ISRAEL IN ROMANS 9 TO 11

This is a shortened version of the article on Israel in Romans 9 – 11. This article provides the approach, logic and types of evidence provided in the main document, but it excludes some of the detail. While the main article more or less sequentiallyworks through Romans 9 – 11, this article discusses these chapters thematically.

This document is intended for people that have already studied these chapters in detail, but require further insight.

INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE

The purpose of the article is to explain the Jewish references in the book of Revelation. For this reason its goal is to determine what “Israel” means in the New Testament (NT). Romans 9 - 11 are the most important chapters in the New Testament for this purpose. The article assumes that Israel in Revelation has the same meaning as in Romans 9 – 11, particularly in the statement “All Israel will be saved” (11:26). The purpose of this article is therefore particularly to understand what is meant by “All Israel” in 11:26.

MAJOR VIEWS

There are two major views, namely:

  1. “Israel” always refers to the ethnic nationof Israel, and“All Israel will be saved” refers to an end time Jewish revival.
  2. Ethnic Israel is no longer part of God’s plan. “Israel” refers to the church. “All Israel will be saved” does refer to an end time Jewish revival, but it will be a revival of the Jews within the church.

Neither of these views is supported by this document.

THE QUESTION

A SINGLE MAJOR CONCEPT

Superficially evaluated, Paul’s writings may seem to jump around a bit, and it is not always easy to follow the flow of thought from one verse to the next. But the key to reading Paul is to know that he does not jump around, and that all the arguments, examples and quotes in a particular section are tied together by a single concept. This article offers an interpretation based on the conclusion that Romans 9 – 11 all explains one single major concept. This article therefore base its conclusions on ahigh level view of these chapters, emphasizing the interrelatedness of the various components.

WHY DID ISRAEL FAIL?

In Old Testament times, Israel was God’s unique and special people, but God called Paul and gave him to preach equality of Jew and Greek; “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing”(1Cor. 7:19). This article argues that the purpose of Romans 9 – 11 is to explain this dramatic shift. At the end of Romans 8 Paul wrote that nothing can separate us from the love of God, but in the beginning of Romans 9 his thoughts turn to Israel that has been separated from the love of God, and he explains this separation in 9:6 with the statement:

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel

Paul therefore argues that Israel did not fail because of a failure in God’s word. Rather, Israel failed because “they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel”. It is argued below that all of Romans 9 – 11 elaborates on this statement. The key purpose of Romans 9 – 11 is therefore to explain why Israel failed, OR Why was Israel separated from the love of God?

BECAUSE GOD CHOSE A REMNANT

Romans 9 and 11 answer this question by stating that God elected a remnant out of Israel. In other words, Israel failed due to election: it was God’s decision. In Romans 9 the election of Jacob and the potter-illustration informs us of this election decision. The election of a remnant is directly stated in Romans 11:

there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice (11:5)

What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened (11:7)

SOME KEY ASPECTS IN ROMANS 9 - 11

The discussion will now interpret certain less obvious aspects of Romans 9 – 11 that are required to formulate the subsequent conclusions.

THE TWO PHASES OF THE POTTER

Romans 9 uses a potter, making different types of vessels from the same lump of clay, to illustrate election. This illustration consists of two phases. The second phase (9:22-24) differs significantly from the first phase (9:20-21):

  1. The vessels for honorable and common use of the first phase are replaced by vessels of mercy and wrath.
  2. The second phase includes non-JewishChristians (9:24) in the elected group for the first time in this chapter.
  3. While the previous verses, including the first phase of the illustration, only contain general principles and examples from history, 9:22-24 is an application of these principles to Paul’s day.

The second phase can therefore also be called the application phase.

WRATH-VESSELS

A key issue in Romans 9 is the identification of the vessels of wrath in the potter illustration. Most commentators believe that these vessels represent believers in general. In contrast, it is proposed here that the vessels of wrath represent ethnic Israel, for the following reasons:

  1. Ethnic Israel is the subject and focus of the entire Romans 9 – 11, and should therefore also find a place in the potter illustration, and in this illustration it can only be the vessels of wrath. (See the section ‘11:25-26: Explain true Israel’ for more detail.)
  2. The purpose of Romans 9 is to explain that Israel failed due to election. Since the potter illustrates election, the symbol in the potter illustration that is rejected, namely the vessels of wrath, must be ethnic Israel.
  3. The “lump”, from which the vessels are made (9:21), is used in 11:16 to represent Abraham’s descendants. Since the mercy-vessels represent the chosen remnant, the wrath-vessels must be the rest of Israel.
  4. The potter illustration is followed by three quotes explaining the vessels. One quote from Isaiah concerns destruction, and therefore must apply to the “vessels of wrath prepared for destruction”, but this quote is about ethnic Israel.
  5. The section after the quotes, starting in 9:30 and continuing until the end of Romans 10, further explains the vessels. Since this section explains the distinction between ethnic Israel and the believers, and since the believers are represented by the mercy-vessels, the wrath-vessels must represent ethnic Israel.
  6. The description “vessels of wrath prepared for destruction” fits the description of ethnic Israel in Romans 9 – 11 well. Ethnic Israel is described as failed (11:12) and fallen (11:11, 12, 22), predicted to be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah (9:29), stumbled (9:32), not obtaining what it sought, hardened (11:7, 25), rejected (11:15), broken off (11:17, 19) and under God’s severity (11:22). The example of Jacob implies that they are excluded by the election of the faithful remnant. The redefinition of Israel in 9:6 as people who are circumcised in their hearts (Rom. 2:28-29) implies that they no longer are the true Israel.
  7. In the application phase of the potter illustration Paul wrote that God “endured” (past tense) the “vessels of wrath”, but has now made known His glory upon the Christians (9:22-23). God is therefore no longer enduring the vessels of wrath. They have already been ‘destroyed’, and therefore cannot be non-believers in general.
  8. At the end of Romans 10 Paul wrote that God all the day long stretched out His hands to Israel (10:21). This is equivalent to saying that the vessels of wrath were “endured with much patience”, and thereby confirms that the vessels of wrath represent ethnic Israel.

HIS PEOPLE WHOM HE FOREKNEW

Many commentators propose that “His people whom He foreknew” (11:2) refers to the entire nation of Israel, but the following indicate that this refers to the chosen remnant:

  1. Pauluses himself as proofthat God did not reject “His people” (11:1), and he is not an example of all Jews. He is specifically an example of the Jewish Christians; a subset of the Jews.
  2. Theword “foreknew” was used in8:29 to describe the people that were “predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.” This is not the entire nation.
  3. The words “Or do you not know” (v2), with which the example of the 7000 starts, makes the 7000 an example of the people “whom He foreknew”. Furthermore, the words “in the same way” (v5) makes the chosen remnant (v5) the conclusion of the example of the 7000 and therefore the explanation of the “His people whom He foreknew”. Since both Elijah’s 7000 and the remnant are subsets of Israel, the people that God “foreknew” in verse 2 must also be a subset of Israel.
  4. The word “foreknew” (11:2)indicates that the “His people whom He foreknew” has been elected and the word “choice” (11:5) indicates that the “remnant according to God's gracious choice” has also been elected. Since both have been elected, they must be the same.
  5. In Romans 9 the present day applicationof the potter (v22-24) explains the chosen remnant in 9:6. Romans 11:1-10 follows a similar pattern. It first defines His true people, then it gives historical examples, and then it makes a present day application:“In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant”. Since the present day application in Romans 9 explains the remnant, it implies that the present day application in Romans 11 also explains the remnant, which means that “His people whom He foreknew” is the remnant.

OLIVE TREE; ABRAHAM’S DESCENDANTS

Believing Gentiles become “Abraham's descendants” (Gal 3:7, 29). This is depicted in the olive tree as Gentiles being grafted into the tree. Non-believing Jews are not regarded as Abraham’s descendants (Romans 9:8), and are broken off from the tree. The tree therefore represents Abraham’s spiritual descendants; the people that are “regarded” as his children.

Ephesians 2 says to the Gentiles:

remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. (Eph 2:12)

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, (Eph 2:19)

The olive tree is may be called the “commonwealth of Israel” and “citizenship with the saints”. The tree is not literal Israel, and Gentiles do not become part of literal Israel, but they do become part of the commonwealth of Israel and fellow citizens with the saints.

The root of the tree is either the fathers or the promises given to the fathers. The main issue is who are linked to the wealth of the root. The broken off branches (non-believing Jews) are detached from the root and its wealth, which means they no longer have a right to the promises. Believing Gentiles, on the other hand, are attached to the wealth of the root through grafting in, and have become heirs of the promises. This is what matters.

OLIVE TREE; EXPLAIN TRUE ISRAEL

The olive tree is an illustration of the transition from the ethnic Israel in 9:6 to the true Israel of 9:6, as indicated by the parallels:

  • The tree, before any branches are broken off or added, represents the ethnic Israelof 9:6. This is the same as the “His people” (ethnic Israel) of 11:1.
  • The unbelieving branches that are broken off represent Israel that “are not all Israel” (9:6). This is the same as the “rest” that “were hardened” (11:7).
  • The tree, after unbelieving branches have been broken off, represents the true Israel of 9:6. This is the same as “His people whom He foreknew” (11:2), and as the remnant (11:5).

Gentiles are then addedto the tree, and therefore to the true Israel. This is similar to the addition of Gentiles to the vessels of mercy, which also represent true Israel.

SEVEN WARNINGS

In Romans 11:13 Paul starts to address Gentiles directly. He warns them, with respect to unbelieving Jews:

  • Do not be “arrogant” (11:18);
  • Do not be “conceited” (11:20);
  • Do not be “wise in your own estimation” (11:25).

Verses 16 to 33, which include the olive tree illustration and the debated 11:25-26, can be divided into a series of seven consecutive warnings against Gentile arrogance:

  1. Jews are holy (11:16).
  2. The faith of Gentiles Christians is based in the Jewish inheritance (11:17-18).
  3. Gentiles may be cut off like the non-believing Jews were (11:19-22).
  4. It would be easier to graft unbelieving Jews back “into their own olive tree” (v24), than what it was to graft Gentiles into the tree (11:23-24).
  5. A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in (11:25-27).

The purpose of the hardening is therefore to allow Gentiles to come in. This principle is stated several times elsewhere in the passage, such as “they are enemies for your sake” (v28) and “branches were broken off so that I (Gentile) might be grafted in” (v19).

This fifth warning contains the debated verses 25 and 26. What it means will be analyzed below. For now it is sufficient to note that this is actually the fifth in a series of seven warnings against Gentile arrogance.

  1. Jews are beloved for the sake of the fathers (11:28-29).
  2. Because of the mercy shown to Gentiles the Jews also may now be shown mercy (11:30-33).

Since it is possible to group these 18 verses so neatly into seven consecutive warnings against Gentile arrogance, the main message of this part of Romans 11 is a warning to Gentiles.

Since the strong warnings imply that the believing Gentiles in Rome had a tendency to be arrogant toward Jews, we should ask why. Rome was the capital of the Roman Empire, and Israel a rebellious subject. Rome destroyed Jerusalem in AD70 and banned all Jews from the city. The Empire strived to eliminate everything that was Jewish. This attitude towards Jews made its presence felt in the church in Rome, and Paul wrote to counter this trend. We do not find the same message in Paul’s other letters because the tendency to put down Jews was particularly strong in the capital of the Roman Empire.

So far some foundational concepts in Romans 9 – 11 have been discussed. The following sections include some transversal conclusions.

11:25-26 EXPLAINS TRUE ISRAEL

To explain how it is possible that the Word of God has not failed, even though Israel corporately rejected Jesus, Romans 9:6differentiates between ethnic Israel and true Israel. The entire Romans 9 to 11 explains the distinction between these two nations of Israel, as an overview of the text will confirm:

Verses 9 to 16 of Romans 9 useIsaac and Jacob as examples of true Israel.

Verses 17 and 18 usePharaoh to explain the hardening of “the rest” (11:7) of ethnic Israel.

Verses 19 to 21 use the potter to illustrate God’s right to “make from the same lump (Abraham’s descendants) one vessel for honorable use(the true Israel) and another for common use (the rest)”.

Verses 22 to 24 apply the potter to the present day. Israel is now “vessels of wrath prepared for destruction” because its election has been destroyed. True Israel is now “vessels of mercy” because it has now been elected for honorable use.

Romans 9:30-10:21 starts and ends with quotes (9:25-29; 10:19-21) confirming Israel’s lossand the Gentiles’ gain. These quotes contrast Israel with the Gentiles, similar to the vessels of wrath and mercy (9:22-24), and therefore still explain these vessels, which explain the two Israels.

“His people” in 11:1 refer to ethnic Israel, but the “His people whom He foreknew” in 11:2 refer to the “remnant” (11:5), which is the true Israel. Romans 11:1-10 therefore continues the discussion of the two Israels in 9:6.

The focus in the last part of Romans 11 remains on the two Israels, as can be seen in the olive tree illustration. The tree, before branches are broken off, is ethnic Israel. The tree, after the hardened branches have been broken off, is the true Israel. The tree remains “their own olive tree” (11:24). It therefore still represents Israel, but now the true Israel.

The entire Romans 9 to 11 therefore explains the two Israels of 9:6. Romans 11:25-26, which is part of that explanation, therefore also explain the two nations of Israel.

11:25-26 SUMMARIZES THE OLIVE TREE

Romans 11:25-26 follows immediately after the olive tree illustration. The word “for”, with which v25 starts, implies that 11:25-26 is the conclusion of that illustration. This is confirmed by the parallels between v25-26 and the olive tree:

  • The tree, before any branches are broken off, is the Israelof verse25.
  • The cultivated branches that are broken offare called Israel’s partial hardening(11:25).
  • The wild branches that are grafted in are the coming in of the Gentiles (11:25).
  • Even after believing wild branches have been grafted in, the tree remains Israel’s “own olive tree” (11:24). Therefore this tree also represents the “all Israel” in verse 26.

Romans 11:25-26 therefore summarizes the olive tree illustration, while the olive tree illustrates the two Israels of 9:6.

ISRAEL NOT THE CHOSEN NATION

Few people would dispute that Romans 9 – 11 explain that Israel failed because God elected a remnant, but this principle is applied differently by different people. Dispensationalists argue as follows: