Fullness of the Gentiles

What does the New Testament mean when it mentions that Israel is blind until the fullness of the gentiles has come in? If we stay only in the New Testament, it would seem that this would mean the Jews are blind to the Messiah until everyone that wants to become a Christian comes to Christ. But, my question is this, was this the intended meaning the Father was trying to get across to his people?

Romans 11:25

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

This is the verse in which I was referring. Now, I have a hard time believing that this is referring to future Christians. Instead, I believe there is a much deeper meaning to this verse that may only be understood once the original Hebrew words are used. I want to start by going back and comparing a similar verse found in the book of Genesis.

Genesis 48:19

But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”

The Hebrew word used for the phrase “shall become a multitude” is mĕlo' and its meaning is fullness.

Of nations comes from the Hebrew word gowy and its meaning is Nations.

Therefore we can conclude that the younger brother Ephraim’s descendants will become the fullness of the nations. Now the next step is to look at the word GOWY. Gowy is the very SAME word used for the word gentile in the Old Testament. If that is the case, then again we can conclude that the descendants of Ephraim will become the fullness of the gentiles. Could this be what Paul was trying to tell us? If we try to connect all the New Testament to the Old, which we should considering that the ONLY scripture they had to use during this time to compare Paul’s words to was, in fact, the Old Testament. Here is an example of just what I am referring to.

Acts 17: 10-12

Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.  These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.  Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.

The Bereans were Jews. They compared ALL of Paul’s words to the Old Testament. It was for this reason that these Jews considered Paul’s words true and then believed in the Messiah. If this is the case, then we can conclude that everything Paul said was in direct relation to the Old Testament, and if this is what caused Jews to believe in Christ, then should we not follow the same steps they took in order to find truth in Paul’s words?

Next, let’s take a look at who Ephraim’s descendants were.

1 Kings 12: 20-21

Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin

1 Kings 11: 26

Then Solomon’s servant, Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zereda, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against the king.

There are several things to take away from these two passages. First, Jeroboam was the king over the northern kingdom of what became known as the House of Israel. Rehoboam became king over what was known as the southern kingdom of Judah. Second, Jeroboam was a servant of King Solomon. Third, Jeroboam was a descendant of Ephraim.

This makes perfect sense. An Ephraimite was now leading the Northern House of Israel. So what happened to Israel next? They were taken into captivity.

2 Kings 17: 6

In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

As read in this verse from 2 Kings, the Northern Kingdom was taken captive into Assyria. Remember, the northern kingdom were led by and descendants of Ephraim.

Jeremiah 3: 6-8

The Lord said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce;…

Not only can we see that Ephraim had been divorced by YHWH, but also that she never returned to Him, and continued to assimilate into the nations across the world. Any bible scholar today will tell you that Ephraim is another name for the Northern Kingdom of Israel. So we should be able to conclude that Ephraim made up what the bible calls the “lost sheep of Israel”. If we continue with the verse mentioned in the opening of this blog we see something that should pop out at you at this point.

Romans 11: 25-26

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved;

All Israel will be saved. This is definitely referring to the lost sheep of the northern kingdom of Israel.

Matthew 10: 5-6

These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Matthew 15: 24

But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Christ Himself commands the apostles to not go among the gentiles, but go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He also states that He came only for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

After going through all of this, one can only conclude that the Northern Kingdom was and still very much is an important part of YHWH’s plan. Knowing now that the fullness of the Gentiles means to bring back all the house of Israel, should alter the way we view the scriptures. I am in no way stating that those with no bloodline lineage to the northern kingdom cannot be saved. What I am saying is that both groups, bloodline and no bloodline, are grafted into or back into the Olive tree that represents all of Israel.

Romans 11: 17-21

And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.

You may say that this olive tree does not represent Israel, however, if we continue to search the scriptures as the Bereans did, we will find exactly what Paul is making reference to in the book of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 11: 16

The Lord called your name, Green Olive Tree, Lovely and of Good Fruit. With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, And its branches are broken.

“For the Lord of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced doom against you for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke Me to anger in offering incense to Baal.”

It is very clear that the purpose of using the analogy of an Olive Tree by Paul was to coincide with what the prophet Isaiah said. The olive tree is a representation of Israel, the chosen people group. This is not only the Jews, but all 12 tribes. We, as non-bloodline followers of YHWH are grafted into this family. That being said, we must assimilate to the Biblical ways, and refuse to continue in the ways of the world (sin). The lost sheep of Israel, along with a portion of others that choose to fully immerse themselves in the ways and traditions the Most High God commands us to follow in order to be considered His people, will be grafted in to the Olive Tree known as Israel, and finally complete the Fullness of the Gentiles.