The Fulness of The Gentiles - A Response To Israel Only - Don K. Preston
The Fulness of The Gentiles - A Response To Israel Only - Don K. Preston
The Fulness of The Gentiles - A Response To Israel Only - Don K. Preston
DonKPreston.com
PRET E RIST RESEARCH I N S T I T U T E
Fullness of the Gentiles Fulness of the Gentiles Israel Only Responding to the
Critics restoration of all things Restoration of Israel Romans 11:25-27 Second
Coming the resurrection then comes the end
https://donkpreston.com/the-fulness-of-the-gentiles-a-response-to-israel-only-1/?fbclid=IwAR1DHRGOFx8N8rjBbjF_cv_SUKsmsfpp4jR5bFxIOj-R… 1/9
19/6/2019 The Fulness of the Gentiles - A Response to Israel Only - #1
It is critical to
understand
Paul’s role in the
fulness of the
Gentiles
Mark 8:20 – When Jesus fed the multitude, they took up twelve
baskets “full” of the leftovers.
Romans 11:12 – “If their loss is riches for the world, what shall
their fulness be…”
Ephesians 1:23 – The fullness of the one who lls all in all.
Ephesians 3:29 – That you might be lled with all the fullness of
God.
https://donkpreston.com/the-fulness-of-the-gentiles-a-response-to-israel-only-1/?fbclid=IwAR1DHRGOFx8N8rjBbjF_cv_SUKsmsfpp4jR5bFxIOj-R… 3/9
19/6/2019 The Fulness of the Gentiles - A Response to Israel Only - #1
Colossians 1:19 – It pleased the Father that in him should all the
fullness dwell.
“Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure (Greek,
hettema, ἥττημα, Strong’s #2275) riches for the Gentiles, how
much more their fullness!”
I believe that Paul uses a parallelism in the text. His use of “their
fall” is parallel to “their failure.” If this is true, then what was
“their fall”? It was their transgression, (Greek, paraptōma,
παράπτωμα, Strong’s #3900); it was their sin. Their failure, their
diminishing, was not a diminishment of their number, it was their
sin, their failure to accept their own Messiah. That rebellion, led
to their diminished / forfeited place in the Presence of God.
There is not a hint of number in Paul’s discussion of “their failure.”
At the very least, one is on absolutely safe ground to say that
Israel’s sin led to their diminished state. Not their diminished
number, but, the loss of their standing with God. They had been
“cut off” as a result of that paraptōma, that transgression. The
lexicons support this idea, revealing that diminished number is
not the main idea – or in any way demanded – by hettema.
https://donkpreston.com/the-fulness-of-the-gentiles-a-response-to-israel-only-1/?fbclid=IwAR1DHRGOFx8N8rjBbjF_cv_SUKsmsfpp4jR5bFxIOj-R… 4/9
19/6/2019 The Fulness of the Gentiles - A Response to Israel Only - #1
Now, one has a perfect right to ask why hettema is not translated
as “diminished number” more often if it is a word that suggests or
demands numeric diminishment.
https://donkpreston.com/the-fulness-of-the-gentiles-a-response-to-israel-only-1/?fbclid=IwAR1DHRGOFx8N8rjBbjF_cv_SUKsmsfpp4jR5bFxIOj-R… 5/9
19/6/2019 The Fulness of the Gentiles - A Response to Israel Only - #1
Romans 11:7 – “God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that
they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this
very day.”
https://donkpreston.com/the-fulness-of-the-gentiles-a-response-to-israel-only-1/?fbclid=IwAR1DHRGOFx8N8rjBbjF_cv_SUKsmsfpp4jR5bFxIOj-R… 6/9
19/6/2019 The Fulness of the Gentiles - A Response to Israel Only - #1
their rejection, their being cast off, their loss, their death.
Blindness is status, it is condition, it is NOT number.
Romans 11: 11-12 – “I say then, have they stumbled that they
should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them
to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their
fall is riches for the world, and their failure (hettema) riches for
the Gentiles, how much more their fullness (pleroma)!
The contrast here could not be more clear. It is a state of
stumbling or fall, of loss of standing and status. The contrast is
that through their blindness, through Israel’s failure, (not her
diminished number) salvation was offered to the Gentiles. A
“diminished number” of Israelites had nothing to do with
salvation being taken to the Gentiles.
(Please carefully note that Paul does not say that Israel’s
reconciliation would result in them eventually being raised. His
words are clear, their acceptance (their reconciliation) would be
their resurrection!)
the focus is their inclusion into Christ. This is the body of Israel
versus “some” (number unknown and un-referenced).
Now, you can argue all day long that “some” means a number of
folks, but, Paul is not focused on numbers, but on the relationship
and status of that some, however many or few that might be.
Look carefully at his focus on branches being “broken off” versus
being grafted in, and his reference to “they were broken off that
you might be grafted in.” Absolutely no reference or focus on
numbers– to reiterate– it is about standing, about relationship,
about status, of “them” and “you.”
Notice the generic “Israel” and “they” and “them.” Look at how he
refers to the Gentiles simply as “you” and not to any concept of
number. You must impose and interject the idea of numbers into
the text to get them there, because numbers are not there.
https://donkpreston.com/the-fulness-of-the-gentiles-a-response-to-israel-only-1/?fbclid=IwAR1DHRGOFx8N8rjBbjF_cv_SUKsmsfpp4jR5bFxIOj-R… 8/9
19/6/2019 The Fulness of the Gentiles - A Response to Israel Only - #1
Hits: 915
https://donkpreston.com/the-fulness-of-the-gentiles-a-response-to-israel-only-1/?fbclid=IwAR1DHRGOFx8N8rjBbjF_cv_SUKsmsfpp4jR5bFxIOj-R… 9/9