Israel’s Future Salvation: A Study of Joel, Zechariah, and Romans

Here’s what I want you to consider today. You’ve probably heard people say that God is done with Israel—that the church has replaced them, that the promises made to Abraham and David were somehow transferred to us. But what if that’s not true? What if there’s something coming that will shock the world and demonstrate God’s faithfulness in ways we can barely imagine?

I want to take you on a journey through three passages of Scripture that, when read together, paint an incredible picture of God’s future plans for the nation of Israel. These aren’t obscure verses tucked away in forgotten corners of the Bible. These are clear, unmistakable promises that deserve our attention. And here’s the thing—if we miss what God is planning to do with Israel, we miss a crucial piece of understanding about His character, His faithfulness, and His ultimate plan for human history.

So let’s dive in. Let’s see what happens when Joel’s prophecy, Zechariah’s vision, and Paul’s revelation all come together to tell one magnificent story.

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Zechariah 12–14 – Mourning, Cleansing, and the King

These chapters describe God’s defense of Jerusalem, the national repentance of Israel, and the return of the Messiah:

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications…” (Zechariah 12:10, KJV)

This is exactly parallel to Joel 2:28—God pouring out His Spirit. Israel will finally recognize “me whom they have pierced” (12:10, KJV), leading to national mourning (v. 11–14) and repentance.

In Zechariah 13:1, a “fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness” is opened—symbolizing cleansing and salvation. In Zechariah 14, the LORD returns to fight for Jerusalem, His feet touch the Mount of Olives, and “the LORD shall be king over all the earth” (14:9, KJV).

Connection to Joel: Both speak of God’s Spirit poured out in Jerusalem during judgment and of deliverance for the remnant who turn to the LORD.

This prophetic vision from Zechariah sets the stage for understanding how God will work in the last days. But Zechariah wasn’t the only prophet to see this coming transformation. The prophet Joel had already spoken of a day when God would pour out His Spirit in unprecedented ways.

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Romans 11 – The Mystery and Fullness of Israel’s Salvation

“And so all Israel shall be saved…” (Romans 11:26, KJV)

Paul refers to the mystery that God has temporarily set aside Israel (Romans 11:25) until “the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (KJV).

Then—at the end of the Tribulation—Israel’s blindness will be lifted and a national turning to Christ will occur.

Paul quotes Isaiah 59:20, saying: “There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob” (Romans 11:26, KJV).

Connection to Joel and Zechariah:

• The “Deliverer” is Christ.
• The turning away of ungodliness is the result of the Spirit’s outpouring and national repentance described in Joel 2 and Zechariah 12–13.
• This happens at the end of Daniel’s 70th week, also known as the Great Tribulation.

Paul’s teaching in Romans 11 provides the theological framework for understanding these Old Testament prophecies. He reveals that what Joel and Zechariah saw was not just poetic imagery, but literal future reality. Now let’s see how these passages work together to form a complete picture.

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Summary: Do These Passages Coincide?

Yes, they converge prophetically:

Passage	Theme	Timing
Joel 2:28–32	Spirit poured out, cosmic signs, call on the LORD	End of Tribulation / Day of the LORD
Zechariah 12–14	National mourning, cleansing, Messiah’s return	At Christ’s Second Coming
Romans 11:25–27	Israel’s blindness lifted, Deliverer comes, salvation	After fulness of the Gentiles

Together, they teach this chain of events:

• The Tribulation (Daniel’s 70th week) brings Israel under severe distress (Jeremiah 30:7, “the time of Jacob’s trouble”).
• At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will return (Matthew 24:29–30).
• The Holy Spirit is poured out, enabling national repentance (Joel 2:28–32; Zechariah 12:10).
• All Israel that survives will be saved (Romans 11:26; Zechariah 13:8–9).
• Christ establishes His kingdom on earth (Zechariah 14:9).

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Theological Implication

From a conservative Baptist, dispensational view:

These are not fulfilled in the Church Age but are still future. The Church is not Israel, and these promises are not spiritualized—they are literal, national, and geographic.

God will keep His covenant promises to Abraham and David literally, culminating in a Millennial Kingdom with Christ reigning from Jerusalem.

“Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24, KJV)

But here’s where we need to be careful. Understanding God’s future plans for Israel doesn’t mean we misunderstand how salvation actually works—even for them.

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Israel’s Future Salvation Is Still by Grace Through Faith

Some may mistakenly assume that the phrase “all Israel shall be saved” (Romans 11:26, KJV) suggests a kind of automatic or nationalistic salvation. But that is not what the Scriptures teach. Even in the context of God’s covenantal dealings with Israel, salvation remains a free will response to God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, and always includes repentance.

Let’s unpack how this truth is upheld across Joel 2, Zechariah 12–13, and Romans 11.

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Joel 2:32 – A Universal Invitation with a Personal Response

“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered” (Joel 2:32, KJV).

Even in a chapter centered on Israel and God’s dealings with them, the requirement is personal faith. The Hebrew word translated “call” here is קָרָא (qārā’)—meaning to cry out, to summon, to proclaim. This is not passive, but a willful volitional response of the heart to God.

The word “whosoever” clearly opens the door to individual responsibility—no one is saved by birthright, covenant lineage, or national identity alone.

The same verse is quoted in Romans 10:13 and applied to Jew and Gentile alike: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (KJV).

Paul does not reinterpret Joel, but affirms that salvation has always come this way—by calling on the Lord in faith, under conviction of sin, and in recognition of one’s need for divine mercy.

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Zechariah 12:10 – Repentance from the Heart

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10, KJV).

This is the turning point of Israel’s repentance. The outpouring of the Spirit (as in Joel) results not in nationalistic triumphalism but in deep, personal sorrow over sin and rejection of the Messiah.

The “mourning” here is not superficial. It is a deep spiritual repentance, likened to the mourning of Hadadrimmon (v.11)—a lamentation over tragic loss. This is a voluntary turning to the Messiah they once rejected. They do not get swept into salvation by force—they are convicted, grieved, and humbled.

This is repentance. And this is the necessary precondition of saving faith.

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Romans 11:23 – Israel Must Still Believe

Though Paul says in Romans 11:26, “all Israel shall be saved” (KJV), just a few verses earlier he makes it clear:

“And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again” (Romans 11:23, KJV).

Salvation, even for Israel, requires a turning from unbelief—a choice to receive the truth of Jesus Christ. God does not override human will. The hardening or blindness “in part” (Romans 11:25, KJV) is not eternal and not irreversible—but it is also not involuntary. When Israel repents, it is because they choose to believe.

“I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy” (Romans 11:11, KJV).

There is always an open invitation, but it requires a faith response.

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The Gospel Has Never Changed

Whether it was:

• Abraham, who “believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6, KJV; Romans 4:3),
• or David, who said, “Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity” (Psalm 32:2, KJV; Romans 4:6),
• or the thief on the cross, who said, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom” (Luke 23:42, KJV),
• or the remnant of Israel, who in the Tribulation will “look upon me whom they have pierced” and mourn—

Salvation has always been by grace through faith, not of works, and never by compulsion.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8, KJV).

The only difference in Joel, Zechariah, and Romans 11 is timing and setting, not the means of salvation. At the end of the Tribulation, when “all Israel shall be saved” (Romans 11:26, KJV), it will be because the remnant survivors have responded to God’s gracious call by repenting, believing, and calling upon the name of the Lord—the same as every sinner before them.

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The Free Will of the Remnant

God does initiate the outpouring of His Spirit (Joel 2, Zechariah 12), and He does sovereignly orchestrate events to bring Israel to the point of desperation and recognition. But the decision to call upon the Lord is never forced. Zechariah’s weeping remnant shows that:

• They see the One they pierced (divine revelation),
• They mourn (repentance),
• They turn (faith),
• And they are cleansed (salvation, Zechariah 13:1).

“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” (Acts 3:19, KJV).

This is how the Gospel works—for every sinner, in every age.

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Final Summary: A Universal Gospel for a Specific People

Even in the most unique eschatological moment—the national salvation of Israel—God remains consistent in how He saves sinners:

Key Truth	Biblical Support
Salvation is by grace through faith	Ephesians 2:8; Romans 4; Joel 2:32
Requires repentance	Zechariah 12:10; Acts 3:19; Luke 24:47
Involves free will	Romans 10:13; Joel 2:32; Zechariah 12:10 (“they shall…”)
Applies equally to Jew and Gentile	Romans 10:12; Galatians 3:28; Acts 15:11

“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” (Romans 10:12, KJV).

God’s mercy will triumph, but never without truth. The Gospel will conquer, but never without repentance. And all Israel will be saved—but not apart from the blood of Christ, the conviction of the Spirit, and the cry of the repentant heart.

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Conclusion

Oh, what a God we serve! What a magnificent display of His covenant-keeping faithfulness these passages reveal to us! When we see Joel’s prophecy of the Spirit poured out, Zechariah’s vision of national mourning and cleansing, and Paul’s revelation of Israel’s future salvation, we are witnessing not merely the unfolding of prophecy, but the very heart of God Himself.

Here is God’s relentless love pursuing His chosen people across millennia of hardness and rebellion. Here is divine patience that endures through centuries of rejection. Here is covenant faithfulness that will not be thwarted by human unfaithfulness. The same God who called Abraham out of Ur, who delivered Israel from Egypt, who preserved a remnant through exile and dispersion—this same God will complete what He began.

But oh, how this should humble us and thrill us all at once! If God will be this faithful to Israel—a people who pierced their Messiah and rejected their King—how much more should we who have received His grace marvel at His steadfast love toward us? If He will pour out His Spirit on Jerusalem in that day, how much more should we cherish the Spirit who dwells in us now?

And see how even in this grand display of sovereign grace, the Gospel remains unchanged. Even when God moves in history to fulfill His ancient promises, He does not override the human heart. He convicts, He calls, He woos—but still they must choose. Still they must repent. Still they must believe. The same narrow gate that we entered by faith, Israel will enter by faith. The same blood that cleanses us will cleanse them. The same Spirit that regenerated us will regenerate them.

This should set our hearts ablaze with worship and anticipation! The God who keeps His word to Israel will keep His word to us. The faithfulness He displays toward His earthly people He displays toward His heavenly people. And when that day comes—when we see the remnant of Israel weeping over the One they pierced, when we witness their national turning to Christ, when we behold the King establishing His kingdom—we will join with all the redeemed in declaring that our God is faithful, that His mercies endure forever, and that every promise He has made is yes and amen in Christ Jesus.

Until that day, let us live in the light of these magnificent truths, knowing that the same God who will save Israel is the God who has saved us, and that His purposes cannot fail, His love cannot be exhausted, and His glory will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20, KJV).