Collecting the Evidence (2)
A Sermon on Romans 11:25-32
Originally preached March 19, 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 this sermon on Romans 11:25–32 titled “Collecting the Evidence (2),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds on Paul’s statement concerning the deliverer that comes out of Zion. He says that Paul, like the other apostles and writers of the New Testament, is not simply retelling the prophecies and teachings of the Old Testament, but revealing new mysteries of God. This is seen in how he uses the Old Testament. According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, when Paul talks about the deliverer out of Zion, he is not talking about physical places but the heavenly dwelling place of God. This is in accordance with the promise that God will send a savior to redeem Israel. Jesus came in faithfulness to God’s covenant with Israel to restore the people of God. Jesus not only saves individuals, but He comes to redeem the whole world and to make a new people of God that all know Him. The fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel are brought about by Christ Jesus who died on the cross in order that all who believe might be saved and freed from sin. This is the glorious message of the new covenant.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is giving a prophecy about the future salvation of Israel, not just interpreting Old Testament prophecies.
- Paul's prophecy: "Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved."
- "All Israel" refers to the bulk of the nation of Israel coming to faith in Jesus Christ, not the entire nation or race.
- Israel will be saved in the same way as the Gentiles - through faith in Jesus Christ. There is no separate path to salvation for Jews.
- Paul supports his prophecy with quotations from Isaiah 59, Isaiah 27, Jeremiah 31, and Psalm 14 that convey the general sense that God will turn Israel from ungodliness and forgive their sins.
- The quotations are not word-for-word but capture the overall meaning and apply it to Paul's prophecy. Paul is inspired by the Holy Spirit in the same way as the Old Testament prophets.
- "The Deliverer will come out of Zion" refers to Jesus working through the heavenly Zion, the church, to turn Israel to faith, not Jesus' first or second coming.
- God will turn Israel from ungodliness through his power, not through Israel deciding on their own to believe. God will open their eyes to the truth.
- When God forgives Israel's sins, he will fulfill his covenant with them, just as he restored them after the Babylonian exile. God has not permanently rejected Israel.
- The future salvation of Israel was a mystery, hidden until revealed to Paul and the other apostles and prophets. The Old Testament only hinted at it.
- Paul will continue to comment on and explain his prophecy to provide clarification.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Romans 11 and Israel's Future Salvation
What is the main prophecy Dr. Lloyd-Jones is discussing in Romans 11?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the apostle Paul is prophesying that though blindness has currently fallen upon Israel, it will continue only until "the fullness of the Gentiles has come in." At that point, the bulk of the nation of Israel will come to salvation. This prophetic statement is what Paul calls a "mystery" that has been revealed to him. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the timing and method are connected - Israel will be provoked to jealousy by seeing what God has done among the Gentiles.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasize about the nature of Israel's salvation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones strongly emphasizes that the salvation promised to Israel is exactly the same salvation experienced by Gentiles - through faith in Jesus Christ. He states: "There is only one way of salvation in the whole Bible. It is always by faith. It is always by faith in Jesus Christ and him crucified. There is, there never has been, there never will be, there cannot be any other kind or type of salvation." He rejects as "monstrous" any teaching that suggests Jews will be saved by keeping the law.
How does Paul use Old Testament quotations in Romans 11:26-27?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul doesn't give exact word-for-word quotations but combines phrases from multiple passages (Isaiah 59:20-21, Isaiah 27:9, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Psalm 14:7) to convey the general sense of Old Testament teaching. Lloyd-Jones notes that this isn't because Paul was careless, but because as an apostle under divine inspiration, the Holy Spirit sometimes varied expressions to show particular applications. Paul is not merely interpreting Old Testament prophecy but giving a new prophecy that aligns with the general direction of Old Testament teaching.
What does Lloyd-Jones believe "coming out of Zion" means in Romans 11:26?
Lloyd-Jones rejects the idea that "there shall come out of Zion the deliverer" refers to Christ's first coming, since that did not "turn away ungodliness from Jacob" but rather heightened it. He also rejects it referring to Christ's second coming, which the New Testament describes as coming from heaven, not Zion. Instead, he interprets "Zion" spiritually, as Paul does in Galatians 4, referring to the "heavenly Jerusalem" or the church. He suggests this refers to the Redeemer exerting spiritual influence from heaven to bring Israel to faith.
What is God's role in Israel's future salvation according to Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Israel's future turning to Christ will be entirely God's action. Just as God judicially hardened Israel (as He hardened Pharaoh), He will in the future turn them from their iniquity. Lloyd-Jones states: "What is going to happen is that the Lord will turn Jacob from his transgression... It isn't going to be the case that the Jews at a given point are going to decide to believe the gospel. They can't do that. Nobody can ever do that. This is always the action of the Lord."
How does Lloyd-Jones interpret "all Israel shall be saved" in terms of God's covenant?
Lloyd-Jones explains that when God says "This is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins," it means "when I take away their sins from them, what I will be doing will be to fulfill my covenant with them." Just as God's judgment on Israel in the Old Testament (through the Babylonian captivity) was followed by restoration, God's current "casting away" of Israel is temporary. God's covenant with Israel remains in force and will be fulfilled when He grants them repentance and brings them into the church, "grafting them back into their own olive tree."
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.