The Future Dispensation.
By D. G. Mallery
“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself; that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” Eph. i, 9, 10. The doctrine of these verses is, that there is to be a time or period in the history of the human race, called the “dispensation of the fullness of times,” in which all things are to be gathered under one head, and that head is Christ. The apostle introduces this statement by saying, “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will.” He calls this doctrine of the union of all things in Christ in the dispensation of the fullness of times—a mystery. It is a favorite word with the apostles Paul and John, when writing to those Christians who had been heathen, and who were familiar with heathen mysteries. In the epistle to the Hebrews, although it is one of the longest of the letters written by St. Paul, the word is not once used; though in that letter he speaks of those very things which elsewhere he calls mysteries. It would seem then to imply that there was something in the condition and circumstances of the Gentile Christians that made that term peculiarly appropriate. St. Paul’s reason for using this word is found in the fact that those Gentile Christians to whom he wrote were familiar with the heathen mysteries—with those secret services of the heathen gods which went by that name. In writing to those cities where most attention was paid to the heathen mysteries, he speaks oftenest of Christian mysteries; and in this epistle to Ephesus—a city celebrated for its devotion to these secret fellowships—he uses the word oftener than in any other letter. The use of the word “mystery,” as denoting some of the Christian doctrines, does not imply anything mysterious or unexplainable, but simply such things as could not be ascertained by human reason, and were therefore made known only by God—things which were secret until revealed by him. Paul calls the whole gospel scheme a mystery in this sense, because not discovered by man, but revealed by God, and taught by Christ and his apostles. “We speak,” he says, “wisdom among those who are perfect;” those who have been initiated into the Christian fellowships—as the masters of heathen fellowships speak their wisdom to the initiated—not, however, the wisdom of this world, nor of the chiefs of this world, which comes to naught—not such secrets as they profess to reveal; but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world. So the resurrection is called a mystery; the fact that such of the saints as are alive on the earth when Christ comes, shall not die, but be changed, is called a mystery. The heathen mysteries, or rather, the fellowships of the mysteries, were secret societies, into which persons were initiated by certain ceremonies, and in which they were taught the religion of heathenism. In these fellowships there were two, or, as some say, three, degrees, styled the lesser mysteries, the greater mysteries, and the intuitive mysteries. The lesser mysteries were intended for the common people, to whom was explained the religious system practiced by them. Persons of better attention and of higher grades in society were admitted to the higher degrees, in which they were taught, under a vow of secrecy, the doctrines of a better theology, and in the highest were admitted to the shining image of the one God, where the initiated were instructed in the falsity of the system of idolatry which was thought best for the common people, and in the true doctrine of the supreme Creator of the Universe, who pervades all things by his power, and governs all by his providence, and is one, having neither equal nor second. These mysteries were held in the highest estimation by the Ephesians; and therefore St. Paul accommodates his language to that in common use among them, and sometimes directly, and at others, indirectly and tacitly, contrasts the doctrines revealed by Christ, with those revealed by the hierophants of the Grecian fellowships, declaring the immeasurable superiority of the former. As the societies of the mysteries were called fellowships, so Paul calls churches fellowships of the Christian mysteries; as the hierophants were the masters or princes or chiefs of the heathen fellowships, so he represents the apostles and Jesus Christ as the chiefs or heads of the Christian fellowships; and in our text he tells us that it is God’s purpose to unite under one head or grand Master all things in heaven and on earth, and that that head is Christ. It is, then, one of the sublime truths, one of the mysteries taught by our religion, that a period is coming in the history of the human race, when, under one head, even Jesus Christ, God will gather together all things in heaven and earth—a period worthy of being called the dispensation of the fullness of times—a period of which Zechariah prophesies when he says, “In that day the Lord shall be King over all the earth; and there shall be one Lord, and his name one.” This glorious age of the world is revealed not merely in the text, nor yet only in the prophecy quoted from Zechariah; for St. Peter declares that all the prophets have foretold it. He says, “Times of renewal shall come from the presence of the Lord, and he shall send Jesus Christ, who before was preached unto you, whom the heavens must receive until the times of the restitution of all things, spoken of by all the holy prophets since the world began.” Parallel with the text is that passage in Colossians where it is said, “It hath pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell; and, having made peace by the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself, whether they be things on earth or things in heaven.” And we find in Philippians that “for this purpose the Father hath set him over the works of his hands, and hath given him all power in heaven and on earth”—a power “by which he is able to subdue all things unto himself.” And this we are assured must be done; for the promise is that all shall be subdued unto him. “All shall be put under his feet. For in that he hath put all things in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him.” And the only exception to this universal subjection is the Father himself, who put all things under him. “The Father alone is greater than the Son; and hath set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but in that which is to come, and hath put all things under his feet; and hath given him a name that is above every name, the Father only excepted; that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of those in heaven and those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Hence we learn that to Christ all must be subdued. When God created the first Adam he gave him dominion over all things on earth, whether of the human race, or the animal creation, or inanimate things. By disobedience Adam fell from this high position, lost his dominion, and degraded those things over which his dominion had extended. Satan, his tempter, usurped the throne of the world, and has been ever since, the prince of this world. But the promise was that the seed of the woman, Jesus Christ, should bruise the serpent’s head and destroy the power of Satan. Jesus Christ, the second Adam, is to repair the damage of the fall, and as the Son of man, the representative of perfect human nature, to take again the dominion which Adam lost, and restore creation to the happy condition in which Adam found it. Hence that future day of the Messiah’s glory is spoken of as a renewal of all things—as a restitution or restoration of all things—as a regeneration of all things. Hence the whole creation is spoken of as anxiously expecting that day of restoration, groaning and travailing, in pain together, waiting for the adoption—to wit, the redemption—of our bodies; since the redemption of our bodies, in our resurrection, is to occur at the same time. Without following out this subject further at this time, I would remark that the establishment and success of this kingdom of the Messiah is that which St. Paul, in our text, calls the mystery of God’s will, saying, “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed beforehand in himself; that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he would unite under one head all things in Christ.” O, glorious mystery, revealed fully in these last times unto us—while the very last phase of the world’s kingdom exists, in which that kingdom shall be set up which shall never end. O, mystery, far surpassing all that heathen sages revealed to the initiated in the secret places of their fellowships! mystery revealed to us, whom God has elected to be holy, that we may become royal priests in that coming kingdom! mystery revealed to us who have been predestinated unto sonship, that we may, by the obedience of children, make sure our adoption, and find a place on the thrones of the speedily coming kingdom! Oh, who of us would be willing to barter away our right to a place among the royal family of that everlasting empire, for the sake of a few years of worldly pleasure or honor or profit? Who of us will willingly neglect to make our calling and election sure, and so fail of having an entrance ministered unto us abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and take our place instead among the outcasts from the heavenly kingdom, punished as rebels against its King, banished from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, shut up in the prison-house of the irreclaimably wicked? The time is speedily coming when God shall set up his everlasting kingdom; when the number of his chosen ones shall be accomplished; when Jesus Christ shall take to himself his great power and reign; when he shall reign king of nations as well as of saints; when the present probation will end, and no more can be added to the kings and priests of that kingdom, for the conditions of a past probation can never be restored. “Be ye therefore ready.”