The misinterpreted meaning of the fullness of the Gentiles has come in?

Most Christians believe one day, the fullness (a divine percentage) of the Gentiles, living in the world, will be complete, then God will deliver the nation of Israel. This belief stems from Romans 11:25-27

Romans 11:25-27
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. [26] And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; [27] For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”

Here is an widely accepted explanation of Romans 11:25-27 I found on the Internet.

What does Romans 11:25 mean?

Paul continues to talk to the Gentile Christians with a cautioning tone. He doesn’t want them to reach the wrong conclusion about the truth by being wise in their own sight. He wants them to understand one of the central mysteries of God’s relationship with Israel and humanity at large.

God has brought upon Israel a “partial hardening.” In other words, most Israelites have been hardened to faith in Christ by God, keeping them from receiving God’s righteousness. Why has God done this? As Paul has made clear, it was to make room for the non-Jewish people of the world to come into relationship with God through faith in Christ.

However, Paul now states outright that this is a temporary season. Israel’s hardening will end when the “fullness” of the Gentiles has come to God through faith in Christ. Does this mean that God is waiting for all Gentiles to believe in Jesus? That’s not likely, nor does it fit the words used here. The “fullness of the Gentiles” means “as many as will believe,” or “the complete number.” When that mysterious point has been reached, the Jewish people will no longer be hardened in their unbelief in Christ. This does not mean, necessarily, that every Israelite will come to faith in Christ, but perhaps that a representative proportion of living Israelites will do so. Nor does it mean that no Jewish person, prior to then, can come to faith—but most will not.

This is simply not the mystery Paul is referring to.

Several verses are misinterpreted from Romans 11-25-27.

The misinterpretion stems mainly from two passages.

1) In the Fullness of the Gentiles.

2) All of Israel will be saved.

The Fullness of the Gentiles means the time is fulfilled and the Gentiles would be included in salvation.

Strong’s g4138. Fullness:

• Lexical: πλήρωμα
• Transliteration: pléróma
• Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
• Phonetic Spelling: play’-ro-mah
• Definition: (a) a fill, fullness; full complement; supply, patch, supplement, (b) fullness, filling, fulfillment, completion.
• Origin: From pleroo; repletion or completion, i.e. (subjectively) what fills (as contents, supplement, copiousness, multitude), or (objectively) what is filled (as container, performance, period).
• Usage: which is put in to fill up, piece that filled up, fulfilling, full, fulness.

A fulfillment:

Mark 1:14-15 NKJV – Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

The time is fulfilled or fullness of time. A completion. It is finished. A new era begins. Gentiles are included.

Isaiah 59:20-21. And, or, moreover, the Redeemer shall come to Zion — To Jerusalem, or to his church, often signified by Zion, namely, Christ shall come, of whom the apostle expounds it, Romans 11:26; the prophets usually concluding their promises of temporal deliverances with the promises of spiritual, especially such, of which the temporal were evident types. And unto them that turn from transgression, &c. — As he will come in the flesh, and tabernacle among his people; so he will come, by his Spirit, to those of them who turn from their sins unto God, (see John 14:15-23,) and will dwell in their hearts, (Ephesians 3:17,) so that they shall have Christ in them, the hope of glory, Colossians 1:27; Christ living in them, Galatians 2:20. This is my covenant with them — What I have promised to them that turn from their iniquities. My Spirit that is upon thee — Namely, upon Christ: see Isaiah 11:1-3. The Spirit promised to the church was first upon him, and from him, the head, that precious ointment descends to the skirts of his garments.

As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord,…. Which shall be manifested and made good to them that repent of their sins, and, believe in Christ; and to whom the particular blessing of it shall be applied, the forgiveness of their sins; see Romans 11:27, my Spirit which is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth; the Spirit of God, with his gifts and graces, which were upon Christ the Redeemer without measure; and the doctrines he received from his divine Father to teach others, and which he gave to his apostles; the same Spirit which in measure was put upon them, and the same truths which were delivered to them:

Isaiah 11:10 NKJV
“And in that day (fullness of time) there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.”

Ephesians 1:10 NKJV
that in the dispensation 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 fulness of times; the time appointed of the Father for the appearance of Christ in the flesh, (according to former promises), the spreading of the gospel, and thereby the gathering together in one all things in Christ.

Galatians 4:4 NKJV
But when (the fullness of the time) had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

The fulness of time is the time of the gentiles, when Jesus would preach to them and after His resurrection, the Apostles.

2) All of Israel will be saved.

Israel saved as a whole is not meant when Paul writes, “All of Israel will be saved”.

Paul writes, “All of Israel will be saved” but adds, “As it is written”

Paul is now linking an old testament prophecy that was fulfilled by Jesus. This is not a future event to be fulfilled at a later date.

Isaiah 59:20-21
“The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” Says the LORD. [21] “As for Me,” says the LORD, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the LORD, “from this time and forevermore.”

This was fulfilled or as it is written as
Jesus Christ came to Jerusalem (Zion) as the Messiah (Annointed with the Holy Spirit) and came to save the world (all flesh) from their sins.

The following verses show that the nation of Israel was saved or delivered from sin through Jesus’s death.

John 11:49-52 NKJV
And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, [50] nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” [51] Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, [52] and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.

That Jesus should die for that nation; these words, with what follows in the next verse, are the words of the evangelist, interpreting the prophecy of Caiaphas, according to the sense of the Holy Spirit that Jesus should die, which was contrary to a notion the Jews had understood, concerning the Messiah; see John 12:34. But Jesus the true Messiah must die; this was determined in the counsel of God, agreed to by Christ in the covenant of grace, foretold by the prophets from the beginning of the world, typified by sacrifices and other things, under the former dispensation, predicted by Christ himself, and accordingly came to pass; and upon the above accounts was necessary, as well as for the salvation of his people, who otherwise must have perished; and yet was free and voluntary in him, and a strong expression, and a demonstrative proof of his love to them: and not only this prophecy declared, that Jesus should die, but that he should die for that nation, for the nation of the Jews; not for every individual in it, for all of them were not saved by him; some received him not; they rejected him as the Messiah, Saviour, and Redeemer, and died in their sins; but for all the elect of God among them, the sheep of the house of Israel, to whom he was sent, and whom he came to seek and save; and whom he blessed, by turning them away from their iniquities, and by taking away their iniquities from them: and moreover, this prophecy suggests, that Jesus was to die, not merely as a martyr, to confirm with his blood the doctrine he preached, nor only as an example of courage, meekness, patience, and love, but for, or in the room and stead of his people, as their surety; giving his life a ransom and himself a sacrifice to the justice of God, for them; there by fulfilling the law and satisfying it, and appeasing the wrath of God on their account.

Paul was saved as were many Jews on the day of Pentacost. Why? Through belief.

Consider these verses from Romans 11 about the Jews that fell (through non belief) and those who would be saved through faith.

Romans 11:22-23
Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. [23] And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

The Jews fell from grace because of their non belief in Jesus. In verse 23 Paul writes they (Israel) will be grafted in again if they do not continue in non belief.

There is no set time in the future when Israel (as a whole) will suddenly believe in Jesus as the Messiah. That is simply not the case. The fullness of the Gentiles is simply the time of the gospel dispensation in which God would call both Jews and Gentiles.

A dispensation of the gospel is a period of time in which the Lord has at least one authorized servant on the earth who bears the holy priesthood and the keys, and who has a divine commission to dispense the gospel to the inhabitants of the earth.

This Servant is Christ Jesus. Jesus came to the Jews first.

Acts 3:13,26 NKJV
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. [26] To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”

The Gentiles would be included in God’s plan for salvation.

Most Jews were shocked to hear about God including the Gentiles in salvation.

Acts 11:17-18 NKJV
If therefore God gave them (Gentiles) the same gift (Holy Spirit) as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” [18] When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

So God loved “The World”.

John 10:14,16 NKJV
I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. [16] And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

The Gentiles are the other sheep.

Acts 15:7-9 NKJV
And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. [8] So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, [9] and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

Galatians 3:26-29 NKJV
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. [27] For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Romans 11:25-27
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. [26] And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; [27] For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”

John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

John 1:31
I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel.

The mystery of Christ Jesus that was in the old testament in types, figures, shadows and patterns. Jesus came to Israel “as it was written” in Isaiah 59:20-21 and fulfilled as He delivered Israel and the Gentiles from sin and death by dying on the cross.

The mystery of the Gospel:

Colossians 1:26 NKJV
The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.

The Gospel, called “the mystery”, as it often is; because it contains things, which, though revealed, are mysteries to a natural man; and even to enlightened persons, who have the clearest view of them, the “modus” of them is not to be accounted for; such as the doctrines of the Trinity, of the union of the two natures in Christ, the incarnation of the Son of God, the union and communion of the church with Christ, the resurrection of the dead, &c. And though perhaps great and special regard may be here had to the calling of the Gentiles, which, though revealed in the prophecies of the Old Testament, was in a great measure hid in them, and not so clearly known in ages and generations past as now, yet the whole may be applied to the Gospel mystery in general; which was first hid in the heart of God, in his thoughts and purposes, in his counsel and covenant, and in his Son, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; and then in the ceremonies and shadows of the law, which but few had any insight into, and discerning of; and, during that dispensation, was wholly hid from the Gentiles; and but in part known by the Jews, and but by a few, and comparatively by them very darkly.