the condition of renewal in God and in His faith and grace.

them in again...

Again

The word "again" means "once more; anew; afresh." Anything could not be done again if it had not been done before.

Seven things that people can do again:

1. Be revived again (Psm. 85:6)

2. Return to God again (Jer. 3:1; Eze. 33:14)

3. Turn from sin again (Jer. 25:5; Eze. 18:27)

4. Be grafted into the olive tree again (Rom. 11:23)

5. Be taught again (Heb. 5:12)

6. Be made over again (Jer. 18:4)

7. Be born again (John 3:3-7; 1Pet. 1:3, 1:23; Gal. 4:19; Jas. 5:19-20)

Seven things that people should not do again:

1. Turn from righteousness (Eze. 3:20)

2. Build sinful things (Gal. 2:18)

3. Desire to be in bondage (Gal. 4:9)

4. Be entangled in Mosaic law (Gal. 5:1)

5. Continue sinning and repenting (Heb. 6:1)

6. Turn back to folly (Psm. 85:8)

7. Be entangled in sin (2Pet. 2:20-22)

Luke 21:24 “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”

The “they” is speaking of the Jews. The end of the Gentile age is near. God’s blessings will go back to the physical house of Israel.

Jer. 31:33 “But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Heb. 8:10 “For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:”

You see, this is not a statement of just the Old Testament, but of the New Testament as well. God loves all Israel; physical and spiritual.

Conversely for the people of Israel, if they do not persist (lit., “continue”) in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. At issue is not God’s ability but God’s decision. God sovereignly chose to put Israel aside corporately because of unbelief and to extend righteousness by faith to everyone. This demonstrates His decision to graft Gentiles into the spiritual stock of Abraham (cf. Rom. 4:12, 4:16-17; Gal. 3:14).

Ezekiel Chapter 39 Vs. 22

 Prophecy against Gog

Ezekiel 39:22 "So the house of Israel shall know that I [am] the LORD their God from that day and forward."




This battle will leave a lasting impression upon Israel. They had seen God operate in their behalf before, but never to this magnitude. LORD, here is Jehovah.

The effects of the battle on Israel

Second result will be that Israel will turn back to her God (Eze. 39:22; cf. 39:7). God’s stunning defeat of Gog will force Israel to acknowledge His power.

Romans Chapter 11 Vs. 22

 

Gentiles Grafted In

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. Rom 11:22

on them which... The unbelieving Jews described (in verses 12-21). “Fell” translates a Greek work meaning “to fall so as to be completely ruined.” Those who reject God’s offer of salvation bring upon themselves utter spiritual ruin.

if thou continue... This is always the condition of eternal life (see, John 6:27). If God promises here to cut off those who do not remain in His goodness, then He is obligated to do so (Rom. 2:11). Genuine saving faith always perseveres. God will deal swiftly and severely with those who reject Him.

All of God’s attributes work in harmony, there is no conflict between His goodness and love, and His justice and wrath. Those who accept His gracious offer of salvation experience His goodness. Those who reject it experience His severity.

Rev. 2:5 “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

God will help us, if we love Him and do our best to follow Him.

In these verses Paul summarized his whole discussion of God’s sovereign choice in temporarily putting Israel aside corporately and proclaiming righteousness by faith to all mankind. Consider (ide, “see, behold”) therefore the kindness (chrēstotēta, “benevolence in action”; also used of God in Rom. 2:4; Eph. 2:7; Tit. 3:4) and sternness of God. “Sternness” translates apotomian, used only here in the New Testament (cf. the adverb apotomōs in 2Cor. 13:10 [“be harsh”] and Tit. 1:13 [“sharply”]). God’s sovereign choice involved severity toward the Jews who stumbled (fell; cf. Rom. 11:11) in unbelief and were hardened (Rom. 11:25), but that same decision displayed the goodness of God toward individual Gentiles. God’s continuing His goodness to the Gentiles depends on their continuing in His kindness. If Gentiles do not continue in God’s kindness, they also will be cut off. This does not suggest that a Christian can lose his salvation; it refers to Gentiles as a whole (suggested by the sing. you) turning from the gospel much as Israel as a nation had done.