If you did not know, Passover will be happening this weekend. This is the time when the Jewish people celebrate when God sent the Angel of Death and killed all the firstborn of the Egyptians. It also took on new meaning and depth when Jesus came as the new covenant.
While I am was reading in Romans 11 the other day, a verse just jumped out at me and I am not sure what to think of it.
It is Romans 11:25-27.
25 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;
26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
"The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob."
27 "This is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins."
Does this passage literally mean all Jews will go to heaven in the end? "All" seems pretty definite to me.
Isn't the Bible an amazing book? We could have read it for years and then all of a sudden something new jumps out at us and says, "Wait, you have missed me before. What do you think?" This is how I know the Word of God is alive. It seems to always be drawing me in to more.
Let me know if you have any insight into the Israelite question. Bless you this day.
4 comments:
That is so bizarre that you noticed that this week! Cause- I'm not lying- I noticed the same thing this week! AMAZING, isn't it? I told Doug we'd need to start looking into it more; I'd never seen that verse at all... and I've "read the Bible thru" three+ times, but slowing down to spend a whole month on one book really makes a difference!
ANyway, I was just too astounded by our similar amazedment this week *not* to comment!
Blessings,
Jess @ Making Home
Isn't it amazing that you can read something through and not notice something. It always astounds me when that happens, especially when I am reading the Bible. There is so much in the Bible and I want to make sure I am understanding as much as I can. One little sentence can make such a difference. I am glad that I am not the only one who happen to have missed this. Thanks for letting me know. Have a great day.
This is a very complex passage, and there are varying opinions on its meaning. My husband went to seminary, and he's tried to explain it and its different views to me before. I wish I was articulate enough to regurgitate them for you, but I don't dare tackle that. Some people do believe that it means eventually all Jews will come to Christ. Many interpret it differently. For one thing, there are a lot of different ways to interpret "Israel" in the NT. Not everyone (even in conservative circles) agree that Israel always means the Jews.
This is one of those passages I chalk up to the Mystery category and move on, lol. Ultimately, God is sovereign, and whoever he calls will be saved, and that is how I come to peace with these hard passages.
A few thoughts after a few days' focus... read it again, in light of Romans 9:6-8 and 9:27... it definitely shows that his meaning of Israel is not always what we think of as the country, or even all Israelites.
;) Glad we can examine these things together!
Jess @ Making Home
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