All Israel Shall Be Saved| Who Is Israel?
Dispensationalism claims that at some point in the future, in fulfillment of Romans 11:25-27 “all Israel shall be saved.” The entire paradigm hinges on the identity of “Israel.” It is insisted– and I accept that premise– that Paul was talking about “ethnic” Israel. The problem is that since AD 70– when all genealogical records were destroyed– to the present, there is no such thing as a nation of Israel, descended from Abraham! Now, I realize that this is a stunning claim, and some will undoubtedly claim “anti-semitism.” But, I urge you to read the following quotes that are taken from scholarly sources– even “Jewish” sources. The question is, who is Israel?
The Identity of Israel| What Do the Jewish Sources Say?
Take a look at the following quotes from the Encyclopedia Judaica (a source that can hardly be called “anti-semitic).
Encyclopedia Judaica Jerusalem (1971 / 1986)
“It is a common assumption, and one that sometimes seems ineradicable even in the face of evidence tothe contrary, that the Jews of today constitute a race, a homogeneous entity easily recognizable. From the preceding discussion of the origin and early history of the Jews, it should be clear that in the course of their formation as a people and a nation they had already assimilated a variety of racial strains from people moving into the general area they occupied. This had taken place by interbreeding and then by conversion to Judaism of a considerable number of communities.
. . .
“Thus, the diversity of the racial and genetic attributes of various Jewish colonies of today renders any unified racial classification of them a contradiction in terms. Despite this, many people readily accept the notion that they are a distinct race. This is probably reinforced by the fact that some Jews are recognizably different in appearance from the surrounding population. That many cannot be easily identified is overlooked and the stereotype for some is extended to all – a not uncommon phenomenon” (Encyclopedia Judaica Jerusalem, 1971, vol. 3, p. 50 / also 1986).
Note what Collier’s Encyclopedia (1977) has to say:
“A common error and persistent modern myth is the designation of the Jews as a ‘race! This is scientifically fallacious, from the standpoint of both physical and historical tradition. Investigations by anthropologists have shown that Jews are by no means uniform in physical character and that they nearly always reflect the physical and mental characteristics of the people among whom they five” (Collier’s Encyclopedia, 1977, vol. 13, p. 573).
Do not forget that Dr. Michael Brown and I will be debating Romans 11:25-27 on May 19, at 4:30 eastern time, live on YouTube. Dr. Brown and I have already had one debate on “all Israel shall be saved” and that debate has been viewed 20,000 times! This second debate promises to be great, as we discuss “the fullness of the Gentiles” and, “the times of the Gentiles” (Of Luke 21:24). You can watch the first debate here, to get a good feel for the next debate.
There Is No Ethnic All Israel Today!
Thus, Jewish sources and anthropological studies prove that Israel of today is not an ethnic nation, not Israel of Romans 11:25-27! The idea of “the Jews as a race” is “fallacious”! The sources- Jewish sources – tell us that the idea of a homogenous blood line descended from Abraham expressed in a distinct race today, is a myth, unsupported by science and anthropology! Do you catch the power of that??? This is more than stunning!
I could multiply these kinds of quotes many times over. For more information and documentation see my book, Israel 1948: Countdown to No Where. The fact is that when Bible students cite Romans 11 and Paul’s promise that “all Israel shall be saved” and apply that promise to modern “Israel” they are inappropriately applying those promises to a people that are not even the ethnic Israel that Paul was discussing! The promise that “all Israel shall be saved” had to have been fulfilled while that “ethnic nation” of Israel still could be confirmed genealogically, and, to repeat, those genealogies were destroyed in AD 70. Paul’s promise “all Israel shall be saved” had to have been fulfilled prior to, or no later than AD 70.
