Understanding and Interpreting the Bible
(Part 2 --- The PURPOSE for divisions in the Bible)
In the last two lessons, we've had a look at the necessity (or importance) of understanding and exercising right division in the Word. In this short post I simply want to ask the question, "Why is there a dual purpose in God's plan?" What is the reason why we have to split up the content in the Bible?
The answer lies in the design of God's plan. As in the image below, you'll see that the end of the plan involves two realms. The lower part (in blue) represents the 1000-year Millennial Kingdom, in which Christ will reign on earth. The part above that represents the heavens. We will look at these two realms in greater detail in the next post, but it is the fact that we have two realms that requires us to divide the Bible between two distinct and unique programs.
An Earthly and Heavenly Hope
The prophetic program, specific to Israel, is an earthly program which we will delve into at a later point in this study. The key to this earthly program is that the Jews, according to prophecy, have been prepared by God to inherit the earth. When Jesus comes at His second advent, he will save the believing remnant of Jews from the armies of the Antichrist and He will usher them into the restored earthly kingdom. We see from the following scriptures that the Jews have always had this hope. From the earliest days of antiquity, Job had this deep faith and innate expectation, and says,
Job 19:25-27 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
Notice the references to 'earth' and 'flesh'. Job was not expecting to go to heaven after he died. No! His expectation, or rather his yearning, was to be raised from the dead and to enter into an earthly kingdom where God would be reigning. In the next scripture passage below, Peter, after the Holy Spirit fell upon him at Pentecost, preached to the Jews in Jerusalem, saying,
Act.3:19-21 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
In this passage, notice the bolded phrases. Times of refreshing and times of restitution are in reference to the Millennial kingdom, when the curse on earth would be lifted and the Edenic state of earth would again be present under the righteous reign of the King of Kings. So, in all the time between Job and Peter, comprising the entire prophetic period under the Jewish program, we have the mindset and expectation of a resurrected life, living on the earth under the righteous rule of the Messiah King. There is not a single thought of a heavenly hope.
Eventually, when we get to the writings of Paul, under the mystery program, we see a COMPLETELY different expectation. We do not see an earthly hope, but rather a heavenly hope. Have a look at what Paul writes in the following verses,
Phil.3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour,
Eph.2:6 ...and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
The End Result of this Dual Program
One cannot miss the difference in destination! So, how can this be? What changed to have such a different view between Job, Peter and Paul? Well, this is all part of the design in God's overarching redemption plan. The purpose for these two programs, resulting in an earthly and heavenly hope and destination is for one ultimate purpose; so that Jesus Christ might fill all of creation and that God will be ALL in ALL. Let me end with the following scriptures which sum up the purpose of this dual program and require us to maintain a firm practice of dividing the Word when we study scripture.
Col.1:19-20 For it pleased the Father that in Him [Christ] all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him [Christ] to reconcile all things to Himself [Father], by Him [Christ], whether things on earth or things in heaven,…
Heb.1:1-2 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, …
The final goal, and the purpose of ALL of history and the lives of ALL who are in Christ, is that God will be 'ALL IN ALL'. —God is restoring creation back to its original state.
1 Cor.15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto Him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
In the next lesson I will delve into the details of the REALMS of heaven and earth, again proving that if we divide scripture with the understanding and context of these realms, the Bible becomes so much clearer, and the confusion and 'supposed' contradictions of scripture simply vanish in new revelations.
God bless.
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