Unbelief – The Point of Reckoning”

Part 4


In the last segment readers were encouraged to consider the value of studying the Bible by “theme” or “pattern”. When reading the word of God, people all too often begin with no plan at all in mind. So it happens that when one fails to plan they are actually planning to fail. As it is with life in general, this rule of thumb also applies to studying the Bible.

We find another pattern similar to the one presented in Part 3 that discusses the prophecies of the Messiah coming to earth.

Since the focus of this series is “Unbelief – The Point of Reckoning” let’s look at this general theme of Jesus return.


The primary revelation in these passages is that the Messiah would come from heaven and set up His kingdom on earth. Both the Messiah’s appearance and the establishment of His kingdom rule was revealed in the Old Testament. This coming was known by the Hebrew people for over 1,500 years before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. But the Messiah’s appearance for the church was hidden from the prophets. They had no knowledge of a coming church. The word “church” is explicitly found only twice in the Gospels. Matthew 16:18 and 18:17 are the only two direct references to an entity known as the “church” (twice in 18:17). The “Church” is birthed at Pentecost in Acts 2, and is only noted 77X times in 76 verses. As an aside note that the covenant number “seven” is repeated twice when referencing the “Church” in Scripture.

The return of the Messiah to gather His people (at the Rapture) was a hidden mystery, even though the term is found in the Hebrew text. The “mystery” of the Rapture and other truths were only made known to the Apostle Paul.


Three major mysteries that were hidden include:

1. The church’s birth was hidden –(Ephesians 3:10-21).

2. The Gentile’s blessing of redemption was hidden –(Galatians 3:13-14).

3. The catching away of believers was a hidden mystery –(1st Thessalonians 4:16-18).


This “Mystery” was hidden in three parts:

  1. God would form a new nation and a spiritual house. –(Deuteronomy 32:21). This new nation is the Church –(Romans 9:24-25; 1st Peter 2:9-10).

  2. The Gentiles would compose this new nation and new spiritual house. –(Isaiah 11;10; 42:6) The Gentiles would receive the light of God –(Isaiah 60:3; 60:5; Malachi 1:11).

  3. After completing the times of the Gentiles, God will open Israel’s eyes. –(Isaiah 42:6-7; confirmed in Romans 11:25). Luke 21:24 is our clue that the times of the Gentiles must first conclude before the Messiah returns.


At this juncture in this progressive revelation we discover that both Jesus Christ and angels announced His coming back.


We can now safely conclude the following:


Paul was a chosen vessel to minister to the Gentiles, and wrote 13 books of the New Testament: Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. These epistles (books) bear Paul’s signature. The book of Hebrews is considered to be written by an anonymous author, but it bears Paul’s style and farewell salutation; thus many scholars perceive it to be written by Paul.

Those possessing a Dispensational understanding of the Bible consider the apostle Paul with great esteem and have high regard for his writings. Those spiritualizing the Bible or allegorizing the Bible do not give Paul due respect. There are some books written about the Apostle Paul that contain almost as many pages as the Bible itself. Perhaps for people today, Paul is the most important major teacher on the Rapture, particularly the Pre-Tribulation Rapture since it was a revelation given directly to Paul by God.


Paul was a chosen vessel to minister to the Gentiles.

1. He was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin –(Romans 11:1).

2. He was educated under Rabbi Gamaliel as a Pharisee –(Acts 22:3; Philippians 3:5).

3. He was converted while traveling to Damascus –(Acts 9:5-8).

4. He went into Arabia to be mentored and tutored by Jesus Christ –(Galatians 1:12 and 17).


“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace. To reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia and returned again unto Damascus”. –(Galatians 1:15-17). “For this Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.   But the Jerusalem from above is free, who is the mother of us all. ” -(Galatians 4:25-26). “Agar” is the Hebrew word for “Hagar”. Hagar and Ishmael were not part of God’s Covenant plan. The covenant given at Sinai produced slavery; thus Hagar, a slave-girl, was a fitting type of the law. Hagar represents Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish nation, and the center for the unsaved Israelites who were still seeking to obtain righteousness by keeping the law. These, together with their children, their followers, are “in bondage with her”. For Paul to link unbelieving Israelites with Hagar rather than with Sarah, with Ishmael rather than with Isaac, was a stinging characterization.(a) She represents the covenant of the Law, given at Mt. Sinai. Because the Jews misunderstood its purpose and expected to be justified by works, they became in bondage to the Law.

The “Jerusalem which now is” represents the present state of the Jews today, still in bondage to the Law. The “Jerusalem which is above” represents the new covenant of grace. Sarah represents the heavenly Jerusalem, the promise of faith and freedom. Sarah was mother of the promised miracle-child, Isaac, and corresponds to the covenant of Abraham (inferred in Galatians 4:24). This covenant promised a future “new covenant” that would begin at the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Paul used the concept she is our mother to show that faith, not adherence to the law, is the source of our salvation. Paul was offering the Galatians the opportunity to claim that they were descendants of Abraham through faith, and that they possessed citizenship in the spiritual Jerusalem. For Gentiles to be included in this way would be as miraculous as the birth of Isaac.(c) Paul’s readers would soon understand how this bondage was true of the Pharisees and those who followed them.

The importance in differentiating between the terms “Law” and “Grace” has to do with the Arabian link or the Mount Sinai connection in that Paul and Moses both received special revelation from God in Arabia:



Pastor Bob


Notes:

  1. https://samuelwhitefield.com/1630/was-zechariah-14-fulfilled-in-ad-70


Commentaries:

  1. Believer’s Bible Commentary

  2. John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

  3. Life Application New Testament Commentary



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