Introduction

† Romans 11:25 is one of the most misunderstood passages in the New Testament. Many believe Paul was predicting that after the last Gentile has come to Christ, God will once again turn His attention to national Israel. But when Romans 9-11 is read as one continuous argument, Paul is explaining how God was bringing both Jews and Gentiles into one covenant people during his own generation. The "fullness of the Gentiles" refers to the completion of God's covenant purpose to gather the nations into Christ before the end of the Old Covenant age.

Romans 11:25

For I do not want you, brothers and sisters, 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;

† Paul calls this a mystery because God's plan to unite believing Jews and Gentiles into one body had now been revealed. (Ephesians 3:3-6; Colossians 1:26-27)
† Israel's hardening was only partial because a believing remnant already existed throughout Paul's ministry. (Romans 11:5; Acts 28:23-28)
† The word "until" describes the duration of Israel's partial hardening during the apostolic mission to the Gentiles. It doesn't require another future covenant program for national Israel. (Acts 13:46-48; Hebrews 8:13)

Romans 11:17-24

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. See then the kindness and severity of God: to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; for otherwise you too will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

† Paul describes one olive tree, not two separate covenant peoples. (Ephesians 2:14-16; Galatians 3:28-29)
† Believing Gentiles were grafted into the existing covenant promises, while unbelieving Jews were broken off because of unbelief. (Romans 9:6-8; John 15:1-6)
† Nothing in this passage teaches God would later establish a separate covenant program for national Israel.

Romans 11:26-27

and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written:

"The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob."
"This is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins."

† "All Israel" must be understood in the context of the one olive tree Paul has just described.
† The salvation of Israel came through Christ by bringing together the believing remnant of Israel and believing Gentiles into one covenant people. (Romans 11:5; Ephesians 2:11-22)
† Paul points to the New Covenant promise of forgiveness fulfilled in Christ, not to a future restoration of national Israel. (Hebrews 8:6-13; Luke 22:20)

Ephesians 3:5-6

which in other generations was not made known to mankind, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,

† The mystery was not a future restoration of national Israel.
† The mystery was that believing Gentiles were now equal heirs with believing Jews in Christ. (Galatians 3:26-29; Ephesians 2:11-22)
† Paul says this mystery had already been revealed during the apostolic age.

Luke 21:24

and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

† Jesus also spoke of an "until" concerning the Gentiles.
† The times of the Gentiles referred to the period leading up to Jerusalem's destruction, when God completed His covenant purpose among the nations. (Luke 21:20-22; Matthew 24:34)
† Jesus placed this fulfillment within that generation, not thousands of years into the future.

Romans 9:6-8

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "through Isaac your descendants shall be named." That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.

† Paul defines true Israel before he ever reaches chapter 11.
† Covenant identity has always been based on God's promise rather than physical ancestry. (Galatians 3:16; Galatians 3:29)
† This passage prevents us from reading Romans 11 as though Paul suddenly switched to speaking about every ethnic descendant of Abraham.

Acts 15:14-18

Simeon has described how God first concerned Himself about taking a people for His name from among the Gentiles. The words of the Prophets agree with this, just as it is written:

'After these things I will return,
And I will rebuild the fallen tabernacle of David,
And I will rebuild its ruins,
And I will restore it,
So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,'
Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago.

† James declared that the inclusion of the Gentiles was fulfilling Old Testament prophecy in his own day.
† He didn't postpone Amos' prophecy to a distant future generation.
† The apostles understood they were witnessing the fulfillment of God's promise to gather the nations into Christ. (Amos 9:11-12; Acts 2:16-21)

Galatians 3:28-29

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.

† God's promise now belongs to everyone who is in Christ.
† Paul identifies believers as Abraham's seed regardless of ethnic background.
† The inheritance is found in Christ rather than in membership within an earthly nation. (Romans 4:13-16; Ephesians 2:19)

Ephesians 2:14-16

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace; and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the hostility.

† Christ didn't preserve two covenant peoples.
† He created one new man from believing Jews and believing Gentiles.
† The New Covenant united God's people rather than separating them into future prophetic programs. (John 10:16; Colossians 3:11)

Colossians 1:5-6

because of the hope reserved for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth;

† Paul describes the gospel spreading throughout the known world during the first century.
† The fullness of the Gentiles wasn't the last Gentile who would ever believe.
† It was the completion of God's covenant mission to bring the nations into Christ before the Old Covenant came to its end. (Matthew 24:14; Romans 16:25-26)

Matthew 21:43

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruit.

† Jesus announced that covenant privileges would pass from unbelieving Israel to His faithful covenant people.
† This transfer was fulfilled through the establishment of the New Covenant Church made up of believing Jews and Gentiles. (1 Peter 2:9-10; Ephesians 2:19-22)
† Jesus never taught that the kingdom would later return to national Israel.

Hebrews 8:13

When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is about to disappear.

† Hebrews confirms the Old Covenant was passing away during the apostolic age.
† Romans 11 belongs within this same period of covenant transition.
† Once the Old Covenant vanished, God's New Covenant people stood complete in Christ. (Luke 21:20-22; Hebrews 12:22-24)

Historical References

† Josephus records the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, bringing the Old Covenant system to its end exactly as Jesus foretold.
† Eusebius records the rapid spread of the gospel throughout the Roman Empire before Jerusalem's destruction, demonstrating the success of the apostolic mission to the Gentiles.
† The early church understood that it was living in the closing days of the Old Covenant as the gospel was gathering God's people from both Jews and Gentiles.

How It Applies To Us Today

† Our confidence rests in Christ's completed covenant work, not in waiting for God to restart the Old Covenant with national Israel.
† Every believer today stands on equal ground in Christ regardless of nationality because there is one body and one people of God. (Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:14-16)
† We continue preaching the gospel because Christ's kingdom continues to grow, not because Bible prophecy remains unfinished.

Q & A Appendix

Q: Does "the fullness of the Gentiles" mean the last Gentile who will ever be saved?
A: No. Paul is describing the completion of God's first-century mission to bring the Gentiles into the New Covenant during Israel's partial hardening. (Romans 11:25; Ephesians 3:5-6; Acts 15:14-18)

Q: Does Romans 11 teach that God will one day return to the modern nation of Israel?
A: No. Paul teaches that believing Jews and believing Gentiles together became one olive tree and one covenant people in Christ. (Romans 11:17-24; Ephesians 2:11-22; Galatians 3:28-29)

Q: Why did Paul say Israel was hardened "until"?
A: The hardening lasted during the apostolic mission to the Gentiles. Once God's covenant purpose was completed, the Old Covenant passed away just as Scripture promised. (Romans 11:25; Hebrews 8:13; Luke 21:20-24)

Q: Does the word "until" mean God must return to dealing with national Israel afterward?
A: No. The word "until" marks the duration of a condition but doesn't require the previous condition to resume. Christ sits at the Father's right hand until His enemies are made His footstool, yet He doesn't stop reigning afterward. Likewise, Israel's partial hardening lasted until God's purpose of bringing in the fullness of the Gentiles was accomplished. (Hebrews 10:12-13; Romans 11:25)

Q: If "the fullness of the Gentiles" has already come in, why are Gentiles still being saved today?

A: The fullness of the Gentiles refers to the completion of God's covenant purpose of bringing the Gentiles into the New Covenant during the apostolic age. It does not mean God would stop saving Gentiles afterward. The gospel continues to be preached because Christ's kingdom is everlasting and people continue to come to Him by faith. (Romans 11:25; Acts 15:14-18; Matthew 28:18-20)

Q: Doesn't God still owe national Israel the promises made to Abraham?

A: No. God's promises to Abraham are fulfilled in Christ. Everyone who belongs to Christ is Abraham's seed and an heir according to the promise. The promises were never guaranteed to every physical descendant, but to the children of promise who are in Christ. (Galatians 3:16, 28-29; Romans 9:6-8; 2 Corinthians 1:20)

This is the fulfilled perspective we proclaim at Fulfilled Prophecies †
© Fulfilled Prophecies - Dan Maines.

Source Index

† Romans 11:25; Romans 11:17-24; Romans 11:26-27; Ephesians 3:5-6; Romans 9:6-8; Luke 21:24; Acts 15:14-18; Galatians 3:28-29; Ephesians 2:14-16; Colossians 1:5-6; Matthew 21:43; Hebrews 8:13
† Historical writers: Josephus; Eusebius