The divine transmission revealed in Ephesians 1 has a great goal—the heading up of all things in Christ. Concerning this, Ephesians 1:10 says, “Unto a dispensation of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him.” The Greek word translated “dispensation” may also be rendered “economy.” The economy, or dispensation, which God purposed in Himself is to head up all things in Christ at the fullness of the times. The times here refer to the ages. The fullness of the times will be when the new heaven and new earth come after all the dispensations of God in all the ages have been completed.
We have strongly emphasized the fact that God has made Christ the Head over all things. Through all the dispensations of God in all the ages, all things will be headed up in Christ in the new heaven and new earth. This will be God’s eternal administration and economy.
At present the whole universe is being corrupted and is deteriorating. Consider the condition of the human race. No one is able to head up the nations. Nevertheless, God is heading up all things in Christ, the unique Head. However, we need to know that for God’s heading up of all things, this unique Head needs a Body, and this Body is the church. The church is the Body through whom God is heading up all things in Christ.
Ephesians 1:10 speaks of a dispensation of the fullness of the times. This indicates that at the fullness of God’s dispensations the heading up of all things will be complete. This heading up is done by God through a universal man. The Head of this man is Christ, and the Body of this man is the church. This universal man, comprising the Head and the Body, is the means by which and the sphere in which God is heading up all things in the entire universe.
Because God is heading up all things through a universal man constituted of Christ, the Head, and the church, the Body, we as members of the Body need to keep the oneness under the headship. The subtlety of the enemy is to divide the members of the Body of Christ. However, we are standing for a testimony of the oneness of the believers. In the Lord’s recovery we stand as one. Praise Him that here there is a testimony of oneness! This oneness is the instrument, channel, and sphere that God is using to head up all things in Christ.
Concerning the heading up of all things in Christ and through the church, I would ask you to consider Romans 8:19-22: “For the anxious watching of the creation eagerly expects the revelation of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will also be freed from the slavery of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans together and travails in pain together until now.” Here we see that all creation is groaning, sighing, because of its corruption. Creation is expecting, eagerly awaiting, the manifestation of the sons of God. At that time all divisions and separations will be removed, and all things, not only mankind, will be headed up in Christ.
First, Christ is heading up the believers. Then through His Body He will head up all things. This is marvelous. Although the heading up of all things in Christ and through the church is far beyond our understanding, it is nonetheless a fact. Therefore, we need to believe that sooner or later God will accomplish this.
When some hear about the eventual heading up of all things in Christ through the church, His Body, they may ask when this will take place. We, of course, do not know; the Bible only tells us “unto a dispensation of the fullness of the times” (Eph. 1:10).
According to man’s view, the heading up of the entire universe seems to be an impossibility. Someone may say, “You talk about the heading up of all things in one unique head? This is impossible.” To man, this is impossible, but it is not impossible with God. With Him, nothing is impossible (Mark 10:27).
Although we do not know how long it will be until the dispensation of the fullness of times, when all things have been headed up in Christ, we have the assurance that God will accomplish this. Whatever God speaks will take place. He has told us that He is heading up all things in Christ, the Head of the church, and He will do it.