Plus "The Dispensation Of The Mystery."

1. You have observed that we have been referring to "The times of the Gentiles," politically. Now we are going to refer to "the times of the Gentiles" Spiritually. In connection with Paul's Mystery, he magnified his office as "the Apostle of the Gentiles, {Romans 11-13}. He said that Christ revealed to him, the Mystery Gospel, or the Secret, that he was to preach among the Gentiles "the unsearchable riches of Christ, {Ephesians 3:8}. Paul declared that one phase of the Mystery among the Gentiles is "Christ in you, the hope of glory, {Colossians 1:27}." The "times of the Gentiles," spiritually, began about 6 and 1/2 centuries after the beginning of "the times of the Gentiles," politically. "The times of the Gentiles," spiritually, began after Saul became Paul, {Acts 13:9}.

2. We have referred to the fact that Daniel, Paul and John were Jews. Peter, James, Jude, Barnabas, Silas and John the Baptist were also Jews. All of the 39 Books of the O.T. Scriptures were written by Jews. If Luke was a Jew, all of the 27 Books of the N.T. Scriptures were written by Jews. Jesus of Nazareth was a Jew. He labored in the land of the Jews, {Acts 10:39}. Jesus was circumcised as a Jew, when presented by Mary as a Jew, {Luke 2:21-39}. As a Jew, Jesus attended the Jewish Synagogue on the Jewish Sabbath, {Luke 4:16}. Jesus declared that the seat of Divine authority was a Jewish seat, {Matthew 23:1-3}. He declared that salvation was of the Jews, {John 4:22}. Read Paul's message:

3. Scripture: "Of this man's [David's] seed [descendants] has God according to His promise raised [brought ] to Israel a Saviour [in the person of ] Jesus [Christ the Messiah as Israel's King], {Acts 13:23}."

4. Commentary: Jesus of Nazareth was God's man in the midst of Israel, {Acts 2:22}. John the Baptist baptized with water that Christ might be made manifest to Israel, {John 1:31}. Jesus came to His own, {John 1:11}. He was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel, {Matthew 15:24}. Jesus was a Minister of the circumcision, {Romans 15:8}. He specifically instructed His messengers "Go not into the way of the Gentiles," but to Israel in the cities of Israel, {Matthew 10:5-7; and 10:23}. Several years after Pentecost, well after Christ had died on the cross, it was not lawful for them to go to Gentiles, {Acts 10:28}. All of the disciples of Jesus Christ, for several years after His resurrection, were Jews and they preached to none but Jews only, {Acts 11:19}. When Jesus Christ was ministering to the Jews on earth He told them to "render unto Caesar the things that were Caesar's, {Matthew 22:21}."

5. The Lord told His Disciples to observe what the occupants of Moses' seat in Jerusalem told them to do, {Matthew 23:1-3}. The political seat was in Rome. The religious seat was in Jerusalem. There are some Christian Bible teachers who teach that during the Tribulation Period the religious beast [ false prophet ] will be in Jerusalem and the political beast [Antichrist] will be in Rome. Whether this will be the case or not, we will just have to wait and see. But, at the present time the European Common Market, which I personally believe is to be the revived Roman Empire, isn't being formulated rapidly enough to satisfy those who are a part of it, nor does it seem to be enlarged fast enough for many of the far liberal right who dwell here in the US. The good conservative Christian however, by studying prophecy, can see it formulating very rapidly, with many small nations joining as fast as they can. Time is on the move and passes much more rapidly than most folks realize.

6. Prophecy in the Book of Revelation, and in other prophetic books, will began to be fulfilled almost immediately just after the Rapture of the Body of Christ. We can see this in shadow form at the present time. One thing for sure, fulfillment of those things are just around the corner. The wise student has already noticed that the Israelites have already returned to their promised land in large numbers, and many more of them are returning every year. A question has been ask, "what is going to happen to the Ethiopians in the future?" The world has already viewed the largest part of the Ethiopian Jews being carried back to Israel by plane. They have already been settled back into the Jewish state as have the many Russian Jews who have been brought back from Russia. The rest of the Hebrews, as Scripture states, will be re-gathered by the Lord, Messiah at His Second Coming. When we view history, we find that the Hebrew people in the ancient time of Ahasuerus, had become captives of the Gentiles in Persia we read, "Many of the people of the land became Jews."

7. Scripture: "And in every province, and in every city, wherever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day, And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them, {Esther 8:17}."

9. Commentary: [The only way Gentiles can become Jews, is to embrace the religion of Judaism as proselytes. Even though folks who are not Jewish may be Semites, they are still classified as Gentiles until they become Jewish proselytes, after that they are Jews by their religious belief, such as was Sammy Davis Jr. who was likely not Semite. He was a movie actor who accepted the Hebrew religion and became Hebrew after he received the Hebrew religion. Before Abraham became the first Hebrew, every person on earth were classed as Gentiles. Therefore, as Abraham became the progenitor [forefather] of the Hebrew race, the very minute God changed his and His wife's names from Abram and Sarai to the Hebrew names Abraham and Sarah, this then was the beginning of the Hebrew race!

11. During the years that Jesus Christ was on the earth the Gentiles were still "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel." See {Ephesians 2:12}. "They were alienated from the life of God, {Ephesians 4:18}." They were "a foolish nation;" considered as "no people, {Romans 10:19}." They were afar off from God, {Ephesians 2:13-17}. Jesus Christ said to a Gentile, "it is not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs, {Matthew 15:26}. Note the attitude of the eleven Apostles of Christ toward Peter several years after the Lord Jesus had gone back to Heaven. They contended [argued] with Peter for preaching to, and associating with an Italian Gentile by the name of Cornelius, {see Acts 11:1-5}. Then note these statements by the Apostle Paul. He said to the Jews:

12. {V. 46} Scripture: "Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, it was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing you put it from you, and judge yourself unworthy of everlasting life, Lo, we turn to the Gentiles,

13. {V. 47} For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set you to be a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. [This quotation if from {Isaiah 49:6}.

14. {V. 48} And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed, {Acts 13:46-48}." [The above 3 verses paraphrased:

15. [46]: "Paul and Barnabas spoke out plainly and boldly, saying, it was necessary that the Lord's message [concerning salvation through Christ ] should be spoken to the Hebrews first. But, since you thrust it from you, you pass this judgment on yourselves that you are unworthy of eternal life, and out of your own mouth you shall be judged. [Now] behold, we turn to the Gentiles ... the heathen.

16. [47]: For so the Lord has charged us, saying, I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles ... the heathen ... that you may bring [eternal] salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth. See Isaiah 49:6}.

17. [48]: And when the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified [praised and gave thanks for] the Word of God; and as many as were destined [appointed and ordained by God ] to eternal life believed ... adhered to, trusted in and relied on Jesus as the Christ their Saviour."

18. Commentary: "This rejection on the part of the Jews at the synagogue, did not stop the influence upon the Gentiles, who were glad, and glorified the Word of the Lord. Thus the response by the Gentiles seems to have been outstanding. Without a doubt this incident serves as the great turning point in Paul's missionary strategy. While he would continue to offer the Gospel to the Jews first, from then on he concentrated his major attention to the most responsive element of society to whom he was preaching: the Gentiles. Thus, it is said that "as many as were spiritually ordained to eternal life believed, {V. 48}.

19. {V. 11} Scripture: "I say then, have they [ Israel ] stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come to the Gentiles, for to provoke them [ the Hebrews] to jealousy.

20. {V. 12} Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

21. {V. 13} For I [ Paul ] speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify [glorify] my office [Ministry].

22. {V. 14} If by any means I may provoke to emulation [ jealousy ] them which are my flesh, and might save some of them, {Romans 11:11-14, see V. 25}." [The above four verses paraphrased:

23. [11]: "So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall ... to their utter spiritual ruin, irretrievable? By no means! But through their false step and transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to arouse Israel to see and feel what they forfeited and to make them jealous.

24. [12]: Now if their stumbling ... their lapse, their transgression ... has so enriched the world at large and if Israel's failure means such riches for the Gentiles, think what an enrichment and greater advantage will follow their full reinstatement!

25. [13]: But now I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an Apostle to the Gentiles, I lay great stress on my ministry and magnify my office,

26. [14]: In the hope of making my fellow Jews jealous ... in order to stir them up to imitate, copy and appropriate ... and thus managing to save some of them.

27. Commentary: of the above verses, "Again Paul introduces his thought with a question and his reply of abhorrence. One of the purposes of the fall of the Hebrew nation, in the eyes of the Lord, is that the Gentile nations may come to Him in salvation. In return this would provoke the Jewish people to jealousy, as was suggested in {Romans 10:19} where {Deuteronomy 32:21} was quoted. When the Jews see the Gentiles fasting on bread from the banquet table of God and enjoying the salvation which could have been theirs, they would be convinced of their apostasy and foolish rejection of Jesus as their Messiah. However, if the fall of the Hebrew people was to bring the riches of salvation to the world, "how much more their fulness," or large-scale conversion, will bring riches to the Gentile nations and glory to God. Thus Paul begins to lay the groundwork for the proof that Israel's rejection is not permanent. She will be restored to God!

29. Commentary: "{Acts 13:46-47} is a most important and significant text. Think of the statement, "Lo, we turn to the Gentiles," and then note the statement in {Acts 14:27}, "How God had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles." In Daniel's day God took away political or governmental authority from the Jews and gave it to the Gentiles. In Paul's day God cast away Israel spiritually [or religiously] and turned to the Gentiles. Daniel had a revelation from the Lord in Heaven.

30. Scripture: "Then was the secret revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of Heaven, {Daniel 2:19}."

31. Commentary: "Paul declared that the Lord revealed to him His secret [ Mystery], {Ephesians 3:1-3}. And did Paul bless the God of Heaven, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ? of course he did. Every student should study {Ephesians 1:3-23}. Then one should pay attention to what Daniel added, "God changes the times," {Daniel 2:21}. From the changing of times, Israel has been governed and humiliated and oppressed by Gentile rulers. And, as we have already pointed out, the Gentile rulers are still appointing themselves to lord it over the Jewish state at this very time. Israel has a Divine title to Canaan, which is called "Their land," "the land of the Jews," "the promised land." This promise was made by the Lord Himself to Abraham and his descendants.

33. The West is determined to bring forth a Palestinian state by appropriating land that has been promised to Israel by God Himself. This promise was established by Jehovah in the Abrahamic Covenant thousands of years ago and as yet has not been brought to fulfillment. No matter what or how Israel desires to rule their country, the worlds nations are against them. Any good Bible student is aware that the Scriptures point out, that there will be a time of so-called peace for the Israelis. Could it be that the road map for peace that President Bush has formulated for the Middle East, will bring into being that particular so-called peace that is mentioned in the O.T? Concerning the Antichrist covenant with Israel, see {Daniel 9:27; and Isaiah 28:15}.

34. Scripture: "For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people SLIGHTLY, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace, {Jeremiah 8:11}." {See 1-Thessalonians 5:3; and Revelation 6:4}.

35. Commentary: "If and when a Palestinian state is in place, it can only be a false peace. If this will be the peace that is mentioned in Scripture, it will take place during the first part of the Tribulation Period. When this happens, then this means that the Rapture would have to take place before this peace takes place. Scripture states that the false peace will be instituted by the Antichrist, and the Antichrist does not come on the scene until after the Rapture of the Body of Christ has taken place. Then, he will become the world dictator whose wicked proclamations will be carried out by his followers. In the first part of the Tribulation Period, there are to be many pestilence's and famines take place, {See Matthew 24:7; and Zechariah 14:15}. Could it be that all these new supposedly incurrable pestilence's that are now appearing on the earth world wide, the many earth quakes, the terrorist attacks, and the many tornadoes that has taken place, are the forerunner of those catastrophes which will help in the devastation of the earth after the Tribulation begins?

36. As for the Israelis, when we look back in history we find where Pontius Pilate presented Jesus Christ to the Jews and said: "Shall I crucify your King?" They answered, "we have no king but Caesar, {John 19:15}." "His blood be on us, and on our children, {Matthew 27:25}." The Lord Jesus had warned them and proclaimed their awful doom: We must believe that a modern Caesar will soon appear in the form of the Antichrist who will be the worlds final dictator, and he will appear out of the European Common Market coalition 7 years before Christ's return!

37. Scripture: "But when the King heard thereof [ this], He was wroth [infuriated]: and He sent forth His armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city, {Matthew 22:7}."

38. Commentary: "[This is a prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70]. Then what followed? Read the following and compare this Word of Christ with the history of the wandering, persecuted Jews."

39. Scripture: "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled, {Luke 21:24}." {See Romans 11:25; Isaiah 63:18}.

40. Commentary: "[Right on through the last 3 and 1/2 years of the Tribulation Period the Gentiles will tread down Jerusalem. Gentile domination will end only at the Return of Israel's Messiah]. {See Revelation 11:2}. The Lord Jesus had wept over Jerusalem and the Jews. Then on the cross He prayed, "Father forgive them, {Luke 23:34}. God gave them another 40 years of grace in which to repent of their rejection of their King and Messiah. The Judgment of {Matthew 22:7; and Luke 21:24} did not fall upon them until 70 = A.D. But, around ten years before this judgment took place?? Paul wrote:

41. {V. 25} Scripture: "For I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this Mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles come in."

42. {V. 26} And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob, {Romans 11:25-26}." See {Isaiah 59:20-21}.

43. The verse above [25] paraphrased: "[Unless you be self-opinionated ... wise in your own conceits ... I do not want you to miss this hidden truth and mystery, brethren: a hardening insensibility has temporarily befallen a part of Israel to last until the full number of the in-gathering of the Gentiles has come in]."

44. Commentary: "Note the coming of the Deliverer was not the mystery that was written.] The expression "For I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant," see {Romans 1:13; 1- Corinthians 10:1; 12:1; 2- Corinthians 1:8; and 1- Thessalonians 4:13} which indicates that what Paul is about to say is of extreme importance. He is in the process of revealing a mystery and says "lest you should be wise in your own conceits." The Gentiles dare not fall into the trap, as those in Rome apparently had done, of disparaging the Jews as a nation in case they become self-complacent in their newfound position. Paul reveals to them a mystery, in the sense of a Divine truth previously unknown. The mystery is that blindness in part is happened to Israel, because of their rejection of Jesus Christ, until the fullness of the Gentiles is completed.

45. The spiritual blindness of Israel is not only to be understood as partial and not total, but also as temporal and not eternal. To make this clear, if it was total blindness eternally, then no Jewish person would from that time onward ever become a true Believer. As we know, many Jews down through the Body of Christ Period have become Believers in Christ, and these believing Hebrews today are just as much a part of Christ's Body of Believers as the rest of the Saints are. This partial blindness holds sway over the average Jew during this age of grace and it will remain this way until the fulness of the Gentiles has been completed. According to {Acts 15:14}, The Lord is visiting the Gentiles today to call out a people for His name.

46. We have already quoted Luke when he stated "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." This does not mean that when the complete number of Gentiles and Jews have entered into the Body of Christ and have been Raptured, that the Gentile prophecy will have been fulfilled. Nor does it mean that no other Gentiles will be saved after the Rapture of the Body of Christ. There will be many Gentiles saved along with many believing Hebrews during the Tribulation Period. These folks will not become a part of the Body of Christ which had been fully completed as the final "One New Man" was in its entirety = when it was Raptured.

48. {V. 24} Scripture: "Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days,

49. {V. 25} You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in your seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed, {Acts 3:24-25}."

50. The above verse [25] paraphrased: "You are the descendants [sons] of the prophets and the heirs of the covenant which God made and gave to your forefathers, saying to Abraham, And in your Seed [Christ, Abraham's Heir] shall all the families of the earth be blessed and benefited." See {Genesis 22:18; and Galatians 3:16}.

51. Commentary: "The Mystery was the fact that God would again change times, postpone Israel's national redemption, and bring in "the dispensation of the grace of God." Even the faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ after the Saviour's death and resurrection said:

52. Scripture: "But we trusted it had been He [Christ ] which should have redeemed Israel ... , {Luke 24:21}."

53. Commentary: [It will be Jesus Who redeems Israel, when He Returns as King and Messiah according to {Luke 21:25-33}. Read next verse carefully:

54. Scripture: "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption [deliverance] is drawing near, {Luke 21:28}."

55. Commentary: "[When the Hebrew people are looking upward beholding the Lord returning to the earth, they will be living in the later part of the Tribulation Period and will witness Messiah's anger at, and upon the earth].

56. {V. 7} Scripture: "Behold, He [is] Coming with [ the] clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.

57. {V. 8} I am [ the] Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, says the Lord [God], which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty, {Revelation 1:7-8," and read also Vs- 17-18}."

58. Commentary: "The three persons of the Trinity put their authoritative seal to the message].

59. {See Zechariah 12:10; - 14:4; Luke 23:28; Acts 1:9-11; Daniel 7:13-14; and Joel 2:12-14}. See also: {Hebrews 1:3-4; Ephesians 1:10; Revelation 1:4; 4:8; 21:6; 22:13-16; Isaiah 41:4; 44:6; 48:12; and Colossians 1:15-17}.

60. {V. 14} Scripture: "And Enoch also, the seventh [generation] from Adam prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord [is] coming with [His myriad's of holy ones] tens [of ] thousands of His Saints,

61. {V. 15} To execute Judgment upon all, and to convince [convict ] all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.

62. {V. 16} These are murmurers complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaks great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage, {Jude verses 14-16}."

63. Above verse [16] paraphrased: "These are inveterate murmurers [grumblers and malcontents following their own lusts], that complain of their lot in life, going after their own desires ... controlled by their passions; their talk is boastful and arrogant, and they claim to admire men's persons and pay people flattering compliments to gain advantage."

64. Commentary: "[Though this prophecy is found in the noncanonical book of Enoch, the original prophecy was uttered by the Enoch of the Bible {Genesis 5:19-24}; see also {Hebrews 11:5-6} and was later expanded and incorporated in the book of Enoch. {Vs. 14-15} are quoted from {Enoch 1:9; and 60:8} verbatim. They stress typically the ungodliness of the sinners, [ungodly recurs four times] and the judgment they deserve and receive at the Lord's return. A clearer translation of {V. 16} would be, "These grumblers and malcontents follow their own lusts; their bloated words are nothing but flattery."]

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