Israel is currently under a temporary disconnection of fellowship with God. Until the time of the Gentiles ends, He will keep Israel set aside from Him. But eventually God will redeem Israel from her sins, and bring salvation to her.
Paul does not want the Gentile brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery. Paul is explaining the future of Israel to the Gentiles so that you will not be wise in your own estimation. There is an interlude that’s been placed in history where God is no longer dealing predominantly with Israel. He’s now dealing predominantly with Gentiles. This is observable elsewhere in the Bible, such as Daniel’s 70 weeks’ prophecy (Daniel 9).
In Daniel’s 70 weeks’ prophecy, the angel tells Daniel there’s been 70 weeks (of years, so 490 total years) decreed for his people, Israel, and the Messiah is going to be cut off after 69 weeks (of years, or 483 years). In the 70th week, a great tribulation will occur (Matt 24:15-22), and then the restoration of Israel will happen and Jesus will take his place as the reigning king on the throne of David (2 Samuel 7:13).
We are currently between the 69th and the 70th “week,” or period of seven years, of Daniel. That clock has been stopped for around two thousand years now. This is the time of the Gentiles. And the Scripture doesn’t tell us how long that will last. The main teaching in the Scripture about the 70th “week” (seven year period) is: Always be ready for Christ’s return.
A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, but Paul declares that all Israel will be saved. Daniel’s 70 weeks’ prophecy was to Israel, and referred directly to all Israel being saved. Paul emphasizes this in verse 26. He references the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 59:20,21) to show that God has promised to redeem Israel. In verse 20, Paul will insist that God does not revoke His promises. There is hope for the Jews, there is a promise from God that He will take away their sins. “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” This is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.” In Acts 28:20, Paul says he is bound in chains for the hope of Israel, and he is referring to Jesus. Jesus is the hope of Israel, as well as all Gentiles. Jesus died for the sins of the world, and verse 27 promises a day when God will take away the sins of Israel.
We are not told the mechanism of how “all Israel” will be saved. Since the entire book of Romans emphasizes over and over that righteousness comes by faith, from beginning to end (the theme verse of the letter, Romans 1:16-17) this statement must not in any way overthrow faith. One possibility is suggested from Jesus’ explanation of the parable of the wheat and tares in Matthew 13:36-43. Jesus states that the tares are sons of the evil one at the end of the age. These wicked ones are gathered out of the kingdom by the angels and cast into a furnace of fire. Perhaps that is the way “all Israel” is saved, by first cleansing Israel of all stumbling blocks (offenders) against the righteousness of God. And we know from Romans that those who have believed do not offend God, because believers are covered with the blood of Jesus.
Biblical Text
25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
27 “This is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
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