For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be brought in. Romans 11:25
Let’s pretend for a bit that you are a great inventor, and you have developed a tool that will remove dents from cars without requiring expensive body work and repainting. Such a tool would be in high demand, so you need to protect your right to be the only person who can make it. Otherwise, other people would steal your concept and build their own tools, and you don’t benefit from the hard work that you put into developing your device. That’s what patents are for. So you apply for a patent, submitting all the necessary paperwork and fees. But even with a patent, you can have protection from competition for only so long. Currently that length of protection in Canada is 20 years. After 20 years, anyone can take your device and make their own copies for use or for sale. The term ‘fulness of the Gentiles’ in today’s text refers to a type of copyright that God has extended to us while His chosen nation has been set aside.
God’s program of extending blessing to the Gentiles is to endure until the fulness referred to here. That means we are the focus of God’s attention and the special recipients of His blessings. For this we should be deeply thankful, because this attention from God is not something we deserve. We call this the day of grace, a day in which God’s unmerited favour is bestowed on Jew and Gentile alike, as He deals with individuals who respond to the loving invitation of His Son. Until the fulness of the Gentiles occurs, we have the privileges and blessings of worship and service to a God Who loves us and delights in our appreciation of His grace. Until the fulness of the Gentiles, we rejoice in the provision of His word, the fellowship of His people, and the hope of His soon return for us. Because it is the rapture that will mark the event our text calls the fulness of the Gentiles.
We don’t appreciate as we should the greatness of our dispensation of grace. In earlier dispensations, Gentiles played a minor role in God’s programs, although they weren’t ignored. And when the rapture occurs, God will again resume His dealings with Israel. So, just like a copyright period for an inventor, the day of grace is a period in which we should take full advantage of all that God is giving us. Since the Lord Jesus gave His great commission to His disciples, the Gospel has been carried to the remote corners of the world. That great program comes to an end with the fulness of the Gentiles. Assemblies honouring God’s principles of gathering to the Name of His Son exist throughout the world, and more are being planted by faithful workers. This program also ceases with the fulness of the Gentiles.
As the fulness of the Gentiles approaches, let us take full advantage of the blessings and opportunities that are ours until our Lord calls us home. -Jim MacIntosh