Isaiah 6:9,10 in a similar context, namely, upon the rejection of Israel, the

favourable mention of the Gentile, and the bringing in of the dispensation of

the Mystery, he does not say, `in them is fulfilled' but instead says, `well

spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers' (Acts 28:25).

What was de jure in Matthew 12 is de facto in Acts 28.

At the failure of Israel, the apostle Paul became the Prisoner of the

Lord, and as such received the dispensation of the grace of God for the

Gentiles, the dispensation of the Mystery (Eph. 3:1 -9 R.V.), and while the

church of this new dispensation is usually referred to by its title, `the

Church which is His Body' or `the One Body', there is an extension of this

title that is of vast importance.  The full passage reads:

`And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head

over all things to the Church, which is His body, The Fulness of Him

that Filleth All in all' (Eph. 1:22,23).

When the dispensation of the Mystery comes to an end, the successive

dispensations that have suffered a rupture will be resumed, and the signs of

the times thicken around us, that tell us plainly that the lo -ammi (`not My

people') condition is nearing its close.  Already believing Jews who accept

Jesus as their Messiah are gathering and witnessing in complete independence

of Gentile Christianity, and the claim of Israel for national recognition,

made at Pentecost 1948, while not to be confused with the day when they shall

be restored by the Lord Himself, is certainly an indication that the great

epoch is upon us.  The Church of the Mystery fills the last gap in the

outworking of the ages, and in this dispensation of the Mystery, the

conception of `Fulness' receives its fullest exposition.  The following are

the references in the Prison Epistles that must be given attention before our

study of this subject can be considered at all complete.

`The dispensation of the fulness of times' (Eph. 1:10).

`The fulness of Him that filleth all in all' (Eph. 1:23).

`That ye might be filled unto all the fulness of God' (Eph. 3:19).

`The measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ' (Eph. 4:13).

`It pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell'

(Col. 1:19).

`For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily'

(Col. 2:9).

These references fall into two groups:

The one reference that speaks of the fulness of times.

The five references that speak of the Church and the Lord.

In this study we will deal with the first reference, Ephesians 1:10 :

`That 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'.

It is evident that the passages flow out of something stated earlier.

In verse 9 we read of `the mystery of His will' which He hath purposed in

Himself, and this leads to the opening word of verse 10, eis `unto'.  This

preposition eis variously translated `into', `unto', `in', `to', `for',