By: Robert Serreyn
Question? When will the Fulness of the Gentiles come spoken of in Rom. 11:25?
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.
Answer:
The fulness of the Gentiles will come when the LAST GENTILE (Non Jewish) person Trust Christ as saviour during this time period that we are living called in Bible Prophecy “THE CHURCH AGE”
Every person (regardless of denominational affiliation)that has placed their TRUST ALONE in Christ as their ONLY MEANS of salvation and payment of their sins are ALL PART of what is called the BODY OF CHRIST.
The Body of Christ is refered to in scripture as the EKKLESIA (Gr.Word) or the CALLED OUT ASSEMPLY.
Colossians 1:18, 24 and he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (24) Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church.
Romans 12:4-5 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: (5) So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. (13) For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
When the very last gentile gets saved then THE RAPTURE takes place.
1 Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The reason for this is found in 2 Peter 3:9.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
The Lord DESIRES ALL to be saved that is why he gives us time and chance after chance to BELIEVE ON HIM ALONE for salvation even though he ALREADY KNOWS who will and who will not believe.
Now as for the rest of V25 the Apostle Paul was giving a WARNING to these gentile believers that they SHOULD NOT be ignorant (without knowledge) of this truth (Mystery) concerning them and the Rapture.
Acts 15:14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
The phrase TO TAKE OUT is a reference to THE RAPTURE.
Then the Apostle Paul continues to warn that they (gentile believers) would be wise to NOT BE WISE in their OWN SELVES (conceits) as far as NOT BEING LIKE the Jewish believers who WILLINGLY REFUSED to accept (Blindness in Part) the Gentiles as Fellow Believers who will also be taken (Acts 15:14) to be with the Lord Jesus when he returns at The Rapture.
The word CONCEITS in the Greek is HEAUTOU and means ONESELF, THYSELF, HIMSELF etc.
NOTE: In the Books of Acts 15:14 through V16 and also between Romans 11:25 and 26 there is a GAP PERIOD of time of Seven Years, in which the seven year tribulation takes place.
In Conclusion:
Acts 15:14, & Romans 11:25 refers to The Rapture.
Acts 15:16, & Romans 11:26 refers to the Second Coming of Christ.
The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know IS Jesus Christ as savior, just simply believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross and DIED and shed his blood, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for your sins.
-Christ DIED for you – Romans 5:8
-Christ PAID your sins in full – 2 Corinthians 5:21,1 Peter 2:24
-BELIEVE (Trust In Completely) in Christ ALONE as the complete payment of sin for salvation – John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9
“For the wages(payment) of sin is death (eternal torment in hell); but the GIFT(salvation) of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 6:23
IT IS THAT SIMPLE – THE GOSPEL TRUTH