God’s Unfolding Plan Of The Ages
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The document discusses God's unfolding plan through history as revealed in the Bible. It notes that the Old Testament contained prophecies that anticipated future fulfillment. However, certain mysteries about God's plan were not known even to the prophets, including the incarnation of Christ, the inclusion of Gentiles in God's plan, and the formation of the Church. These mysteries have now been revealed. The document argues that the prophecies and mysteries can be reconciled by interpreting the Old Testament prophecies literally while recognizing God has complementary purposes for Israel and the Church.
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God’s Unfolding Plan Of The Ages
- 1. God’s Unfolding Plan of the Ages What the Prophets Never Knew
- 2. The Bible - Some Assumptions God’s complete revelation for us for today 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
- 3. The Bible - Some Assumptions God’s complete revelation for us for today 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
- 4. The Bible – Some Assumptions God’s comprehensible revelation for us today 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 But as it is written: "EYE HAS NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NOR HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN THE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." (10) But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. John 16:12-13 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. (13) However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. Romans 4:3 For what does the Scripture say?
- 5. The Bible – Some Assumptions God’s comprehensible revelation for us today 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 But as it is written: "EYE HAS NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NOR HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN THE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." (10) But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. John 16:12-13 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. (13) However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. Romans 4:3 For what does the Scripture say?
- 6. The Bible – Some Observations Many writers (around 40) – One Author 2 Peter 1:21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. One Subject – Christ & His Glory Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. John 16:14-15 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. (15) All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
- 7. The Bible – Some Observations Many writers (around 40) – One Author 2 Peter 1:21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. One Subject – Christ & His Glory Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. John 16:14-15 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. (15) All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
- 8. The Bible – Some Observations Two Testaments – “Old” & “New” - separated by the Cross of Christ Hebrews 1:1-3 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, through whom also He made the worlds; (3) who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
- 9. The Bible – Some Observations Two Testaments – “Old” & “New” - separated by the Cross of Christ Hebrews 1:1-3 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, through whom also He made the worlds; (3)who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
- 10. Colossians 1:25-26 “...I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, (26) the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.”
- 11. Colossians 1:25-26 “...I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, (26) the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.”
- 12. The Prophecies - What God revealed in time past The Historic events recorded in OT scripture reveal an “unfolding plan”
- 13. The Prophecies - What God revealed in time past The Prophetic events recorded in OT scripture anticipate the fulfilment of the plan
- 14. The Prophecies - What God revealed in time past The Prophetic events recorded in OT scripture anticipate the fulfilment of the plan
- 15. The Prophecies - What God revealed in time past The Prophetic events recorded in OT scripture anticipate the fulfilment of the plan
- 16. The Prophecies - What God revealed in time past The Prophetic events recorded in OT scripture anticipate the fulfilment of the plan New Heaven & New Earth
- 17. What the Prophets never knew The Mysteries – What God has revealed to His saints
- 18. Mystery - The Incarnation Colossians 2:2-3 ...the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, (3) in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
- 19. Mystery - Partial hardening of Israel Romans 11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
- 20. Mystery - The “Gospel” preached to Gentiles Romans 16:25-26 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began (26) but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— Ephesians 6:19 “...the mystery of the gospel,”
- 21. Mystery - The Church Ephesians 3:3-6 ...by revelation He made known to me the mystery ...which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: (6) that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
- 22. Mystery - The Church Ephesians 5:30-32 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. ...This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Colossians 1:24-27 ...His body, which is the church, ...the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
- 23. Mystery - The “Rapture” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
- 24. Mystery of Lawlessness 2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.
- 25. Mystery - The Consummation of all things “in Heaven and which are on Earth” in Christ Ephesians 1:9-10 ...having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, (10) that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him.
- 26. How can we reconcile the Prophecies and the Mysteries? We could “spiritualise” the OT Prophecies and say that they are fulfilled in the Church. The Church
- 27. How can we reconcile the Prophecies and the Mysteries? We could “spiritualise” the OT Prophecies and say that they are fulfilled in the Church. Problem – Jesus never “spiritualised” the OT Scripture Problem – 2000 (out of 2500) Prophecies have already been “literally” fulfilled Problem – How do we decide what is “spiritual” and what is “literal” if the Scripture doesn’t say so? Problem - Did God deceive the Jews when He promised them an inheritance forever? Problem – The NT tells us that the Church was a mystery “hidden in God” (Eph 3:9) in OT times.
- 28. How can we reconcile the Prophecies and the Mysteries? Or, we could interpret the OT Scripture literally and see that God has complementary purposes for: His Earthly people – Israel His Heavenly people – the Church
- 29. The Prophecies and Mysteries Reconciled The CHURCH New Heaven & New Earth
- 30. God’s Unfolding Plan of the ages
- 31. The New Heaven and New Earth 1 Corinthians 15:22-25 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (23) But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. (24) Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. (25) For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
- 33. Consequence - Worship Ephesians 1:5-6 ...having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, (6) to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
- 34. Consequence - Workmanship Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast. (10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
- 35. Consequences - Citizenship Ephesians 2:19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
- 36. Consequence - Stewardship Of the Gospel Preaching Ephesians 3:2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, Praying Ephesians 6:19-19 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, ...that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,
- 37. Consequence - Stewardship Of Spiritual Gifts Ephesians 4:7, 11-16 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ...for the edifying of the body of Christ, ...the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, ..by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
- 38. Consequence - Stewardship Of Time & Opportunity Ephesians 5:15-17 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, (16) redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (17) Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
- 39. Consequence - Fellowship Positive - Ephesians 3:9-10 ...the fellowship of the mystery, ...the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, Negative - Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
- 40. Consequence - Heirship Ephesians 3:6 ...the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
- 41. Consequence - Headship Ephesians 1:22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
- 42. Consequence - Headship Eph 6:5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; Eph 6:9 And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
Notas do Editor
- We believe that God has given us His Word, the Bible, so that we will be fully equipped for every aspect of life. There is no matter upon which the Bible has not got something to say, either explicitly or by way of applied principles.We do not need to go outside the Bible for guidance and direction in our lives, and for that matter. In Scripture, the “Church” is always the object of teaching ministry, not the “subject”. That is, it is the “Church” which is taught, rather than doing the teaching. We should be wary of those who say “The Church teaches....” as that is not Biblical.There is very clear evidence from within Scripture and from Church history that the work of the apostles and NT prophets was foundational to the Church and would not be continued throughout Church history. (See particularly 1Cor 13:8-12) We must treat with extreme caution those who claim to receive fresh revelations from God and should heed the warnings of the apostles that many false teachings would arise in the last days.
- Note – To be consistent, we must interpret the Scripture literally unless to do so would make no sense.
- The Bible is written by common people for common people and does not require “special training” to be understood. It does rather require enlightenment by the Holy Spirit, promised by the Lord Jesus to guide us into all truth.To be consistent, we must interpret the Scripture literally unless to do so would make no sense.
- We believe in the plenary inspiration of the Scripture. This means that the Holy Spirit guided the various writers of the Scripture, and that even though the individual style and personality of the writer is not suppressed, each syllable is actually inspired by the Holy Spirit.Jesus said: “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” (Mat 5:18) In this He showed that even the tiniest marks of the original autographs were inspired.The grand theme of the Bible is Christ & His Glory. He is the Promised Seed of Genesis 3:15, and the final book of the Bible, often mispronounced “Revelations” is actually the climax of God’s revealed purpose and is correctly referred to as “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”. It is a single revelation of the climax of God’s purpose – in Christ.John 16:14-15 shows that it is un-Biblical to direct worship to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given with the purpose of bringing glory to Christ. Although fully God in every aspect, the Holy Spirit’s role is a “behind the scenes” one and while we must not devalue the Holy Spirit we should be careful of doctrine that places un-Biblical emphasis on the Blessed Person and Work of the Holy Spirit rather than the Father or the Son.
- The very existence of two Testaments should alert us to the fact that their is progression in God’s program of revealing Himself to us. Almost all theologians recognize this, however very many Christians have failed to understand the significance of God’s unfolding plan, and many false cults have arisen exploiting ignorance of this plan, e.g. Seventh Day Adventist.Satan has used misunderstanding concerning the relationship between the OT and NT to keep many sincere people in fatal darkness. Much of so-called Christianity is founded upon the premise that eternal life is gained through careful observance of God’s Law as revealed in the OT, yet so much of the NT shows that we can never be right with God through religious observance of the Law. This is not a contradiction, but we need to observe that God’s plan is unfolding through the ages in order to understand the relationship between Old and New.Careful observation will reveal that God has actually been the unfolding this plan from the very beginning, of which more later.
- The New Testament introduces the idea of “mystery” teaching. The NT use of “mystery” is not the same as our everyday use of the word, which normally conveys the meaning of something obscure, inexplicable or contradictory.However the Greeks used the word “mysterion” to refer to the secrets shared only with initiates of a cult. In that sense it is very similar to the secrets known only to initiates of the Nyau cult, for example. Once initiated the secrets are fully revealed. In the same way, with the descent of the Holy Spirit and formation of the Church, the mysteries of God are now revealed.It is very enlightening in our study of God’s unfolding plan to see what truths are known now that were not known prior to the formation of the Church.This verse has been alternately rendered: of which *I* became minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given me towards you to complete the word of God,” (Col 1:25) The truth revealed was for the purpose of completing the Word of God. Theologians have observed an apparent contradiction between the teaching of Jesus, and that of Paul, but that is because they have not understood the truth referred to in this verse, and which the Lord Jesus Himself expressed, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” (Joh 16:12-13)
- As already mentioned, the existence of OT & NT is a very clear indicator that God’s plan is a “progressive” one, unfolding over time. If we observe some of the crises points recorded in the Bible, we can see that God’s dealings with humanity have involved successive tests under conditions of increasing privilege and responsibility. Scripture records that humanity failed each test. (See later slide on God’s unfolding plan)
- The prophetic Scriptures of the OT are often divided into three distinct groups, with regard to their relation to the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities, a major landmark in the history of the Nation of Israel: Pre-exilic (before the exile), Exilic (during the exile), and Post-Exilic (after the exile) prophets.This slide shows the Scripture references to some of the major events prophesied by the Pre-exile prophets.
- This slide shows the Scripture references to some of the major events prophesied by the Exile prophets.
- This slide shows the Scripture references to some of the major events prophesied by the Post-exile prophets.Note that, with the exception of Isaiah, none of the Prophets saw both the Birth & Coming in Glory of the Messiah – i.e. The Truth of a 1st and 2nd Coming was barely understood by the Jews, as is seen by the attitude of Jesus’ disciples to the idea of his “going away” (John 14). Many Rabbis actually taught “two Messiahs” as they couldn’t understand Isaiah’s picture of a suffering Christ.This is an important point, as it shows that the idea of the “Rapture” distinct from the 2nd Coming is no more radical than the idea of the 2nd Coming itself. The reality is than neither were understood by the Jews.
- This slide shows a chronological arrangement of the Prophetic events mentioned in the OT. This is broadly what the disciples of the Lord Jesus would have understood/been expecting.
- Although the Prophets predicted the birth of Messiah, they never anticipated the Incarnation – that is, they never knew that God would become man. This was the basis of the Jewish leaders’ rejection of Jesus on so many occasions – they considered His claim to be God to be the highest possible blasphemy. In this way the incarnation of Christ is a mystery teaching.
- The fact of the Gospel being preached to the Gentiles was not clearly understood by the Jews as they were very jealous of their special relationship with Jehovah as His covenant people. It is particularly the content of the message which is the mystery – i.e. That the Jews and Gentiles would be saved alike on the basis of the Grace of God alone, apart from works or law-keeping. In Galatians Paul contends for the mystery Gospel against those Jews who still maintained that semi-conversion to Judaism with it ritual worship and law-keeping was necessary for salvation, in addition to faith in Christ. They still saw Jesus as essentially the Jewish Messiah.The mystery teachings of Paul reveal Christ as the Head of the Church, not just the Jewish Messiah.
- These verses, and others, clearly state that the Church was unknown in OT times. The Church, the Body of Christ and the teaching concerning it has been specially revealed by the Holy Spirit to the apostles and prophets.The Church is a distinct entity from Israel, and was brought into being by the Baptism in the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The Church did not exist before this – Jesus said “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Mat 16:18)The Church is a spiritual body, comprised only of those “born of water and of the Spirit”. There are no unbelievers in the Church which is His Body, which is seated with Christ “in the Heavenlies.” The Church does not belong to earth, but to Heaven, and is the Bride of Christ.
- The Rapture is a truth which belongs to the Church, and so was not known before the Church came into existence.This scripture clearly shows that there will be some who will be changed without experiencing death, and evidently that was Paul’s expectation. This cannot refer to the “Parousia” – the Coming of Messiah in Power and Glory, because it is a mystery, and as we have seen, several of the Prophets foresaw Messiah coming to deliver His people.The Rapture is a necessary part of God’s program as the Holy Spirit must be removed from earth before the outpouring of Tribulation Judgement, and also because the saints are seen coming with Him in His Glory. “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Col 3:4) we could not appear with Him if we were not with Him. This truth is also expressed in 1Th 4:14-18, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” These verses show Christ coming to the airfor His saints, His heavenly, spiritual body. At the 2nd Coming He will come to the earth with His saints in order to save His earthly people. His coming to the air is consistent with the fact that the Church is His spiritual, heavenly people. His coming to the earth is consistent with the fact that Israel is His earthly people.
- The context of this verse is the coming of the Day of the Lord, a term used in Scripture to refer to the coming of our Lord Jesus in Power and Glory to destroy the Man of Sin (The Beast, or Antichrist of Revelation ch 19) also referred to in the OT as the Wilful King (Dan 11:3) and the Worthless Shepherd (Zec 11:17)This is a mystery teaching because it was not known in the OT that this evil one would be raised up and energised by Satan himself, nor was it known that his evil work would be carried on during this period of time, albeit restrained by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church. This subject is closely linked to that of the Rapture as the One who restrains and will be taken out of the way to allow for the emergence of the Lawless one is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit cannot be taken out of the way unless the Church is also taken to Heaven as Jesus promised not to leave His own as orphans and that the Holy Spirit would always be with them. (John 14:18)
- The passage from which this verse is extracted addresses probably the high-point of God’s revelation to mankind. It shows that God’s ultimate purpose is to reconcile everything in the heavenly and earthly spheres together in Christ. This will take place during the dispensation of the fullness of the times and is a reference to Christ’s coming Kingdom.This is described in Rev 21:9-10, “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.”The New Jerusalem where the sanctuary of God is – the dwelling place of the Church, is seen descending out of heaven from God (in harmony with the teaching of the Rapture, as she has already been taken into heaven then), but does not actually rest upon the earth. (It is only after the final purging of the physical heavens and earth with fire (2Pe 3:7) that the New Jerusalem will finally rest upon earth and the dwelling place of God will be physically among men.)Daniel described this Kingdom, "I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.” (Dan 7:13-14)In this time Christ will be glorified in two spheres – in Heaven and on Earth.
- By spiritualising it is meant that the unfulfilled Prophecies of the OT are given a new, spiritual meaning – that is the promises given to Israel are said to have been spiritually, though not literally fulfilled in the Church. In this scheme of interpretation The Church becomes the inheritor of those promises, and Israel as a nation effectively disappears from God’s purposes.
- This approach to the Prophetic Scriptures imposes a very significant change upon the way the Scriptures were interpreted up to and including the time of Christ. It is clear that the disciples expected a literal fulfilment of the OT promises, and even Paul, writing in Romans chs. 9-11 clearly shows that he believed that God’s purposes for Israel would be fulfilled.Quoting more copiously from the OT than in any other portion he poses the question, “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.” (Rom 11:1-2) He continued, And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "THE DELIVERER WILL COME OUT OF ZION, AND HE WILL TURN AWAY UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB; FOR THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS." Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Rom 11:26-29) This last statement is conclusive – God does not go back on His Word.
- A straightforward interpretation of the Scriptures using their normal everyday meaning inevitably leads to the conclusion that God has complementary purposes for Israel and the Church.This is entirely consistent with Him gathering together in one all things in Christ – In heaven and on earth.The respective responsibilities of Israel and the Church are highlighted in these verses:Israel - Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it: "I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, (Isa 42:5-6)The Church - To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Eph 3:8-11)Sadly, due to human failure, neither of those purposes will be fully realised until The Dispensation of the Fullness of the Times, when we will have been finally gloried and transformed completely into the image of God’s dear son. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Rom 8:29)
- This slide shows the complementary, heavenly role of the Church, and her place in God’s ongoing program for Israel, the light to the Gentiles.
- The table shows the various stages of God’s dealings with mankind. We have introduced the word “Dispensation”, a translation of the Greek word oikonomiawhich appears twice in Ephesians. The word can equally be translated Stewardship or Administration and describes the basis upon which God was primarily dealing with mankind during that period of time.Each administration is characterised by certain key responsibilities given by God, and in each case resulted in failure and judgment.The Millennial Rule of Christ will be the final, greatest test of humanity, as there will during that time be perfect religion, a perfect environment, and perfect Government upon earth, during which time Satan will be imprisoned in the bottomless pit. At the end, humanity will prove itself to be a hopeless failure as, on his release, Satan will find sufficient rebels to lead a huge army in defiance against Christ, however He will gain the final ultimate victory. “They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Rev 20:9-10)
- After Christ has finally defeated His enemies, the present Heavens and Earth will be burned up and replaced with the New Heavens and the New Earth. “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2Pe 3:13)Describing the end of “time” as we know it and the dawn of the Eternal Day, the apostle John wrote, “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.“ (Rev 22:11) This shows that the “future” will be a settled state, and incidentally in a single stroke destroys the gross Roman Catholic error of purgatory.
- The fact that the Church is a spiritual, heavenly people has huge implications. The letter to the Ephesians lists some of them:For our worship.As Christ did not enter into a Holy Place made with hands (Heb 9:24) so we do not worship in physical sanctuaries, but in the very heavenly presence of God, by the Spirit. Rather than being bound to earthly ritual, we are free to worship in Spirit and in Truth. When Christ comes for us we will be able to do that without the limitation of our fallen, sinful flesh.
- As a new creation in Christ, the believer is designed to work for God in this world and that service will be seen in many ways.It is important to note that this verse teaches that we are saved for good works but notby good works. Salvation is through an act of faith in Christ alone.
- The believers status on earth is as an ambassador of Heaven. “...the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains;” (Eph 6:19-20)Our citizenship is in Heaven. “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” (Php 3:20) For that reason, while Christians are expected to do good works (e.g. Titus 2:7) it is not Biblically correct to say that it is the “duty” of Christians to get involved in politics, for example, with a view to improving society from within. Instead our relationship with Government authorities should be to obey them, (where there is no conflict with the Word of God) Romans 13:1 and to pray for them, 1Tim 2:1-2. Meanwhile, we wait for the Saviour who will deal with all unrighteousness when He comes.
- Not only are we ambassadors of Heaven, but we are stewards of heavenly things.In the context of Ephesians, our stewardship involves proclaiming and praying for the Gospel. This is the reason we have been left upon earth – to be witnesses for Christ.
- As spiritual people, we have been given spiritual gifts.These gifts are not to be used for our own benefit, but for the edifying of the Body of Christ.Other complementary passages include Romans 12 and 1Cor 12-14. In each case the gifts are for the benefit of the whole body.The gifting of each member of the body is very important for it’s proper functioning. The Bible never imagines a church in which only one person, or a very select few do all the spiritual service. That very thing is spoken against in 1Cor 12. Rather it is expected that “...the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, ..by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
- As Heavenly citizens left upon earth, we are expected to recognise God’s will and to make good use of the time and opportunity He has given us to do it. We should be careful not to waste the time God has given us upon unimportant things.
- The great mystery revealed is that Gentiles and Jews are joined together in the Church to enjoy full fellowship with God, and fellowship with each other.This fellowship arises because we are one in Spirit. It is not possible to enjoy this fellowship with those who are not saved and possessors of the Holy Spirit, because such are not members of the Church which is His Body.Being a possessor of the Holy Spirit has important implications for my walk as a Christian. I can have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but I am rather to expose them.
- Being a spiritual body has consequences for Headship.The Scripture describes God as orderly, and we are to exhorted to be subject to His order.This order is seen in Home life and in Employment. Elsewhere, in 1Cor 11, Paul shows that God’s order must be demonstrated in the Church, particularly in the relatives roles of men and women. 1Co 11:10 “For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.” He was careful to point out that this has nothing to do with relative importance or worth, (for Christ is subject to God the Father) but rather it is to do with orderly exercise of authority. The role of the Church is to proclaim submission to Christ’s authority in the very realm where that authority was first challenged. The wearing of a headcovering by the woman does not so much signify her subjection to the man as the whole congregation’s subjection to the authority of Christ, for the man is His representative in the Church. In secular things we do not consider that a higher ranking official within an organisation is a “better person” because of the office they hold, but rather we recognise that they have been given the responsibility of using higher authority. Without such submission to authority, every aspect of society would crumble into lawlessness.
- Being a spiritual body has consequences for Headship.The Scripture describes God as orderly, and we are to exhorted to be subject to His order.This order is seen in Home life and in Employment. Elsewhere, in 1Cor 11, Paul shows that God’s order must be demonstrated in the Church, particularly in the relatives roles of men and women. 1Co 11:10 “For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.” He was careful to point out that this has nothing to do with relative importance or worth, (for Christ is subject to God the Father) but rather it is to do with orderly exercise of authority. The role of the Church is to proclaim submission to Christ’s authority in the very realm where that authority was first challenged. The wearing of a headcovering by the woman does not so much signify her subjection to the man as the whole congregation’s subjection to the authority of Christ, for the man is His representative in the Church. In secular things we do not consider that a higher ranking official within an organisation is a “better person” because of the office they hold, but rather we recognise that they have been given the responsibility of using higher authority. Without such submission to authority, every aspect of society would crumble into lawlessness.