"All Israel Shall Be Saved"
A Promise of Restoration
Most people don't connect the book of Leviticus with prophetic promises of Israel's restoration. But the Torah reading and the Haftarah are connected every Shabbat for a reason. The reading from the prophet Isaiah that accompanies Parashat Vayikra speaks directly to where Israel is and where Israel is going — words that were radical in Isaiah's time and remain radical today.
Some Christians have a hard time accepting Paul's declaration in Romans 11:25-26 that "all Israel shall be saved." Paul didn't get this idea while dreaming. The promise that God will save Israel appears at least six times in the prophets. Here in Isaiah 43 is one of those times:
"But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you; therefore I will give men for you, and people for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east and gather you from the west; I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not keep them back!' Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth — everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him." — Isaiah 43:1–9 [NKJV]
Is God Only the God of the Jews?
Paul makes a bold statement that needs to be heard alongside these words of Isaiah:
"Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law." — Romans 3:29-31 [NKJV]
We must remember that God, the Creator of the Universe, does not make mistakes. When He chose Abraham and his seed forever, the Lord knew well what He was doing. He knew what Israel is capable of and He could see the end before the beginning. It is God's love for His creation and for humanity that allowed us, humans, the freedom to sin and have free will, because without this freedom there can be no relationship based on love and honor.
"I Have Inscribed You on the Palms of My Hands"
The following words of Isaiah are among the most beautiful and most personal in all of Scripture:
"Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people and will have mercy on His afflicted. But Zion said, 'The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.' Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me." — Isaiah 45:13-15 [NKJV]
And they are preceded by the words that are the most important declaration in all the prophets about who God is and what He has decided:
"I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God. And who can proclaim as I do? Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me, since I appointed the ancient people. Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed, there is no other Rock; I know not one." — Isaiah 44:6-8 [NKJV]
Looking Ahead
One of my favorite preachers of the 19th century Restoration movement is Barton W. Stone — the pastor of the Cain Ridge Presbyterian Church. When Barton read the word not as a Presbyterian pastor but like a plain disciple of Yeshua, he understood that what he was doing was wrong. Like Martin Luther, he nailed a note on the door of his church building, stating that he could no longer be the pastor of the Presbyterian Church. God's word from Genesis to Revelation is the only standard and the only authority that we have, and this standard predicts the restoration of Israel and the return of our Lord to Zion.
I think one reason why God allowed humans to invent television and internet and modern communication — so that truly every eye and every ear can hear and see the return of the Lord to Zion. From across the world people will be able to witness the Messiah's return. And looking up from my porch toward the East — over to Mount Scopus and the Mount of Olives — I am waiting to see the Lord descend and hear the trumpet sound:
"My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand."
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Joseph Shulam
Founder
Joseph is the pioneering founder of Netivyah, one of Israel’s first official Messianic non-profits. Dedicated to restoring the Jewish roots of the faith, he has authored numerous books and lectured globally for over 50 years.
Glossary
Haftarah (הַפְטָרָה) refers to the reading from the prophets traditionally paired with the weekly Torah portion.
Parashat (פָּרָשַׁת) means “the portion of” and is used before the name of a weekly Torah portion.
Shabbat (שַׁבָּת) refers to the seventh day, the Sabbath, set apart by God as a holy day of rest, worship, and delight (see Genesis 2:1-3).
Torah (תּוֹרָה) means “instruction” or “teaching” and often refers especially to the Five Books of Moses. Psalm 119:1 reminds us that those who walk in God's Torah are blessed.
Vayikra (וַיִּקְ רָא) means “and He called” and is the Hebrew name for Leviticus.
Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) is the Hebrew name of Jesus, meaning "salvation"
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