the end. When Jerusalem is at length free, the times of the Gentiles will be `fulfilled'

(pleroo), and `the fullness' (pleroma) of the Gentiles will have come (Luke 21: 24;

Rom. 11: 25). Immediately following this statement concerning the times of the Gentiles,

the epistle to the Romans goes on to say `and so' or `thus' "All Israel shall be saved"

(Rom. 11: 26). The `gap' in the outworking of the Divine purpose in Israel is stressed in

Rom. 9:-11:, because of their failure, but a `remnant' shall be saved at the beginning, and

had the Lord not left them a `seed' they would have been like Sodom and Gomorrha.

Throughout the period covered by the Acts, `all day long' the Lord stretched out His

hands `to a disobedient and gainsaying people' (Rom. 10: 21). However low Israel may

have fallen during this period, the answer of God to Elijah was a parallel `I have reserved

unto Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal'

(Rom. 11: 4). Yet such is the grace of God, the very `diminishing of them' led to the

enriching of the Gentiles, and leads the Apostle to ask `How much more their fullness'?

The figure of the olive tree, with its broken branches but emphasizes the `gap' that is in

view, and the fullness of the Gentiles occupies the interval occasioned by Israel's

blindness (Rom. 11: 25). Israel's failure in the days of Nebuchadnezzar led to the times

of the Gentiles speaking nationally, but Israel's spiritual failure registered in Acts 28:

led to the present dispensation of Gentile blessing, the church which is called by the

wondrous title "The fullness of Him that filleth all in all". This, however, is so great a

theme that it must be considered in a separate study.