Repentant Israel to be Saved
Romans 11:25-32 · Bob Eckel · May 27, 2007
Romans (2005-07), No. 84
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926027575440

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

So let's start by reading a large text. And the reason I think reading a large text is important today, we've got to put this into context. A lot of us are guilty, I speak for myself, of sometimes looking at a couple of verses and trying to make sense out of them.

Unless you kind of frame it with what's before, and here not so much what's after, because Jim's got the benediction next week. He's in good shape. And we're not going to reflect on the rationale for that either. But let's begin at verse 13. This is going to take us a few minutes to read this, and let me just take it to keep it moving along. Verse 13, chapter 11. Now this is important. Verse 13. Everybody with me? For I speak to you Gentiles, and as much as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office. If by any means I may provoke to jealousy them who are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead?

For if the first root be holy, the lump is also holy, and if the root be holy, so are the branches. If some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree, boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say, then, the branches were broken off that I might be grafted in. Well, because of the unbelief they were broken off, and now stands by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear.

For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold, therefore, the goodness and the severity of God. on them who fell, severity, but towards thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness, otherwise thou also shall be cut off. And if they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if thou wert cut off of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

Ok, today's lesson, verse 25. For I would not, brethren, that we 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 Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

For this 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 Father's sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

For as ye in times past have not 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. Let's begin, as we did last week, just a kind of reminder of the three basic principles of the remnant. And we're looking at a partitioning of the remnant into three kind of components.

The first is the physical remnant, which is the continuity of the ethnic line of Israel and its promises to the patriarchs. And the verses are there. We won't look at those this week. But again, this reflects the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And this remnant is really claimed by all of Israel. Remember last week I gave you kind of my view of what the kinds of Jews are who hang out. They all want the land, all of them. Okay, so in a sense this is the physical remnant that ultimately is the promise of the land. But we know well that God's promise to Abraham was far beyond the land. I mean, but the Jews missed it. The nation of Israel's missed it. But they haven't missed the land, have they? Kind of that earthly bound perception of Israel and where their treasures lie.

The second is the spiritual remnant, which is a principle that's just the same as it is for us as New Testament believers, as the body of Christ, as Gentiles. Salvation is by faith, and thus God will always maintain or raise up a believing remnant within the physical remnant. So the spiritual remnant has been sustained throughout the decades, centuries, and millennia to ultimately reflect his purpose for the nation of Israel. Remember in chapter 9, not all Israel is of Israel. We're talking about the spiritual Israel versus the kind of the nation-slice physical remnant Israel.

So that's where that distinction comes up in Romans 9, 6, and 7 are good verses to look at there. And now the tough part, and that's today, is all Israel shall be saved. And the principle here is that during slash following the Great Tribulation. Notice I say during and following because this is relevant. And I've modified that from last week. Last week I had following, but now I have during. So we've got to make sure that we understand that all Israel will be saved will be an applied concept of the nation coming out of the Tribulation period. We'll come back to that. And those who survive will be saved by faith. Principles the same. We can't believe that God's principles of being saved by faith are going to change here. Those principles will be maintained. And ultimately, the 1,000-year reign will be the time at which this is manifested.

OK, so that's summarily kind of what we're about today. Now let's look at the details. Please interrupt, by the way, any time anything comes up. And I'm going to turn to Jim and Roger to answer all the tough questions here. All right, so verse 25. And when Roy gets back, he can team up, too. And then maybe Donna, maybe Doris, maybe Margaret. OK. Verse 25. I do not disagree. Electronically condemned.

I do not desire, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel, and to the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. What's the caution here? Remember Paul? Who's Paul speaking to? Gentiles. He's talking to Gentiles, right? Verse 13. Kind of sets the stage for the verses before us today. What's the caution? Bonnie, look back at Romans 11-18 and just read that for us, the caution we read about a little earlier when we read the scripture this morning.

Do not be arrogant for the danger, but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. Alright, so the idea here is, brethren, you know, you shouldn't be ignorant of this, because if you are and you have your own opinion, that ultimately, you know, you're going to be coming to a wrong conclusion about this. There's no reason. to be cocky, because ultimately the blindness that relates to Israel is something you need to understand. So put it into perspective.

Blindness is probably best translated here as hardness. And this is really dealing with, I put, the big sin of unbelief, right? That's the unpardonable sin, isn't it? The sin of unbelief. And I've just turned to 2 Corinthians 3.14, but their minds were blinded or hardened. For until this day, the same veil remains, unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. And for the Jew, that veil is still there, isn't it? God took the veil away, but how many have responded to that in belief? Few have responded to that in belief. And let's go back and look at 7 through 10. So Carol, how about that? Could you read Romans 11, 7 through 10, please? What then? What is it we're seeking?

It is not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened. Just as it is written, God gave him a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not and ears to hear not, down to this very day. And David says, let their table become a snare and a trap, and a stumbling block and a retribution to them. Let their eyes be darkened too, and see not, and bend their backs for error. Kind of like Pharaoh in the times of Egypt, the nation itself has been hardened. They've been unwilling to receive. They've not believed. Faith is not a principle they operate under. So they've been hardened as a country, as a nation, as a race. Now, tough question for you.

What is the fullness of the Gentiles? I know Roy has an opinion. We're going to let him share that in part. The term fullness is probably abundance. is equally as acceptable, maybe perhaps a little bit better. And Luke 21-24 kind of gives us a little bit more perception here. And they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led away captive unto all nations. Talking about Israel here. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. So this fullness or abundance or times all reflects the same period of history or the future, actually. So what are our thoughts here? What is the fullness of the Gentiles? What are the options of the fullness of the Gentiles? Before or after? During? After? So what evidence do we have that it's either the beginning of the thousand years or after the thousand years?

And by the way, that position would disagree with most of the commentators. What my position? Yeah, that's right. That doesn't make it wrong. That's what Margaret's going to be doing for the next five years, writing a new commentary to the book. So I see three principles here, three possible things, and let's discuss this.

The number one is the rapture, and that's what's most represented by the commentators. That the fullness of the Gentiles is when the Church is taken up. Now, Gentiles is a broader term, right? I mean, Gentile nations, yes, those included in the body of Christ, the Church, are raptured, and that could be the fullness of the believing Gentiles.

But is that really what we're talking about here? But it says that blindness in part has happened to Israel until Israel doesn't come to know the Lord after the rapture. After the tribulation. Well, you wait. Aren't we having fun? Just wait about 12 or 13 minutes.

Okay, so first option again is the rapture takes out, that's the fullness of the Gentiles, because God's plan for all of mankind is to be saved, right? And so he may be really orchestrating this fullness to a unique body of believers who are Gentiles, and their fullness is when they're taken up. But when we interpret Gentiles in scripture, we're thinking about a broader statement here. So what is the second possibility? The second possibility must relate in some way to the post-Armageddon, the post-Tribulation period, where in fact Gentiles will also be saved during that period of time. So that could be also the fullness of the Gentiles.

But as Roy pointed out to me last night, it's also certain that during the thousand years that there will be Gentiles who are saved into the Millennial period, who will have children, And those children need to come to salvation also, right? And is that the fullness at the end of the thousand year reign? So what are people's thoughts about this? I think it's important in terms of understanding what Paul's message is to the nation of Israel here. When is the fullness of the Gentiles?

Thoughts? Roy, you want to comment further? Go ahead, please. Well, the only thing I can... Could you speak up just a little so everybody... I'll try. The things in the scripture, the Old Testament references here were the verses in Hebrews 8 that we read are quoted... Last night. Jeremiah 30. The exact words in Hebrew quoted is Jeremiah and 30.22 Should we turn to that?

Jeremiah 30.22, right after Isaiah, everybody. The quote that he begins here is, "...and you shall be my people." and I will be your God. And then if you go to the next chapter, Jeremiah 31, 30.

Behold the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with the fathers when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. my covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them. And he goes on in these verses, and that is to be exact, these verses in Hebrews chapter 8. If you go to Ezekiel, page 871. Even the day of the Lord is near, it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. and a sword will come upon Egypt, and anguish will be in Ethiopia, and a slain will fall on Egypt. They take away her wrath for her foundation. These are were-pictures of a remnant of Egypt, but it's a healing of nations. It's the time of the earth. And then Daniel, this is probably the key. time, for example, we have the angel.

In the latter period of their rule, when the transgressors have run their course, the King will arise, insolent and skilled in intrigue, and most powerful of his mighty, but not his own power, and he will destroy to an extraordinary degree and prosper to perform his will. He will destroy mighty men and the holy people." We're not talking about the Jews here, we're talking about the nations. You're saying the mighty and the holy people talk about the nations?

Right. And what we're dealing with is this is a word picture of the four kings that is being given to Daniel that will arise in the future from Daniel's time that we're known about when, as an example, Alexander the Great conquered. The Jews knew these texts and welcomed him and said, hey, we've read about you.

All I'm saying is that's the beginning of the times of this revelation. The words are actually the times of the nations. Now, there's an end to that. And the end of that is where the feet of the image is destroyed by the coming one, the Messiah. And so that would lead you to think that perhaps the times of the nation's ends, at the end of the tribulation period, when the nation's rules are ended, and the time of our God and of His Prince, Jesus, our Savior, begins to rule.

Isn't that something? That's an overview, folks. I'm not... So, Roy, just to conclude here, the passage in Daniel then is a bit of sarcasm. It's sinister, right, in terms of these kings and these mighty and holy people. In other words, it's a bit of... It's a prophecy. Yeah. But the mighty and holy are really not truly mighty and holy. That's an earthly perspective.

This is the beast who, in fact, is ruling through these individuals who have been defined as mighty and holy, right? The Antichrist. Well, no, you quoted in Daniel 8, 24, and we're told that, and his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power, and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper and continue, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. The mighty and the holy are the believers, then, being destroyed?

Or, in fact, are these... This is... They're set-apart people. They're about as close as you can come. I mean, Schofield says, and here's the note, concerning this sinister figure there are three views. Some think he is the king of the north, referred to in 1140. Others regard him as a type of the Roman beast at the end times. And three, some see in this king a direct prophecy of the final Roman beast.

Right? So the mighty and the holy can be interpreted literally according to your Yeah, but the other half of that is, who are we looking at? We're looking at the rise of the nations here to destroy. It's their time. That's what we're talking about in these passages. That's the plan. That there will be the beginning of the Kingdom of our God, and of His Son.

So are you saying that the rise of the nations is the time of the Gentile Respondents? From the standpoint of the Old Testament prophecy, those phraseologies of the times of the Gentiles sort of begins with Ezekiel and is amplified by the angel to Daniel in his vision. And the details of their time is given specifically to Daniel. So much so that we can look back on it and identify those four kingdoms. so that you get the whole picture, and that's an overview. I don't know when it ends, but what I'm saying is that there is a time described by our Lord, when that will end, when their dominance will end, and the time of our God and His Son will begin.

Now, is that what's being referred to here in Romans? I don't know. Yeah, Bob? Yeah, Roger. You know, I looked at this a little bit before class, and actually, some people make a distinction between the phraseology times the Gentiles and fullness of the Gentiles. The distinction they make is that the fullness of Gentiles refers to the church age, Pentecost, the rapture. Well, that's where abundance fits better with the rapture. And that's what I found most people thought this passage referred to. So it's Pentecost to the rapture.

And times of Gentiles is wider. And maybe it starts back with Jerusalem falling, the Jews being pushed out of Jerusalem, so to speak, until they go back to Jerusalem. So that's a much wider time period. Times Gentiles is much bigger, whereas fullness is shorter, just the church age. So that's kind of what I looked at. And it seems like this passage most likely is referring to... That's a great point.

When Stephen was giving his defense, he said there's a time of the promise given to Abraham. When the children of Israel were taken by the hand and led out, when that time was about to happen, there arose a king that didn't know Joseph. In the minds of Stephen and the people of that time, that's when the time of the promise began. And that promise is fulfilled when our Lord sets up His Kingdom.

Alright, so I think we've got a lot to cover yet, but the perspectives have been three. I think that the rapture is related to the term fullness being interpreted as abundance. The abundance of the Gentiles is really related to God's plan for all of mankind. The body of Christ gets taken out. So if you like that interpretation, that interpretation is consistent with most people that view this this verse and how it should be interpreted. The second is the idea of the times and the fullness are related, and that best fits, I think, after the seven-year tribulation at the time of Christ's reign.

The third interpretation, after the millennium, I think is less well supported, but yet I think it's still possible. By the way, in your handout, page three at the top, the subset underneath, so is the fullness, it should be, how about post parenthesis at the end of, put that in parenthesis, doesn't make sense the way it's written there.

Okay, so I don't want to, yeah, go ahead, Jim, please. In the context, too, I think it's important to look at the work of history, because this You know, the church will be part of the body of Christ. And therefore, in this context, it's also the Gentiles being drafted in. I think when we see the praise coupled with the idea of the mission, Yeah, and that was my next point on the handout actually, Jim. So the defined mystery, it's something concealed that's now revealed. And if you think, Jim, you want to come up here?

And the mysteries that Paul has revealed, I gave other examples, they all relate to the body. The gospel, Christ himself, the church, the rapture. Mysteries generally are tied into the Calvary and all that it represents in terms of the body of Christ, directly or indirectly.

So, good point. So my question to the class, being ignorant of the mysteries of God, and that's a challenge to us, isn't it? How do we become more comfortable with these mysteries that God has revealed? Pretty straightforward question, I think. It goes back to the word, you know, this is Verne's favorite word, mysterion. And the moose stop, right? All those meese that you see up there.

Well, you know, in scripture, that word means something that's not real. It doesn't mean mystery, mystery. It means something that wasn't revealed in the past, which is now revealed. As students of God's word, by his grace, we unfold that mystery by reading his word and understanding his word. Thank you, Roger. That's the correct answer. All right, let's go ahead now. Verses 26 and 27 I've put together.

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written, the deliverer will come out of Zion, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob, for this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins. And the first comment on this is Isaiah 59, 20 and 21. The Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them the turn from our transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord. My spirit that is upon me and my words which I have put in my mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever."

So there's, again, Zion represented. We'll come back to this. And now the concept of this term all, notice all, not some, will be saved. And I simply, with a bold typeset and an exclamation point, if this is not one of the more really pronounced examples of God's sovereignty in scripture, I mean, he has declared it. So will it be. So now the concept about discussing what all means.

This is, I think, and as the preparation continued here became increasingly clear to me. Let's turn to Matthew 24, 13 and 14. Wayne. All right, this is Daniel's 70th week that's being described here. So verse 13, most importantly, he that will endure unto the end the same will be saved. So presumably all of those who exit the seven-year tribulation, are saved. Let's look at this a little bit more in detail. So that relates to the nation of Israel.

Now let's turn to the Gentiles, Matthew 25, so one chapter forward, verses 31 through 46. Big text, and I don't really think we need to really read this in detail, but this is kind of the sheep and the goats, the right hand and the left hand, and all that relates to For I was hungry and you gave me no food. I was thirsty and you gave me no drink. I was a stranger and you took me in.

The issue is at the end of the tribulation, the Gentile nations will ultimately be judged by their faith and how that faith is demonstrated. So again, remember that all coming out, and by the way, those who are not saved at the time of that partitioning will not enter the thousand year reign. So we begin with the concept that entering into the tribulation period, all Israel will be saved, and all Gentiles who remain alive, physically alive, enter into the thousand years saved. Now, the Romans 11 passage is talking about Israel. But we also have to believe the truth of the Word of God is that the Gentiles who enter into the tribulation period are also saved people. There will be no unsaved crossing into the path of post-Armageddon.

Is everybody okay with that? Yes, Carol. That's true. Okay. Yeah, but we have to place that in context into the idea that all entering into the tribulation will be saved. So all Israel who entered the tribulation are saved people. Is everybody okay with that? I think that's right. Is everybody okay with that?

Because that helps me a lot understand, temporally, what the prophecy says. Think about today where we're at. If God revealed through an angel and told all of us here in this Sunday school class that all Israel will be saved tomorrow, we'd say, well, God, that's not consistent with Scripture. But you envision all these Jews who are basically you know, carefree and could care less about salvation, right? And now we're thinking, gee, by what process?

I mean, God's going to write his will in their hearts and minds and all that stuff. I think the problem that I've had with this a little bit is I think too much of Israel as they currently exist. But if we think of Israel in terms of what's happening during the seven-year period, then this syncs and fits to me. The question is, what is all Israel? How do we interpret all of Israel? Yes, Gail. Oh yeah, now we believe.

Nothing dramatic takes place. I thought maybe I'd put that verse down in more detail, but I think I have it listed somewhere in the handout. You've got all that you are going through through the period of wrath, the tribulation period. Therefore, that I think that's going to be happening. It says they look upon him. And I can't. Yeah, I think they're in tribulation. Yeah, they will. And then in the millennium, they will literally. You don't think they see him right at the end of the tribulation when he comes back when he returns.

You know, Vonnie, that verse that Gail mentioned, I skipped over that because Jim brought up the concept of mystery and I skipped over Zechariah 12.10, but I thought this verse was worth noting, not only for the point Gail made, but I liked it because I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace, look at that, and supplication. Then they will look on me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for him, Gail.

I mean, this grace extended by God to the nation of Israel allows them to respond by faith. The principle of responding by faith is not changed. Those are the rules of the heavenly kingdom. And God now has given them the grace to respond by faith. I think that's a little bit of paraphrasing, but I think it fits. God's sovereignty declares Israel will be saved. We cannot doubt his sovereignty. But what is the process? And that's what Roger and Jim and I were talking about yesterday. The process still has to be the principle of faith, does it not? We need to respond to the great grace that's given us.

And so will Israel. Yes, Roy? Jerusalem, because great destruction is coming, and those who heeded that, he took into the desert and preserved them. Isn't that something? And if you've gone through that, where he had protected you, and then you see him coming, in great power, along with us obviously, and then you recognize, this is the one we crucified, this is our Savior. And Zechariah 12, 14 talks as Gale pointed out that morning. It's going to be pretty dramatic when two-thirds of the Jews are gone. Yes, it is, and the text clearly demonstrates that. Let's get back, top of page 5.

Now notice the passive verb, be saved. This is an act of God. This is His sovereignty played out. The response is by grace, I mean by faith, that it's still God's grace expended to the nation that they would be saved. And by the way, we're not going to take time now and look at all these Old Testament, but this is really uplifting. I really encourage you today or between now and next week when Jim concludes this chapter to take a look at some of these verses. By the way, I only listed some.

I could have listed two or three times more verses that substantiate God's promise in the Nation of Israel. This is what's called the New Covenant for Israel, not to be confused with the New Testament. This is Israel's covenant, Jeremiah 31. He plans all these wonderful things to hold the Millennial Kingdom and Israel in the land with all the wonderful blessings.

And it starts with their salvation. It's just incredible. We participate in that covenant only as secondary. Absolutely his focus is on them. But remember, the New Covenant is directed towards Israel only. The Church is out of here. I mean, this doesn't relate to us at all.

The principle of grace and faith is the same for both. And God's sovereignty is the same for both. But the principle of the New Covenant is entirely directed I can't separate myself from being a Gentile. And so when I think that we participate in this, I think of the Gentiles and we will be saved at that time.

Because they grab ahold of the truth, right? And it's over to Jerusalem to worship the truth of God. All right, page five, again, the question to the class is, what is this ungodliness? And Jacob, I'm going to answer it for you. I mean, it relates to all the works of ungodliness. We've done that, thoughts and deeds and beyond, right? So that just is not too difficult.

But what about Zion? I think if you think of the temples, where was the first temple constructed in Jerusalem? What mount was that? Mount Moriah, correct? And Zion entirely relates to Christ's reign. So the fact that he's coming out of Zion really is consistent with a lot of Old Testament evidence that Zion is from whence the king reigns. And I have given you some verses here to turn to on that. Now the New Covenant, let's look at that in more detail because the New Covenant is talked about in Hebrews and is not for the church.

This is a unique relationship that God has to the nation. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt. My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord.

For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. and I provided their additional verses that document the uniqueness of the New Covenant. So, any discussion about this New Covenant, Roy? he is talking to believing gentiles in the church and he is saying we don't want you brethren to be uninformed of this mystery lest you be wise in your own estimation that a partial hardening in this context that mystery is not us but the focus is on the hardening of Israel and we as gentiles could be proud saying hey now we are the Jewish people That's right.

Because that's in the context of the previous verses, too. That warning is carried on here. Right. And that remembers where we started there. What was the caution that was being offered here to the Gentile believers in the body of Christ? And remember, this is a mystery, but yet we're informed about it, right?

So in a sense, you could really extend this as reading between the lines a little bit. The knowledge of the New Covenant as being a different process And a different mechanism by which God's sovereignty is made pervasive is something we need to know. So the neo-evangelical church, to some extent, has missed this concept, haven't they? In terms of the new covenant is what that represents, entirely directed to Israel, not the body of Christ. And just one comment here. This is the other half of that mystery that Paul was talking about. One half is us. The other half is their partiality. Good point. Okay, we're limited on time, let's keep moving here.

So the question I ask, what about those born during the thousand years? Will they have the law placed in their minds and written in their hearts too? Is this like a DNA? I mean, is their DNA going to be changed so that when they're born they're sanctified and positioned in the New Covenant and therefore are kind of robotic in terms of response to God's grace? Or will the newborn Jew, or by the way, Gentile, will he or she also have to be in a position to respond to a salvation message? What are the thoughts about that? Roger, Jim, and I knocked this around a little bit yesterday. I knocked it around with Vern and Roy last night. I'm not sure anybody has a clear answer on this.

But we know that sin will take place during the Millennial Kingdom. Because when Satan is released, Gail pointed this out last night, when Satan is released, many will be deceived, or at least some will be deceived. What are they being deceived by? Well, is there an Adam nature in those people that are born during the thousand years?

Presumably, right? But remember, Christ will rule and all sin will be put down. But exactly how this is all going to happen, I think we can just simply speculate on. Any thoughts? Jim, do you have any thoughts on this? Other thoughts or perspectives here? Alright, let's continue.

28 and 29, concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election, they are beloved for the sake of the fathers, for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. So why are they, the nation of Israel, enemies for your sakes? What's the deal there? I mean, Israel is declared as being beloved and elected, but yet their enemies farseek."

That sounds like kind of an admixture of oxymoronic terms here. So it's the contrast between the unbeliever and the believer, correct? We're talking about nations here, but he's not talking to Gentiles as a nation here. He's talking to Gentile believers, right? All right. So it says that they're elected. I give you a few verses to look at that election of Israel and their beloved. Remember, this always relates to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1.4.5 talks about that the Lord Jesus Christ is the source of all those who are called according to his purpose and placed in eternity past. I asked the class, is there any room for anti-Semitism in terms of what he said? you know, created here for the New Testament believer. Boy, there just isn't, is there? I mean, the Jew is really part of us and just at this stage unbelieving. The message began with them and has extended through them and we think of all the problems that have existed downstream of Abraham's unbelief and the whole Arab nation and boy, it's incredible what's occurred.

How about these gifts, and I think best interpreted, the gifts here reflect the divine gift of grace in Romans 5.15. So this isn't speaking in tongues or casting out demons or healing. This is, but not as the offense, also as the free gift. For through the offense of one, many be dead, much more the grace of God and the gift by grace by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. So that is the gift in context here.

Verses without repentance, take a look at Malachi 3.6, 2 Corinthians 7.10. God has no second thoughts about this.

30 and 31, for as you were once disobedient to God, yet now have obtained mercy through their disobedience. Even so, these also have not now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you, they may also obtain mercy. So if we turn to page 8, last page, So the fact that the Gentile believers were disobedient is well demonstrated. Boy, Romans 1, that seems like a long time ago, doesn't it? Turn back to Romans 1, 18 through 32, and you get a view of the world system and the way it operates in the minds and hearts of the unbeliever. So divine mercy has been shown to them, meaning us, because we're identified with Gentile believers.

And through us, or them, to the nation of Israel who also received mercy. And then again, of course, we're talking about all the promises to the nation, what the text is today, and the supportive verses. The final verse, for God has committed them all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all. And I think all could encompass Jew and Gentile there, but in context, it's probably directed to the Jew.

And I turn to Galatians 3.22, but the scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. And I put here Calvary, the great equalizer. It's a concept that I really like because all injustices here and all the prejudices of this world are taken away at Calvary for Jew, Gentile, rich, poor, black, white. Calvary is where it's all made equal, isn't it? And that's a great principle. So my final message of this class is stay tuned for Jim next week. And Jim, you are teaching next week, right? He gets the sweet scenario, the benediction here to Romans chapter 11. And then we're excitingly going to move in to kind of what God has for us today with all this foundational truth. So Romans 12 begins a very special part of the scripture.

I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. So let's close in prayer. Father, there are many uncertainties, but there is much certainty as your great grace. And that grace is extended to us today in this local body of believers, extended ultimately to the nation of Israel. We trust that your timing is perfect. Your sovereignty is real. and that we live by faith in believing all that you've revealed. We're thankful for this day, this class, and all that follows. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.