Read Will ‘All’ Israel Be Saved? Part 1
Remnant Verses
This concept of “the remnant” as that part of Israel which would be saved has its roots in the Old Testament and it appears frequently. Time and space do not permit us to list every “remnant” verse here, but several are sufficient to make the point (italics added):
- Isaiah 10:20-22: “Now in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant within them will return; a destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.”
- Jeremiah 23:3: “Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply.”
- Jeremiah 31:7: “For thus says the Lord, ‘Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise and say, ‘O Lord, save Your people, the remnant of Israel’.”
- Micah 2:12: “I will surely assemble all of you, Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together like sheep in the fold; Like a flock in the midst of its pasture they will be noisy with men.”
- Micah 5:7: “Then the remnant of Jacob will be among many peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on vegetation which do not wait for man or delay for the sons of men.”
- Micah 5:8: “The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, among many peoples like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which, if he passes through, tramples down and tears, and there is none to rescue.”
- Zephaniah 3:13: “The remnant of Israel will do no wrong and tell no lies, nor will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths; for they will feed and lie down with no one to make them tremble.”
In summary, then, the “remnant” of Israel is synonymous with “saved” Israel – those Jewish people who have repented of their sin and put their trust in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. This remnant of the Jewish population is written of in Isaiah 59:20: “‘A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,’ declares the Lord.”
What about the Rest of Israel?
The “rest” of Israel are those who have not given their lives to Jesus Christ. What will be their fate? The ultimate answer lies in Zechariah 13:7-8, a clear Last Days passage regarding Israel at the very end of this age of human history just before Jesus Christ returns to Earth. We read (emphasis added):
“‘Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man, My Associate,’ declares the LORD of hosts. ‘Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; and I will turn My hand against the little ones. It will come about in all the land,’ declares the LORD, “That two parts in it [two-thirds of the world’s population] will be cut off and perish; but the third [the remnant] will be left in it.”
There is some disagreement among Bible students whether this means two-thirds of the Jewish people in just Israel will be destroyed, or two-thirds of world’s Jewish population. I lean to the latter, but with the caveat that the vast majority of the world’s Jewish population will have relocated to Israel by the time we reach the end of the age.
That two-thirds of the Jewish people will be destroyed at the end of the age at the time God’s wrath being poured out upon the world should not come as a surprise. (The demise of the two-thirds will be accomplished by a combination of God’s direct judgment, anti-Semitism, the fury of the Antichrist, and the violence and warfare which will characterize the end of the age.)
In a very general sense, unsaved Jewish people are no different than any other unsaved people. They are “[born] in iniquity” (Psalm 51:5), as are all people, and without finding their atonement in Christ, the “wrath of God abides on”them (John 3:36), as it does with all people.
For the most part, modern-day Israel is a secular nation which does not acknowledge her God and Creator, and she is home to just as much godlessness and immorality as any other Western nation. Israel is, for the most part, a nation steeped in unbelief, and her people live that way. End-of-the-age judgment will sweep over her as it will for the rest of the world. In Israel’s case, this end-times judgment will claim the lives of two-thirds of the population.
The “Non-Remnant” and the “Remnant”
In review, we have carefully looked at the phrase “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26). We have asserted that this is a deeply misunderstood phrase, and have identified the word “all” as the “remnant.” Now, if there is a “remnant,”then there must be those outside of the remnant. Let’s quickly identify them.
The “non-remnant” is found in Zechariah 13:8:
“‘It will come about in all the land,” declares the LORD, ‘That two parts in it [two-thirds of the world’s population] will be cut off and perish …’”
This two-thirds which will be destroyed is the “non-remnant.”
The “remnant” is found in Zechariah 13:9:
“‘And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”
This is the “all Israel” of which Paul writes in Romans 11:26.
The Crucial Conclusion
The stark truth is this: The Jewish people are NOT automatically saved because they are born Jewish! John the Baptist made this indisputably clear when he rebuked the crowds with this blunt proclamation:
“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, “We have Abraham for our father”; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham’” (Matthew 3:7-9).
What does this mean? It means that simply being born Jewish is no guarantee of salvation. Jewish people must receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior in order to be saved, and there were, are, and will be Jews who have and will do precisely this. This is Paul’s “all Israel” – the remnant who will be saved. Bible scholar William MacDonald said it well:
“When Paul says that ‘all Israel will be saved,’ he means ALL BELIEVING ISRAEL. The unbelieving portion will be destroyed at the second advent of Christ. Only those who say, ‘Blessed is He comes in the name of the Lord,’ will be spared to enter the Millennial [1,000-year] Kingdom (William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, Thomas Nelson, 1995, p. 1727).
So, what’s the crucial conclusion for believers regarding the Jewish people? It’s this: Because the term “all” is limited in a theological sense, and that not every Jewish person who ever lived is automatically saved, believers must be actively reaching out to the Jewish people with the Gospel message that Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation. Paul states this eloquently in Romans 10:12-17, and it is only fitting that we let him have the final word:
“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for ‘Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!’ However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
David Ettinger was born and raised in a Jewish family in New York. After moving to New Mexico as an adult, he suffered through many trials. The nudge of the Holy Spirit caused him to examine his heart and in 1986 he surrendered his life to Jesus and has walked with Him ever since. David holds a BA, and MA, in English from New Mexico State University. He began his journalism career writing for The Roundup, the university paper. After graduation he became the sportswriter for the El Paso Times. He has held many other positions as both writer and editor with major publications. David is active in providing his skills with Zion’s Hope, Inc., in Winter Garden, Florida. His publications include Lifeway publications, Single Parent magazine (Focus on the Family), Zion’s Fire magazine, and Real Life magazine. In addition, he served as managing editor for Zion’s Fire and Real Life. David’s book, Overcomers: 30 Stories of Triumph from the Bible, is available online. David is proud of his son and grandson. Please read his testimony here, on his website.
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