December 2025
The material in this
teaching is material primarily taken from teachings by Dwight J. Pentecost,
Paul E. Billheimer, and Hal Lindsey. Though written years ago, these teachings
have never been so relevant and important to understand and deal with events in
our world today.
1 The Covenants (The Abrahamic Covenant)
March 2014
Material from “Things
to Come” by Dwight J. Pentecost, Zondervan Publishing House, 1958.
1.1
Overview
Basically, these covenants are agreements between
God and men. There are five major
covenants, four are unconditional and one is conditional (i.e. I will If you
will). These covenants are literal and
eternal. The unconditional covenants
depend upon God’s integrity and they are made with a covenant people, the
Jews. It is important to note that
gentiles are not a covenant people (Rom. 9:4; Eph. 2:11, 12). We as gentiles can partake in the covenant
promises only by being adapted into God’s covenant people through Jesus.
The covenants are of
great importance to us in this study because they are the basis of the
eschatological program of God. They
guarantee Israel a permanent national existence, perpetual title to the land of
promise, material and spiritual blessing through the Messiah, and through the
Messiah they guarantee gentiles a share in these blessings. The land promises or blessings are given in
the Palestinian covenant. The promises
of a perpetual kingdom are given in the Davidic covenant and the redemptive and
spiritual blessing are given in the New Covenant. Taken together these
constitute the Abrahamic covenant.
The
Palestinian covenant promises a National Land forever (Gen 12:1; 13:14-15, 17;
15:18-21). This redemption is national
and universal (Gen 12:3; 22:18; Gal. 3:16; Rom. 11:25, 26; Zech. 13-1).
The Davidic covenant promises Israel,
the Jews, a dynasty (Kingdom of no end), a nation (the house of Jacob), and a
throne (the throne of David, 2 Sam 7:11, 13, 16; Jeremiah 33:3-26; 31:35-40; 1
Chron. 7:12; 22:10; Isa. 55:3; Ezek. 37:25; Hosea 3:4-5; Ezek. 37:21-28; Amos
9:11-12; Jer. 30:7,11,18). God promised
Abraham numerous descendants who would form a great, everlasting nation (Gen.
12:2; 13:16; 17:2-6). This is the essence
of the Davidic covenant.
The Mosaic Covenant is the one
conditional covenant. Basically it is
the Law. If the house of Jacob and the
sons of Israel would obey God's voice and keep the Law God gave to them through
Moses, then God promises that Israel would be His special possession or
treasure, a kingdom whose citizens were all priests with access to God, and a
holy nation, separated from all other nations and devoted only to God (Exodus
19:5-6). The basic commandments are given in Exodus 20. The New Covenant
replaced the Mosaic covenant. The New
Covenant is based on better promises, and on Christ's blood. It is no longer conditional on keeping the
law, but only on accepting the atonement offered by Christ Jesus. It is to be with the house of Judah and of
Israel, and includes writing His laws upon their minds and hearts and forgiving
their sins (Heb 8:6-13; Jeremiah 31:31-40).
The new covenant promises Israel spiritual blessings and
redemption (Isa. 61:8; Jer. 31:31-40; 32:40; 50:5; Heb 8:6-13; 13:20). It is unconditional
(Jer. 31:31:34, i.e. "I will") and everlasting (Isa. 61:2). It
promise’s a renewed mind and heart
(Jer. 31:33), favor and blessing of
God (Hosea 2:19-20), forgiveness of
sin (Jer. 31:34), indwelling of the
Holy Spirit (Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 36:27), the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit
and that the will of God to be known
by obedient hearts (Jer. 31:34). It promise
that Israel will be blessed materially (Jer. 32:41; Isa. 61:8; Ezek. 34:25-27),
that God’s sanctuary will be in the
midst of them for evermore (Ezek. 37:26-27) and that wars shall cease and that peace shall reign (Hosea 2:18). The Blood of Jesus is the foundation of all
these blessings (Zech. 9:11). Some
features are already in effect. The
Lord no longer remembers or holds against believers, sins and lawless deeds
because Jesus the Messiah has permanently atoned for our sins. He has also put
His laws in our hearts, and writes them in our minds through the Holy Spirit
who now dwells in every believer.
1.2
General characteristics of the Abrahamic covenant
The general provisions of the Abrahamic
covenant included promises to Abraham himself (Gen 12:2; 17:6), promises to
Abraham's seed (Gen 12:2; 13:16; 15:5) and promises to the Gentiles (Gen
12:3). If we take these promises
literally, then Israel must be preserved, converted and restored.
These promises did depend on Abraham's
act of obedience (leaving the land). But
once in place through Abraham’s obedience and faith, the promises were eternal and unconditional (Gen 17:7, 13, 19; 1 Chron. 16:17; Ps. 105:10). The
covenants were confirmed repeatedly
by reiteration and enlargement. They
were solemnized by the shedding of
blood and the ritual of passing between the parts of the sacrifice solemnized
the covenants (Gen 15:7-21; Jer. 34:18).
Exact boundaries of the land
were given (Gen 15:18-21). Even the N.T.
declares the Abrahamic covenant immutable (Heb 6:13-18; Gen 15:8-21), confirmed
by the oath of God (Heb 6:13, 14, 17).
These covenants depend on God’s
integrity alone (Abraham was put to sleep and God walked through the parts
of the sacrifice alone). In the O.T.
circumcision was the act of faith and
obedience that enabled an individual to participate in and enjoy the
blessings of the covenant. Esau forfeited the blessing due him under the
covenant. An act of faith and obedience
is required of us to enjoy the blessings of God already given us.
For us the eschatological implications
of these covenants is the issue of Israel.
Will Israel literally be restored and saved (Rom. 11:26, 27; Deut.
28:63:68; 30:1-7; Ezek. 16:59-60; 36:17-27; 37:21-28)? Some of the provisions of the New Covenant
are in place but most of the promises to Israel are yet unfulfilled. We believe God. They will be fulfilled. This then leads us to look at the unfulfilled
prophecies of the Bible as fulfilling these covenant promises. The “end Times”, The Day of the Lord deals
with Israel!
2 Dealing with The Issue of Israel (Rom. 9,
10, and 11) -
Material from “The Road to Holocaust” by Hal Lindsey, Bantam Books, 1989.
The first 8 chapters of Romans teach God's saving work through Christ that is given on the basis of grace through faith alone. Paul taught that once we are born as a child of God and put into living union with Christ, nothing in heaven, nor on earth nor in the future, nor any created thing can separate us from the love of God (8:38-39). This brought up the issue of Israel’s status. God made the same sort of promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants as He makes here to the Christians. In spite of this, Israel as a people and nation is now in apostasy. The question is has God's Work become ineffective? If God couldn't keep His covenant people from falling away into unbelief, how do we know that He can keep us? If indeed the Lord failed to keep His solemn word to Israel, will He keep His word to the Church and with me as an individual?
2.1 Israel in the past Elected
(Micah 7:18-20)
Rom. 9:4-5 clearly presents ten advantages of being an
Israelite. 1) The Jews were entrusted with the living words of God. 2) They are called Israelites by God, meaning
"prince of God". 3) To them
belongs the adoption as sons. Christians
are adopted individually into God's family through union with Christ. But
Israel was adopted as a nation. 4)
Israel alone was given the visible, continuing manifestation of "the
glory" of God, the Shekinah Glory.
5) The Covenants were made to only one people on earth, Israel. 6) God's Law, the Law of Moses, was only
given to the Nation of Israel. 7) Israel was given the Temple service, a Divine
order of worship with the only God-given provision of sacrifice in the world
for the forgiveness of sin. 8) To Israel
alone was given the unique promise of the Messiah and of direct blessings
through Him. They were also promised a
land, a city, and a kingdom on an earth from which the original curse would be
removed. 9) Only Israel had as its
fathers Abraham (friend of God), Isaac (born by supernatural power) and Jacob
(who wrestled with God and prevailed).
10) Only about Israel is it said, "From whom is the Messiah,
according to the flesh, who is God overall, blessed forever. Amen."
There
has always been and will always be a remnant, a spiritual Israel within
physical Israel. This remnant came
through the line of Isaac and not Ishmael
(Rom. 9:6-9) and through Jacob and not
Esau (Rom. 9:10-13). Paul declares,
“only the remnant will be saved” (Isa. 1:9; Rom. 9:27-29). The believing
remnant of Israel can be traced down through the ages from Abraham to those
that are saved at the last day as they “look upon Me Whom they have pierced”
(Zech. 12:9; Deut. 4:27, 30-31; Isa. 11:11,
16; Jer. 23:3; Micah 5:6-7; Zech. 8:3-8; Ezek. 50:20; Micah 7:18-20; Hosea
5:15-6:3).
2.2 Israel in the present Rejected (Hosea 5:14-6:2)
The nation of Israel is rejected today because they did
not understand the true purpose of the Law of Moses. They did not understand the righteousness of
God (Isa. 8:14, 28:16; Rom. 9:30-10:21; Deut. 29:4; Isa. 29:10; Ps 69:22,23;
Rom. 11:7-10). The purpose of the law
was to show what sin is (Rom. 3:20). It was not to make man sin more (Rom.
5:20; 1 Cor. 15:56) or to drive man to despair (Gal. 3:10-12; Rom. 7:24). It was to lead mankind to faith in the
Messiah (Gal. 3:24; Acts 15:5-11; Rom. 8:2-4; 7:9-10; 13:8-10; Gal. 3:1-5;
5:3-6). Israel's present rejection is a
warning to all who would seek to approach God by the law (Gal. 3:12; Rom. 4:15;
10:19; Deut. 32:21).
2.3 Israel in the future Accepted (Jer. 31:34-37; 33:23-26)
The MYSTERY of Israel’s
future as a nation is addressed in Romans chapter 11.
Their
present rejection is not total (Rom.
11:1-10). God has not rejected His
people, has He? Paul says, "ME
GENOITO - may such a thing never be".
The dilemma is Israel's present rejection and God's unconditional
promises concerning Israel's national future.
God cannot undo His own choice
of Israel (Rom. 11:2). God has always
kept a BELIEVING REMNANT from the
seed of Abraham (Rom. 11:2-4). The remnant of Israel is the present age (Rom.
11:5-6). The only reason that Israel has
a believing remnant is because of God's sovereign grace. Their election has always been on the basis
of grace alone. Today Israel is still in
a rejected condition as a nation because they did not understand the nature of
God’s righteousness. That righteousness
is a gift appropriated by faith and not earned by works (by keeping the
law).
Though Israel is in a rejected condition Paul clearly
tells is in Rom. 11:11-32 that this rejection is not final. He has an everlasting covenant with them. God
has promised them a land, a kingdom, a King and to take away their sin (Rom.
11:27). At question is God’s veracity (Rom. 11:11). God reveals
His overall purpose and strategy in history (Rom. 11:11). "Salvation has come to the Gentiles for
the purpose of making Israel envious".
Rom. 11:12 give us some logical reasons why Gentiles
should have an attitude of grace toward the Israelites. Israel's fullness (pleroma), the full measure
of all that God has promised to the nation of Israel will bring with it great
‘riches’ or blessings for the Gentiles.
Great numbers of Gentiles will be saved (Rev. 7:9-17; 20:4-6; Dan.
12:1-3). The curse on nature and the
animal kingdom will be removed (Isa. 11:6-8; 65:17-25). The whole earth will be filled with the
knowledge of the Lord (Isa. 11:9). The
Messiah will reign over all the earth from Jerusalem (Zech. 14:9-21; Ezek.
37:24:28; Jer. 33:14-16; Micah 4:7).
Life will be greatly extended (Isa. 65:20-22). There will be world peace (Micah 4:3). There will be justice for all (Isa. 42:1-7;
11:3-5). There will be permanent
prosperity for all (Isa. 65:21-23).
As God once again turns to deal with Israel, to make
good on His promises to them, it will be nothing short of life from the dead,
rejection to resurrection (Rom. 11:15).
This process has already begun.
Israel is in the process of being regathered in our day. Israel is being regathered but with no breath
(spiritual life) in them (Ezek. 37:1-8).
But God promises to put breath into them that they may live (Ezek.
37:9-10; Rom. 11:15). This will be a
spiritual rebirth after the physical rebirth.
God's interpretation of the allegory is given in Ezek. 37:21-27 and Jer.
23:5-6. Their acceptance will be life
from the dead (Ezek. 37:12-14). Israel
is still considered Holy by the Lord (Rom. 11:16).
2.4 The mystery of all Israel’s future salvation
(Rom. 11:25-32)
The
Bible tells us that the world will
reject Israel as a nation (Micah 7:8-10; Ezek. 37:11; Jer. 33:24). However, we are warned about having
anti-Semitic attitudes (Rom. 11:17-21). We are warned, "Do not be ARROGANT, but be afraid," (Rom.
11:20-21). We are also warned
not to be IGNORANT of one of God’s great mysteries (Rom. 11:25-27). The
mystery concerns how Israel's future salvation is contingent upon the coming in
of the full number of the Gentiles first.
It is a mystery to be known through the prophetic writings by the
command of God (Rom. 16:25-26). These
writings reveal that there are certain things that must happen or conditions
met before God will fulfill His covenant promises to restore Jerusalem, to
bring Israel to full repentance, and to bring about a national conversion.
Jerusalem’s restoration is to be contingent upon the end
of Gentile world dominance (Luke 21:24).
The “Times of the Gentiles” speak of a period of Time during
which the Gentile kingdoms have dominion over the earth, and particularly over
God's land, God's city, and God's people.
The Times of the Gentiles began when the Neo-Babylonian Empire took the
Davidic dynasty captive and destroyed the nation of Israel. Daniel predicted that it would be the
Messiah, the Stone cut without human hands, who will suddenly destroy gentile
power, rule, and world dominance (Dan. 2:44-45). The events of the Second Coming of Jesus will
end the Times of the Gentiles (Luke 21:25-28).
Jesus
said, “You will not see me again UNTIL the time when you say, ‘Blessed is he
who comes in the name of the Lord’ (Matt. 23:39; Zech. 12:10; 13:1, 8-10). Israel’s national repentance is contingent
upon their recognizing that Jesus is the Messiah. Israel’s national conversion is contingent
upon their repentance and the closing of the Time of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24). All
Israel will be saved after the full
number of Gentiles has come in (Rom.
11:25-27), the time when God completely fulfills His covenants when them. The
nation will be “saved in a day” (Zech. 3:9).
Zechariah tells us “They
will look on Me, the One they have pierced ---On that day a fountain will
be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse
them from sin and impurity (Zech. 12:10;
13:1; 13:8-19). About that day it is
written “Then you will know that I am the Lord (Isa. 49:13, 22, 23); you will
be comforted over Jerusalem (Isa. 66:10, 12, 13); you will do no wrong; the
Lord has taken away your punishment; the Lord will rescue the lame and gather
those who have been scattered; and you will be given honor and praise among all
the peoples of the earth. Israel's
distinct and exalted position after her spiritual rebirth promised is
prophesied in Zeph. 3:11-15 and 19-20.
"From the standpoint of the gospel the Jews,
Israel, are enemies for your sake ---" (Rom. 11:28). But from God's perspective - "but from
the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved
for the sake of the fathers” (Rom. 11:28).
God's promises are IRREVOCABLE (Rom. 11:29). To challenge these promises challenges God's
character and attributes of IMMUTABILITY, VERACITY, and OMNISCIENCE. God’s immutability says once God makes a
sovereign unconditional promise it cannot be changed. His veracity says that God must always be
true to Himself and His Word. God's Word
is the basis of all reality and certainty in the universe. God’s omniscience says that God has always
known all things. Above all is God’s
mercy and love. To challenge God’s
promises to Israel is to challenge God Himself.
If God will not be true to Israel, why would we think He would be true
to us? Why is the issue of Israel important?
One's whole approach and understanding of prophecy is related to the
understanding of the scriptures with respect to the Nation of Israel, the
Church, and the Gentiles. If we approach
scripture recognizing that God deals with mankind through the Nation of Israel
and the Church, each with its own special promises, purpose, and destiny, then
the confusion and lack of understanding of the prophetic Word concerning
unfulfilled prophecies can be resolved.
Material from “Destined For The Throne” by Paul E. Billheimer, Bethany House Publishers, 1975.
3.1
What is the Church?
The Church is A
MYSTERY: the mystery of Christ now
revealed to the apostles and prophets by the Spirit is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow
members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus
through the gospel (Eph 3:3-6, 8, 9).
The Church is new and unique, and was not understood in the OT. Jews and Gentiles placed as equal heirs of
the promises concerning salvation and the Holy Spirit through UNION WITH
CHRIST. This personal union with Christ
is the essence of what the Church is in her most foundational sense.
The
Church is not Israel (Rom. 11:1-25; 1 Cor. 10:32). Gentiles are not Israel (Acts 3:12; 4:8;
21:28; Rom. 10:1). Gentiles are related
to the covenants based on "NEW BIRTH" not physical birth
(faith). Jesus (his seed, Gal. 3:16)
inherits the land. The Church receives the promises by being “IN CHRIST” (Acts 3:25;
Gal. 3:16,28-29; Gen 22:18).
The Church is also THE
BODY OF CHRIST. His body, His
physical presence on earth at this Time is the Church (Col. 1:24). "We are members of His body, of His
flesh, and of His bone." (Eph. 5:30), "one body, made to drink of one
Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:12-14). Finally,
and most profoundly Church is THE BRIDE
OF CHRIST (Rev. 19:7; 21:2, 9; Eph 5:32).
3.2
When did the Church begin?
The church is first mentioned in Matt. 16:17-18: "I will build My Church." The church was yet future. Those who were to make up the church were to
drink of one Spirit. This speaks of a spiritual
rebirth and a baptism with the Spirit (Matt. 3:11-12). To baptize (baptizo) is to be so identified
with something that a change is produced.
When someone is baptized in water after believing and confessing the
Lordship of Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit after believing, he is so
identified with Jesus that he is not the same person as he was before. The Holy
Spirit baptizes us into an eternal union with Christ. In
the Lord Jesus' first coming He initiated the baptism with THE HOLY SPIRIT for
all who believe in Him, which began the church age. In His second coming, He
will baptize all who have rejected Him with fire, which ushers in the
Millennial Kingdom (Matt. 3:12).
"In
a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 1:5-6). On
the Day of Pentecost (a Jewish feast of the early harvest exactly 50 days after
the feast of Passover), the Holy Spirit was first given. This baptism was an
empowerment of the believers to enable them to be witnesses of Christ, first in
Jerusalem then on to the ends of the earth. On
the Day of Pentecost, AD 32, the Holy Spirit took 120 Jews and baptized them
with the fire, the power of God. In John
20:21-23 Jesus gave His disciples authority on earth. In Acts 2 He gave them the power to be
exercised with this authority. This was
the beginning of the Body of Christ, The Church!
Church did not exist in the OT. In the Church, Jew and
Gentile are united in One New Man (Eph 2:14-16). In the OT, racial segregation of Israelites
from the Gentiles was an essential part of the law of Moses, the Mosaic
Covenant which was the only conditional covenant thereby enabling it and only
it to be broken. The Christian today is
a spiritual seed of Abraham through our union with Christ (i.e. we share
Christ's lineage from Abraham and in His inheritance rights of the promises)
(Gal. 3:7,26-29; Eph 5:30). We Gentiles as the "wild olive branches,"
have been grafted into Israel's cultivated Olive tree (Rom. 11:17). While
there are advantages of being an ethnic Jew (Rom. 3:1-2), no ethnic Israelite
has ever been a "True Jew" by mere outer ritual. In all ages men have had to come to God by
faith (Rom. 2:28-29).
3.3
What is the Church's Mission?
One of the main purposes for Christ's atonement is “to rescue” us from this present evil
age (Gal. 1:4). The Church’s mission is to RESCUE as many as possible out of
this evil age through our witness. Then
we are to take those who believe and disciple them for God's spiritual kingdom
(Eph 4:12-13).
The present world-system is under Satan's control. Jesus called Satan
"the prince of this world" (John 14:30) and Paul called Satan "the god of this age" (2 Cor.
4:3-4). The "rulers of this age
" are demonically blinded to God's wisdom (1 Cor. 2:6-8). The whole world
(kosmos) is under the control of the Evil One (1 John 5:19). Satan and his demons are the spirits who are
now at work in those who are disobedient (Eph 2:2).
So what is the course of this age? The characteristic of this present age is the
development of “the mystery of lawlessness” (2 Thes. 2:1-7). This lawlessness is destroyed by the
"splendor of His coming." (2 Thes. 2:8). The "tares" are being allowed to
grow alongside the "wheat" until "the harvest", which is
the Second Coming of Christ. In
the last days evil will go from bad to worse, there will be perilous Times of
great stress, self-centeredness will increase greatly, people will be lovers of
sensual pleasures and money, deceivers and false prophets and teachers (spots
and blemishes -2 Pet 2:13; Jude 12) will arise within the Church (2 Tim 3:1-13;
2 Pet 2:1-10).
It is into this world; this age that
Jesus sent His church. Mark recorded
this commissioning like this. "Go into all the world and PREACH the good
news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but
whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:15-16). Luke's view was: "—and repentance and forgiveness of sins
will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke
24:46-48). Matthew's version was: (Matt.
28:18-20) "--- go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them
--, teaching them--. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of
the age." From the early Church's
view their mission was given in Acts 1:8; "But you will receive power when
the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will by my WITNESSES in Jerusalem, and
in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Luke's two accounts stress the worldwide proclamation
of: 1) to believe in the death and
resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and 2) to repent for the forgiveness of sins in
His name.
In
John's account (John 20:21-23) Jesus taught that forgiveness of sin was the
result of belief in the Gospel. If a
person believed, they were to confirm to him that his sins were forgiven. If a person did not believe, they were to
warn him that his sins were not forgiven.
The Holy Spirit was given for the purpose of EMPOWERING the disciples to
effectively preach this salvation message to the ends of the earth. The church’s mission is to be His witnesses,
to preach the Gospel, to make disciples of people to the ends of the earth.
3.4
What is the Church's hope and destiny?
First of all, we need to recognize that
we are citizens of Eternity not this earth.
Our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20-21). Jesus himself will come for us to take us to
be with Him (John 14:1-3) so we are not to let our hearts be troubled. He comes
not to earth, but "IN THE AIR" to snatch us up to meet Him in the
clouds. He comes suddenly and secretly
for all of us who believe in Him, and in an instant, we are caught up with Him
and will return with Him to His Father's House where He has prepared a Place
for us (1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thes. 4:13-18).
To natural man, all history, all
existence is just a grand mystery.
Philosophers and historians alike can only speculate as to the meaning
of life and many scientists claim it is only a grand cosmic accident. Eat and be merry for tomorrow you die (1 Cor.
15:32; Isa. 22:13) is the philosophy of the natural man at best. Often it is more the despair expressed in
Ecclesiastes 1 and 2; “all is vanity, all is futility”.
To the Christian, the center of all history is Calvary
and the man called the Messiah, Jesus.
He is the starting point of all history, He made all things (Col 1:17;
John 1:3), and He regulates the universe (Heb 1:3). But the eternal question is why? Was there a purpose for the creation of
mankind?
1
Cor. 3:21-23 tells us that all things belong to the Church and are for her
benefit.
Rom.
8:28 tells us that all things (the cosmos) are for the good of them that love
God (the Church), who are called according to His purpose. The universe was created solely for the human
race, mankind, created in the image of God, to ultimately provide an eternal
companion for God the Son. Romance is
the heart of the universe; God providing His Son an eternal companion, a Bride,
the Lamb's wife (Rev. 21:9), one to share His Throne (Rev. 3:21).
All
things serve and are for the Church, the climatic goal of all history, and the
purpose of existence. The finished
product of the ages is the Bride of Christ, the Church, the key and explanation
of all history (Rev. 19:6,9; 21:7,9,10; Acts 17:26).
The Church is also the beginning of God's eternal
enterprise.
It
is His pleasure (purpose) to give you the Kingdom (to be made a king), (Luke
12:32).
The
Church is to sit with Him upon His throne, to be invested with His authority
(Rev. 3:21).
It
is to judge the world and angels (1 Cor. 6:2-3). It is to share His Glory (John 17:22).
The
Church is to be a joint heir of all things (Rom. 8:17). The beginning of God's ultimate and supreme
enterprise for all eternity is the Marriage of the Lamb. All history, the entire universe, was
created, and is being manipulated and controlled by God for one purpose, to
prepare and train the Bride. When she is
on the throne with her divine Lover and Lord, then begins a new and ultimate
journey where first she will rule and reign with Him upon the earth for a
thousand years, then rule with Him over the new heavens and a new earth for all
eternity; a new adventure, the ultimate and supreme enterprise (Rev. 21:1).
3.5 God’s Purpose for the Church - Supreme Rank
Man, created in the image of God; separated from God by
disobedience; redeemed by means of a divinely conceived genetic process (the
new birth); legally enabled by God who took on Himself the seed of Abraham (Heb
2:16) by becoming a man called Jesus, the Messiah, the savior, the redeemer.
God could not have become incarnate in angels in that
they are created, not generated and are not in the "image" of God,
i.e. not of His kind. Only the death of
a real man, and a sinless man who owed no debt due to sin, could atone for or
pay the legal debt all the rest of mankind who are guilty and legally bound to
pay the penalty for their sins which is death.
Satan's legal right to accuse you and I of sin and demand our death as
the just and legal penalty was broken when by taking Jesus' life "illegally",
he allowed Jesus to pay our penalty for us, thus breaking forever the power of
sin and death over our lives, if we will just believe.
·
Redeemed, regenerated mankind:
·
The sons of God -
Rom. 8:14; Gal. 3:26.
·
We shall be like
Him - 1 John 3:1,2.
·
Of one origin with
Him - Heb 2:11.
·
His brothers and
sisters and mother – Matt. 12:48-50.
·
One with the Son
and with the Father - John 17:21-23.
·
His Body - Eph
1:23.
·
Flesh of His Flesh
- Eph 5:30.
·
Joined to the Lord
in one spirit, an organic relationship of personalities - 1 Cor. 6:17.
·
Members of the
original cosmic family - Eph 3:15.
·
Generated sons of
God - 1 John 3:2.
·
Partakers of the
divine nature - 2 Pet 1:4.
·
The
"seed" of God, next of kin to the Godhead - 1 John 5:1,18; 1 Pet
1:3,23.
·
Destined to rule,
judge and govern the world, and judge and reward angels - 1 Cor. 6:2-3.
·
God's own family;
a genetic family, incorporating His own seed or genes, or heredity. Born not of man, but of God - John 1:12-13.
·
His very own - Eph
1:4; 5:25-27,32.
·
Creation plus
redemption, a divine plan to bring "many sons to glory" - Heb 2:10.
·
The Son first,
with many brothers – Rom. 8:29.
·
Power given to
become the sons of God, born of the will of God - John 1:12-13.
·
Princes of the
Realm of God, sharing His glory, blood brothers of the Son - 1 John 3:2; John
17:22.
·
The New Man - Eph
2:15. A new, unique, exclusive order of
beings. The aristocracy of the universe,
a new royalty of kings and priests (1 Pet 2:9).
The Bride of the Son, the Lamb's Wife, co-ruler, co-sovereign,
co-administrator, a judicially equal partner to the throne by virtue of
redemption and wedlock to The King of Kings; Jesus.
·
Declared to be
only a little lower than God - Psalm 8:4-5; accepted into the bosom of the
Father - John 1:18; Eph 1:6; John 17:23.
·
And
even knowing these things, eye has not seen, ear heard, man ever imagined the
things God has prepared for them that love Him - 1 Cor. 2:9.
·
What is this
current age, this earthly life all about?
It is the gathering and training of The Bride of Christ, The Church! It
is learning to love, please and serve our Lord.
It is learning to "overcome", to "rule and reign"
with Christ, practical, on-the-job training for our ultimate destiny. It is developing God's character in us.
·
Promises to the
Church: ([2Pe 1:4 NKJV] by which have been given to us exceedingly great and
precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption [that is] in the world through lust.)
·
We will eat of the
fruit of the tree of life, in the paradise of God (Rev. 2:7).
·
We will not be
injured by the second death (Rev. 2:11).
·
We will eat of the
manna that is hidden, and He will give us a new name (Rev. 2:17).
·
He will give
authority and power over the nations; we shall rule them with a scepter of iron
like that which Jesus himself received from the Father (Rev. 2:26-27).
·
We shall be clad
in white garments, and our names not erased out from the Book of Life and Jesus
will confess our names openly before His Father and His angels (Rev. 3:5).
·
He will keep us
safe from the hour of trial (testing) that is coming to try those who dwell
upon the earth (Rev. 3:10).
·
He will make us a
pillar in the sanctuary of His God and He will write on us the name of His God,
the name of the city of God, the New Jerusalem, which descends from His God out
of heaven, and His own NEW NAME (Rev. 3:12).
·
He will grant us
to sit beside Him on HIS THRONE, AS He sat down beside the Father on His Throne
(Rev. 3:21)
·
We are to be His
Bride! (Rev. 19:7-10).
·
We are not
DESTINED FOR THE WRATH OF GOD! (1 Thes. 5:9) - The RAPTURE; THE HOPE OF THE
CHURCH
·
Our hope, or joy,
or crown of rejoicing is that we are in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ
at His coming (1 Thes. 2:19).
·
With
the trump of God, we who are alive shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the
air (1 Thes. 4:16-17).
·
He has not
appointed His Church to wrath (1 Thes. 5:9).
The Great Tribulation is defined as the Time of the wrath of God
beginning with the breaking of the sixth of the seven seals in the book of
Revelations (Rev. 6:12-17). Also we see
the church gathered out of every nation before the throne and before the Lamb
in the seventh chapter of Revelations (Rev.. 7:9).
·
He shall keep us
from the hour of trial that is to come upon the whole earth (Rev. 3:10).
·
The Lord Himself
will come for the Church (1 Thes. 4:16-17), but angels will gather the Elect,
or Remnant of Israel at the coming of the Lord (Matt. 24:30-44).
·
Other indications
supporting the rapture of the Church.
·
The Church is
mentioned 19 Times in the first 3 chapters of Revelations. From chapter 4 to 19, there is not one
mention of the Church. From 19 on the
Church is described as participating in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and as
being the Bride of Christ, with Him in heaven.
·
God has not
appointed the Church to wrath (1 Thes. 5:9; 1 Thes. 1:10).
·
The Man of
Lawlessness, Antichrist, cannot be revealed until He who restrains is taken out
of the way (2 Thes. 2:1-9). The true
satanic nature of the antichrist is revealed when he seats himself in the
Temple of God, claiming to be God and demanding to be worshiped. This restraining is related to "our
gathering together unto Him" (vs. 1) and the "He" is the Holy
Spirit residing within the believers (the Church) and functioning as the
restrainer of lawlessness (John 16:8-11).
Since Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would never leave the Church
(John 14:16-17), then the Church must be removed before Antichrist can be
revealed.
·
Jesus taught the
rapture of the Church. Jesus said,
"Whoever believes is me, although he may die, yet shall he live. And whoever continues to live and believe on
me shall never die at all (John 11:25-26).
·
Paul taught
that: 1) Not all Christians will
die. 2) Before those who are alive are
raptured, Christ will raise the dead in Christ up into incorruptible new
bodies. 3) It will be an instantaneous
event. 4) The rapture will probably occur
at the blowing of the last trumpet, Rosh haShanah. 5) All believers will be changed, their
mortal earthly bodies changed into incorruptible, immortal bodies. (1 Cor. 15:51-54).
·
Old Testament
promises of protection in the Day of Trouble or Wrath: Ps. 27:5; 91:8; Noah, Gen 6; Zeph. 2:3; Isa.
26:20; Lot, Gen 19:15-19.
This
is a Time when every Christian should be so thankful to God that He has
revealed the future course of history to us. We are possibly entering the most
fearful and at the same Time the most wondrous period in human history. Only
those who know and believe the prophetic Scriptures in a plain literal sense
will be able to have the inner strength, peace, and stability in the days ahead
to seize the opportunities to evangelize.
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