Why did God blind Israel?
God set spiritual blindness on Israel because the nation opposed the Gospel and did everything it could to keep the Gospel from going to the Gentiles. This blindness holds until this day, yet it is not permanent, for Scripture indicates it will not last forever.
Les explains that Israel's blindness is like what Paul did to Elymas the sorcerer, who opposed the Gospel going to a Gentile and was told he would be blind for a season, not for the rest of his life, but for a period of time. Les says this is exactly what happened to the nation as a whole. They opposed the Gospel and did everything they could to keep it from going to the Gentiles. Romans 11:7 says Israel did not obtain what it sought, but the election, those who were believing and accepting it, obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Who blinded them? God did. He set a spiritual blindness on the nation that holds until this day, but it is not going to last forever.
What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
More Questions
Why did God blind the nation of Israel, and how long has that blindness lasted?
God did to the nation of Israel exactly what Paul did to Elymas: because the nation opposed the gospel and did everything it could to keep it from going to the Gentiles, God set a spiritual blindness on the nation that is holding until this day.
Does Israel's blindness mean every individual Jew is blinded?
The spiritual blindness God set applies to Israel as a nation as a whole, not necessarily to every individual, since the election obtained it.
Why was Israel blinded?
Israel was blinded because of their behavior, their unbelief, and their rebellion.
Is the blinding of Israel in Romans 11 the same thing as God giving people up in Romans 1?
The same judicial giving-up that happened in Romans 1 is what is happening with the nation of Israel in Romans chapter 11.