These Last Days (1)

…having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 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. Ephesians 1.9, 10

A new era
The Apostle Paul refers to the times in which we live as the fullness of the times (cf. Gal. 4.4), as if something new had burst forth into human history, overflowing and breaking through whatever held it dammed in place, and was now filling the world.

What Paul referred to as the fullness of the times, the prophets Isaiah and Joel described as the last days (cf. Is. 2.8, Mic. 4.1 – the NKJV has “the latter days”). The fullness of times, the last days to which the prophets looked forward, began on the first Christian Pentecost, as Peter explained in Acts 2.14-17. On that day, when the Holy Spirit of God was poured out upon His people, a new era began. A new epoch and dimension of human history – the ongoing work of Christ, enthroned in glory – was inaugurated, and began to bring its fullness to human lives and all their relationships, roles, and responsibilities.

We would be accurate in saying that a new economy began to be implemented, according to an agenda from beyond this world, and with a view to bringing the power of love to bear on all aspects of life in the world in these last days.

It is the economy!
We remember that candidate Bill Clinton built his successful campaign for the presidency around the mantra, “It’s the economy, stupid!” As it turns out, he was correct: the economy is the central and most important concern.

Only, not the particular economy you might think.

The economy that matters above all else is not the free, commercial economy of our American republic, but the eternal economy which God has proclaimed and is establishing under the rule of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our text mentions this idea of a divine economy under the rubric of a “dispensation” or an “administration” (NASB) or even a “plan” (ESV). God, Paul insists, has a plan for administering the world that embraces and affects everything that takes place in these last days. It’s not that God has not always been Lord of all; rather, in these last days, He has made known His agenda for grace, truth, salvation, and life in Jesus Christ, and He is calling all people everywhere to repent and believe the Gospel (Acts 17.30).

The word Paul uses here is, in the Greek, oikonomia – economy. It means an order, an administration, a way of “keeping house” that flows from a pool of divine priorities through communities of Kingdom citizens and ambassadors unto a new order on earth, one that reflects the way things are in heaven. It is a flow of spiritual power, the power of God’s Spirit, and it issues on earth from within the community of His people, all those who have made the Kingdom turn (Jn. 7.37-39). There is a divine economy, a Kingdom economy, and God is setting it up in our midst, right now, today, and every day of our lives.

We are part of that great plan, and thus it behooves us to understand as much as we can about it, so that we can make our way in these last days according to God’s purposes and designs.

Four things
Let’s notice four things about the divine economy as Paul introduces in it our text.

First, it is a program established for now. In his Pentecost sermon Peter announced that, with the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the pouring out of God’s Spirit, the “last days” had begun (Acts 2.14-17), the new economy has been put into effect. Paul says Jesus came in “the fullness of the times” to inaugurate His great work of redemption in these last days (Gal. 4.4). The “fullness of the times” in which the divine economy is unfolding, is now. We are living in the last days, the fullness of the times, when the Lord of heaven and earth is establishing and expanding His divine economy.

The Kingdom economy of Christ is being established in time, through time, and with time. And this suggests that we need to make sure we understand the gift of time and how the Lord intends us to use it in furthering the flow of His economy.

Second, that divine economy embraces all things. Everything in heaven and on earth is subject to God’s unfolding plan. Our interest and part in this Kingdom economy, therefore, reaches to every area of our lives, all our relationships, roles, and responsibilities.

God’s purpose in doing so, third, is to gather together earthly things with heavenly things so as to effect peace and harmony between the two realms. God’s Kingdom is coming on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6.10). He is making things right on earth – all things: human lives and relationships, work, culture, institutions, the affairs of nations, indeed, the whole vast cosmos and creation. God is making things right with Himself, according to His original plan that all His creation should be “good” and “very good.” Nothing is off limits or insignificant as God sets up His Kingdom economy.

Finally, all this is being accomplished through our Lord Jesus Christ. Only those who know Jesus and have made the Kingdom turn into His grace and power can take up the work of laboring with God to advance His divine order on earth as it is in heaven.

What a glorious privilege and opportunity! What a high calling! It is the economy – the divine economy – that matters most. Let us not stupidly miss this – and our exciting place in it – by being distracted to lesser things.

For reflection or discussion
1.  How many different ways can you identify that people organize their lives around the fact of our free-market economy? That is, how is it apparent that people are focused on this as their primary frame of reference in life?

2.  An “economy” is simply a plan or a way of administering a “household.” What do you understand by “the Kingdom economy” at this point?

3.  Do you think it would make a difference if people organized their schedules and lives more self-consciously around the Kingdom economy? In what ways?

Next steps – Preparation: How much of your own life is consciously being ordered, arranged, and pursued under the umbrella of the Kingdom economy at this time? Talk with a Christian friend about this question.

T. M. Moore

This week’s ReVision study is Part 10 of a 10-part series, “The Kingdom Economy.” You can download “These Last Days” as a free PDF, prepared for personal or group study. Simply click here.

Your gifts to The Fellowship of Ailbe make this ministry possible. It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Subscribe to The Week, T. M.’s daily insights to worldview issues, by going to the website and, when the pop-up appears, put in your email, click on The Week, then click to update your subscriptions. You’ll be sent an email allowing you to add The Weekto your free subscriptions.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.