Dan, Part 2; The riches of God's Grace. Enjoy....
Santiago
"God's Major Division in His Word
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
--Genesis 1:1
The Protestant Reformation produced a number of giants in the faith, among whom was Miles Coverdale, who gave us these practical instructions for studying the Word of God:
"It shall greatly help ye to understand Scripture if thou mark not only what is spoken or written, but of whom and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goeth before and what followeth after."
In other words, while all of the Bible is for us, it is not all written directly to us. For example, in the Old Testament God commanded His people that they were to observe the law of the sabbath. On the seventh day (Saturday) of each week those under this regulation were not permitted to buy or sell, gather sticks, kindle a fire, prepare a meal, do any type of work or journey much more than a mile (Ex. 31:12-17; 35:3). Those who dared to violate this holy ordinance were to suffer the death penalty. Thus, the sabbath was to be a day of physical rest, which foreshadowed the rest Israel will enjoy in the millennium.
Forgive me, but I must ask: Are you observing the sabbath as commanded in the Word of God? Needless to say, the answer is rather obvious. This illustration, though, does make the very valid point that not all Scripture is written directly to us. It is essential that the reader acknowledge that there has been a significant change from one divine program to another. In our first chapter we established the fact that while the Old and New Testaments affect us, they were not made with the Gentiles, nor do they constitute God's major division in His Word. Where then has God placed the major division in His Word?
THE TWO PROGRAMS OF GOD
It is noteworthy that God said He "...created the heaven and the earth," when he could have simply said that He created the world. Unlike man, however, God does not use words frivolously. He is meticulous in His choice of words and for good reason-many times it is to convey two thoughts in one. Such is the case here; God would have us understand that He is the Creator of heaven and the Creator of earth, which strongly implies that He has a different plan and purpose for each.
Allow me to illustrate what I mean. perhaps you have the unique privilege of owning a grand piano. First and foremost, it is a beautiful piece of workmanship that accentuates the furniture in any room. But it also serves a purpose, which is to produce music that is gratifying to the ear.
God's program for the earth is identified as prophecy, while His program for the heavenlies is known as the Mystery. A program is defined as "...a plan or procedure for dealing with some matter." For instance, we might watch a documentary of American history followed by a documentary on wildlife. Both are programs, but they deal with two entirely different subjects; the same is true with God's Word. The theme of God's Prophetic program embraces Christ's reign upon the earth in the future millennial kingdom. On the other hand, the Mystery points to our exaltation with Christ in the heavenlies.
Just as the great Continental Divide separates the rivers flowing toward the Atlantic from those flowing toward the Pacific, in like manner the Word of God is divided into two parts--Prophecy and Mystery. Sad to say, many dear saints have proceeded down the wrong side of the Continental Divide of Holy Scripture. They are peacefully floating down the Prophetic river unaware that a dangerous falls lie ahead. Indeed, they will be saved because the Lord cannot deny Himself, but they will suffer terrible loss at the Judgment Seat of Christ (I Cor. 3:9-15). Those whose eyes have been open to see the Mystery are proceeding down the proper side of the divide. They should be prepared, however, to shoot the rapids, inasmuch as those who stand for the truth of Paul's gospel will face almost unbelievable opposition. Thankfully, these waters flow into an ocean of eternal reward at journey's end.
THE PROPHETIC PROGRAM
"For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory, this is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased....We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed..." (II Peter 1:16,17,19).
Here Peter recounts the experience he had on the Mount of Transfiguration. Prior to this memorable occasion our Lord taught the disciples about His impending death at Jerusalem. Aware that they were troubled by this announcement, the Master spoke these words of consolation: "Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom" (Matt. 16:28).
On the surface it may appear as though all of the disciples died without ever witnessing the fulfillment of this event. However, we believe our Lord's words were fulfilled to the very letter when he took Peter, James and John to the mount and was transfigured before their very eyes. Accordingly, we are told, "...His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light."
Peter, James and John were given a glimpse of what it will be like when Christ returns to establish His millennial kingdom. Years later Peter tells his hearers that he was an eyewitness of the Lord's coming glory. He also informs those to whom he was writing that he heard the voice of God stating, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." In essence Peter was saying, I have had an experience to end all experiences, but don't take my word as the final authority. "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed." Peter prudently turns his hearers to the Scriptures where these events are foretold by the prophets of old. Jeremiah predicted long ago:
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth" (Jer. 23:5).
The prophetic saints then were expecting a king to come who would conquer their enemies and set up a kingdom of righteousness upon the earth.
Our forefathers wisely formed our government around the principle of what is known as the separation of powers. They divided the authority among three branches: executive, legislative and judicial. This means that a legislator cannot hold the office of the president during the same term, thus avoiding a monopoly of power.
For the most part the same was true in Israel concerning the affairs of God. A king, for example, was never permitted to hold the office of a priest and vice versa. Those who attempted to usurp the authority of another's office suffered the swift retribution of God (I Sam. 13:8-14). Christ, however, holds all three offices: prophet, priest and king of Israel, for all power and authority is vested in Him. Therefore, He is the one who will rule and reign in righteousness in the kingdom to come.
Some have wrongly concluded that the prophetic saints looked forward to going to heaven to be with the Lord. Quite the contrary: since the kingdom was to be set up upon the earth those who were under this program naturally had an earthly hope. The patriarch Job gives us the most ancient record as to the hope of the saints of his day.
"For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the EARTH: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God" (Job 19:25,26).
Abraham, who was in all probability the contemporary of Job, searched for a city.
"For he looked for a city [on EARTH] which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Heb. 11:10).
Our Lord lent further credence to this promise when He delivered the Sermon on the Mount.
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the EARTH" (Matt. 5:5).
Later on in the discourse He taught His disciples to pray accordingly:
"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in EARTH, as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10).
Consequently, those who were saved under this program, such as Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, Peter, Stephen and the saved of the future tribulation period all have or had an earthly hope.
We should pause here for a moment to address a commonly asked question-If the kingdom is earthly, then why does our Lord frequently refer to it as the kingdom of heaven? The answer is twofold: first of all, according to the parable of the nobleman, our Lord is to go into a far country (heaven) to receive for Himself a kingdom, and return (Luke 19:11,12). Secondly, when our Lord returns in His Second Coming He will lift the curse from the earth. In that day we are instructed that the desert shall blossom like a rose, the blind shall see, the deaf shall hear again and the lame man shall leap (Isa. 35:1-6). In short, it will be like heaven on earth!
One very crucial point which must not be overlooked in this discussion is that the kingdom and earthly reign of Christ has been foretold since the beginning of the world. This is not to say that the saints of old understood every aspect of this unfolding revelation. But the following Scriptures do bear out that the kingdom has been made known from the beginning of time:
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David [to fulfill the promise given to David concerning the kingdom-II Sam. 7:16,17]; As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which hath been SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN" (Luke 1:68-70).
"...when the times of refreshing [kingdom] shall come from the presence of the Lord....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" (Acts 3:19,21).
THE MYSTERY
"For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: how that by revelation He made known unto me the Mystery..." (Eph. 3:1-3).
The other major program in God's Word is the Mystery. Some have concluded that the Mystery is merely the new revelation that Jews and Gentiles are now in one Body. But there is more, far more! When Israel, through whom God was channeling His blessing, rejected her Messiah it brought in an unexpected calamity. God set the wayward nation aside in unbelief. With the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7, the clock of prophecy abruptly stopped, temporarily suspending the Prophetic program.
By all outward appearances this action seemed to leave the world in the depths of despair. But God had a secret in mind that He had not revealed to the prophets in former dispensations. In His infinite, matchless grace He saved the chief of sinners, Paul, and ushered in a new program called the Mystery or the dispensation of the grace of God.
The revelation of the Mystery introduces Christ in a completely new role. Today He is the Head of the Body, carrying out a heavenly ministry on our behalf. Consequently, the Apostle Paul focuses our attention on the heavenlies, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God in a position of exaltation. During this age of grace we do not know Christ as the King of Kings who is prepared to return with the flaming fire of vengeance to execute judgment upon His enemies. Rather we know Him as the God of all grace who has made us sit together in heavenly places that we might share in His exaltation (Eph. 1:19-23; 2:6).
Ask the average believer what his or her hope is and the response is always the same: Heaven is my home! To be with my Savior who is in heaven! I'm looking forward to being caught up to heaven to forever be with the Lord! But how have these saints come to the conclusion that their hope is heavenly? Surely, it was not through a study of the four gospels, for as we have seen the earthly kingdom is in view in those Scriptures. Amazingly, the hope that many claim today is found only in Paul's epistles, even though they have failed to realize that his epistles are the basis of their belief. Paul's revelation abounds with passages that cause us to look heavenward for our consolation.
"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together, in HEAVENLY places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6).
"For our conversation [citizenship] is in HEAVEN; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Phil. 3:20).
"For the hope which is laid up for you in HEAVEN, whereof ye heard before in the Word of the truth of the gospel" (Col. 1:5).
Since the Holy Spirit marks the beginning of the Body of Christ with the conversion of Paul, all those who have been saved from his conversion to the present have a heavenly hope.
One of the outstanding features of the Mystery, unlike the preceding program, is that it was kept secret from ages and generations past. Please note carefully the wording of these passages, which convey just the opposite of what we found in the former program of prophecy.
"Now to Him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the Mystery, which was KEPT SECRET since the world began" (Rom. 16:25).
"Which in other ages was NOT MADE KNOWN unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" (Eph. 3:5).
"Even the Mystery which hath been HID from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints" (Col. 1:26).
We have a challenge for those readers who may be somewhat skeptical of our conclusions, which are taken directly from the Word of God: although this will be an exercise in futility, try to find the unsearchable (untraceable) riches of Christ in any other writing outside of Paul's epistles. Some of the riches are as follows: The one Body made up of Jews and Gentiles without distinction; our spiritual baptism into Christ's Body; the Rapture of the Church; the Headship of Christ; and we could go on and on.
A CLOSING WORD
Hopefully the following chart will help to reinforce the distinction that God makes between His two programs:
Prophecy
God's plan and purpose for the earth and Christ's reign upon it. (Kingdom) Matt. 16:28; Matt. 17:1-5; II Pet. 1:15-21.
Prophetic Saints (Israel) Matt. 10:5,6; Matt. 15:24.
Prophetic Saints have an earthly hope. Job 19:25,26; Gen. 12:1-3; Matt. 5:5.
Prophetic Program revealed from the foundation of the world. Luke 1:67-70; Acts 3:21.
Mystery
God's plan and purpose for the heavens and our exaltation with Christ in heaven. Eph. 1:19-23; 3:1-4; Col. 3:1-4.
Mystery Saints (Body of Christ) Eph. 1:22,23; I Cor. 12:27.
Body of Christ has a heavenly hope. Eph. 2:6; Col. 1:5; Phil. 3:20.
Mystery Program was kept secret since the world began. Rom. 16:25; Col. 1:25-27.
Pastor Sadler~~~~~~
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