All Israel Shall be Saved
A Sermon on Romans 11:25-32
Originally preached March 26, 1965
Scripture
25For 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 fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26And so all Israel shall be saved: as it …
Sermon Description
In Romans 11:25–32, the apostle Paul is showing a prophecy from the Old Testament. The nation of Israel has been regarded as enemies of the Lord. Through their fall, salvation has now come to the Gentiles. Now Paul is reminding that Israel will once again be reunited with Christ and points out that the gifts and calling of God should not be regretted. All the people of God have been called with an irresistible call. Just as the Gentiles received mercy as a result of their disobedience, the Jews will one day receive mercy because of their disobedience as well. In this sermon on “All Israel Shall be Saved,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds the listener that the Jews were hardened because the Lord wanted to show mercy on the Gentiles so that all could believe and have salvation. Paul is encouraging his listeners that this period will not last forever. The Lord will once again bring the nation of Israel back into His fold in His timing.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is explaining and expounding on the prophecy he gave in Romans 11:25-26.
- In verses 28-29, Paul lays down the principle on which his prophecy is based.
- Verse 28: According to the gospel, the Jews are enemies for the sake of the Gentiles. But according to election, they are beloved for the sake of the patriarchs.
- The Jews are passively regarded as enemies and beloved. They are not actively acting as enemies or loving.
- "Enemies" refers to how the Jews rejected the gospel and opposed Christ and His followers. They are enemies for the benefit of the Gentiles who have received salvation.
- "Beloved" refers to how God still loves the Jews because of His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
- Verse 29: The gifts and calling of God are without regret. God will never regret choosing Israel and giving them gifts and promises.
- God's purpose is eternal, not temporary. His promises to Israel will be fulfilled.
- The "gifts" refer to all the blessings God gave Israel like adoption, glory, covenants, law, promises, etc. The "calling" refers to God calling Israel to be His people.
- Paul is defending God and justifying His ways. God has not rejected Israel. Their rejection is only temporary.
- The Israel being referred to is the nation as a whole, not just the elect remnant. The elect remnant are not regarded as enemies. But national Israel is currently blinded.
- Verses 30-31 further confirm Paul is referring to national Israel. The Gentiles obtained mercy through Israel's unbelief, just as Israel will obtain mercy through the Gentiles' mercy.
- God has dealt with Israel this way before, regarding them as enemies for a time but then restoring them because they are beloved for the sake of the patriarchs. The same will happen again.
- Though Israel is currently blinded in part and regarded as enemies, God will save "all Israel" and restore them as He promised the patriarchs.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Romans 11:25-32: Understanding God's Plan for Israel
What is the central focus of Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Romans 11:25-32?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, this passage explains God's mysterious plan regarding Israel. The sermon focuses particularly on Romans 11:28-32, where Paul explains the current status of Israel in God's redemptive plan. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that these verses both explain Paul's prophecy about Israel's future conversion and summarize the argument of the entire chapter. This passage reveals how God regards Israel simultaneously as "enemies" for the sake of the Gentiles but also as "beloved" because of the fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob).
What does Paul mean when he says Israel is regarded as "enemies" in Romans 11:28?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul is not saying the Jews are acting as enemies (though they are), but rather that they are being regarded or treated as enemies by God. This is a passive state. In the gospel dispensation or order, Israel is treated as enemies "for your sakes" - meaning for the benefit of the Gentiles. Their rejection of Christ and the gospel message has led to this state, but crucially, it's temporary. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this connects to earlier statements in Romans 11:11-12, where Paul says through Israel's fall, salvation has come to the Gentiles.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain Israel being "beloved for the fathers' sakes"?
Lloyd-Jones points out that the same people who are currently regarded as enemies are simultaneously "beloved for the fathers' sakes." This references God's covenant relationship with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When Paul speaks of "election" here, he's not referring to individual election but to God's electing purpose for Israel as a nation. Lloyd-Jones connects this to Romans 11:16, where Paul uses the analogy of the "holy root" and "holy branches," showing that because the patriarchs (the fathers) were beloved by God, their descendants remain beloved despite their current rejection of the gospel.
What does the phrase "the gifts and calling of God are without repentance" mean in this context?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the word translated as "without repentance" would be better translated as "without regret." It means God never feels sorry afterward about His gifts and calling - He never changes His mind about them. God's purpose is eternal, not temporary. Lloyd-Jones states this is the key explanation for the whole problem of the Jews in salvation - God's promises to the patriarchs cannot fail, which is why Israel as a nation remains beloved despite their current rejection of Christ. Their gifts (described in Romans 9:4-5) and their calling to be God's people remain valid because God's purposes are unchangeable.
Who does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe "all Israel" refers to in Romans 11:26?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones firmly argues that "all Israel" must refer to the nation of Israel as a whole, not to the total number of elect Jews and Gentiles (as Calvin taught), nor to only the elect Jews throughout history. He provides several reasons why: 1) The people described are currently "enemies" - which can't refer to Jews or Gentiles already in the church 2) The context of the whole chapter deals with national Israel's temporary stumbling 3) Verses 30-31 continue this contrast between unbelieving Jews and believing Gentiles 4) The promises to the patriarchs regarding their descendants remain unfulfilled if this doesn't refer to national Israel
Lloyd-Jones concludes that God will restore Israel nationally in fulfillment of His promises to the fathers.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones relate God's past dealings with Israel to their future restoration?
Lloyd-Jones draws a parallel between God's dealing with Israel in the Old Testament and their current situation. He points out that God temporarily cast away Israel to Babylon, where they appeared to be enemies and finished as a nation. Yet even then, they remained "beloved for the fathers' sakes," and God restored them. Similarly now, though Israel rejected their Messiah and experienced judgment (including the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD), this isn't the end of their story. Their current blindness is partial and temporary. Just as God restored Israel in the past, He will fulfill His promises by saving "all Israel" in the future, which will be "life from the dead" (Romans 11:15).
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.