According to the Apostle Paul, “Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in” (Rom. 11:25). That this hardening is “in part” means that there would always be some Jews who would come to Christ, but not many.
And there have been ever since those first eleven Jews, soon to be joined by Paul, were sent out by their Rabbi with the Great Commission. Though soon after the start of the New Testament church, for the most part the Jews rejected Christianity (Acts 8:1), and the church turned its attention to the Gentiles.
Paul deeply longed for his ethnic brothers to come to Christ (Rom. 10:1). And the hardening “in part” also means for Paul that there would come a time of a softening in great measure in the endtimes.
Historically, Jews have been among the most difficult to evangelize. Blame for this lies at the church’s own doorstep as the Bride of Christ has always had an ambivalent attitude regarding the Jews. On the one hand, they knew the Bible taught that Jewish conversions would usher the Second Coming. But, on the other hand, they resented the fact when the Jews would not convert.
Nevertheless, contrary to Roman Catholic and Lutheran antisemitic exegesis, Calvinists have always been philo-semitic, as taught in Scripture, believing that the stupendous events of the last days will include the enormous conversion of the Jews as the last of the Gentiles are reached for Christ.
There’s proof of this care for the biological children of Abraham in much contact between Dutch and English Puritans and the Jewish people who taught them a love for the Old Testament, the Covenant, Sabbath-Keeping, family piety and other themes close to the hearts of Reformed people, yet today. As Christians we hold dearly the temporarily estranged but still precious in God’s sight.
And today, before our own eyes, there are thrilling signs that God is beginning to graft back his natural branches (Rom. 11:22-31). More Jews came to Christ in the 20th Century, especially since 1970, than in the previous 1,900 years. Today, among the 15 million Jews world-wide, already over 2 million self-identify as Christians.
Also emerging are hundreds of Messianic congregations. Such have not existed since the days of the New Testament. As Hosea prophesied, “They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days” (Hosea 3:5).
Truth be told, the “full number” of the Gentiles will come in, and so too with the Jews. Still, in neither case does full number mean every last one or, likely, even most. In the last days, horrific wickedness will rapidly expand and grotesquely deepen world-wide until the great Battle of Armageddon unleashes a brutal, concerted and all-out effort to extinguish God’s remnant, whether Jews or Gentiles.
In any event, pray whole-heartedly for Jews to come to Christ. The apostolic mission, our mission, is “to the Jew first; and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). When you pray that way, you are praying for Christ to come! And his coming may be sooner than you think!
Endtimes Blog #8
North Star Ministry Consultants
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