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Christ in that they both demonstrate the unchanging, gracious nature of God's actions
towards his people. God does not leave his people to grope after him in the dark, but
gives them clear revelation that does not allow for a plea of ignorance. With the coming
of Christ, the former "secret things" (Deut. 29:29) are now part of the "revealed things"
of God, so that Israel has no excuse for failing to recognize God's climactic revelation in
Christ and to respond to the gospel.
On a broader level, it seems that Paul considers the restoration prophecy of Deut.
30:1-10 to be fulfilled as elect Jews and Gentiles exercise faith in Christ. Verses 1-10 are
prophetic of the restoration of Israel in the last days; however, it is not only ethnic Israel
which will be restored by the Lord at this time. This is apparent from Paul's quotation of
Deut. 32:21 in Rom. 10:19, "I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I
will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation," which he sees as a prophecy
concerning the inclusion of the Gentiles in the people of God. Also, in the preceding
context, Paul has already applied the eschatological regathering of Israel to the Church
(Hos. 1:10-11 in Rom. 9:24-26). From Paul's point of view in salvation history, the
remnant of Israel spoken of by Moses in Deut. 30:1-10 may be seen as a model for the
eschatological people of God to be taken from among both Jews and Gentiles. Thus, the
fact that many Gentiles are turning to faith in Christ while the majority of Jews are not is
not evidence of the failure of God's Word, but of the fulfillment of it. "It is not as though
God's Word has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel" (Rom. 9:6).
Conclusion
Paul does not seem to see a direct prophecy about Christ in Deut. 30:12-14, nor does he