“God’s Gifts and Calling are Irrevocable.”
26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Liberator will come to Zion; He will turn away godlessness from Jacob. 27 And this will be My covenant with them, when I take away their sins. 28 Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage, but regarding election, they are loved because of their forefathers, 29 since God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable.
Romans 11:26-29 (HCSB)
IN the days of the great falling away, there are many heresies. One of those spoken to already in this blog is Preterism. Another is known as Replacement Theology. Replacement theology is a broad term that describes different views which assumes the Church has replaced Israel’s place in the covenant blessings (not curses though) of God. This view has effected much of the Gentile Church since the days of Martin Luther.
Preterism, a more dastardly Marxist theological view, says that the Lord returned in 90 A.D. and resurrected his people. The believers left on earth are left to do their best to get things in shape. Their only real hope is the departure to heaven when they die.
Both of these views teach that the Gentile Church has replaced God’s purpose for the Jews. This is based on a serious misunderstanding of scripture and voids many of the prophetic passages dealing with God’s dealing with the nations and in particular, the Jews in the last days.
Romans is a jewel in the midst of the New Testament, so rich with theological jewels and precious jewels. It’s the closest we have to systematic theology of the New Testament. Martin Luther himself (who was converted by the illuminiation of Rom. 1:17 – “a righteousness is revealed, that is by faith from first to last”) said in it is “the purest gospel… it should be read every day.” Oh, had we given heed to his words! We might have been spared the theological and damnable heresies in our day. But who can contest the will of God? 17 Why, O LORD, do You cause us to stray from Your ways And harden our heart from fearing You? Isaiah 63:17.
The apostle Paul writes in this passage found near the end of Romans in this great treatise on election and predestination (chapters 9-11), which is centered on the nation of Israel and God’s choosing and calling Israel to be his chosen people. This is where God says that his gracious gifts (the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises-Romans 9:4 (HCSB) and His calling (to be a blessing to all nations, to bring salvation to the earth, et al.) are irrevocable.
So let’s look at the above passage. Paul says “and in this way all Israel will be saved.” Many assume by a quick reading through the passage that Israel will be saved by the preceeding text of this verse, the salvation of the Gentiles. But that is not what Paul means at all.
Paul is saying in effect, “And in this way, all Israel (that is, all those chosen to receive the gift of salvation Jn 15:16) will be saved.” And the next sentence, he quotes from the prophet Isaiah, “And the Liberator will come to Zion; He will turn away godlessness from Jacob. 27 And this will be My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” It is in this way that Israel will be saved. Not by passing the gospel baton on to the Gentiles.
Paul affirms Isaiah, and states that the Liberator will come to Zion and turn godlessness away from Jacob. This is the covenant God has made with Israel when He takes away their sins. They are saved by grace through faith, and that not of themselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one can boast (Eph 2:8,9).
Zechariah prophesied of the same thing when he was speaking of the return of the Messiah to defend his people against the nations of the earth, which had gathered against her in the great confrontation known as Armageddon.
"In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity. 2 "It will come about in that day," declares the LORD of hosts, "that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land.”
Zechariah 13:1-2
And this is when the LORD cleanses his people of their sin, at the end of the 7 year reign of the one world ruler, the man of lawlessness, whom “the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming” 2 Thess. 2:8. The people of Israel will “look on Me whom they have pierced” (Zech 12:10). At this point the Messiah will establish His rule upon the earth, and His chosen ones shall be ministers upon the earth for the thousand year rule of the Messiah (Rev. 20:6).
So the testimony of scripture is that God is indeed not finished with the Jews. In fact, they are the only nation on earth that has remained intact and reassembled after 1800 years of dispersion among the nations of the world. One of the greatest miracles was the recognition of the Jewish state in 1948, and even up to today Jews continue to make aliyah and return to their homeland.
God’s gifts and His callings are irrevocable. We are so shortsighted, and don’t recognize the work of the LORD. As followers of the Messiah, followers of the One who claims to be the Truth, it behooves us to stand with Israel.
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