The Framework of Scripture
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable (beneficial) for (1) doctrine (teaching, policy [rules, procedure], guidelines) for (2) reproof (discipline, admonition), for (3) correction (improvement, amendment), and for (4) training in righteousness.
2 Peter 1:21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Matt 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. (They are: infallible, flawless, unfailing, perfect)
What other book on the
face of the earth can claim these credits?
If one stands back and overviews the bible from cover to cover, six distinct periods (or administrations), become apparent (as shown in the table below). These periods are directly or indirectly tied to covenants and/or promises that God made with mankind through the ages. The contents of these; (the promises, conditions and consequences), are the foundation of, and determine the identity of these periods, and more importantly help us to comprehend the love of God towards us, and His predetermined plan to maintain a relationship with mankind across the rolling changes of time.
|
-----> |
-----> |
MYSTERY |
-----> |
-----> |
----->>> |
|
Mankind |
Israel |
Church |
Tribulation |
Kingdom |
Eternity |
|
Adam to
Abraham 2000 yrs. |
Abraham to
Paul 2000 yrs. |
Paul to
Rapture 2000 yrs. |
7 Years Israel's Redux |
1,000 Years |
New Heaven
and New Earth |
|
Every believer in Christ should understand
this framework since it goes to the heart of understanding the Scriptures and
one's place in them. (Each
period has its own unique messenger(s), its own unique message
and its
own unique faith to find right standing with God.) |
|||||
Mankind
As Genesis reveals, God initially communicated with and
revealed Himself to the entire human race. This program lasted from the first chapter (4004BC) to the end of the eleventh chapter (2033BC)
of Genesis, covering a lengthy period of 2000 years. After the fall of Adam,
the morality of man steadily declined into profound wickedness. Besides a few
men of faith, the majority forgot about God; they ignored conscience and suppressed
the truth of God -- the reminders of His existence, the greatness of His
creation, and the desire to reconcile to Him (Romans 1). Because of the
depravity of the human race, God changed the way He would reach out to mankind.
He would start a completely new program and initiate another covenant.
Israel
Separated
God selected a particular man, Abram (Abraham), and made a sovereign covenant with him (Genesis 12:1-3 Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house to a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. See also: 15:1-21). Through God's call of Abraham, He created a new race, the Jews; Gods elected people, a royal priesthood and a holy nation (insulated/separated from the world by law and practices) through whom the redeemer could and would come. Through this covenant and its promises, they would become a light to the gentiles and a blessing to all the nations (Isaiah 42:5-6, Genesis 12:2-3). From this time forward, God would no longer reveal Himself to all mankind; He would reveal Himself through the Jews (Ephesians 2:12).
Promised
The period of Israel extended from Abraham (2033BC) to God's commissioning of the apostle Paul (35AD), another 2000 years. When one reads the Old Testament, it is impossible to miss the fact that throughout the ages Israel anticipated two great prophetic events: (1) the coming of the Messiah and (2) the establishment of His earthly kingdom, (based on the promises of God's covenant to Abraham). The prophets wrote hundreds of verses that detailed this kingdom (cf. Isaiah 2:1-4; 11:1-11; Zechariah 14:9-11). Israel yearned for God's promises to be fulfilled. They would be safe from their enemies and preeminent among the nations of earth (Deuteronomy 28:1, 13).
Un-Realized
When Jesus began His ministry, He proclaimed that the kingdom of God (the physical, earthly kingdom promised to Abraham) was near (Matthew 3:2; 4:17). Had Israel recognized the signs of His Messiahship, repented and accepted Him, the promised kingdom would have come. But Israel refused to repent and believe the message of John the Baptizer, Jesus, and the Twelve. Instead, they crucified Him. After Jesus was resurrected and ascended, Peter addressed the nation with a renewed message of repentance -–the same message John the Baptizer and Jesus had proclaimed in His earthly ministry (Acts 2:28; 3:19-26). The nation had yet another opportunity to repent. Had they, God would have established the earthly kingdom. Israel, however, continued to reject the message of Jesus as Messiah and consequently were sovereignly blinded. (Romans 11:25, 2 Corinthians 3:14, Ephesians 4:18)
The Church (the body of Christ)
Since Israel rejected her Messiah and forfeited the kingdom
of God (temporarily; Romans 11:25),
did this mean Israel's program was thwarted and that Gentiles had no hope? Not
at all! **
A New Apostle
God had a "secret", as Paul called it (Romans 16:25;
Ephesians 3:1-13; Colossians 1:26-27). God, in grace, raised a Pharisee, Saul
of Tarsus, a violent enemy of those who had believed in Christ, through whom He
would reveal His grace to Gentiles. After God called the apostle Paul, ("the
apostle to the Gentiles" (Romans 11:13)), the risen and glorified Christ
revealed to Paul the mysteries.
A New "Secret" Message
These revelations constitute Church doctrine. All Church
doctrine comes from the pen of the Apostle Paul for to Paul alone did the
ascended Lord reveal the mystery of the Church, the body of Christ. Peter and
the rest of the Twelve knew nothing of "the Church, body of Christ" nor
of the other revelations Paul received, until they learned it from him (2 Peter
3:16). This church period has been in operation for almost 2000 years and will soon be ending, according to patterns,
signs in prophecy and in the evidence of the times.
Tribulation
Israel Revived
God is not yet through with the nation of Israel (Romans 11:25-26).
The Israel 'period' will be restarted (revived) after God removes the Church
from the earth (2 Thessalonians 2:7 – the one who restrains), in the event
known as the Rapture. Sometime after the rapture, the prophesied 7-year Tribulation
will begin (Matthew 24:21, 29); its purpose is threefold – 1. Judgement, 2.
Evangelism and 3. The conversion of Israel through trials and persecution.
Noting Israel's central role in this event, Jeremiah called the Tribulation the
"time of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7). Daniel referred to it as
Israel's 70th week (Daniel 9:24-27). Through the intense and awful events of
the Tribulation, (God's justice poured out on rebellious mankind), a remnant of
Israel will be turned and saved, a nation born in a day (Isaiah 66:8)! It is the
acknowledgement of Christ by [all of]
Israel that will bring the second advent of Christ and the establishment of the
prophesied earthly "millennial" kingdom and reign of Christ.
Kingdom
Covenant and
Prophecy Fulfilled
The long-awaited kingdom, unfulfilled in Jesus' first advent
will be fulfilled at His second advent. At the end of the Tribulation, when
repentant Israel confesses Christ's true identity as Messiah, the Lord Jesus
Christ will return to earth and save them. This generation of Jews will
succeed, unlike the Jews of Jesus' generation, who failed to repent under the
preaching of John the Baptizer, Jesus, Peter, and Stephen. They will become the
royal priesthood and holy nation (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9) and will be the prophesied
"blessing to the Gentiles" (Genesis 12:2-3; Zechariah 8:23; Galatians
3:14).
The Lord will establish His long-anticipated millennial kingdom and fulfil all prophecy and the covenants of Israel: Abrahamic, Sabbatic, Palestinian (Land), Davidic, and New. In this earthly kingdom, peace and righteousness will cover the earth and Israel will be preeminent among all the nations of the earth (Deuteronomy 28:1, 13). Jesus the Messiah will rule the entire world from Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:9) for 1000 years and Israel will occupy the land promised by God to Abraham from the Nile to the Euphrates Rivers (Genesis 15:18).
New Heaven, New Earth
After the 1000 years reign, the final resurrection of the wicked, and the "great white throne" judgement will take place. Sin and death will be done away with, and eternity will be ushered in. God will create a new universe: a new heaven and earth (Revelation 21:1-2; 2 Peter 3:13 cf. Isaiah 65:17; 66:22). The New Jerusalem, the true Jerusalem, will descend from heaven upon earth. Literally, heaven will come upon earth. With death and sin vanquished, evil will no longer be possible. God and man will dwell together for eternity in unimaginable joy and adventure. Amen!
_____________
** God has scores
of promises to national Israel that remain unfulfilled. Hundreds of verses
proclaim He will establish His earthly kingdom for the sons of Jacob and that
they will be preeminent among the nations of the earth. When national Israel
repents, which they will do in the future (Matthew 23:39 cf. Psalm 118:26; Zechariah
12:10), God will fulfil all these promises. [The
promise God made to Abraham 4,000 years ago was sovereign and remains in force.
Daniel prophesied a total of 70 weeks of years from the time of the restoration
and rebuilding of Jerusalem, to the time of 'making an end to sin' for the
nation of Israel (Daniel 9:24-27). At 69 weeks of years, he prophesied the
nation would reject the Messiah. A final week of seven years yet remains. Jesus
called this week the Tribulation (Matthew 24:21, 29). Elsewhere it is known as
the "time of Jacob's trouble" (cf. Daniel 9; Jeremiah 30:7) and the
day of the Lord (Zephaniah 1; Joel 2). At the end of this 70th week,
Israel will recognize her Messiah and repent. When this occurs, He will return
(Matthew 23:37-39) and establish the Millennial Kingdom.
God created Israel to be the instrument of God's blessing to Gentiles (acc. to Abraham's covenant), but Israel failed to fulfil their destiny at the Lord's first advent. However, by God's grace, blessing came to Gentiles not through Israel's obedience, but because of her unbelief and disobedience. Through the fall of Israel, Gentiles have become blessed. Paul revealed this matter in Romans (Ch. 9-11) and declared God's matchless wisdom (Romans 11:33-36).
God's plan can be delayed but never thwarted by the will of men. God knows the end from the beginning and is sovereign in all His activities. Those who teach that when Israel rejected her Messiah that God rejected Israel and formed the Church as the "new" Israel have rejected God's sovereignty. The church has not replaced Israel. These are two completely separate entities in God's wise and supreme plan over mankind.
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