The Mystery Of The Dispensation Of The Fullness Of The Times

by NEELY, E. | Category: Opened Secrets | Dec 2005

Prophecies, parables and promises all thrill us with the future purposes of God to be summed up in Christ and enjoyed by Christian believers and others 'who are Christ's', soon to be experienced in the thousand-year dispensation that we have labelled 'The Millennium'. Scripture pulsates with excitement of the revelation of God as He unfolds to Israel and to us the wonders of Christ's future thousand-year reign on earth, a reign delineated by the inherent characteristics of the King Himself: righteousness, peace and joy.

A righteous reign

'Behold a King will reign in righteousness,

And princes will rule with justice �

Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,

And righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

The work of righteousness will be peace,

And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.' (1)

We excite to the promise of peaceful habitations, quiet resting places, secure dwellings. No war, no terrorism, no catastrophe, nothing but the outpouring of the love of God in Christ Jesus, and even that, growing like the stream that flows from His sanctuary, utterly whelming us beneath His blessing and comfort. Satan will be bound, chained and sealed in the abyss for the time, so that he can no longer deceive the nations.(2) The tribulation faithful who sealed their fealty with their lives will live again, reigning with their great sovereign.(3) Twelve apostles will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel,(4) and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will be there.(5) David will rule as Prince,(6) and Christ shall reign on the throne.(7) Present-day saints who have been faithful to their Lord will also reign,(8) and such parables as that of the nobleman who, on going away, distributed his wealth to his servants and commanded them to do business until his return, will be fulfilled; servants will receive their 'ten cities' and 'five cities'.(9) This poor old earth's creation will finally be 'delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God'.(10)

Ephesians 1:9-10 refers to 'the mystery of the fullness of the times'; Acts 3:21 tells us that it will be the restoration of all things, that which God has been speaking about since the world began. God is excited about it. Can we be any less? Isaiah (2:2-3) reveals the establishment of God's house, exalted above the hills on the holy mountain of God. The righteous law of God will go forth and nations will rejoice in His righteousness.

'There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse �

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him,

The Spirit of wisdom and understanding �

... with righteousness He shall judge ...

Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,

And faithfulness the belt of His waist.'(11)

This is the One whose sceptre is the sceptre of righteousness, who loved righteousness and hated lawlessness, who, anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows,(12) sits on a throne that will last forever and ever. The 'name by which He will be called is THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS' (13) and the name of His people, likewise, 'THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS'.(14) Christ has been made unto us wisdom from God - and righteousness.(15)

A reign of peace

Again Isaiah exults:

'The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,

The leopard ... with the young goat,

The calf and the young lion ...

And a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze ...

The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole,

And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain.' (16)

Pastoral scene exceeding anything that we can dream or imagine! His resting place shall be glorious! The nations shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. His name, as well as 'The Lord Our Righteousness', shall be 'Prince of Peace'. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end. To Jerusalem God promises:'"Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river"'. (17) To the redeemed of our time there shall be the perfection of the peace that He left with His own when He said: '"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."' (18)

Who could imagine a more pastoral scene than Isaiah paints for us about millennial splendour? 'He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young'.(19) '"You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You."' (20)

A reign of joy

The prophet Isaiah writes about the future joy of the millennial reign:

'The wilderness and the the wasteland shall be glad ...

... the desert shall rejoice ...

It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice,

Even with joy and singing.

... the ransomed of the LORD shall return,

And come to Zion with singing,

With everlasting joy on their heads.

They shall obtain joy and gladness,

And sorrow and sighing shall flee away'.(21)

'Sing, O heavens!

Be joyful, O earth!

And break out in singing, O mountains!

For the LORD has comforted His people,

And will have mercy on His afflicted.' (22)

At Sinai, Israel was commanded to keep the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after the blessing of the harvest field and vineyard had been gathered in.

While that holy week looked backward at the years in which Israel had wandered in the desert after their freedom from Egypt, it also looked forward to a time in God's calendar when the harvest will have been gathered. The commandment was: '"You shall rejoice in your feast"' and '"so that you surely rejoice"'.(23) The NASB translates it: '"You will be altogether joyful"'! Nehemiah directed the remnant that had returned from Babylon to do likewise, to make booths and live in them, and he appends the comment to the description: 'And there was very great gladness'.(24) Joy and rejoicing will characterize the glorious reign of the Lord Jesus, not only in type, shadow, and promise, but in every phase of its reality - that is for the Lord's own. Those who do not own Him, even should they be alive during millennial days, shall know only suffering and judgement.(25)

The place of the Church

Of course, much of what is written about that glorious future millennial kingdom is written to and about Israel. The resurrection of the dead will not yet have taken place, save those who were accepted by God to be part of the 'first resurrection'.(26) The rest of the dead will not be raised until the Millennium is finished. Then will come the Great White Throne judgement, the final crushing and judgement of Satan, the destruction of the old, cursed earth, and the formation of a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness also dwells. The Millennium is not the eternal state. Nevertheless, the Church which is Christ's Body, having been raised from the dead or changed while alive, shall have their glorious part in His expression of majesty, some even reigning with Him in whatever sphere He might appoint. Righteousness, peace and joy will be ours in any case. But many of those who pass through millennial days will not be in glorified bodies. Perhaps some of them will even be born of earthly parents during that delightful time. The final phase of God's dispensations of time will show that even under the abundance and blessing of a rule of perfect righteousness, perfect peace and protection, immeasurable joy surrounding, and the absence of Satan, the wickedness of the heart of man will still rebel, awaiting the opportunity to challenge, and proving to all, the matchless mercy of God in providing the Lord Jesus Christ, a sacrifice for the cleansing of the human soul.

Righteousness, peace, joy, justice, prosperity and glory intermingle in promise to buoy the fainting spirit, but transcending all or any part of this is the sublime reality, flooding the heart and soul with joyful and sublime anticipation: '"And the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE."' (27)

Bible references

(1)Is.32:1,16,17 (2)Rev.20:2 (3)Rev.20:4 (4)Mat.19:28 (5)Mat.8:11 (6)Ezek.34:24 (7)Is.32:1 (8)1 Cor.6:2,3; 2 Tim. 2:12 (9)Luke 19:12-19 (10)Rom.8:21 (11)Is.11:1-5 (12)Heb.1:8,9 (13)Jer.23:6 (14)Jer.33:16 (15)1 Cor.1:30 (16)Is.11:6-9 (17)Is.66:12 (18)John 14:27 (19)Is.40:11 (20)Is.26:3 (21)Is.35:1,2,10 (22) Is.49:13 (23)Deut.16:14,15 (24)Neh.8:17 (25)Is.66:24 (26)Rev.20:5 (27)Ezek.48:35

NEELY, E. | Dec 2005
Opened Secrets