Will all Jews be saved?

Paul writes in Romans 11:26 that “All Israel will be saved.” After Jesus was condemned by the Jewish priesthood, He was sent to the Roman governor on trumped up charges. Pontius Pilate offered the Jewish mob the choice of releasing either Jesus or a hardened criminal named Barabbas. The Jewish crowd chose Barabbas to be released. This compelled Pilate to sentence Jesus to death by crucifixion. The Jews there shouted, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!” Since then, the Jews have been labeled as “Christ killers.” This epithet has been used extensively to defame the Jews. Yet, the United States Constitution forbids discrimination against any person because of his or her religion. Article 1 of the Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”  Consequently, no citizen has the right to condemn the Jews (who follow Judaism) or those who follow other non-Christian faiths.The Jews worship God, but they denounce the Trinity and do not accept Jesus as Savior. Two thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul wrote, “All Israel will be saved.” The pronoun “all” means everyone of a certain class. Therefore, “all” Israel includes such patriarchs as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all past, present and future descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel. By searching multiple Bible commentaries, you will discover that “all”—specifically in Romans 11:26—does not mean all Jewish people throughout history. Some commentators propose that “all” refers to a “remnant” of the Jewish people who achieve salvation. This is based on Romans 9:27, which states, “Even though the children of Israel are as numerous as the sands of the sea, a remnant will be saved.” In Romans 11:25-32, Paul explained how the falling away of the Jews could be fitted into God’s overall plan of salvation; namely, God temporarily hardened the hearts of the Jews in order to open a way for the Gentiles to come into the fold of Christian believers. To make his point, Paul employed the analogy of an olive tree, which symbolized the nation of Israel. When the Jews refused to believe in Christ, a branch of the olive tree was broken off. This broken-off branch was replaced by a “wild” olive tree branch—representing the Gentiles who came into the kingdom. If the Jews, who represent the broken-off branch, change their views and profess belief in Christ, they will be grafted back into the original olive tree, sayeth Paul. Paul appeared certain this hardening of the Jews was only temporary and would one day be reversed. Deuteronomy 7:6 clearly states that the “Jews are God’s chosen people.” In Romans 9:21, Paul writes: “Does not the Potter have power to make one lump of clay for honor and another for dishonor?”In closing, the fact remains that, 2,000 years after the time of Jesus, the Jews continue to reject the Savior.

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