9:22-24 Who do the vessels of wrath and the vessels of mercy refer to here?
9:22-24 Who do the vessels of wrath and the vessels of mercy refer to here?
The word vessels here means objects. The term fitted to destruction means ready, or ripe for destruction, denoting that the objects of destruction had brought it upon themselves. Pharaoh, who stubbornly and repeatedly resisted God, was a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction. God eventually destroyed him (CP Ro 9:14-18 with Ex 7:22-23; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 34-35; 14:5-10, 13-16, 21-28).
Jews were also vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. They too stubbornly resisted God, first killing His prophets, and then His Son Jesus, making themselves the objects of God's wrath (CP Ro 9:22 with Mt 23:37-38; Ac 7:51-53; Ro 2:5-9; 1Th 2:14-16).
Anyone who stubbornly and repeatedly resists God and rejects Jesus are vessels fitted to destruction. The vessels of mercy are believers - not only Gentiles, but Jews too, because the New Testament church is comprised of both Jews and Gentiles (CP Ro 9:23-26 with Eph 2:11-22 and Ga 3:28).
It was the church, comprising all who believe on Jesus that God had "afore prepared unto glory" (CP Gen 3:15; Amos 9:11-12; Ac 15:13-18; Ro 16:25-26; Eph 1:3-7; 2:4-18; 3:9-11; Col 1:15-18; 2Ti 1:9; 1Pe 1:2-5).
None of this is teaching that God will utterly destroy Israel - scriptures abound with God's promises of its eventual restoration - but at present it is "hardened", as Pharaoh was. It has hardened itself against the gospel of Christ. But the hardening is only temporary in order to permit Gentiles access to the gospel (CP Ac 13:44-47; 28:23-28; Ro 9:22-33; 10:17-21; 11:25-29).
As we saw in Ro 9:24 the church is comprised of both Jews and Gentiles so whoever comes to God through Christ, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, will be spared from the wrath to come (CP Ro 1:16-18; 2:10-11).
See also comments on Ro 1:16-17, 3:19-23, 3:24-26(A) and Eph 2:8-10 and author's studies Israel in God's Eternal Purpose in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 1), and The Doctrine of Grace in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 2).