The fullness of the time was the generation of Jesus Christ.
Ga 4:4 But when the
fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
The fulness of the time is a particular time among the other times wherein God has designated accomplishing the new birth of his collective son, Israel. Read the whole context, being honest with the text, and you will see this is true. The singular form of the fulness of time must be distinguished from the "fulness of the "times," plural. The latter is a comprehensive expression. Check it out.
Eph 1:7b ......................................................................................his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us
the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he (God the Father) hath purposed in himself:
10 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:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
These two expressions relate to different definitions. The first relates to one time among all the times and the second related to the completion of all the times. The first has come when Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem under God's operative principle for his people, the Law of Moses, which he put away and ended by his crucifixion and resurrection. (2 Cor 3) The second, the fulness of times is future for us even today and we know that because we have not been gathered together to receive our inheritance as sons of God through Christ, which includes a glorified body, both individually and corporately. We, the church, the body of Christ, is/are scattered all over the world with many having died and whose spirit is in heaven awaiting the gathering into one and the bodily glorification by the resurrection and translation to the Father's house of every one. This current age we are living in now, called by Paul, "this present time", Rom 818; 11:5. is the time this body is being formed, first by Israel, and then with the inclusion of gentiles because of the refusal of Israel to believe.
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body
, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
There are ages to come after this age when the purpose of God will be different and progressive, the purpose of this age having been fulfilled.
Ep 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That
in the ages to come (after we are made to sit in heavenly places) he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Those who refuse to separate the ages, and even deny there are divine divisions of time are not only content to be ignorant of God's purposes through history but they teach others unbelief.
One must take note of what Jesus Christ said to his generation of Jewish rulers who had the souls of his people in their hands after his 3 year ministry to them and they had rejected him and taught the nation to reject him.. These men are to blame and Jesus said their corporate sin is unforgivable. Read it.
Mt 12:14 Then
the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
16 And charged them that they should not make him known:
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
This marks the end of the preaching of Jesus and his disciples to this generation that the kingdom of heaven is at hand and shows the focus shifting to a different plan that would involve the gentiles. Jesus Christ did not come to conquer a generation in order to rule over them but to save them from their sins and change their hearts and rule because they received him as their king. The next chapter, Mt 13, would outline the dispensation of the grace of God, this present age, to a people to whom he had made no promises, gentiles, and save all who would simply believe in him.
Matthew 12:32
And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither
in this world, (aion = age= time) neither in the world to come.
The world to come is the world we are in now.
God, near the end of the age wrote a letter to the Hebrews, circa 66 AD, in which be issued 4 warnings to those Hebrews whom he had separated from "his people, "the Northern Kingdom of 10 tribes that he separated in 722 BC and said "not my people" but in the same breath had said they will be called the sons of the living God, which we know requires a new birth that is possible only through Jesus Christ. Many of these Hebrews had believed and were saved by the time of the writing, but not all. Here is just one of the warnings to these people.
He 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 And this will we do, if God permit.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
11 And we desire that
every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope
unto the end:
"The end" is the end of the age.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake
in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in
these last days (of the age) spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;(aions = ages - the word is plural meaning he made more than one age)
How and when?
26 For
then must he
often have suffered since the foundation of the
world (kosmos) = planet): but
now once in
the end of the world (aion = age ) hath he APPEARED (in person) to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
If one will allow the epistle to the Hebrews to be written to the Hebrews then great understanding can be accomplished. This would include the strangers scatted abroad who Peter wrote two epistles to, the twelve tribes of Israel to whom James wrote, the little children of 1 John and the elect lady and her children and Gaius in 2 and 3 John and the the 7 churches in the province of Asia in Asia Minor to whom the Revelation is addressed. Also Jude wrote to the Hebrews.
All the Jews were cut off from the covenant with no national identity after the slaughter by the Romans and the church in character from there is a gentile bride.
As I said before I am in a learning curve and admit that I might need to adjust my conclusions on certain points if my understanding demands it. May God the Father and the Lord Jesus be glorified by this post. Amen.
NE TO SEE., but are you sure that's what you want to do all the time?