The Fulness of the Gentiles

Introduction

A lot of Romans chapter 9-11 has been theological explanation of God’s dealings with the Jewish people, but the section of text we are going to look at this morning is prophecy. When you think of prophecy in the NT which book or books come to mind? Revelation There is some overlap between this prophecy and the book of Revelation, but Paul is actually going to link this prophecy with OT prophecies found in the book of Isaiah which I have been doing an indepth study of in my devotions.

For- Everything Paul is about to say connects to what I preached last week. Paul is still giving an explanation of why we should not be antisemitic toward the Jews.

I would not have you be ignorant- There is something Paul wants them to know about. It is important that they have the truth.

of this mystery- a Mystery in the bible is something once hidden but now revealed- What Paul is saying is that these truths weren’t clearly known to the Gentiles before although God did mention them in the OT. They were in a way blinded to the meaning. The mystery consists really of three different things:

Partial blindness- blindness in part- Not all of Israel was blinded to the truth, Paul himself is evidence of this fact.

Temporary blindness- until- There is an expiration date on Israel’s blindness. There is coming a day when the vail will be lifted from their eyes. 2 Corinthians 3:15–16 “But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.” This verse is not worded as an if statement, Paul uses the word when assuming a day when the vail will be lifted.

the Gentile inclusion- the fullness of the Gentiles- In the meantime, the are in the time of the Gentiles. More on that later

There is an important phrase here that I don’t want to leave out- lest ye should be wise in your own conceits- Paul was concerned that the Gentile Roman believers would be wise- There is a wisdom that is opposed to God’s wisdom. When you listen to some of the arguments made by those who oppose Israel, when you listen to the conspiracy theories of Candace Owens and others like here; you might be tempted to think that makes sense because it is the wisdom of this world. 1 Corinthians 3:19 “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.” The Gentiles had come up with a logical explanation for why God wasn’t saving as many Jews any more. The phrase in your own conceits literally reads of yourself. This logical explanation didn’t come from God it came from their own minds. There is a pride in this when we choose our opinions over God’s opinions. These Gentiles were boasting against the Jews because of their opinions.

There is a key word that I jumped over, it is the word lest. Another way of saying lest would be so that. Paul says I don’t want you to be ignorant so that you wouldn’t be carried away in the pride of your own opinions. Paul is making a claim that ignorance can lead to intellectual pride.

I have noticed a trend that the most arrogant, the most sure of themselves, the most unteachable people out there are usually the people who know next to nothing about the topic. They can preach really loudly and dogmatically about something that they have never really studied out themselves. They heard something one time that they really liked, they saw one piece of evidence for it but they never studied both sides of the debate to find out the truth for themselves. Their ignorance has led them to think they have it all figured out when there is so much more that they do not know. Paul is claiming that the Gentiles are proudly boasting against the Jews because they are ignorant. They don’t understand something about how God is working; so Paul is going to reveal to them the mystery. He is going to dispel their ignorance by expanding on a prophecy about the future.

I started to make this a three point sermon through vs 27, but after writting the first point, I decided it could only really be one point in the time I have left; so we will have a part two next week. Part of the mystery that Paul reveals is the time of the Gentiles; So today we are going to focus on what is the time of the Gentiles?

The Fullness of the Gentiles

Romans 11:25 “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 come in.”

The word fullness here means to be filled up or complete. The word until tells us that this is talking about a period of time. So putting those two things together we see there is a certain set time in which God is working on drawing the Gentiles to Himself, but at some point it will be completed. So we are in an age, not where God has completely stopped working with Israel: a remnant remains, but a time period where God has allowed blindness on the Jewish nation while He extends the gospel’s reach to the Gentiles. I have defined the time of the Gentiles as:

Definition: A divinely appointed period during which Gentile nations dominate Jerusalem and the world, allowing God to gather a people for Himself from the nations. After this time the vail and hardness of heart over national Israel will be lifted and God will once again fulfill His covenant promises.

It is a time when the Gentiles dominate Israel- They are no longer and independent free nation like they were under king David.

The gospel is extended to the Gentiles so God can gather a people from among them for Himself.

After this time, the hardness and blindness of Israel will be lifted.

God will once again begin to focus His work on the nation of Israel.

This period of time is spoken of in both the old and the new testaments in various places. Jesus foretold a time where the Jews would be ruled by the Gentiles and called that time period the times of the Gentiles. Luke 21:24 “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” In this prophecy, he mentioned that there was coming a day when Jerusalem would be trodden or destroyed by the Gentiles. This happened in 70 AD.

Dispensationalists are all agreed that this time began with the Babylonian captivity while covenant theologians general have it beginning in 70 AD. Key to understanding when the time of the Gentiles begins and ends is seeing the connections between what Jesus say and the prophesies of Daniel 2 and Daniel 7. We are only going to look at one this morning:

God changeth the times- This prophecy is about era’s in God’s dealings with mankind Daniel 2:19–22 “Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: For wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, And knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, And the light dwelleth with him.”

The dream Daniel 2:31–35 “Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.”

Head of gold- Babylon

Chest and Arms of Silver- Medo-Persia

stomach and thighs of Brass- Greece

Legs of Iron- Rome

Feet of Iron and Clay- the divided Romans Empire

These are the world powers that would rule the nations and specifically the would trample underfoot the people of God. Daniel 7:7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.” This language connects to Luke 21 where Jerusalem is trampled.

3. Both time periods end with the coming of Christ’s Kingdom- Luke 21:31 “So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.” Daniel 2:44–45 “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”

James in the book of Acts also made a connection to the times of the Gentiles when Paul and Barnabas appeared at the Jerusalem council. James supported the gospel being given to the Gentiles without Jewish strings attached because of Peter’s testimony of how Cornelius received the Spirit after the gospel was preached to Him. But he reminds the congregation that the Gentiles being saved was a fulfillment of OT prophecy.

Acts 15:14–17 “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.”

James is quoting a passage from Amos 9:11–12 “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, And close up the breaches thereof; And I will raise up his ruins, And I will build it as in the days of old: That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, Which are called by my name, Saith the Lord that doeth this.”

This passage is about the exile of the people of Israel as they are sifted throughout the nations vs 9.

vs 12 speaks of heathen called by my name

vs 11 after this, in that day, God will return and heal the nation of Israel

vs 14 they will return from captivity- this is important because the Northern Kingdom of Israel has still not returned to the land.

This time of the Gentiles was also a judgment on the hypocritical rulers of Israel. Matthew 21:43 “Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” Jesus spoke a parable about a vineyard which was given to husbandman to take care of. When he sent his servants and then finally his son, the husbandmen killed them. Their rejection would cost them the kingdom. Here Jesus says the kingdom would be taken from you- the you here refers to the leaders of Israel see vs 45 and the nation are the people of God which includes both the remnant and believing Gentiles. But Jesus was affirming that a point wold come where God would turn from directly dealing with Israel as a nation and turn to those who would listen.

This is the same message of Matthew 2:1–10 “Now when Jesus was born in Beth-lehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Beth-lehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Beth-lehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Beth-lehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”

Conclusion

So what is the application to a message like this? If ignorance leads to intellectual pride, then the application here is to see the truth. Believe the truth and let that truth humble us. Paul’s point here pigging backing off of Romans 11:21 “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.” is that there is an expiration date on the time of the Gentiles. Those who look down on the Jews forget that their day is coming and ours is coming to a close. The time is drawing short. We are already seeing a time when fewer and fewer in our own nation are truly turning to Christ. The gospel is making headway in other countries; but we don’t have forever.

The luxury we currently enjoy is not because we are anything special above the Jews, but is a temporary period of time in which God has chosen to extend his offer to the Gentiles. Let’s not squander it.