How does dispensationalism reconcile Romans 11?

Question

From my understanding of dispensationalism, at some point in the future, I believe either prior to or just after the rapture, the temple on Moriah will need to be rebuilt.

However, presumably, the reason for rebuilding the temple would be to resume the temple sacrifices that were going on there until the Romans destroyed it. This motivation seems even more likely (to me), given the imagery of the Millennial Temple in Ezekiel 40-48, where animal sacrifices are taking place.

But, if, as Paul seems to be saying below that all Israel will be saved, then what would the motivation be to rebuild a temple, given "sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary" (Hebrews 10:1-18) ?

Romans 11:25-26a

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved.

How do adherents of dispensationalism explain this? Where is my confusion?

Answer 1

all Israel will be saved

The phrase above lends itself to several possibilities.

1. Every descendant of Jacob will eventually end up in heaven.
2. All those of Israel who were "blinded" will be saved.
3. Israel is a metaphor for all those of faith who are Abraham's children.
4. The Israel that will be saved is the faithful remnant that remains at the end of the tribulation.

I favor the remnant view in that I see the time element of the fulfillment of the new covenant.

Rom 11:26-27 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

Jerimiah 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Matthew 24:15-16 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

Revelation 12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

Rom 9:27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

Answer 2

But, if, as Paul seems to be saying below that all Israel will be saved, then what would the motivation be to rebuild a temple, given "sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary"

The temple will be rebuilt because the one sacrifice of Christ was rejected, and remains rejected by Jews even today. That temple will not be holy or sanctified but utterly godless -- the eventual seat of Antichrist. But Israel will finally realize her blindness (Rom 11:25) and will cry out to God, eventually weeping over Him who they pierced even as He comes to save them:

Behold, He comes with clouds; every eye shall see Him and they also which pierced Him: and all kindred of the earth shall wail because of Him. (Rev 1:7)

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on Me, the One they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son. (Zech 12:10)

Answer 3

Firstly we have to establish who all of Israel is, remember the United Kingdom of Israel was divided after King Solomon's rule, God separated them into two different houses, the house of Israel, (the 10 northern kingdoms), and the House of Judah (Hebrews/Jews).

Not only was Israel divided, but God divorced the house of Israel, but not the house of Judah, even though they were just as bad.

Jeremiah 3:6-10

But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. God did not divorce Israel because of the promise he made to King David. God concludes, “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16).

This last line is a reference to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who Scripture tells us does indeed stem from the lineage of King David and whose kingdom we know truly has no end.

These promises are known as the “Davidic covenant,” and what is especially interesting and grace-filled about it is that it doesn’t place any sort of conditions upon it. God doesn’t say, “I’ll do this if you keep my Law” or “if you love Me.”

After divorcing the house of Israel, the northern ten tribes, he dispersed them into the nations, the Hebrew for nations is the Gentiles, like cream into coffee, we the church the nations the Gentiles are the house of Israel.

Amos 9:9

For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.

Hosea 8:8 also supports this.

Israel is swallowed up; now she is among the nations like something no one wants.

But God promised he would come back for the house of Israel, and reunite both houses Ezekiel 37.

Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

This is what Paul means by all of Israel. This is what Paul explains on Ephesians 2:15. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; this is in contrary to the dispensationalist view. This is why Paul starts on Romans 11:1

say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people?

It's because the roots of dispensationalism were playing out at that time, as the majority of Jewish churches and congregations were overrun with believing Gentiles. The reason he divorced the house of Israel was to implement God's plan of redemption. According to the law of Moses after a divorce the bride can only remarry after the ex-groom dies, hence why Jesus died, and why Jesus said.

Mathew 15:24

But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

This is how his plan of redemption saved the whole world because the Gentiles became the house of Israel because God divorced and dispersed the northern ten tribes (the house of Israel), into the nations to become the gene pool of the house of Israel, then to reunite both houses as Jeremiah 31:31-34 establishes.

³¹ The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. ³² It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. ³³ “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ³⁴No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Praise be to God for his beautiful plan of redemption to save and reunite the world.

Answer 4

I think your confusion comes from defining "Israel".

In Romans 9:6 it says "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:" Just being ethnically a member of Israel, does not make you a part of Israel that Paul talks about in Romans 11:26.

In order to be "Israel" you had to follow the law laid out by God in Genesis-Deuteronomy.