Israel’s Blindness and Salvation Rom.11:25-27 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
The salvation of Israel is the third main doctrine in Romans 11 that we will study.
Israel’s blindness – God gave Isaiah a commission in Is 6:9-10 – Make Israel’s heart fat; make Israel’s ears heavy; shut Israel’s eyes, lest they see and hear and understand and convert and be healed. This blindness was prophesied in 758 BC and was followed by the captivity of Israel in 721 BC by the Assyrians and the captivity of Judah by the Chaldeans in 606 BC. Gentiles have dominated Israel ever since and will continue to do so through the reign of the Antichrist. At that time the fullness of the Gentiles will be come in and then Jesus will rule.
Israel’s blindness is national, rather than individual. For instance, Israel, as a nation, rejected Jesus Christ as her Messiah, but many individual Jews believed him and received him. Isaiah’s prophecy and commission are quoted in Jn 12:37-42, Matt 13:13-16 and Acts 28:24-28. In each context, though there is a national rejection of Jesus, some individual Jews still believed.
It is evident that the reason Israel became blind, deaf, hard-hearted and stiff-necked is that she had turned to idols. According to Ps 115:4-8, when people turn to idols they become just like the idols they worship. Notice that covetousness is idolatry [Col 3:5], the Pharisees were covetous [Lk 16:13-14] and thus they were blind [Matt 23:16-19, 24, 26].
The time limit of Israel’s blindness – Is 6:11-12 – This national “’blindness” remains on Israel to this day [2 Cor 3:11-16; Rom 11:25, 8]. The national blindness in Israel will run through the Tribulation [Zech 14:1-3] when Israel is nearly ransacked. It will not be lifted until the end of the Tribulation at the Second Coming of Jesus [Rom 11:26-27] when the fullness of the Gentiles comes in and when God fulfills his new covenant with Israel [Jer 31:31-36; Heb 8:10-12].
The removal of Israel’s blindness and their salvation – Rom 11:25-27 – At the Second Advent, the Lord will institute the new covenant for Israel and they will be saved and healed, see Jer 17:14 with Jer 30:7, 17. Under the new covenant Israel shall be saved [Is 45:15-19]. Look at Deut 30:1-14; this leads right into Rom 10:6-10.
The fact that God keeps his promise to Israel is the basis for our eternal security. Our life from the dead has already taken place in Jesus Rom 6:3-11, Eph 2:6. We are merely awaiting the rapture and redemption of our body [Rom 8:23] like the saints of Israel are hoping for their physical resurrection [Ezek 37:1-14].
Unfortunately for our country, this national blindness is very similar to the reprobate mind of Rom 1:28. The consequent sins of Rom 1:29-31 accurately represent America’s immoral conduct today as evidence that we, as a nation, are being turned over to a reprobate mind.