Perry/Jeanne Britt
“Ephesians 1:9-10: “Having made known to us the mysteries of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself. That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one ALL things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him.”
Read this over and meditate on the part which says, “gather together all things in Christ” I’m so glad He showed me again this verse. I’ve read it many times but this time I totally understand what it says. Thank You Jesus for illuminating this for me!
First you must know what Paul means what he calls “the dispensation of the fullness of times” This age we live in today is called “the dispensation of grace” This means that God is dispensing grace (undeserved benevolence offered to people). He bestowed grace upon humans through the death of His Son and the coming of the Holy Spirit into believers. There is coming a dispensation called “fullness of times” Israel’s fullness is the opposite of her fall. You remember Israel rejected Jesus as her Messiah, the kingdom in which God was going to give her, so her “fullness” will come when she realizes the Jesus is who He said He was, and starts being “kings and priest”, God’s mouthpiece that He always intended her to be. The “fullness of the Gentiles” us, “the church” or Gentiles is when we get our kingdom in heaven at the Rapture. Now the dispensation of the fullness of times has to do with us the Gentiles getting our kingdom and the fullness of Israel having to do with her getting her kingdom Then if the word “times” has to do with changing of kingdoms. Then fullness has to do with a change that God plans to make to His kingdoms at some time in the future.
The “all thing in Christ” consists of the saved of ALL ages. Members of the Body of Christ are “the things “in heaven, and the people of Israel, (Jews) are “things on earth”. The change God is going to make is the gathering of these two kingdoms together into one. The Old Testament saints didn’t know they were in Christ, but they were. The earth is the eternal hope of all believers who were saved under God’s prophetic program, whether they lived before or after God gave Abraham a seed and later formed them as a nation. This happens when the Millennial kingdom comes to an end. There is a Jerusalem in heaven just as there is on earth. The Bible calls it the “the heavenly Jerusalem” Hebrews 12:22 It will come down from heaven to earth and rest here in its eternal state. There will be no more changes after this or so the Bible doesn’t list any more changes. I believe that this is where God plans to gather together all things in Christ. We will live together in the New Jerusalem with the people of Israel. When the New Jerusalem comes down, like any city it must have people. You recall the angel told John to come up and he would show him (John) the Lambs (Jesus’) wife. “And when the thousand years are expired … I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, PREPARED AS A BRIDE ADORNED FOR HER HUSBAND.” (Revelations 20:7-21, 22) John said he carried him away to a high mountain and showed him the great city Jerusalem descending down from heaven. So, the city that will be Christ’s Bride will contain people of Israel and members of the Body of Christ. Our connection to New Jerusalem is something that was a mystery until God revealed it to the Apostle Paul. It has always been in the will of God that we would be gathered together with Israel as one people in the fullness of times.