Simply put, according to Scripture, the church is the chosen vessel of God to breathe spiritual life back into Israel. The apostle Paul makes this clear to us not only with an example of his own life and deeds, but also in Romans 11 as he reminds us about the mercy that we have received from God through our own salvation, that now we would release that mercy back to Israel.
"Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you" (Rom. 11:30-31).
Also in Romans, Paul encourages us speaking specifically about reaching the Jewish people, "How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" (Rom. 10:14).
Weren't most of us blind before we could see? So, shouldn't we be operating out of love and grace for those who are still blind? This would include the Jewish people, who have been supernaturally blinded by God Himself until the appointed time of their redemption (Is. 6:9-10). Should the flavor and the saltiness of our salvation and ongoing relationship with Yeshua/Jesus be like a fountain flowing from our hearts into the lives of those all around us who have yet to taste and see that the Lord is good?
Yet Israel's spiritual blindness has truly baffled us, with many in the church saying that God is finished with Israel, or has even replaced her. Yet the same text tells us that their hardening is only temporary, and as we come into the fullness of the Gentiles, so it says that all Israel will be saved. (Rom. 11:25-26) Jesus Himself has told us that the first would be last. In other words, His firstborn children must be spiritually awakened and re-grafted back into the Olive Tree at the end (the last), before Jesus can return in fulfillment of the covenants toward them and the numerous Scriptures to restore them back into the family of God.
If you are still unclear about this and God's unfailing love for Israel, which by the way does not condone everything they do, because they are still in need of redemption, listen to the prophet Jeremiah who had the daunting task of facing Israel's rebellion. "Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done," declares the Lord (Jer. 31:37).
What Does 'All Israel' Mean?
It also may help us to better understand what the phrase all Israel actually means. While it is obviously a remnant, the Scriptures here relating to all Israel are different from the others in Romans; the key word being UNTIL, which means "up to the time of." When you tie this verse into other Scripture like Zech. 12:10, which speaks of a mass awakening of Israel, we know that their hardening will come to an end.
If you word search "remnant" in Romans, two references come up. The first in 9:27 tells us that as a total only a remnant will be saved and that is true, because many rejected over all time. The second reference is more specific to a particular time, which not only includes all of the apostles and all of the Jews who founded the church from the time of Messiah up until the time of Israel's awakening. But it also includes Jews like myself who have been chosen during this time of ingathering and focus of the rest of God's sheep from the nations (John 10:16). We are a remnant chosen by grace. However, the awakening at the end is different, as the hardening is lifted when the Father's work is completed in the nations. Just like at one time, the Gentiles ingathering into the kingdom was still a mystery (Col. 1:27), so with Israel's awakening another mystery is revealed. The last shall be first and the first last. In addition verse 26 in Romans 11 ties in perfectly here to Ezekiel's prophecies (Ez. 36:22-28; 37:9-11)."Where God will turn godliness away from Jacob. And this is my Covenant with them when I take away their sins."
As we near the time of the fullness of the Gentiles, which I believe we are quickly approaching, something different takes place with the people of Israel. The veil, the hardening that has been in place for over 2,500 years, gets removed (Is. 6:9-10), and they are fully awakened. This is the mystery revealed, as Israel is also part of the bride that must be prepared for His coming. In this manner the spiritual family becomes complete between Jew and Gentile, and Israel along with her commonwealth from the nations are in place to rule and reign as co-heirs with Yeshua/Jesus, when He comes!
Even here though there is a falling away if we believe the fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecies to be taking place at the end here, as opposed to 135 AD (Zech. 13:8), when Jerusalem was ransacked right before the end and two-thirds perish, with only one-third remaining. However, whoever is left, obviously a remnant, MUST be fully awakened and restored, because once that veil gets lifted, every Jew will come into repentance, so that the broken-off branch gets re-grafted back in and the family is then complete for Jesus' return. But this does not happen on its own, just with the Father and Israel as the church now thinks and believes.
The Father's Glory Plan
This is the Father's glory plan to show Himself through Israel's spiritual awakening to the nations (Ez. 36:22-28), but also through the church to work through them with His mercy; our intercession and evangelism (Ez. 37:9-11). Does this help you to understand this better? Can we please try to consider that as we enter this time of transition into the fullness of the Gentiles that perhaps there are adjustments that we will need to make concerning Israel and this spiritual awakening, which must take place? Looking at time as a whole may help us to better understand this. For hasn't God now spent equal time on His Jewish and Gentile family throughout history? Two thousand years on His firstborn children since Abraham's call and two thousand years on His children from the nations. However, as we come down to the end, we know that Israel must be spiritually restored. So the Holy Spirit is beginning to move us into this direction so that Israel can be awakened and the bride prepared for His coming. As a result, this time we are coming into is different from the past, as the family must be reconnected spiritually and become one.
However, what we may not have seen properly up until this time is that we are intricately linked together to bring about God's glory upon the Earth. I believe this to be God's design to finally unite His family between Jew and Gentile. For if Israel's spiritual awakening will bring this glory (Ez. 36:22-28), who is it that will breathe life back into them? Will it just be between them and God, or does God always work through humankind to bring about His plans? Didn't God work through Israel to bring the gospel to the nations through His Jewish apostles? Now, in turn, to complete the family circle, He desires to work through us in His church to help breathe that life back into the Jewish people. It makes perfect sense when you think of it in this family light. What a plan!
I always say that if we truly knew the significance and consequences of this transaction in us, we would actually run to it with all of our heart, with all our might, and with all our strength!
Grant Berry is a Jewish believer in Yeshua/Jesus and author of The New Covenant Prophecy and The Ezekiel Generation. He has founded Reconnecting Ministries with the specific focus to help the church reconnect spiritually to Israel and considers it vital to the kingdom of G-d in the last days. His message focuses on the unity, love and healing that the Father wants to bring between Jew and Gentile yet clearly points out the differences and misunderstandings between the two groups. Now is the time to look more carefully into this mystery to make way for healing and reconnection in the Spirit. For more information, please visit reconnectingministries.org.
