Romans_Fullness of the Gentiles

"I say then, Hath God cast away His people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew." (Romans 11:1-2a)

"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 fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for his is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and
calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have no believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief; even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all." (Romans 11:25-32)

While the past two centuries have transformed the early church from one that was predominantly made up of Jewish believers into one that is now predominantly Gentile believers, this should not be taken as a sign that Jews cannot be saved, or as some preach, that this is a Gentile dispensation and thus Israel has been "replaced" by the "church." This is not the case.

In the 11^th chapter of Romans, Paul speaks of a "remnant" of Jews who will be saved even though Gentiles will be saved in greater numbers for a period of time. Paul, himself, was one of the remnant. And the remnant came about because Israel has been partly blinded to the truth of who Jesus (Yeshua) is: for He is the Messiah, the Word of God made flesh, our Savior and Lord. But this blindness imposed because of hard hearts toward God, does not mean that God has turned His back on Israel forever and thus that the "church" has replaced Israel. This is called "replacement" theology and I don't believe it is correct theology.

Paul tells us that "all Israel will be saved." He says that "God has not cast away His people." And Paul goes on to say that the "gifts and calling of God are without repentance"; in other words when God calls a people to be HIS CHOSEN ONES, He will not un-choose them. What they were called to become, will be fulfilled in them, ultimately.

Israel [distinct from the name of the "state" of Israel] is the name of the chosen people, the people God chose to be set apart from the nations and to be a light to the world. God has not replaced Israel. He has simply opened the door, through their unbelief, for us, the Gentiles to enter into salvation and to also be a light unto the world. But they will return to the Lord, His Word prophecies:

"I will return again to My place til they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly see Me." (Hosea 5:15)

Thus, their partial blindness, their "fall" as Paul puts it, is temporary, and while it remains so it is "riches" to us. If that is so, that their hard-heartedness and unbelief benefited us who have now been "grafted-in", then how much more will the world benefit from their salvation when it comes? And it will come.

In fact, Paul tells us that we who believe are to be very careful. He warns us not to be "high-minded" as though we are "superior" to the unbelieving Jews. He warns us to "fear." In other words, be careful that the same thing which befell the Jews might not befall us as well. If they, the chosen people of God, were not immune to unbelief, what makes us think we are immune to it? If they, the chosen people of God, were cut off from the tree, then what makes us think that we, we who were not CALLED to be Israel, will not be cut off just as quickly, or perhaps more so, if we "fall" out of faith and into unbelief? In fact, we are not immune to unbelief. Thus, we are not immune to falling as did Israel and being cut out of the olive tree.

There are Gentiles that will come into the fold of salvation. But there is a number to be fulfilled. It is not a lottery in that only so many can receive; as many as believe can receive salvation. But there will come a time when the last Gentile that chooses to believe, has believed and entered in; and at that time the doors will close for the Gentile, whether fully closed or available only to a remnant, I cannot say. But the doors will close. And the "fullness of the Gentiles" will have been completed.

How then should we treat our Jewish neighbors who are not believers in Yeshua? With gratitude and love, compassion and mercy. For the same mercy that God shows us, this loving Father of ours will show them (the Jews) again soon. And soon, they will be our spiritual brethren; and as I call them, even though we might have received salvation before them, still from their centuries of practicing, and even failing at, obedience to all the ways of God, they will be our "elder" brethren.