Whenever people talk about the “end times,” the topic of Israel quickly comes up.
- Does ethnic Israel still have a role in God’s plan?
- How should we understand the modern state of Israel?
- What does Paul mean when he says, “all Israel will be saved”? (Romans 11:26)
Romans 9–11 is the key New Testament passage on this subject. It’s deep and sometimes debated, but its main message is clear:
God has one great plan to save both Jews and Gentiles through Jesus—and He will not abandon His promises.
In this blog, we’ll walk through Romans 9–11 in simple terms and draw some careful, practical conclusions.
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1. The Big Problem: What About Israel?
By the time Paul writes Romans, something surprising has happened:
- Many Gentiles (non-Jews) are believing in Jesus.
- Many of Paul’s own people, the Jews, are rejecting Him.
This raises a huge question:
If God chose Israel and made them promises,
and now most of them are rejecting the Messiah,
has God’s word failed?
Romans 9–11 is Paul’s Spirit-inspired answer.
2. Romans 9 – God’s Purpose in Election
Paul begins Romans 9 with deep sorrow:
“I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.”
(Romans 9:2)
He loves his fellow Jews and longs for their salvation.
a) Not all physical Israel is “true Israel”
Paul explains:
“For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel…”
(Romans 9:6)
In other words:
- Belonging to God’s true people is not just about physical descent.
- Within Israel, there has always been a true, believing remnant.
He gives examples:
- Isaac (not Ishmael) was the child of promise.
- Jacob (not Esau) was chosen, even before birth (Romans 9:10–13).
Paul’s point:
- God’s saving purpose has always rested on His mercy and choice, not on ethnicity or human effort.
“So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”
(Romans 9:16)
b) God is free and just
Romans 9 emphasizes:
- God has the right to show mercy or harden hearts.
- His choices are never unjust, but we don’t fully grasp all His ways.
This sets up a key truth:
God’s promises have not failed, because they were never about every ethnic Israelite automatically being saved, but about God’s chosen people, Jew and Gentile, who receive His mercy by faith.
3. Romans 10 – Israel’s Responsibility and the Gospel to All
Romans 10 balances Romans 9.
If Romans 9 stresses God’s sovereignty,
Romans 10 stresses human responsibility.
a) Israel’s present unbelief
Paul says:
“For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.”
(Romans 10:2)
Many Israelites:
- Are sincere and zealous
- But are seeking righteousness by law-keeping, not by faith in Christ
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
(Romans 10:4)
b) The same gospel for everyone
Paul then makes it clear:
“…there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
(Romans 10:12–13)
Key truths:
- Jews and Gentiles are saved in the same way: by calling on the Lord Jesus in faith.
- There is not one way for Jews and another for Gentiles.
He then describes the mission:
“How are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? … And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”
(Romans 10:14)
So:
- Israel’s unbelief is real and serious.
- But the door of salvation is still wide open to them, just as to all nations.
4. Romans 11 – The Mystery of God’s Plan for Israel
Romans 11 is where Paul pulls the threads together.
a) Has God rejected His people?
Paul asks:
“I ask, then, has God rejected his people?”
(Romans 11:1)
His answer:
“By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.”
(Romans 11:1)
Evidence:
- Paul himself is a believing Jew.
- There is still a remnant of Jewish believers, chosen by grace (11:5).
God has not totally or finally rejected Israel.
b) The olive tree: one people of God
Paul uses a powerful image: an olive tree (Romans 11:17–24).
- The root: God’s covenant promises (Abraham, the patriarchs)
- The natural branches: ethnic Israel
- The wild branches: Gentile believers, grafted in
Some natural branches (unbelieving Jews) were broken off because of unbelief.
Wild branches (Gentiles) were grafted in by faith.
Key lessons:
- There is one tree, not two peoples of God.
- Gentile believers now share in the rich root of God’s promises.
- Gentiles must not become proud: “Remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.”
(Romans 11:18) - If God can graft in wild branches (Gentiles),
He is fully able to graft back natural branches (Jews) who come to faith.
c) A partial hardening and future mercy
This leads to Paul’s “mystery”:
“Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved…”
(Romans 11:25–26)
Notice:
- The hardening is partial – not every Jew is hardened; some believe now.
- It is temporary – “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”
- “All Israel will be saved” – a much-debated phrase.
Most broadly faithful interpretations agree on these points:
- Israel’s hardening is not final.
God still has plans of mercy toward ethnic Israel. - Gentile salvation is central to God’s plan.
God is using this period of Jewish unbelief to bring the gospel to the nations. - In the end, God will show remarkable mercy to Israel.
Whether “all Israel” means:- A very large number of Jews turning to Christ near the end
- The fullness of God’s true Israel (Jew and Gentile in Christ)
most agree Paul envisions a future turning of many ethnic Jews to Jesus.
Paul sums up:
“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”
(Romans 11:29)
God doesn’t go back on His promises.
5. What About the Modern State of Israel?
Romans 9–11 was written about Israel as a people, not about modern political arrangements. The Bible does not give a detailed blueprint for 21st-century geopolitics.
Some key principles:
- We should be grateful whenever any people group exists that keeps alive the memory of biblical history.
The Jewish people remind the world that God acted in real history. - We must distinguish between:
- God’s ongoing purposes for ethnic Israel
- Any specific government’s policies or actions
- Christians should avoid two extremes:
- Treating the modern state of Israel as automatically righteous or above criticism
- Treating it as irrelevant to God’s purposes
- Our main biblical concern is not political support, but gospel opportunity.
We should:- Pray for Jewish people worldwide to come to know Jesus as their Messiah
- Oppose anti-Semitism in all its forms
- Remember that the only lasting hope for Jew and Gentile alike is Christ
6. One People, One Savior, One Mercy
Romans 11 ends with a stunning summary:
“For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.”
(Romans 11:32)
In other words:
- Jew and Gentile alike are sinners in need of grace.
- Jew and Gentile alike are saved only through Jesus Christ.
- God’s plan is to display His mercy to all kinds of people.
This leads Paul into worship:
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”
(Romans 11:33)
End-times teaching about Israel is not meant to:
- Fuel speculation
- Justify pride
- Drive political extremes
It’s meant to:
- Humble us
- Increase our awe at God’s wisdom
- Move us to worship and mission
7. How Should This Shape Our Lives?
a) No pride, no arrogance
Paul’s warning to Gentile believers is clear:
“Do not be arrogant toward the branches.”
(Romans 11:18)
So:
- We reject anti-Semitism in all its forms (historical, cultural, or theological).
- We also reject Gentile boasting that looks down on Jews or assumes God is “done” with them.
b) Deep gratitude and humility
We remember:
- Our salvation as Gentiles is being grafted into someone else’s tree.
- We owe a huge spiritual debt to Israel:
- The Scriptures
- The promises
- The patriarchs
- And, above all, the Messiah, who is Jewish according to the flesh (Romans 9:4–5).
c) Prayer and mission
Romans 10:1 shows Paul’s heart:
“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.”
We should:
- Pray for Jewish people to recognize Jesus as their Messiah
- Support gospel work among Jewish communities (with respect and sensitivity)
- Remember that God is also gathering a people from every nation (Revelation 7:9)
d) Confidence in God’s promises
Romans 9–11 shows:
- Even when history looks confusing, God is not off track.
- He weaves human responsibility and His sovereign plan together perfectly.
- If He keeps His promises to Israel, we can trust Him to keep all His promises to us.
Summary
From Romans 9–11 we learn:
- God’s word has not failed—His promises were always for a believing people, not simply for all ethnic descendants.
- Israel’s current widespread unbelief is real and serious, yet not final.
- Gentile believers are grafted into Israel’s olive tree, sharing in the promises through Christ.
- A partial, temporary hardening has come on Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in.
- God still has plans of mercy toward ethnic Israel; “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”
- Jew and Gentile alike are saved by the same gospel, through faith in the same Savior, Jesus Christ.
The right response is not speculation, but:
- Humility
- Gratitude
- Prayer
- Worship
- Mission to all peoples, including the Jewish people
In the next blog, we’ll begin wrapping up this series by asking:
“How Should We Live While We Wait? Practical Eschatology for Everyday Discipleship.”
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