Affirmation number twelve in our statement says, “We affirm that God will keep His promises to Israel, that one day ‘all Israel will be saved’ by turning to Jesus, and the Messiah Jesus will return to establish His kingdom for Israel and all the nations of the world with blessings for all (Isaiah 2:1–4; Isaiah 11:6–12; Romans 11:11–15, 25–29; Matthew 23:37–39).” Now let us examine each of these points in greater detail concerning what the Bible says about Israel’s future.
God will keep His promises to Israel.
God made many promises to the Jewish people. He promised to send the Messiah, and He sent Jesus. He promised to regather the Jewish people to their land after being scattered because of disobedience (Ezekiel 22:15–16; 36:22, 24), and He has begun the process of regathering them back to their ancient homeland in Israel. He has also promised the Jewish people that homeland as “an everlasting possession,” one in which they will dwell peacefully and securely when the Messiah returns (Genesis 17:8; see also Zechariah 12:9–11; Luke 21:20, 24; Acts 1:6).
One day, “all Israel will be saved” by turning to Jesus.
In Romans 11:25–26, the apostle Paul wrote, “For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved.” Here, Paul described an important insight into Israel’s future in comparison to its current status. The current condition of Israel is one of “partial hardening,” in which only some Jewish people believe the gospel—the “remnant according to God’s gracious choice” (v. 5)—and Gentiles make up most of the church. However, in the future, “all Israel will be saved” (v. 26).
Theologian Robert H. Mounce wrote the following concerning this doctrine of Israel’s future salvation:
Paul was saying that beyond the current period of Israel’s unbelief there would come a time when believing Jews would turn to Christ in faith. They would join the faithful remnant and believing Gentiles to complete the family of God, which stretches throughout all of redemptive history. From the standpoint of the twentieth century, that time is yet future.[1]
We believe the salvation of national Israel will take place at Messiah Jesus’ return, according to the words of the prophet Zechariah: “And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son” (Zech 12:9–10).
This future scene implies the Jewish people are back in Jerusalem and all the nations of the world are gathered around the city to destroy it. “In that day,” Messiah Jesus will return to defend the Jewish people against those trying to destroy them, and they will realize He is their Messiah whom they pierced at His first coming. Then the Lord will pour out upon the Jewish people “the Spirit of grace” and repentance as they put their faith in Him.
Messiah Jesus will return to establish His kingdom for Israel and every nation of the world with blessings for all.
Israel’s future salvation and the establishment of Messiah’s kingdom in Jerusalem will bless the entire world. Zechariah wrote the following about that future day:
It will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing. . . . So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem. . . . In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zech 8:13, 22–23)
Similarly, the apostle Paul wrote, “Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” (Romans 11:12, 15).
In other words, God’s saving of Israel and establishing of His kingdom in Israel will bless the entire world. The apostle John described this future vision of people from every nation and language worshiping the Lord in the New Jerusalem: “I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb . . . and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb’” (Revelation 7:9–10).
We long for this future day when all people—Jews, Arabs, Asians, Africans, Hispanics, Caucasians, etc.—will dwell peacefully in the New Jerusalem under the leadership of the perfect King, Jesus the Messiah. Until that day, we continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all of her inhabitants (Psalm 122:6).
by Jennifer Miles
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[1] Robert H. Mounce, Romans: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, vol. 27, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1995), 225.