In the Fullness of Time
The Biblical Concept of “Time”
Isaiah 9:6-7 (NKJV)
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Galatians 4:3-7 (NKJV)
3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time (Genesis 49:10) had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"
7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Daniel 9:1-27 (NKJV)
1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans--
2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. 3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. 6 Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. 7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day--to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You. 8 O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. 10 We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. 11 Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. 12 And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. 14 Therefore the LORD has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day--we have sinned, we have done wickedly! 16 "O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.
17 Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name."
20 Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God, 21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand.
23 At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved (Daniel, you are precious to Me) ; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision: (THIS WAS THE TIMETABLE FOR ISRAEL’S FUTURE)
24 "Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. 25 "Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. 26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate."
Introduction:
• Human beings are creatures of “time,” and we are preoccupied with that theme. We wear watches so that we can keep account of “time.” We ask regarding the criminal: “How much ‘time’ did he get?” And we ourselves muse: “How much ‘time’ do I have left?” Our music contemplates this theme. We sing that “time goes on,” and at the same time lament that “time has stood still since we’ve been apart.”
• The concept of time has been problematical for philosophers. There is even considerable controversy among biblical scholars as to precisely how “time” is employed in the divine scheme of things.
• In view of time, we have both see joy and love portrayed.
• When we analyze these verses in terms of their structure, we find four central ideas brought together within a single literary unit.
• To begin with, there is a temporal introduction, “but when the time had fully come,” an expression that connects this passage to the illustration of the minor heir entering into his full inheritance at the father’s pre-appointed time.
• Next there is the announcement of God’s supernatural intervention in the mission of Jesus Christ, “God sent his Son.”
• This is followed immediately by two parallel participial constructions describing the condition and status of the incarnate Son: He was “born of woman” and “born under the law.”
• Finally, in v. 5, two purpose/result clauses, both introduced by hina (“in order that”), describe the reason for the coming of Christ and the great benefit believers receive through faith in him (literally): “in order that he might redeem those who are under law” and “in order that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
• Thus in a remarkable way Paul brought into focus here both the person and work of Jesus Christ.
• Illustration regarding Winston Churchill and ability to know the times…knowing the times was considered wise in the Scriptures.
The “Phases” of Time
• There are different ways of looking at time that are consistent with biblical revelation. It is, for instance, advantageous to divide pre-Christian history into periods that are marked by significant events.
• Paul spoke of the “times” that preceded the redemptive mission of Jesus (Eph. 1:10).
• The apostle employs the term kairos (frequently rendered “seasons” – KJV), which generally denotes an era characterized by certain features.
o There was, for example, a “period of beginnings” that featured the early centuries of earth’s history, during which significant events like the creation, the fall of man, the great flood, etc. occurred.
o There was a span that might be characterized as “the Hebrew family,” in which the lives of certain prominent patriarchs were chronicled.
o The Hebrews passed through a stage known as “Egyptian bondage,” followed by “the wilderness wandering,” and then the “conquest of Canaan,” etc.
o There was the era of the united kingdom, and subsequently that of Israel and Judah.
• And so, Old Testament history was delineated by distinct “times.”
• On the other hand, it is also possible to view human history in terms of “phases.”
• There are three distinct phases that may be considered.
I. Preparatory
• There first was a phase that may be described as the preparatory period of history.
• This embraces all of that time before the first advent of Christ, during which God was working out those providential events which would facilitate the Savior’s mission.
• Consider, for example, Paul’s point in Galatians 3. The apostle affirms:
“But before faith came, we were kept in ward under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. So that the law is become our tutor [schoolmaster – KJV] to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor” (v. 23-25).
• The word “tutor” translates the Greek term paidagogos, and neither “tutor” nor “schoolmaster” does justice to the significance of the original word.
o The Greek literally means “a servant leader,” and it signifies the role of a slave who functioned as the “custodian” (RSV) of the child, being responsible for the moral and physical well-being of the youngster until he reached the age of maturity.
• The Old Testament regime, with its hundreds of prophecies (cf. Lk. 24:27,44), and its great collection of “types,” i.e., pictorial aids (cf. 1 Cor. 10:6; Heb. 9:1-10) wonderfully prepared the ancient world for the arrival of the Savior.
• The explosive growth of the early church was no accident.
II. Fulfillment
• Following the preparatory phase of human history, there was the fulfillment era. This was a time when the divine plan of salvation was set into motion.
• The early portion of Mark’s Gospel account affirms that Jesus came into Galilee preaching the “gospel of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled” (1:14-15).
• Paul described the culmination of Jehovah’s redemptive system in the following way: “. . . [B]ut when the fullness of time came, God sent forth his Son . . .” (Gal. 4:4).
• The apostle has a more elaborate statement in Ephesians 1:9-10. There he argues that God has made known to us the mystery of his will.
Ephesians 1:9-10 (NKJV)
9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation (plan of salvation) of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him.
• The term “mystery” denotes the more obscure suggestions of the divine plan in Old Testament times, as compared with the full revelation of that system under the New Testament economy.
• The heavenly plan was focused “in him” (i.e., in Christ), in anticipation of a forthcoming “dispensation.” “Dispensation,” as here used, refers to a “plan of salvation”.
• The divine “plan of salvation” was to become effective when the “fullness of the times” was realized, at which point “all things” were to be “summed up” in the work of Christ.
• The writer of Hebrews asserted that Christ, “at the end of the ages,” was manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself (9:26).
• With the death and resurrection of Jesus, God’s great system of deliverance from sin was implemented.
• It only remains for honest human beings to submit to the conditions imposed…we are left simply to receive the God’s perfect gift of grace.
III. Consummation
• Ultimately, the consummation of the divine purpose for history will occur.
• “Time” is moving towards a goal which will be realized at the time of Christ’s return.
• In that connection, Paul affirms: “Then comes the end when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God . . .” (1 Cor. 15:24).
• Mark 13:26 - And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds in great power and glory.
• What is “the end” here contemplated? It is the end of the world, the consummation of the work of redemption.
• Time is given us to use in view of eternity.
Revelation 21:1-7 (NKJV)
1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." 6 And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
Revelation 22:3-5 (NKJV)
3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.
4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
• The millennial kingdom will be the divine rule of heaven upon earth.
o Christ will rule with a rod of iron, permitting no injustice or sin.
o Jerusalem will be the center of the kingdom (Isa. 2:1–4), and the disciples will reign with Christ (Matt. 19:28).
o Israel will be in its land, sharing the glory of Christ, its rightful King.
o There will be peace on earth among men and animals (Isa. 11:7–9 and 54:13–14).
o Each person will be suited to his or her best job, and perfect efficiency and joy will fill the earth. Of course, since these human beings on earth are still human (apart from the church and resurrected saints, who have glorified bodies), children will be born with sinful natures.
o The saints will reign with Christ as kings and priests, and will serve Him in various capacities during the Millennium.
The Lord’s return will signal the end of:
(1) Time (as that term is used with reference to earth’s history) – Jesus spoke repeatedly about the coming “last day” (Jn. 6:39-40,44,54; 12:48).
(2) The Universe – The created universe will “perish” (Heb. 1:11). The elements will be “dissolved” (2 Pet. 3:10-11) and “pass away” (Mt. 24:35; Rev. 21:1).
(3) Earthly Suffering – All the ravages associated with this sinful environment will be eliminated (Rev. 7:16-17; 21:4).
(4) Physical Death – Death, as man’s final enemy, will be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:26).
(5) Deceptive Teaching – The deceptive doctrines that have confused and destroyed souls will be vanquished (Rev. 20:3).
(6) Opportunity for Salvation – The door of opportunity for spiritual reconciliation with the Creator will be closed (Mt. 25:10; Heb. 9:27).
Conclusion:
• God is the author of time and uses a finite parameter to construct His infinite plan of salvation.
