I’m assuming you’re referring to the nation of Israel as a whole, for there are some Jews who are trusting in Christ as their Savior. Romans 11:5 testifies to this: “Even so then, at this time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” Yet later in verses 7-8 we read, “What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and THE REST WERE BLINDED. Just as it is written: ‘God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day’.” (NKJV) What Paul is saying is that the majority of the Jews in his day were given over to what we call “judicial blindness” because of their rejection of Jesus Christ. That “blindness” continues to this very day. But a day is coming when their blindness will end. We learn of this in 2nd Corinthians 3:14-16, “But their thoughts have been darkened, for unto this day the same veil remains in the reading of the old covenant, unremoved, which in Christ is annulled. But unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil lies upon their heart. BUT WHEN IT SHALL TURN TO THE LORD, THE VEIL IS TAKEN AWAY” (DARBY). During the coming Tribulation Period there will be a remnant of Jews who will “turn to the Lord”; that is, they will repent of their sins and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. At that time God’s judicial blindness will have ended, for “the veil is taken away.”

When we say “judicial blindness,” we are NOT saying that God is preventing Jews from believing. We are saying that because of their unbelief, God gives them over to their sins and the Holy Spirit no longer seeks to convict them of their lost condition and need of a savior. We read in Genesis 6:3, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever.” When men are so rebellious and refuse to believe God’s Word, the Spirit quits striving with them and the result is “judicial blindness.”

I believe it would be profitable to consider why the Jews rejected Jesus when He came the first time. Two of the main reasons are given in John 5:38-40. Jesus said, “But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” In this passage we are taught that the Jews were IGNORANT OF THE SCRIPTURES and they WEREN’T WILLING TO COME TO CHRIST. When they searched the Old Testament they failed to find Jesus in them; that is, they failed to see that their Messiah would come the first time in lowliness and meekness to suffer for their sins. They expected a glorious Messiah who would overthrow their Gentile oppressors, set up His kingdom, and make Israel the head of the nations once again. After Jesus was raised from the dead He revealed this truth to two disciples in Luke 24:25-27, “Then He said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”

But the chief reason (as mentioned above) for their rejection of Christ was that they weren’t even willing to come to Him to receive eternal life. It is both solemn and sad that man’s will is set against God’s will! Why are their wills hardened and opposed to God and His gift of salvation? The answer is found in John 3:18-19, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and MEN LOVED DARKNESS RATHER THAN LIGHT, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil HATES THE LIGHT and does not come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed.” In short, men LOVE THEIR SIN and HATE THE TRUTH! So, when Jesus came as “the Light of the world,” their wills were set against Him because they didn’t want Him exposing their sins. They wanted to continue to live their lives free from any restraint. And this is still true today and is the main reason why the Jewish nation doesn’t accept Jesus as their Savior. But as noted above, the day is coming when God will work in their hearts and many of them will “turn to the Lord” and be saved. (260.1) (DO)