Fullness of the Gentiles

Many teachings on the relationship between Israel and the Church refer to Romans 9–11. This passage of scripture is said to prove that, alongside the role of the congregation of Jesus Christ in God’s plan of salvation, a role is also reserved for Israel, albeit in the future. This text is used to suggest that the church’s role will be complete when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. Afterwards, it is believed that Israel will come to faith and either fulfil a separate role or become part of the church of Jesus Christ in the end times.

A key question is what Paul means by “the fullness of the Gentiles”. The term ‘multitude of nations’ can already be found in the Book of Genesis. Given Paul’s extensive knowledge of Old Testament scriptures, it is likely that he intended to draw a connection with this verse from Genesis. First, let’s look at the Genesis text:

₁₉And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
(Genesis 48:19)

Genesis describes how Jacob adopts Joseph’s two sons, his grandsons, as his own sons.:

₅And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
(Genesis 48:5)

This becomes clearer later on when the people of Israel are divided into tribes, with both Ephraim and Manasseh representing one of these tribes.

Abraham is promised that he will become the father of many nations — or, as it says here, ‘a multitude of nations’.:

₄As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. ₅Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
(Genesis 17:4-5)

The same is promised to Jacob:

₃And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, ₄and said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.
(Genesis 48:3-4)

Therefore, Jacob inherits Abraham’s blessing. As we read in Genesis 48:19, Jacob then places this inheritance on the head of Ephraim, who will also become a multitude of nations. The Hebrew word used here for ‘nations’ is הגוים (Goyim ^{Strong H1471}). This term generally refers to all nations, including the people of Israel, and is often used to refer only to non-Israelites.

Looking at history, it is clear that the tribe and people of Ephraim have assimilated into other nations. This applies not only to Ephraim, but also to the other nine tribes that make up the House of Israel. Indeed, the entire House of Israel is often referred to as Ephraim. The prophet Hosea symbolically represents this by marrying a prostitute.

₁The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
₂The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. ₃So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son. ₄And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. ₅And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. ₆And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. ₇But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen. ₈Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. ₉Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.
₁₀Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. ₁₁Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.
(Hosea 1:1-11)
₁Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
(Hosea 2:1)

Jezreel meaning: God sows
Lo-ruchama meaning: Not beloved
Lo-ami meaning Not my people

The House of Israel, with the tribe of Ephraim at its core, finds itself in a situation where God says goodbye and no longer recognises them as his people, as His beloved spouse. The name ‘Jezreel’ suggests that the people will be scattered among other nations, where they will flourish and become fully integrated. The House of Israel thus becomes part of the Goyim. It is only much later that they will regain their status as a people and as God’s beloved when they gather under the one Head, Jesus Christ. Paul also references this text in Romans 9:

₂₄even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? ₂₅As he saith also in Osee,
I will call them my people, which were not my people;
And her beloved, which was not beloved.
₂₆And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people;
There shall they be called the children of the living God.
(Romans 9:24-26)

Here, Paul suggests that this passage from Hosea refers to the congregation of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the church is the restored house of Israel — or, as Paul indicates in Galatians 6, ‘the Israel of God’.

Back to the beginning. When Jacob blesses his adopted son Ephraim, he foresees that he will become a multitude of nations. Paul refers to this in Romans 11:

₂₅For 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. ₂₆And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written,
There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer,
And shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
(Romans 11:25-26)

The salvation of all of Israel is dependent on the coming together of the remnant of the Jews, the Gentiles, the nations, and/or the heathen under the one Saviour who will come from Sion. Together, they will constitute the New Testament Israel: a community of people born of God, who have received a Spirit-given share in Jesus, seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven — the New Testament Sion. Jesus declares the following to Pilate:

₃₆Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. ₃₇Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
(John 18:36-37)

The Kingdom of God is therefore not physical or earthly, but spiritual and heavenly.

₁₈For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, ₁₉and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: ₂₀(for they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: ₂₁and so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) ₂₂but ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, ₂₃to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, ₂₄and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel
(Hebrews 12:18-24)

₃Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: ₄according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: ₅having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, ₆to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. ₇In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; ₈wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; ₉having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: ₁₀that 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: ₁₁in 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: ₁₂that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. ₁₃In 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, ₁₄which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
(Ephesians 1:3-14)

To assume that there is still a prospect of a future Israel being ruled from Jerusalem seems to me to contradict this truth: that we are part of the heavenly Jerusalem and share in all the blessings we have received from Christ. The restored House of Israel is made up of Jews and Gentiles who are seated with Christ in heaven, in the heavenly Sion from where Jesus reigns.

₉They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
(Jeremiah 31:9)

The family of the firstborn, Ephraim, represents the Church of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the firstborn from the dead and the true seed of Abraham. It is only through Him that we can belong to the people of God and have God Himself as our Father.

 ₆Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 
(John 14:6)