Romans 11:25, commentary and pictures

The mystery is revealed to keep Gentile believers from becoming proud and contemptuous toward the Jews or boasting against the natural branches. The blindness that has come upon Israel is only partial and only for a time, lasting until the full number of the Gentiles comes in. Through unbelief Israel as a nation was broken off like branches from a noble olive tree, while believing Gentiles were grafted in like wild branches and now share the root. Those natural branches are not cast off forever but will be grafted back into their own olive tree when they do not remain in unbelief, unto the salvation of all Israel when ungodliness is turned from Jacob, and their receiving will be as life from the dead. Both Jews and Gentiles are to be converted, for many Jews will receive Christ and a great work is still to be done for the Jewish nation that must not be neglected but carried out with special wisdom.

Mystery and Partial Blindness

Paul would not have believers ignorant of this mystery, lest Gentile believers become wise in their own conceits, highminded and contemptuous toward the Jews, despising them or boasting against the natural branches. The mystery is given to check pride, warning against contempt and boasting and calling instead for humility toward Israel. The Jews are not cast off forever and are not to be despised, for their blindness does not end hope and many will yet be converted to receive present truth and proclaim the immutability and unchanging law of God with wonderful power.

The blindness that has happened to Israel is only in part and only for a time, lasting until the fullness or full number of the Gentiles comes in. It is partial rather than total and temporary rather than final, bounded by the coming in of the fullness of the Gentiles. Israel as a nation lost connection with God through unbelief and rejection of His purpose and was broken off like branches from a noble olive tree, while Gentile believers were grafted in like wild branches contrary to nature and now share the root. The broken natural branches can be reunited with the true stock, the remnant true to God, which is Christ Jesus and their own olive tree, if they do not remain in unbelief but accept Christ, and their regrafting will be even more natural than the grafting of the Gentiles.

The rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles belongs among the deep things of God, which finite beings comprehend little and few try to ascertain. The Bible holds beautiful truths that all may understand and at the same time deep mysteries and doctrines requiring deep thought, and this is one of them. Its meaning grows as God's Word is opened to the understanding, for the Bible is progressive and the Old and New Testaments are not understood by finite minds as they will be. Scripture is fully inspired and must not be misinterpreted, misapplied, or weakened as lightly inspired, nor must one portion be exalted above or belittled below another.

That partial blindness was seen in the Jews' bigotry, blindness of mind and hardness of heart when Paul and Barnabas first preached Christ to the Gentiles. When the Jews learned that the Messiah would be a light to the Gentiles as well as the glory of Israel, they distorted the apostles' words, could not weigh the evidence, and rejected it in rage. By contrast the Gentiles rejoiced exceedingly that Christ recognized them as children of God and listened with grateful hearts. Because of that Jewish blindness the apostles turned without hesitation to the Gentiles, preaching Christ to them and leaving the Jews to their rejection. Paul was prepared for this course by his conversion, his vision in the temple at Jerusalem, his appointment by God to preach to the Gentiles, and the success already given to his work among them.

The teaching stands in Romans 11, which closes with praise for the depth of the riches of God's wisdom and knowledge and His unsearchable judgments and ways past finding out. It leads into the lessons of Romans 12 on religious duty for the whole church to study. There every member presents his body a living sacrifice and is transformed to prove the good and perfect will of God. Each thinks soberly according to his measure of faith and does his own fitted class of work, blending with others into a complete whole.

Grafting and Future Restoration

As a nation Israel lost its connection with God through unbelief and rejection of His purpose and was broken off like branches from a noble olive tree, while believing Gentiles were grafted in like wild branches contrary to nature and now share the root. The broken natural branches were not cast off forever, for they can be reunited with the true stock if they do not remain in unbelief but accept Christ. That true stock is the remnant true to God, which is Christ Jesus Himself, their own olive tree, and their regrafting will be even more natural than the grafting of the Gentiles. Gentile salvation itself serves to provoke Israel to seek the blessings it has lost.

When the Jews abide not in unbelief they will be grafted in again unto the salvation of all Israel, when the Deliverer turns ungodliness from Jacob and takes away their sins. Their receiving will be as life from the dead.

Not the Gentiles only but the Jews also shall be gathered in, for both Jews and Gentiles are to be converted. With Christ in power going before His people a great work is still to be done for the Jewish nation by men appointed to bear the message. Jews everywhere are to receive the light of present truth and every opportunity to accept it.

Among the Jews the Lord has mighty men who will receive present truth. Many Jews everywhere will be converted, will receive Christ as Redeemer, and will come to the light. Through them the salvation of God will go forth as a lamp that burneth as they proclaim the immutability and unchanging law of God with wonderful power, for the Lord God will work and do wonderful things in righteousness. Those converted to the Bible will be a refuge in the coming conflict.

Warning and Present Mission

Romans 11 outlines a work for the Jews that must not be neglected or ignored but must be carried out with special wisdom. That work requires the wisdom of God upon His people, clearing the King's highway in all wisdom and righteousness. Jews everywhere are to be given every opportunity to receive the light of present truth and to come to the light. The partial blindness of Israel lasts only until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, for not the Gentiles only but the Jews also shall be gathered in. There is a mighty work still to be done to bring that light to them, and with Christ in power going before His people both Jews and Gentiles are to be converted by men appointed to bear the message.

Many among the Jews will be converted and come to the light. Through these converted Jews the salvation of God will go forth as a lamp that burneth, and they will proclaim the immutability and unchanging law of God with wonderful power, for the Lord God will work and do wonderful things in righteousness. The blindness that has happened to Israel is only in part and does not end hope for the Jews, for the seed of Israel may still be grafted into the true stock, Christ Jesus, their own olive tree, when they accept Christ and abide not in unbelief. This calls for patient, sustained work for the Jewish people to bring them to Christ. A place of refuge is to be provided for Jews who accept Christ and are cut off from their people, where those converts are taught how to work for their own people.

Blindness in part is failure to discern the sacredness of God's work, shown in selfishness and withholding what belongs to God. It is seen in those who pursue higher wages with a selfish, grasping spirit and treat their duty as finished, bringing robbery of God and strange fire into sacred work. That selfishness spreads to others like leprosy. Blindness in part has happened unto Israel in this day unto teachers and unto those who are taught, a lack of spiritual discernment affecting both, including people in Battle Creek.

That present blindness calls all who fear God to ask who is sufficient for these things, because clear spiritual discernment is needed. Fanciful representations and deceptive spiritualistic sophistries about the sanctuary and the atonement steal in unperceived by men who ought through a clear understanding of the Scriptures to see the danger and sound warning. There is no virtue in following such blind leading, for blind human judgment cannot comprehend God's work and its burdens and taxes. Counsel known not to be from God must not be followed even at personal sacrifice, but one must refuse to trust any man and make flesh an arm, and look to Christ who speaks as never man spoke and follow the way He points out.

The phrase describes men in high positions who resist correction and may mislead others, who must be distrusted and feared lest they lead souls astray. Blindness in part can happen when judgment is perverted by preference, sympathy and familiarity clouding discernment. One who is not proof against the preference shown him loses sound common sense and reason from cause to effect, and enters into details of church work of caring for women that God never appointed him to do, showing partial blindness of judgment. Blindness coming upon Israel is a true spiritual condition where people do not know their own state and lack the convicting, converting power of the Spirit of God, and that condition calls for a plain message telling them their true spiritual condition.

A partial blindness comes when those carrying responsibility link closely with men not in living connection with God, depending on them and sending them to important places and giving them place in councils. This puts more power in their hands and brings other institutions under principles not in clear light. Blindness of mind has happened to Israel in that the doctrines of grace and truth are not really understood by the larger number of students and church members. The blindness rests upon brethren in responsible positions who turn things upside down and depart from the faith once delivered to the saints. It is a partial spiritual blindness that hides from selfish, grasping men the true state of their hearts, their lack of Christ's self-denial and self-sacrifice, and their oppressive, wrong management that restricts the freedom of others in the work.