Is Israel's program suspended throughout Christ's heavenly ministry?

Is Israel's program suspended throughout Christ's heavenly ministry?

QUESTION:

You quote Rom 11:25 about the blinding of Israel, but the very next verse clarifies that God has not suspended His plan with Israel but that they would all still be rescued. Rather God encourages them doing so by opening the door to the Gentiles via Paul. Please explain. 

Also, I find it interesting but rather strange that you conclude that Jesus has two ministries. The triune God is the Alpha and the Omega and knew from the very beginning all that would unfold in future. What is your meaning on this?

ANSWER:

The word "suspend", (as in, God would suspend His plans for Israel), is just that. It does not mean cancelled. The plan for Israel is temporarily halted, by design of our all-knowing God, and because of the unbelief of Israel. During this suspension, God is saving all men (Jews and Gentiles) by means of grace, through the cross work of Christ. This too was in the plan of God because God's plan is two-fold. He will use Israel to restore the earth and He will use the Body of Christ to restore the heavens.

God’s Multipart Plan to Redeem HEAVEN and EARTH (All other Parts)

God’s Multipart Plan to Redeem HEAVEN and EARTH

I am recording this series as videos. 

The rest of this series can be followed by viewing the videos uploaded here. Search for the videos with the same title as this post.

Thank you for your support and engagement in the contents of this blog.

God bless.

God’s Multipart Plan to Redeem HEAVEN and EARTH (Part 2)

God’s Multipart Plan to Redeem HEAVEN and EARTH (Part 2)

In part one, we learned about the Prophetic program which concerns Israel, prophecy, and law, to ‘fix’ the earth. In this part, our focus will be on the Mystery program which concerns the Body of Christ and God’s grace, to ‘fix’ heaven.

Remember, this is still a high-level overview of the layout of the Bible from cover to cover. We will look at scriptures to confirm things in the subsequent parts.

So, what is this Mystery program, and how does it concern us today?

As we saw in the Prophetic program in part one, it is a complete program, beginning with a world in corruption, and ending in the restoration of earth at the second coming of Christ. However, God divided this program into two parts, separating the Tribulation and Millennial Kingdom and pushing it 2000-years into the future from the cross. The reason for this is because of the unbelief of Israel. When they refused the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the apostles at Pentecost, God blinded Israel and suspended their program. At this point, God saved Paul and sent him to the Gentiles with a new message of grace through the cross of Christ. This new message was completely different to the prophetic and law orientated program of Israel. Paul tells the Corinthians that everything has become new,

The Glory and Power of God’s Word within Us

The Glory and Power of God’s Word within Us

Paul provides some valuable insights into what will happen at our transition from these earthly ‘tents’ (flesh bodies) to our heavenly ‘building’ (spiritual, eternal bodies), 2Cor 5:1.

First, we must know that there are bodies for different purposes, for different environments, and which emit different levels of glory. Read the following passage to get the context,

1Co 15:39-43 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

Is Christ's church built on Peter or all living stones of truth?

Answer Request:
Is Christ's Church built on Peter or all living stones of truth? Did God reveal the truth to Peter that Jesus is The Rock?

The Greek word translated "church" in the New Testament is ekklesia. A literal translation of ekklesia would be "a called-out assembly". Thus, when God calls one out, to separate them, it is for a purpose. In other words, there is a specific function that this entity should fulfil. For example, God separated the nation of Israel for a purpose. Israel can be identified as an ekklesia, (or church in modern English).

Deut.7:6 For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

Num.23:9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people [Israel] shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

Revelation(4v6B): The Four Living Creatures around God's Throne

THE BOOK OF
REVELATION

(Rev.4:6B)

The Four Living Creatures around God's Throne

Rev.4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. 7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

I'm not going to even begin to try and understand or make sense of these four living creatures. It is not the primary context of this study. As far as Rev.4 and Ezek.1 goes, all I'll say is that the four Cherubim surrounding God's throne are four angelic beings of the highest order and rank. As part of their privileged functions, they are associated with the worship and praise of God., they are attendants of the Deity, and they are the bearers of God's Throne (Psalms 80:1; 99:1; 1 Samuel 4:4, and elsewhere...). 

Revelation(4v6): The Structure of Creation

THE BOOK OF
REVELATION

(Rev.4:6)

The Structure of Creation

What is my purpose for discussing this topic? Well, it is certainly not primary doctrine that we need to know and that can save us. But, it can inspire us and provide us with some sense of the greatness of God and His multi-layered creation. We know from scripture, and from our knowledge of the physical realm, that God is ordered and structured, so we can easily accept that when it comes to the invisible and metaphysical realms, this same order and structure would be maintained. We cannot measure and fully understand the nature of things in the spiritual realm, but the principles that govern that realm can be related to by our understanding of the realm in which we live. If we project our knowledge from this realm into the invisible, knowing that the physical realm is a mere shadow, or reflection, of the invisible realm, then we can only stand in awe and wonder at what we can expect to find when we, as the body of Christ, pass over into that realm at our call to come home (Romans 8:23). Remember, you and I have a heavenly destination. Our eternal purpose, as the body of Christ, is to govern this realm. So, this is why it is motivational and insightful to delve into this topic, even though we cannot even fully fathom the basics of it yet.

Revelation(4v10): The 24 Elders

THE BOOK OF
REVELATION

(Rev.4:10)

The 24 Elders

Definition: "Elder" –someone who is valued for wisdom and holds a position of responsibility and authority.

There are a few theories as to who these 24 elders are, who are seated on 24 thrones surrounding God's throne in the highest heaven. Some say they are members of the body of Christ, which in my opinion is blatant ignorance of scripture and dispensational truth! Others say they are Jews, which is also a statement that makes very little sense and has no foundational value. I certainly do not claim to be dogmatic about what I believe in these matters, but my understanding and confidence lies in the fact that these 24 elders are high ranking angelic beings who oversee and administer, or execute, God's will and judgements over creation. Just like Moses was able to manage the population of Israel throughout their wilderness journey, by appointing God-fearing men to hold rank and judge in matters over the people, so these 24 elders do the same thing in a heavenly context and in regards to God's will. 

Revelation(4v2): The Throne Room of God

THE BOOK OF
REVELATION

(Rev.4:2)

The Throne Room of God

How can any one of us ever come close to comprehending the sight that John tries to describe in his heavenly encounter. It comes across clearly in the text that what John is finding is difficult to even describe what he is seeing. It's entertaining to note the amount of times John had to use the word "like" in this section of scripture,

3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

Was Paul saved into the Kingdom or the Grace Program?

Before we tackle this question, let's just define the Kingdom and the Grace programs so as to maintain context through the rest of this post.

• The Kingdom program belongs to the Jews who believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. Those saved into this law program have a future hope of an earthly inheritance, the Millennial Kingdom. Those who have died will be resurrected at the 2nd Coming of Christ. The remnant who are alive at Jesus 2nd coming will enter, together with those who were resurrected, into this 1000-year period of Christs reign.
  
  
• The Grace program belongs to ALL who believe in the grace gospel of Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Those saved into this grace program experience a current and assured salvation, and have a heavenly inheritance, and eternal destination. Those who have died are already present with the Lord. Those who are alive, at the end of this dispensation, will be silently raptured into the heavens and into Christ's presence. After this rapture, the Grace program ends and the 7-year tribulation begins.

So, our question remains if Paul was saved into the Kingdom or Grace program. Let me share with you my conviction of this interesting question. 

Understanding and Interpreting the Bible (Part 3)

Understanding and Interpreting the Bible

(Part 3 --- Dividing the REALMS)

In previous posts of this study, we have investigated the NEED to recognize divisions in the Bible. We have also determined the PURPOSE for divisions in the Bible. It is important to remember that the purpose for dividing the Word originates in all things to do with Israel. In this post we will have a look at the first of three overarching 'Israel related' categories that need to be rightly divided in God's greater redemption plan. Within the three categories of (1) Realms, (2) Agencies, and (3) Programs, we will start by dividing the REALMS; defined by phrases like, heaven and earth, and spiritual and physical.

Genesis 1:1 famously starts with the statement, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth...". In the context of this verse, we know that the heavens and the earth are the physical realms that God created. However, as we progress through this study, and in context with the verses we will target, you will notice that the words, heaven and earth, as well as starts, sand, spiritual and physical can represent different things. The context of the verse is important and will clarify whether the meaning represents the physical creation, or angels (demons) or actual celestial bodies, or even two different people groups. This will become evident as we progress. I'm simply giving you a heads up.
 

Understanding and Interpreting the Bible (Part 2)

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.

The Stages of Christ's Ascension and Return (Part 4)

In Part 3 of this post series, we had a look at the continued ascension of Jesus from the clouds (the position in which Stephen saw Jesus in Acts 7:55-56), to the position in light which He occupied according to 1 Tim.6:16. Between these two scripture references, it clearly identified Jesus in two different places. However, I won't be dogmatic and claim that these two positions are separated by the "waters above the firmament", but based on my current convictions, I'll illustrate it as such in my diagram below. (The purpose of the diagram is simply to show the eventual symmetry between Christ's ascension and return. I don't claim it to be accurate in depicting locations or positions in the heavenly ascension). 

The Stages of Christ's Ascension and Return (Part 3)

As mentioned in Part 2 of this multi-post topic, it is important to look at the ascension of Jesus, and the stages that it occurred in, in order to fully understand the stages of Christ's return. We'll continue therefore, in this part, to look at the details of the second stage of Christ's ascension, and later, when we look at Jesus' whole second coming, we will see how this part will mirror the same stage of His multi-part return. There are some very interesting things to learn from these stages and the events that tie into them.

The second stage of Christ's ascension into a new position and glory.

The Stages of Christ's Ascension and Return (Part 2)

The Ascension of ACTS 1

Acts 1:9-11 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

As mentioned in the opening post of this series, the ascension of Jesus in Acts 1 is only the beginning of Jesus departure back into glory. The bible provides us with much more insights if we study the scriptures and piece together additional verses that detail his return to heaven. The reason for putting focus on Jesus' ascension is not so much to learn what happened here as it is to provide insights into his glorious and soon return. There is so much more to know about His return, and since it mirrors His ascension (as Acts 1:11 suggests), learning about the ascension will bolster our understanding of His return.

The Stages of Christ's Ascension and Return

Acknowledgement:
When we delve into future events in the Bible, like the rapture, the tribulation, and Millennial Kingdom, one has to understand that there is a measure of assumption based on what the scriptures say, and how one interprets it. Even though the Bible provides details of the future, we do not fully understand how these events will play out, and in what order they will occur. We know from scripture that the Tribulation will happen. We know what the Tribulation is and we know its purpose. We know there will be an Antichrist and we know he will rule the world for a set period. But, although the scripture makes some things clear, there are still guesses around some cryptic details regarding this time, (see Deut.29:29). The fact remains that not even the best Bible scholars can accurately instruct us of exact times and details of future events in prophecy. It remains up to us to study the Word as best as possible and piece together multiple scriptures to build a picture based on how we interpret what will happen. In this series of articles, I plan to do exactly this. I'd like to build a picture of what I can see the Bible says about Jesus' ascension and return. How you receive the information I lay out here is up to you. I'm not claiming to be dogmatic and theologically correct. My only hope is that it will inspire you to delve into the scripture and see for yourself what it says. If I can encourage and inspire you to read the Word and become excited about it, then I have succeeded in my primary aim regarding this post and upcoming posts in this extended article.

Q-A: Where would you go after you die

Where Would You Go If You Were To Die Right Now? The most important question one can ever ask!

Where Would You Go If You Were To Die Right Now?

Heaven or Hell? 

What caused you to answer the way you did?
Are you sure you are correct?  

Alex Balingit walks us through just how simple salvation is, what it takes for a person to become a member of Christ's body, and what guarantees that you will enter Heaven once this life is over.

This video and the caption text above is from the WWURD.com YouTube channel.

Why Mid-ACTS? (Part 3)

Two Programs for Two Realms (Part 3)

There have been so many revelations in my dispensational journey, and one of the first (and biggest) that I learned of was the understanding of TWO programs in God's great plan of redemption. One will not see, let alone understand, this concept of two programs unless one recognizes the divisions in scripture, 2 Tim.2:15. Without the divisions, everything will seem to flow into each other and merge with each other and then you miss the entire revelation all together!

Our Destination is Different from O.T. and Gospel Saints

Our Destination is Different from O.T. and Gospel Saints

Have you ever noticed that Old Testament and Gospel saints were NOT PROMISED HEAVEN as a destination? Instead they were promised an everlasting kingdom on earth. As a matter of fact, these saints never even had a concept of "going to heaven" when they died. The reason is because all through the Old Testament and prophecy it was spoken of a glorious new earthly kingdom; one which would be restored and refreshed as it was before.