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Romans 11:26 plainly says, 鈥淎ll Israel will be saved.鈥� The question that arises is: 鈥淲hat is meant by Israel?鈥� Is the future 鈥淚srael鈥� literal or figurative (i.e., referring to the ethnic Jews or referring to the Church)? Those who take a literal approach to the promises of the Old Testament believe that the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be restored to a right relationship with God and receive the fulfillment of the covenants. Those who advocate replacement theology basically affirm that the Church has completely replaced Israel and will inherit God鈥檚 promises to Israel; the covenants, then, will be fulfilled only in a spiritual sense. In other words, replacement theology teaches that Israel will not inherit the actual land of Israel; the Church is the 鈥渘ew Israel,鈥� and ethnic Israel is forever excluded from the promises鈥攖he Jews will not inherit the Promised Land as Jews per se.

We take the literal approach. The passages that speak of future Israel are difficult to view as figurative for the Church. The classic text (Romans 11:16鈥�24) depicts Israel as distinct from the Church: the 鈥渘atural branches鈥� are the Jews, and the 鈥渨ild branches鈥� are the Gentiles. The 鈥渙live tree鈥� is the collective people of God. The 鈥渘atural branches鈥� (Jews) are 鈥渃ut off鈥� the tree for unbelief, and the 鈥渨ild branches鈥� (believing Gentiles) are grafted in. This has the effect of making the Jews 鈥渏ealous鈥� and then drawing them to faith in Christ, so they might be 鈥済rafted in鈥� again and receive their promised inheritance. The 鈥渘atural branches鈥� are still distinct from the 鈥渨ild branches,鈥� so that God鈥檚 covenant with His people is literally fulfilled. Romans 11:26鈥�29, citing Isaiah 59:20鈥�21; 27:9; Jeremiah 31:33鈥�34, says:

鈥淎nd so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 鈥楾he deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.鈥� As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God鈥檚 gifts and his call are irrevocable.鈥�

Here, Paul emphasizes the 鈥渋rrevocable鈥� nature of Israel鈥檚 calling as a nation (see also Romans 11:12). Isaiah predicted that a 鈥渞emnant鈥� of Israel would one day 鈥渂e called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD鈥� (Isaiah 62:12). Regardless of Israel鈥檚 current state of unbelief, a future remnant will in fact repent and fulfill their calling to establish righteousness by faith (Romans 10:1鈥�8; 11:5). This conversion will coincide with the fulfillment of Moses鈥� prediction of Israel鈥檚 permanent restoration to the land (Deuteronomy 30:1鈥�10).

When Paul says Israel will be 鈥渟aved鈥� in Romans 11:26, he refers to their deliverance from sin (verse 27) as they accept the Savior, their Messiah, in the end times. Moses said, 鈥淭he Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live鈥� (Deuteronomy 30:6). Israel鈥檚 physical inheritance of the land promised to Abraham will be an integral part of God鈥檚 ultimate plan (Deuteronomy 30:3鈥�5).

So how will 鈥渁ll Israel be saved鈥�? The details of this deliverance are filled out in passages such as Zechariah 8鈥�14 and Revelation 7鈥�19, which speak of end-times Israel at Christ鈥檚 return. The key verse describing the coming to faith of the future remnant of Israel is Zechariah 12:10, 鈥淚 will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.鈥� This occurs at the end of the tribulation prophesied in Daniel 9:24鈥�27. The apostle John references this event in Revelation 1:7. The faithful remnant of Israel is epitomized in Revelation 7:1鈥�8. These faithful ones the Lord will save and bring back to Jerusalem 鈥渋n truth and righteousness鈥� (Zechariah 8:7鈥�8, NASB).

After Israel is spiritually restored, Christ will establish His millennial kingdom on earth. Israel will be regathered from the ends of the earth (Isaiah 11:12; 62:10). The symbolic 鈥渄ry bones鈥� of Ezekiel鈥檚 vision will be brought together, covered with flesh, and miraculously resuscitated (Ezekiel 37:1鈥�14). As God promised, the salvation of Israel will involve both a spiritual awakening and a geographical home: 鈥淚 will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land鈥� (Ezekiel 37:14).

In the Day of the Lord, God will 鈥渞eclaim the surviving remnant of his people鈥� (Isaiah 11:11). Jesus Christ will return and destroy the armies gathered against Him in rebellion (Revelation 19). Sinners will be judged, and the faithful remnant of Israel will be set apart forever as God鈥檚 holy people (Zechariah 13:8鈥�14:21). Isaiah 12 is their song of deliverance; Zion will rule over all the nations under the banner of Messiah the King.