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We all want the “inside scoop”. We know we do.

  • And so here is good news.
  • We have it.
  • We really do.

Paul got it directly from God. The plan is that God wants everyone to experience the good life through Jesus, the Messiah. No one is to be excluded.

We get the inside story directly from God as well. We share in the same good news. We are not left out of His new plan for us at all.

For this reason, I, Paul, a prisoner of the Messiah Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of the Messiah, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in the Messiah Jesus through the good news [gospel]. [1]

Ephesians 3:1-3

What has happened to Israel is all a part of God’s plan, and He knows what He is doing. The blinding of Israel as a nation is neither total nor final: it is partial and temporary.

How long will it last? “Until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom. 11:25). There is a “fullness” for Israel and for the Gentiles. Today, God in His grace is visiting the Gentiles and taking out a people for His name. Individual Jews are being saved, of course; but this present age is primarily a time when God is visiting the Gentiles and building His church. When this present age has run its course, and the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, then God will once more deal with the nation of Israel.

  • Romans 11:25 is one of several “until verses” in the Bible, all of which are important.
  • It is reassuring that God knows what time it is and that He is never late in fulfilling His will.

The emphasis is on the covenant of God with Israel. God chose Israel in His grace and not because of any merit in her. If the nation was not chosen because of its goodness, can it be rejected because of its sin?

We have good news! Want to know how to be saved? Click here or here for more.

“Election” means grace, not merit. The Jewish people are “enemies” to the believing Gentiles because of their hostile attitude toward the good news. But to God, the Jewish people are “beloved for the fathers’ sakes.” God will not break His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

  • Ephesians 3:6 — 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in the Messiah Jesus through the good news [gospel],
  • Romans 11:25 — 25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
  • Colossians 1:27 — 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is the Messiah in you, the hope of glory.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 3:1–6.

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