Introduction

A key question in Romans 11 is "Has God rejected Israel?" In answering this question, Paul views the amazing developments in the history of redemption of God's dealing with the Jews. He gives us a view of Jews in relation to Gentiles to show that He has not rejected Israel.

This is a difficult section because of the tension between being rejected (their rejection, v. 15) and being "by no means rejected" (vs. 1-2, 11). It is also difficult to coordinate the "some" of verse 14 with the "all" of verse 26 and loved with enemies in verse 28.

In difficulties like this we have to work hard at being clear on things in tension. The idea of rejection has more than one nuance. We must define rejection as a yes and no: "yes, but not utterly," "yes, but not finally." The "yes" is now, severe, and massive (en mass; national). To the question of Israel's utter rejection, Paul replies that God has not rejected Israel either totally or permanently. He has two supports for this, one focused on the present and the other focused on the future.

On one hand, he states that Israel's fall does not lead to total ruin because a) in the present time, there is a remnant being saved from the descendents of Abraham. Paul is a case in point and the remnant is preserved by God's working according to the election of grace (11:1-5). b) Furthermore, in the present time, Israel's fall does not mean utter ruin because her fall is directed by God to the blessing of the nations, which accords with His promise to Abraham to be with his descendents and through them bless all families of the earth (11:11; Gen. 12:1-3). The salvation of the Gentiles is a "wake up call" to the Israelites getting their attention back to Scripture and the covenants. God uses "envy" in a positive way in the saving of the remnant (11: 11, 14; note the contrast of this with Rom. 10:19 where the envy has a negative use in aggravating unbelief).

On the other hand, Israel's fall does not mean utter ruin because Israel has great promise for the future. Paul adds to the notion of the present remnant. He adds the promise of a future restoration.

Such a future outlook for the Jews is not the conclusion that scholars who specialize in "history of redemption" studies (biblical theology) necessarily accept. And this is a remarkable history of redemption passage. Herman Ridderbos is one such scholar and last week we considered his basis for questioning the idea of a future en bloc conversion of Israel. In a word, we made the point that perhaps Ridderbos fails to do justice to the a fortiori argument of Paul in Romans 11:12 and 15. If Israel's transgression that brings riches to the Gentiles involves an en mass rejection by God then her fullness that brings even greater riches to the Gentiles must also be en mass involving acceptance by God on an unparalleled scale far beyond the remnant of the present time.

This week I want to direct your thoughts to Israel's future in OT promise, in prophetic perspective, and in Romans 11. This is a difficult topic in many respects. Hopefully we will get some help from Jonathan Edwards.

1A. Israel's Future in OT promise

Many passages from the OT are cited as promises of a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Israel and the nations. It is claimed that they remain yet unfulfilled. Jonathan Edwards, for example, states: "It is evident from the Scripture, that there is yet remaining a great advancement of the interest of religion and the kingdom of Christ in this world, by an abundant outpouring of the Spirit of God, far greater and more extensive than ever has been" (Apocalyptic Writings, 329). Many prophecies have never yet been fulfilled to the "extent and universality" that they indicate (Ibid.).

Edwards sees in Scripture what might be called a redemption of history within history, a redemption of the history of the nations and their glory in relation to the glory of Christ:

God has suffered many earthly princes to extend their conquests over a great part of the face of the earth, and to possess a dominion of vast extent, and one monarchy to conquer and succeed another, the latter being still the greater: 'tis reasonable to suppose that a much greater glory in this respect should be reserved for Christ, God's own Son and rightful heir, who has purchased the dominion by so great and hard a service: 'tis reasonable to suppose, that his dominion should be far the largest, and his conquests vastly the greatest and most extensive" (330-31).

He offers many interesting Scripture proofs. One of the most interesting is Isaiah 11:9, "The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the seas." Think of the image presented here and its implications. Water is related to the sea as an analogy of knowledge of the Lord in relation to the earth (i.e., the earth's inhabitants). Can you go anywhere on the sea and find no water there? Of course not. Is there any specific point on the sea under the heavens where there is no water? Is there any place in the ocean where you could dip in your hand and not touch water? Absolutely not; "there is no place in the vast ocean where there is not water, so there shall be no part of the world of mankind where there is not the knowledge of the Lord…there shall be no part of the habitable world, that shall not be covered by the light of the gospel, and possessed by the true religion" (332).

Ezekiel uses a comparable metaphor. Using the ocean to represent the nations and inhabitants of the earth in general, the prophet envisions a flowing of waters from the sanctuary to the ocean. These waters begin as a small stream but increase until they become a great river, and when they come to the sea, the water of the vast ocean is healed (47:8). Edwards says that this represents "the conversion of the world to the true religion in the latter days" when "there will not be one nation remaining in the world, which shall not embrace the true religion" and then, per Isaiah 54:5, the holy one of Israel shall be called "the God of the whole earth" (332-33). The sanctuary represents the work of Christ in His death and resurrection that flows forth until it heals the nations.

But some of the texts he cites seem to apply to the present age, especially if we concentrate on the fact that Christ presently rules over an international kingdom as implied by the authority that grounds the great commission and our hope for the advancement of the kingdom on earth. This fact is supremely important as we view the task of gospel proclamation to all nations to the end of the age (Matt. 28:19-20). Notably, Christ gives this commission as the risen Savior (Matt. 28:6). By the resurrection He was made both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:32, 36; Rom. 1:4) and received title to the throne of His father David (Matt. 1:1) to rule and shepherd God's people, the Israelites (Matt. 2:6) who are remembered from generation to generation as the descendents of Abraham to whom God has made covenant (Lk. 1:50, 54-55; 2:68-73). In conjunction with keeping covenant with them, a light comes to the Gentiles (Lk. 2:29-32) and "all mankind will see God's salvation" (Lk. 3:6).

Edwards wants us to balance these promises regarding the present with those that pertain to the future. He agrees that the universalism here reflects the shift from Jewish particularism of the OT to national universalism of the NT. But national universalism will grow abundantly richer in the future for what is now "riches" will then be like "life from the dead" (riches become greater riches, Rom. 11:12, and a virtual resurrection, Rom. 11:15). Of this Edwards says, "very great events for the advancement of religion and the kingdom of Christ shall be accomplished after the calling of the Jews, which shall be extensive, that it may be called a reviving of the world from the dead" (196; in this way Israel is rescued, Lk. 1:74).

Other passages he cites seem to apply to the eternal state when history reaches its consummation and a new heaven and earth is fashioned from the old heaven and earth. When there shall be no more sun and the moon shall wax old like a garment to be rolled up and fade away at the dawning of a new day. For example, consider the use Edwards makes of Isaiah 45:23 as a passage that he cites to prove the universality of the blessings of the gospel yet to come on earth. He notes that the passage compares with Philippians 2:10-11 and has a final comprehensive accomplishment "at the day of judgment" but "it is evident," he says, "by the foregoing and following verses, that the thing most directly intended, is what shall be fulfilled by the spreading of the gospel" (cf. Isa. 45:22-25, and notice the place of the descendents of Israel, v. 25, in relation to all ends of the earth that bow the knee and confess that "in the Lord alone are righteousness and strength, vs. 22, 24). It is hard to miss the thematic tie of passages like Isaiah 45 with Romans 11 on Israel and the nations coming to salvation. Edwards wants us to see "bowing the knee" in a different way in Philippians 2 from how we are to see it in Isaiah 45: many who bow the knee in the judgment (Phil. 2) will perish but those who bow the knee according to Isaiah 45 are saved. The one speaks of universal acknowledgement of Christ by saved and lost alike, the other speaks of a universal acknowledgment of Christ across the earth that is like water covering the sea.

2A. Israel's Future in Prophetic Perspective

Interpreting passages like Romans 11 take some sorting out because the promises of the OT find fulfillment in the NT in a now and not yet pattern. 1) One difficulty is to determine how much of that now and not yet pertains to the course of events within redemptive history (to the future of the present versus the future-future). 2) A further difficulty is to determine where the coming of Christ fits into this picture. A legitimate question to ask is this: "is it possible that the second coming is like the first in how it is presented in biblical prophecy so that what is compressed together in promise will be unpacked in fulfillment in an extension of redemptive history beyond Christ's coming?" This is what occurred in the first advent.

John, for example, looked for final judgment to come in the coming of Christ as the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11-12); this has to be the explanation of his query from prison "are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" (Matt. 11:2). John's prophetic perspective is like that of the OT prophets who saw mountains of future events but could not discern the valleys in between. This is called a telescoped perspective, the telescope being closed in the prophets hands but open and pulled out in sections as the foretold events come to pass. In promise the telescope is tightly closed and in fulfillment it is surprisingly extended. Every time we think the telescope has been fully extended another section unexpectedly arises out of the previous section.

The lesson here is that prophetic perspective allows us to have great hope for the future of Israel and the nations in spite of the fact that many prophecies simply contrast the present time with the eternal state. The eternal state is our ultimate goal and hope. But this fact does not rule out rich blessing of the nations beyond what we have now and prior to the eternal state. In other words, this contrast does not rule out a great future redemption of history within history. Also prophetic perspective calls us to a humble approach to prophecy whatever view we hold.

3A. Israel's Future in Romans 11

The blessing of the nations is abundant and then super-abundant; it is abundant through Israel's rejection and super-abundant through her acceptance (v. 12, 15, 25-26). Through Israel's judgment the nations are blessed and in turn this will be directed to the blessing of Israel and through Israel to even greater blessings to the nations. Israel is not utterly rejected because in rejection she is a blessing to the nations and in her acceptance she will be an even greater blessing to the nations. That is the impact of the a fortiori argument.

We seem to have an ever rising and widening historical-redemptive spiral. First, the nations stand under God's judgment lost in the wilderness of the world outside of Eden. Second, God chooses Israel from among the nations to be His redeemed people. Most of the OT records God's dealing in a special way with Israel. Third, the kingdom is taken from Israel and given to another people (Matt. 21:43), the kingdom is given to the Gentiles who now replace Israel as God's people. Israel's fall has brought riches to the world (Rom. 11:12). These are reconciliation riches (Rom. 11:15) which provoke Israel to jealousy so that some are saved in the present time in the remnant according to the election of grace (Rom. 11:5). Fourth, the tide will turn again back to the Israelites when their acceptance and fullness comes (Rom. 11:15, 12). Fifth, the rising and widening tide of blessing to Israel will bring even "greater riches for the Gentiles" (Rom.11:12). The riches of reconciliation bring "life from the dead" to the nations (Rom. 11:15).

Conclusion

We have hope as we look out at our world and see so much evil and the suffering that evil brings. There is war across national boundaries and war within them; war in the hills and war in the streets. And even where there is peace, there is no acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as King of kings. The United States of America is not a Christian nation; there is no Christian nation. But the gospel of the kingdom is being preached in all nations and Christ is forming an international kingdom. He reigns supreme over the earth in His providence. He has authority over all flesh giving salvation to those given to Him by the Father (Jn. 17:1-2). His kingdom is also likened to a flock of sheep with some in a particular sheep-pen and other sheep not of this sheep-pen. Some are Jews and some are Gentiles. They will hear His voice; they will all listen and "there shall be one flock and one shepherd" (Jn. 10:16).

So His kingdom is now spread from shore to shore and from nation to nation. But the nation of Israel does not acknowledge Him. The nations do not acknowledge Him as the prophet above all prophets, the priest above all priests, and as the king above all kings.

This is where Romans 11 fills out the picture. It promises a time when Israelites, en mass as a nation, will bow their knees and confess that Jesus is both Lord and Christ. It promises a time when a nation will be born in a day. It promises a golden gospel era of riches, reconciling riches, a virtual resurrection from spiritual death on an international scale unparalleled in redemptive history from the fall to the present. We can compare this with Ezekiel's vision of dry bones coming together, clothed with tendons, flesh, and skin, and finally given the breath of life: "I will put my Spirit in you and you will live" (v. 14). Then the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Christ as the waters cover the seas (Isa. 11:9; Ezek. 37: dwelling with Israel the Lord promises, "I will be their God, and they will be my people," v. 27, "then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever," v. 28).

We have just bits and pieces of that which is yet to come within history in the future of this earth. But it is part of the Christian outlook. We can look national and international rejection of Christ in the face knowing that this is not the end of the story. There is a final chapter in which there will be a great renewal with converts multiplying like the dew of the morning in order to fulfill God's worldwide saving purpose (cf. Murray, Romans, II, 79, 84).