8.127.11. Will the Jews convert before the end of time? Has the Church ever taught this?
Yes, the Catholic Church has always taught, based on Scripture and the writings of the Fathers and Doctors, that a large-scale conversion of the Jewish people will occur before the end of time. This belief is rooted in divine revelation, not speculation.
Scriptural Basis
The clearest source is Romans 11, where St. Paul speaks prophetically about the Jewish people:
“For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this mystery... that blindness in part has happened in Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles should come in. And so all Israel should be saved.”
St. Paul teaches that while a partial hardening has come upon Israel, this will not last forever. After the Gentiles have entered the Church in full number, God will bring about a conversion of the Jews.
What Does “All Israel” Mean?
The phrase “all Israel” does not necessarily mean every individual Jew. Rather, it refers to a significant portion of the Jewish people — a corporate conversion. Just as “all Judea” came to be baptized by John the Baptist (Mark 1:5), the term reflects a large collective turning to Christ.
Early Church Fathers and Saints
This expectation was shared by many Church Fathers, including:
St. Cyril of Jerusalem: “The Jews shall be converted and receive the Lord.”
St. John Chrysostom: Interprets Romans 11 as indicating a future Jewish conversion.
St. Jerome, St. Augustine, and others also held this view.
It was also affirmed by medieval and post-medieval theologians such as St. Thomas Aquinas, who wrote:
“The conversion of the Jews is not to be expected until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”
Magisterial Teaching
The Catholic Church has consistently upheld this belief. The Catechism of the Council of Trent teaches that before the Second Coming, there will be:
A general apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
The coming of the Antichrist
The conversion of the Jews
While not formally defined as dogma, it is a theologically certain teaching, meaning it is universally held and strongly rooted in revelation and tradition.
Not an Excuse for Indifference
The future conversion of the Jews is not a reason to neglect evangelization now. It does not mean that Jews can be saved through the Old Covenant. As Pope Eugene IV declared:
“The Holy Roman Church firmly believes... that none of those existing outside the Catholic Church... can be saved... not even the Jews.”
Therefore, until the time of mass conversion, individual Jews must still convert to enter the Church and be saved.
The Role of the Church’s Witness
Some theologians, like Cardinal Billot, noted that the conversion of the Jews will come as a powerful sign after a period of great trial and apostasy, when the truth of the Gospel has been vindicated. This will likely coincide with the defeat of the Antichrist and the visible triumph of the Church.
The endurance of a remnant of faithful Catholics, preserving the unchanging Faith, will be a vital witness to the Jews and others.
| Category | Traditional Catholic View | Post-Vatican II View | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jewish Conversion | Foretold in Scripture and held by Church Fathers | Often downplayed or ignored | Romans 11 and tradition support future conversion |
| Salvation | Only through conversion to Christ and His Church | Possible without converting (dual-covenant theory) | Contradicted by Scripture and the Council of Florence |
| Evangelization | Necessary and charitable toward the Jews | Replaced with interfaith “dialogue” | Failure to preach denies Christ’s command (Matt. 28) |
| Timing | Near the end of time, after the fullness of Gentiles | Vague or spiritualized | St. Paul and saints clearly teach future historical event |
| Hope | God’s promises will be fulfilled in Christ | Hope placed in vague unity without truth | God’s mercy is shown in bringing Jews to the Church |
Summary:
The Catholic Church, following Sacred Scripture and sacred tradition, has always taught that the Jewish people will experience a large-scale conversion to Christ before the end of the world. This is not a theological opinion or private revelation, but a truth deeply embedded in the writings of St. Paul, especially Romans 11, and affirmed by the Fathers and Doctors of the Church.
While the Jewish people as a whole rejected Christ at His first coming, this did not mean they were forsaken forever. God’s plan still includes them — but only through faith in Jesus Christ and entry into His Church, not through their continued adherence to the Old Law.
St. Paul calls this mystery a work of divine mercy. The Jews’ temporary blindness made way for the Gentiles’ conversion. But when the time appointed by God comes, the Jews will also return to the true Faith. This will occur after “the fullness of the Gentiles” and is expected to coincide with major eschatological events such as the rise and fall of the Antichrist.
Fathers such as St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas echo this view. It was reiterated by pre-Vatican II catechisms and theologians, including Cardinal Billot and Fr. Denis Fahey. They held that the conversion of the Jews would be one of the final triumphs of the Church.
Post-Vatican II theology, however, tends to avoid this teaching. Influenced by ecumenism and fear of “offending” other religions, many today reject the notion of Jewish conversion, promoting instead “dual-covenant theology” — a heresy that claims the Old Covenant remains salvific for Jews. This contradicts not only Catholic tradition but also the express words of Christ and the Apostles.
In truth, Christ is the only way for all people, including the Jews. Until the foretold conversion takes place, Jews — like all others — must be evangelized and brought into the one true Church.
The coming conversion of the Jews is a cause for great hope, not indifference. It is a sign of God’s fidelity to His promises and a demonstration of His boundless mercy. But it does not remove our responsibility to pray and work for the conversion of every soul now.