"Is God Through With the Jew?"

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Romans 11:7-15 (KJV)

7. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
8. (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
9. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
10. Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
11. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
12. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
13. For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
14. If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
15. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

Romans 11 is considered by many to be one of the most difficult chapters in all the Bible. Charles Spurgeon preached only one message from this chapter in his entire ministry and it was on the last verse. Wise Christian men have disagreed over the major focus of this chapter for centuries. The reason? It is a prophetical statement regarding the Jews. A.W. Pink once wrote my grandfather and said, "I have studied prophecy for 40 years and have come to a conclusion - most of what is written on prophecy is complete guesswork. My advice is to leave prophecy alone and to focus on the doctrinal and practical portions of Scripture." Luther said, "Much prophecy maketh thee mad." Now coming to the only prophetical portion of Romans, let's look at three views regarding the future of the Jews.

View #1 -- National Restoration
This is the view of the most popular prophecy books on the market -- The Left Behind series. It is commonly called Dispensationalism. This view holds to the following:

God interrupted His plan for the nation of Israel when they rejected Jesus Christ. We are now in the church age, but when the church is removed from this world (the Rapture), God will pick up with his plan again for the nation of Israel and they will be ultimately brought to a place of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

One who holds to this view believes in the Rapture, seven-year tribulation, the rise of the Anti-Christ, the battle of Armageddon, and the coming of the Messiah when "all Israel shall be saved" (v.26).

View #2 -- Spiritual Fulfillment
This view is held by a large number of Christians and basically teaches the following:

God finished His plan with the nation of Israel in A.D. 70 when the judgment of God fell on that nation. From that moment on "the Jews" are those who are circumcised "in the heart" (2:29). Thus, God makes no distinction now or in the future between Jew and Gentile. This passage is simply teaching that God has an elect from throughout the world. "Aand so all Israel shall be saved" refers to the church of Jesus Christ, the Israel of God.

View #3 -- Ethnic Revival
This is the view that I hold to regarding this text. It is also the view of many Christians throughout the ages, including Charles Spurgeon and Dr. John Gill. It takes some from both views above, but is separate and distinguishable from each of the former.

1. The Jewish people, except for a remnant chosen by God, reject Jesus Christ (vs.5-10).
2. This general blindness of the Jews toward Jesus Christ is not permanent (v.11).
3. A great Jewish revival of repentance and faith in Christ is coming (vs.12,15).
4. This Jewish revival will lead to a great celebration among Gentile Christians (v.15). God builds the church. God chooses. God delivers. God saves. Jesus said, "i will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail" (Matthew 16:18).