The Remnant of Israel: Past, Present and Future: MBS191 A Messianic Bible Study From Ariel Ministries

MBS191 A MESSIANIC BIBLE STUDY FROM ARIEL MINISTRIES
THE REMNANT OF ISRAEL:

PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
By Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum
ariel.org
MBS191 Ariel Ministries Digital Press
THE REMNANT OF ISRAEL: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
By Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................4
A. The Meaning ......................................................................................................................4
B. The Ramifications ......................................................................................................................4
C. The Concept ......................................................................................................................4
I. THE PAST ......................................................................................................................4
A. Elijah: I Kings 16:29-19:18 ..........................................................................................................5
1. The New Religious System: I Kings 16 ................................................................................5
2. The Historical Event that Gave Rise to the Doctrine: I Kings 17 ........................................5
3. The Divine Duel: I Kings 18 ................................................................................................5
4. The Experience of Elijah: I Kings 19....................................................................................6
a. The Flight of Elijah: I Kings 19:1-8 ......................................................................................6
b. Elijah's First Complaint: I Kings 19:9-10 ..............................................................................6
c. God's Response: I Kings 19:11-13a ......................................................................................6
d. The Interpretation of the Revelation: I Kings 19:13b-18 ....................................................7
(1) Elijah's Second Complaint: I Kings 19:13b-14 ..............................................................7
(2) God's Answer: I Kings 19:15-18 ....................................................................................7
B. The Book of Immanuel: Isaiah 7:1-12:6 ......................................................................................8
II. THE PRESENT ......................................................................................................................8
A. I Peter 2:1-10 ......................................................................................................................9
1. Introduction: I Peter 1:1-2 ......................................................................................................9
2. The Spiritual State of the Remnant: I Peter 2:1-3 ................................................................9
3. The Stone of Stumbling and the Rock of Offence: I Peter 2:4-10 ........................................9
a. The Messiah, the Living Stone: I Peter 2:4 ....................................................................9
b. The Status of the Remnant: I Peter 2:5........................................................................10
c. The Distinction Between the Remnant and the Non-Remnant: I Peter 2:6-8..............10
d. The Status of the Remnant: I Peter 2:9-10 ..................................................................10
4. Summary ....................................................................................................................11
B. Romans 9:1-11:24 ....................................................................................................................12
1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................12
a. The Place of Chapters 9, 10, and 11 ............................................................................12
b. The Three Questions ....................................................................................................13
c. The Exposition of Romans 3:1-2a ..................................................................................14
2. The Theology of Israel's Rejection: Romans 9:1-29 ..........................................................14
a. Paul's Sorrow and Israel's Privileges: Romans 9:1-5 ....................................................14
b. Israel's Rejection in Light of Biblical History: Romans 9:6-13 ....................................16
(1) The Two Israels: Romans 9:6 ................................................................................16
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MBS191 Ariel Ministries Digital Press
(2) The Two Illustrations: Romans 9:7-13 ..................................................................17

c. Israel's Rejection in Light of Biblical Principles: Romans 9:14-29 ..............................18
(1) Is God Unrighteous? Romans 9:14-18....................................................................18
(2) Why Does God Still Find Fault? Romans 9:19-29 ................................................19
d. Summary ....................................................................................................................21
3. The Explanation of Israel's Rejection: Romans 9:30-10:21................................................21
a. The Stumbling of the People: Romans 9:30-33 ..........................................................21
b. Israel's Ignorance of the Channel of Salvation: Romans 10:1-11 ..............................22
(1) Paul's Personal Desire: Romans 10:1-2 ..................................................................23
(2) The Distinction Between Legal Righteousness and Faith Righteousness:
Romans 10:3-11........................................................................................................23
(a) Legal Righteousness: Romans 10:3-5 ..............................................................23
(b) Faith Righteousness: Romans 10:6-11..............................................................24
c. Israel's Ignorance of the Universal Character of Salvation: Romans 10:12-13............25
d. Israel's Ignorance of the Universal Preaching of the Gospel: Romans 10:14-21 ........26
4. The Consolation of Israel's Rejection: Romans 11:1-24 ....................................................27
a. The Rejection by Israel is Not Total: Romans 11:1-10 ................................................27
b. The Purpose of Israel's Stumbling: Romans 11:11-15 ................................................30
c. The Olive Tree: Romans 11:16-24 ..............................................................................31
III. THE FUTURE ....................................................................................................................33
A. The Remnant of Israel During the Tribulation ..........................................................................33
B. The Faithful Remnant..................................................................................................................33
1. The Definition ....................................................................................................................33
2. The Fact of the Faithful Remnant: Isaiah 10:20-23 ............................................................34
3. The Protection of the Faithful Remnant: Isaiah 41:8-16 ....................................................34
4. The Provision for the Faithful Remnant ..............................................................................35
a. Isaiah 41:17-20 ..............................................................................................................35
b. Isaiah 65:8-16 ................................................................................................................35
C. The Faithful Remnant and Israel's National Salvation ..............................................................35
1. Romans 11:25-36 ..................................................................................................................35
2. The Contradiction and the Solution ....................................................................................38
D. The Faithful Remnant of Israel in the Messianic Kingdom ......................................................38
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MBS191 The Remnant of Israael: Past, Present and Future
I say then, Did God NOTES
cast off his people? God

forbid. For I also am
an Israelite, of the seed
of Abraham, of the
tribe of Benjamin.
Romans 11:1
INTRODUCTION
T
INTRODUCTION
A. The Meaning
he doctrine of the Remnant of Israel means that there are
always some who believe within the Jewish nation as a whole,
and all those who believe constitute the Remnant of Israel.
Thus there are two Israels: Israel the Whole and Israel the Remnant.
Ethnically, the two are the same, but spiritually, they are not. The
Remnant at any point of history may be large or small, but there is
never a time when it is non-existent, except immediately after the
Rapture.
B. The Ramifications
There are five ramifications concerning the Remnant of Israel. First,
only believers make up the Remnant. Secondly, not all believers are part
of the Remnant, for the Remnant is a Jewish Remnant and is therefore
made up of only Jewish believers. Thirdly, the Remnant is always part of
the nation as a whole, not detached from the nation as a separate entity;
the Remnant is distinct, but distinct within the nation. Fourthly, this
means that Jewish believers have a dual citizenship; they are part of both
Israel and the Church. And fifth, within the concept of the Remnant,
there is a twofold contrast: a contrast between the miraculous and the
non-miraculous and a contrast between the noise and the quiet.
C. The Concept
The concept of the Remnant of Israel was apparent from the very
beginning of Israel's history as they began to multiply. As a doctrine, the
theology of the Remnant began with Elijah the Prophet, then was developed
by the writing prophets, and continued through the New Testament.
I. THE PAST
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A. Elijah: I Kings 16:29-19:18 NOTES

1. The New Religious System: I Kings 16
With Omri, not only was there a new capital over Israel, Samaria, but
also a new dynasty. However, Omri continued in the sin of Jereboam,
the worship of the golden calf (I Kg. 12:25-33). Jereboam's sin was not
a totally foreign religion, but a corruption of the true one. This was a
corruption of Jehovah worship in that it reduced the God of Israel to
an idol. In fact, when Jereboam introduced the worship of the golden
calf, he did so by using the same words Aaron used when he
introduced his golden calf: “This is the god who brought you out of
the land of Egypt” (Ex. 32:4).
In verses 29-34, when Omri's son Ahab ascended to the throne, he

married Jezebel, a Phoenician princess from Sidon and, with her,
there is the introduction of an altogether new religion: the worship of
Baal, the Canaanite storm god. Thus the whole religious situation of
Israel changed radically, and so did God's relationship to the Northern
Kingdom. Into this new environment, God called Elijah, whose life
was a life of paradoxes or ironies.
2. The Historical Event that Gave Rise to the Doctrine: I Kings 17

Because of Israel's worship of Baal, God decreed a drought over the
nation in verses 1-7. In this manner, the ministry of Elijah is
introduced. This is the first contrast between the miraculous and the
non-miraculous. Food is miraculously provided for Elijah by means of
ravens, but water is non-miraculously provided by means of a brook.
Eventually, the drought affected the brook so that it dried up.
Obviously, God could have easily provide the water miraculously for
one man as He did for two million in the wilderness over a forty-year
period. But God does not always choose to work miraculously.
Instead, in verse 8 God told Elijah to leave the country of Israel and go
north to Phoenicia to the widow of Zarepheth, a town belonging to
Sidon. This is the first of many ironies in the life of Elijah. Jezebel came
from Sidon to Israel; Elijah went from Israel to Sidon. Because of
Jezebel, Jews are worshipping Baal, the god of Sidon; because of Elijah,
by the end of this chapter Sidoneans are worshipping the God of Israel.
3. The Divine Duel: I Kings 18

When the drought had reached its most severe straits, in verses 1-24
God sent Elijah back to Israel for a contest with the prophets of Baal.
The terms of the contest are for Israel to decide once and for all who
is God. If Baal proves to be god, then let all Israel continue to worship
Baal. But if Jehovah proves to be God, then let all Israel repudiate the
worship of Baal and worship Jehovah alone.
This event provides the second contrast: the contrast between the
noise and the quiet. In verse 29, the prophets of Baal go first and are
characterized by noise, but as noisy as they get, the heavens remain
silent. When it is Elijah's turn, he does everything in a quiet way by
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rebuilding an altar and praying a simple prayer. In response to Elijah's

quietness, the heavens become noisy and, in verse 38, fire from
NOTES
Heaven consumes the entire sacrifice in spite of its being drenched

with water. Jehovah has proven Himself to be God. The prophets of
Baal are slain and the drought comes to an end.
4. The Experience of Elijah: I Kings 19

a. The Flight of Elijah: I Kings 19:1-8
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all
the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So
let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not your life as the life of one of
them by to-morrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for
his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belonged to Judah, and left his servant
there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat
down under a juniper-tree: and he requested for himself that he might die, and said,
It is enough; now, O Jehovah, take away my life; for I am not better than my
fathers. And he lay down and slept under a juniper-tree; and, behold, an angel
touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there
was at his head a cake baked on the coals, and a cruse of water. And he did eat
and drink, and laid him down again. And the angel of Jehovah came again the
second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too
great for you. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that
food forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
Elijah's victory turned sour when Jezebel threatened his life. In verses
1-4, Elijah understood her actions to mean that Israel would not
repudiate the worship of Baal and fled Israel for Judah; in a depressed
state, he entered the Negev Desert and prayed to die. This provides
another irony in Elijah's life: he is the only prophet who asked God to
take his life, but in the end, he will not die at all!
Instead, in verses 5 8, he was fed twice by an angel and continued his

journey to Mount Sinai, where he had a unique encounter with God.
Mount Sinai is the place where God entered into a covenantal
relationship with Israel. There God warned Israel not to worship any
other god and Israel committed herself to obeying all that God
commanded.
b. Elijah's First Complaint: I Kings 19:9-10

And he came thither unto a cave and lodged there; and, behold, the word of Jehovah
came to him, and he said unto him, What do you here, Elijah? And he said, I have
been very jealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have
forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and slain your prophets with the
sword: and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
In verse 9, God asked Elijah the purpose of his coming to Mount
Sinai where the Mosaic Covenant was made. In verse 10, Elijah's
response was his first complaint. This is a severe indictment against
Israel by a prophet who suffered and struggled to bring the nation to
repentance, but to no avail. If this type of indictment were true, it
would require divine discipline.
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c. God's Response: I Kings 19:11-13a NOTES

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before Jehovah. And, behold,
Jehovah passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in
pieces the rocks before Jehovah; but Jehovah was not in the wind: and after the wind
an earthquake; but Jehovah was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a
fire; but Jehovah was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it
was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out,
and stood in the entrance of the cave.
God's response to Elijah's first indictment was to send three noisy
things that did not contain the presence of God and then a fourth,
quiet thing, that did: a still small voice. Elijah's response was: he wrapped
his face in his mantle; this was a common Jewish reaction whenever one
thought he might be in the presence of God.
d. The Interpretation of the Revelation: I Kings 19:13b-18

(1) Elijah's Second Complaint: I Kings 19:13b-14
And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What do you here, Elijah? And
he said, I have been very jealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts; for the children of
Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and slain your
prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take
it away.
In verse 13b, God again asked Elijah why he came to Mount Sinai.
Elijah responded in verse 14, again issuing the same indictment
against Israel.
(2) God's Answer: I Kings 19:15-18

And Jehovah said unto him, Go, return on your way to the wilderness of
Damascus: and when you come, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria; and
Jehu the son of Nimshi shall you anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha the son
of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shall you anoint to be prophet in your room. And it
shall come to pass, that him that escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay;
and him that escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet will I leave me
seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every
mouth which has not kissed him.
The parallel of these verses with verses 11-13a should not be missed.
In response to Elijah's second indictment against Israel, in verse 17
God will send three noisy things against Israel. While He will send all
three noisy things, God's presence was not in them. The first was
Hazael, the king of Syria, who corresponds to the wind. Just as the
wind beat against the mountain, Hazael beat against Israel until he
reduced Israel's holdings considerably (II Kg. 8:7-15; 10:32-33; 13:3,
22-25). The second noisy thing was Jehu, who corresponds to the
earthquake. Just as the earthquake split the mountain, Jehu caused a
civil war that totally destroyed the dynasty and House of Ahab, as well
as royal members of the House of Judah (II Kg. 9:1-10:36). And the
third noisy thing was Elisha, who corresponds to the fire. Just as the fire
burned against the mountain, Elisha burned against Israel, for often
where Elisha went, death followed (II Kg. 2:23-24). God did send all
three noisy things, but God's presence was not in them.
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In verse 18, God then tells Elijah that he was not the only one left who NOTES
was faithful, for God had seven thousand others. These seven thousand
were the Remnant of that day, quite small when compared to the
nation as a whole. The Remnant corresponds to the still small voice of
verse 12. The Remnant, in contrast to Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha, is the
quiet thing; so quiet, that Elijah did not know they even existed. God's
presence was in this Remnant. It was with this historical Remnant, the
seven thousand of Elijah's day, that the doctrine of the Remnant of
Israel began.
B. The Book of Immanuel: Isaiah 7:1-12:6

It is Isaiah the Prophet who put the Remnant concept into theological
terms. It is found mostly in the unit composed of chapters 7-12 and
called “The Book of Immanuel.” In the Hebrew text, this name is
found three times: in Isaiah 7:14; 8:8, and 10. In Isaiah 7:3-9, Isaiah
told Ahaz, king of Judah, not to fear; He was to trust with quiet
confidence in the God of Israel. Instead, Ahaz chose to trust in the
noisy Assyrian army to save him. Building on the contrast of the noise
and the quiet, Isaiah 8:5-8 points out that the non-Remnant tends to
put its trust in that which is noisy such as the Assyrian army, but the
Remnant has a quiet confidence in the God of Israel and the One to
come, Immanuel. This is contrasted by the waters of Shiloah that flow
quietly, as over against the noisy Euphrates River. Ultimately the noise
will destroy the non-Remnant, but Immanuel will save the believers,
according to Isaiah 8:9-11. Immanuel will thus become the point of
division between the Remnant and the non-Remnant. In Isaiah 8:14-
15, Immanuel will prove to be a sanctuary for the Remnant, but for the
non-Remnant, Immanuel will prove to be a stone of stumbling and a rock
of offence. In Isaiah's day, what separated the Remnant from the non-
Remnant was their attitude toward the Law and the Prophets. In
Isaiah 8:16-17, the Remnant placed its trust in the Law and the
Prophets and waited upon the Lord.
So important was the doctrine of the Remnant to Isaiah that, in Isaiah

7:3, he named one of his sons Shear jashub, which means “a Remnant
shall return.” With that naming, in Isaiah 10:20-23, Isaiah was looking
forward to the future, final salvation of the Remnant of Israel. Until
then, it was God who protected the Remnant and guaranteed its
survival, according to Isaiah 46:3-4. But in the future, Immanuel will be
the new point of division between the Remnant and the non-Remnant.
II. THE PRESENT
The doctrine of the Remnant of Israel teaches that there is always a

segment of the Jewish people who are believers. The teaching of the
New Testament is that the Remnant of Israel today is composed of
Jewish believers in the Messiahship of Yeshua (Jesus). In the New
Testament, that doctrine is found primarily in Paul's Israelology of
Romans 9, 10, and 11. There is one other passage on the Remnant of
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Israel relevant to Israel Present, I Peter 2:1-10. NOTES
A. I Peter 2:1-10
1. Introduction: I Peter 1:1-2
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners of the Dispersion
in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
By taking Peter's words literally, it is clear that this Epistle was not
written to the Church at large, nor to a body of Gentile believers, but
to Jewish believers living outside the Land within a majority Gentile
population. Not once does Peter use the term “Church” in this epistle.
The term the Dispersion of I Peter 1:1 is a technical Jewish term for Jews
who live outside the Land. It is used twice elsewhere: John 7:35 and
James 1:1, which all commentators agree refer to the Jews of the
Diaspora. There is no reason to make I Peter the exception, since it
fits well into Peter's calling as the Apostle to the Circumcision (Gal.
2:7-8). Furthermore, Peter keeps making reference to the fact that his
readers live among Gentiles (I Pet. 2:12; 4:3). While many try to make
the term “Gentiles” mean “unbelievers,” that is never its Jewish usage,
nor even a New Testament usage, as a look in a concordance will
show. Peter is using the term “Gentile” in its normal usage of “non-
Jew.” Peter is addressing Jewish believers living among a majority
Gentile population. Expressions such as vain manner of life handed down
from your fathers (I Pet. 1:18) have clear Jewish overtones, distinguishing
these Jewish believers from their past lives in Rabbinic Judaism.
In this section of the Epistle, Peter draws a contrast between the

Remnant and the non-Remnant. His purpose is to show that, while
the non-Remnant has failed in its calling, the Remnant has not failed.
Thus, what Peter states here may not necessarily be true of the
Church as a whole, but it is true specifically of Jewish believers who
now make up the Remnant of Israel.
2. The Spiritual State of the Remnant: I Peter 2:1-3

Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies,
and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is
without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation; if ye have tasted that the
Lord is gracious.
Peter's statements show that he is writing to the Jewish believers who
are in need of the spiritual milk of the Word of God.
3. The Stone of Stumbling and the Rock of Offence: I Peter 2:4-10

After describing the spiritual state of the Remnant in verses 1-3, Peter
then deals with the topic of the Stone of Stumbling and the Rock of
Offence.
a. The Messiah, the Living Stone: I Peter 2:4

unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect,
precious.
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The Messiah Yeshua is described as the living stone, who, though rejected
by men, is elect and precious with God.
NOTES
b. The Status of the Remnant: I Peter 2:5

ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to
offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
With Exodus 19:5-6 clearly in his mind, Peter states that, because of
the kind of salvation they have, Jewish believers are two things. First,
they are living stones and as such are part of a spiritual house. This
spiritual house is the spiritual House of Israel, the Remnant of Israel
or, in Paul's words, the Israel of God (Gal. 6:16). Secondly, Jewish
believers are a holy priesthood. This, too, was the calling of the nation as
a whole. The nation failed, but the Remnant of Israel has not failed
and is today offering spiritual sacrifices to the Lord.
c. The Distinction Between the Remnant and the Non-

Remnant: I Peter 2:6-8
To explain the distinction between the Remnant and the non-
Remnant, Peter begins with the status of the Remnant in verses 6-7a:
Because it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect,
precious: And he that believes on him shall not be put to shame. For you therefore
that believe is the preciousness.
Verse 6 is a quotation from Isaiah 28:16 to point out that the chief
corner stone is the Messiah who is elect and precious before God the Father,
and those who believe in Him will not be ashamed. In verse 7a, he
then makes the application and states that, while the Messianic Stone
is indeed precious, it is only precious for the Remnant.
Concerning the non-Remnant, verses 7b-8 state: but for such as

disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected The same was made the head of
the corner; and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the
word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
In verse 7b, Peter quotes from Psalm 118:22 to show that the
Messianic Stone that would be rejected by the leaders of Israel was
already predicted. In verse 8a, he quotes Isaiah 8:14 to show that, for
the unbeliever, the Messianic Stone was to be a stone of stumbling and a
rock of offence. In the Isaiah passage that was discussed earlier, it was
shown that Isaiah dealt with the contrast between the Remnant and
the non-Remnant. Peter concludes with an application in verse 8b: the
non-Remnant indeed stumbled, for those who rejected the Word were
destined to stumble. Isaiah predicted that Immanuel would be the
point of division between the Remnant and the non- Remnant. Peter
teaches that this has now taken place and Yeshua the Messiah has
become that new point of division.
d. The Status of the Remnant: I Peter 2:9-10

This passage concludes with a further description of the status of the
Remnant in verse 9a: But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people for God's own possession.
Page 10
With Exodus 19:5-6 still in mind, Peter now adds four other
descriptions to show the position of the Remnant in contrast to Israel
NOTES
the Whole. First, they are an elect race, based on Isaiah 43:20. Being
elect shows that they were chosen at God's initiative (I Pet. 2:4, 6). This
is a reference to their individual election. The use of the term race
shows that Peter is also dealing with their national election. The
Church, however, is not a race; it is composed of believers from all
races. Secondly, the Remnant of Israel is a royal priesthood. In verse 5,
the Remnant was called a holy priesthood, emphasizing their right to
approach the Heavenly Sanctuary. Now, they are also a royal priesthood.
Since the High Priest Jesus is a priest king after the Order of
Melchizedek (Heb. 7:1-28), these believers are therefore a royal
priesthood, for they are both priests and kings. For now, they are
functioning as priests (Heb. 13:15-16), but in the future they will
function as kings, exercising royal authority in the Messianic Kingdom
(Rev. 5:10; 20:6). While it is true that all believers constitute a
priesthood, the priesthood of all believers cannot legitimately be
derived from this passage; rather, the concept of the priesthood of the
believer is taught in Revelation 1:6; 5:10; and 20:6. Thirdly, the
believing Jewish Remnant is a holy nation. Israel became a nation at
Mount Sinai and was called upon to be holy and separated from sin to
God. However, the nation as a whole failed, but the Remnant has not
failed. The Church is not a nation (Rom. 10:19), it is composed of
believers from all nations. Fourthly, they are a people for God's own
possession. This is based not only on Exodus 19:5-6, but also on
Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2; 26:18; Isaiah 43:21; and Malachi 3:17. While
they became a nation at Mount Sinai, they became a people with
Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. The Remnant is God's own
possession, for those Jewish believers were purchased by the blood of
the Messiah, and therefore belong uniquely to God (I Pet. 1:18-19).
Having described the status of the Remnant in this way, Peter next
gives the purpose for their election in verse 9b: that ye may show forth the
excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
The background to this concept is Isaiah 43:20-21. They are to show
forth the excellencies or the attributes of the God who called [them] out of
darkness into his marvellous light. They are to proclaim the message to
those outside.
In verse 10, this section concludes with a reference to Hosea 1:10-2:1

and 23: who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had
not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Formerly, they were part of the non-Remnant; spiritually, in time past
[they] were no people [and] had not obtained mercy. Now they are members
of the Remnant, the people of God, and now have obtained mercy.
4. Summary
To summarize the status of the Remnant, Peter is not drawing a
distinction between Israel and the Church or between unbelieving
Jews and believing Gentiles. The distinction is between Jews who
Page 11
believe and Jews who do not believe. His point is that, while Israel as
a whole failed, the believing Remnant of Israel has not failed, thus the
NOTES
Remnant of Israel is fulfilling the calling of the nation as a whole. Paul

will make the same point in his theology of Israel in Romans 9, 10,
and 11.
B. Romans 9:1-11:24
1. Introduction
Chapters 9, 10, and 11 are sometimes skipped in commentaries on the
Book of Romans. Such commentators do not take what God says
about Israel too seriously and teach that the Church is the “new
Israel.” They, therefore, do not feel that these chapters are important.
Or perhaps it is because of what Paul has to say here that contradicts
their theology. These commentaries provide a verse-by-verse, word-
by-word commentary covering chapters 1-8, then skip over to
chapters 12-16, totally dropping chapters 9, 10, and 11. Other
commentaries that do take these chapters somewhat seriously and do
comment upon them will often refer to them as being merely
“parenthetical,” not part of Paul's main argument. Before moving on
to the exposition of this passage, there are three things to note by way
of introduction.
a. The Place of Chapters 9, 10, and 11

It is always wrong to ignore three entire chapters of Scripture that
God has put into the text, because He certainly must have had a
reason for revealing it. Furthermore, chapters 9, 10, and 11 are not
parenthetical. If anything they are very pivotal, because they vindicate
God's righteousness in His relationship to Israel.
In chapters 1-8 of the Book of Romans, Paul dealt with the theology
of the righteousness of God after introducing the book in 1:1-17. He
then spelled out the details of the theology of God's righteousness and
pointed out that everyone has fallen short of the righteous standards
of God in chapters 1-3, including all sections of humanity: the pagan
Gentiles, in Romans 1:18-32; the cultured Gentiles, in Romans 2:1-
16; and the Jews, in Romans 2:17-3:18. Paul's conclusion in Romans
3:19-31 is that all have sinned and have come short of the
righteousness of God.
Having shown that everyone is a sinner, both Jews and Gentiles, and
everyone has fallen short of the righteousness of God, Paul describes
what God has done in order to provide righteousness for men: He
provided righteousness through salvation in Yeshua the Messiah. This
salvation has three aspects: past, present, and future. The past aspect
of salvation is justification (Rom. 4:1-5:21); once one believes, he is
justified or declared righteous by God. The present aspect of salvation
is sanctification (Rom. 6:1-8:18); sanctification is the work of the Holy
Spirit in believers' lives today, conforming the believer more and more
into the image of the Son of God. The future aspect of salvation is
Page 12
glorification (Rom. 8:19-39); glorification is guaranteed in light of the

fact that believers have been justified and are being sanctified, and
NOTES
therefore will some day be glorified and be like Him.
At the end of chapter 8, as he concludes the theology of God's

righteousness, he points out that in light of all that God has done for
believers in justification, sanctification, and glorification, there is
absolutely nothing that can separate believers from the love of God.
Nothing in heaven can separate them, nothing on earth, nothing
below the earth, nothing outside of them, nothing inside of them, not
even they themselves can separate believers from the love of God.
One would think that, having stated all this, Paul would immediately
proceed to deal with the practice of God's righteousness. For example,
in the Book of Ephesians he dealt with theology in chapters 1-3, and
the practical application of that theology in chapters 4-6. Yet in the
Book of Romans, having spelled out the theology of God's
righteousness, Paul did not immediately proceed to the practice of
God's righteousness. Instead, between the theology of God's
righteousness in chapters 1-8 and the practice of God's righteousness
in chapters 12-16, he inserted three chapters dealing with God's
righteousness in His relationship to Israel. Why? Because at the end of
chapter 8, Paul concluded that in light of all that God has done, in
light of His promises, there is nothing that can separate believers from
the love of God. At this point, one might object and ask, “But did not
Israel have promises from God, and did not God make certain
commitments to Israel, including national salvation and worldwide
restoration? Yet, the majority of Israel is in a state of unbelief. It does
not seem that God's promises to Israel have been kept. If God's
promises to Israel have not been kept, how can anyone really believe
that there is nothing that can separate them from the love of God,
since that seems to be the case with Israel?” Therefore, Paul must deal
with the question of God's righteousness in His relationship to Israel.
For this reason, these three chapters should not be ignored as some
commentators have chosen to do. Nor should these chapters be
viewed merely as being parenthetical, not related to his argument.
Rather, they should be considered pivotal in that they justify or
vindicate God's righteousness in His relationship to Israel. They form
a bridge between the theology of God's righteousness in chapters 1-8
and the practice of God's righteousness in chapters 12-16. In these
three chapters, 9, 10, and 11, Paul explains the program for the
Remnant of Israel in the present age and how the Remnant relates to
both Israel and the Church.
b. The Three Questions

The second thing to note by way of introduction is that Paul answers three
questions in the development of Israelology in the Book of Romans.
The first question is: “If what Paul wrote in Romans 1:16 is true, that
the gospel is to the Jew first, why are there so few Jews being saved?”
Page 13
To summarize Paul's answer, in Romans 9:1-5 he confesses that he has

a deep love and sorrow for Israel. In Romans 9:6-13, Paul then
NOTES
teaches that their rejection of the Messiahship of Yeshua was not due
to a failure of God's promises nor was their rejection in Romans 9:14
-29 due to an injustice on God's part. The real problem in Romans
9:30-10:21 is their own rejection of the righteousness of God.
However, consolation is to be found in Romans 11:1-10 in the
salvation of the Remnant in the present day according to the election
of grace. Consolation should also be seen in Romans 11:11-22 in the
present acceptance of the Gentiles. Consolation should also be seen in
the future in that all Israel will believe, and there will be a future
restoration of Israel in Romans 11:23-32. Finally, in Romans 11:33-
36, all of these are evidences of the wisdom and the glory of God.
The second question is: “How do the Gentiles know they can trust
God when His promises to Israel have not been fulfilled?” That is a
logical question in light of what Paul said at the end of chapter 8. To
summarize his answer to this question, Paul says three things. First,
Israel's failure is related to spiritual pride and self-sufficiency,
therefore, the fault does not lie with God. Secondly, Israel's rejection
is not complete nor total; there were Jewish people who did not reject
the Messiahship of Jesus. Thirdly, Israel's rejection is not final; in fact,
the nation as a nation will receive the Messiah some time in the future.
The third question that Paul answers in these chapters is: “Has the
preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles nullified God's promises to
Israel?” He will answer with a very firm “No.”
c. The Exposition of Romans 3:1-2a

The last thing by way of introduction to these three chapters is to
point out that in Romans 9, 10, and 11 Paul expounded further upon
a statement he made in Romans 3:1-2a: What advantage then has the Jew?
or what is the profit of circumcision? Much every way.
2. The Theology of Israel's Rejection: Romans 9:1-29

a. Paul's Sorrow and Israel's Privileges: Romans 9:1-5
Paul introduces his theme on the theology of Israel by pointing to his
own sorrow and describes his own emotions over Israel's rejection in
verses 1-3: I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing witness with
me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.
For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's sake,
my kinsmen according to the flesh.
Having that strong Jewish and Pharisaic background, Paul realized
that the truth had to be affirmed at the mouth of two or three
witnesses. He presents two witnesses to the fact that he is deeply
sorrowed over the issue of Israel's rejection of the Messiahship of
Jesus in verse 1: his conscience, and the Holy Spirit. Paul's conscience and the
Holy Spirit are bearing witness that he is saying the truth about
something. In verse 2, that “something” is the fact that Paul has great
Page 14
sorrow. The Greek word means “grief,” “to be in a state of mind that
is projecting grief.” He also has unceasing pain, which is the physical
NOTES
expression of that mental anguish. Paul can truly testify by his

conscience and through the Holy Spirit that he had great mental
anguish over Israel, and this mental anguish resulted in physical pain.
Paul was that concerned over his own people. Paul then expressed his
desire in verse 3: I could wish. In the Greek, this is an imperfect tense
emphasizing continuous action in times past that remains unfinished.
Paul is wishing that he could be anathema, that he could be set apart for
destruction if it would mean Israel's immediate salvation. In other
words, he was willing to go to Hell and to the Lake of Fire if it would
bring about Israel's salvation. This wish was not for the lost in general,
but specifically on behalf of the Jewish people, Paul's kinsmen according
to the flesh. These were not his spiritual brethren, they were his physical
brethren, the Jewish people. However, he realized that this was not the
way it was going to happen; he was simply expressing a personal
desire.
Paul next outlined Israel's eight privileges and Israel's prerogatives in

verses 4-5: who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the
covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
whose are the fathers, and of whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over
all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
The purpose of listing these privileges and prerogatives was to show
that Israel really should have received the Messiah, but did not. This
was their fault and not the fault of God.
Furthermore, if they did not believe, these eight privileges and

prerogatives did not guarantee their salvation. First, the adoption; this is
speaking of Israel's national adoption by which Israel became the
national son of God (Ex. 4:22). Just as believers are individually
children of God by adoption, Israel as a nation is the national son of
God. Israel was never disinherited from that position (Is. 63:16; Jer.
3:17-19; 31:9, 20). Secondly, the glory; specifically, this is the Shechinah
Glory, the visible manifestation of God's presence. This glory
belonged to Israel (Ex. 13:20 21; 16:10; 40:34 38, among others).
Thirdly, the covenants; specifically, these are the four unconditional,
eternal covenants that God made with Israel: the Abrahamic
Covenant, the Land Covenant , the Davidic Covenant, and the New
Covenant. Fourthly, the giving of the law; specifically, this is the one
conditional and temporary covenant God made with Israel: the
Mosaic Covenant, which contained the Mosaic Law (Ex. 19:16 20:1).
Fifth, the service of God; specifically, this included the priesthood, the
entire Levitical institution, and all the various offerings. This is
something reaffirmed in Hebrews 9:1-10. Sixth, the promises;
specifically, these are the messianic promises, the promises of the First
Coming, the Second Coming, the establishment of Messianic
Kingdom, through which He will righteously rule the world in general
and Israel in particular. Seventh, the fathers; these are the Patriarchs:
Page 15
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deut. 10:14-15; Heb. 11:1-12:2). It is

through them that the Jewish nation came into being and was
NOTES
established. The biblical definition of a Jew is one who is a descendant

of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The eighth and last privilege he
mentions that belongs to Israel is the Messiah Himself. Concerning
the Messiah, he states three things. First: concerning the flesh,
emphasizing His humanity. Jesus was born a Jew; so He had a physical
relationship to Israel (Mat. 1:1; Gal. 4:4; Heb. 7:14). Paul's claim that
the Messiah belongs to Israel is something that Yeshua Himself
affirmed when He stated that He had not come but unto the lost sheep of
the house of Israel (Mat. 15:24). Secondly: He was over all, emphasizing
His sovereignty. Thirdly: He is God blessed for ever, emphasizing His
deity; He is God who is blessed forever.
b. Israel's Rejection in Light of Biblical History: Romans 9:6-3

(1) The Two Israels: Romans 9:6
But it is not as though the word of God has come to nought. For they are not all
Israel, that are of Israel.
Paul begins this unit in verse 6 with the word But to show he is about
to do some explaining. The problem is not that the Word of God nor
God's promises have failed or have come to nought. The Word of God
and His promises have not failed. Paul then uses biblical history to
show that Jews are not heirs of blessing just because they are the
natural seed of Abraham. While certain blessings come because of
the natural seed, there are other blessings of God that are conditioned
upon other matters. Spiritual blessings that deal with the issue of
salvation are not conditioned purely upon being the natural seed of
Abraham, because physical descent by itself was not enough. While it
did put one within the scope of the Abrahamic Covenant, something
else was required. This verse is the key to this entire unit. The Greek
word translated come to nought means “to fall out” or “to fall from.” It
is a Greek word that is used to speak of withering flowers in James
1:11 and I Peter 1:24, and of falling away from a straight course in
Acts 27:17, 26, and 29. The point is that the Word of God has not
fallen off its straight course, which is the plan and the purpose of God.
The Word of God has not suddenly been frustrated by Israel's
rejection. In fact, the rejection by Israel of the Messiahship of Yeshua
was very much part of the divine program and plan.
He then expounds using the particle For. As it is here, this is often used
as an explanatory particle. The explanation is: they are not all Israel, that
are of Israel. It is important that this verse not be misunderstood. Paul
is not distinguishing between Israel and the Church nor between Jews
and Gentiles. Rather, he is distinguishing between Jews who believe
and Jews who do not believe or between the Remnant and the non-
Remnant. The first expression, all Israel, refers to the believing Jewish
Remnant, the believing natural seed. The second expression, of Israel,
refers to the entire nation, the whole natural seed. In other words, not
the whole of Israel is the true Israel or believing Israel. What Paul is
Page 16
saying is that there are two Israels: first, Israel the Whole, which
includes all physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and,
NOTES
secondly, within the nation of Israel, there is the Israel of God, the
believing Israel, the true Israel. The contrast is between Jews who
believe and Jews who do not believe. There is one Israel that
constitutes the entire nation, and within the whole of physical Israel,
there is a spiritual Israel. Spiritual Israel is never stated by Scripture to
be the Church, it is always those Jews, within the nation, who believe.
In this way, Paul expounds or elaborates upon statements he made in
Romans 2:28-29.
(2) The Two Illustrations: Romans 9:7-13

After stating that there are two Israels and that there is a distinction
between Israel as a whole and Israel as the believing Remnant, Paul
then gives two illustrations from the Old Testament. The first
illustration is that of Ishmael and Isaac in verses 7-9: neither, because they
are Abraham's seed, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall your seed be called.
That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children
of the promise are reckoned for a seed. For this is a word of promise, According to
this season will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
The purpose of this first illustration is to point out that physical
descendants who believe are Abraham's real children. Not to all
physical descendants, but only to those physical descendants, the
children of promise, are these promises given.
The second illustration is that of Esau and Jacob in verses 10-13: And
not only so; but Rebecca also having conceived by one, even by our father Isaac, for
the children being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the
purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that
called, it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. Even as it is written,
Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.
In the first illustration, the two sons had the same father but different
mothers. In the second illustration, the two sons had the same father
and mother, in fact, they were twins.
Through these two illustrations, Paul says four things. First, although
Israel has failed, God's Word has not failed; God's plan is still working
its way out, and everything is going according to plan. Secondly, the
spiritual blessings do not come through one's physical descent or
personal merit. Thirdly, they come by the grace of God, due solely to
the will of God. Fourthly, physical descent alone will not obtain these
promises; they are obtained by physical descent and its spiritual
appropriation. What he is not saying, and indeed will not say, is that
the promises were taken away from physical Israel and given to the
Church. What he is saying is that these promises are still going to be
given to physical Israel, but only to that part of physical Israel that
believes. As in I Peter 2:1-10, it is the Remnant of Israel that is
attaining the spiritual promises.
Page 17
c. Israel's Rejection in Light of Biblical Principles:

Romans 9:14-29
NOTES
In this section of the theology of Israel's rejection, Paul raises two

questions and provides an answer to each: first, “Is God unrighteous?”
Secondly, “Why does God still find fault?”
(1) Is God Unrighteous? Romans 9:14-18

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
The first question is introduced in verse 14a: What shall we say then?
Whenever Paul introduces a question with these words, it is a question
to be refuted. The question is: Is there unrighteousness with God? Is God
unrighteous in that He chose only the portion of Israel that believes
and not Israel as a whole? Again, the question anticipates a negative
answer, and it comes in three points in verses 14b-18.
The first answer is in verse 14b: God forbid. The Greek word means,
“May it never be!” “Perish the thought!” This is the strongest possible
negative in Greek.
The second answer shows that God has absolute right to dispense His
mercy as He pleases in verses 15-16: For he said to Moses, I will have mercy
on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.
So then it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that has mercy.
In verse 15, Paul quotes Exodus 33:19. If God's favor were free and
unmerited to Moses, how much more so it is to others. Moses was
declared to be the most meek of all the men of the earth, yet his
meekness did not merit God's mercy. God's mercy was totally apart
from any human merit, and if that were true with Moses, it is certainly
true of all.
After giving this answer, Paul draws a logical conclusion in verse 16.
The words So then show a logical conclusion based on what has just
been said: mercy does not depend on the one willing or running. In
other words, mercy is not dependent upon human works. Mercy
depends solely upon God's grace. God has chosen to extend His
mercy only to that part of Israel that believes, the Remnant of Israel.
In verses 17-18, the third answer is a quotation from Exodus 9:16: For
the scripture said unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise you up, that I
might show in you my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all
the earth. So then he has mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardens.
In verse 17, Paul introduces another Scripture to prove divine
sovereignty, that God is absolutely free in His dealings with men. For
in Moses, we see the goodness of God; in Pharaoh, we see the severity
of God. It shows that God raised up Pharaoh at this specific point in
history and put him on the throne to serve as an example of what
divine justice is all about. God had both an immediate purpose and a
distant purpose. The immediate purpose was: that I might show in you my
power. The distant purpose was: that my name might be published abroad in
Page 18
all the earth, and so it has been. Forty years later, when Joshua entered
the Land, the Canaanites were still afraid because they had heard
NOTES
what God had done to Egypt and to Pharaoh (Josh. 2:8-11). Paul then
draws another logical conclusion in verse 18: So then, God will have
mercy on whom he will; Moses is an example of election in regard to
mercy. The phrase whom he will he hardens refers to Pharaoh as an
example of hardening in reference to judgment. The Remnant of
Israel is the recipient of God's mercy and the non-Remnant of God's
hardening.
(2) Why Does God Still Find Fault? Romans 9:19-29

The second question is raised from a human viewpoint in verse 19: You
will say then unto me, Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?
The question is: “If God hardens hearts, how can He blame anyone
when they are doing what He willed them to do?” Paul never answers
this question directly, but deals with the attitude of the heart that
produced the question. The question implies a total forgetfulness of
the relationship of the created to the Creator, the relationship of man
to God.
He begins to answer the question by giving an illustration of the potter

and pottery in verses 20-21: Nay but, O man, who are you that replies against
God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why did you make me thus?
Or has not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a
vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?
The point of the illustration is to place man in a proper relationship
to the Creator: if God did not elect, none would have been saved, for
there is none that seek after God (Rom. 3:11). Men are not lost because they
are hardened; men are hardened because they are already lost. They
are already filled with sin; they have fallen short of God's righteous
standards, and they are lost because they are sinners and do not seek
God.
After the illustration comes the application in verses 22-23: What if

God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much
longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction: and that he might make
known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto
glory.
In verse 22, Paul first describes the unbelievers as vessels of wrath. He
uses the Greek middle voice, which means that men fit themselves for
destruction. It is their own sin that condemns them because, in reality,
God has been longsuffering. He has been merciful, and there can be no
real complaints against Him. God has endured with much longsuffering
vessels that fitted themselves for destruction.
In verse 23, Paul then describes the vessels of mercy. Here he uses the
passive voice, which shows that they were made fit for salvation. While
men fit themselves for destruction, God makes those who believe fit
Page 19
for salvation. To those whom He fits for salvation, He makes known

the riches of his glory, prepared beforehand unto glory.
NOTES
He then spells out a new truth in verse 24: even us, whom he also called,
not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?
While Paul has been dealing primarily with national election, the
principle holds true regarding individual election. Until now, Paul has
been concerned with two different groups of Jews: Jews who believe
and Jews who do not believe. Now, he turns to the calling of the
Gentiles to point out that, among the Gentiles also, God has fitted
some for salvation.
As he moves to his conclusion of this first section in verses 25-29, Paul

picks up from verse 24 and points out that vessels of mercy are also to
be found among the Gentiles in verses 25-26: As he said also in Hosea,
I will call that my people, which was not my people; And her beloved, that was not
beloved. And it shall be, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not
my people, There shall they be called sons of the living God.
At this point, he quotes from two segments of the Prophet Hosea.
This was not a fulfillment of Hosea, but it is an application of Hosea
because of a similar situation. Verse 25, is a quotation from Hosea
2:23 where God declared that Israel was His people; but because of
their sin, He was going to expel them from the Land. For a period of
time, they would become not my people. Although positionally speaking,
Israel is always the people of God, they only experience the benefits
of being the people of God when they believe. Experientially
speaking, Israel started out as being God's people, but then God said
that they would no longer receive the benefits of being His people for
a period of time. However, later Israel would repent and become
experientially God's people again. What Hosea was speaking about is
Israel's moving from the position of not my people to becoming my people.
Verse 26 is a quotation from Hosea 1:10 in which a similar situation

has happened with the Gentiles who believe. The Gentiles, in a state
of unbelief, were not my people, but now that they have been made
vessels of mercy, and God has fitted them for salvation, they have
become my people; they moved from being not my people to being my
people. Because of this point of similarity, Hosea 2:23 and 1:10 are
applied to them. This calling of the Gentiles is what Paul deals with
here. Hosea had Israel, specifically the Ten Tribes, in mind. Peter
applied this to the Remnant in contrast to the non-Remnant. But
Paul, because of a similar situation, applies these verses to the
Gentiles.
While many Gentiles became vessels of mercy, a great portion of Israel

became vessels of wrath in verses 27-29: And Isaiah cried concerning Israel,
If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant
that shall be saved: for the Lord will execute his word upon the earth, finishing it and
cutting it short. And, as Isaiah had said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left
us a seed, We had become as Sodom, and had been made like unto Gomorrah.
Page 20
In verses 27-28, Paul quotes from Isaiah 10:22-23. The point of verse
27 is that it is the remnant that shall be saved. The point of verse 28 is: God
NOTES
will accomplish His purpose and the Remnant will survive. Here, Paul
reaffirms the point he made in verse 6 that the Word of God has not
failed because Israel as a nation has rejected the Messiah. It was all
part of God's plan, so the Word of God is proceeding according to
plan.
In verse 29, he quotes from Isaiah 1:9, pointing out that if God did
not intervene with grace, they would have been entirely destroyed. It
is the Remnant through whom God will fulfill His program, not the
entire nation. God keeps the nation alive because of the believing
Remnant; thus, the believing Remnant is responsible for keeping the
entire nation alive. The reason all attempts to annihilate the Jews have
consistently failed is because there has always been a believing
Remnant among the Jews.
d. Summary
To summarize this first division, Paul shows that Israel's rejection of
the Messiahship of Yeshua did not mean that God's plan and program
had come to naught, that it had fallen short, or that it had fallen aside;
rather, this was all proceeding according to divine plan. It was in the
program of God that Israel would reject the Messiahship of Yeshua,
and it is because of Israel's rejection of His Messiahship that mercy
was extended to the Gentiles. The mercy shown to the Gentiles was
not to the total exclusion of the Jews, however, because there is a
Remnant coming to saving faith even among the Jews. There are
vessels of mercy among both Jews and Gentiles, and there are vessels
of wrath among both Jews and Gentiles. The reason the gospel went
out freely among the Gentiles is because Israel as a nation had
rejected it. It is something God had already planned in the Old
Testament, because what Paul teaches here is what Isaiah predicted in
Isaiah 49:1-13.
3. The Explanation of Israel's Rejection: Romans 9:30-10:21

In the previous section, Paul dealt with Israel's rejection of the
Messiahship of Yeshua from the standpoint of divine sovereignty. In
this section, he explains why Israel failed from the standpoint of
human responsibility.
a. The Stumbling of the People: Romans 9:30-33

Paul begins by describing a paradox in verses 30-31: What shall we say
then? That the Gentiles, who followed not after righteousness, attained to
righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith: but Israel, following after a
law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
In verse 30, the Gentiles did not have a law of righteousness to quicken
their moral sensibilities like the Jews did; neither were they seeking to
attain righteousness like the Jews. Yet these Gentiles did attain
righteousness, because they came on the basis of faith, not works. But
Page 21
in verse 31, Israel did pursue after righteousness, did not obtain it. NOTES
Paul then explained the paradox in verse 32a: Wherefore? Because they
sought it not by faith, but as it were by works.
The reason Israel did not obtain righteousness was because they did
not come to it on the basis of faith; rather, they trusted their own
works that, in the end, failed to bring them to righteousness. So Israel
that sought it, failed to attain it, because they were trying to attain it
by works. The Gentiles that did not seek it, did attain it in the end,
because they found it by faith.
Paul then deals with the result in verses 32b-33: They stumbled at the stone
of stumbling; even as it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and
a rock of offence: And he that believes on him shall not be put to shame.
The result of seeking it by works and not by faith is given in verse 32b:
They stumbled at the stone of stumbling. It was Israel's avoidance of faith
and insistence upon works that caused the problem. This was due to
the guilt of Israel in stumbling at the doctrine of righteousness by faith
in the Messiah. Their trying to attain righteousness by works carried
with it the attitude of rejection of the Messiah Himself. Salvation is by
grace through faith in the Messiah alone, plus nothing. In this verse,
Jesus became the stone of stumbling because they must trust Him for
salvation. When they failed to trust Him, they stumbled over Him
and, as a result, they failed to attain righteousness. They sought
righteousness through the Law and they stumbled.
In verse 33, Paul quotes Isaiah 8:14, which confirms the twofold
attitude of both stumbling and rejection. Jesus' offer of salvation by
pure faith in Him, apart from works, proved to be two things: a stone of
stumbling and a rock of offence. They stumbled over the doctrine of
salvation by grace through faith plus nothing, and then they were
offended by it. Paul then quotes Isaiah 28:16 concerning those who
believe: they will not be ashamed of this doctrine of salvation. The
Jewish Remnant did not stumble over Yeshua. For the Jewish believer,
Jesus is not the Stone of Stumbling nor the Rock of Offence; He is a
sanctuary (Is. 8:14) and the preciousness (I Pet. 2:1-10).
The picture of the Messiah as a Stone of Stumbling and a Rock of

Offence was first taught by Isaiah and developed by Paul and Peter.
All three point out the distinction between the Remnant and the non-
Remnant in relationship to this Stone.
b. Israel's Ignorance of the Channel of Salvation:

Romans 10:1-11
After dealing with the stumbling of the people, Paul then spells out the
reason behind it, which was due to these lines of ignorance. Each line
of ignorance is based on the other.
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(1) Paul's Personal Desire: Romans 10:1-2

Brethren, my heart's desire and my supplication to God is for them, that they may
NOTES
be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according
to knowledge.
As Paul began to explain their ignorance of the channel of salvation,
he again expressed a personal desire, as he did in the beginning of
chapter 9. In verse 1, he addressed his readers as Brethren, thereby
uniting all believers with himself. All believers, then, should share this
same desire. Regarding that burden and desire, Paul stated: my
supplication to God is for them, that they may be saved. The thing for which
Paul kept praying was that the Jewish people might be saved. Paul's
desire was to be able to see the salvation of the Jewish people, not only
on a national level, but also on an individual level.
In verse 2, Paul then bears witness for the Jewish people. He testifies
that the Jewish people do have a zeal for God, and this zeal is the cause
of Paul's pain. The problem was that their zeal was not according to
knowledge, because sincerity is not enough. This verse becomes the key
to this division, just as Romans 9:6 was the key to the first main
division. While the Jewish people had a knowledge of God, they did
not know God in the Messiah, and that is crucial for salvation. In the
Greek text, Paul wrote that they had gnosis, meaning “knowledge,” but
they did not have epignosis, which means “full knowledge.” This is the
same point that Hosea made: the reason Israel is lost is because of a
lack of knowledge of spiritual truth (Hos. 4:6).
(2) The Distinction Between Legal Righteousness and Faith

Righteousness: Romans 10:3-11
(a) Legal Righteousness: Romans 10:3-5
For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they
did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the
law unto righteousness to every one that believes. For Moses writes that the man
that does the righteousness which is of the law shall live thereby.
Paul once again emphasizes their failure in that they failed to attain the
righteousness which is of the law. In verse 3, their failure lies in the fact that
they were ignorant of God's righteousness; this is the sentence of
justification, which is conferred upon those who believe. But they did
not seek God's righteousness, they did not seek to be declared righteous
by faith. Rather, they sought to establish their own righteousness; this is the
sentence of justification sought by the way an individual kept the Law.
They sought to establish their righteousness to their own glory by
works. As soon as they tried to establish righteousness by their own
works, it meant that they refused to subject themselves to the righteousness of
God. Because the righteousness of God is attained by grace through
faith plus nothing, this turned out to be an act of disobedience.
Paul explains the reason for it in verse 4: For Christ is the end of the law
unto righteousness. The Greek word translated end is telos. It is a Greek
word that can mean two things. First, it can mean “termination,” that
Page 23
the Messiah is the termination of the Law. Secondly, the word telos can
also mean “goal,” that the goal of the Law was the Messiah. The Law
NOTES
was not an end in itself, rather, it was intended to bring one to faith in
the Messiah. From other passages, it is clear that both are true. The
Messiah was the goal of the Law to bring one to faith (Gal. 3:10-4:7).
The death of Yeshua also brought the Law to an end (II Cor. 3:1-18;
Heb. 7:11-18). But the primary meaning of the word is “termination.”
Within the context of the Book of Romans, Paul has already stated
that the Law of Moses no longer has any authority over the believer
(Rom. 7:4-6). In either case, Israel the Whole failed on both counts;
Israel failed to realize that the goal of the Law was faith in the Messiah
and that the Law had ended as a rule of life. The Law was never a
means of salvation. They also failed to realize that the Law was
rendered inoperative and that Jesus was to be seen as the One through
whom man attains righteousness, not by the works of the Law.
To prove his point, in verse 5 Paul quotes Leviticus 18:5 where Moses
himself saw the impossibility of keeping the Law. In this particular
passage, the contrast is not between Law and faith; the contrast is
between righteousness proceeding from the Law and righteousness
proceeding from faith. No man attains any righteousness that
proceeds from the Law because he fails to keep the Law perfectly.
Therefore, the only way man is justified or declared righteous is if he
proceeds on the basis of faith. Legal righteousness is trying to attain
righteousness by the works of the Law, failing to see that salvation can
only be granted by grace through faith in the Messiah.
(b) Faith Righteousness: Romans 10:6-11

Paul begins with a description of faith righteousness in verses 6-7: But
the righteousness which is of faith says thus, Say not in your heart, Who shall
ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down:) or, Who shall descend into the
abyss? (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)
In these verses, Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 30:12-13 where Moses
explained the nearness of God's righteousness. He said that one does
not need to go up into heaven to bring it down or to go down into the abyss
in order to bring it up. What Moses said to Israel is here applied to
Messiah. To obtain this righteousness, one does not need to go either
into Heaven or to Hell, because it is apart from human merit. Man
does not need to initiate the Incarnation to bring Christ down, for this has
already been done. Nor does man need to initiate the Resurrection to
bring Christ up, for this has already been done. Faith righteousness is not
initiated by human merit.
Then Paul quotes Deuteronomy 30:14, which spells out the means of
faith righteousness in verse 8: But what says it? The word is nigh you, in your
mouth, and in your heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach.
The means is in your mouth, and in your heart, showing its nearness and
accessibility. The word of faith is the message, and the subject of the
message is faith. This is the message or gospel that Paul has been
preaching.
Page 24
Paul explains the one thing that is essential to salvation, and that is
belief in verses 9-11: because if you shall confess with your mouth Jesus as
NOTES
Lord, and shall believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall
be saved: for with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says, Whosoever believes on him
shall not be put to shame.
Verses 9-10 reveal how belief will naturally flow out in confession:
with the mouth, one confesses Jesus as Lord; with the heart, he believes
that God raised Him from the dead. With the heart man believes unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. This
chiastic construction, mouth heart; heart mouth, means that believing
and confessing occur at the same time. Confession is not something
one does later as part of gaining salvation. Belief in the heart brings
righteousness and justification. The confession is made to God. The
content of this confession is that Yeshua died for our sins, was buried,
and rose again. The content of faith is that Jesus is Savior; this is what
one confesses the moment he believes.
In verse 11, Paul then quotes from Isaiah 28:16 to prove that faith is
the only condition for salvation. The point of his argument is that the
universal way of attaining salvation is through faith.
c. Israel's Ignorance of the Universal Character of

Salvation: Romans 10:12-13
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord is Lord of all,
and is rich unto all that call upon him: for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of
the Lord shall be saved.
The first line of ignorance led to the faulty conclusion and second line
of ignorance: that God intended to save only Jews. Earlier Paul proved
that salvation in the Old Testament was to those who believed, not on
the basis of human works. In verse 12, Paul proves that salvation is
universal to all who believe. Because salvation is free, it is necessarily
universal. It is free to both Jews and Gentiles alike; insofar as the way
a man is saved, there is no distinction. In Romans 3:22-23, he pointed out
that all are sinners, both Jews and Gentiles. Now he points out that all
may be saved, both Jews and Gentiles. The Lord of the Jews is the
Lord of the Gentiles; He is the same Lord. This Lord is rich in His
gracious dealings and graciously responds to all that call upon him. To
prove it, in verse 13, Paul quotes from Joel 2:32, which is the evidence
of universality in that anyone who will call upon the name of the Lord shall
be saved. In verse 12, the emphasis is upon the character of God: He is
the Lord of all. In verse 13, the emphasis is on the promise of God:
Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. This includes
both Jews and Gentiles.
Paul is not saying that all distinctions between Jews and Gentiles have
been erased. The point here is that as far as the way one is saved, there
is no distinction. All are saved by grace through faith. But Israel's
ignorance of the universal character of salvation caused them to
Page 25
stumble over belief in the Messiahship of Yeshua. Since the Law was
given to the Jews and not to the Gentiles, the Jewish people wrongly
NOTES
concluded that God intended to save Jews, but not the Gentiles. They
wrongly concluded that salvation was not available to Gentiles unless
they took upon themselves fully the works of the Law; they assumed
that, if they kept the Law, they would be saved. However, salvation
was never on the basis of the Law; it was always on the basis of grace
through faith. This is true for both Jews and Gentiles.
d. Israel's Ignorance of the Universal Preaching of the

Gospel: Romans 10:14-21
The second line of ignorance led to the third: that there was no need
to proclaim a message of salvation to the Gentiles, since God intended
to save only Jews. In this section, there is another proof that the
stumbling of Israel was the fault of Israel, not God's fault. The nature
of salvation, which he just explained, necessitated that it be preached
without distinction. This freedom of the offer of salvation to all
proved to be a stumbling block to unbelieving Jewish people, but they
did not have the excuse of not having heard.
He presents the chain of the preaching in verses 14-15: How then shall
they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him
whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how
shall they preach, except they be sent? even as it is written, How beautiful are the
feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things!
Each question is a link in the chain of the argument, and each
conclusion is tacitly assumed, forming the grounds or basis for the
next question. He points out four things in these questions. First, there
is no calling upon the name of the Lord without faith. Secondly, there
can be no faith without hearing; faith must have content and one must
hear the content of faith before he can believe it. Thirdly, there is no
hearing without preaching. And fourthly, there is no preaching
without sending. A universal gospel is a necessary corollary to a
universal salvation, and that requires a universal proclamation of the
gospel. Israel rejected the preaching, and their ignorance was the
cause of rejection. Here Paul quotes Isaiah 52:7 to show that the
message had been preached, but it was simply not believed. Because
of the previous problem, their ignorance of the universal character of
salvation, they failed to preach salvation through faith to the Gentiles.
Yet there can be no calling without faith, no faith without hearing, no
hearing without preaching, and no preaching without sending.
Because of Israel's failure to do the sending, the Gentiles did not hear.
A fact that was not true of Israel, for Paul shows that the message was
heard in verses 16-18: But they did not all hearken to the glad tidings. For
Isaiah said, Lord, who has believed our report? So belief comes of hearing, and
hearing by the word of Christ. But I say, Did they not hear? Yea, verily. Their
sound went out into all the earth, And their words unto the ends of the world.
In verse 16, the word hearken means “obey” “a voluntary submission.”
Page 26
Paul points out that they failed to voluntarily submit to the demands
of the gospel. He then quotes Isaiah 53:1 to prove that there was a
NOTES
failure to obey, and this chapter of Isaiah deals with Israel's rejection
of the Messiahship of Jesus.
In verse 17, he speaks of the relationship between faith and hearing.

The relationship is that one must have a message to believe. But how
is he going to believe a message unless he hears it? Belief of a message
comes by hearing, and hearing is by the Word of God.
In verse 18, he shows that the Jews had the message. The problem was
not a lack of hearing, but a lack of obedience. Paul quotes Psalm 19:4
to show that the Jewish people were inexcusable, for the message that
came only through nature or general revelation should have brought
them to faith. But they had more than just the message of nature
preached to them, they had the gospel, which was special revelation.
By this time, the gospel had been preached in virtually every Jewish
community. This shows that Israel had heard.
In verses 19-20, Paul quotes Old Testament prophecy, Deuteronomy

32:21 and Isaiah 65:1, which anticipated a salvation that would be
sent out to every nation, and that Gentiles among those nations would
receive it: But I say, Did Israel not know? First Moses said, I will provoke you
to jealousy with that which is no nation, With a nation void of understanding will
I anger you. And Isaiah is very bold, and said, I was found of them that sought
me not; I became manifest unto them that asked not of me.
The message that the Jewish people were rejecting, Gentiles were
accepting. Those who believe will constitute a new entity that, in turn,
will provoke Jews to jealousy, a point Paul will detail in Romans 11:11
-14. This new group, however, is not a nation; it is no nation, for it is
composed of believers from all nations.
He then concludes by quoting Isaiah 65:2 to show that, even though

Israel rejected Him, God's attitude toward Israel was still one of love
in verse 21: But as to Israel he said, All the day long did I spread out my hands
unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
God keeps His hands open continuously; anytime Israel wants to
respond, He will accept them. Israel has rejected the Lord, but the
Lord has not rejected Israel; He is still waiting to receive Israel.
4. The Consolation of Israel's Rejection: Romans 11:1-24

a. The Rejection by Israel is Not Total: Romans 11:1-10
I say then, Did God cast off his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of
the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
The word then connects verse 1 with Romans 10:21 that portrays
Israel in unbelief. Paul begins with a question: Did God cast off his people?
This question is based on the statement in Romans 10:21 and shows
that the people of these two verses must be the same, national Israel. In
these verses, Paul taught that Israel's rejection of the Messiahship of
Page 27
Yeshua is not complete or total, because even today there are Jewish
people coming to a saving knowledge of the Messiahship of Jesus.
NOTES
The answer comes quickly: God forbid or more strongly in the Greek,
“May it never be!” “Perish the thought!” The problem was not that
God had cast off his people. The fact that Israel rejected the Messiahship
of Yeshua does not mean that God has rejected Israel. Even in
unbelief, they are still his people. As Paul states, God did not cast off
His people. If He had, it would mean that no single Jew could ever be
saved. To prove it, Paul first cites himself as an example. The fact that
Paul himself was a Jewish believer showed two things. First, it showed
that Israel's rejection of the Messiah was not total. And, secondly, it
showed that God has not rejected or cast off His people. Otherwise,
Paul would not have been saved. Although the majority do not believe,
still God has not cast off His people; He has not rejected His elect
nation. The fact that Paul refers to Israel as his people in the present age
shows that they are still the Chosen People.
Paul then brings out the choice of God in verse 2a: God did not cast off
his people which he foreknew.
The relationship between God and His people is that of
foreknowledge. God had, in His foreknowledge, chosen Israel in spite
of His knowledge that Israel would reject the Messiahship of Jesus.
The very concept of the foreknowledge of God forbids the concept of
the casting off of Israel. Since Israel was chosen, God could not cast
off Israel.
Then to show that Paul was not alone in his Jewish faith of the
Messiahship of Yeshua, he next deals with the calling of the Remnant
in verses 2b-10. There are many other Jews who have come to saving
faith, both in the past and at the present time. Paul gives the historical
example of Elijah in verses 2b-4: Or know ye not what the scripture said of
Elijah? how he pleaded with God against Israel: Lord, they have killed your
prophets, they have digged down your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my
life. But what said the answer of God unto him? I have left for myself seven
thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.
The point is to show that God has always had a Remnant, although
the Remnant may have been quite small at times. While apostasy was
general, it was not universal among Jews. The point Paul is making
with the example of Elijah is that what is true today has always been
true: it is the Remnant that comes to saving faith. The Remnant in
Elijah's day was only seven thousand strong. What has happened since
the ministry of Jesus is nothing new because, throughout Jewish
history, the majority have always been in a state of unbelief.
After giving the example of Elijah, Paul gave the application in verse
5: Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election
of grace.
The expression Even so is the comparison and the word then is the
inference; what was true then is true now: there is a remnant according to
Page 28
the election of grace. By declaring that it is the election of grace, Paul

gave the standard according to which the Remnant comes into
NOTES
existence. It is not on the basis of the Law of Moses (Rom. 10:4), but
on the basis of grace. Paul uses the Greek perfect tense, which shows
that the Remnant has existed in the past and still exists in the present.
The present Remnant of verse 5 corresponds to the seven thousand men
of Elijah's day. This Remnant is the Israel of God of Galatians 6:16.
He then gives the explanation in verse 6: But if it is by grace, it is no more

of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.
He drives the point home that grace and works are mutually exclusive;
this is the same point he made in chapter 10. If it is by grace, it cannot
be of works; the reason is that it would make “grace no longer grace.”
No one, not even the Jew, can make any claim on God, but God will
save men only by grace though faith, among both the Jews and among
the Gentiles. Insofar as the basis of salvation is concerned, Law and
grace, works and faith, are mutually exclusive.
Paul next draws a logical conclusion in verse 7: What then? That which
Israel sought for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, and the rest were
hardened.
What then? The inference is: that which Israel the Whole sought, he
obtained not. Israel the Whole sought righteousness, but as Romans
9:31-33 pointed out, they sought this righteousness on the basis of
their own works and the works of the Law, thus they did not obtain it.
The elect obtained righteousness, while the rest were hardened. Again, the
distinction here is not between the Church and Israel or between Jews
and Gentiles, but between Jews who believe and Jews who do not
believe. That which Israel the Whole failed to obtain, Israel the
Remnant did obtain. Jewish believers have obtained this righteousness
of God. This same point was made in I Peter 2:1-10. While Israel the
Whole has failed to obtain the righteousness of God, there is a
Remnant within Israel that has not failed. It is this Remnant, the
Jewish believers, that is the Israel of God. Again, the distinction is
between the Remnant, the election that obtained it, and the non-
Remnant, the rest were hardened.
In verses 8-10, Paul then quotes from the Old Testament to show that
the present hardening of Israel was anticipated by all three divisions
of the Old Testament: according as it is written, God gave them a spirit of
stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this
very day. And David said, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, And a
stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they
may not see, And bow you down their back always.
He quotes the Law in Deuteronomy 29:4, the Prophets in Isaiah
29:10, and the Writings in Psalm 69:22-23 to show that Israel as a
whole has been hardened.
Page 29
The point of Romans 11:1-10, then, is that while Israel as a nation has
failed to attain righteousness, this rejection of the Messiahship of
NOTES
Yeshua is not a total rejection; there are Jewish people who do believe.
These Jewish believers have attained the righteousness of God. At the
present time, there are Jewish believers that are the Remnant
according to the election of grace. So instead of using the existence of
a minority of believers as evidence that God has cast off His people,
in reality, it is evidence that He has not.
b. The Purpose of Israel's Stumbling: Romans 11:11-15

Paul again raises a question to be refuted in verse 11a: I say then, Did
they stumble that they might fall? God forbid.
The expression I say then raises the question: Did they stumble that they
might fall? Was Israel's stumbling in Romans 9:30-33 for the purpose of
Israel's falling? Was the purpose so that God could reject and cast off
His people? Paul is referring to the majority that did stumble. The
Greek word that Paul used for fall refers to “a complete and
irrevocable fall.” So, was the stumbling of Israel for the purpose that
Israel would irrevocably fall and never rise again? Paul then gave the
answer: God forbid. “May it never be!” “Perish the thought!” In the
light of God's faithfulness, this is unthinkable. They have stumbled,
but it was not for the purpose of falling irrevocably. God planned for
Israel to stumble for the purpose of Gentile salvation, but Gentile
salvation is subservient or subordinate to Jewish salvation.
Having said this, in verses 11b-15 Paul then spelled out the purpose of
Gentile salvation. Verses 11b-14 state: but by their fall salvation is come
unto the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy. Now if their fall is the riches of the
world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? But
I speak to you that are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I
glorify my ministry; by any means I may provoke to jealousy them that are my flesh,
and may save some of them.
In verse 11b, the purpose is to provoke Jews to jealousy. This is a
reference to Deuteronomy 32:21, already cited in Romans 10:19. The
answer to the question, “Why is God saving Gentiles today?” is to
provoke the Jews to jealousy. The expression provoke to jealousy is a
Greek word that means “to come alongside someone, causing him to
boil or seethe with jealousy.” The reason God is saving Gentiles is so
that a believing Gentile will come alongside an unbelieving Jewish
person and cause the Jewish person to become jealous because of
what the Gentile believer has so that he becomes a believer in the
Messiah also.
Verse 12 presents a contrast between the partial and the fullness.

Concerning the partial, there is now a reduction of the nation to a
Remnant of believers today, but in the future, there will be a national
salvation of the nation as a whole and this will be their fulness. Paul
points out that since Israel's stumbling was for the purpose of Gentile
salvation, which is the riches of the world, the riches of the Gentiles, this
Page 30
fact should lead to some key lessons. The first lesson to learn about the
purpose of Israel's stumbling is that Israel did not stumble for an
NOTES
irrevocable fall, rather, it was so salvation could now go out to the

Gentiles.
Now that salvation has gone out to the Gentiles, the purpose of
Gentile salvation is to provoke the Jews to jealousy and thus to bring
them to salvation in verses 13-14. The purpose of Israel's stumbling
was Gentile salvation, and the purpose for Gentile salvation is Jewish
salvation. This is the methodology by which God has chosen to work.
There is a second lesson to be learned about the purpose of Israel's

stumbling in verse 15: For if the casting away of them is the reconciling of the
world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
The second lesson is that all of this will result in blessings for Israel.
Paul states that if the stumbling of Israel meant the reconciliation of
the Gentile world, then the receiving of Israel would mean life from the
dead. This is the statement of Israel's place in God's blessing. The
unbelief of Israel was directed toward the restoration of faith; the fall
of Israel was directed toward their ultimate reclamation. Their fulness
of verse 12 refers to Israel's complete restoration. If, by the fall of
Israel, the Gentiles received the gospel, how much more will the
Gentiles be blessed by Israel's return. This is an argument from the
lesser to the greater. If the Gentiles have received this much blessing
by virtue of Israel's stumbling, just think how much more blessing the
Gentiles will have when Israel is saved. This will lead to the Second
Coming and the establishment of the Kingdom. This is why Paul
labored so hard among the Gentiles. In this way, even more Jews will
be provoked to jealousy and believe, and this, in turn, will mean even
more blessings for the Gentiles.
The point Paul makes in this section is that it was God's plan for Israel
to reject the Messiahship of Jesus; for awhile, the gospel would go out
to the Gentiles, during which time they were to provoke Jews to
jealousy; until eventually, all Israel is saved. Paul builds upon Isaiah
49:1-13 where Isaiah taught the same thing: that the Messiah would
come to Israel; Israel would reject Him, and the Messiah would then,
for awhile, become the light to the Gentiles; but eventually, Israel will
return to Him and be restored. Paul does not say anything new here;
he just points out the way Isaiah 49 is being fulfilled in this day. In
verses 1-10, Paul taught that there is still a Remnant coming to saving
faith. Now in verses 11-15, he states that the primary way Jews now
come to faith is by being provoked to jealousy by Gentile believers.
c. The Olive Tree: Romans 11:16-24

Paul begins this segment by giving the illustration and the principle of
the Olive Tree in verse 16: And if the firstfruit is holy, so is the lump: and if
the root is holy, so are the branches.
The connecting word if or “now” provides the reason for believing in
Page 31
a future national restoration. The illustration is that of the firstfruit and

the root, which refer to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the Abrahamic
NOTES
Covenant. They are holy because they were separated and consecrated
by God for a divine purpose. Israel as a nation is the lump and the
branches. The principle is based on Numbers 15:17-21: the holiness or
consecration of the firstfruit and the root is passed on to the lump and
the branches. Just as the firstfruit sanctifies the whole harvest, lump, even
some day all Israel will also be sanctified. The Abrahamic Covenant
made with the Patriarchs is the basis for the expectation of Israel's
future national salvation.
The natural branches are the Jews or Israel and the wild olive branches
are the Gentiles in verse 17: But if some of the branches were broken off, and
you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and did become partaker with
them of the root of the fatness of the olive tree.
The Olive Tree in this passage does not represent Israel or the
Church, it represents the place of spiritual blessing. Israel is the owner
of the Olive Tree, but Israel is not the tree itself. The root of this place
of blessing is the Abrahamic Covenant. Paul makes the same point
here that he made in Ephesians 2:11-16 and 3:5-6. Gentiles, by their
faith, have now become partaker of Jewish spiritual blessings as contained
in the Abrahamic Covenant. This Olive Tree represents the place of
blessing and now Gentiles have been grafted into this place of blessing
and are partaking of its sap. The Gentiles are not “takers-over,” but
partakers of Jewish spiritual blessings. In this verse, Paul spoke of the
grafting of wild olive branches into a good olive tree. Critics of Paul
have said that it is obvious Paul did not understand horticulture,
because it is unnatural to graft a wild olive branch into a good olive
tree. That is exactly the point Paul was making; it is unnatural for
Gentiles to be grafted into this place of blessing that comes out of the
Abrahamic Covenant. In verse 24, Paul states that this is contrary to
nature. Normally, such a graft would be unfruitful. The point he is
making is that God is doing something that is unnatural: He is
bringing Gentiles into the place of blessing based on the Jewish
covenants.
Paul then gives a warning in verses 18-22: glory not over the branches: but
if you glory, it is not you that bears the root, but the root you. You will say then,
Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; by their unbelief they
were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Be not highminded, but fear: for if
God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Behold then the
goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward you, God's
goodness, if you continue in his goodness: otherwise you also shall be cut off.
The warning is that the basis of Gentile blessing is faith, not merit; if
Gentiles are to remain in the place of blessing, they must continue in
faith. Israel's failure should be a lesson to them. He is not dealing with
individual believers and unbelievers, but with nationalities of Jews and
Gentiles. The Jews were in the place of blessing as a nationality, but
because of their unbelief they were broken off. Now Gentiles are to be
Page 32
found in the place of blessing; but if they fail in faith, they will also be
broken off from the place of blessing. This is not a loss of salvation,
NOTES
but a removal from the place of blessing. Gentiles are warned against
boasting over the natural branches, for they are not self-sustained; they
are sustained by the root: the Abrahamic Covenant, which is a Jewish
covenant.
Paul next presents the argument for Israel's eventual restoration in

verses 23-24: And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted
in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of that which is
by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree;
how much more shall these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their
own olive tree?
In verse 23, Paul points out that the only thing preventing Israel's
restoration is their unbelief, for God has full ability to graft them in again.
In verse 24, he then gives the reason why all should expect Israel to be
restored. Paul stated that it is their own olive tree. This Olive Tree, this
place of blessing, belongs to Israel. How so? The place of blessing is
based upon the four unconditional covenants God made with Israel.
Because these are Jewish covenants, the place of blessing belongs
rightfully to the Jews. This is part of Israel's advantage of Romans 3:1-
2. Gentiles are merely partakers and are sharing in their covenant
blessings. Because of this, one ought to expect Israel to be restored
into it. For, if God would graft wild olive branches contrary to nature into
a good olive tree; how much more will God graft back in the natural
branches into their own olive tree. The fact that Israel owns the tree shows
that Israel is not the tree, for the owner and that which is owned are
distinct entities. Having spelled out the expectation, in the next
segment, Paul declared that this is exactly what is going to happen
some day.
III. THE FUTURE
A. The Remnant of Israel During the Tribulation

All individual Jews who become believers during the seven years of
the Tribulation are part of the Remnant of Israel. This includes the
144,000 Jews (Rev. 7) and those Jews of Jerusalem who become
believers in the middle of the Tribulation (Rev. 11:13). It includes all
individual Jews who become believers as a result of the preaching of
the 144,000 or the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11. It also includes
the Remnant of Revelation 12:17 that Satan will attack in a particular
way.
B. The Faithful Remnant

1. The Definition
There will be a large portion of the Jewish population who will
become members of the Remnant of Israel only at the end of the
Tribulation. These can be called the Faithful Remnant. Based upon all
the passages involved, this group will make up the majority of the one-
Page 33
third of the nation that will survive the Tribulation. Throughout the
Tribulation, they will be unbelievers as far as the Messiahship of
NOTES
Yeshua is concerned and also unbelievers as far as the Antichrist is

concerned. They are the “non-many” of Daniel 9:27 who will refuse
to have anything to do with the covenant. They are the ones who shall
not be in haste of Isaiah 28:16. They are faithful in the sense that they
will believe in the God of Israel to the extent of Old Testament
revelation and this is their trust. However, at the end, they will come
to know Jesus as Messiah.
2. The Fact of the Faithful Remnant: Isaiah 10:20-23

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that are
escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again lean upon him that smote them,
but shall lean upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. A remnant shall
return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. For though your people,
Israel, be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them shall return: a destruction
is determined, overflowing with righteousness. For a full end, and that determined,
will the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, make in the midst of all the earth.
Verse 20 states that, unlike the rest of Israel, the Remnant shall lean
upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel. In verse 21, Isaiah declares that
ultimately they will return to the God of Israel, a return that can only
be accomplished by faith in the Messiah Yeshua. Verse 22a points out
that in spite of the numerical strength of the Jews, only the Remnant
will return to God. Verses 22b-23 talk about a decree of destruction
that has been determined upon the whole earth, which the Remnant will
survive. The words used here are much the same as those found in
Isaiah 28:22 where the decree of destruction is issued with the signing
of the Seven Year Covenant, the event that begins the Tribulation.
Synthesizing these two Isaiah passages, it is clear that, during the
Tribulation, the Remnant will survive the persecution of the Jews by
the Antichrist and the massive destruction of the earth. Hence, they
are referred to as the escaped of Israel in verse 20 and in Isaiah 4:2;
10:20; 37:31-32; Joel 2:32; and Obadiah 17.
3. The Protection of the Faithful Remnant: Isaiah 41:8-16

But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my
friend, you whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from
the corners thereof, and said unto you, You are my servant, I have chosen you and
not cast you away; fear you not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your
God; I will strengthen you; yea, I will help you; yea, I will uphold you with the
right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that are incensed against you shall
be put to shame and confounded: they that strive with you shall be as nothing, and
shall perish. You shall seek them, and shall not find them, even them that contend
with you: they that war against you shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
For I Jehovah your God will hold your right hand, saying unto you, Fear not; I will
help you. Fear not, you worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help you, says
Jehovah, and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. Behold, I have made you
to be a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains,
and beat them small, and shall make the hills as chaff. You shall winnow them,
and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them; and you
Page 34
shall rejoice in Jehovah, you shall glory in the Holy One of Israel.
This is a promise to preserve the Faithful Remnant in the midst of
NOTES
tremendous persecution during Satan's campaign to destroy the Jews

in the second half of the Tribulation.
4. The Provision for the Faithful Remnant

a. Isaiah 41:17-20
The poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue fails for thirst;
I Jehovah will answer them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open
rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the
wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will put in the
wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the
desert the fir tree, the pine, and the box-tree together: that they may see, and know,
and consider, and understand together, that the hand of Jehovah has done this, and
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
In this passage, miraculous provisions will cause them to reconsider
their relationship to God. Just as God miraculously provided food and
water for Israel in the wilderness of Sinai, He will do so again in the
Tribulation when the Jews flee to the wilderness.
b. Isaiah 65:8-16
Thus says Jehovah, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one said, Destroy
it not, for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not
destroy them all. And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an
inheritor of my mountains; and my chosen shall inherit it, and my servants shall
dwell there. And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place
for herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me. But ye that forsake
Jehovah, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for Fortune, and that
fill up mingled wine unto Destiny; I will destine you to the sword, and ye shall all
bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spoke,
ye did not hear; but ye did that which was evil in my eyes, and chose that wherein
I delighted not. Therefore thus says the Lord Jehovah, Behold, my servants shall
eat, but ye shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty;
behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be put to shame; behold, my servants
shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall wail for
vexation of spirit. And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen; and
the Lord Jehovah will slay you; and he will call his servants by another name: so
that he who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and
he that swears in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former
troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from my eyes.
This passage makes clear that, while the apostates will be allowed to suffer
and die, the Faithful Remnant will be divinely protected and provided
with food and water. By this means, the Faithful Remnant will be able to
survive the persecutions and devastation of the Great Tribulation.
C. The Faithful Remnant and Israel's National Salvation

1. Romans 11:25-36
With the connective and explanatory word For connecting this passage
with Romans 11:24, Paul made a clear declaration of Israel's final
restoration in verses 25-26a: For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this
Page 35
mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part has befallen
Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved.
NOTES
In verse 25, Paul pointed out that there were limitations to Israel's
hardening in that Israel was hardened only in part and only for a
temporary period of time. There was a partial hardening, but never a
total hardening; this is also the point of Romans 11:1-10. The fact
that there are Jewish people coming to saving faith proves that the
hardening was partial. But Israel was hardened only temporarily, until
the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. The Greek word translated fulness
means “a full number” or “a complete number.” In other words, God
has a set number of Gentiles that He has destined to save into the
place of blessing, the Olive Tree of verses 16-24.
After the fulness of the Gentiles has come in, after that set number is
reached, verse 26a states: all Israel shall be saved. According to Acts
15:14, one of the key purposes of the Church Age is to call out from
among the Gentiles a people for His Name. This calling out from
among the Gentiles will continue until the fulness, that set number of
Gentiles, is reached. At that time, the Church will be complete and
will be removed by the Rapture. Then God will deal with Israel as a
nation again, rather than just with Jewish individuals. This national
dealing will lead to all Israel's being saved. When Paul stated all Israel,
he meant all Jews living at that time, not all Jews of all time. In some
circles, this verse has been misinterpreted to mean that all Jews will
eventually be saved and, therefore, Jewish evangelism and Jewish
missions are unnecessary. However, that is not what the passage
teaches. For example, the Bible speaks of all Israel, the whole
congregation of Israel, coming out of Egypt at the Exodus. Of course,
not all Jews who ever lived came out of Egypt, but every Jew who lived
at that time did come out of Egypt. This verse should be interpreted
in the same way: every Jew living at that time will be saved. The mystery
of this passage is not that of Israel's national salvation, for that was
revealed in the Old Testament. The mystery is that of a partial,
temporary hardening of Israel until the full number of Gentiles is
reached. The Israel of this verse must refer to national Israel, for that
has been its meaning the other ten times Israel has been used since
chapter 9; this is something that even replacement theologians admit.
There is no reason to make this verse the one exception, especially
since it makes perfect sense and is a contrast to the Gentiles in the
previous verse.
Paul next related Israel's future national salvation with its present
status in verses 26b-29: even as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the
Deliverer; He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: And this is my covenant
unto them, When I shall take away their sins. As touching the gospel, they are
enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers'
sake. For the gifts and the calling of God are not repented of.
Verses 26b-27 give the evidence of Israel's future salvation from the
Old Testament by quoting Isaiah 59:20-21 and 27:9. This truth was
Page 36
then analyzed in verse 28a: As touching the gospel, they are enemies for your
sake. The alienation of Israel in spite of the covenant promises is God's
NOTES
way of bringing Gentiles to Himself. As far as the gospel is concerned,

they are enemies for the Gentiles' sake. Paul states in verse 28b: but as
touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sake. The word election
refers to Israel's national election as the Chosen People of God. The
fathers' sake relates to the covenants God has made with Israel,
particularly the Abrahamic Covenant made with the Patriarchs. God,
being the Covenant-Keeper, will fulfill His covenants for His own sake.
Part of that covenant promise is the national salvation of Israel. For
now, Israel has been partially hardened. As a result, the hardened
element is an enemy of the gospel. Eventually, God must bring the
whole nation to Himself because they are beloved for the fathers' sake; He
has made covenant promises to them that He must fulfill. Verse 29
states: the gifts and the calling of God are not repented of. The reason He must
fulfill them is because of the unconditional and unchanging nature of
God's promises. The calling has to do with Israel's national election;
the gifts are the covenantal promises that are the result of that election.
Neither are subject to being recalled; they are irrevocable.
Paul provided the principle for what is going to happen concerning

the calling out of the Gentiles and Israel's national salvation in verses
30-32: For as ye in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained
mercy by their disobedience, even so have these also now been disobedient, that by
the mercy shown to you they also may now obtain mercy. For God has shut up all
unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.
Paul pointed out that unbelief has given God a chance to reveal His
mercy, not only on the deserving, but also on the undeserving. Once
the Gentiles were disobedient, but now have obtained mercy. Now, Israel is
in disobedience, so the Jews have been put on the level where they are
eligible for mercy: For God has shut up all unto disobedience, that he might
have mercy upon all, and that is the summary of the gospel. This is all
without distinction, not all without exception, because within this
context, he is dealing with the nationalities of Jews and Gentiles, not
with all individuals. He will have mercy upon all without distinction,
meaning both Jews and Gentiles, but not all without exception.
Obviously, not all people will be saved as individuals, but there will be
salvation both among Jews and Gentiles as nationalities. If anyone is
saved at all it is by God's mercy.
Paul concludes his Israelology with a doxology in verses 33-36: O the

depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! For who has known
the mind of the Lord? or who has been his counsellor? or who has first given to
him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him,
and unto him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen.
As Paul reflected on God's plan and program in relationship to Israel,
how He brought Israel into this state; how He is calling out from
among the Gentiles today to bring many of them to salvation and how
this Gentile calling will come to an end some day; and how God will
Page 37
again deal with Israel and bring them all to salvation, he concludes
with this tremendous doxology. This doxology extols the wisdom of
NOTES
God and the riches of God in that wisdom. Indeed, if one fully
understands God's dealings with the Jewish people, if he clearly
understands God's plan and program for Israel, and if he appreciates
it from God's standpoint, he, too, will have to say with Paul: O the depth
of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God!
2. The Contradiction and the Solution

According to Romans 11:25-27, all Israel will be saved. According to
Isaiah 10:20-23, only the Remnant will be saved. This is not a
contradiction if it is understood in the context of Israel's national
salvation. As Zechariah 13:8-9 has pointed out, two-thirds of the
Jewish population will be destroyed in the persecutions of the
Tribulation. This will include the entire non-Remnant so that only the
Remnant will survive, the escaped of Isaiah 4:2; 10:20; 37:31-32; Joel
2:32; and Obadiah 17.
Since all of the remaining one-third become believers, at that point,

all Israel and the Remnant of Israel become one and the same. This is
made clear in Micah 2:12-13: I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of you; I
will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of
Bozrah, as a flock in the midst of their pasture; they shall make great noise by
reason of the multitude of men. The breaker has gone up before them: they have
broken forth and passed on to the gate, and are gone out thereat: and their king is
passed on before them, and Jehovah at the head of them.
This is expressed in the parallelism of Hebrew poetry. The first
parallel is in verse 12a in that all of you and the remnant of Israel are one
and the same, for with Israel's national salvation, the whole nation
now becomes part of the Remnant. Because of Israel's national
salvation, Messiah returns to rescue them in verse 13.
D. The Faithful Remnant of Israel in the Messianic Kingdom

Since all Israel throughout the Messianic Kingdom will remain a
saved nation, all Israel will remain the Remnant of Israel throughout
that period. Everything said of Israel and the Kingdom will be true of
the Remnant of Israel. However, certain verses do emphasize the
Remnant motif in the Messianic Kingdom and so, for the sake of
completeness, these will be summarized in this section.
Concerning the regathering of Israel, Isaiah 11:11, 16 and Zechariah

8:6-7 picture it as the gathering of the Remnant. Micah 4:7
emphasizes the salvation of the Remnant. This means that the sins of
the Remnant will be forgiven, according to Micah 7:18-20. This will
also mean that the Remnant will spread the Word of God among the
Gentile nations, according to Micah 5:7-8. The Remnant will also be
in possession of the Land, according to Zephaniah 2:7, 9 and
Zechariah 8:12. They will be sinless in the Land and live in security
according to Zephaniah 3:13.A
Page 38

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The Remnant of Israel: Past, Present and Future: MBS191 A Messianic Bible Study From Ariel Ministries

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MBS191 A MESSIANIC BIBLE STUDY FROM ARIEL MINISTRIES

THE REMNANT OF ISRAEL:

By Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum

(2) The Two Illustrations: Romans 9:7-13 ..................................................................17

© 2002, 2005 Ariel Ministries. All rights reserved.

I say then, Did God NOTES

cast off his people? God

A. Elijah: I Kings 16:29-19:18 NOTES

In verses 29-34, when Omri's son Ahab ascended to the throne, he

2. The Historical Event that Gave Rise to the Doctrine: I Kings 17

3. The Divine Duel: I Kings 18

rebuilding an altar and praying a simple prayer. In response to Elijah's

Heaven consumes the entire sacrifice in spite of its being drenched

4. The Experience of Elijah: I Kings 19

Instead, in verses 5 8, he was fed twice by an angel and continued his

b. Elijah's First Complaint: I Kings 19:9-10

c. God's Response: I Kings 19:11-13a NOTES

d. The Interpretation of the Revelation: I Kings 19:13b-18

(2) God's Answer: I Kings 19:15-18

B. The Book of Immanuel: Isaiah 7:1-12:6

So important was the doctrine of the Remnant to Isaiah that, in Isaiah

II. THE PRESENT

The doctrine of the Remnant of Israel teaches that there is always a

Israel relevant to Israel Present, I Peter 2:1-10. NOTES

In this section of the Epistle, Peter draws a contrast between the

2. The Spiritual State of the Remnant: I Peter 2:1-3

3. The Stone of Stumbling and the Rock of Offence: I Peter 2:4-10

a. The Messiah, the Living Stone: I Peter 2:4

b. The Status of the Remnant: I Peter 2:5

c. The Distinction Between the Remnant and the Non-

Concerning the non-Remnant, verses 7b-8 state: but for such as

d. The Status of the Remnant: I Peter 2:9-10

In verse 10, this section concludes with a reference to Hosea 1:10-2:1

Remnant of Israel is fulfilling the calling of the nation as a whole. Paul

a. The Place of Chapters 9, 10, and 11

glorification (Rom. 8:19-39); glorification is guaranteed in light of the

therefore will some day be glorified and be like Him.

At the end of chapter 8, as he concludes the theology of God's

b. The Three Questions

To summarize Paul's answer, in Romans 9:1-5 he confesses that he has

c. The Exposition of Romans 3:1-2a

2. The Theology of Israel's Rejection: Romans 9:1-29

expression of that mental anguish. Paul can truly testify by his

Paul next outlined Israel's eight privileges and Israel's prerogatives in

Furthermore, if they did not believe, these eight privileges and

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deut. 10:14-15; Heb. 11:1-12:2). It is

established. The biblical definition of a Jew is one who is a descendant

b. Israel's Rejection in Light of Biblical History: Romans 9:6-3

(2) The Two Illustrations: Romans 9:7-13

c. Israel's Rejection in Light of Biblical Principles:

In this section of the theology of Israel's rejection, Paul raises two

(1) Is God Unrighteous? Romans 9:14-18

(2) Why Does God Still Find Fault? Romans 9:19-29

He begins to answer the question by giving an illustration of the potter

After the illustration comes the application in verses 22-23: What if

for salvation. To those whom He fits for salvation, He makes known

As he moves to his conclusion of this first section in verses 25-29, Paul

Verse 26 is a quotation from Hosea 1:10 in which a similar situation

While many Gentiles became vessels of mercy, a great portion of Israel