Romans 11.26-Paul Cites Isaiah 59.20 To Teach That There Will Be A National Regeneration Of Israel At Christ's Second Advent
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday August 23, 2009
Romans: Romans 11:26-Paul Cites Isaiah 59:20 To Teach That There Will Be A National Regeneration Of Israel At Christ’s Second Advent
Lesson # 381
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 11:25.
This morning we will note Romans 11:26 and in this passage, Paul cites Isaiah 59:20 to support his assertion that there will be a national regeneration of Israel and to teach that it will take place at Christ’s Second Advent.
Romans 11:25, “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.”
Romans 11:26, “And so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.’”
Romans 11:26 teaches that at the Second Advent of Christ and immediately after the full number of Gentiles that have been elected by the Father in eternity past have been saved there will be a national regeneration of Israel.
“So” is the adverb of manner houtos (ou^tw$) (hoo-tos), which refers to the quotation from Isaiah 59:20-21 and 27:9 indicating that the manner in which there will be a national regeneration of Israel is through Christ’s Second Advent since this quotation refers to the Second Advent.
“All” is the nominative masculine singular form of the adjective pas (pa$), which is modifying the proper name Israel and is not referring to each and every citizen of the nation of Israel but rather it refers to the nation as a whole.
It is used to denote a large and representative number from a group and refers to the majority of the citizens of the nation of Israel at the time of Christ’s Second Christ who will trust in Him as their Savior.
So pas is referring to the national regeneration of Israel at the Second Advent of Christ in which at that time the majority of Jews in Israel will exercise faith in Christ so as to be saved in contrast to His First Advent when the majority of Jews rejected Christ and only a remnant believed.
We know that some in Israel at that time will reject Christ since the Scriptures teach that the Lord will judge Israel immediately after His Second Advent and will have His elect angels remove every unbeliever from the nation (Ezekiel 20:37-38; Zechariah 13:8-9; Malachi 3:2-3, 5; Matthew 25:1-30).
So Paul is using pas here in Romans 11:26 much like we would say in America that “the whole country watched the events of 911 transpire on television!”
Of course not each and every person would have done so but the idea behind the statement is that a good majority in the country did watch the events of 911.
Romans 11:26, “And so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.’”
“Israel” is the nominative masculine singular form of the proper name Israel ( )Israh/l), which refers to the nation of Israel as a corporate entity at the time of Christ’s Second Advent without reference to spiritual status whether saved or unsaved, which is denoted by the adjective pas, “all.”
“Will be saved” is the third person singular future passive indicative form of the verb sozo (swv|zw) (sode-zo), which is used with reference to those Jews in Israel at the time of Christ’s Second Advent who will trust in Jesus of Nazareth, the incarnate Son of God as Messiah.
It speaks of these Jews being delivered not only in a temporal sense from Satan, Antichrist and the Tribulational armies but more importantly being delivered in a spiritual sense from eternal condemnation as well as personal sin, the sin nature as well as Satan and his cosmic system.
The verb is used here with reference to the national regeneration of Israel that will take place at the Second Advent of Christ, which is indicated by the quotation that follows that is from Isaiah 59:20-21 and 27:9.
This prophecy in Romans 11:26 that there will be a national regeneration of Israel at Christ’s Second Advent is taught throughout the Old Testament.
Zechariah 12:10-14 records that at the Second Advent the nation of Israel will mourn as a nation over their past rejection of Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah and will acknowledge Him as such and will turn to Him for deliverance from Antichrist and the Tribulational armies.
On the Day of Atonement, at the Second Advent of Christ, Israel will as a nation trust in Jesus Christ as Savior (Ezekiel 37; Zechariah 12:10; 14:9-21).
In order to be the subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ during His millennial reign, Israel will be made righteous (Isaiah 1:25; 2:4; 44:22-24; 45:17-25; 48:17; 55:7; 57:18-19; 63:16; Jeremiah 31:11; 33:8 50:20; 34; Ezekiel 36:25-26 Hosea 14:4; Joel 3:21; Micah 7:18-19; Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:2-3).
Paul’s statement in Romans 11:26a that “all Israel will be saved,” which refers to the national regeneration of Israel at Christ’s Second Advent is echoing Paul’s previous statements in Romans 11:12 and 15.
Romans 11:26, “And so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.’”
“Just as it is written” introduces an Old Testament passage, namely, Isaiah 59:20, which supports Paul’s statement in Romans 11:26a that “all Israel will be saved.”
Isaiah 59:20, “A Redeemer will come to Zion and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the LORD.
In Romans 11:27, Paul cites a combination of Isaiah 59:21 and 27:9 as further support for his prediction in Romans 11:26 that there will be a national regeneration of Israel.
So in Romans 11:26b-27 to validate his assertion in Romans 11:26a that there will be a national regeneration of Israel and to teach that this will take place at Christ’s Second Advent, Paul quotes Isaiah 59:20-21 and 27:9.
“THE DELIVERER” is a title referring to the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Luke 21:25-28, the Lord Jesus in His Olivet Discourse replying to a question as to the time of His return to deliver Israel teaches that He will deliver Israel at His Second Advent.
Revelation 19:11-20:3 teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ will deliver Israel at His Second Advent in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Deuteronomy 30:3; Psalm 2:1-9; 24:7-10; 96:10-13; 110; Isaiah 9:6-7; 63:1-6; Jeremiah 23:1-8; Daniel 2:44-45; 7:18-27; Zechariah 12; 14).
Paul teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ will deliver Israel at His Second Advent (2 Thessalonians 1:1-10; 2:1-8).
Romans 11:26, “And so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.’”
“WILL COME” is the third person singular future active indicative form of the verb heko (h%kw) (hay-ko), which means “to arrive” and refers to the Lord Jesus Christ’s arrival on planet earth at the Mount of Olives at His Second Advent from the third heaven at the right hand of the Father.
“FROM ZION” is composed of the preposition ek (e)k), “IN” and the genitive feminine singular form of the noun Sion (Siwvn) (see-own), “ZION.”
“Zion” refers to the heavenly Jerusalem located in the third heaven since the Scriptures teach that Christ will descend from heaven and land on the Mount of Olives at His Second Advent to deliver Israel from Satan, Antichrist and the Tribulational armies prompting a national regeneration in Israel at that time.
The word functions as the object of the preposition ek, which functions as a marker of source indicating that Zion in heaven, the heavenly Jerusalem is Christ’s point of origin when He arrives on planet earth at His Second Advent.
“HE WILL REMOVE” is the third person singular future active indicative form of the verb apostrepho (a)postrevfw) (ap-os-tref-o), which is used with the Lord Jesus Christ as the subject and the ungodly in Israel as its object and means “to remove.”
It refers to the Lord Jesus Christ “removing” the unsaved from the nation of Israel when He judges the nation subsequent to His Second Advent.
This judgment is prophesied in Ezekiel 20:33-38.
“UNGODLINESS” refers to those Jews in Israel at the time of Christ’s Second Advent and describes them as having a lack of reverence for God as manifested in their thinking, speaking and acting in a manner contrary or against the laws of God or His character and nature.
The word is not speaking of godless acts but godless individuals since the way the Lord will remove godless acts is to remove the unbelievers whose behavior is ungodly as indicated by the prophesy in Ezekiel 20:33-38.
“FROM JACOB” indicates that immediately after His Second Advent when He judges Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ will “totally and completely separate from” the unbelievers in Israel those who are saved in the nation.
So in Romans 11:26, the apostle Paul cites Isaiah 59:20 to support his assertion that immediately after the full number of Gentiles that have been elected by the Father in eternity past have been saved there will be a national regeneration of Israel at Christ’s Second Advent.