Ministry of Grace Church

that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times to gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth,

Truth to Learn

God has a plan for time and eternity.

 

Behind the Words

“Dispensation” is translated from oikonomia, which is made up of oikos, meaning “a dwelling place, a house” and a form of nemō, meaning “to apportion” or “to distribute.” Thus, oikonomia literally refers to the administration of a household. Metaphorically, it refers to a period of time in which certain events happen.

“Fullness” is from the Greek noun plērōma, which is from the verb plēroō, meaning “to fill up” or “to make full.” Plērōma, means “fullness” or “completion.”

The word “time” is translated from kairos, which means “time.” There are actually two Greek words that refer to time, kairos and chronos. Chronos refers to the quantitative aspect of time (a measureable period of time), whereas kairos refers to the qualitative aspect of time (a period of opportunity or a season).

The “dispensation of the fullness of times” refers to that period when the era of time will be complete and will come to an end.

The expression “to gather together in one” is translated from a single Greek word, anakephalaioō. This word is made up of ana, meaning “again,” perhaps used here as an emphatic and kephalaioō, which literally means “to strike a blow to the head.” Metaphorically, kephalaioō means “to finish, as with a blow to the head,” that is, to finalize or to sum up. Therefore, anakephalaioō means “to bring things to a final conclusion by bringing all things together again.”

 

Meaning Explained

In the opening of this letter to the Ephesians, Paul has declared how God has blessed us with all possible spiritual blessings. He also told us how God chose us before He formed all of creation so that we will one day be holy and blameless in His presence. Paul then informs us how God determined in the past that we whom He chose should be adopted into His family as His rightful children. All these things He did simply because He wanted to and because He knew that all this would showcase His wonderful grace toward undeserving mankind. In doing so, He has made us accepted in Christ, with whose blood our ransom has been paid, and our sins have been cast far, far away. Also, God has made known to us the mystery of His will, that one day Christians and Jews will be joined together as God’s rightful heirs.

Now, Paul tells us one reason why God did all this. Not only does God have a plan for the events of time, but He has a plan for eternity. That plan is to reunite all things in Himself once again. At the conclusion of time (at the end of the Millennial reign of Christ), when heaven and earth have passed away and there is a new heaven and a new earth, all that is good and all who have been declared righteous will be brought back together in God. And, this includes not just earthly things, but all holy things which are in heaven as well.

What will things be like when He does this? Well, we have a couple of glimpses into what it will be like. The first is described in Genesis chapter two. It is a description of the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve lived in perfect fellowship with God. The other glimpse is given to us in Revelation chapters twenty-one and twenty-two where our eternal dwelling place, New Jerusalem, is described.

 

Application

God has a plan for you and for me, a plan that includes our service to Him while we are on this earth and our presence with Him in heaven. Knowing what He has prepared for us, His children, should cause each one of us to fall to our knees in recognition of our unworthiness and of His Supremacy!