YXU
Puritan Board Freshman
And so all Israel, etc. Many understand this of the Jewish people, as though Paul had said, that religion would again be restored among them as before: but I extend the word Israel to all the people of God, according to this meaning, — “When the Gentiles shall come in, the Jews also shall return from their defection to the obedience of faith; and thus shall be completed the salvation of the whole Israel of God, which must be gathered from both; and yet in such a way that the Jews shall obtain the first place, being as it were the first-born in God’s family.” This interpretation seems to me the most suitable, because Paul intended here to set forth the completion of the kingdom of Christ, which is by no means to be confined to the Jews, but is to include the whole world. The same manner of speaking we find in Galatians 6:16. The Israel of God is what he calls the Church, gathered alike from Jews and Gentiles; and he sets the people, thus collected from their dispersion, in opposition to the carnal children of Abraham, who had departed from his faith.
Although Calvin takes all Israel to be all the elect rather than all the Jews, but he doesn't deny the future restoration of the Jews at all. Is it actually a better solution than the view that all Israel to mean Israel as a nation and body in the future?
I understand Calvin's view to be that the Israel of God (all th elect) will be complete by the final national conversion of the natural Israel as a body into the Christian church.
Any thoughts and correction?
BTW, is the land restoration part of the national conversion of the Jews into the Christian church?
Although Calvin takes all Israel to be all the elect rather than all the Jews, but he doesn't deny the future restoration of the Jews at all. Is it actually a better solution than the view that all Israel to mean Israel as a nation and body in the future?
I understand Calvin's view to be that the Israel of God (all th elect) will be complete by the final national conversion of the natural Israel as a body into the Christian church.
Any thoughts and correction?
BTW, is the land restoration part of the national conversion of the Jews into the Christian church?