Verses from Romans chapter 11 are very often used to support Zionism, and Dispensationalism more broadly - specifically the doctrine that rejects so-called "Replacement Theology" or "Covenant Theology", which teaches that God's chosen people in the New Testament consists of all believers in Jesus Christ - Jew or Gentile - and excludes any nonbeliever in Christ.
Dispensationalism, on the other hand, teaches that there are now two distinct groups in the New Testament:
In a separate article, I've demonstrated that Dispensationalists must logically define "Israel" as followers of the religion of Judaism, as if they counted all those who are descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they would include almost the entire planet. Since they all reject this designation, and also reject that it's only about who follows Judaism, we can recognize right away that their definition of "Israel" is a hazy, nebulous blob of a concept, which either displays lack of understanding of how family trees work, or is a token admission that the way to become "God's chosen people" is to join a religion that states the Lord Jesus is burning in Hell.
For the purpose of this article, I will usually use the terms "Jews", "Israel" or "unbelieving Israel" to refer to those who are professing to follow the Old Testament, while rejecting Jesus as the Christ. Any departure from this will usually be pretty clear, if context is kept in mind.
Now, we'll go verse-by-verse through Romans 11, and show that it does not support Zionism or Dispensationalism.
After Romans chapter 10's discussion on how the Apostle Paul wants his brethren after the flesh to be saved (Romans 10:1-15), and how the Gentiles received the Gospel that the Jews rejected (Romans 10:16-19), chapter 11 begins with:
Romans 11:1-5
1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying,
3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Here, we see that God has not utterly rejected all the Jews, even though they killed their own Messiah, and were still by and large unreceptive. The Apostle Paul himself is proof (verse 1) that there is still "a remnant according to the election of grace" (verse 5) - Jews who believed that Jesus is the Messiah. Therefore, they have not all been "cast away".
What this does not say is "every Jew remains part of God's chosen people". There is a "remnant" of believing Jews (who are one and the same with Gentile believers - Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11), who remained in God's chosen people by virtue of becoming Christian. If there is a remnant, that means that those not in the remnant aren't part of this designation.
So, the Jews are only not "cast off" insofar as there is a believing remnant, and they haven't been rejected wholesale. Later, we'll see stated verbatim in Romans 11:15, that as a group, every unbelieving Jew has been "cast away".
Chapter 11 continues with:
Romans 11:6-10
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
After separating unbelieving Israel from "the election" (verse 7), the Apostle Paul calls unbelieving Israel blind, quoting Deuteronomy 29:4 and Isaiah 29:10 (verse 8).
He then applies a curse to them that David pronounced in Psalm 69, the full text of which is:
Psalm 69:22-28
22 Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.
23 Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.
24 Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.
25 Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.
26 For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.
27 Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.
Does it sound like David, or the Apostle Paul, are blessing unbelieving Israel? Are they teaching anything like the modern Zionist line of "No matter what, we must bless Israel"? Not even close - they are explicitly cursing them. Every unbeliever, Jew or Gentile, abides under God's wrath (John 3:36), but unbelieving Jews especially so (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16).
But, doesn't this break some of God's promises in the Old Testament, where He promised to bless Israel?
Firstly, I would implore you to re-read whatever promise you think this is violating, and be careful to notice that almost certainly, there will be a caveat attached to that promise - take the entirety of Leviticus 26, for instance.
Secondly, the Apostle Paul is very clear in this same book, just a few chapters earlier, that being descended physically from Abraham does not of itself make you an Israelite, to whom the promises apply:
Romans 9:6-8
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Above, God is likening unbelieving Israel to Ishmael in the Old Testament, who was rejected in favor of Isaac, and not "counted for the seed". This same metaphor is used in Galatians 4:21-31.
Elsewhere, the Bible is clear in stating that Christians are the only ones "counted for seed of Abraham", referred to in Romans 9:8 above, because all of the promises made to Abraham were made to Christ:
Galatians 3:16, 29
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
In other words, God has not broken a single promise, and therefore "made the Word of God of none effect" (Romans 9:6), because the real "Jews" in this age, to whom all the promises apply, are only believers in Jesus Christ, to whom all the promises were made:
Romans 2:28-29
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Philippians 3:3
3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Never, ever let a Zionist insinuate that you are a filthy Gentile, or a second-class citizen in the Body of Christ. You, as a believer in Christ, are a full-fledged child of Abraham, to whom all God's promises apply (2 Corinthians 1:19-20), even if you are African, Japanese, or Native American.
Doesn't that doctrine stand in glorious contrast to the bizarre, racist false doctrine of the Zionists, who teach that God is the definition of a "respecter of persons", something He decries repeatedly (Acts 10:34-35, Romans 2:10-11)?
Chapter 11 continues:
Romans 11:11-15
11 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.
12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
Above, we see that God's purpose in "casting away" (verse 15) the unbelieving Jews, "diminishing them" (verse 12), and letting them "fall" (verse 12), is not to the intent of a permanent "fall" (verse 11), but instead with the hope that they will see God's acceptance of the believing Gentiles, and believe as well.
Also, even though God used their rejection of Jesus to bless all nations, it would be even better if the Jews themselves also believed (verses 12, 15).
Yet, we see that at present, they have been "cast away", they have "fallen", and they are "diminished", for having rejected Jesus Christ.
In the next section of chapter 11, the Apostle Paul likens God's chosen people to an "olive tree", which mirrors Christ's metaphor about Himself being a vine with many branches (John 15:1-8):
Romans 11:16-24
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
The above section is long, but its message is very simple - just as a Gentile gets grafted in to the tree by faith (verse 20), so too can any Jew (verse 23). And, if the Jews, as a group, believe in Jesus, and the descendants of the Gentiles, as a group, stop believing in Jesus, then God will change the makeup of the "olive tree", because the only criteria for the branches is belief in Jesus.
Here it is vital to understand that the "olive tree" really is Jesus Christ, and the unbelieving Jews have been "broken off" (verses 17, 19-22). This isn't even necessarily referring to Salvation - as is discussed in this article, which covers this passage in detail - but also, on an individual level, it refers to the blessing that comes with being in fellowship with God, which unbelieving Jews certainly are not.
This passage also clearly teaches, in black and white, the core tenet of so-called "Replacement Theology" - that the Jews have been replaced as God's chosen people by believers in Jesus. There is no other valid or reasonable interpretation of this passage, without completely ignoring God repeatedly telling us that the unbelieving Jews have been "broken off" and "cut off".
Chapter 11 continues:
Romans 11:25-27
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Above, we see in verse 25 that "blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in". Why "in part"? Because there is a believing remnant (Romans 11:4-5).
Then, we are told that there is a time frame in which this "blindness in part" will be done away with - when "the fulness of the Gentiles is come in". Once this happens, "all Israel shall be saved" (verse 26).
So, if we can establish when this is, we can get more insight into what's being said. To do this, we can look at Luke chapter 21:
Luke 21:24-27
24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Above, we see that the "times of the Gentiles" being fulfilled occurs just before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. To this end, in Revelation 11, we see that Jerusalem "being trodden down of the Gentiles" happens after the Tribulation, and during the Wrath of God (Revelation 11:1-3), which is the last period before the Second Coming.
So, when is it that "all Israel shall be saved"? It's when Jesus Christ is setting up His Millennial Kingdom. Of course "all Israel shall be saved" then, because believers from all time will be living in glorified bodies, and will be unable to sin. This is what "saved" refers to in Romans 11:26 - saved from the power of sin completely - which is why the prophecy says the Deliverer "shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob", and "take away their sins" (Romans 11:26-27).
To summarize this section - "blindness in part" to Israel is not a permanent condition, because one day there will be a unified Israel, which consists of believers from all time. When that occurs, there will be no more need to distinguish between unbelieving Israel and God's Israel, because the former won't exist in the Millennium.
Zionists interpret this section, specifically "all Israel shall be saved", to mean "a portion of a single generation of Jews will be saved from Hell", which is wrong on all accounts. This isn't eternal Salvation from Hell, and the idea that all "Jews" (which Zionists can't even define) will "see and believe" (Mark 15:32 - rebuked explicitly in Hebrews 11:1) is absurd - as if God has let one hundred generations of unbelieving Jews go to Hell, yet will Calvinistically regenerate all of them from a single generation, at the end.
Chapter 11 winds down with:
Romans 11:28-32
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Above, we see that unbelieving Israel is loved by God on account of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (verses 28-29). Does this mean we can nullify everything we've discussed up to this point, in regard to how God views unbelieving Jews? Of course not.
For comparison, notice that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Or, that "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). What do these verses clearly teach? That God, at least at some point, loves every person to come into the world. They are beloved of God. And the primary demonstration of that love was Jesus Christ's atonement.
However, we also know that if someone doesn't believe in Christ, "the wrath of God abides on them" (John 3:36). Once a person rejects Christ, the love that God had for that person - even the extra love given to a Jew, on behalf of the Patriarchs - is superseded by wrath.
While this is true in the case of all unbelievers, as John 3:36 clearly says, it's especially true in the case of the Jews who reject Christ, as we read:
1 Thessalonians 2:14-16
14 For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:
15 Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:
16 Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
So, are the Jews loved? Yes, just as all unbelievers, at some point. When they reach the age where they can reject Christ, and then reject Him, they - and all unbelievers - graduate from love, to wrath. That's what the Bible explicitly says. Jews go to Hell when they die, which is perhaps the best proof that upon rejection of Christ, the love God has for them takes a back seat to His indignation.
Then, we finish with a final invitation for the Jews to believe, and an emphasis on the fact that this invitation is open to all (verses 30-32), which has been a major theme of the chapter to this point. "If", and only "if", Jews believe, they will obtain mercy (Romans 11:23).
A misunderstanding of the Church, and how Christians are God's chosen people in the New Testament, leads to a misunderstanding of virtually every point of End Times prophecy. That's why this issue is important enough to warrant an entire article.
Zionism is a false doctrine that has led to millions and millions of deaths in the Middle East, a fake "Nation of Israel" which God doesn't recognize, and it finds no support in Romans chapter 11 at all.