The God Who created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1)
has made known unto us the secret of His will (purpose) concerning the Headship of Christ over ALL things in heaven
and in earth (Ephesians 1:9-10)
These governmental positions of rank and authority are
in rebellion against their Creator - BOTH on earth (Acts 4:26-27) and in heaven (Daniel 10:13-14,20-21)
These governmental positions of rank and authority are
to be reconciled back to God by having them filled up with Christ and His redeemed who have been reconciled back
to God through the "blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:19-20)
God's Earthly Purpose Concerning Israel
God chose Israel to be a "peculiar treasure"
above ALL the people of the earth, i.e. they were to be a "kingdom of priests" (Exodus 19:5-6)
- they will yet be that "royal priesthood" (I Peter 2:9)
This kingdom was the subject of PROPHECY (Matthew 6:10 cf. Daniel 2:44)
and was announced by the King's forerunner (Matthew 3:1-2) and by the King Himself (Matthew 4:17) and the 12 apostles of that kingdom (Matthew 19:28) later offered that kingdom to Israel following her rejection of their
King (Acts 3:12-21)
Just as they rejected the power filled witness of the
King - the nation committed the "unpardonable sin" of rejecting the power filled witness of the Holy
Spirit (Matthew 12:31-32) through the Spirit filled disciples (Acts 1:4-8; Acts 2:1-4) by the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:51-60) - a man "full of faith and the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5)
and a man "full of faith and power" (Acts 6:8)
This NEW message has Israel temporarily set aside (Romans 11:11-12,15)
during this Gentile "dispensation of grace" (Ephesians 3:1-2) UNTIL the "fullness of the Gentiles" is complete and then
God will resume His earthly purpose concerning Israel (Romans 11:25-27)
Today ALL (BOTH Jew and Gentile) are enemies of God and
are offered reconciliation to God through the cross of Christ (Ephesians 2:11-17)
Through Christ ALL (BOTH Jew and Gentile) have "EQUAL
access" to the Father (Ephesians 2:18) and have "EQUAL citizenship" in God's household (Ephesians 2:19)
and are "EQUALLY an habitation of God" (Ephesians 2:22)
The glorious MYSTERY concerning the Gentiles is that the
glory of God is being revealed through them (Colossians 1:24-27) and that they are now "EQUAL heirs with the Jews, and of the
SAME body" (Ephesians 3:3-6), i.e. there is NO distinction between the Jew and the Gentile (Ephesians 2:14-16)
ALL who are thus reconciled are "blessed with ALL
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3) and are NOW seen as seated there TOGETHER with Him (Ephesians 2:6)
and will be glorified TOGETHER with Him there (Philippians 3:20-21)
To "the Church, which is His Body" is promised
the shared headship over ALL from "the heavenly places", which is "far above ALL" - it is "the
Church, which is His Body" that is described as "the fullness of Him which filleth ALL in ALL" (Ephesians 1:19-23)
As the "Head of the Body" - "it pleased
the Father that in Him (Christ) should ALL fullness dwell" (Colossians 1:18-19)