Romans 11:26 famously declares:

> "And so all Israel shall be saved."

Skeptics pit this against Zechariah 13:8-9, which prophecies that two-thirds of the land will perish, and only one-third will be brought through the fire and refined. Critics argue 'all means all,' demanding a contradiction.

This objection fails to follow Paul's grand redemptive-historical narrative. Paul is describing a chronological process to come: the 'fullness of the Gentiles' will be brought in, and then, as a result (the Greek word houto means 'in this way' or 'thus'), the corporate entity of Israel will experience a mass national awakening and salvation. The remnant surviving the apocalyptic refinement in Zechariah constitutes the 'all Israel' that ultimately enters the eschatological kingdom.