In de WT of May 1, 2007 it is written:
It appears that we cannot set a specific date for when the calling of Christians to the heavenly hope ends.Although this is a typical WTS statement, it is, in itself, perfectly correct.
[ The Greek Writings do not emphasize a calling to a heavenly hope, but rather "to be patterned after the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers" (Ro 8:28-29). So the adoption to sons is being stressed (Ro 8:15-17, 23; Ga 4:4-7; Eph 1:3-5) ]
Of course nobody can set a specific date. However, this does not mean that we find ourselves entirely in ignorance on the subject. In Romans, chapter 11, we receive valuable indications. It appears that the event has a lot to do with the time on which national Israel will come out of her age-long hardening and will yet turn toward her Messiah in genuine faith.
In Romans chapter 11 the apostle Paul is dealing with the nation Israel, and twice he asks the question, "Has God rejected his people because of their rejection of Messiah?" Twice he answers the question, "No, that is really unthinkable."
I say, then, Did God cast away His people? let it not be!… God did not cast away His people whom He knew before…I say, then, Did they stumble that they might fall? let it not be! but by their fall the salvation is to the nations, to arouse them to jealousy (Ro 11:1-2, 11; YLT)
Paul gives five reasons why it is evident that God has not rejected his people, the Jews.
1. God desires to arouse Israel to jealousy. He is reaching Gentiles because, ultimately, he wants to reach Jews (Ro 10:19; 11:11)
2. The promises of worldwide blessing (Gen 12:1-3; 22:15-18) hinge upon the restoration of Israel to God. Worldwide blessing can never come until Israel is back in right relationship with "the Holy One of Israel" (Is 49:5-6; 54:5-8).
3. If the patriarchs, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, could be made holy by God, then God is able to make Jews holy after thousands of years have passed. Therefore there is hope for Israel (Ro 11:16).
4. Using the figure of an olive tree, Paul makes clear that natural branches are broken off and unnatural branches are grafted on.
By this he points out that even the Gentiles, when they do become believers, they become spiritual Israelites and fellow citizens of the holy ones, the Jews, and members of the household of God (Ro 11:17-22; Eph 2:11-12, 19).
5. If God could do that to the unnatural branches, if he could take a twisted, deformed Gentile and make him into a son of the living God, how much more can he do this with the natural branches, the Jews (Ro 11:23-24).
In Ro 11:25-32 Paul actually prophesies the restoration that is coming to Israel. Up to verse 24 he has been arguing this from reason, but now he prophesies what this restoration will be like:
I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
"The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
And this is my covenant with them
when I take away their sins."
As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.
(11:25-29 NIV)
The striking thing about this passage is that Paul calls the Jews' present resistance to the gospel a mystery, something supernatural, caused by God himself (11:8).
When you try to speak to a Jew about the good news of Christ, you run up against what seems to be a rock wall of indifference and objection and resistance. But that is exactly what Paul is talking about here, a strange hardening toward the gospel on the part of the Jews.
When Paul calls this a mystery he means that it is a supernatural phenomenon that has to be revealed to us. You can't explain it by the normal reasons for resistance to the gospel.
It is not because the Jews are inferior in intelligence -- they are among the most intelligent of people. And it is not because they don't want God; they are among the most religious of all people.
An aspect of the mystery or sacred secret, however, is that an awakening will come.
Not only does Paul say that the hardening of Israel is in part, but it is also limited in time. It is not going to go on forever. A hardening of the heart has happened "until the full number of the Gentiles come in."
What does "the full number [Greek: fullness] of the Gentiles" mean?
It is Gods purpose to transfer a fullness of Gentiles into the kingdom of the Son of his love (Col 1:13). He has a fullness [which has nothing to do with the number 144000] in mind and he is going to let the gospel go out to all the world until that "fullness of Gentiles" has been converted (Mt 28:19-20).
And then?
When all the Gentiles whom God has chosen for salvation during the present age of
Israel's rejection have experienced salvation, God will precipitate a revival
of faith within Israel.
Then he will release Israel from its blindness, its hardness.
And so [in this mysterious way] all Israel [Israel in the sense of Ro 9:6; i.e. the complete Patriarchal Communion, or the complete New Creation: the Israel of God; Ga 6:15-16] will be saved.
Paul says the prophets have told us this is going to happen:
"The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob." (Is 59:20-21).
Furthermore, quoting from Jeremiah, he says, "And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins," (Jer 31:33-34). The deliverer is coming and forgiveness is going to be granted to Israel.
And so the apostle closes with two important things about the Jews:
"As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable."
God's gifts and his call cannot be taken back.
Now, the Jews may treat you and/or me as an enemy. That is due to this strange and supernatural hardening that has happened to Israel.
But nevertheless, the Jews are loved by an unchanging God. He still has chosen the Jews, on account of their forefathers. Compare Dt 4:37; 10:15.
Now the apostle moves on to see God's principle of salvation for the "Israel of God" in this:
Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too, as a result of God's mercy to you, have become disobedient in order that they too may [now; not in P46] receive mercy. For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
(Romans 11:30-32 NIV)
Paul says that God used the Jews' disobedience, their rejection of their own Messiah, in order to give opportunity to rebellious Gentiles to receive mercy and grace from his hand.
In Chapter 9 Paul had raised the question, "Has God failed?" (Ro 9:6)
Since he obviously has been trying to reach the Jews and has sent his own Son as their Messiah and they rejected him, does that mean that God has failed? The answer is now clear: No, God has not failed. He used that as a means to reach the Gentile world, which he had intended to reach all along.
Then, Paul adds, after having shown mercy to the Gentiles, God now uses the very mercies he has shown to the Gentiles to make the Jews mad and rebellious in order that they, too, can receive mercy.
This is, of course, a very important teaching.
1. What Paul is saying here is that, unless we realize how rebellious our heart is, there is no chance for us to receive mercy. And so God works in human history to make us aware of our basic, inherent rebellion against him. Paul concludes that everyone is a rebel, and God desires that everyone admit it, so he can receive mercy.
2. We have a clue in determining at what time in history the call for the heavenly part of the Israel of God will come to an end and the Rapture may be expected. 1 Thess 4:16-17; John 14:3