Chapter 11 of Romans is a very valuable passage for understanding what happened and what is going to happen to the nation of Israel and where the present church fits into God's plan. In Romans 11, Paul explains the dispensational change from Israel to the Gentile nations and how it will one day change back again. Paul begins in Romans 11:1-2 by asking, "I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew." Then in Romans 11:7, "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded ...." Most of the nation of Israel was blinded in unbelief, with only a remnant accepting the Messiah.
But what will be the result of Israel's blindness? Romans 11:11-12 says, "I say then, Have they (the nation of Israel) stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?" Remember how in the Old Testament passages that we looked at, we saw that salvation would be brought to the Gentiles when the Messiah sets up His kingdom and all Israel was saved. But here and now we have the opposite. Through Israel's unbelief, salvation has been brought to the Gentiles. So during this dispensation of grace (church age), we are not seeing the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of Israel's priesthood to the Gentiles. Rather, this dispensation was a mystery, a secret that was not revealed until God called forth our apostle Paul. God is not through with Israel. Though they are presently fallen, God will one day bring the nation of Israel to their fulness.
Paul says in Romans 11:13, "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office ...." It is key to note that in this passage, Paul addresses the Gentiles at large, not just the church. This is because he is explaining the dispensational changes from Israel being in the place of privilege, to the Gentiles being in the place of privilege and back again, as we will see.
In Romans 11:15 he continues, "For if the casting away of them (Israel) be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?" The Old Testament prophecies of Israel's salvation will still be fulfilled one day, and Israel's revival will be a great blessing to the Gentile nations.
Using the analogy of an olive tree, Paul explains the relationship between the Gentile nations and the nation of Israel. Romans 11:17 says, "For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches." As we will see, the "root" is the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and his sons. The people of Israel are the "branches" to which Paul is referring. Continuing in Romans 11:17-18, "And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed 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." Some of the nation of Israel was broken off, and the Gentile nations, the branches of the "wild olive tree", were grafted into that place of privilege and blessing. But the Gentiles should not think too highly of themselves or lowly of Israel who was broken off.
Continuing on to Romans 11:19-24, "Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?"
Some have incorrectly attempted to use this passage to support the false doctrine that a Christians can lose their salvation, but that is not even the topic here. This passage is about how the Gentile nations have temporarily been put into that place of privilege that Israel once held, and will one day hold again. Israel fits into the good olive tree more naturally than do the Gentile nations. So the Gentiles are not to be puffed up in pride over their present position, as some all too often are.
Romans 11:25-26, "For 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. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob ...." When God is through calling out the last Christian from this dispensation of grace, then God will turn back to Israel. He will break off the Gentile branches and graft the broken off branches of Israel back into the good olive tree.
God's focus shifts from Israel in the dispensation of grace to the present church, which is being filled mostly with Gentiles and some Jews. When this dispensation is complete, however, Israel will again be brought into the spotlight in the tribulation and millennial kingdom.
To clarify Paul's statement in Romans 11:26 that "... all Israel shall be saved ...", we must remember to keep it in the context of what Paul had said in Romans 9:6, "... For they are not all Israel which are of Israel ...." This is why Zechariah 13:8-9 prophesies that only one third of the Israelites in the future tribulation will be saved. "And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part(one third)through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God." This is also as Isaiah 9:8 says, "The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel." Here, "Israel" is the believing portion of "Jacob", the whole nation.
Analogy of the Olive Tree
