Romans chapter eleven is the principal text that gets confused in support of the idea that "all Israel will be saved" means all the flesh and blood Israel just as we see in the Middle East today, but that interpretation fails under closer scrutiny of Romans chapter eleven, and of the entirety of the scriptures.
Romans 11:1 "I 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."
It occurred to me here in verse one that there must be a reason why Paul is arguing to the Gentile Roman congregation that he as a Jew was not cast away from God.
Romans 11:13 "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:"
In the context of chapters nine through twelve of Paul's letter to the Romans we find that the Gentiles had become rather frustrated with and somewhat dogmatic of the natural non-Christian Jews because of their persecution of the Churches of God that followed Christ. This was affecting the zeal of the Gentiles to preach to Paul's fellow Jews as to the flesh and that was grieving Paul so that his letter here is for the purpose of correcting that problem.
So what was Paul telling these Gentiles in the opening verses of chapter eleven? An inspection of Paul's counsel to the Gentiles for their attitude and of his encouragement to them to begin to preach zealously to his fellow Jews, (as is seen particularly in chapters ten and eleven), is better understood when the translation of Romans chapter eleven and verse thirty-two is set straight.
Romans 11:32 For <G1063> God <G2316> hath concluded <G4788>
them <G9999> all <G3956> in <G1519> unbelief <G0543>, that <G2443> he might have mercy <G1653> upon all <G3956>.
The Strong's reference number <9999> means that the word is added by that translator and does not appear in the original text. Therefore, the word "them" is an added word.
What is the significance of this? Take the two verses and verse 32 together without the added word, "them": Romans 11:30-32 "For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all."
Doing this we see that Paul told the Roman Gentiles there, exactly what he told the Galatians Christians: Galatians 3:22 "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe."
Romans 14:23 "... whatsoever is not of faith is sin."
In rejecting Christ as "the Righteousness of God", the unbelieving Jews placed themselves in the same predicament as the unbelieving Gentiles.
You might be tempted to argue that my saying they "placed themselves" in that predicament defies places like Romans 11:8 '(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." It does not. The Greek word "didomi". there translated "hath given", has broad meaning. It can, and in this case does, mean that God permitted them to go the way of their own inclination.
The Greek word used at chapter eleven verse thirty-two for "unbelief" comes from the thought of one being unwilling to be persuaded. Thus such ones are stubbornly disobedient. This is no different than the gentiles who are also stubborn and disobedient. Just as God seeks for the meek among the gentiles, so also he seeks for the meek among Jews. Romans 10:10-13 "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
God no doubt could break anyone of that stubborn blindness, whether Gentile or Jew, if he saw a value in it. And for those willing to be humbled among both Gentiles and the Jews he does do just that. He smashes us to pieces like a clay vessel and then he builds us up again into something useful. But he does not force us to benefit from his discipline of us against our will. He may put the disaster in our way but it is up to us to humble our self and cooperate with his building us up to something better.
That is why Jew and Gentile alike are counseled: 1 Peter 5:5-6 "... be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:"