The fullness of the Gentiles is the body of Christ — the full number of Gentiles God is calling out to form the church.
Paul says Israel's blindness in part lasts 'until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in' (Romans 11:25). Les identifies that fullness as the body of Christ. When the body is full, God removes the church and resumes His dealings with Israel, ending their spiritual blindness.
Romans 11:25 — Paul directly uses the phrase 'fulness of the Gentiles' and says Israel's blindness continues until that fulness has come in.
Acts 15:14 — James describes God visiting the Gentiles to take out a people for His name — the calling out Les connects with the body of Christ.
In Romans 11:25, Paul writes: "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." The verse sets the phrase as the boundary marker for Israel's spiritual condition — it is partial and time-limited. Romans 11:10 also applies the language of darkened eyes to Israel. Acts 15:14 records James's words: "Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name." This describes God's work of taking a people out from among the Gentiles — the same period in which the fullness of the Gentiles is coming in.
Les Feldick teaches that "the fullness of the Gentiles" is the body of Christ. During this present age of grace, God is calling out from the Gentiles a people for His name, and as each Gentile is saved, that person is placed into the body of Christ. Israel has been spiritually blinded in part — Les compares it to the temporary blinding of Elymas — and that blindness will continue only until the body is full. When the fullness is complete and the last person has been saved, Les says God will remove the church in the rapture, just before the final seven-year Tribulation. Then God will resume His dealings with Israel where He left off, bringing an end to their spiritual blindness and fulfilling the promises made to Abraham. Les also notes that alongside the filling of the body, the Gentile world system is filling up its own cup of iniquity.
In Romans 11:25 Paul calls this truth a "mystery" — a secret not revealed before. Les Feldick explains that the fullness of the Gentiles is the body of Christ. As Gentiles are saved in this age of grace, God places them into that one body. The body is being filled up, and when that filling is complete, the phrase "fulness of the Gentiles be come in" has been fulfilled.
Paul says "blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in" (Romans 11:25). Les compares Israel's condition to Elymas the sorcerer in Acts 13 — the blindness was for a season, not permanent. He stresses the blindness is in part and temporary; it will continue only until the body of Christ is complete.
Les teaches that when the body is full and the last person has been saved, God will remove the church. He is a strong proponent of the rapture of the church just before the final seven-year period. Then God will resume dealing with the nation of Israel where He left off, and their spiritual blindness will come to an end. This is why Les says the Tribulation is primarily Jewish.
Les contrasts the fullness of the Gentiles with the "times of the Gentiles." The times of the Gentiles is the period of history in which Gentiles are overlording the nation of Israel, even today. At the same time, the Gentile world is filling up the cup of iniquity — a parallel filling that runs alongside the filling of the body of Christ. These two fillings are different: one is the body being filled with believing Gentiles, and the other is the world's iniquity being filled to judgment.
Israel's Blindness Is Temporary
Les compares Israel's blindness to the temporary blinding of Elymas the sorcerer — it lasts for a season, not forever, and is a picture of Israel being spiritually blinded until God's appointed time.
The Fullness Defined as the Body of Christ
Les identifies the fullness of the Gentiles as the body of Christ; as Gentiles are saved they are placed into that body, and Israel's blindness continues until that filling is complete.
The Rapture When the Body Is Full
Les explains that when the body of Christ is full, God will take believers out of the way and start dealing again with the nation of Israel — showing the Tribulation is primarily Jewish.
A People for His Name
Les says God is now calling out from the Gentiles a people for His name; Gentiles are more accurately called His born ones until Israel is restored.
God Will Not Leave Israel Behind
When God is done with the present Gentile world system, He will break it off and put the Jew back into place — fulfilling the promises made to Abraham.
Blindness Ends When the Body Is Full
Les teaches that Israel's spiritual blindness ends only when the fullness — the body of Christ — is complete and the church is removed; then God resumes His spiritual relationship with Israel.
Times of the Gentiles and the Cup of Iniquity
Les describes the times of the Gentiles as the period of Gentile lordship over Israel and the filling of the cup of Gentile iniquity — a separate filling from the body of Christ.
Church Filled, Then Taken Out
Les says when the church is complete and filled up, God must take it out — the rapture just before the final seven years — then finish with Israel where He left off.
Romans 11:25: For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
This is the key verse containing the exact phrase and the 'until' that controls Israel's blindness.
Acts 15:14: Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
James cites God's work of taking a people from the Gentiles — the calling out Les equates with the body of Christ.
Romans 11:10: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
Paul applies the imagery of darkened eyes to Israel, the blindness that lasts until the fullness of the Gentiles.
Les Feldick identifies it as the body of Christ. Israel's partial spiritual blindness lasts until that body has been filled with saved Gentiles.
It will be complete when the last person has been saved and the body of Christ is full. At that point God removes the church in the rapture and resumes dealing with Israel.
No. Paul says it is 'blindness in part' and 'until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.' Les compares it to the temporary blinding of Elymas — it lasts only for a season.
God is visiting the Gentiles to take out a people for His name, which Les equates with the body of Christ. This calling out continues until the fullness is complete.
Watch the Teaching: Why Is Israel Blind? The Mystery of Romans 11 Explained