11:25 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, 26 and in this way all Israel will be saved.

The commentator Zoccali argues that “all Israel” refers to “the complete number of elect from the historical/empirical nation”. This reading accords especially well with the way in which Paul introduces this topic of discussion back in Romans 9:6-8. There Paul notes that not all who are ethnically descended from Israel or Abraham are actually Israel. Both John the Baptist (Matthew 3:9) and Jesus (John 8:32-41) make a similar point.

It is worth paying attention to Paul’s introductory phrase “in this way” all Israel will be saved. In what way? Paul has just been describing the process by which a remnant of Jews (11:5) will be provoked to jealousy by the Gentiles’ response of faith in the preaching of the gospel, and so come to trust (have faith) in Jesus as their own Messiah.

This reading makes more immediate sense of Paul’s letter than the other alternative views (such as an “eschatological miracle”; in which the whole nation will turn to faith, or that by “Israel” Paul really just means “the church”, or that Israel will be saved in some way other than by faith in Christ). In summarising Zoccali’s article on these verses Lionel Windsor highlights the following notes

• “a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (11:25) doesn’t necessarily imply that this hardening will be taken away in a miraculous act at the end of time. In the context of chapter 11, it’s making a statement about the significance of the hardening of Israel; that it is allowing for Gentile salvation by opening up a period of time during which this salvation can occur.

• The phrase καὶ οὔτως (11:26) means what it normally means, “and in this way”. It doesn’t mean “and then”. If Paul had meant to say “and then”, he would have written καὶ τότε

In Romans 11:25-26 Paul concludes that the remaining elect of Israel will be provoked to jealousy as they see the Gentiles receive God’s promises by faith in Jesus. This jealousy will move the remaining elect of Israel to turn to Christ, rather than stumble over him (Rom 9:32-33).