Hi jiggyfly,
It's not about choosing an interpretation of the Bible which suits the theology to which you prefer to become espoused, it's about finding a Bible which accurately reflects what the original author was teaching, and adjusting one's theology to the revelation God gave the apostle.
In the case of Isaiah 59:20, Paul appears to have changed the wording slightly already (according to the KJV) but the NLT takes it a step further.
Not only is it mischevous for the NLT to have changed 'Jacob' to
Israel (with a footnote making that clear) because of the way that changes the actual meaning of the passage, but to ADD 'the nation of Israel' when the original refers only to 'His people', is sheer political bias.
when trying to understand them with an endless torment mindset.
Speaking for myself, I am not 'trying to understand' the scriptures 'with an endless torment mindset', and I believe you are unwise to try to bend the whole BIble around your distaste for the final outworking of God's justice. He is God, after all that puny humans can say and do, and He, as God, has made it possible for every human being to choose eternal life. He is not
threatening them with eternal death if they refuse. They are
already dead in Adam and trespasses and sins. Your argument is really with God, when it should be with them. Get a taste of what He's been through for millennia, stretching out His hands to people like those in Romans 10:32, and you'll understand their time runs out. They made their choice.
Going back to the text in Romans 11, the only place that 'all' is mentioned, is v 26. Prior to that it is clear Paul is talking about a remnant of descendants of the fathers - Israelites. In Romans 9:4 he places 'the adoption' at the top of the list of what will save Israelite believers. (This is what also saves Gentile believers.)
Romans 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
7 What then? Israel has not obtained that which he seeks for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded 8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. 9 And David says, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: 10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. (Psalm 69:22, 23) Notice, when Jesus quoted Isaiah 61 in Luke 4, He added 'recovering of sight to the blind'.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off ... 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off ... 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graff them in again. Paul was speaking from the experience of having been grafted back in.
So... Paul has established that only a remnant of Israel has been saved so far, and the prophecy is that only a remnant will be saved anyway. He does not refer to this remnant as 'all Israel' all through the first twenty-five verses of Romans 11. Back in Romans 9, he has stated very plainly:
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Paul asks in
Galatians 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? The whole chapter is relevant. It ends:
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ... 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
What is the promise? It's the promise of eternal inheritance. Hebrews 9:15 This was common knowledge in Israel. Against this, they rebelled.
It is very clear that Paul is not including any unbelieving Israelites in 'all Israel'. If you think he is, you are misreading a great deal of text.
Regarding your quotation from Isaiah 45, here is the context:
20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations:
they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
21 Tell ye, and bring them near;
yea, let them take counsel together:
who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time?
have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me;
a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth:
for I am God, and there is none else.
23 I have sworn by myself,
the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return,
That unto me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear.
24 Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength:
even to him shall men come;
and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
25 In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
To be justified means to be made righteous. This -
in the Lord - is the only way any of us are made righteous, and that is
by faith (not law, or flesh).
Looking at v 23, which I think you quoted, and Paul gives New Covenant context in Philippians 2:10, 11, the overall context is Moses' prophecy of Christ, and the endorsement it receives from Peter in Acts 3, never forgetting that God told Eve first.
Deuteronomy 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. 20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. 21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? 22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. 22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. 24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. 25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
One day 'every knee shall bow and every tongue confess' and 'all Israel shall be saved' is because all the dissenters will have been destroyed.
Coming back to Romans 11, as the remnant from that generation and succeeding generations has continued to be added to the New Covenant body of believers, so have Gentiles continued to be added, and it is the
Gentiles, which complete
all Israel.
Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Ephesians 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who has made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 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; 16 And
that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached
peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Israel of the flesh has to choose between the flesh and the Spirit. Some prefer flesh. They will die. Those who choose Spirit, can be saved.
