Divine Outline of History
Before you begin your Bible study, as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ,
be sure you have named your sins privately to God the Father.
- If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (Known, Unknown and Forgotten sins)
(1Jn 1:9)
You will then be in fellowship with God, Filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to
learn Truth from the Word of God.
God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth.
(John 4:24)
The Believers Place in Time
WHAT IS THE CHRISTIAN’S PURPOSE on earth? Every believer in Jesus
Christ should ask himself and God this question. After Salvation, what do I do
now? Eternal Salvation becomes an accomplished fact at the moment of faith
in Christ. (Rom 8:1; John 3:18) But the quality of the believer’s life on earth,
and in eternity, depend on his execution of God’s plan after Salvation. Impact
and blessings in time and eternity depend on fulfilling God’s plan in time! Every
believer has been given time, (Eph 5:16) how we us it determines our
usefulness now, and our rank in heaven, (Matt 25:19-30) we must stay in
fellowship day and night; every day, (1Jn 1:7) and take in, and use a maximum
amount of TRUTH EVERYDAY! (Jos 1:8-9) The question becomes emphatic!
What is God’s plan for the believer following that initial instant of personal faith
in Christ? God freely gives “all things” after providing Salvation. (Rom 8:32)
What are they? After Salvation, what? The simplified answer is: Learn God’s
Thoughts on EVERY SUBJECT. The Bible reveals God’s Person and plan.
Only through knowledge of God can anyone appreciate, love, and worship
Him. As Christians we are commanded to “renovate our thinking” with God’s
Thinking so God’s gracious purpose can be fulfilled in and through our lives.
(Rom 12:2; Eph 1:18; Eph 4:22-24) God’s purpose for the post Salvation life
of the believer calls for Spiritual growth. (2Pe 3:18) The Christian is kept alive
on earth to fulfill his destiny, which is to become a Spiritually mature believer, a
Spiritual winner, a “mature person to the measure of Spiritual maturity which
belongs to the fullness [Spiritual maturity] of Christ.” (Eph 4:13-16) Each
believer’s life becomes a unique expression of the glory of God in both time
and eternity, (Rom 8:29-30; Rom 9:23-24) but only the Spiritually mature
believer glorifies God by receiving the highest and best that God has prepared
for him. (Rom 6:1-2; (1Jn 1:5 (1Jn 2:6) Divine blessings that the Christian can
understand and experience, and the overt manifestations of the Christian way
of life come as results of Spiritual growth! The means of Spiritual growth is the
believer’s consistent: Rebound, Reception, Retention, Recall, Resisting
temptation and Repeating — through all the circumstances of his life.
Truth is Divine Thinking, God’s Thinking. (John 1:1) It is the content of the
Word of God, which God designed to be communicated to the believer so that
it becomes his Thinking, (Rom 12:2; (2Ti 3:16-17) and the source of his mental
attitude. (Php 2:5; Heb 4:12) Doctrines, Promises and Commands are in the
body of orthodox teaching, which is drawn from Scripture and which serves as
the Standard for the believers REALITY! Pastors have a Spiritual gift for
teaching Truth to their congregations. (Eph 4:8, Eph 4:11-13) The pastor is
responsible before God to diligently study the Bible in order to accurately
handle the Word of Truth. (2Ti 2:15) Pastors who have reached Spiritual
maturity, and stay filled with God the Holy Spirit are able to be used to
communicate the Word of Truth. (John 12:48-50; (1Th 2:13; (1Co 4:20) The
importance of Truth can hardly be overestimated. Why does God go so far as
to magnify His Word above His person? (Psa 138:2) Jesus Was and IS the
perfect God-man, who put the Word of God above His rejection, and
judgment, we must do the same, the Word of God is more important than we
are! (Matt 24:35; Rev 20:4) God’s Word reveals His nature and essence. Only
the Scriptures allow us to glimpse God’s absolute nature and for His nature to
be created in us, (Gal 5:22-23) and to love the revealed member of the
Godhead, who is Jesus Christ. (John 1:18) Truth is called the “Mind of Christ”
(1Co 2:16) It is absolute Truth, the very Thinking of Jesus Christ.
(Php 2:5) “Though [We] have not seen Him, [We] love Him” when we learn
Who and what He IS and begin to share His Thoughts. (1Pe 1:8)
Understanding God’s Word is the root of all Christian Virtues. Our persistent
intake and application of Truth enlarges our capacities for life, for love, for
service, for blessings and for happiness. (2Co 9:7-8) God’s “greater grace”
fills up the mature believer’s greater capacities “to all the fullness of God.”
(Jas 4:6; Eph 3:19; Rom 8:32) In so blessing the believer, God is glorified.
(Eph 1:3) Since Truth is so vitally important, the believer needs to understand
an essential fact about the Word of God. Truth is dispensational. The Concept
of dispensations, therefore, is a key to understanding the whole realm of
Scripture.
DISPENSATIONS DEFINED
Illustration
A dispensation is a period of human history defined in terms of Divine
Revelation. According to the Bible, history is a sequence of Divine
administrations. These consecutive eras reflect the unfolding of God’s plan for
mankind. They constitute the Divine Viewpoint of history and the Theological
interpretation of history. The Doctrine of dispensations is the vehicle by which
believers living at a specific time can orient to God’s will, plan, and purpose for
their lives. God never changes. In the essence of God there is “no variation, or
shifting shadow.” (Jas 1:17) Change, however, is an integral characteristic of
His plan for creation. But God is never impulsive or arbitrary. The changes He
incorporates into His plan are designed to attain His unchangeable purpose.
(Heb 6:17) In different periods of human history, the Biblical answer to “After
Salvation, what?” involves different illustrations and procedures, for the
reception, retention, and recall of Truth. (Psa 1:1-6) The Doctrine of
dispensations recognizes these differences as well as the continuities that run
from one period to the next. This Doctrine, therefore, becomes essential for
understanding the believer’s post Salvation experience. Knowledge of
dispensations enables the individual believer to handle the Word of Truth
accurately and to appreciate the magnificent grace of God both in its particular
provisions and in its overall objectives. In contrast, failure to distinguish one
Biblical era from another creates apparent contradictions in Divine Commands,
and prevents the believer from understanding current Divine guidance, thus
retards his all-important Spiritual growth. Any study of the Bible must deal with
the distinction between Israel, the Old Covenant, the Church, and the New
Covenant. This contrast, which is a recurring theme in the New Testament,
(Acts 10:45; Rom 11:25; Gal 6:15; Eph 2:11-22;
Heb 3:5-6) and is the starting point in the Doctrine of dispensations. What
makes the separation of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant so
significant? The phenomenon that divides these two parts is the first advent of
Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ makes all the difference. He is the key to the
Divine interpretation of history. (Gal 4:4-5; (Eph 3:10-11; Rev 1:8) The
Doctrine of dispensations spotlights the Lord Jesus Christ; His-story! The
recognition of historical eras in the Bible; unlocks the Scriptures, revealing
profound Divine Thoughts that have tremendous positive impact on our lives.
DISPENSATIONS
Illustration
Human history may be classified into two parts the Old Covenant (For
racial and political Israel) which was a ministry for the condemnation of the old
sin nature in man; and also served as a system of freedom for the nation of
Israel. (2Co 3:7-9; (1Ti 1:8-10) While the Temple service was to teach the
Spiritual life for the believers; for the law was fulfilled by being in fellowship.
(Rom 7:12-14) And served as illustrations of Who Christ would Be, and what
He would do; and the Spiritual life He would build in His soul and use to defeat
Satan and bring many sons to Himself! (Matt 4:10; John 1:29;
Col 2:14-17; Heb 2:10) And the New Covenant: (For Spiritual Jew and Gentile;
Rom 2:29; Gal 3:28) a ministry of righteousness and justification of the
Spiritual man (Rom 4:25; (2Co 3:9) and of Who Christ Is and what He did!
(Heb 9:15) Human history is also set in three priesthoods, the outer court: The
Age of the Gentiles: The Patriarchal priesthood, from Adam to Moses. (Gen 4:
4; Job 1:5; Exo 12:21) The Inner court: The Age of national Israel: The
Levitical priesthood, from Moses to Christ. (Num 3:10; Matt 8:4) The Holy of
Holies: The Royal priesthood, from Christ to the end of the Millennium. (Heb
10:19-21; Rev 20:6) And after the completion of human history, Royal priests
forever! (Heb 7:17) There are two main parts of progressive Revelation for the
Church age pre-canon period: Apostles (Before the Bible was completed) and
the post: Pastors, (In 96 AD. Revelation, the last book was completed) in the
time of the Gentile nations; for the communication of Truth. (Acts 13:46-49;
Isa 42:6; Rom 1:5) Excluding the Two Witnesses, during Jacobs’s distress,
(Jer 30:7-10; Gen 32:25;
Rev 11:3) and time of Israel: after the Second Advent of Christ, for the
communication of Truth in the Millennium. (Eze 37:24-27) This is the study of
the destiny of the human race, that the Bible Prophesies and Promises for the
end of human history, the Church age, (Acts 3:24; Gal 3:8) Tribulation,
(Zec 14:12) and Millennium. (Eze 36:26-27) God’s unified, integrated,
unchanging plan for human history calls for many expressions of His grace. In
every dispensation God has a particular plan for the believer’s post Salvation
way of life. He graciously provides the means for executing that plan, and the
Bible reveals these various provisions. (Heb 1:1-2) Salvation itself is
appropriated the same way throughout human history — by grace through
faith. (Gen 15:6; Rom 3:22-31; Eph 2:8-9) In every dispensation there is only
One Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, as He is revealed in that dispensation.
(John 14:6; Acts 4:12) Faith in Christ secures an eternal relationship with God.
And there is Salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under
heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.
(Acts 4:12)
The Savior’s name has different forms in different languages. In Hebrew
His name is JHWH, a word considered too sacred to pronounce, so He is
called Adonai. He appeared in many forms before His incarnation, including
walking in the garden, (Gen 3:8) the burning bush, (Exo 3:2) the cloud, the
pillar of fire, (Exo 13:21) and the Angel of Jehovah. (Jdg 6:12) He has many
functional titles as well, like Messiah, (Dan 9:25) Son of David, (Matt 9:27)
Lord of the Armies, (1Sa 17:45) or Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:6) In the Greek of
the New Testament, He is Christos or kurios or Iesous or any combination of
the three. We know Him in Modern English as Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Rom 1:4) The Gospel of Christ is revealed to everyone who desires to know
God. (Jer 29:13; Acts 17:24-28) God reveals Christ in many ways throughout
the ages, but faith in Him is the only way of eternal Salvation, except to die in
youth before the chance to believe, and or being unable mentally (Brain
damaged) to make the choice. (2Sa 12:23)
THE REASON FOR DISPENSATIONS
Many Principles, Policies, and procedures that God establishes remain
constant throughout history. But no careful student of the Bible can overlook
certain changes that distinguish one epoch of Biblical history from another.
Why does God alter His administration of human history? He does so to reveal
His unchanging glory, wisdom, and power under different conditions. From
God’s eternal perspective the ultimate in this long and varied demonstration of
His essence is the relationship between Christ and the New Covenant
believers, in which the believer is in union with Christ. In the Church, (1Co 1:
30; (2Co 5:17; Gal 3:28) the Tribulation, (Rev 14:1-5; Rev 7:9-17) and
Millennium. (Eze 36:26-28) This is Holy of Holies dispensation.
(Heb 6:19-20; Rev 22:16-17)
For Israel in the Millennium.
For finding fault with them, [Israel] He says, BEHOLD, DAYS ARE
COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT
WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; NOT
LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY
WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND
OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID
NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD. FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT
THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS,
SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL
WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY
SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
(Heb 8:8-10) cf. (Jer 31:31-33)
For the New Covenant Church Age through the Tribulation.
For by One Offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.
And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; [The New Covenant Church Age] for
after saying, THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON
THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM, He then says,
"AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO
MORE. (Heb 10:14-17) cf. (Jer 31:33-34)
Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any
offering for sin. Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the
holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He
inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh. (Heb 10:18-20) cf. (Heb
10:5) (His body offered for us)
The explanation for this multifaceted Divine Revelation which unfolds
throughout human history lies in an ancient conflict. Before human history
began, Satan revolted against God. (Isa 14:13-14) Satan and the host of
angels who joined his revolution were brought to trial and convicted,
(Eze 28:16-19) for their sentence is recorded in Scripture. (Matt 25:41) The
sentence of fallen angels to “eternal fire” was pronounced before mankind
existed. Why, then, was the execution of the sentence postponed until after
human history ends? (Rev 20:10) Satan objected to God’s verdict, just as he
continues to contend against God. Any objection to perfect Divine judgment
slanders the essence of God. In a momentous action, God convened an
appeal trial in which He would demonstrate His perfect essence;
(Psa 145:21; Zec 3:1-10; Luk 2:14; Rom 9:23-24; Rom 11:25-36) while
allowing Satan every opportunity to prove his own case. (Job 1:12; Job 2:6;
Matt 4:1-11) God created mankind to resolve the angelic conflict, and to bring
many sons to Himself. (Heb 2:10) Both angels and men; this is for our benefit
and for the benefit of the angels; God magnificently answers every aspect of
Satan’s objection in the prehistoric trial. Simultaneously, Satan is attempting to
prove himself equal with God, (Isa 14:14) while God in His infinite wisdom, is
using ALL THINGS, the good the bad and the ugly! To show His Ways and
Thoughts (Isa 55:8-9) are beyond anything any creature could even imagine!
And His complete self-sacrifice in all that He does.
(Psa 36:5; Psa 103:11; Php 2:2-8) But the devil displays only arrogance,
incompetence and evil, which confirm his guilt, and the guilt of unbelievers (Rev
20:15) and believers who refuse God’s plan. (Jud 1:12-15; Matt 22:13) Human
history is the appeal trial of the angelic conflict. The “numerous and diverse
aspects of God’s wisdom” are revealed through mankind, and most
dramatically through Christ, the Church, and during the Tribulation period, “to
the rulers and the authorities [Fallen angels] in the heavenly places.”
(Eph 3:10-11; Eph 6:12) During the Millennium Satan and the demons are in
prison. (Rev 20:3-8; Rev 20:7-10) This shows, even in perfect environment,
people will choose not believe in Christ or as believers His Word, and that the
devil does not make us negative, we as humans choose to be. (The same
conditions, that existed before Satan’s revolt) As the appeal trial of Satan
unfolds, the grace of God and the perfect justice of His verdict are proven
again and again. God introduces changes into His administration of human
history in order to present His case, disprove Satan’s case, and deliver a
decisive closing argument. These changes produce the dispensations.
TIMES AND EPOCHS
Shortly before Christ ascended into heaven, His disciples pressed Him
regarding the timing of future events.
And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying,
“Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to
them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by
His own authority.” (Acts 1:6-7) cf. (Matt 6:34)
Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of
anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of
the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. (1Th 5:1-2)
The Greek word translated “times” is chronos. “Epochs” is kairos. Chronos
regards time as a succession of events, one following the other in
chronological order. Occasionally chronos is used in the Bible for a segment of
time and has a dispensational connotation. (Rom 16:25-27; (1Pe 1:20) In
contrast, kairos indicates an era, a system or order of chronology, a period of
time characterized by a distinctive development. This noun is frequently used
for the organization of historical events in their dispensational categories. In
various passages kairos refers to the Church Age, (Rom 8:18; Rom 11:5;
Rom 13:11) the Jewish Age, (Eph 2:11-12) and the “times of the Gentiles,”
which is a broader period encompassing the Church Age and Tribulation
period. (Luk 21:24) In the New Covenant Age; why were the disciples not told
about “the times or epochs?” Actually, they had been told a great deal; Christ
had taught them at length concerning dispensations.
(Matt 23:29-39; Matt 25:46; John 14:1-18) Furthermore, the Concept of
dispensations was already familiar to them. (Matt 5:17; cf. (Matt 24:3) The
disciples did not doubt the existence of dispensations. But their idea of the
kingdom of God was distorted by thinking the kingdom of the New Covenant
was a racial and political kingdom, instead of Spiritual!
(John 3:5; John 4:23-24; Luk 17:21) Even though the disciples had believed in
Christ as Savior, their preconceived ideas about the kingdom of God had kept
them from comprehending Christ’s teaching. They also had missed the
significance of His rejection by Israel and, therefore, had failed to notice a
major shift in His message. Christ presented Himself to the Jews as the Son of
David, the King of the Jews, the fulfillment of all God’s unconditional Covenants
with Israel, and the fulfillment of the Law; the Old Covenant, the Tabernacle,
Temple, Offerings and Feasts. All the illustrations that explained who Christ
Was, (John 1:29; (1Co 5:7; Heb 11:28) and what He would do. (1Pe 1:18-19)
When Israel refused to accept her rightful King; (Luk 13:34; Luk 19:41-44)
there would be no more client nation (The Spiritual Thinking of Christ, being
taught from a political Jewish state) for New Covenant Israel until the
Millennium. (Luk 13:35; Matt 21:43) The disciples were still thinking in terms of
an immediate Jewish kingdom on earth after Jesus had already shifted His
focus temporarily away from the Jews, who had rejected Him, to a new body
of believers, the New Covenant Church. The New Covenant priesthood
consists of all individuals who believe in Jesus Christ as personal Savior during
the Church Age until the end of the Millennium. (Luk 22:20;
Heb 13:20; Rev 20:6) And then forever! (Heb 7:21) God is forming the Church
to play a special role in the eternal glorification of Christ.
(Eph 3:10-11) In the midst of the time of Christ, the disciples noticed the end
of Christ’s ministry to Israel and the beginning of His ministry to the
approaching Church. (John 16:12-15; Acts 1:8) Christ is the bridge between
the two Covenants! (Heb 9:15) The New Covenant brought a new teaching
ministry of God the Holy Spirit, (John 14:26) and the complete Revelation of
the Doctrines of the Church, (1Co 13:12-13) which Jesus had introduced. The
Church also has a better vantage point from which to see the Covenants and
the dispensations that are in them. In the Old Covenant: Ritual worship: the
Patriarchal priesthood, and the Levitical priesthood, (Gen 4:4) and the New
Covenant: Spirit and Truth worship, a Royal priesthood; From Christ, through
the Church Age, Tribulation and Millennium. (John 4:23) The Church Age
believer has a more complete perspective than Christ’s disciples had when He
lived in their presence. (Dan 12:4) Ultimately, Paul taught to the Gentiles, and
Peter, James and John taught the Jews; (Gal 2:7-9) and through their
Canonical Epistles, they continue to communicate to believers in every
generation of the New Covenant Age. (1Pe 2:9-10) Peter is quoting,
(Exo 19:5-6) and (Hos 1:9-10) showing the consistency in the plan of God,
even in the change of Covenants, and dispensations. (Heb 13:8) The way of
Salvation, (Acts 4:12) and Spiritual maturity (Isa 55:1-9; Acts 15:14-18) are
always the same, (Heb 11:1) thru (Heb 12:4). Now we have a greater Spiritual
life, (John 14:10-21) than Jesus used to win the Angelic Conflict and be judged
for ALL the sins of the world! We just have to learn how to use it.
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, (Rom 8:10-13) keep
seeking the things (Divine Thoughts) above, where Christ is, seated at the
right hand of God. Set your mind on the things (Spiritual Thoughts) above, not
on the things (Thoughts) that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is
hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, (Now!) is revealed,
then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (Rewarded for using Christ’s
Thoughts) Therefore consider (Think) the members of your earthly body as
dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to
idolatry. (To think our thoughts are more important than His, is idolatry) For it
is because of these things (Thoughts) that the wrath of God will come upon
the sons of disobedience, (Eph 5:5-7) and in them you also once walked,
when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger,
wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one
another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, (Thoughts) and
have put on the new self (Gal 4:19) who is being renewed to a true knowledge
(Spiritual Thinking) according to the image (Thinking and Virtue) of the One
who created him (The Spiritual life of Christ)--a renewal in which there is no
distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised,
barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. (New
Covenant believers) (Col 3:1-11)
Our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to
you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, [Dispensations,
in context specifically the eschatological — “end time” dispensations] in which
are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort,
as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. (2Pe 3:15-
16)
At the time of our Lord’s ascension, the disciples (Including Peter, who
later wrote the passage just quoted) had been well taught by the Lord Himself,
but they were unstable in the political turmoil of the day, especially unstable
after the shock of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. Their outlook was
impaired by their desire for an immediate racial and political kingdom of God
on earth. They could not shed this narrow view of dispensations in the final
moments before His ascension, and Jesus did not attempt to teach them
beyond their capacity to understand. (John 16:12-13) He answered their
question only in brief. And a fuller explanation simply was “not for [Them] to
know” during His sojourn with them on earth. (Acts 1:7) The New Covenant
Church Age was coming, whether they realized it or not. (Luk 17:20-21; (1Co
4:20) Appropriate to the new dispensation, He stated only that precise details
of timing would not be revealed and left additional Divine Revelation concerning
dispensations for later. Twenty one years after Christ’s ascension, Paul would
describe believers who were oriented to the times and epochs.
Now as to the times and the epochs, [Chronos and kairos] brethren, you
have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full
well that the day of the Lord [His Second Advent] will come just like a thief in
the night. (1Th 5:12)
Paul previously had taught the Thessalonians about that change of times
which the disciples had been so eager to see and which is still future today.
The exact day of our Lord’s return is not disclosed through Paul or any other
writer of Scripture. (Mark 13:28-32) But a study of Scripture reveals a great
deal about the sequence of times and epochs from the beginning of human
history to the end. This is the Doctrine of dispensations. To know this Doctrine
“full well” makes the Christian alert to the plan of God for his life.
But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you
like a thief. (1Th 5:4)
AGES AND ADMINISTRATIONS
Besides chronos and kairos, two other Greek words complete the New
Testament vocabulary for dispensations. The noun aion, usually translated
“age and or ages,” refers to dispensations as categories of human history, just
as in English we say Age of Israel or Church Age. (Rom 16:25-26;
Eph 3:9; Col 1:26)
Perhaps the most descriptive term for dispensations, however, is
oikonomia. Four centuries before the New Testament was written, Xenophon
and Plato used oikonomia to mean household administration, the authority of
parents over their children, the policy and provisions of parents for their
children. In the Greek of the New Testament, oikonomia had come to mean
the management of a household, the administration of a business or estate.
Oikonomia implies order, (Rather than chaos) a plan, (Rather than confusion)
an arrangement. (Rather than disarray) Oikonomia itself does not denote time.
However, the King James Version translates this ancient word as
“dispensation,” a term that legitimately has come to connote a period of time,
because oikonomia describes Divine administration during a distinct historical
era. (And or business; and used negatively to condemn the taking of money
for the teaching of the Bible) (1Co 9:17; Eph 1:8-10; Eph 3:2-9; Col 1:25-29;
1Ti 1:3-4) In these passages oikonomia identifies the management of God’s
Treasure, His Thoughts! (Prov 23:23; Prov 8:10-11) During which time God
administers a set of Divine Policies and provisions unique to the New Covenant
age believer. Administration becomes an important issue in distinguishing the
dispensations from one another. At decisive junctures in His overall plan for
mankind, God institutes changes in delegated authority, responsibility,
procedure, and available assets. These changes in the Divine administration of
human history involve first one group of people, then another, and another.
Hence, nomenclature for the dispensations is derived from the people at the
focus of Divine Revelation in a specific period of time. In the march of history,
this focus passes from Gentiles to the nation of Israel, from Israel to Jesus
Christ in His First Advent, from Christ to the Church, from the Church to a
besieged remnant of Jacob in the Tribulation, and finally to Christ the deliverer,
conqueror, and ruler in the Millennium! Each administration involves new Divine
Commands accompanied by new Divine resources for fulfilling those
Commands. As a result, the post Salvation way of life for believers may be
significantly different in the various eras of human history. Scripture reveals the
believer’s way of life most comprehensively in the dispensations of Israel and
the Church. Less is revealed of God’s post Salvation mandates for the other
dispensations, but the details that are disclosed confirm the Principle of
change against a background of continuity! (Heb 11:1) thru (Heb 12:4) the very
same system for all of human history, IT in (Heb 11:2) is God’s Thinking used
to reach Spiritual maturity, from Abel to Christ! And is the same for the
Church, the Tribulation, and Millennium!
(Heb 13:8)
DISPENSATIONS AS TAUGHT BY PAUL
Dispensations are not an arbitrary classification superimposed by man on
the Bible. They are an integral part of Divine Revelation. The Greek vocabulary
establishes that the subject of dispensations is presented in Scripture.
Furthermore, as noted, Jesus Christ affirmed the existence of distinct “times
or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.” (Acts 1:7-8) In
presenting the unique characteristics of our own dispensation, the New
Covenant Church Age, Paul repeatedly teaches the Doctrine of dispensations.
He borrows a Greek term that everyone in his day could understand.
Musterion, “mystery,” referred to the secrets of an exclusive religious sect.
Numerous mystery cults flourished throughout the ancient Mediterranean
world, and although the secrets themselves were closely guarded, everyone
knew that these secretive organizations existed. Everyone knew that there
were certain rituals, formulas, objects, and rites of the cult of Isis, for
example, which were “mysteries” never revealed to outsiders. Only members
could learn the mystery doctrines. Paul gave this pagan term a Christian
meaning. The Church, (Was not called Church in the Old Testament, but
reference is made to Gentiles) (Gal 3:8) was entirely unknown prior to Christ’s
announcement of the Church Age. But is mentioned (By Gentiles or Nations) in
Old Testament Prophecy, (Acts 3:18-26) but is fully developed in the New
Testament epistles, (Eph 3:5-6; (1Pe 1:10-12) this body of Doctrine, sets up
the “mystery Doctrine” [Spiritual Thinking] of the New Covenant, and unveils
the characteristics of a unique way of Thinking and life, because we are on the
victory side of the Cross! The mystery pertains to all people sharing in the
Royal priesthood, (Gal 3:28) and Thinking with the Mind of Christ — (1Co 2:
16) and Christ being formed in us, (Gal 4:19; Eph 4:13) in this New Covenant
age. Today the English word “mystery” denotes something incomprehensible,
an enigma, or a puzzle. But that is not the meaning of the Greek word. In the
ancient world a “mystery” was well-known — although only to the members!
Likewise, Church Age Doctrine should be thoroughly familiar to each Church
Age believer! Every Christian is (Should Be) an insider, an initiate, a member
of the Church Universal. Why was mystery Doctrine concealed for so long? In
the upper room on the night before His crucifixion, Christ prophesied the
coming of the Church Age.
(John 14:1) thru (John 17:26) God gave Him the honor of first revealing Royal
priesthood Doctrine for several reasons. First, the Church exists to glorify Him
to the maximum. (John 16:14; Eph 1:21-23; Eph 5:25-27) The Doctrines of the
Church depend on the glorification of Christ, (John 7:39)
(The completed Spiritual life sent to us) which resulted from His work on the
Cross! In the hour of His rejection, by Jew, Gentile, male, female, criminal,
and free. (Matt 27:37-44) He unveiled His coming glorification. On the eve of
His judgment by the Father, Christ displayed His complete confidence in the
Father’s plan by announcing its success: the formation of the Church through
which God would glorify Him forever. (John 13:31-32) Second, Israel had been
given every opportunity to accept the Messiah. Christ revealed the Church,
only after Israel had rejected Him. The Jewish Spiritual Kingdom of God, had
been taken from them, (Matt 21:43) and now Gentile nations, have the
privilege of the communication of Truth: Salvation (Acts 22:21) and Spiritual
Thoughts for growth to maturity. (Rev 22:16) The New Covenant Jewish
political and racial client nation for the communication of Truth, has be
postponed until the Millennium. (Rom 11:25) And a new set of Commands for
believers became appropriate. If revealed sooner, Church Age Doctrine would
have confused the issue for the Jews. (Matt 10:6) Third, soon after
Prophesying the Church, Jesus Christ would become the Victor of The Cross
and Resurrection! It was fitting that He be the one to announce the dramatic
change of dispensations that His victory would produce. Indeed, His
unprecedented Prophecy of the Church was one of the most stunning
moments in the entire angelic conflict. This announcement was a brilliant,
unexpected Revelation of God’s grace, revealed not only to man but also to
Satan and his fallen angels, who constantly observed our Lord. (1Ti 3:16; (1Pe
1:10-12) Finally, Jesus Christ was Personally passing along the dynamics of
His Own life to be the New Covenant way of life for the Church. (John 13:34;
John 15:10) Throughout His incarnation He had utilized the system of Divine
power that the Father had designed to support His humanity. On the day of
Pentecost, (Acts 2:1) Christ bequeathed this proven system of Divine power to
every Church Age believer. This power system — the dynamics of the
Christian way of life — lies at the heart of mystery Doctrine. Church Age
Spiritual Thinking was concealed until the New Covenant Christian way of life
went into effect. (Isa 65:1-2) Making reference to the mystery Doctrine of the
Church Age: to be specific No Jewish client nation, Gentiles are in the Royal
priesthood, Christ formed in the believer, Baptism into union with Christ, no
ritual etc.... These might have been hard to explain to the nation of Israel!
(Matt 9:17) New Truth in a New Covenant Spiritual life! Two passages of
Scripture illustrate Paul’s approach to the subject of dispensations.
For this reason, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you
Gentiles (The new dispensation that is no longer administered through Israel)
— since you have heard about the dispensation of the grace of God [Name for
the Church Age, in which God pours out grace more liberally than in any other
dispensation] which was given to me for your benefit, that through Revelation
(Gal 1:12) the mystery [The Spiritual Thinking of the New Covenant Church
Age] was made known to me, as I have already written briefly. (Rom 16:25-
26) and (Eph 1:9) By reading this [Ephesians] you ought to be able to
understand my technical knowledge about the mystery of Christ [Unique and
previously unrevealed Doctrines of the Church Age] which was not made
known to other ages [Believers living in the dispensations prior to the Church
Age] so that now [For the new dispensation] it has been revealed to His Holy
Apostles and Prophets [The Apostles to the Church, who recorded the New
Testament] by means of the Holy Spirit. (Eph 3:1-5;
(2Pe 1:20-21)
In a second major passage Paul again presents the Doctrine of
dispensations by contrasting with all previous ages the special advantages,
opportunities, and responsibilities of the Church Age.
Of which [Church] I have become a minister on the basis of this
dispensation from God, which has been given to me for your benefit, that I
might implement your deficiency of the Word of God, that is, the mystery,
[Church Age Doctrine] which has been hidden from past ages and generations,
[Previous dispensations] but now has been revealed to the saints, [“Saints” is
a technical term for believers] to whom God has decreed to make known
what is the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles [Which one
mystery is] Christ in you, (Gal 1:16) the hope of glory. [Christ; and the Spiritual
Thinking and Virtue of Christ formed in the believer] (Col 1:25-27)
God remains the same. The way of Salvation remains unchanged. But
against a background of immutability and continuity, the Doctrines of the
mystery reveal the strategic changes that make this new dispensation unique.
Church Age believers are a new Spiritual species (2Co 5:17) with a totally new
position in Christ, (Rom 8:38-39; (1Co 1:30) and a magnificent array of
privileges, responsibilities, and opportunities never available to believers of
earlier ages. (Eph 1:3-23) This book will conclude with a survey of the Church’
s unique advantages. Divine assets currently available, along with the Biblical
Commands for using them. Answering the pressing question, “After Salvation,
what?” But first the Church Age must be presented in context with the other
dispensations so that its uniqueness may be properly understood.
AN OUTLINE WILL INTRODUCE God’s Viewpoint of human history. Again,
there are two conditional Covenants and three general classifications: The
Patriarchal, Levitical, and Royal priesthoods which include the dispensations
and their subdivisions. After this framework is presented, a descriptive
summary of each dispensation will fill in the outline. Most of the dates cited
here are approximate.
I. THE THEOCENTRIC DISPENSATIONS (From the creation of Adam to the
virgin birth of Christ)
A. The Dispensation of the Gentiles (From the creation of Adam to the
Exodus, Genesis 1— Exodus 11)
1. The Age of Positive Volition (From the creation of Adam to the fall of man,
Genesis 1:26 — 3:6)
2. The Age of Negative Volition (From the fall of man to Abraham,
Genesis 3:7—11:32)
3. The Age of the Jewish Patriarchs (From Abraham to the Exodus under
Moses, Genesis 12 — Exodus 11)
B. The Dispensation of the Jews (From the Exodus to the rejection of
Christ; 1441 — A.D. 30; Exodus 12 — Malachi — Matt)
1. The Theocratic Kingdom (From the Exodus to Samuel; 1441—1020 B.C.)
2. The United Kingdom (From Saul to Rehoboam; 1020 — 926 B.C.)
3. The Northern Kingdom (From Jeroboam to Hoshea; 926 — 721 B.C.)
4. The Southern Kingdom (From Rehoboam to Zedekiah; 926 — 586 B.C.)
5. The Restored Nation of Judah (From Nehemiah to Christ; 516 — 4 B.C.)
II. THE CHRISTOCENTRIC DISPENSATIONS (From the birth of Christ to the
Second Advent (Rev 19:11-21)
A. The Dispensation of the Hypostatic Union, which is the incarnation or
first advent of Jesus Christ (The era of the New Testament Gospels; 4 B.C. —
A.D. 30)
B. The Church Age (From A.D. 30 to the Second Advent. (Rev 19:11-21)
1. The Precanon Period (The era commencing with the Book of Acts and
continuing until John wrote Revelation, completing the canon of Scripture; A.D.
30 — A.D. 96)
2. The Postcanon Period (The Gospels, the New Testament Epistles, and
Revelation; from AD. 96 to the Second Advent)
III. THE ESCHATOLOGICAL DISPENSATIONS (The April 02, 2009 G20
agreement, is the start of the countdown to the Tribulation period; THAT
BEGINS September 2012. (Dan 8:11-14; Dan 9:27; Dan 12:11) to the end of
human history)
A. The Tribulation (Approximately seven years from the breaking of the
peace treaty, to the second advent of Christ; Prophesied in the Old
Testament, (Zec 14:1-13) Christ’s Olivet Discourse, [Matt. 24 — 25] and
Revelation 6 — 19)
1. Satan’s Failed Utopia (From (Dan 9:27) Satan’s expulsion from heaven)
(Rev 12:13)
2. The Great Tribulation (From Satan’s expulsion until the second advent of
Christ) (Jud 1:14)
B. The Millennium (The thousand-year reign of Christ on earth from His
second advent to the end of human history, Prophesied throughout the Old
Testament (Zec 14:9) and in Revelation 20)
C. The Eternal State (Following the final dispensation of human history;
Revelation 21 — 22)
Throughout this study several descriptive terms will be used
interchangeably in discussing dispensations. Epoch, time, age, ages, era,
period — these synonyms indicate an extent of time, a segment of history.
Interchangeable forms of expression are used as well. The Dispensation of
Israel, for example, may be called the Age of Israel or the Jewish Age. And
the Dispensation of the Hypostatic Union is also called the Incarnation, the
Incarnation of Christ, or the first advent of Christ. The particular period under
discussion will be apparent from the context. (With help from the above
outline) One final point of terminology: the word “Christian” will be used only in
connection with the Church Age. Hence, the Christian way of life is the life
Commanded by God for believers living during the New Covenant Age.
(1Jn 3:23)
RESPECT FOR DIVINE DISTINCTIONS
The panorama of dispensations reveals the majestic essence of God
through the progression and Variety of His grace. Each dispensation has a
Divine purpose, supported by the right Divine provisions. The riches of grace
available in the Church Age, for example, agree with God’s special objective of
glorifying the resurrected Christ to the maximum. This purpose and these
provisions explain why the Christian way of life differs from the outpouring of
God’s grace to believers during other periods of history. The Church Age
believer should be eager to understand and use what God has designed
specifically for him, and thus allow the glory of God to be manifest in his life!
Still, someone might ask, why not regard the Bible as a single whole? Isn’t
that simpler? Why complicate things with all these distinctions? The primary
reason is that the Bible itself makes these divisions. Continuities and
distinctions established by sovereign God receive our complete respect, for
they reveal something about Him. The unity of God’s Word actually is
embodied in this Doctrine which presents the relationships between the Bible’s
many parts. A second reason for recognizing distinctions in the Bible is that the
believer needs to know how to conduct his life. As he learns to utilize what
God has given to him, he becomes aware of Divine Policies and assets that
are legitimate for other dispensations but that do not directly govern the
Christian way of life. When there seem to be contradictions, which
Commands, should he obey? When questions arise, he needs answers. The
Doctrine of dispensations provides the Biblical system of interpretation for
understanding why certain Divine provisions are currently nonoperational, as
well as why others are currently operational. In no way does this mean the
believer can pick and choose which Divine Commands he wants to obey. Each
dispensation is God’s administration, not man’s; and God gives firm and
extended guidance for every period of history. Advancing believers are not
disobedient or in danger of lawlessness simply because they do not observe
the rules God set forth for another age. Indeed, their Spiritual growth comes
from obedience to God’s instructions for the current dispensation. The
Doctrine of dispensations relieves the Christian’s doubts about whether or not
God holds him responsible for observing certain practices. This gives his life
direction, frees him from a false sense of obligation or guilt, and by answering
his questions encourages him to dig deeper into the riches of the Word of God.
The well-informed believer is able to compare and contrast the
dispensations. He understands the implications of many statements such as:
But to this day whenever Moses [The Law] is read, a veil lies over their
heart; (2Co 4:3-4) but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken
away. [The sin nature’s Spiritual blindness is cut of] Now the Lord is the Spirit,
and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled
face, [In fellowship] beholding as in a mirror [Our soul] the glory [The Spiritual
life] of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image [Thought and
Virtue] from glory to glory, (Rom 1:17) just as from the Lord, [God the Holy
Spirit] the Spirit. (2Co 3:15-18)
And in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without
hands, (Rom 2:28-29) in the removal of the body of the flesh by the
circumcision of Christ; (Php 3:3) having been buried with Him in baptism,
[Death to the Law, the sin nature, and sin] in which you were also raised up
with Him [The Resurrection Spiritual life] (Rom 8:11) through faith in the
working of God, who raised Him from the dead. (Col 2:11-12)
Or do you not know that all of us [Believers] who have been baptized into
Christ Jesus [In union with Christ] have been baptized into His death?
[Retroactive positional death — judgment and death on the Cross] Therefore
we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, [To the Law, the sin
nature and sin] so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory
[Resurrection Spiritual life] of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of
life. [New Spiritual Life] For if we have become united with Him in the likeness
of His death, (2Co 4:10-11) [Experiential death; By not using the sin nature.
But using the Divine nature; 2Pe 1:4] certainly we shall also be in the likeness
of His resurrection, “Spiritual life” knowing this, that our old self was crucified
with Him, in order that our body of sin [Sin nature’s thoughts and desires]
might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he
who has died is freed from sin. (Rom 6:3-7) cf. (John 12:24-26)
For sin [The sin nature] shall not be master over you, for you are not under
law, [The Mosaic Law, that condemned the sin nature’s production] but under
grace [Removal from condemnation by faith in Christ, (Rom 8:1) and freedom
to live the Resurrection Spiritual life] (Rom 6:14)
That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection “Spiritual life” and
the fellowship of His sufferings, [Thought, sin nature, people, system and
disaster testing] being conformed to His death; (John 12:49; Luk 22:42)
[Experiential death of Christ’s human desires and our own] (1Pe 4:1-2) in
order that I may attain to the resurrection [Spiritual life] from the dead.
[The sin nature’s control] Not that I have already obtained it (Rom 6:17-18) or
have already become perfect, [Completed the Spiritual life] but I press on so
that I may lay hold of that [Full maturity and complete my mission] for which
also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. (Php 3:10-12)
Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against
us, which was hostile to us; [The Lake of fire] and He has taken it out of the
way, having nailed it to the cross. (Rom 8:3) When He had disarmed the rulers
[Ruler demons] and authorities, [Officer demons] He [God The Father] made a
public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. [Christ]
Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in
respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day [All illustrations of the
Spiritual life That Christ would use to reach Spiritual maturity, and that the Old
Testament believers could use] -- things which are a mere illustration of what
is to come; but the meaning [The completed Spiritual life] belongs to Christ.
(Col 2:14-17)
The study before us will provide a framework for understanding the Word
of God. It also will help protect the Christian from blurring Biblical distinctions,
from distorting true Doctrinal meanings, and from misapplying Divine
Commands. The Doctrine of dispensations teaches what the Christian way of
life is — and what it is not.
The Theocentric Dispensations
THE AGE OF THE GENTILES: THE OUTER COURT: THE PATRIARCHAL
PRIESTHOOD
POSITIVE VOLITION
THE DISPENSATION OF THE GENTILES ENCOMPASSES three
subdivisions: the age of positive volition, the age of negative volition, and the
age of the Jewish patriarchs. The age of positive volition involved only two
individuals over an indeterminate length of time. Adam and the woman, whose
name was Ishah, were created perfect in body, soul and spirit. They lived in
perfect environment in the Garden of Eden. They received direct Revelation
from God because the Deity of Christ, who is the revealed member of the
Godhead, (John 1:1-4; Heb 1:1-3) walked with them in the evenings.
(Gen 3:8) No written canon of Scripture was needed. Nor was there need of
Salvation because man had not yet fallen. The historical record of this period
is found in, (Gen 1:1) thru (Gen 3:6) written retrospectively by Moses under
the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, who insured the perfect accuracy of the
record. (2Pe 1:20-21) This period of positive volition, or perfection, or
“innocence” as it sometimes is called, because of the absence of sin, and was
characterized by two Divine institutions: volition and marriage. By planting the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the Garden and
banning its fruit, God made the volitional issue clear: obedience or
disobedience to God. Precedence in marriage also was lucid. Just as God
created Adam the ruler of the world, (Gen 1:26-28; Gen 2:19-20) God also
gave him authority over Ishah. (Gen 2:23-25)
The fall of man involved human failure in each Divine institution. Both the
man and the woman ate the forbidden fruit, violating the volitional issue. By
succumbing to Satan’s temptation directed at the lust of the flesh, lust of the
eyes and the pride of life, (Gen 3:6) the woman also disregarded the authority
of her husband. And the man, in accepting the fruit from the hand of his wife,
defaulted in the exercise of his authority over her. After the Fall, God
sustained the institution of volition by holding the man and woman responsible
for their own decisions. (Gen 3:11-19) He upheld the institution of marriage by
reconfirming the husband’s role over the wife (Gen 3:16) Even with the
changes that resulted from the Fall, the perpetuation of the Divine institutions
is an early example of continuity from one period of Biblical history to the next.
Neither human perfection, perfect environment, Divine warnings, nor the Divine
institutions, kept man from the original sin. Human volition is truly free.
Furthermore, vital lessons from the age of positive volition still applies to us
today, for certain events in the Garden illustrate and illuminate Principles found
in Church Age Doctrine. For example, we see that neither perfect environment
nor the ideal marriage can solve man’s most basic problems, which are solved
by the power of God.(Php 4:11-13; Eph 5:22-23)
NEGATIVE VOLITION
The age of negative volition began with the fall of man. Adam and the
woman were now imperfect outside the Garden of Eden. Both were believers
in the Lord Jesus Christ, who revealed Himself as the Seed of the woman.
(Gen 3:15) As a believer, the woman was called Eve, “Living,” in recognition of
woman’s role in the coming of the Promised Savior. (Gen 3:20; Isa 7:14; Matt
1:20-23) At the time of their original sins, Adam and Eve had lost the status of
perfection. They had become Spiritually dead — separated from God and
totally incapable of a relationship with Him. (Gen 2:17; Gen 3:8) Originally
trichotomous, (With body, soul and spirit) Adam and Eve had become
dichotomous. (Only body and soul) Faith in Christ brought regeneration, (Tit 3:
5) which restored the human spirit, making them trichotomous again. The
human spirit has always been essential for a relationship with God. (1Co 2:12-
14) Throughout human history, with the humanity of Christ as the only
exception, every descendant of Adam and Eve is born dichotomous and
remains Spiritually dead until he personally believes in Christ. (John 3:18) In all
dispensations, everyone who believes in Christ becomes at that moment
regenerate and trichotomous, possessing body, soul, and human spirit. (1Th 5:
23) No canon of Scripture existed in the age of negative volition. God revealed
Himself to man through dreams, visions, angelic appearances, and, as in the
Garden of Eden, through direct, physical manifestations in the form of
Theophanies. (Preincarnate appearances of Jesus Christ) Spiritual authority
was vested in the head of the family, who held the family priesthood. Through
this system of authority, God’s revealed Truth was communicated to the
human race orally and visually in rituals that included holy days and animal
sacrifices. (Gen 3:21; Gen 4:4; Gen 8:20) The historical record of this period
is found in (Gen 3:7) thru (Exo 12:21) again written retrospectively by Moses.
No human missionary agency was required apart from individual believers
carrying the Word of God to people in their periphery. The Gospel existed in
the form of Promises of the coming Messiah, (Gen 3:15) who was depicted in
the animal sacrifices: the innocent judged in place of the guilty. Since the fall of
man, the means of Salvation in every dispensation has always been faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ as He is revealed in that era. (Rom 4:1-16;
Gal 3:6-9, Gal 3:26-29) The period of negative volition began with one
language, one race, and one culture, but none of these anthropological unities
solved problems in human relationships or in man’s relationship with God.
Furthermore, a third Divine institution, the family, was added to volition and
marriage. But neither parental authority nor family bonds nor the Patriarchal
priesthood prevented the first murder, in which Cain killed his brother Abel.
(Gen 4:8) Evil ran rampant during the age of negative volition, (Gen 6:1-7) and
God took severe measures to prevent the human race from destroying itself.
The universal flood spared only the family of Noah, the one family of believers
that had remained true to God’s plan. After the flood God reiterated His
blessing and encouragement, given in the Garden, to “be fruitful and multiply,”
(Gen 9:1; Gen 1:28) but with certain changes instituted concerning food. (Gen
9:3; Gen 1:29-30) Here was yet another early instance of change against a
background of continuity. From Noah’s sons sprang three groups of Gentiles,
the descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, which eventually became
differentiated nations and races. (Gen 10:32) Following the flood yet another
evil trend culminated at the tower of Babel. (Gen 11:1-9) There fallen man
presumed, (Because of satanic influence) that he could “reach into heaven”
(Isa 14:14) through his own ability and concerted effort. Human achievements
often are admirable. They have an evil effect, however, when man’s apparent
brilliance obscures the Reality of his total separation from God or substitutes
the grace of God as the one real solution to basic human problems. At Babel,
therefore, God restrained man’s capacity for evil. God had Promised after the
flood that never again would He “curse the ground on account of man,” (Gen 8:
20-22; Gen 9:8-17) an unalterable Covenant that remains in effect through all
generations as part of the continuity that runs through all the dispensations.
True to His Own Covenant God did not make widespread changes in nature.
(As at the Fall and in the flood) This time He dealt with evil by “confusing
mankind’s language,” effectively separating the human race into groups that
could not easily communicate with one another. Thus God established the
fourth Divine institution: the national entity. He scattered mankind so
boundaries between peoples would limit the range of any expression of human
arrogance and would impede the spread of evil. (Satan’s thinking) (Gen 11:8)
Even today, internationalism, or the movement to unify the world under one
government, lends itself to evil on a grand scale and opposes the plan of God.
Paul’s address to the Athenians establishes this Principle for the Church Age,
allowing Christians to apply this ancient lesson from Babel to the current
dispensation. Paul emphasizes that God’s purpose in separating the nations
and setting “the boundaries of their habitation” is “that they should seek God”
rather than be inordinately impressed with the achievements of human genius,
which Paul noted in the philosophy, astrology, sculpture and poetry of the
Greeks. (Acts 17:21-31)
JEWISH PATRIARCHS
The age of the Jewish patriarchs was a transitional period from which
would emerge the Dispensation of Israel. In this period God founded the
Jewish race; in the Age of Israel He would establish the Jewish nation.
Although no written Scripture existed, God entered into a Covenant, or sworn
contract, with Abraham, (Heb 6:13-18) a citizen of the highly cultivated third
dynasty of Ur. (Gen 11:31) In a Covenant, one party makes a favorable
agreement toward another party. God Promised unconditionally to “make
Abram a great nation.” Abraham believed God, and at age seventy-five he
obeyed God’s Instructions to leave his home and migrate “to the land which I
will show you.” (Gen 12:1-4; Heb 11:8-10) The fourth Divine institution took on
new significance as God prepared to found a particular nation by forming a
new racial, political and Spiritual species. His purpose was not only to
constrain evil in the world but also to create a model for the protection of
human life, freedom, privacy, and property within a nation’s own borders.
Israel would exemplify the Divine laws of establishment. In addition, the
Spiritual impact of this new race and new nation would continue forever.
Abram (Father of high places: a family of idol worshipers) was born a Gentile.
He remained so until he reached Spiritual maturity at ninety-nine years old.
(And received a new name: Abraham father of a multitude)
(Rev 2:17) Then with the act of circumcision he became the original Jew, the
father of the Jewish race, a new racial and Spiritual creation. (Gen 17:1-24)
Circumcision was the ritual of confirmation of his Spiritual maturity, the dead
flesh being cut off, is the same as the old sin nature being cut off and the new
man being completed. (Col 3:9-11) cf. (Jer 9:25; Eze 36:26; Eze 18:31-32) In
the New Covenant we become a new Spiritual creation. (Not racial or political)
(Gal 6:14-15) This ritual signified the blessings of restored sexual vigor
through which God would “multiply Abraham’s seed as the stars of the
heavens.” (Gen 22:15-18; Rom 4:17-21; Heb 11:11-12) Abraham’s obedience
demonstrated his Spiritually mature confidence in God’s Promises. (In sexual
death Abram and Sarai believed God would provide a son, and were made
alive, sexually) (In Spiritual death we believe God provided a Son for us, and
are made alive Spiritually) (Rom 9:7-9) The Jews were to be a unique
demonstration of God’s glory among all the nations of the earth. God
confirmed His Covenant to Abraham’s believing son, Isaac, (Gen 26:3-5) and
reconfirmed it to his believing grandson, Jacob.
(Gen 28:13-16; Gen 35:11-12) The Jewish race, therefore, is Spiritual in
origin, descending from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, each of whom was a
believer in the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Gen 15:6) The twelve sons of
Jacob are the Jewish patriarchs, the founders of the tribes of Israel. God’s
unconditional Covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is an everlasting
Covenant. The Jewish race is permanent. Its existence depends on God
alone. Israel’s eternal heritage is both Spiritual and ethnic, just as God
Promised. He will preserve the regenerate Jewish race and the Jewish nation
throughout history and eternity. (Gen 13:15; Rev 21:12)
Therefore, one of the many blessings that come to the human race through
the Jews is a long-term demonstration of God’s faithfulness. He committed
Himself to specific Promises that He will keep through all the changes of
human history. Herein lays encouragement for anyone who trusts in Him. The
very existence of the Jews is proof for all to see that God keeps His Word.
Even when the majority of the Jews themselves reject Him, even when the
nation slips into degeneracy, even when He must severely discipline His
people, the Promise still stands. God never ceases to care for His people.
Israel has a future, precisely as God swore to Abraham. In terms of continuity
and change, God’s Covenant with Israel and its literal fulfillment are woven into
the fabric of history that remains intact no matter what!
(Jer 31:35-37) The origin of the Jewish race anticipates an important
difference between Israel and the Church. God founded the Jews as a “new
racial, political and Spiritual species.” In contrast, the Church is only a “new
Spiritual species.” (2Co 5:17) Regenerate Jews are God’s chosen people and
nation, while the Church includes believers of every race and nationality. The
age of the patriarchs ended with the Jews as slaves in Egypt. Moses was
born during the age of the patriarchs, but the last forty years of his life belong
to the Levitical priesthood, the Age of Israel. Abraham is the father of the
Jewish race; Moses, the father of the Jewish nation.
As the population of the earth grew and nations proliferated, God had
begun to deal with man in a new way through the Covenants that heralded the
founding of the nation of Israel. Israel would be God’s client nation, His
protected representative on earth to whom He would entrust the human
authorship and custodianship of written Divine Revelation.
THE DISPENSATION OF ISRAEL: THE INNER COURT: THE LEVITICAL
PRIESTHOOD:
- GOD’S CHOSEN NATION
The Jewish Age is related to the nation of Israel. The Jews became a
nation when God led them out of Egypt, completing that transitional age of the
patriarchs in which He established the Jewish race. As in the age of the
Patriarchal priesthood, the human race still consisted of a large population
divided into many languages, cultures, and nations. As before, all four Divine
institutions remained in effect, namely, volition, marriage, the family and the
national entity. And as before, Salvation throughout the world continued to be
by faith in Christ as He was revealed. But with the Exodus God established
one particular nation to represent Him as His missionary agency on earth. The
Spiritual heritage of Israel continued, as it had begun through the faith of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: the Jews expressed their faith in Christ as they
offered the Passover lamb. (Num 9:12; John 19:36) This chosen nation would
be given a Divine legacy in writing and would manifest God’s essence as never
before in history. (Deut 4:6-8; Deut 1:1-21) God chose Israel to be a blessing
to the entire human race. (Gen 12:2-3) He made this nation the recipient,
custodian and communicator of the written canon of Scripture. Not only would
Israel furnish the human authors of the Old Testament canon, but the history
and function of Israel herself would be recorded forever in Scripture. The God
of Israel, who is Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, (Luk 1:68)
Personally ruled the Theocratic kingdom. There was no division between
Spiritual and civil. This was demonstrated to Moses before the Exodus, (Exo 3:
1 thru Exo 4:1-31) reiterated to Joshua upon entering the Land, (Jos 5:13-15)
and mourned over when the apostate people clamored for a human king. (1Sa
8:1-22; Hos 13:11) To communicate His grace to mankind through His chosen
nation, God gave Moses a code of law for Israel. (Exo 20:1-19; Deut 9:10)
The Mosaic Law is a remarkable legal system that defined freedom and civil
responsibility in Israel for believers and unbelievers alike. The Feasts and
offerings also set forth the precise Spiritual ceremonies by which the Jews
would worship God. (Lev 23:1-44) Because their God was also their King, it
was the responsibility of everyone in Israel to observe the Mosaic Law as part
of Jewish national life, although the Spiritual provisions were properly
meaningful for believers only. As a single, integrated whole, the Spiritual life
focused on the Tabernacle, “and later the Temple” where the Presence of
God resided. Offerings, rituals and holy day observances conducted there,
anticipated the day when God would become flesh (Isa 9:6) as the Promised
Messiah. For the orderly conduct of these rituals and for the oral
communication of God’s written Word, God instituted the Levitical priesthood.
(Deut 31:9-13; Deut 33:10)
Codex one of the Mosaic Law was a new phenomenon, a thorough system
of private and public duty in Israel under the immediate rule of God. Many of
its provisions echo Divine Commandments given in the Dispensation of the
Gentiles when no chosen nation existed. This continuity exists because the
ethnic heritage of Israel originated in that preceding age and because Divine
guidance for each epoch of human history comes from the same unchanging
source; God Himself. The term is designated the ritual plan of God, for the
way of life for the citizens of Israel; in contrast to the protocol plan of God for
New Covenant Church Age believers. The rituals prescribed by the Mosaic
Law were a dramatic “shadow of what was to come.”
(Col 2:17; Heb 8:5; Heb 10:1) They were types and teaching aids portraying
Christ, Salvation and fellowship with God. The Levitical priesthood’s function
and every individual’s daily life included participation in ceremonies that
depicted these tremendous Doctrines. When Christ later came in the flesh; the
Reality fulfilled the shadows, making this magnificent heritage of rituals
suddenly obsolete. (Heb 8:13) A new code was required, and a new code was
provided. Now in the Church Age the believer’s way of life manifests the
all-powerful Reality of Spirit and Truth worship, (John 4:21-24) rather than the
shadow. The ritual plan of God remains part of Scripture, documenting God’s
faithfulness and describing Christ’s Person and work. Israel demonstrated and
communicated the grace of God, the greatest expression of which was that
she would be the nation through which the Savior would be born into the world.
The sequence of Promises that guarantee the coming of Christ, beginning with
the “Seed” revealed to Adam and Eve (Gen 3:15) and continuing with the
Promises made to Noah, (Gen 9:26) proceeded to become more specific. The
Messiah would come from the race of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; from the
nation of Israel; from the tribe of Judah;
(Gen 49:8) from the family of Jesse; (1Sa 16:1) from the Royal lineage of
King David. (2Ch 13:5) Since the founding of the Jewish race, the Promises of
the messianic line coincide with the Covenants between God and His chosen
people.
DIVINE COVENANTS WITH ISRAEL
The nation of Israel is defined by five Divine Covenants. The first two
Covenants, sworn during the age of the patriarchs, prepared the way for
founding the nation. God made the remaining three after the Jewish race had
become the Jewish nation.
1. The Abrahamic Covenant (Gen 12:1-3; Gen 13:16; Gen 22:15-18;
Gen 26:4; Gen 28:14; Gen 35:11; Exo 6:2-8)
2. The Palestinian Covenant (Gen 13:15; Gen 15:18; Gen 26:3-5;
Gen 28:13-15; Gen 35:12; Exo 6:4-8; Num 34:1-12; Deut 30:1-9; Jos 1:2-4;
Jer 32:36-44; Eze 11:16-21; Eze 36:21-38)
3. The Mosaic Law (Gen. — Deut.)
a. Codex I: The Freedom Code (The Decalogue, or Ten Commandments)
b. Codex II: The Spiritual Code (Including a complete shadow presentation of
Christ and His saving work, Christology: Who He Is; and Soteriology: what He
did)
c. Codex III: The Establishment Code (Civil statutes for Israel)
4. The Davidic Covenant (2Sa 7:8-18; Psa 89:20-37)
5. The New Covenant to the Church, and Israel in the Millennium, began on the
day of Pentecost AD.30 (Acts 2:1-11; Jer 31:31-34; cf. Heb 8:8-13;
Heb 10:15-18)
How do these Covenants define the nation of Israel? God’s Covenants to
Abraham identify God’s elect people and the land He will give them.
Designated the Abrahamic Covenant and the Palestinian (Or Real Estate)
Covenant, these two Divine contracts were the basis for God’s deliverance of
the Jews from Egyptian slavery and for the founding of the nation in the
Promised land. (Exo 6:2-9) The Mosaic Law established policy for ethical,
Spiritual, and civil life within the Old Testament nation of Israel. The Davidic
Covenant designates the ruling dynasty of Israel. And the New Covenant
Promises restoration, a new Spiritual life for the nation under Divine discipline,
and guarantees eventual fulfillment of all the Covenants. (Eze 11:17-21)
CONDITIONAL AND UNCONDITIONAL COVENANTS
Three of these Covenants are unconditional and eternal; two are
conditional and temporal. God will execute the Abrahamic, Palestinian,
Davidic, to believers in Israel with no conditions attached. He Promised to do
certain things, and He will. His immutable essence guarantees His faithfulness.
But since the fulfillment of these Covenants will last forever,
(Gen 13:15; (2Sa 7:13-16; Jer 31:34) who could be the beneficiaries? Only
someone who personally possesses eternal life can be a recipient of eternal
blessings. Therefore, the original definitions of God’s elect people answers
this question of beneficiaries: God established the Jews as a regenerate race,
founded through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as believers in Christ. Not all
Israel is Israel. (Rom 9:6-8) What Abraham did in the power of the sin nature,
(Gen 16:3) was not the way they would receive the Promise.
(Gen 15:4) Isaac is the son, God Promised, (Gen 17:18-19) and they had to
believe it. (Rom 4:18-22; Heb 11:11) Then they would be made alive sexually,
as Jews and Gentiles who believe in the Son Who has come; would be made
alive Spiritually. (1Pe 1:23) A standard for Salvation (Gal 3:26) and as in this
case, Spiritual maturity! (Gal 4:19-31; Rom 4:20-22) Being genetically,
culturally or religiously a Jew does not provide entrance into the unconditional
Covenants in the Millennium; that last forever, unless they personally believe in
the Promised Messiah. His person and work are revealed in the two
conditional Covenants. The Mosaic Law and New Covenant contain conditional
clauses. If the Jews would do their part, then God would do His part. (Exo 19:
3-6; Jos 1:7-8) The Mosaic Law is a single whole, which can be studied under
three categories: Codex I, the freedom code; Codex II, the Spiritual code; and
Codex III, the establishment code. Codex I protected the Jew’s ability to make
decisions; Codex II presented the most important decision he faced; Salvation,
and Codex III prescribed the environment most conducive to making good
decisions. The Spiritual aspect of the Mosaic Law proclaims the grace of God
as the way of Salvation and identifies faith as the non-meritorious manner of
entering into the eternal blessings of all the unconditional Covenants.
Specifically, Codex II of the Law presents the Messiah and explains His role
as Savior and the system He would use to construct His Spiritual life, declaring
God’s Thoughts and Virtue. (Heb 1:3) And that the nation of Israel could use to
reach Spiritual maturity. He is depicted in animal sacrifices, in the precise
construction and furnishing of the Tabernacle; and represents building our
Spiritual life. (1Pe 2:5)
Illustration
The ceremonial clothing of the Levitical priesthood and the rituals that the
priests performed showed Israel how to be in fellowship with God
(1Pe 2:9-10) and grow to Spiritual maturity. (Exo 40:30-32; John 13:10;
(1Jn 1:9) This is the same as the Spirit and Truth worship of today.
(John 4:21-24) The Feasts, and later the gates of Jerusalem, represent the
progressive stages of the Spiritual life, which Christ and the Jews used.
(Php 3:3) We have the gates of the New Covenant Spiritual life.
Illustration
Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from
ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as
servants of a New Covenant, not of the letter [Mosaic Law] but of the Spirit;
[The New Covenant] for the letter kills, (Deut 27:26) but the Spirit gives life.
(Rom 8:11) But if the ministry of death, [Condemnation of the natural sin
nature] in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of
Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his
face, fading as it was, how will the ministry of the Spirit [Emphasizes Christ’s
Resurrection Life] (Heb 13:20) fail to be even more with glory? For if the
ministry of condemnation (Rom 8:3) (The old sin nature, cannot be Holy) (Rom
7:18) has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness (Rom 8:4) [The
Spiritual life in us is Holy] abound in glory. For indeed what had glory, in this
case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it. For if that which
fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory. (2Co 3:
5-11)
The New Covenant now, and until the end of Millennium is conditional, after
we believe in Christ, (John 3:18; no believer will go to the Lake of fire. (Apart
from living in the Tribulation period and taking the mark of the beast; Rev 14:9-
12) But just like in the Old Covenant, God has shown us alternative endings to
our personal story, based on obedience to His plan. (1Ti 2:4) The amount of
blessing in time, and Eternity depend on if we reach Spiritual maturity now!
(Mark 4:15-20; Luk 12:42-48; Jud 1:12-13) If any Jew believed in Christ, then
God not only would grant Salvation to that individual but in the same instant
would also make him party to the unconditional Covenants. Authority and civil
Statutes supported the central thrust of the Jewish nation. Codex I defined
human freedom; Codex III revealed the Divine laws of establishment for
Jewish government, jurisprudence, military service, economics, diet, hygiene,
soil conservation, quarantine, and for every other significant aspect of life in
Israel. If the citizens of Israel would obey the Commands of Codices I and III,
then God would temporally bless them as individuals and the nation as a
whole. (Deut 28:1-14) With God as its source, this Divine Covenant far
surpassed contemporary systems of national law; all Divine Covenants to
Israel will be executed by the Lord Jesus Christ. At present, only the Mosaic
Law has been fulfilled completely. In His first advent Christ fulfilled the entire
Law, including all three codices, by His sinless life and substitutionary death
for the sins of mankind. (Matt 5:17; Rom 10:4; Heb 10:9) In His Second
Advent He will fulfill the Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic, and New Covenant
when He returns to earth to restore Israel and rule over her. Even at the peak
of Israel’s glory under Solomon, the unconditional Covenants were not fulfilled.
Israel has never occupied all of the vast lands granted by the Palestinian
Covenant. But God has not forgotten His people; He will keep His Promises.
(Gen 28:14) Both in the Millennium and in eternity, Israel will enjoy a glory she
has never yet known.
THE CLIENT NATION
The Covenants that God made with Israel created a particular relationship
of blessing between God and the nation. Israel was and will be the unique
client nation to God, His especially protected representative on earth.
(Exo 19:5-6; Hos 4:6) Definite responsibilities belonged to the Old Testament
client nation under the Mosaic Law. Codices I and III protected human life,
freedom, privacy, and property. Codex II charged individual believers and
communicators of God’s Word with accurately presenting the Gospel and
Teaching Truth within the nation. And missionaries from the client nation were
to carry the Gospel and God’s Spiritual Thoughts to non-client nations.
(Deut 4:6-9; Jon 1:1-2) Client-nation Israel was answerable directly to God for
the custodianship of His Word. Now the Church inside ALL nations is used by
God, until the Millennium. Woe to any outsiders who dared to persecute the
Jews. God committed this protective Principle to writing in the
anti-Semitism clause of the Abrahamic Covenant.
And I will bless those who bless you. And the one who curses you I will
curse. (Gen 12:3)
This solemn clause is part of an unconditional Covenant and, therefore,
remains in force to this day. God protects the Jewish people through every
generation of history so that He can ultimately fulfill His Covenants with them.
The privileges enjoyed by client-nation Israel implied responsibility. Not only
were the blessings greater, but so was the potential for national Divine
discipline if Israel refused to obey Divine Commands. (Lev 26:17) Woe to the
Jews or anyone, (Psa 73:27) if they do not fulfill their responsibility as God’s
representatives on earth! (Hos 4:6) Israel’s history is a panorama of
successes and failures in relation to her client-nation responsibilities. A series
of five Jewish client nations evolved, as presented in the categorical outline of
the dispensations. This sequence ended when the long-anticipated Messiah
arrived in the flesh.
The virgin birth of Christ marked the beginning of a new dispensation. By the
time of our Lord’s birth in 4 B.C., Israel no longer functioned as a client nation
to God. Instead, she had distorted the Law into a tyranny of religious legalism.
Petty, corrupt, and self-righteous, she had lost her Spiritual vigor. She could
only chafe under the political and military domination of the Roman Empire.
This moralistic degeneracy in Israel continued throughout the Dispensation of
the Hypostatic Union and extended into the Church Age until finally God placed
the nation under maximum discipline in AD. 70. Divine discipline to Israel may
be traced from 63 B.C. when the Roman general Pompey captured Jerusalem
and desecrated the Temple by entering the Holy of Holies. In 54 B.C. Crassus
pillaged the Temple. During the Parthian invasion of Palestine in 40 B.C.,
Herod escaped to Rome and was appointed King of Judea by the Roman
Senate. The Jews refused to recognize him as king, but after three years of
fighting he captured Jerusalem and purged the Sanhedrin. In 15 B.C. Agrippa
visited Palestine on an inspection tour for the Emperor Augustus to insure that
Rome’s interests were being served. Herod, who was not a Jew, rebuilt the
Temple, dedicating it in 10 B.C.
The year in which Christ was born was an unsettling one in Jewish politics.
The Pharisees attempted to overthrow the government, Herod died in a rage,
and his son, Herod Archelaus, became the governor under Rome, inheriting
the part of his father’s domains that included Samaria, Judea, and Idumea. In
A.D. 6, Rome deposed the inept and aggravating Archelaus. Judea was then
absorbed into the Roman Empire as part of a third class province with
Coponius as its first imperial procurator, or governor. The Jews were angry,
under a succession of procurators, among them Pontius Pilate, whose
administration began in A.D. 26.
The Roman province of Judea had long since ceased to function as a client
nation to God. Throughout the dispensation of Christ’s first advent, from
approximately 4 B.C. to A.D. 30, Judea was a dominated nation in Spiritual
degeneracy. She continued to exist only to make a decision regarding Jesus
Christ as Messiah. Having rejected Christ, the Spiritually and politically
rebellious Jewish state survived for forty years under the Principle of grace
before judgment. Then, in A.D. 70, four Roman legions destroyed Jerusalem.
HYPOSTATIC UNION DEFINED
There are two conditional Covenants the Mosaic Law, and the New
Covenant. Three priesthoods, and they fall into three categories: The
Patriarchal priesthood, the Levitical priesthood and the Royal priesthood,
Present and Eschatological: Future. We have just described the two
Theocentric dispensations — the dispensation of the Gentiles and the Age of
the Jews — which occurred before Christ came in the flesh. With the virgin
birth of Christ, the Christocentric ages began and continue until after the
Millennium; the Dispensation of the Hypostatic Union, the Church, Tribulation
and the Millennium. Is the victory of God in human history! Because of Who
Christ Is and His victory; (Col 2:14-15) and our relationship to Him;
(Heb 6:1-20) we are in the Holy of Holies seated with Christ! The completed
Spiritual life on the victory side of the Cross; Satan is defeated and we are to
grow up, and destroy the control of the old sin nature, and rule with Christ
forever! (Rev 3:21) The “Hypostatic union” is the Theological term for the
incarnate person of Christ, the union of God and man. At the virgin birth, God
the Son took upon Himself true humanity and became a new person — the
God-man, the unique person of the universe. (John 1:1-14; Rom 1:2-4;
Php 2:5-11;
(1Ti 3:16) The Greek word hupostasis means “substantial nature, essence,
actual being, Reality.” Christ unites in Himself the essence of God and the
essence of man, forming a new hupostasis, a new united essence, called the
hypostatic union. In the Person of the incarnate Christ, two natures are
inseparably united but without loss or mixture of separate identities, without
loss or transfer of properties or attributes. The union is both personal (The
God-man IS One Person) and eternal. (He will BE the God-man forever)
Undiminished deity took upon Himself true humanity in order to be the Savior,
(Heb 2:14-15) the mediator between God and man; (Job 9:2; Job 9:32-33;
(1Ti 2:5-6) the Great high priest representing man before God; (Heb 7:4-28;
Heb 10:5-14) and the human king of Israel in fulfillment of the Davidic
Covenant. (2Sa 7:8-16; Psa 89:20-37) The hypostatic union will continue
forever in resurrection body, (Heb 1:8-13) but I designate the approximately
thirty-three-year period of our Lord’s first advent the time period of the
Hypostatic Union because this period of history began at the resounding
moment in which God became the God-man. (Heb 10:5) The Hypostatic Union
is the epoch recorded in the Gospels, the first four books of the New
Testament. This period began with the virgin birth of Christ and terminated
with His death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and session at the right hand of
the Father in heaven.
INTERPRETING THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST
These four books chronicle a unique era in God’s plan for human history.
The Gospels reveal our Lord’s sinless life and saving work, but the record of
His earthly ministry also includes His proclamation of the long-awaited New
Covenant kingdom of God in Israel, His Prophecy of Israel’s future
persecution, and finally His announcement of a Divine administration of New
Covenant Truth, that is significantly different from that of Israel. These diverse
teachings coalesce in a dispensational framework. The period of Christ’s first
advent relates to all believers in the transition period, for Christ to fulfill one
Covenant, and start a new Eternal Covenant, (Heb 9:15;
Heb 13:20) for all people Jews and Gentiles! Israel was to continue in the
communication of the Word of God, but when they rejected Christ as Savior,
Christ made a change. (Matt 21:43) Now the Church in ALL nations have the
custodianship of the teaching of God’s Thoughts to man. The Old Covenant
kingdom in Israel was racial, political, and Spiritual. The New Covenant
kingdom is ONLY Spiritual until the Millennium, when they will have the
Personal rule of Christ Jesus our Lord. (Eze 43:7; John 4:21-24; (1Co 4:20)
And is for all believers! (Gal 3:8; Gal 3:28) And ALL believers are Royal
priests! (1Pe 2:9) With absolute authority Jesus Christ presented Himself to
Israel as the Son of David, the King of Israel, and the Messiah. (Matt 1:16;
Matt 22:41-46) His presentation took many forms, which Matthew in particular
recorded. Christ fulfilled Old Testament Prophecy. (Matt 1:5-6; Matt 2:17-18;
Matt 4:14-16; etc.) He performed miracles which drew attention to Himself as
the Savior of mankind and the King of the Jews.
(Matt 4:23-24; etc.) He announced Policy for His Spiritual kingdom.
(Matt 5:1-48) He explained His identity from Scripture. (Matt 11:25-30;
Matt 12:1-8) He described His own death on the cross as the “blood of the
Covenant. [The Mosaic Law]” (Matt 26:28; Matt 5:17; Rom 10:4; Heb 10:1) In
fact, Christ came to fulfill all five Divine Covenants with Israel — conditional
and unconditional alike. (Heb 9:15) Our Lord’s sinless life and respect for
human freedom fulfilled the Commandments in Codex I of the Mosaic Law. His
sinlessness and substitutionary death for the sins of mankind were the
Realities long anticipated by ceremonies in Codex II of the Law. His love for
Israel demonstrates His fulfilment of the establishment laws in Codex III. (Matt
22:21) Only He could perfectly execute the entire Law. He came to fulfil every
jot and tittle of the Law. (Matt 5:18) whether or not the Jews accepted Him as
their King-Savior. (Zec 9:9) The Old Testament Scriptures proclaim two
advents of Christ. (Zec 9:9-10; Dan 9:26-27; Matt 23:37-39) Christ therefore
Prophesied the future. (Now thru the Millennium) in His magnificent Olivet
Discourse. (Matt 24:1) thru (Matt 25:1-46) In this discourse He painted a vivid
picture of the Tribulation and His own return to deliver His people and fulfill the
remaining three unconditional Covenants in His millennial reign.
FREEDOM OF CHOICE UNDER GOD’S PLAN
God genuinely offers His grace and desires that everyone accept it!
(2Pe 3:9) But He is never threatened by man’s refusal. In fact, human negative
volition may elicit extraordinary demonstrations of Divine power that glorify Him
throughout the earth. (Exo 9:16; Rom 8:32; Rom 9:17) In the workings of
sovereign God even “For the wrath of man shall praise You.” (Psa 76:10)
The issue of free will lies at the heart of the angelic conflict. And here at the
crux of human history — in the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ — the Bible
lucidly documents that God extends genuine options to man. While Divine
sovereignty remains supreme; man’s responsibility is real. (Mal 3:18) The
grace of God toward man not only expresses His love but also forces Satan
and the fallen angels to remember that God’s infinite goodness was poured
out to them as well. Human and angelic free will are comparable. Divine grace
and human responsibility remind Satan again and again that he bears the full
blame for his own revolt against God. Human history as the appeal trial of the
angelic conflict reveals the essence of God. He is gracious, but because He is
also sovereign, His plan must go on. Sovereignty implies that His patience
toward mankind in delaying judgment and His kindness in granting opportunity
after opportunity to accept His grace; cannot go on indefinitely! As powerfully
illustrated in the first advent of Christ, when Christ turned away from
unbelieving Israel and founded the Church — sovereign God must ultimately
proceed with His perfect plan. Satan, fallen angels, human unbelievers and
carnal believers will ultimately suffer the full and eternal consequences of
revolution against sovereign omnipotent God,
(Psa 73:27) while this same God proceeds to bless POSITIVE believers now;
and forever in the eternal state. (Psa 73:28) Given every opportunity to believe
in Christ as Savior, the Jews adamantly refused. Certainly there were
remarkable exceptions. The disciples, the three Marys, and even Nicodemus
show that a remnant of believers can be found in every generation of every
dispensation. But the remnant in Israel was too small to counterbalance the
vast majority. (Matt 13:10-17) Israel’s rejection of her Messiah does not mean
that Jesus Christ’s mission on earth ended in failure. As the Prophet of the
Church, He was the first to announce the mystery Doctrines. (Spiritual
Thoughts for the New Covenant Spiritual life) (John 14:1-31) Thus, in the
Upper Room Discourse our Lord unveiled something entirely new: The protocol
plan of God for the New Covenant. Because of the believers acceptance in
Christ, (Rom 4:25) the Church Age demonstrates God’s magnificent grace and
infinite power as never before in history!
ACCURACY IN INTERPRETATION
DIFFERENT MESSAGES FOR DIFFERENT AUDIENCES.
The Truth taught by Jesus Christ applies to all New Covenant believers, but
there is a difference between a legitimate application from a passage of
Scripture and the precise interpretation of that passage. There may be many
edifying applications that greatly benefit believers in a devotional or practical
way, but the objective of rigorous scholarship is a precisely accurate
interpretation. Interpretation attempts to discover what the passage means.
Each passage must be interpreted in its context in terms of those to whom it is
addressed.
Who is the audience to whom Christ speaks in the Gospels? The Gospels can
be accurately interpreted only when Christ’s ministry to Israel is understood:
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door [Fulfill the
Mosaic Law being born under the law; Gal 4:4-5] into the fold of the sheep,
[Judaism] but climbs up some other way, [Energy of the old sin nature] he is a
thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a Shepherd of the sheep.
[The Perfect God-man] To Him the Doorkeeper opens, [God the Father] and
the sheep hear His voice, [Believe] and he calls His own sheep by name
[Believing Jews] and leads them out! [Of the Old Covenant ritual plan] When
He puts forth all His own, [Believing Jews] He goes ahead of them, and the
sheep follow Him because they know His voice. [The Word of Truth] A
stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not
know the voice of strangers. [The religious leaders of Judaism] This figure of
speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things
were which He had been saying to them. So Jesus said to them again, Truly,
truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. [The Messiah, The Savior] All
who came before Me are thieves and robbers, [False teachers] but the sheep
[Believers] did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he
will be saved, (John 14:6) and will go in and out and find pasture. [Truth to
more Truth] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; [Mix, sell and
corrupt Truth] I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. [Grow to
Spiritual maturity] I am the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd lays down His
life for the sheep. (John 10:17) He who is a hired hand, [He Sells Truth] (Matt
25:9) and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf
coming, [Persecution, temptation and affliction] and leaves the sheep and
flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. (Matt 12:30) He flees
because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.” I am the
Good Shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the
Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
I have other sheep, [The New Covenant, Jews and Gentiles] (Acts 26:22-23)
which are not of this fold; [The Old Covenant, Judaism, Jews and believing
circumcised Gentiles] (Exo 12:48)
I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; [Believe] and they will
become one flock (Gal 3:28) with One Shepherd. (John 10:1-16) cf.
(Matt 23:10; John 6:45; Matt 10:38)
And distinguished from His ministry to the Church. Several illustrations will
emphasize the dispensational orientation required in analyzing the Gospels. In
both the Olivet and Upper Room Discourses, Jesus was speaking to the same
twelve men, His disciples. He delivered both of these great messages after
Israel had rejected Him as Messiah. And both are Prophetic. But there are
significant differences. The immediate context of the Olivet Discourse deals
with Christ’s Prediction of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. The
Temple was the focal point of Jewish worship, and the disciples, as Jews,
were concerned about the Promised future of their nation. They asked Christ
the same question they would ask Him again just before His ascension: When
would He establish His Millennial kingdom? (Matt 24:3; Acts 1:6) When would
He fulfill God’s unconditional Covenants with Israel? The Olivet Discourse
answers a specific question about Israel and guarantees a future for Israel by
announcing the Tribulation and the inauguration of the Millennium. The events
Christ mentions fulfill the Old Testament Prophecies of Israel’s future. (Zec 13:
7-9; Matt 24:15-31) They center in Judea. (Matt 24:16) They recognize the
Jewish Sabbath. (Matt 24:20) And they anticipate false applications of the
Second Advent. (Matt 24:23-27) The context and content of Christ’s message
is in a context concerning Divine discipline against the Jews for rejecting the
Messiah. (Matt 23:1-39) In contrast, Christ addressed the Upper Room
Discourse to His disciples as the nucleus of the approaching New Covenant
age. (John 17:20-21) These same twelve Jewish men were now considered
separate from the nation of Israel, which Christ identifies with “the world” that
rejected Him. (John 13:33-34; John 15:18) thru (John 16:4) In context He
anticipated His betrayal and announced His glorification.
(John 13:31-32)
This message of His glorification reveals unprecedented assets for the
Church Age believer, which will indeed glorify Him to the maximum. The
content of this discourse is new. Nowhere in the entire national heritage of
Israel was any believer personally in union with the Messiah and indwelt by
Him, as described in this final discourse before the Cross. (John 14:17-23;
John 17:21-26) An hour of momentous change had arrived. (John 16:1-2; John
16:32) The New Covenant was in view. This sweeping change, fully presented
in the New Testament Epistles, departs from God’s original Covenants with
Israel. By definition Israel was consecrated and separate from other nations,
(Deut 7:3) but now Jews and Gentiles were to be indistinguishable in Christ.
(Col 3:11) God is not contradictory. The conclusion is that Israel was no
longer the client nation. (Matt 21:43; Luk 17:21) She had rejected her
Messiah. God remained true to His Word by not permanently rejecting her,
(Isa 66:12) but He was taking the initiative by turning her refusal into an
opportunity to demonstrate His grace even more in the Church. As a result, His
future entry into His kingdom as the Son of David will be all the greater. In
terms of Divine administration, God had shifted His historical focus to a new
body of believers, the Church. This famous Prophetic discourse by our Lord
perfectly meshes within a dispensational framework. The Church must be alert
for the triumphant Second Advent of Christ. (After the beast is revealed; 2Th 2:
8) (Matt 24:42) thru (Matt 25:13) The Church, not Israel, is responsible for
utilizing the new outpouring of grace that glorifies the physically absent but
indwelling Christ. (Gal 2:20)
TEACHING FOR PRESENT AND FUTURE HEARERS.
Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:1-12) further illustrates the need
for careful interpretation. This was not a private discourse with the twelve
disciples, although some of them were present. To whom was this sermon
addressed? To every believer! (1Co 14:33) Jesus was speaking to the large
crowd of believers gathered around Him on the mountainside. (Matt 5:1;
Matt 7:28) His ministry to Israel was underway because He had not yet been
rejected by His people. (Matt 12:37) He was sitting before true, regenerate
Israel clarifying the character of God’s kingdom, righteousness, and
contrasting the Mosaic Law’s real purpose with the legalism of the Pharisees.
Christ was not presenting a way of Salvation. His message concerned the
believer’s post-Salvation way of life, to reach Spiritual maturity. All the
beatitudes in the opening lines of the sermon were the way to Spiritual
maturity that Christ had accomplished! But if the Messiah spoke these
“blessings,” the listeners could take comfort, fully confident that all could be
accomplished, by reaching Spiritual maturity.
Illustration
He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, (Gate 1) Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [Realized their
Spiritual poverty, and believed in Christ, and rebound when needed] (Gate 2)
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. [Truth in the soul
shows the degeneracy of self, and the world] (Gate 3) Blessed are the gentle,
for they shall inherit the earth. [Humility to follow Christ to Spiritual maturity
and share all He has] (Gate 4) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, [Maximum positive volition] for they shall be satisfied. [Will
make it to Spiritual maturity] (Gate 5) Blessed are the merciful, for they shall
receive mercy. [You are now Spiritually caring about others more than self;
motivational Virtue] (Gate 6) Blessed are the pure in heart, [Spiritual
adulthood] for they shall see God. (Rev 22:4) (Gate 7) Blessed are the
peacemakers, [Now, you can lead others to Spiritual maturity] for they shall be
called sons of God. (Gate 8) Blessed are those who have been persecuted
for the sake of righteousness, [Now suffering for a blessing] for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. (Gate 9) Blessed are you when people insult you and
persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
(John 15:18) Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the
same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the
salt of the earth; [Staying in fellowship and Thinking with God’s Thoughts, not
human thoughts] but if the salt has become tasteless,
[Quit being separate from the worlds way of thinking] (2Co 6:17-18) how can
it be made salty again? (Heb 6:5-6) It is no longer good for anything, except to
be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. [Stepped on by man, and
disciplined by God, because we have become useless!] (Matt 5:2-13)
As we have seen in (Heb 11:1) thru (Heb 12:4) that the way to maturity is
the same in every time period, the difference is the way of communication, and
or the illustrations (Trees, wells, a ladder, names, the Tabernacle, Temple,
Feasts, the Gates of the city etc.) that are being used. This shows continuity
in the middle of change. (Heb 13:8) Christ was announcing Policy for His New
Spiritual Kingdom the New Covenant Age. (John 4:21-24) But He was
speaking to His current audience concerning not only the Promised kingdom
but the immediate present as well. Before the kingdom would be established,
He presented the opportunity for the Jews to continue as God’s client nation,
(For all to take part Jews, and Gentiles) (Luk 2:32) if enough of the Jews
would accept Him as Messiah. Because the Church had not been announced
and did not yet exist when Christ spoke on the mountainside, no part of our
Lord’s Sermon is addressed specifically to the Church. but is used for all
believers, Jews and Gentiles. (Rom 2:9-11) The correct conclusion is that the
Sermon on the Mount belongs to ALL believers. For example, Epistles
addressed to the Church contain comparable instructions about judging, (Rom
14:10-13; cf. Matt 7:1-5) logistical grace, (1Pe 5:7; cf.
Matt 6:25-34) faith-rest, (Heb 4:1-10; cf. Matt 6:31-34) and the pivot of
Spiritually mature believers, which is the invisible, stabilizing influence within a
nation. (Eph 1:21-23; cf. Matt 5:13-16) Passages that directly address the
Church establish Church Age Doctrine. This basic Principle of Biblical
interpretation is derived from the very existence of dispensational distinctions
in Scripture. This Principle respects those distinctions, balanced by an equal
respect for continuities that relate the dispensations to one another. Church
Age Doctrine is often illuminated by the ways in which God reveals Himself to
other audiences in other passages on the same subject. Indeed, when the
Epistles present a Truth to the Church, all other Biblical passages on that
subject must be studied under the Principle of comparing Scripture with
Scripture. Let’s take the first complete illustration, that teaches the Principle of
the progressive stages of Spiritual growth, in the twelve son’s and one
daughter of Jacob.
Leah conceived and bore a son and named him Reuben, for she said,
Because the LORD has seen my affliction; (Exo 3:7) [Salvation] surely now my
husband will love me. Then she conceived again and bore a son and said,
Because the LORD has heard (Deut 26:7) [And we can listen to Him] that I am
unloved, He has therefore given me this son also. So she named him Simeon.
She conceived again and bore a son and said, Now this time my husband will
become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons. Therefore he
was named Levi. [Humility] (Num 3:6) And she conceived again and bore a son
and said, This time I will praise the LORD. [Worship]
(Gen 49:8) Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing. Now
when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she became jealous of her
sister; and she said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I die." Then Jacob’s
anger burned against Rachel, and he said, Am I in the place of God, who has
withheld from you the fruit of the womb? She said, Here is my maid Bilhah, go
in to her that she may bear on my knees, that through her I too may have
children. So she gave him her maid Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her.
Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Then Rachel said, God has vindicated
me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son. Therefore she
named him Dan. [Spiritual adulthood; vindication]
(1Ti 3:16) Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second
son. So Rachel said, With mighty wrestlings (Gen 32:24-32) [Dying to the
human false thinking of the old sin nature and of Satan’s world system] I have
wrestled with my sister, and I have indeed prevailed. And she named him
Naphtali. When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took her maid
Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son.
Then Leah said, How fortunate! [Spiritual Maturity] So she named him Gad.
Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. Then Leah said, Happy am I!
[Sharing God’s happiness] For women will call me happy. So she named him
Asher. Now in the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes
in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah,
Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes. But she said to her, Is it a
small matter for you to take my husband? And would you take my son’s
mandrakes also? So Rachel said, Therefore he may lie with you tonight in
return for your son’s mandrakes. When Jacob came in from the field in the
evening, then Leah went out to meet him and said, You must come in to me,
for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes. So he lay with her that
night. God gave heed to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son.
Then Leah said, God has given me my wages [Reward for Spiritual maturity]
because I gave my maid to my husband. So she named him Issachar. Leah
conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob. Then Leah said, God has
endowed me with a good gift; now my husband will dwell with me, [Live with
God now and in the New Jerusalem] because I have borne him six sons. So
she named him Zebulun. Afterward she bore a daughter and named her Dinah.
Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her
womb. So she conceived and bore a son and said, God has taken away my
reproach. [Sin nature cut off] She named him Joseph, saying, May the LORD
give me another son. [God will add more] (Gen 29:32) thru (Gen 30:24)
It came about as her soul was departing, [For she died] that she named
him Ben-oni; [Son of sorrows] (Isa 53:3-4) but his father called him Benjamin.
[Son of my right hand] (Gen 35:18) cf. (Rev 3:21) This last son shows our
Lord Jesus Christ (Heb 10:12) and the final victory stage of Spiritual maturity.
Now that we are Royal family; we have the invisible system, that is in the
same basic form, and works the same way, Thinking with God’s Thoughts and
staying in fellowship until we reach Spiritual maturity and then until death. (Prov
1:22-23)
THE INCARNATION
God revealed Himself to mankind as never before in history — in the
Person of Christ. In the Scriptures the life of Christ is recorded four times
over, from four perspectives, unlike any other period of history. Second, God
designed the incarnation of Jesus Christ to purchase Salvation for all mankind
in every dispensation. From God’s Viewpoint this extraordinary period throws
light across all of history; God’s design for the incarnation of Christ also
included an unprecedented system of power, the completed Spiritual life, to
pass every test Satan would be allowed to administer. (Luk 4:1-13) and then
go all the way to the Cross! (Heb 12:2) This approximately thirty-three-year
period is like a cornerstone or hinge that connects, yet divides, (Heb 9:15) two
very different Covenants. (2Co 3:9) So we can use this completed Spiritual life
to fulfill God’s will for our lives, as believers Priority # 1 is to reach Spiritual
maturity, and share in Christ’s victory, (Col 2:15) just as when David defeated
Goliath, and all Israel took part in his victory. (1Sa 17:50-54) We are on the
victory side of the Cross. (Rom 8:32) The only way to lose is to quit. (Jer 17:
13)
GOD REVEALED IN CHRIST
Dramatic change is the opening theme of the book of Hebrews. At the
announced place and time, (Dan 9:25) God fulfilled His Promises, to send the
Messiah. Divine Revelation came to mankind in the form of Christ Himself.
God, after He spoke long ago [In previous dispensations] to the fathers in
the prophets in many portions [Of the written canon of Scripture] and in many
ways, [Divine Communication to the prophets]in these last days has spoken to
us in His Son... [Who] is the flashing forth of His glory and the exact
representation of His nature... (Heb 1:1-3)
This long-awaited period of history, called “these last days” in, (Heb 1:2) is
also called the dispensation of “the fullness of time.” (Gal 4:4) cf.
(Eph 1:10)
But when the fullness of the time came, [A new dispensation] God sent
forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the [Mosaic] Law, in order that He
might redeem those who were under the Law, [By living a sinless life so that
He was a qualified substitute to receive Divine judgment for man’s sins] that
we [Who believe in Him] might receive the adoption as sons. (Gal 4:4-5)
The uniqueness of the dispensation of our Lord’s first advent is also the
subject of the first chapter of the Gospel of John. In terms of Divine
Revelation, God’s Thoughts: the written Word of the Old Testament passed
the baton to the Living Word in the Person of the God-man, Jesus Christ.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God... And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, [God in
the flesh] and we beheld His glory, glory as of the uniquely born One from the
Father, full of grace and Truth... No man has seen God at any time; the
uniquely born God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.
(John 1:1, John 1:14, John 1:18)
THE GREAT POWER EXPERIMENT
The Dispensation of the Hypostatic Union was also distinguished from
previous dispensations by the system of power that God the Father designed
to sustain the humanity of Christ in accomplishing man’s Salvation. A term was
coined for this unprecedented sphere of power: The Divine Dynasphere = The
Spiritual Life. According to the Father’s plan, Christ did not use the
omnipotence of His own Deity to support His humanity. (Php 2:7-8) Instead,
God the Holy Spirit constantly empowered and sustained the humanity of
Christ amid the hostility of the devil’s world. (Matt 4:1; Matt 12:18,
Matt 12:28; John 3:34; Rom 1:4; Heb 9:14) In addition to the ministry of the
Holy Spirit, the Spiritual life also included powerful assets for the humanity of
Christ to master and utilize by His own human volition. Our Lord used these
Divine problem-solving devices in executing the Salvation plan of the Father.
Because of the Spiritual life, the period of the incarnation of Christ, is the
beginning of the new way of life. (Matt 9:17) And is a demonstration of a
known Truth. The known Truth is that the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit
and the perfect efficacy of Divine problem-solving devices were fully able to
sustain the humanity of Christ. In the power of the Spiritual life, Christ perfectly
fulfilled every demand of the Mosaic Law throughout His life and death. The
Spiritual life proved effective even under the maximum pressure of being
judged for all the sins of mankind! The Holy Spirit constantly sustained Him on
the Cross, (Heb 9:14) and the problem-solving device that is called “Sharing
the happiness of God” enabled Him to endure the judgment of all human sins.
(Heb 12:2)
Christ bequeathed to every New Covenant Age believer, the very system of
power that sustained His humanity! (John 7:37-39; John 15:10-11) Our Lord’s
proven source of power is now available to the Church Age believer for
executing the post-Salvation plan of God. “And His yoke is easy,”
(Matt 11:28-30) “His burden is lite.” We use the Spiritual life to reach Spiritual
maturity! Not die on a cross! (1Co 10:13; Heb 12:4) The Hypostatic Union
(The God-man) establishes the precedent for the Church Age. Christ lived in
the prototype Spiritual life; the Christian can live in the operational-type
Spiritual life. The Church Age believer has the privilege of living by the system
of Divine dynamics under which Christ lived, not by the ritual system of Israel
which Christ totally fulfilled and abrogated. (Rom 10:4; Eph 2:15) We will
discuss this precedent later. Obviously, the “known Truth” in the Church Age
power experiment is that Divine power and problem-solving devices are
capable of handling any situation that could possibly confront us!
GIVING DEFINITION TO OTHER DISPENSATIONS.
As already noted, a major purpose of Old Testament Israel was to
anticipate the coming Messiah. Israel was custodian of a shadow Christology.
Like the shadow of a person that appears around a corner before he does,
Israel’s Spiritual life took its shape from the Reality of Christ who had yet to
appear on the scene of history. Other dispensations also are patterned after
the first advent of Christ. God took upon Himself true humanity to win the
victory of the Cross, to be the substitute for man’s sins. Because God is
forming the Church in honor of that victory, the glorified Christ is to rule each
believer, as He was to rule Israel; by the believer submitting to Christ’s Will
and Thoughts, not our own thoughts. He is the Head of the Church. (Eph 4:15;
Eph 5:23; Col 1:18) Also, Christ became true humanity in order to fulfill the
Davidic Covenant to Israel, on which the Millennium is based. Because He will
rule in the Millennium, Christ is called the Son of David. (Matt 1:1; Matt 12:23;
Matt 22:41-46) Each of these dispensations — the Age of Israel, the Church
Age, and the Millennium — is defined in terms of the First Advent of Christ.
The resurrection of Christ is the first and, so far, the only resurrection in
history. (1Ti 6:15-16) Other individuals have come back from the dead, but
they were resuscitated, not resurrected. (John 11:43-44) Resuscitation
restores an individual to his mortal body, but he subsequently dies again. (John
12:10) Resurrection gives the believer his resurrection body so that never
again will he die. (1Co 15:54) The sequence of resurrections is introduced by
the phrase “all shall be made alive, but each in his own order.” (1Co 15:22-23)
The “orders” are dispensations. The resurrection of believers is dispensational.
After this introduction, four phrases correspond to the final four dispensations
beginning with the Incarnation. The Dispensation of the Hypostatic Union
culminated with the resurrection of Christ, the “first fruits of those who are
asleep.”
(1Co 15:20; Rev 1:5) The Church Age will end with the harvest, or
resurrection, (Luk 21:24; Rev 14:15) “those who are Christ’s” — who are next
in line to receive resurrection bodies. (1Co 15:23) The Tribulation will conclude
with the second advent of Christ — when He delivers up the kingdom, (1Co 15:
24; cf. Rev 20:4) at which time all the believers from Adam to the Tribulational
martyrs receive resurrection bodies. (Job 19:25-26) Finally, this progression of
resurrections will culminate with the resurrection of all believers of the
Millennium — when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. (1Co
15:52-55; Rev 20:13-15)
CHRIST THE CORNERSTONE.
The Bible describes our Lord’s relationship to the Old Covenant and to the
New Covenant in several ways, but one example will suffice in this general
study of dispensations. Jesus Christ is frequently described as “The Chief
Cornerstone” (Psa 118:22; Isa 28:16; Matt 21:42; Acts 4:10-12; (1Co 3:11;
(1Pe 2:4-7) This expression must be interpreted in light of the times in which it
was written. What was a cornerstone in the ancient world? Two definitions
come down to us, one regarding a building’s foundation, the other pertaining to
structure above the foundation. A cornerstone was a stone laid at one corner
of a foundation as the normal starting point for construction. A stone at the
intersection of two walls, uniting them, was also called a cornerstone. Both
meanings illustrate Christ’s relationship with Israel and the Church,
(Eph 2:17-22) although this analogy by itself does not prove the relationship.
Christ can be compared to both the foundation and the superstructure in a
process of construction. According to this analogy, what is being built? And
what is the construction schedule? As Paul declared to the Athenians, God
“does not dwell in temples made with hands.” (Acts 17:24-25) He transcends
the “world and all things in it” but has chosen to dwell among men (John 1:14)
and in men. (John 14:20) Jesus Christ, the God-man, is the foundation for two
invisible, Spiritual “temples” designed for worship of God throughout eternity.
These two figurative buildings are Israel (Isa 28:16) and the Church.
(1Co 3:11-13) Each structure is built of individual believers, not of the stone,
brick, and timber normally associated with temple construction. This explains
why no temple building will exist in the New Jerusalem. (Rev 21:22) But the
names of the Tribes of Israel, and the Apostles are there on the same
building. (Rev 21:12-14) Church Age believers, for instance, are described as
“living stones being constructed into a Spiritual house for a holy priesthood”
(1Pe 2:5) This also sheds light on the fact that the Tabernacle in Israel was
only a “copy and shadow” of the Reality which is in heaven. (Heb 8:1-5) The
two “temples” built of believers will be complete when all members possess
resurrection bodies. The Church and Israel will become a Spiritual temple
forever, and will be resurrected with believers who die during the Tribulation,
at Christ’s Second Advent, (Job 19:25-26; Rev 20:4) except for all the
Spiritually mature believers who go to the wedding feast. (Rev 19:7-9) And
millennial believers will be resurrected at the end of the Millennium.
(Rev 20:5) With all members in resurrection bodies the Eternal state will begin.
(Rev 22:14) These living temples are built through evangelism and the
communication of Truth. We are “constructed on the foundation [Christ] by
means of the apostles and prophets.” [Writers and communicators of Truth]
(Eph 2:20) In contrast to believers who form these temples, unbelievers
stumble over the foundation stone. (Rom 9:30-33) The Jewish leaders in the
Age of the Hypostatic Union are depicted as builders, (Acts 4:10-12) but they
rejected Jesus Christ, their foundation. Therefore, work on Israel ceased,
postponed until later.
(Matt 21:42-43) In the meantime, construction of the second building, the
Church, began upon that same shared Foundation Stone. (1Pe 2:7) The
current situation finds the Church under construction while Israel remains a
foundation with its superstructure incomplete. The building up of Israel came to
a temporary halt while the Church is formed on earth. When the Church is
completed, then construction of Israel will resume. The superstructure aspect
of the analogy depicts Christ as the Chief Cornerstone. He not only connects
two walls but divides them as well, separating the Age of Israel from the Age
of the Church. As the Corner, the Age of the Hypostatic Union ends one wall
and sets the Standard of Thinking for another. Israel and the Church share cer
tain features, but one is not merely the continuation of the other. God’s
administration of human history turns a corner in the life of Christ.
Israel and the Church are separate dispensations even though numerous
continuities exist. The way of Salvation remains the same in both
dispensations, after the pattern of Abraham’s faith. God loves both groups of
believers, gives them eternal life, watches over them, and illustrates His
relationship with each group by an analogy to marriage. Both are elect; both
are called to grow up Spiritually; and both represent God in the world. But
fulfillment of Divine Covenants to Israel is not found in the Church. God does
not renege on His Promises. (Heb 6:18) Only the Old Covenant (Mosaic Law)
is fulfilled, and the New Covenant has started. (Heb 9:15) The three unfulfilled,
unconditional Divine Covenants guarantee that Israel, as a distinct and
permanent nation, will be a blessing forever to all mankind. (Gen 12:3)
In contrast, Jews who believe in Christ during the Church Age are included in
the Church through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, equal with all Church Age
believers and not distinct from them. (Eph 2:11-22) Christians must
“concentrate on Jesus, the Prince-Ruler, even the One who brings [Believers]
to the attainment [Of Spiritual maturity] by means of Truth.” (Heb 12:2) He is
the Cornerstone. Christ, not the Law that governed Israel, is the pattern of
Thinking and Virtue for the Church Age believer, In the power of the prototype
Spiritual life, Christ’s life fulfilled the Mosaic Law, rendering it obsolete. (Rom 8:
2-3; Heb 8:13; Heb 9:15; Heb 10:9) In the power of the operational Spiritual
life, the Church Age believer advances Spiritually and acquires the Thoughts
and Virtues of the humanity of Christ. (1Co 2:16; Gal 5:22-23;
(2Pe 1:2-4) Virtue from executing the protocol plan of God meets and exceeds
any demand for “human old sin morality” found in the Law.
(Rom 8:4-8)
THE SEPARATION OF ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH
FULFILLMENT OF THE MOSAIC LAW
The Dispensation of the Hypostatic Union stands as a boundary mark
between Israel and the Church. Christ fulfilled the Mosaic Law on one hand
and set the precedent and Standard for the New Covenant Church Age
protocol on the other. (A long established code and procedure prescribing
complete obedience to authority and strict adherence to due order of
precedence and precisely correct procedure) This division is confirmed by
numerous passages which state that the Mosaic Law does not define the New
Covenant way of life. (John 1:16-17; Rom 6:14; Rom 8:2-4;
Gal 3:19-22; Col 2:14) At the Exodus God founded Israel as a Theocracy
ruled Personally by the Second Person of the Trinity. (1Sa 10:19) The whole
thrust of the Jewish way of life was Spiritual. Because God ruled Israel, every
aspect of life in the nation had Spiritual significance, and the Mosaic Law did
not distinguish between Spiritual and secular (Non Spiritual) issues. Obedience
to Divine establishment was part of the Spiritual life of Jewish believers, and
observance of holy days and animal sacrifices was required of all citizens,
including unbelievers. (Although these rituals were fully meaningful to believers
only) We distinguish the freedom code, the Spiritual code, and the
establishment code; as a categorical approach to communicating the wide
scope of the Mosaic Law. But all aspects of the Law add up to one code for a
unique racial and political entity; with a Spiritual origin, a Spiritual destiny; and
a king Who IS God Himself. The Law is an integrated whole. (Matt 5:18; Gal 5:
14) cf. (Rom 7:14; Gal 5:22-23) The entire Mosaic Law is a particular
expression of God’s eternal and Holy essence. He gave the Law to a distinctly
defined group of people. (Lev 26:46; Rom 3:19; Rom 9:4) It was effective for
a limited period of time (Gal 3:23-25) And it was designed for several clear
purposes. The Mosaic Law ruled life in God’s unique client nation, exposed
man’s sinfulness, and demonstrated his need of a Savior, but the primary
purpose of the Law was to anticipate the coming of Christ.
(Exo 12:27; (1Co 5:7)
Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come
to abolish, but to fulfill. (Matt 5:17)
The Law was far more than simply a rule of behavior. Although
superior to contemporary codes in its “moral” — obedience; the Law was not
primarily ethical but Messianic. (Relating to a future Messiah) Therein lies its
true greatness. Its Commands depicted the Person and work of Christ and
protected the line of Christ until He would arrive in the flesh. The centuries-old
purpose of the Mosaic Law was achieved by the incarnate Jesus Christ.
Anticipation was replaced by Reality. This perfect fulfillment is a tribute to the
faithfulness of God. Because all parts of the Law functioned together as one
code, the Law has been abolished as a whole. The entirety of the Law is no
longer pertinent and no longer governs any people or nation. (Matt 5:17-19;
Rom 7:14; Rom 10:4; Heb 8:13; Heb 10:9) The rule of the Mosaic Law has
ended. The Church is “not under Law, but under grace.” (Rom 6:14)
(Condemnation of the old sin nature’s effort to be Holy, but favor, in fellowship
(1Jn 1:9) using the Spiritual life) (Rom 8:3-4)
THE LAW OF CHRIST
The end of the Mosaic Law does not leave believers or unbelievers
lawless. (Rom 6:15; Rom 13:1-7) A new code of Divine Commands, which
also expresses the essence of God, now defines the believer’s way of life.
Like the Law, this new code is also an integrated whole. But God’s protocol
plan for the Church has a different objective: to glorify the victorious Christ to
the maximum. And greater responsibility placed upon each believer to Think
and apply Truth for himself in the privacy of his own priesthood. Still, many
Principles found in the Mosaic Law also appear in the protocol plan. The
reason is that both codes come from the same source, from God Himself. The
essence of God remains unchanged even as He makes dispensational
changes in human history. God was perfect before He gave the Law to
Moses, perfect during the time of the Law, and perfect when He fulfilled and
rescinded the Law in Christ. In fact, the succession of dispensations reveals
His changeless essence to man and angels. God expressed His absolute
Holiness to man in legal terms long before the Mosaic Law existed, and He
continues to provide ethical norms and Spiritual instruction now that the Law
has ceased to govern. Indeed before the time in which the Mosaic Law was in
effect in Israel, other expressions of Divine Law functioned among Jews and
Gentiles to whom the Mosaic Law never applied. (Gen 26:5; Job 1:1; Exo 19:
5; Rom 2:14-16; (1Co 7:19)
In the Church Age the operative Divine Law is not the Mosaic Law but “the
Law of Christ.” (1Co 9:20-21; Gal 6:2) This is also called “the Law of the Spirit
of life in Christ Jesus,” (Rom 8:2) which is called the protocol plan of God, or
Thinking Truth in the Spiritual life. Christ fulfilled the entire Mosaic Law in the
power of the Holy Spirit in the prototype Spiritual life. The New Covenant
Church Age believer obeys the new “Law of Christ” by following His example:
filled with God the Holy Spirit in the operational Spiritual life.
(Rom 8:2-4) Because Christ fulfilled and abolished the Mosaic Law.
(Heb 8:13; Heb 10:9) Practices instituted for the nation of Israel are not
included in the post-Salvation plan of God for the Church Age. They do not
contribute to the Christian way of life. The Church, for example, does not offer
animal sacrifices, observe holy days or the Sabbath, maintain the Levitical
priesthood, worship in a sacred building, offer tithes, or have minute details of
civic life prescribed by Spiritual Ordinances. There is now a new, universal
priesthood of all believers, (1Pe 2:9; Heb 7:12; Heb 8:1) and a greater
emphasis on individual responsibility, (Gal 5:1) and a separation of church and
state. (Rom 13:1-7; cf. Matt 22:15-22)
TRANSITION BETWEEN DIVINE ADMINISTRATIONS.
Three separate dispensations converge in the Age of the Hypostatic Union.
1. Christ fulfilled the Old Testament Law, (Heb 10:9) and taught His current
followers to live apart from legalism. (The old sin nature’s “moral” effort to be
Holy) (Rom 8:8)
2. He proclaimed His ruling platform for the New Covenant kingdom.
(Matt 5:1-48)
3. He unveiled the plan of God for the Church. (Matt 16:15-27; John 14:1; thru
John 17:26)
These closely placed Divine administrations — as well as the presence of
Christ Himself — exhibit the grace and wisdom of God to an unparalleled
depth of continuity and change. The period of our Lord’s first advent, then, is
an extraordinary presentation of God’s perfect essence. Each dispensation
fulfills its own purpose in the overall plan of God. Although similarities exist,
differences in Divine Commands distinguish Israel, the Incarnation, the Church,
the Tribulation and the Millennium. Divine policy differs significantly from the
Law given through Moses to Israel, (Deut 4:13) to the New Covenant at the
last supper. (Luk 22:20) For example, the Sermon on the Mount represented a
shift in Divine policy. Again and again Jesus declared, “You have heard that it
was said [In the Mosaic Law]. . . but I say...
(Matt 5:21-48) He proclaimed the New Covenant kingdom of God to the Jews
in terms of their Mosaic frame of reference, for He used the Law as the
foundation or point of departure for explaining the way of life of His Personal
rule in the soul of each believer in the New Covenant Spiritual kingdom.
(Rom 15:12; 1Co 3:16; Eph 1:22-23; (1Co 7:22) Christ also ministered to the
current needs of His hearers. Amplifying and clarifying the true meaning of the
Law, He taught them how to live free from the legalistic degeneracy that was
the norm in the nation. Never was the Law intended to be a means of
Salvation (Gal 3:24) or a breeding ground for self-righteousness.
(Matt 6:1-18) The Law revealed the necessity for grace and the source of
that grace, Jesus Christ Himself. After Christ was rejected by Israel, He
announced yet a different Divine system, the Church Age. (John 14:1) thru
(John 17:1-26) During the Church Age, church and state are separate entities.
Divine Commands for the Spiritual kingdom of the Church Age believer, cannot
be imposed upon the unbeliever. Unlike the Mosaic Law which ruled believers
and unbelievers in Israel. In the Millennium the Spiritual and the civil will also
come under one rule as Christ again reigns, not as God ruling over one nation
but as the God-man over both Israel and the entire world. Rather than institute
another legal system that directly governs all people, Christ now controls
history in a manner that gives individual Church Age believers tremendous
opportunity and responsibility for having invisible impact. In the Upper Room
Discourse (Luk 22:15-30) Jesus bequeathed to the Church this new system of
dynamics by which He Himself had lived throughout His first advent.
COMMON PRINCIPLES IN DIFFERENT CODES.
The similarities between the Mosaic Law and Church Age protocol reveal
God’s immutable consistency, but the differences reflect the magnitude of
Christ’s achievement during His first advent. The utterly highest quality of His
saving work not only is a stated fact of Doctrine. (Heb 2:3) but is also
indicated by the dispensational changes that followed the victory of the Cross
and resurrection (John 7:38-39) (The New Covenant Spiritual life) Astounding
privileges belong to the “new Spiritual species” of believers — the Church —
who are chosen to glorify His victory forever. In establishing the way of life for
believers of the Church Age, God manifested His character in many individual
Commands, some of which He had also included in the Mosaic Law. For
example, with the full unveiling of mystery Doctrine in the New Testament
Epistles, every one of the Ten Commandments, except Sabbath observance,
has also been given to the Church. (Fulfilled by being in fellowship;
Gal 5:22-23) Even with these similarities, Church Age protocol is not the
Mosaic Law. These are entirely different codes, just as the United States
Constitution is not the same as England’s Magna Carta, even though they
share certain Concepts. Continuities between Israel and the Church exist
because all Divine Law reflects the unchangeable Thinking of God, not
because all or part of the Mosaic Law carries over into other dispensations.
Despite numerous continuities, the new policy for the Church Age is not the old
Mosaic Law itself. If Precepts found in the Mosaic Law pertain to the Church,
they do so because they appear in the New Testament Epistles, which define
the Christian way of life. These common Principles belong to the Church
because they are part of the Law of Christ, (His Thinking) not because they
belong to the Mosaic Law. (Condemnation of human thinking) (Rom 7:14; Rom
7:25) Adherence to Divine establishment had a different meaning under the
Mosaic Law than it does under God’s plan for the Church Age. Because Israel
was God’s unique client nation, obedience to the establishment aspect of the
Mosaic Law was an integral part of the Spiritual life of Jewish believers. As
part of the Law, Divine establishment not only preserved the line of the
Messiah but also stabilized Jewish society so that over many centuries the
Jews would retain the specific national functions that foreshadowed Christ. In
the Church Age these special purposes for Divine establishment does not
exist. The separation of church and state means that the Christian’s
responsibility to obey establishment is an application of his Spiritual life rather
than a part of it. This explains why the Romans considered the early Christians
to be deficient in patriotism, not because Christians disobeyed civil Law or
were irresponsible as citizens but because Christianity did not make civil duty
part of one’s religion. Again, whereas the Law of Moses pertained to all
residents of the nation — believers and unbelievers alike — the Law of Christ
governs believers only.
THE CONTINUING VALUE OF THE MOSAIC LAW. The Mosaic Law belongs
to the Word of God and still has value for the Church Age believer. In Codex I
the Ten Commandments define human freedom. This short list of prohibitions
does not begin to cover the Doctrine of hamartiology. (Sin) The identified sins
destroy the component elements of freedom — which are privacy, protection,
owning property, liberty and Divinely delegated authority. In every dispensation
believers and unbelievers alike can protect freedom by avoiding these
destructive sins. This explains why every provision of the Decalogue, except
Sabbath observance; that was and is a teaching aid for Spiritual maturity, (Isa
58:13-14; Heb 4:9-11) is also found in the Law of Christ; as an illustration for
us to cease from human thinking, as they ceased from work, and human
thinking. (Exo 35:2) Codex II presents the purpose for which God gave man
free will: to come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ. The ritual provisions of the
Law still have value because they reveal the Messiah as the only Savior. In
ceremonies prescribed by Codex II, the sacrificial animal received the
judgment due to the sinner; providing forgiveness and personal cleansing. The
New Testament reveals that the actual source of forgiveness of sins is the
substitutionary death of Christ on the cross. (Rom 5:8-10) Fulfilled in the
Person of Christ, these details of ceremonial worship in Israel can teach the
royal family to appreciate the Lord. The Church Age believer can see Jesus
Christ in the Law. New Testament phrases like “the Lamb of God” and “the
blood of Christ” dramatically declare that Christ’s saving work on the Cross is
the Reality that the Mosaic Law foreshadowed. (Exo 12:21; John 1:29; (1Pe 1:
18-19) Codex III contains practical Instructions in many fields that were
especially pertinent to Israel. For example, agricultural practices or
precautions in dealing with disease or sanitation addressed problems that exist
throughout human history. The specific provisions of the Mosaic Law may or
may not have value in other nations, but they are concrete examples of how
establishment Concepts apply to particular situations. Above all, these
Statutes testify to the care and faithfulness of God in guiding His people in
specific circumstances that often were difficult.
Many particulars of Divine establishment in Codex III of the Mosaic Law
are neither reconfirmed nor clearly excluded from Church Age practice. These
Precepts still reveal the essence of God as expressed in governing His client
nation, but they do not bear the force of Law for any nation but Old Testament
Israel. For instance, the Principle of capital punishment is given for restraint of
sin. (Rom 13:1-4) And to promote freedom during the Church Age, but the
Church is only a Spiritual kingdom that continues by the pivot of Spiritually
mature believers. (Luk 9:62) God has given the Church Age believer general
guidance concerning Divine establishment, in contrast to the hundreds of exact
Laws that precisely defined life in ancient Israel. Each believer has a
responsibility to his community and nation, but the separation of church and
state during the Church Age entrusts the specific application of establishment
Principles to each generation. God encourages the Christian to Think and
apply the basic Truths of Divine establishment according to the legitimate
processes of human government in his own nation. Government is “a minister
of God to you for good.” (Rom 13:1-14) An astute political leader in the
Church Age who wishes his nation to prosper can learn much from the Mosaic
Law without blindly superimposing its exact provisions where they may not
apply. Instead, he will adapt establishment Principles to the circumstances,
objectives and heritage of his own country. Because Jesus Christ fulfilled the
Mosaic Law, His Church is free from the Law. (Gal 5:1) Freedom from the
Mosaic Law is not Lawlessness or lack of direction. Instead, this royal liberty
exists within the framework of God’s protocol for the Church Age. (John 15:10-
12; (1Co 9:19-21; Gal 5:13) The Christian lives under a new Law initially
announced by Christ and executed in the power of God the Holy Spirit. (Rom 8:
2-4) Just as the humanity of Christ Spiritually matured under this powerful
system of Divine assets. (Luk 2:40, Luk 2:52) Church Age believers also have
an extraordinary opportunity to advance Spiritually. Among the many continuing
uses of the Mosaic Law, this portion of Scripture teaches by contrast that the
Church Age is an epoch of Spiritual freedom. The advantages of being in union
with Christ, give believers unprecedented freedom to apply Truth, and grow in
a personal relationship with God.
THE DISPENSATION OF THE CHURCH
The Church Age is a brilliant advance in Biblical history. For perspective,
notice the progress of the dispensations. At the founding of Israel, Moses
wrote:
Indeed, ask now concerning the former days which were before you, since
the day that God created man on the earth, and inquire from one end of the
heavens to the other. Has anything been done like this great thing,
[Establishing the nation of Israel] or has anything been heard like it?
(Deut 4:32)
Magnificent though God’s client nation was; when the Age of Israel ended with
the advent of Christ; a far greater thing had come to pass.
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many
portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son,
whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
(Heb 1:1-2)
Following this incomparable Revelation of God, the Church still arrived on
the scene as an amazing expression of God’s power and grace. The Church is
a breathtaking phenomenon. Never before has the believer held such a
position in relation to the Godhead. Scripture presents the Church as yet
another dramatic new departure in human history.
Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The
Words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father
abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the
Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. Truly,
truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also;
and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. [So God
will speak through us] Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the
Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will
do it. If you love Me, you will keep My Commandments. [Thoughts] I will ask
the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you
forever; that is the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it
does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you
and will be in you. (John 14:10-17)
As a unique body of believers, the Church is united with Christ, imitates
Him, glorifies Him, accompanies Him, and if Spiritually mature, will rule with
Him forever. Never before in history have all these privileges been extended to
mankind.
THE EPOCH OF THE ROYAL FAMILY OF GOD
The Church Age began circa AD. 30 on the day of Pentecost, ten days
after our Lord’s ascension, and will terminate with the resurrection, or harvest.
(Matt 24:27-40) An overview of the broad, historical characteristics of the
Church Age will be presented here. Later we will summarize the privileges of
the individual Church Age believer. There we will discover why the Church Age
offers the greatest challenge to the individual believer in all of human history.
The Church Age believer’s unique status, power system, privileges, and
responsibilities will answer the question, “After Salvation, what?” The
Dispensation of the Church is the era of the royal family of God. Every Church
Age believer belongs to Christ’s royal family, founded as a consequence of His
strategic victory at the Cross and His rejection by Israel. (1Pe 2:9) During the
Church Age God is forming this body of believers for the maximum glorification
of the Lord Jesus Christ. God gives each Church Age believer the new royal
status of the resurrected Christ, and extends the great power experiment of
the hypostatic union into the great power experiment of the Church Age. The
position, assets, and opportunities given to the Church Age believer place the
royal family of God in contrast to the family, nation or kingdom of God in other
dispensations. Christ now holds three titles of royalty, each with a royal family.
As God, He has always been Divine royalty. (Rom 1:4; John 17:5) His first
royal title is Son of God, and His royal family includes the other two members
of the Trinity — God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. As a man, Jesus
became Jewish royalty at the virgin birth. (Rom 1:3) His Jewish royal title is
Son of David and His royal family is the Davidic dynasty. As the God-man, He
won the victory over Satan at the Cross
(Col 2:15) and was granted a new royal title that may be considered His
battlefield royalty. (Heb 1:3-4) This third royal title is King of Kings and Lord of
Lords, the Bright Morning Star. (1Ti 6:15; Rev 19:16; Rev 22:16) But when the
Father conferred this new title upon our Lord, no accompanying royal family
yet existed. The plan of God for the Church Age brings to a majestic
culmination the honors presented to the victorious Christ. When Jesus Christ
ascended in triumph to heaven, (Eph 4:8) God the Father invested Him with
the glories of battlefield royalty and seated Him at the right hand of the throne
of God. (Psa 110:1) Then the Father inaugurated the Church Age to establish
a royal family for the glorified Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone who believes in
Christ during the New Covenant Age is a member of the royal family of God,
also known as the Body of Christ. (Gal 3:28; Eph 1:22-23) The very presence
of Spiritual royalty on earth makes the Church Age unique in human history.
During the Church Age every believer can live in the operational Spiritual life,
just as during the Dispensation of the Hypostatic Union the humanity of Christ
resided in the prototype Spiritual life. Every member of the royal family can
utilize the Divine power and the Divine problem solving devices that enabled
the humanity of Christ to win His strategic victory over Satan, sin, and death!
By extending the great power experiment, He equipped us to exploit His
strategic victory and win tactical victories in our own lives. As we grow
Spiritually, the positive influence of Spiritual royalty on earth spreads visibly,
and invisibly from the individual believer to other people, to organizations, to
nations, to future generations, and to the angels. The personal dynamics of the
Christian way of life will be discussed later, but this powerful collective impact
of believers is one of the broad historical characteristics of the Church Age.
During this dispensation, God maintains a Spiritual presence, not a political or
racial presence, among mankind!
GENTILE CLIENT NATIONS
Client nations exist in the Church Age but with a significant difference from
the Age of Israel. As before, believers reside in all the nations of the earth, but
instead of dealing with mankind through a Jewish client nation, God now
primarily works through gentile client nations. He entrusts Spiritually mature
believers in these nations with the preservation and communication of the
Written canon of Scripture. He blesses and protects the gentile client nation as
long as the nation upholds its client responsibilities.
Israel is the only nation with which God has sworn an eternal Covenant. He
will honor His unconditional Covenants at the second advent of Christ, (Rom 11:
25-29) but Israel is under Divine discipline throughout the Church Age, and is
restricted from her client nation functions. These are “the times of the
Gentiles” (Luk 21:24) which will continue until Christ returns. (Matt 24:30) God
now extends client privileges to non-Jewish nations. This Divine policy is
implied by both Christ and Paul who Command civic duty toward the Roman
Empire. (Luk 20:21-25; Rom 13:1-7)
During the Church Age any gentile nation can serve as a client nation by
practicing the following Principles.
1. Protect human life, freedom, protection, privacy and property; according
to the Divine Laws of establishment
2. Allow evangelism and Bible teaching
3. Serve as a base for missionary activity to non-client nations 4. Afford a
haven of toleration for the dispersed Jews
The first of these Principles creates the environment in which the remaining
Principles can fully operate. The first is the chief concern of a nation’s
government, while the remaining three express the Spiritual life of the nation’s
people. God deals with the client nation in keeping with the Spiritual condition
of its believers. Blessings to growing believers overflow to the nation; Divine
discipline of believers who do not advance also affects the nation. This
ultimately explains the nation’s historical rise or fall.
(Psa 34:15-16) Therefore, a thriving client nation that enjoys special Divine
blessing must maintain a strong pivot of growing and Spiritually mature
believers. Although invisible, the Spiritual impact of mature believers residing in
a gentile client nation gives the nation its vigor. The gentile client nation is God’
s principal missionary agency during the Church Age. As part of the client
nation’s collective impact, every individual believer as a member of the Church
Universal has a personal responsibility to evangelize those in his periphery.
(Acts 1:8; Rom 1:14; (1Co 9:16; (2Co 4:5; (2Ti 4:5) He is likewise responsible
for supporting the domestic and foreign spread of the Gospel and accurate
Biblical teaching. This support may include prayer, financial contributions,
service, or some other form of aid and encouragement. In sharp contrast to
Israel, no specific race of people is elect in the Church Age. Different from the
election of Israel, the election of the Church includes every individual believer
— Jew and Gentile — of any race, culture or nationality. (Gal 3:28) Strictly
speaking, there is no such thing as a “Christian nation.” The royal family of
God on earth exists in every nation, and, unlike the Theocracy of Israel, church
and state are separate. This separation is illustrated by the Roman Empire,
which was the first gentile client nation. Although Rome was pagan in its
official religion, the Church thrived under her protection and toleration during
the reigns of the Antonine Caesars.
(AD. 96-192) New Testament Truth never advocates a union of church and
state, the interference of Christian organizations into the affairs of state, or the
overthrow of pagan governments. Rather, government is a blessing.
(Rom 13:1-7) Actually, God ordained the benefit to be reciprocal. While the
Roman Empire served as “a minister of God to you for good,” (Rom 13:4) the
invisible Spiritual pivot of mature believers brought Divine blessing to the
Empire. This unheralded nucleus of Christians existed in the congregations of
the Roman province of Asia, located in what is today western Turkey.
(Eph; Col; John; Rev. 2 — 3)
PRECANON AND POSTCANON ERAS
The Church Age is divided into two categories: the relatively brief
pre-canon period in which the New Testament canon was being formed, and
the predominant post-canon period following the completion of the written
Word of God. The pre-canon era is documented in the Book of Acts, which
preserves the historical record of the early Church; but does not attempt a
comprehensive presentation of Church Age Doctrines. In fact, certain
phenomena found in Acts were required in starting the Church Age but were
no longer pertinent after the purpose was achieved, and Church Age Doctrines
were permanently and authoritatively recorded in the New Testament Epistles.
Thus, the pre-canon period was characterized by temporary Spiritual gifts
such as apostleship, Prophecy, knowledge, tongues, interpretation of tongues,
miracles, and healing. (1Co 12:1-14) These temporary gifts were designed to
spotlight the Doctrine of the mystery,
(Eph 3:9) to gain a hearing for communicators of these newly revealed
Doctrines, and to warn Israel of impending national discipline from God. As
when these purposes were fulfilled; the temporary gifts were no longer
necessary and were gradually removed. (1Co 13:8) Paul, for example, gained
credibility with his hearers through the temporary gifts of miracles and healing,
(Acts 13:8-12; Acts 14:3; Acts 19:11-12) but as his reputation became
established, these gifts no longer had a purpose. By A.D. 61 he could not
Command the healing of even his dear friend Epaphroditus,
(Php 2:27) and in Miletus, Trophimus. (2Ti 4:20) Likewise, the temporary gift
of tongues was designed to evangelize Jews in gentile languages, unknown to
the speakers themselves. This miraculous gift was a dramatic sign of
Israel’s failure as a client nation to carry the Truth to gentile nations.
Prophesied by Isaiah, the temporary gift of tongues was a warning to Israel of
imminent Divine discipline. (Isa 28:11; cf. 1Co 14:21) When Jerusalem did
indeed fall to the Romans in A.D. 70, the gift of tongues had no further
purpose and ceased to exist. The so-called gift of tongues claimed today is an
emotional and demonic counterfeit that distracts from Truth, divides the
Church, and debases Christianity. The pre-canon period came to a close with
the death of John, the last apostle, sometime after he wrote Revelation in
approximately
A.D. 96.
The post-canon period, in which we now live, is the era of permanent
Spiritual gifts. Gifts like pastor-teacher, evangelism, administration and helps.
And are designed to communicate the Truth, of the written Word of God and
carry out the functions of the Church to reach Spiritual maturity.
(Eph 4:11-13) These gifts sustain the royal family of God on earth and operate
throughout all generations of the Church Age. Gone are the spectacular
displays of Divine power typical of the pre-canon period. Gone are the
dramatic rituals and ceremonies of previous dispensations.
The post-canon period of the Church Age, emphasizes Thinking Truth and
personal application of Truth. (John 13:17) The Christian lives by Divine Truth
in his own soul, rather than depending on the emotional stimulation of overt
rites, Divine appearances or miraculous deeds performed by a few highly
visible Christians. Even in the pre-canon period, the emphasis was on Truth.
(1Co 14:19) The Church is the most concentrated and sustained presentation
of God’s grace in all of human history. (Eph 3:2)
Continual Spiritual growth is the believer’s objective in every dispensation,
but in the Church Age the means to this end are more powerful than in any
other age. Truth teaches that God gives each member of the royal family
access to Divine power in his inner life (Php 3:10) while providing the
problem-solving devices designed originally for the humanity of Christ.
(John 15:10; (1Jn 2:6) Spiritual victory lies in using these assets. The result is
the progressive attainment of Spiritual maturity — with all the mental and
emotional richness that maturity brings.
THE TRIBULATION
TO REVIEW, THE SIX DISPENSATIONS; from three categories: Theocentric,
Christocentric, and Eschatological. We have just described the two
magnificent Christocentric dispensations: the Dispensation of the Hypostatic
Union and the Church Age. Now we turn our attention to the future.
Eschatology is the biblical study of future or final events. Prophecies yet
unfulfilled anticipate history’s concluding two dispensations, which are
designated the Tribulation and the Millennium. The eschatological
dispensations are defined as those after the signing and altering of the peace
treaty. (Dan 8:11-14; Dan 9:27; Dan 12:11)
The Tribulational eschatological dispensation is separate but coexists with
the Church because it was presented in the Old Testament, whereas the
Church (By name) remained undisclosed throughout Old Testament times, but
it has always been known that Gentiles would be saved in the New Covenant
Age. (Hos 1:10; Rom 9:26; Matt 12:21; Amos 9:10-11; Acts 15:16-18) For the
Jews, the Tribulation immediately precedes the founding of God’s Promised
kingdom on earth. Thus, this approximately seven-year period of history (Dan
9:27; Rev 11:3; Rev 12:6) is the end of Divine discipline against Israel. The
Tribulation is Prophesied in the Old Testament, (Isa 34:1-6;
Isa 63:1-6; Jer 30:4-8; Dan 11:40-45; Zec 12:1-3; Zec 14:1-2) and in our
Lord’s Olivet Discourse, and in Revelation 6 — 19. This short, dramatic era
will commence immediately at the altering of the peace treaty, (Dan 9:27) and
will terminate with the Second Advent of Christ. It is the “time of Jacob’s
distress” (Jer 30:7) and Daniel’s seventieth week (Or seventieth seven) based
on the famous timetable prophecy of, (Dan 9:24-27). The Tribulation might
also be called the time of Satan’s desperation because of the violent power
struggle that will occur. (Rev 12:12)
The first half of the Tribulation will be a time of relative prosperity and overt
world peace. Satan will make this one last attempt to establish a “Millennium”
of his own to prove that he is equal with God. (Isa 14:14) But the devil has
only his own interests at heart. He cares nothing for mankind but merely wants
to use man to prove himself justified in revolting against God. Behind the
scenes Satan will be clamping the human race in tyranny through power
politics and religious manipulation. Tyranny always flows into the vacuum
created by the absence of Divine establishment. Evil will be unrestrained in the
Tribulation, Satan will have his freest hand. But when Satan is left virtually to
his own devices, the world situation will turn grim — characterized by an initial
false prosperity that deteriorates into horrible disaster. Satan’s arrogance will
be ultimately revealed in his incompetence. Given every chance, he cannot rule
the kingdom he usurped from Adam. Human failures will multiply under Satan’s
administration through a contagion of bad decisions; a shockingly large portion
of the earth’s population will be destroyed. (Rev 6:1-11) Except for Eden and
the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, utopias are masks for coercion, slavery,
and violence. Neither man nor Satan (Who is far more capable than man) can
create a politically and or socially perfect state. In the Tribulation, God will
eject arrogant scheming, belligerent Satan from the courtroom of heaven
where he has enjoyed free access as defense counsel throughout the appeal
trial of the angelic conflict. (Rev 12:7-9; cf. Job 1:6; Job 2:1; Zec 3:1) With
Satan cast down to earth, the Tribulation Period will witness unprecedented
violence as Satan’s machinations unravel and he desperately struggles to
retain his rule over the world. This latter part of the dispensation is the period
actually called the Great Tribulation. (Matt 24:21; Rev 7:14) Satan will commit
all his forces to exterminating the Jews. (Rev 12:17) His purpose will be to
eliminate all potential beneficiaries of God’s unconditional Covenants to Israel.
The devil will pursue this heinous policy in an attempt to prove God unfaithful to
His Promises. Satan will know from Scripture that the fulfillment of God’s
Covenants to Israel is imminent. The Millennium will be only years away. But,
reasons Satan, if no regenerate Jew remains alive, God would be unable to
keep His Promises and fulfill His Prophecies. There would be no one to receive
the Promised blessings. And if God could not fulfill His unconditional
Covenants; (A blasphemous and unthinkable presumption) His essence would
be flawed, and Satan would have grounds for demanding dismissal of all the
charges against himself and the fallen angels. But Satan’s ploy will not
succeed. In spite of a deceptive peace followed by horrible violence, the
Gospel of Salvation will be presented more intensively during the Tribulation
than in any other dispensation. With Israel remaining under Divine discipline
until Christ’s Second Advent, Instead of a client nation, God’s principal
missionary agency will be 144,000 Jewish evangelists. (Rev 7:4-8) They will
risk martyrdom to present the Gospel throughout the world. Supporting and
supplementing the function of these evangelists, angels will also join in the
presentation of the Gospel. (Rev 14:6-7) Furthermore, two Old Testament
prophets — Moses and Elijah will be resuscitated for a brief but powerful
ministry in Jerusalem. (Rev 11:3-13) By all these diverse means, the entire
earth will be evangelized thoroughly in the brief span of the Tribulation.
Principle: Grace precedes judgment. An unprecedented world war will break
out in the last half of the Tribulation. Watching his utopian kingdom fragment
and collapse into chaos, a desperate Satan will set vast human and demonic
forces into motion. The ensuing war will culminate in the Armageddon
Campaign, in which the forces of four great political powers will converge on
Palestine. In Jerusalem a remnant of Jewish believers will refuse to surrender.
Brilliantly commanded by aggressive, Spiritually mature generals, (Zec 12:5-8)
these besieged few will fight for their lives against overwhelming odds. The
situation will appear utterly hopeless. The last chance of survival will collapse.
Then, suddenly, the Lord Jesus Christ will return to earth and join the battle.
(Zec 12:9-11)
THE MILLENNIUM
THE REIGN OF CHRIST
The Lord Jesus Christ will return to deliver the Jews. (Isa 10:20-23;
Isa 11:11-16; Isa 14:1-3; Isa 63:1-6; Joe 2:16; thru Joe 3:21; Zec 10:6-12)
He will come to establish His kingdom in fulfillment of the unconditional
Covenants to Israel. (Dan 9:24; Zec 14:9)
Seventy weeks [490 yrs.] have been decreed for your people [The Jews]
and your holy city, [Jerusalem] to finish the transgression, [End the fifth cycle
of discipline for Israel] to make an end of sin, [Judgment on negative volition,
religion, anti-Semitism, evil, etc.] to make atonement for iniquity, [Baptism of
fire] to bring in everlasting righteousness, [The Millennium] to seal up vision
[Daniel’s vision] and Prophecy [Three unconditional Covenants] [The New
Covenant continues with Israel as the client nation] and to anoint the most Holy
place. [The New Temple with Gods Presence] (Dan 9:24)
As King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ, the Son of David will
destroy the forces of Satan and depose the devil as the ruler of the earth. The
Lamb of God will re-gather dispersed Israel and rule the earth for one
thousand years. Then will the wonderful Prophecy be fulfilled, which describes
“many peoples and mighty nations of Gentiles coming to Jerusalem to entreat
the favor of the Lord.”
So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the LORD of hosts
in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of
hosts, In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a
Jew, saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. (Zec
8:22-23)
The Millennium, Latin for “one thousand years,” will commence with the
Second Advent of Christ and terminate with the Last Judgment and the
destruction of the present universe, including planet Earth. This final
dispensation prior to the eternal state is documented in numerous passages
of Scripture, with major statements in, (Psa 72:1-20; Isa 11:1-12;
Isa 35:1-10; Isa 62:1-12; Isa 65:18-25; Zec 14:4-11; Rev 20:1-10).
When Jesus Christ returns, He will be accompanied by His royal families,
from the wedding feast. (Rev 19:1-21) Along with the Church, these Jewish
and Gentile (Spiritually Mature) believers, (Job 19:25-26; Rev 7:9-17) in their
resurrection bodies will participate in our Lord’s thousand year reign over the
earth. With Christ’s Second Advent and the restoration of client-nation Israel,
the general outline of the Millennium includes the imprisonment of Satan and
his fallen angels, (Rev 20:1-3) the removal of all unbelievers from the earth in
the Baptism of Fire, (2Pe 3:7-10) and the coronation of Christ. The Millennium
will begin with a cadre of believers only, (Isa 66:20-21) delivered through the
Tribulation. In succeeding generations, however, some of their sons and
daughters will reject Christ as Savior despite His Personal Presence and
regardless of the wisdom and justice of His rule. (Rev 20:8-10) Under the
administration of Christ, the earth will enjoy perfect environment. (Isa 35:1-10;
(Isa 11:6-12; Isa 65:19-25; Rom 8:19-21) Universal peace will exist for the
first time since the fall of man. (Psa 46:8-9; Isa 2:2-4;
Hos 2:18; Mic 4:3) Prosperity will spread to all nations. (Psa 72:7-20) Infant
mortality will be reduced dramatically, and human longevity will increase
dramatically. (Isa 65:20) A population explosion will result, repopulating the
earth after the decimations of the population in the Tribulation, and the Divine
judgments that initially establish Christ’s reign. Throughout the Millennium there
will be universal knowledge of God, and the use of His Thinking.
(Isa 11:9; Jer 31:33-34) Israel will rejoice as God’s client nation ruled by
Christ Personally. The believer’s post-Salvation way of life will again include
the ministry of God the Holy Spirit, and like the Spirit’s invisible ministry during
the Church Age, (Heb 10:14-17) the filling of God the Holy Spirit in the
Millennium will stimulate the believer’s growth to Spiritual maturity.
(Eze 11:19-20) The Holy Spirit’s ministry of revealing and glorifying Christ is to
demonstrate the sufficiency and tremendous impact of Truth in the soul of the
believer. Emotion is not a barometer of Spirituality. Instead, emotion responds
normally to the mentality of the soul, where Truth resides as a result of
learning Truth. God set aside the spectacular rituals and miracles of previous
dispensations, (1Co 1:22; Heb 1:1-2) so that during the post-canon Church
Age His manifold wisdom and power are displayed in Truth, as the object of
faith which emphasizes the believer’s Thoughts and decisions rather than his
emotions. (Rom 16:17-18; (1Co 1:23-25; Eph 3:10) In the Millennium,
however, the Living Word will be present along with the written Word, sight will
complement faith, and under our Lord’s control ecstatics can be a genuine
Spiritual phenomenon on a more widespread basis than in any other
dispensation.
THE CONCLUSION OF THE MILLENNIUM
After one thousand years of perfect environment, Satan will be released
from captivity. (Rev 20:7-9) The devil will lead rebellious elements of the
human race and his own fallen angels in a desperate conspiracy against our
Lord’s perfect government. Called the Gog and Magog Revolution, this final
outburst of satanic violence will be suppressed immediately. With Satan’s
argument for the defense reduced to unrestrained violence; and with God’s
demonstration of grace completed, this will terminate the appeal trial of Satan.
Its purpose achieved, human history will end. At that time all millennial
believers will receive their resurrection bodies. This final resurrection of
believers will complete the sequence of resurrections. (1Co 15:52-55) At the
same time God will resurrect all unbelievers separately from believers.
(Rev 20:11-15) The purpose of this resurrection will be to judge all who never
accepted Salvation. They will be judged not for their sins, for which Christ paid
in full, (1Jn 2:2) but for rejecting Christ. (John 3:18) Unbelievers will be
resurrected in one group regardless of the dispensation in which they lived.
Here is a final instance of continuity, in contrast to dispensational changes.
Unlike the resurrections of Christ and believers in their dispensational order,
the common resurrection of unbelievers indicates that Salvation by grace
through faith in Christ is the same in every dispensation. (Acts 4:12) All
unbelievers alike, of every dispensation, will have refused the same Savior.
Presiding in majesty from the Great White Throne of the Last Judgment, our
Lord Jesus Christ will sentence them to join the fallen angels in the Lake of
Fire, separated from God forever. (Isa 66:24; Rev 20:14-15) Finally, then will
come the destruction of the universe, the creation of a new universe, and the
commencement of the eternal state. (2Pe 3:12-13; Isa 66:22-24; Rev 21:1
thru Rev 22:5) Mankind will be divided into categories for all eternity: Mature
believers, (Rev 22:14; Matt 13:8) negative believers, (Luk 12:46-48;
Rev 22:15) and believers guilty of treachery, (2Pe 2:17-21; Jud 1:11-13) and
unbelievers, (Rev 20:15; Rev 21:8) because they refused to accept Christ as
their Savior. (John 3:18; John 3:36)
CONTINUITY AND CHANGE
GOD HAS A PURPOSE for every believer. What is His plan for you? After
Salvation, what?
Dispensations are an essential frame of reference. The Biblical answer to
“After Salvation, what?” lies in the assets God has given specifically to the
royal family and in His Command for utilizing those assets. The Christian way
of life is clarified, therefore, by understanding how the Church Age is unique
while being related to the other dispensations. Dispensations orient the
believer to God’s plan for history. They unlock the Scriptures for accurate
personal application. The Old and New Testaments clearly declares that true
“Jewish” Israel, are not only Spiritually regenerate but ethnically Jewish. God’s
magnificent faithfulness to the flesh-and-blood nation of Israel cannot be
reduced to a Spiritual or figurative dimension only. (Eze 37:21-28) Strong
continuity does indeed run through the Divine View of history. God perceives
all events as one indivisible system, every part of which is essential to the
integrity of the whole. But the parts of the whole are still distinct parts. The
Doctrine of dispensations thoroughly integrates both consistency and
distinction, both continuity and change. God keeps His Promises! He is true to
Himself, true to His Word, and true to all who trust in Him! Dispensational
shifts do not undermine the integrity of God or the stability of His plan. Indeed,
these changes achieve His unchanging purpose for human history. The Bible is
progressive revelation and is rich in figurative expressions, comparisons,
symbolism, allusion, metaphor, analogy, poetry, type (Like someone, or
something else) and antitype. (Just like someone or something else) (Luk 8:
10) There is continuity in Scripture as the language of the New Testament
echoes the Old Testament, both centers upon the Person of Christ. Indeed
the differences deserve our respect, the distinction between Israel and the
Church profoundly exhibits the essence of God. This distinction reveals both
His faithfulness to His chosen nation and His justice in answering Israel’s
refusal to be the caretaker of the New Covenant, by creating an even greater
demonstration of grace in the Church. God does not play with Words. God IS
Truth, and He intends to Communicate IT. (Num 23:19;
Psa 33:4-6) God’s special role for the royal family is the glorification of Christ,
encouraging among Christians a vigorous love for the Thinking of Bible
Doctrine. As believers work to establish the Spiritual kingdom of God on earth.
(By growing to Spiritual maturity) Only Jesus Christ, not fallible Christians,
(Nor Satan) can bring about the Millennium. Christ will do so in God’s Own
perfect timing and not according to any human schedule.
(Acts 1:6-7; (1Th 5:1-2) This remains the devil’s world until the Second
Advent of Christ, when our Lord will overthrow Satan. During the Church Age,
believers can live in the confidence that the future rests in God’s powerful
hands, as outlined in Biblical eschatology, (End times) while turning their
primary attention to His plan for glorifying Christ in this present dispensation.
The plan of God for the Church Age must not be set aside by the fruitless
ambition to reform or remake the devil’s world. (Jas 3:14-15) Christians must
not instigate or join crusades to whitewash the devil’s world.
Illustration
Certainly the Christian is responsible for being an exemplary citizen under
the Divine institution of the national entity, but church and state remain
separate. Christianity is not a political movement but a personal relationship
with God through Christ and His Word. Whatever may be the participation of
believers in their communities or in the legitimate political processes of their
nations, Christians must not neglect their essential calling, which is to attain
Spiritual maturity. (Eph 4:13) Spiritual maturity itself makes the believer an
invisible hero with a powerful, unheralded, positive impact on his nation and on
human history. Therefore, the following survey will present the characteristics
that make the Church Age unique against the background of trends and
consistencies that run through all the dispensations.
THE POLITEUMA METAPHOR
When a word appears only once in the Bible, we sit up and take note. Such
a word is politeuma, “the status, rights, and privileges of citizenship.” Paul
uses this loaded word in. (Php 3:20) Considering the city of Philippi at the time
Paul wrote his Epistle, this word creates a brilliant metaphor for the privileges
of the Church Age believer. “For our politeuma,” writes Paul “is in heaven.” The
politeuma metaphor illustrates advantages that stagger the imagination. (Eph 1:
18; Eph 3:20) A chain of well-known historical events gives tremendous force
to Paul’s use of the word politeuma. The assassination of Julius Caesar on the
15th of March, 44 B.C., rekindled a smoldering civil war in Rome. The
renewed conflict would profoundly affect the future of Philippi, a small city in
Macedonia. When Caesar’s murderers failed to restore the old Roman
Republic, two of them fled Rome to consolidate support in the eastern
provinces. Marcus Brutus took over the Roman province of Macedonia, while
Gaius Cassius Longinus, the leader of the conspiracy and an experienced
general, seized control of the province of Syria. Meanwhile, in opposition to
the assassins, Caesar’s grandnephew Octavian allied himself with Mark
Antony (And Lepidus) to form the Second Triumvirate. Two powerful Roman
armies formed — one in Italy, the other in the East. Each numbered nearly
one hundred thousand men. A sequence of strategic maneuvers brought these
massive forces into contact just west of Philippi.
The Republican army, Commanded by Cassius and Brutus, held tactical
and strategic advantages over the Triumvirate army of Octavian and Antony.
But rashness doomed Cassius and Brutus to decisive defeat. The two battles
of Philippi, fought during a rainy three-week period in October of 42 B.C.,
snuffed out the last hope of the Roman Republic. The victorious Octavian, who
would become the unrivaled Emperor Augustus, after defeating Mark Antony in
a later battle, commemorated the victory by establishing a Roman colony at
Philippi. He honored the city as Colonia Augusta Julia (Victrix) Phihppensium.
Philippi flourished after the famous victory. A Roman colony was a living
extension of Rome herself. A Roman citizen residing in Philippi enjoyed the
same status held by a citizen within the walls of Rome. The rights, privileges,
and protection guaranteed by Roman law elevated Roman citizens far above
their neighbors. Roman citizens in a colony were exempt, for example, from
local taxes. The Bible and many other ancient sources document the superior
standing of Roman citizens. Paul was unique among the twelve apostles. He
alone was a Roman citizen, and the mere mention of his citizenship brought
preferential treatment. (Acts 16:27-40; Acts 22:24-30) He was spared
beatings, given hearings, and granted access to Caesar himself. (Acts 27:24)
Even his enemies respected his citizenship. Indeed, so coveted was Roman
citizenship that the Commander of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem, not a
citizen by birth as Paul was, had paid a “large sum of money” to acquire it.
(Acts 22:28) In Paul’s day the Greek term for a privileged colony of Roman
citizens, implying the source of all the advantages they enjoyed was politeuma.
The older Greek usage of the word politeuma implies privilege and protection
for citizens of a powerful state who reside in a distant colony. In 507 B.C., the
Athenians defeated the Boeotians and their Chalcidian allies. Athens took
possession of the most fertile part of Chalcis, called the Lelantine plain, where
the Chalcidian aristocrats had built their estates. To establish Athenian
influence in captured territory, the Athenian ruler Cleisthenes divided this
beautiful valley into four thousand parcels called kleroi, “lots, portions, or
shares,” and settled a corresponding number of Athenian citizens there. This
was an entirely new concept of colonization. These settlers, or kleruchs,
retained all the privileges of Athens although they resided in Chalcis. The body
of citizens resident in a foreign country became known as a politeuma.
Specifically the word came to mean the rights and privileges of their citizenship
extended from and protected by their home city — state. Cleisthenes’ Greek
system of colonization, as adopted by the Romans, set up the politeuma
metaphor in Paul’s epistle to the Philippians. By Paul’s day Philippi was a
favorite retirement city for Roman soldiers. Some of the Christians there were
probably Roman citizens. (Acts 16:27-34) Perhaps some were descendants of
veterans of the famous battles. Certainly every Christian in Philippi knew the
full significance of politeuma. They lived with this system of privilege. Paul’s
use of this word immediately created a vivid image in the minds of his hearers
— an image of highly coveted position and superior opportunity.
We belong to a politeuma. We are the nobility of heaven residing on earth.
Roman politeuma privileges were impressive, but they only begin to suggest
the unfathomable politeuma privileges of the royal family of God. Every
individual Church Age believer holds the rights and privileges of heaven, while
living on earth. God has magnificently provisioned us and has thoroughly
instructed us so we might “walk worthy of our station in life.” (Eph 4:1) The
conclusion of this study of dispensations, therefore, is an introduction to the
privileges of our heavenly citizenship. Altogether these privileges are unique to
the New Covenant Age and determine our Christian way of life. We will briefly
describe nine characteristics.
1. The baptism of the Holy Spirit
2. The protocol plan of God
3. Mystery Doctrine
4. The portfolio of invisible assets
5. The equality factor
6. Royal commissions
7. The indwelling of the Trinity
8. The availability of Divine power
9. Invisible heroes
Some of these politeuma privileges require more explanation than others.
Some have been mentioned already. A short discussion does not indicate less
importance. All these privileges form a single, balanced whole. Each
complements the others. As the believer learns what his assets are and how
to use them, they begin to function together as an integrated system.
Awareness and consistent use of these assets keeps the believer moving
forward in the Christian way of life. Indeed, these privileges establish the
unique life of meaning, purpose, and definition that God designed for the New
Covenant Church Age.
- THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
- A NEW SPIRITUAL SPECIES IN CHRIST
At the moment of Salvation, God the Holy Spirit places every Church Age
believer into union with Christ. (Gal 3:1-5; Gal 3:14; Gal 3:26-27; Eph 4:4-5;
2Th 2:13) This instantaneous ministry of God the Holy Spirit is called the
baptism of the Spirit, (1Co 12:13) because Christ was glorified,
(Heb 10:12-17) and we are in the New Covenant Age; (The Church,
Tribulation, and Millennium) “If any man is in Christ, he is a new [Spiritual]
species.” (2Co 5:17; Gal 6:15) In this verse the Greek word kainos does not
mean “new” as in recent, current, or new in time, like a new coat that replaces
an old one of the same type. Kainos means new in kind, new in species,
describing something remarkable that has never existed before — a totally
unprecedented relationship with God. (Eph 1:22-23; Eph 5:22-32) The new
Spiritual species is the royal family of God. By placing the Church Age believer
“in Christ,” the baptism of God the Holy Spirit also links the Spiritual life of the
hypostatic union (The God-man — Christ) and the New Covenant Spiritual life
of the Church Age. In union with Christ, the believer can utilize the power
system designed for the humanity of Christ. In fact, so great is the Spiritual
life, that union with Christ is absolutely a prerequisite for its use. Jesus Christ
prophesied the baptism of God the Holy Spirit during the Dispensation of the
Hypostatic Union. (John 14:20; Acts 1:5) The fulfillment of this Prophecy
marked the beginning of the New Covenant Church Age. (Acts 2:1-4;
Acts 11:15-17) Throughout the New Covenant Age, the baptism of God the
Holy Spirit forms the royal family of God, also called the Body of Christ.
For even as the [Human] body is one and yet has many members, and all
the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is
Christ. For by one Spirit [God the Holy Spirit performs the action] we were all
baptized into one body, [Of Christ] whether Jews or Greeks, [Gentiles]
whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
(1Co 12:12-13)
The baptism of the Holy Spirit sets the Church Age believer apart from
unbelievers. Every Church Age believer is “sanctified in Christ” (1Co 1:2,
(1Co 1:30) for the “glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2Th 2:13-14) The Greek
verb hagiazo means “to set apart, to make holy, to consecrate, to sanctify.”
(To gain the Spiritual maturity of Christ) When applied to the Church,
sanctification means that God has created a new species of Spiritual royalty,
set apart for the maximum glorification of Jesus Christ.
CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST
The Doctrine of sanctification teaches that God’s purpose is to make each
Church Age believer like the humanity of Christ. Each is “conformed to the
image [Thinking and Virtue] of His Son,” the glorified Lord Jesus Christ.
(Rom 8:29) God accomplishes the Church Age believer’s sanctification in three
stages: Positional, Experiential, and Ultimate.
Positional sanctification and positional death is the Church Age believer’s
union with Christ, accomplished by the baptism of God the Holy Spirit.
Permanently identified with Christ from the moment of faith in Him, the
Christian retroactively shares in the victory of our Lord’s Spiritual death on the
Cross (Rom 6:3; Col 2:12) and currently shares His exalted position in heaven
“crowned with glory and honor.” (Psa 110:1; Rom 6:4; Heb 1:13;
Heb 2:9-11; Heb 10:12) The phrase “in Christ,” found throughout the New
Testament Epistles, is a technical term for the Church Age believer’s
astounding, absolutely unprecedented union with Christ. (John 14:20) In Christ
each Church Age believer is positionally superior to all angels, including the
chief fallen angel, Satan. (Heb 1:4, Heb 1:13-14; Heb 2:9-12)
Experiential sanctification and experiential death (John 12:24-26;
(2Co 4:10-12) is residence, function and Spiritual momentum in the Spiritual
life during the believer’s life on earth.
Set your mind on the things [Divine Thoughts] above, not on the things
[Human realities] that are on earth. For you have died [Positional death] and
your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life,
[Experientially by the Mind of Christ] is revealed, then you also will be revealed
with Him in glory. Therefore consider [Think] the members of your earthly body
as dead [Experiential death, to our thoughts, desires, words and will] to
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to
idolatry. [Idolatry is putting our thoughts, above God’s Thoughts] (Isa 55:6-9)
For it is because of these things [Thoughts] that the wrath of God will come
upon the sons of disobedience, [Unbelievers and believers living out of
fellowship] and in them [Thoughts] you also once walked, when you were living
in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander,
and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid
aside the old self with its evil practices, [And thoughts] and have put on the
new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge [The Thinking of God]
according to the image [Thinking] of the One who created him-- (Col 3:2-10)
Living in the Spiritual life, which the Holy Spirit energizes, fulfills the protocol
plan of God. (John 17:17; (2Ti 2:21; Heb 9:13-14) Because we are in union
with Christ, we now are able to be sustained, nourished, and empowered by
the post-Salvation ministry of God the Holy Spirit. (John 7:37-39;
John 14:15-17; John 16:13-14) Thus we become “partakers of the Divine
nature” in experience just as we are in position. (2Pe 1:4) God the Holy Spirit’s
post-Salvation ministry is called the filling of the Spirit, (Eph 5:18) which
enables us to “walk by means of the Spirit” (Gal 5:16) in a manner “worthy of
our station in life.” (Spiritual Royalty) (Eph 4:1) United with Christ and granted
the same power system in which His humanity constantly lived, we are
equipped to be “imitators of God and to walk . . . just as Christ walked.”
(Eph 5:1-2; Gal 5:16; 1Jn 2:6) He functioned in the prototype Spiritual life; we
can function in the operational-type Spiritual life. (John 14:11-12) In fellowship
we live “through the Spirit, by faith.” [What is believed — and or the Spiritual
life] (Gal 5:5) The Mind of Christ in the soul; is the material the Spirit uses to
manufacture the Virtues of Christ in our lives. (Rom 13:13-14) In a different
comparison, Truth is the nutrient that the Holy Spirit uses to produce the “fruit
of the Spirit” (Gal 5:22-23)
Therefore, Experiential sanctification has both absolute and progressive
aspects. The filling of God the Holy Spirit is an absolute status. At any given
time, the believer is either one hundred percent filled with the Spirit or he is not
filled with the Spirit at all. Either he is in fellowship with God, or he is out of
fellowship. If he has confessed his sins to God, the believer is entirely inside
the Spiritual life, (1Jn 1:9) but when he sins, and as long as he does not
confess (Admit being out of fellowship) (1Co 11:31) to God, he is entirely
outside the Spiritual life. Outside the Spiritual life he “grieves” or “quenches”
God the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30; (1Th 5:19) and resides instead in Satan’s
cosmic system. This absolute but invisible status — in or out — has a building
effect. (Mark 4:24) The power of the Spiritual life is essential for Spiritual
growth. Only in the Spiritual life can the believer learn Truth or accurately Think
with Truth. What is the dominant trend of his decisions at any given time? Has
he been consistently obedient to God’s Thoughts that constitute the Spiritual
life, or has he neglected these Divine Commands? Is he more often in or out of
fellowship with God? Spiritual growth comes from consistency, and as the
believer grows, this consistency in executing God’s protocol plan becomes a
stronger and stronger force of motion in his life. Every day he learns and
applies Truth; his inner person is renewed day by day. (Isa 58:2; (2Co 4:16)
Our thinking is renovated according to Truth, the pattern of Divine Thinking!
(Rom 12:2; Eph 4:23) He gradually acquires the Thinking and Virtues of Christ.
As growth continues, the filling of God the Holy Spirit produces more of the
fruit of the Spirit whenever the believer is in the Spiritual life. For example, a
novice believer can be just as filled with God the Holy Spirit as the Spiritually
mature believer. But the mature believer understands a great deal more
Spiritual Thinking. When the mature Christian is filled with the Spirit, he
manifests the “newness of life” more than the beginner who is equally filled
with God the Holy Spirit but understands less of the Mind of Christ. A greater
understanding and application of Truth in the believer’s Thinking causes
greater manifestations of the filling of God the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life.
Add to this the fact that as a Christian grows, he spends a greater proportion
of his time filled with God the Holy Spirit. In other words, both quantity and
quality improve: more time is spent in the Spiritual life with a greater depth of
Doctrinal resources for God the Holy Spirit to use. This explains the increasing
effect of Divine dynamics within a Christian’s life. Experiential sanctification is
called “godliness.” (1Ti 3:16; (1Ti 4:7-8; (2Pe 1:3; (2Pe 3:11) True godliness
(Defined: as God would have it) runs far deeper than shallow legalism.
Genuine godliness is abiding in the sphere of Christ’s love, which He equated
with obedience to His Commandments. (John 15:10; Eph 5:2) The sphere of
Christ’s love is the bottom circle — the Spiritual life.
Illustration
The Commandments of the Christian way of life coalesce as one consistent
system, a single complex of interrelated and mutually supporting Spiritual
Thoughts, an integrated sphere of Divine power. This Divine system of love
and power is the place of Virtue. The Christian way of life is life in harmony
with God and His Thoughts. Here, in Principle, is the answer to the question,
“After Salvation, what?” Experiential sanctification is potential for the believer,
Commanded but not guaranteed. God provides the resources, opportunities,
instructions, encouragement, and even the Divine discipline, but the believer
himself chooses to execute the protocol plan of God or not. (John 15:4-10)
Volition remains THE central issue in the Church Age, as in every dispensation
throughout the angelic conflict. (Job 1:8-12) But God’s faithfulness is also a
consistent theme. The believer’s failure to live by the Commands of
Experiential sanctification never cancels Positional sanctification which is
guaranteed by the very essence of God. (2Ti 2:13)
After our post-Salvation lives on earth have ended, God will achieve our
Ultimate sanctification and death (Of the sin nature) at the resurrection. In that
future moment He will provide the resurrection body, making us physically like
Christ. (1Co 1:8; Eph 1:4; Php 3:21; (1Th 5:23; (1Jn 3:2)
MISCONCEPTIONS OF THE BAPTISM OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Doctrine of the baptism of God the Holy Spirit is widely distorted
today. We must state what the baptism of the Spirit is not. The baptism of the
Spirit is not the same as the filling of the Spirit, as just noted. The baptism of
the Holy Spirit also is not an experience or a “second work of grace” after
Salvation. It is not, and never was, speaking in tongues. The idea that Spirit
baptism involves speaking in tongues fails to distinguish the Doctrine of the
baptism of God the Holy Spirit from the Doctrine of Spiritual gifts. The baptism
of the Spirit occurs at the instant of Salvation for all Church Age believers; the
gift of tongues formerly operated only in the post-Salvation experience of a
few first-century Christians. The phenomenon of tongues was a temporary
Spiritual gift designed, as Isaiah prophesied, to warn Israel of impending
national judgment. (Isa 28:11; (1Co 14:21-22) Jews were evangelized in
gentile languages understood by the listeners, but not the speakers. This ironic
gift exercised by certain early Christians dramatized the Jews’ failure to
evangelize the Gentiles. Because the gift of tongues was a miraculous sign to
alert Israel to her decay, no one has legitimately spoken in tongues since
A.D. 70, when Jerusalem fell and the purpose for this temporary gift expired.
...If there are tongues, they will cease... (1Co 13:8)
The dramatic gift of tongues ceased long ago, but the baptism of God the
Holy Spirit occurs in every generation of the New Covenant. And never does
this instantaneous work of God the Holy Spirit involve ecstatics or emotion.
Indeed, the baptism of the Holy Spirit has absolutely no relation to feelings.
The believer may be elated or feel nothing at the moment of Salvation. He may
even feel horrible, but regardless of how he feels, in that initial instant of faith
in Christ, God the Holy Spirit unites him with Christ. (Col 2:12) No one senses
or detects the baptism of the Spirit in any way. Neither sight, hearing, smell,
taste, nor touch confirms this Doctrine. Nor does any so-called sixth sense or
intuition. God the Holy Spirit’s ministry at Salvation is known only through
Spiritual Thoughts which the believer learns after Salvation. (Eph 4:5) The
baptism of the Spirit is never earned nor deserved by the believer. God gives
this fabulous gift by grace, totally without regard for human merit or human
works. Union with Christ is complete at the instant of Salvation, accomplished
entirely by the grace of God before any believer has a chance to achieve
Spiritual growth, perform any Christian service, or even learn about these
things. The baptism of God the Holy Spirit is not progressive and cannot be
improved.
SHARING ALL CHRIST HAS AND IS
As the mechanics of Positional sanctification, the baptism of God the Holy
Spirit causes the Christian to share in all Christ has and IS. Every member of
the royal family of God shares Christ’s election, (Eph 1:4) His destiny,
(Eph 1:5; Rom 8:28; Rom 8:30) His Son-ship, (Gal 3:26; (1Jn 3:1-2) His heir-
ship, (Rom 8:16-17) His priesthood, (Heb 5:5-10; Heb 10:10-14) His
sanctification, (1Co 1:2; (1Co 1:30) His royalty, (1Pe 2:9) His righteousness,
(2Co 5:21) and His eternal life. (1Jn 5:11-12)
Divine righteousness and eternal life are necessary for a relationship with
God. To live with perfect God forever, man needs God’s Own righteousness
and God’s Own life. These blessings, therefore, are inherent in Salvation in
every dispensation. Old Testament believers were given the righteousness of
God and eternal life through imputation rather than through union with Christ.
(Gen 15:6; Psa 23:6) In the Church Age every believer receives Divine
righteousness and eternal life by imputation and by union with Christ.
(2Co 5:21; (1Jn 5:11) This double portion belongs to Spiritual royalty alone.
One vivid description of the baptism of God the Holy Spirit contrasts the
Church and Israel. To teach the Church Age believers position in Christ, Paul
draws an analogy to the custom of “adoption” practiced by the Roman
aristocracy. Roman adoption officially designated someone as an heir,
whether or not that person was related by blood. The Caesars usually
adopted successors who were not their sons. Often, however, a father would
adopt his own son, granting him the full privileges and responsibilities of the
family name. The ceremony also marked the boy’s transition into adulthood,
traditionally at age fourteen. Paul depicts Israel as an immature son,
(Gal 3:23) the Church as an adult son and heir. (Gal 3:25-26) At a dramatic
moment in the Roman ceremony of adoption, the new heir is clothed with the
magnificent toga virilis, the garment of manhood.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ [The baptism of God the Holy
Spirit] have clothed yourselves with Christ. (Gal 3:27)
Christians wear the Spiritual equivalent of the toga virilis from the moment
of Salvation, when the baptism of the Spirit occurs. Through the merits of
Christ, Church Age believers are adopted as adult sons of God and joint heirs
with Christ at the first instant of faith in Him. (Rom 8:16-17; Eph 1:5) Although
a Spiritual infant in experience; every Church Age believer is a Spiritual adult in
position. He is granted the full privileges and responsibilities of an adult son of
God because he is in union with the Lord Jesus Christ.
THE PROTOCOL PLAN OF GOD
Union with Christ opens the door to an extraordinary post-Salvation way of
life for the royal family, called the protocol plan of God. Royalty lives by
protocol — Spiritual royalty, no less than temporal royalty. The refined
behavior and high standards of Thought and conduct in a vigorous aristocracy
are supported by a system of protocol. Each individual is thoroughly familiar
with the manner in which various activities are conducted. He knows his place
in these activities. Protocol enables everyone to know what to Think and do in
a given situation and thus creates an environment of poise and graciousness.
Protocol resolves routine questions and frees the individual to devote his
energies to substantial issues or to enjoying the event at hand. The Church
Age believer need never wonder what the Christian life requires of him. He
need not stumble or feel awkward in any aspect of his relationship with God.
The entire royal protocol is available for him to learn and master. He belongs
to a Spiritual dynasty founded by the Lord Jesus Christ in which the standard
of conduct follows the precedent clearly established by the humanity of Christ
on earth. In the Church Age, the protocol plan of God (John 4:21-23) for the
Church supersedes the ritual plan of God for Israel. (Lev 23:1-44) Protocol is
defined as a “rigid long-established code of Thinking and conduct, prescribing
complete submission to superior rank; and strict adherence to due order of
precedence; and precisely correct procedure.” The several phrases of this
definition illustrate God’s plan for the royal family on earth. Although new to
history; at the beginning of the Church Age, the protocol plan is “long-
established” in the Mind of omniscient God. He has always known the way of
life He would unveil for the New Covenant Church Age. He has known the
mystery Doctrines from eternity past, (Eph 3:9-11) and in historical terms
these Doctrines have been in force now for nearly two thousand years. The
exactness of God’s code for Spiritual royalty expresses His Own perfection:
He decreed one way of doing something, and that way is the right way. We
cannot define the Christian way of life in any way we please. God “prescribes
complete submission” to the ends and the means of His plan. The very
Concept of protocol means that even a right thing becomes wrong when done
in a wrong way. And a wrong thing is still wrong though done in a right way.
Obviously a wrong thing done in a wrong way is wrong. Only a right thing done
in a right way is right. This is “precisely correct procedure.” The right thing is
the protocol plan of God. The right way demanded by protocol is life in the
Spiritual life. Therefore, the most basic Concept of the Christian way of life is
residence, function, and momentum inside the Spiritual life. The Spiritual life is
the royal believer’s personal, invisible palace. God is eternally and infinitely
perfect. Perfect God can devise only a perfect plan. However, the protocol
plan of God, like His post-Salvation plans for other dispensations, is designed
for imperfect believers. Because the Christian retains his old sin nature
throughout his mortal life on earth, (Rom 7:24-25) his contribution to the plan
of God would only corrupt the plan. The believer cannot execute God’s
protocol plan through human ability, human dynamics, human personality,
human intelligence, human talent, or human works. (Exo 20:25; John 6:63) If
the plan of God depended on man’s merit for a single instant, the plan would
immediately become imperfect. God allows no weak links in the chain. He
guards the integrity of His plan. This is grace. Man enters God’s perfect plan
exclusively on the merits of Christ, and the Principle of grace remains in force
after Salvation as well. The believer lives the Christian life on Divine resources
only. (Gal 3:1-3; Eph 4:20-24) Perfect God has provided His perfect Truth
(Eph 4:21) and His Own power (Eph 4:30) for the execution of His protocol
plan. Truth and falsehood do not mix without becoming false. Therefore, Divine
Viewpoint from Truth must replace human viewpoint. Likewise, Divine power
and human power are mutually exclusive. Observing Divine protocol must take
precedence over the expression of human abilities. (1Co 2:4-5) Human
innovation must remain within bounds of the system God has ordained. The
Truth and the power of God the Holy Spirit, on which the humanity of Christ
relied during the hypostatic union, define the only correct approach to life for
every believer during the Church Age. Contradictions cannot exist in the
protocol plan of God. Either a believer will utilize the available omnipotence of
God and execute the protocol plan, or he will use human energy in an attempt
to execute an inferior plan of his own. (Gen 4:3-5) Many people
presumptuously call their own plans the plan of God or the will of God, when in
fact these schemes may be satanic counterfeits designed to entangle
believers in the evils of religion. (1Ti 4:1) Faithful intake and application of
Divine Thinking will protect the believer from such contradictions. The Christian
who is ignorant of Church Age Doctrine, however, lacks discernment. He is
incapable of grace Thinking. He cannot be true to his Spiritual heritage.
Ignorance mixed with negligence cannot avoid the trap of arrogance. He
assumes he is doing God’s will even as he falls into Satan’s cosmic system
and becomes a loser in the Church Age. Losers do not lose their eternal life,
but in failing to execute the post-Salvation protocol plan of God, they lose
blessing and impact in time and eternity. (Luk 12:45-48) At physical birth man
is born ignorant of life. Likewise, at Spiritual birth believers are “born again”
ignorant of the protocol plan of God. Human opinion or philosophy, despite its
occasional brilliance, never determines the Christian way of life. (1Co 1:19-31)
What matters is what God has Revealed in the Word of God for the Church
Age. No believer can execute the protocol plan, or reach Spiritual maturity
without learning and applying a maximum amount of Truth! (Psa 1:2-3)
MYSTERY DOCTRINE
We have noted already that the Greek noun musterion originally referred to
the secret doctrines of ancient religious organizations. Only those persons
initiated into the cult of Dionysus, for example, knew its mysteries. Nothing
was disclosed to outsiders. Paul borrowed this well-known pagan term to
communicate the meaning of mystery to the royal family of God. In Paul’s
usage of musterion, the initiates are Church Age believers, and the Doctrines
are those Spiritual Thoughts concerning the New Covenant Age. (Luk 8:10)
God did not disclose the New Covenant Doctrines to the writers of Old
Testament Scripture, but now all these marvelous Truths are revealed
throughout the New Testament Epistles. (Acts 3:18-24; (Rom 1:2;
Rom 16:25-26; Eph 3:1-9)
But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, [Spiritual Thoughts for the New
Covenant Age] the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to
our glory [Spiritual growth] (1Co 2:7)
But holding to the mystery [Keeping and Thinking with the New Covenant
Spiritual Thoughts] of the faith [Spiritual life] with a clear conscience. (1Ti 3:9)
Mystery Doctrine reveals all the politeuma privileges of the Church Age
believer, which set the Church Age apart from other dispensations. The
Command to “keep holding the mystery” identifies the most vital function of the
royal family: to continually learn, retain, and Think with the Doctrines of the
New Covenant. Hearing Truth, meditating on Truth, living by Truth — this is the
highest form of worship!
THE PORTFOLIO OF INVISIBLE ASSETS
THE BELIEVER’S WEALTH TAUGHT BY ANALOGY
We have discussed three politeuma privileges. (Mystery Doctrines) The
baptism of God the Holy Spirit places the Church Age believer into union with
Christ. The protocol plan of God sets forth the royal way of life that God
expects of the Christian because of his exalted position in Christ. Mystery
Doctrine unveils the Church Age with all of its Divine assets and Commands
which define the Christian’s way of life. These three tremendous benefits of
our heavenly citizenship are parts of a larger picture. They belong to a
portfolio of invisible assets that God the Father designed in eternity past for
every Church Age believer. “Portfolio” is a term for the holdings of an investor,
a synonym for his riches. God has lavished upon us the riches of His grace.
(Eph 1:6-8; Eph 1:18; Eph 3:8; Eph 3:16; Php 4:19; Col 1:27; Eph 2:7) Every
Church Age believer is fabulously wealthy.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us
with every Spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Eph 1:3)
Not only is the Church Age believer a citizen of heaven but that citizenship
implies extreme wealth. “Our politeuma is in heaven” (Php 3:20) and our
portfolio is described as including “every Spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places.” (Eph 1:3) Ephesians 1:3 emphasizes the source of these blessings
(God the Father) and the mechanics of receiving them, (From Christ). We will
explain these mechanics shortly. The believer’s portfolio of invisible assets can
be categorized.
(Eph 1:3-6) identifies the primary assets. The secondary and personnel
assets will be identified from other passages of Scripture.
1. Primary assets
a. Escrow blessings
b. Computer assets
2. Secondary assets
a. Volitional assets
b. Production assets
c. Assets for undeserved suffering
3. Personnel assets
Spiritual gifts
We will adopt two analogies to help communicate the Christian’s primary
assets, escrow blessings and computer assets. In (Eph 1:3) the phrase “every
Spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” describes escrow blessings.
In verses 4 through 6, election and predestination constitute the computer
assets. The Church Age believer’s exalted destiny and vast riches are
“abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.” (Eph 3:20) The Bible reveals
them in many glimpses and increments; they must be explained in numerous
ways and from various points of view. Therefore, analogy plays an important
role in teaching the Christian way of life. Already we have approached the
subject from the standpoint of citizenship, Roman adoption, parts of the body,
aristocratic protocol, the secret Doctrines of an exclusive religion, and an
investment portfolio. Now add the perspectives of an escrow contract and an
electronic computer. These analogies are teaching aids and are not intended
to perfectly mesh with one another. Each serves to communicate a specific
aspect of the Truth. The Truth itself is what perfectly meshes.
ESCROW BLESSINGS
INHERITANCE RESERVED IN HEAVEN
Three parties are identified in, (Eph 1:3). The relationships between God
the Father, Jesus Christ; and the Church Age believer; in this passage suggest
the functions of a grantor, a depositary; and a grantee in an escrow contract.
What is an escrow contract? It is a binding agreement in which one party gives
another party something valuable. Instead of giving it directly, however, the
grantor places the item in the custody of a third party, called the depositary or
the escrow officer. The escrow officer keeps the item secure and distributes it
to the grantee only after certain conditions are met, which have been set forth
in the escrow agreement. The very definition of escrow means there are
conditions to be fulfilled by the grantee before the item will be conveyed to
him. An escrow agreement gives us a clear picture of our situation before God
and our purpose in life. In eternity past God the Father prepared special
blessings for each Church Age believer. He deposited those blessings with
Christ “before the foundation of the world.” (Eph 1:4) Just as an escrow
contract is irrevocable from the date of the contract, so also the believer’s
blessings belong to him irrevocably from eternity past. God has given every
Church Age believer a private account in heaven, which He cannot cancel or
close. God cannot take back His blessings. This account is filled with
exceptional blessings — some for time, some for eternity. God designed
escrow blessings exclusively for each individual believer, an “inheritance which
is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for
you.” (1Pe 1:4) Escrow blessings far exceed everyday logistical blessings like
food, shelter, clothing, protection, transportation, and a source of Bible
teaching. God supplies logistical grace constantly and unconditionally to every
believer — positive or negative, winner or loser. (Matt 6:25-34; Luk 6:35;
Php 4:19) Escrow blessings, however, are reserved for Spiritual maturity. So
extraordinary are these “greater grace” blessings (Jas 4:6) that every
recipient must possess a mature capacity to appreciate them and benefit from
them! Without sufficient capacity of soul, a believer would not know what to do
with these Divine bounties. If he received delivery of his escrow blessings
while still Spiritually immature, he would distort them, misuse them, and make
himself miserable. Here, then, we find the condition set forth in the escrow
contract: before Jesus Christ will distribute escrow blessings, the believer
must attain Spiritual maturity. (Or it is false prosperity) (Luk 13:23-30;
Rev 3:17) Again, Spiritual maturity comes through perception and application
of the Word of Truth as part of living consistently inside the Spiritual life.
(Matt 7:14) A Spiritually mature relationship with God is by far the most
valuable escrow blessing for the Christian’s life on earth! (Rev 3:4) Awe and
gratitude toward God animate the Spiritually mature believer’s attitude in
everything he does. In his soul he has capacity to be happy, capacity to
understand and benefit from Divine blessings, capacity to endure suffering,
capacity to maintain the initiative in his own life. He has a personal sense of
destiny. Worship becomes a profound responsiveness; in a soul inculcated
with Truth and filled with God the Holy Spirit. (John 7:38) Personal love for
God becomes Occupation with the Person of Christ. (Gal 2:20; Php 1:21) But
“every Spiritual blessing” involves more than even these marvelous, intangible
benefits. “Spiritual” in, (Eph 1:3) points to God as the source of escrow
blessings, which also include many tangible material blessings, tailor-made for
the individual. (John 21:21-22)
BLESSINGS FOR TIME AND ETERNITY
Every believer has escrow blessings for time and escrow blessings for
eternity. As the escrow officer Jesus Christ will begin to distribute escrow
blessings for time when the believer reaches Spiritual maturity. Our Lord will
award companion escrow blessings for all eternity, at the Judgment Seat of
Christ. (1Co 4:5; (2Co 5:10)
Believers who fail to reach Spiritual maturity and do not receive their
escrow blessings for time also will not receive their escrow blessings for
eternity. (1Co 3:12-15) The criterion is human volition — each believer’s
consistent positive or negative response to God’s plan for the Christian life.
After Salvation, what? This great question has eternal consequences. In the
escrow contract, the precondition for receiving escrow blessings for eternity is
that the believer must have received escrow blessings in time.
Now if anyone really competes in the athletic games, [An analogy to the
Christian way of life] he does not receive a winner’s wreath [Escrow blessings
for eternity] unless he trains according to the rules. [Adheres to the protocol
plan of God in Time] (2Ti 2:5)
I have fought that honorable fight, [Advanced through the stages of the
Spiritual life] I have finished the course, [Attained Spiritual maturity] I have
guarded the Truth. [As first priority in the soul] In the future a wreath of
righteousness [Escrow blessings for eternity] is reserved for me, [On deposit
since eternity past] which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award me on that
day [At the Judgment Seat of Christ] and not only to me but to all those who
love His appearing. [Reached Spiritual maturity] (2Ti 4:7-8)
Blessed [Happy] is the man who perseveres under testing, [Successfully
passes the tests that accelerate Spiritual growth] he will receive the wreath of
life [Escrow blessings for eternity] which God has promised to those
constantly loving Him. [Spiritually mature believers] (Jas 1:12)
These passages describe desire for Truth, love for God, strength of
essence, remarkable stability, perseverance, motivation, momentum and
happiness. Such qualities of the inner person; are escrow blessings for time!
They are escrow blessings supported by the basic capacities of soul
developed on the way to Spiritual maturity. Invariably these traits — these
escrow blessings for time — belong to the believers whom Scripture identifies
as recipients of eternal rewards or “crowns” — escrow blessings for eternity.
(1Co 9:24-27; Php 4:1; (1Th 2:19-20; (1Pe 5:1-4; Rev 2:10) Distribution of
both categories of escrow blessings — for time and for eternity — depends on
the believer’s execution of the protocol plan of God in time. The precondition
for receiving escrow blessings dramatizes God’s objective for the Church Age
believer on earth: Learn Truth, gain Spiritual momentum, grow up, attain
Spiritual maturity! In other words, come to love and glorify Christ.
UNDISTRIBUTED BLESSINGS AND THE GLORY OF GOD
At this moment each believer has an escrow account in heaven with his
name on it. But not every believer takes distribution of those blessings.
Ignorance of Truth means ignorance of Divine assets, which guarantees failure
to use those assets. Failure to consistently utilize Divine assets constitutes
failure to execute the protocol plan of God, which means the believer cannot
reach Spiritual maturity. No Spiritual maturity, no capacity for blessings.
Therefore, no escrow blessings for time and no escrow blessings for eternity.
(1Co 3:11-15) This does not affect his eternal life, but his neglect or rejection
of Truth makes him a Spiritual loser. There is no excuse for failure to execute
the protocol plan of God. God faithfully supplies logistical grace to winner and
loser alike, (Luk 6:35) providing more than ample opportunity for the loser to
recover his momentum and renew his advance. Equal privilege and equal
opportunity are facts of the Christian way of life, and the escrow blessings
themselves are irrevocable and imperishable Realities. If a believer is a
Spiritual loser, he is so by his own volition. A loser stops being a loser when
he starts using rebound and begins to learn, or relearn Truth. Recovery of
Spiritual momentum is not easy, but it will never be easier than at present.
Recovery can begin in any Spiritual condition in which the loser finds himself.
There is no reason to wait. There is nothing to wait for and much to lose. If the
loser does not recover, his personal inheritance of escrow blessings, they will
remain undistributed, un-received, on deposit in heaven forever. (Rom 11:29)
At the resurrection they will remain on deposit forever as a monument to lost
opportunity and as undeniable evidence of God’s grace in spite of man’s
negative volition. (Eph 1:3; Eph 3:10; (1Pe 1:3-4) God was glorified by
irrevocably giving escrow blessings to each believer “before the foundation of
the world.” (Eph 1:4; Col 3:24; (1Pe 1:4) God is glorified to the maximum by
the distribution of these escrow blessings to the Spiritual winner in time and
eternity. (John 15:8; John 17:4) Describing God at the beginning of (Eph 1:3)
is the Greek adjective eulogetos is translated “blessed,” but this word actually
means “worthy of praise and glorification.” In the same verse the verb is
eulogeo, “to bless.” Furthermore, the cognate noun eulogia is used for the
believer’s “blessings.” Blessed, bless, blessings: this dramatic use of Greek
cognate words indicates an essential interconnection. These blessings are the
means of God’s glorification. He is glorified by blessing us. Principle: The first
thing God did for us — placing special blessings in escrow — established the
means of glorifying Him. God’s desire that we receive our escrow blessings
could not be expressed more emphatically.
What do we conclude? Obviously, asceticism is not the Christian way of
life. (Col 2:20-23) But neither is aimless, undisciplined lawlessness. (2Ti 2:5)
The Church Age believer has a destiny. He glorifies God by utilizing Divine
assets so that he grows Spiritually and acquires capacity to enjoy his escrow
blessings. God created escrow blessings for every believer of every
dispensation, but the greater extent of the Church Age believer’s portfolio
makes even his escrow blessings unique. We come now to an exceedingly
valuable item in the royal believer’s portfolio that sets his blessings apart from
those of all other dispensations.
COMPUTER ASSETS
A MODERN ANALOGY
Again, the Christian’s portfolio of invisible assets includes two categories of
primary assets. We have described escrow blessings; we now turn our
attention to computer assets. I use this term to describe the Church Age
believer’s election and predestination.
He [God the Father] chose us in Him [In union with Christ] before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In
love [In fellowship; God’s purpose in election includes Positional and
Experiential sanctification on earth and Ultimate sanctification in heaven] He
predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, [As in the
Roman custom of adoption] according to the kind intention of His will, to the
praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the
Beloved. [In union with Christ] (Eph 1:4-6)
What are “election” and “predestination”? How do they affect us? In brief,
God has established a plan and has supplied us with all assets needed to
execute that plan. Computers are becoming a familiar part of daily life. A
simple analogy to a computer might help to make this passage clear. Scientific
breakthroughs have dramatically reduced the size of computers. Complex
functions can now occur in tiny electrical circuits built into a microchip of silicon
no larger than the head of a pin. Different microchips perform specialized
functions in the computer. Two common types of these powerful chips
illustrate how liberally sovereign God has blessed Church Age believers
without nullifying their volition. In fact, this computer analogy helps explain how
God Himself establishes human free will. A computer has a certain number of
microchips in it. Some chips are completely programmed at the factory; others
are designed at the factory to be programmed by the user — according to
what he wants his computer to be able to do. Both the ROM chips (Read-Only
Memory, programmed at the factory) and the PROM chips (Programmable
Read-Only Memory, built at the factory to be programmed by the user
himself) cannot be altered once they are programmed. And both are
necessary for the effective function of the computer. Like the computer, the
believer’s life involves both Divine sovereignty (Comparable to the ROM chips
programmed in advance at the factory) and human free will; (Volition)
(Comparable to the PROM chips that are programmed by the user’s own
decisions). Just as a particular computer would not operate without both types
of programmed microchips, so also human Spiritual Thought and action cannot
occur without the function of both Divine sovereignty and human volition.
Indeed, God is the One who makes our volition free. He gave man free will,
just as the factory designs the computer’s PROM chips specifically to let the
user determine how the computer will function. The user’s programming of his
own PROM chip works only because of the designer’s plan: the factory design
of the PROM chip takes the user’s programming and makes it effective. In a
similar way, God sovereignly makes man’s free choices real, certain and
unalterable once they are made. According to the analogy, each person is like
a computer. His ROM chip (Programmed entirely by the sovereignty of God) is
programmed with his “computer assets.” He has no choice in this matter. Long
before human history began, God chose to give the Church Age believer
certain characteristics. He chose to make the Christian Spiritual royalty — as it
were, to make him the most powerful computer ever created. This means that
the computer assets of election and predestination include tremendous
benefits, which God gave in eternity past. We are now studying these benefits
as the unique characteristics of the Church Age. The ROM chip contains God’s
plan and gives every Church Age believer the status and assets required to
carry out this demanding protocol. The PROM chip (Programmed the way
human volition chooses) gives us the freedom to use those powerful assets if
we so desire. The PROM chip makes us Spiritual winners or losers, according
to our decisions to use Divine assets and fulfill God’s plan — or to ignore our
Spiritual destiny in Christ.
DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY AND CHRISTIAN FREEDOM
The computer analogy helps us understand what the sovereignty and
omniscience of God accomplished in eternity past, in behalf of the Church Age
believer. The blessings mentioned in (Eph 1:5-6) are some of the unique
characteristics of the Church Age that we have already discussed. In eternity
past God determined that sanctification and adoption would be given to the
royal family through union with Christ. As also noted, we have no choice in this
matter: at the moment of faith in Christ, these blessings are ours and we are
new creatures in Christ, a new Spiritual species. The mechanics by which God
established these and other characteristics of the Church Age believer involved
election and predestination. Election expresses the sovereign right of God
over His creation. Election can be described in terms of individuals and in
terms of historical categories of believers. God elected for Salvation every
human being who would ever believe in Jesus Christ. Election is not the cause
of Salvation. Instead, God sovereignly chose to accomplish all the work for
man’s Salvation and to institute non-meritorious faith in Jesus Christ as the
sole remaining Criterion for obtaining Salvation. (Acts 4:12) Because Divine
omniscience is not limited by time, God knew in eternity past who would
believe in Christ and in eternity past chose each believer to be the recipient of
eternal Salvation. (2Th 2:13) In other words, He chose to make Salvation a
Reality in the soul of anyone who actually would believe in Christ. Therefore,
every believer of every dispensation can be described as elect in regard to
Salvation. Election is also a Biblical term that carries additional significance for
particular bodies of believers. Here is yet another category of Doctrine that
reflects dispensational distinctions. Election to Salvation gives every believer
the necessities for living with God forever — including eternal life and Divine
righteousness. But added to these identical provisions, further blessings are
bestowed upon specified groups of believers at the moment of Salvation.
These are designed to fulfill God’s purpose beyond Salvation. The position and
assets bestowed at the moment of Salvation upon members of the royal family
are more extensive than the blessings given to believers of other
dispensations. God elected Church Age believers for a unique, corporate
purpose beyond Salvation. The special destiny of the royal family in both time
and eternity is to glorify God to the maximum in union with Jesus Christ. The
election of the Church is one of several corporate Divine elections, three of
which are pertinent to our study.
1. The election of Israel (Deut 4:37; Deut 7:6; Isa 45:4; Rom 11:5-7)
2. The election of Christ (Isa 42:1; Matt 12:18; Acts 3:26; (1Pe 2:6)
3. The election of the Church (Eph 4:1; (1Th 1:4; (2Th 2:13; (2Pe 1:3)
A thread of continuity runs through these three expressions of Divine
sovereignty, but the differences also are real and significant. These three
unique elections express God’s purpose in three distinct dispensations. The
election of Israel: God called out the Jews as a new racial species to bless all
the nations of the earth. The election of Christ: God called Christ as the Savior
to purchase the Salvation of the entire human race and to be exalted above all
creation. The election of the Church: God called out a royal family as a new
Spiritual species to glorify the newly-won royalty of Jesus Christ forever.
(Rev 17:14) As part of our politeuma privileges, therefore, election is the
sovereign expression in eternity past of God’s will for the Church Age believer.
Under election, God the Father willed His highest and best for every Church
Age believer, having previously deposited His highest and best for us with
Christ. In short, God’s will for our lives is that we receive what belongs to the
glorified Christ. (Isa 53:12)
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may
know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His
inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power
[The Spiritual life] toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the
working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He
raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly
places, [Investing Christ with “battlefield” royalty for His victory at the Cross]
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that
is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. [The permanent
resolution of the angelic conflict] And He put all things in subjection under His
feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the
fullness of Him who fills all in all. (Eph 1:18-23)
This is the purpose for which God called us out and set us apart: to exalt
the royalty of Christ to the maximum. Our election creates the special
privileges and opportunities necessary for us to receive the blessings of
Spiritual royalty which glorify Christ. Election and predestination are two sides
of the same coin. God chose us to glorify Christ to the maximum and chose to
accomplish this purpose according to a definite plan. The election of the
Church is the expression of the sovereign will of God for every believer of the
Church Age; predestination is the provision of His sovereign will. In time this
Divine provision is classified as “the protocol plan of God,” but when discussed
in the context of eternity past, this provision is called “predestination.” Long
before human history began. God sovereignly established a supernatural way
of life for the New Covenant Church Age believer and provided the
supernatural means of execution. Predestination implies that the only way to
fulfill the plan of God for our lives is to properly utilize the assets He has given
us. We are free to make good use of the computer or to ignore its great
potential, but the computer works God’s way only. We must learn how to use
it, and then must use it properly. A Principle summarizes the Church Age
believer’s computer assets: The Christian is designed to live the Christian way
of life. From the believer’s functional perspective this means that a right thing
must be done in a right way. The human solution is no solution! The Divine
solution is the only solution! (The filling of the Spirit and Truth) (John 4:23)
ENLARGING THE PORTFOLIO WITH SECONDARY ASSETS
The believer’s use of his computer assets actually enlarges his portfolio. In
eternity past God the Father established the Church Age believer’s primary
assets. (Escrow blessings and computer assets) Then God added secondary
assets to the portfolio corresponding to the positive response of the believer in
time. How does this work? In eternity past omniscient God looked down the
corridors of time, as it were, and saw how each believer would use his volition:
positive or negative, for or against the protocol plan of God. Without interfering
with human freewill, (In fact, because of free will) God included secondary
assets in the positive believer’s portfolio based on his use of his primary
assets. “Secondary assets” are not second in importance or quality. They
simply come after primary assets in the sequence in which man understands
them, and they involve human volition. But they are blessings from God just as
certainly as the primary assets. In terms of our analogy that compares a
believer with a computer, primary assets are on ROM chips, and secondary
assets are on PROM chips. Primary assets originate from the sovereignty of
God and represent His design for the believer’s life. Secondary assets also
originate from the sovereignty of God, but rather than representing God’s will
alone they reflect the individual believer’s own consistent positive response to
the grace of God. The sovereignty of God and the free will of the believer
coexist in the dynamics of the Christian way of life. The secondary assets,
which we are about to study, exist because God saw to it in eternity past that
the powerful computer of the Church Age believer would work. He
programmed it exactly as decided by both His Divine sovereignty and the
believer’s free will. Only the advancing believer receives secondary assets,
which are God’s response to his positive volition. For the indifferent or
recalcitrant believer, the counterpart to secondary assets is Divine discipline,
which is God’s response to his negative volition. (Rev 3:15-22) By giving us
freedom of choice, God has also given us the effects and consequences of
our decisions. If our decisions had no effect, we would not have freewill.
(Gal 6:7-9) But God did indeed decree that the results of our decisions
actually would take place. He made our volition efficacious. He made us
responsible for our own lives. This means that a positive response to the plan
of God has a real effect. He made the consistently positive believer a winner!
A negative response also has a real effect, this is grace. Two important
lessons are found in the very existence of secondary assets. First, no matter
how hopeless a believer’s situation may seem, making good decisions is never
an exercise in futility. Learning and relying upon Truth, and consistently
residing in the Spiritual life, does make a difference, a difference that God
established in eternity past in the form of secondary assets. (Matt 25:29)
There is yet another lesson. By giving the Commands of the protocol plan of
God — and thus directing our free will along the lines of His sovereign purpose
— God makes it possible for our lives to accomplish His will. Our obedience to
His plan has the real effect of achieving His objective. God in His infinite
superiority does not simply go about His affairs without us. The effects and
consequences of our decisions can be magnificent, eternally reward-able
demonstrations of His glory. This gives our lives genuine meaning, purpose,
and definition. God knows all things at once. Omniscient and eternal, He
knows the end from the beginning, the causes and results as a single whole.
He knows about time and the progression of events, but time does not restrict
His knowledge. He comprehends all things as one complete and total picture.
The logic of all things is in Him; He needs no time in which to deliberate.
Before He created time, God established the future Reality of both primary
and secondary assets in one all-comprehensive decree. Limited human
faculties require believers to Think of primary and secondary assets in
increments, as a succession of cause and effect. For us something becomes
real when we experience it or do it, but for God all things became certain in
eternity past when He decreed them to be Reality. Thus infinite God knew
each of us and worked in our behalf long before we existed. This means we
belong to a plan that extends far beyond the circumstances of the moment.
Not only is God near — and an ever-present help in time of need, (Heb 4:16)
— but He has woven His help into the very fabric of our lives as we unfold our
lives in time. God provided all categories of assets in eternity past, but they
are delivered at various points in time. The Christian receives his computer
assets at Salvation. He takes delivery of escrow blessings as he moves into
Spiritual maturity. Between these two points he begins to receive secondary
assets as he grows Spiritually. Three kinds of secondary assets should be
noted.
1. Volitional assets
2. Production assets
3. Assets for undeserved suffering
How are secondary assets different from other Divine blessings? One
outstanding difference is that secondary assets are tangible. Many
advantages in the Christian way of life are intangible. Some lie beyond human
perception. (Like union with Christ or the filling of God the Holy Spirit) Some
are abstract. (Like Doctrinal Concepts) Others are reserved for the future
(Like dying grace and escrow blessings for eternity) All these invisible
blessings are nonetheless real. The believer’s secondary assets are also real,
but these blessings related to volition, production, and suffering are
advantages that the advancing believer begins to experience in his everyday
life. These are the assets that James has in mind when he encourages
believers to grow up — to be “doers [Thinkers] of the Word and not merely
hearers who delude themselves.” (Jas 1:22) In other words, intangible
advantages [Operation Z] mixed with positive volition [Freewill] produce
tangible results! [Imputed blessings]
VOLITIONAL ASSETS
GOOD DECISIONS FROM A POSITION OF STRENGTH
Positive volition is an active desire to know God. It is love for Truth, which
expresses itself in persistently learning the Word of God and consistently living
by its Precepts. All secondary assets result from the believer’s positive volition
toward Truth, and one of these secondary assets is the strengthening of
positive volition itself. Knowledge builds on knowledge. (Isa 28:10) The more
Truth a believer knows, the greater his frame of reference for comprehending
additional Truth. Thus, good decisions to learn the Word of God create options
for further good decisions to keep learning. As the believer’s capacity for
Doctrine expands, his love for Truth increases because God’s Thoughts are
absolutely worthy of love. (Prov 8:30-36) This sharpened receptivity to Truth
rests upon an invisible foundation. The growing believer’s keener discernment
and stronger desire for Truth may seem to be only a natural result of
broadening his Doctrinal frame of reference. However, the Christian should
appreciate the invisible work of God and recognize that even the maturing of
his own positive volition is from God. Spiritual growth itself is a gift of grace.
Advancement to Spiritual maturity requires a consistent pattern of good
decisions made from a position of strength. “Good decisions” are those that
obey the Commands of Divine protocol — for example, decisions to listen to
Bible teaching or to utilize Divine problem-solving devices.
Illustration
This is the tangible, or conscious, aspect of the believer’s positive volition.
The “position of strength” is the Spiritual life, in which the Holy Spirit makes
Truth understandable and uses the believer’s store of Truth to fuel his Spiritual
momentum. The Holy Spirit supplies the intangible, unfelt effectiveness of the
believer’s positive volition. This invisible dimension, which the Christian does
not experience, is disclosed only in the content of Truth. Knowledge of the
Spirit’s unseen role gives the Christian a sense of gratitude, increases his
comprehension, his desire for Truth and his Personal love for God, all of which
he does experience!
THE VISIBLE AND THE INVISIBLE
This duality stands out dramatically in Salvation and continues after
Salvation in God’s grace policy for growth, for the royal family. (1Co 2:4-5;
(1Co 2:10) Man gains Salvation through faith in Christ. However, the one who
believes in Christ for Salvation is Spiritually dead; (Eph 2:1) he is totally
depraved, totally separated from God, and totally helpless to establish a
relationship with God. Faith originating from a Spiritually dead person has no
power in itself to produce so great a result as Salvation. The apparent cause
(Non-meritorious faith) and the actual effect (Eternal Salvation) are completely
out of proportion with one another. Obviously, an invisible factor is at work.
God Himself — not a Spiritually dead man’s momentary act of faith — is the
real cause of Salvation. (John 6:44-45) The entire Trinity was involved in Christ’
s death and resurrection, and God the Holy Spirit specifically is the agent of
Salvation. He Reveals the Gospel (Gen 6:3) and makes man’s faith in Christ
effectual (Eph 1:13) so that the believer’s “faith should not rest on the wisdom
of men but on the power of God.” (1Co 2:5) Thus the believer is saved “...By
grace through faith...” (Eph 2:8-9) His faith is made effective by the power of
God the Holy Spirit. After Salvation, the believer is no longer Spiritually dead,
or separated from God. (Eph 2:4-5) The Church Age believer possesses
fabulous advantages, but his positive volition still lacks the power in itself to
advance him Spiritually. (Gal 3:3; Eph 4:20-24) Spiritual growth is a marvelous
Divine achievement. Simply desiring to grow does not produce growth, nor
does slavish adherence to some religious formula — including rigid, unthinking,
legalistic attendance to hear Bible teaching. (Eccles 5:1) Growth comes not by
hoping or striving but as a result of learning, Thinking and solving problems
with Truth, which is the power of God. (Rom 1:16; Heb 4:12) But even the
keenest human intellect cannot penetrate God’s Own Thoughts! (1Co 3:19-20)
How, then, can we grow? Once again the grace of God meets the
helplessness of man. He places us in an invisible position of strength.
(Php 4:13) The power of God the Holy Spirit operates after Salvation in the
Spiritual life. The Spirit’s communication ministry aids in comprehension,
assimilation, and application of the Truth.
1. The Christian chooses to reside in the Spiritual life, and read Truth. God the
Holy Spirit makes Truth comprehensible. (1Co 2:12-13)
2. The Christian chooses to Think about Truth, to believe the Truth he hears,
to integrate new information with the Truth he already knows. God the Holy
Spirit converts academic knowledge of Truth into genuine Spiritual
understanding.
(1Co 2:16)
3. The Christian chooses to Think with Truth in the circumstances of his life.
God the Holy Spirit aids in the recall of the Truth so that the believer “walks by
means of the Spirit.” (Gal 5:16) In every stage of learning, meditating upon,
and thinking with the Truth, the believer provides the non-meritorious positive
volition, but God the Holy Spirit provides the unseen power — the Spiritual IQ
— for comprehending, assimilating and applying Truth. So that every believer;
can reach Spiritual maturity regardless of human IQ. (1Co 2:13-14)
Epilogue
- CHANGES IN POSITIVE VOLITION
God the Holy Spirit’s communication ministry is powerful but deliberately
invisible. The teaching is spotlighted, not the Teacher! He operates in silent
support of the normal, human learning process. (Rom 12:2; (2Ti 2:15) As far
as conscious experience is concerned, the believer listens to Bible teaching,
Thinks about it, mulls it over, accepts what he believes is true, and lives by
that Truth. He recognizes the importance the Bible gives to remaining filled
with God the Holy Spirit, (Gal 5:16-26; Eph 4:30; Eph 5:18; 1Th 5:19) so he
obeys this Commands by faith. The Holy Spirit’s indispensable aid operates
below the surface. The Spirit glorifies Christ rather than Himself.
(John 16:13-14) He illuminates the “Mind of Christ.” (1Co 2:10-16) The Church
Age believer “knows” God the Holy Spirit but “beholds” Christ, in contrast to
the world which neither beholds nor knows God the Holy Spirit.
(John 14:16-19) Intellectually aware that this invisible power animates the
Christian way of life, the believer can all the more appreciate the facets of
positive volition which are perceptible. As he grows, his positive volition itself
changes. Beyond simply opting to hear, accept, or Think with the Word of
Truth, positive volition becomes an expression of his own Spiritual autonomy.
Firmly grounded in Truth, his Doctrinal Thinking becomes his outlook on life. He
acquires a scale of values in which his relationship with God has first priority!
Confidence in God enables him to squarely and honestly face his own
questions as an essential part of being receptive to Truth. Doctrine fills all the
compartments of his soul, including his subconscious, so that he develops the
instincts of grace, of gratitude, of true worship. “Because of practice” in
learning and Thinking with Divine Thoughts, he has his “Senses [Thoughts]
trained to discern good and evil.” (Heb 5:14) He stretches forward, extending
his stride like a runner with the goal in sight. (Php 3:14) He loves and desires
Truth. In other words, positive volition becomes an asset in itself, a secondary
asset in the believer’s now enlarged portfolio, an asset that becomes the
driving force in his life. The increasing desire to know and worship God
propels the potential winner toward his Spiritual destiny. He is still free; he still
has his old sin nature; he can still turn aside into error or indifference. But after
his positive volition strengthens into a functioning secondary asset, his frame of
reference and his conscience operate in favor of Truth. He has forward
momentum. Negative volition would go against his own grain!
VOLITION REMAINS FREE
Positive volition is never automatic, however. Any believer can become “dull
of hearing.” (Heb 5:11) Emphasizing the Christian’s responsibility to be diligent.
(Heb 6:1-6) warns against departing from Truth, after having built a
foundation of elementary knowledge. This passage is especially pertinent
because here advancing believers lose their own momentum by ignoring
dispensational distinctions. Their initial, accurate frame of reference, or
“foundation,” is depicted in this context as a list of basic Doctrines that begins
with “repentance from dead works” and continues through the Doctrine of
“eternal judgment.” (Heb 6:1-2)
At some point the Christians to whom this epistle was addressed began to
neglect the basics they had learned. They found themselves attracted to the
traditional Jewish forms of worship that anticipated Christ. Old Testament
ritual was legitimate in previous dispensations but was made obsolete by the
Cross. (Heb 10:1) It has no place in Church Age worship. These Christians
“again crucified to themselves the Son of God” by offering animal sacrifices.
Their participation in these ceremonies obscured New Covenant Truth and
halted their Spiritual growth. As long as they practiced this ritual, subscribing
to the outdated Doctrines involved, it was “impossible to renew them again to
repentance.” (Heb 6:6) This does not mean they could never recover.
“Repentance” is the first word from the list of basic Doctrines in verse 1.
Here, in ancient writing style that conserved valuable space, this initial word
represents the entire list. It is impossible to return to basic Doctrine and regain
Spiritual momentum while trusting in dead religious works, self, or anything
else; (Isa 58:13-14) other than God and His Word. Continuing in the wrong
direction hardens negative volition, just as consistency in the right direction
strengthens positive volition.
THE ROLE OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Yet another factor plays a discernible role in transforming the believer’s
positive volition. This factor is encouragement. (Php 2:1-2) The invisible
resources that God provides for the Church Age believer surpass the
imagination. As the Christian establishes a trend of making right decisions,
these unseen, primary assets produce their powerful results. He grows up
Spiritually. Pressures only accelerate his advance. He achieves Spiritual
self-esteem, Spiritual autonomy, and Spiritual maturity. (Matt 13:8)
Illustration
The results of executing the protocol plan of God encourages us. Our
confidence in God continues to grow. This confidence from our accumulative
experience of God’s grace strengthens our determination — our positive
volition — to keep on fulfilling God’s purpose. (Php 3:12-14)
PRODUCTION ASSETS
The next category of secondary assets concerns Christian service. As a
result of Spiritual progress, the believer is motivated to do something for the
Lord. This desire begins in Spiritual childhood and takes definite shape as the
believer grows. Genuine Christian service is a privilege, an asset acquired as
a result of faithfully adhering to the protocol plan of God! Service is not the
first priority for the new believer; Truth is. And not everything called Christian
service actually is effective Christian service. Discernment in this matter comes
from Truth. Furthermore, even legitimate fields of service can be neutralized
by false motivation or the intrusion of human dynamics, by doing things out of
fellowship. The plan of God operates on Divine power, (Rom 8:4-7) not human
power. (Rom 8:8) The believer is completely helpless to make his earthly
endeavors count for God. Therefore, God has made His own strength
available to each Church Age believer. (2Pe 1:4) This power is accessible
through the believer’s use of his primary assets, which include logistical grace
and the Spiritual life. In eternity past omniscient God knew which believers
would utilize their primary assets. He therefore provided effective Christian
service in their portfolios as a secondary asset. (Eph 2:10; Php 2:13-16;
Tit 2:14) True production comes from Spiritual growth.
For we are His creation [The new Spiritual species created by the baptism
of God the Holy Spirit] having been created in Christ Jesus [Union with Christ]
for good achievements [Agathos in the Greek, good of intrinsic value] which
God [The Father] has prepared in advance [Before creation He designed His
protocol plan] that we should walk by means of them. [The application of God’
s Thoughts to our Thoughts and actions] (Eph 2:10)
This passage mentions (1) union with Christ, (2) intrinsically good
achievements, and (3) walking, (Thinking and living) by means of those good
achievements. As previously noted, union with Christ enables the Church Age
believer to utilize God’s power in the Spiritual life. The power of God executes
the plan of God so that He Himself is responsible for the Spiritual
“achievements” in the Christian’s life. In eternity past God “prepared in
advance” His protocol plan; and the Spiritual life as the means of executing the
plan. The believer makes good decisions, but God gets all the credit for the
supernatural results! The believer’s consistent positive volition in obeying the
Commands of the Spiritual life becomes Spiritual momentum. Momentum
includes understanding and using invisible assets, gaining a grace perspective,
attaining successive stages of Spiritual adulthood. All of these are “intrinsically
good achievements,” first, because God ordained them as integral parts of His
protocol plan for the individual believer and, second, because Divine power
achieves them. Christian service is one expression of this Spiritual momentum.
Christian service itself cannot be called “intrinsically good,” because believers
can perform acts of Christian service in or out fellowship.
Illustration
Service can come from genuine love for God, and through legalism or
coercion. It can even come from arrogance and self-promotion. This passage
emphasizes that true service does not occur in a vacuum. It is not evaluated
solely as overt, visible activity but is part of “walking,” or living the Christian
way of life in fellowship with God. The believer lives the Christian life “in” or,
more precisely, “by means of” the stages of Spiritual growth that God’s power
achieves. Gaining Spiritual momentum, which becomes a steady, vigorous
Christian walk, implies a sequence that will not work in reverse order. A
believer who attempts to advance himself Spiritually through the works he
performs is wasting his time and squandering his life! He is ignorant of God’s
protocol, and ignorance breeds arrogance. His motivation is misdirected. He
may sincerely want Divine approbation, but Jesus is the only human being who
ever deserves God’s complete approval! Man’s only entrance to God is
through Christ, according to the protocol God has set forth. The carnal
Christian’s power is merely human and, therefore, cannot produce Spiritual
growth, (Psa 94:11; Psa 39:5) and Spiritual progress does not occur. He runs
in vain and toils in vain. (Gal 3:3) He may impress himself and other Christians
with his production, but at the Judgment Seat of Christ this believer’s “Christian
service” will be condemned and destroyed as “dead works” (Heb 6:1;
Heb 9:14; cf. 1Co 3:11-15) Jesus Christ as the escrow officer will eternally
reward only believers whose service reflects Spiritual Thinking and growth,
which is an intrinsically good achievement. Genuine Christian service is a result
of Spiritual growth and a chance to apply Truth already assimilated. Christian
production covers a wide range of activities. A partial list shows that different
opportunities for legitimate service can appeal to different believers as they
advance. Not all Christian service is alike.
1. Witnessing to unbelievers and teaching rebound and basic Doctrines to
beginning believers is a responsibility of every believer in the course of
performing all other categories of Christian service.
2. Work in the church, involving many kinds of service
3. Work in Christian service organizations
4. Foreign missionary service
5. Work ordained by the laws of Divine establishment, such as military or
government service
6. Service to the needy of the community
7. Specialized functions, such as working with youth or the handicapped.
8. The function of one’s Spiritual gift, which will be mentioned separately under
the Church Age believer’s “personnel assets”
ASSETS FOR UNDESERVED SUFFERING
The final category of secondary assets in the believer’s portfolio is suffering
for blessing. This asset, like certain aspects of positive volition and service, is
an example of continuity in the midst of change. In every dispensation God
uses suffering as a means of blessing the Spiritually adult believer. In His
marvelous grace God designed pressures for each stage of a believer’s
advance in Spiritual adulthood. The objective is accelerated Spiritual growth.
Christianity is not a religion of suffering, regardless of ascetic distortions that
have cropped up throughout Church history. Suffering is part of life. We are
mortals living in the devil’s world among other mortals, all possessing a sin
nature. God first of all enables the believer to eliminate self-induced misery
from his own life, and then He carries out the greatest strategy of all. God has
incorporated human suffering into His plan. Hence, suffering poses no threat to
the plan of God. He uses suffering to advance the believer Spiritually! As the
believer learns to use the assets God has given him, suffering loses much of
its dread. God uses the right kind and degree of suffering to stretch the
believer beyond his human resources, compelling him to rely utterly upon the
grace of God. This undeserved suffering is designed to teach the all-
sufficiency of God. The believer might fail a test and collapse under pressure,
but never is the pressure greater than he can bear if he uses the Doctrinal
resources in his soul, (1Co 10:13) including the problem-solving devices.
Illustration
And if a believer fails, recovery is as near as the rebound technique, which
itself is a basic problem-solving device. (Job 42:6; Psa 32:5; (1Jn 1:9)
Suffering has different purposes in each successive stage of Spiritual growth.
We will start to note some of these purposes in the course of Spiritual
adulthood, which begins when the believer gains Spiritual self-esteem,
followed by Spiritual autonomy and Spiritual maturity. When a believer attains
Spiritual self-esteem, God consolidates his strength and protects him from
self-righteousness by sending providential preventive suffering. (2Co 12:7)
The believer who perseveres in utilizing his Divine assets and succeeds under
providential preventive suffering advances to Spiritual autonomy. In Spiritual
autonomy he receives momentum testing (Sin nature, Thought, people, system
and disaster testing) so that he may appreciate Christ more fully and utilize the
resources on which Christ Himself relied. (Php 3:10) If the believer passes
momentum testing, he moves into Spiritual maturity. As a mature believer he
has the capacity to handle the most challenging suffering in the Christian life.
Evidence testing, in which God calls him — as it were — to the witness stand
as evidence for God’s case in the appeal trial of Satan. (Job 1:6-11;
Job 2:1-6; Matt 4:1-11) Evidence testing is Satan’s cross-examination of the
witness. Under the rigors of evidence testing, the supreme efficacy of God’s
grace glorifies Him to the maximum on earth. God does not administer any of
these categories of suffering until the believer can handle the pressure and
benefit from the experience. (1Co 10:13) Suffering for blessing is never
designed to destroy the growing believer. God’s purpose is to replace the
believer’s futile confidence in human resources with increased confidence in
God! (Rom 4:20-21) The pain is real, but always the purpose is blessing.
Indeed, in eternity past God graciously included suffering in the advancing
believer’s portfolio. Suffering for blessing is necessary to intensify his use of all
other assets in his portfolio. The believer who fails to reach Spiritual self-
esteem does not receive suffering assets. He still suffers, but his pain is not
designed by God for blessing. Instead, his own bad decisions cause him to
suffer under the law of volitional responsibility. And in the midst of self-induced
misery, he may also incur Divine discipline. God disciplines the believer to alert
him to his failure and to motivate his return to the only solution: the protocol
plan of God.
(John 4:24)
PERSONNEL ASSETS IN THE CHURCH AGE PORTFOLIO
Having discussed primary and secondary assets in the Christian’s portfolio,
we turn now to the special category of assets that sustains the operation of
the church. Personnel assets because they relate the individual believer to an
organization or group of believers in which he plays an important part. Every
Church Age believer possesses at least one Spiritual gift. (1Co 12:7) Spiritual
gifts are God-given talents or abilities related to the function of the royal family
of God on earth. From His sovereign bounty the victorious Lord Jesus Christ
initially distributed Spiritual gifts to celebrate His triumph. (Eph 4:7-13) Shortly
after the Church Age began, the Holy Spirit distributes Spiritual gifts as part of
His ministry of glorifying Christ. (Eph 3:7-11) Throughout the Church Age, God
the Holy Spirit sovereignly bestows Spiritual gifts at the moment of Salvation.
(1Co 12:11; Heb 2:4) Totally apart from human merit, ability, or talent,
Spiritual gifts operate on Divine power, not on human energy. Therefore, the
Spiritual gift remains unexploited until the believer has begun to grow. When he
reaches Spiritual adulthood, his gift functions fully and effectively as God’s
royal priest, (1Pe 2:9) even if he is unaware that his activities involve a
Spiritual gift. The only gifts that demand special preparation in order to
function properly are the communication gifts, particularly the gift of pastor-
teacher, and certain gifts of administration. All believers have equal privilege
and equal opportunity to execute the protocol plan of God, but equality ends
where the secondary assets begin. These assets increase with Spiritual
growth, which depends on volition. Some believers choose to advance; most
do not. (Matt 7:13-14) Furthermore, equality does not extend into the realm of
personnel assets, or Spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts create differences in function
within the Body of Christ. (Rom 12:4-8) The individual’s Spiritual gift is part of
what gives him a personal destiny within the royal family of God. The fulfillment
of this destiny is a Christian’s unique contribution to resolving the angelic
conflict. This completes our discussion of the Church Age believer’s portfolio
of invisible assets. So far we have seen four characteristics that make the
Church Age unique. These have been the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the
protocol plan of God, mystery Doctrine, and the portfolio. We now turn to a
fifth characteristic.
THE EQUALITY FACTOR
Election and predestination are tremendous advantages to the Church Age
believer. They deserve special attention because they are the equality factor.
Every member of the royal family of God has equal privilege and equal
opportunity to execute the protocol plan of God. At the moment of Salvation,
no one is superior; no one is inferior. No one has a higher position than any
other, and no one is disadvantaged. All the human standards of superiority and
inferiority are set aside by the election and predestination of each Church Age
believer in eternity past. Race, sex, intelligence, nationality, economic
situation, social standing — none of these help or hinder the believer in fulfilling
the protocol plan of God. Help lies entirely in Divine assets, and the only
hindrance is the believer’s own refusal to learn Truth and utilize his invisible
Divine assets.
Specific aspects of election and predestination provide equal privilege and
opportunity to execute the plan of God. Under the computer asset of election,
the universal priesthood gives the believer equal privilege with every other New
Covenant Age believer. (Eph 1:4) Every member of the royal family represents
himself before God. Also under election, logistical grace gives every Christian
equal opportunity through life support, personal security, and the provisions
necessary to learn Truth. Winners and losers alike are blessed with logistical
grace. Under the computer asset of predestination, union with Christ gives
every believer equal privilege at the moment of Salvation. (Eph 1:5) All Church
Age believers have the same position in Christ through the baptism of God the
Holy Spirit. Also under predestination, the Spiritual life gives every believer
equal opportunity to advance by executing the protocol plan of God. Each
Church Age believer possesses his own operational Spiritual life. The Spiritual
life is the believer’s royal palace, his magnificent but invisible seat of power.
Note well that equal privilege and equal opportunity for every Church Age
believer in time, means inequality in the eternal state! (Rev 22:14-15) Each
believer’s volition accepts or rejects the provisions of Divine sovereignty. The
ROM chip (Sovereignty of God) provide equality, but the PROM chip (Free will
of man) also function in the computer and express individuality. Some believers
respond to Bible Doctrine, advance Spiritually, and become Spiritual winners.
Others reject Truth and become Spiritual losers. A Roman maxim applies to
the loser: Qui non proficit deficit. “He who does not advance retrogresses.”
But another maxim pertains to the winner: Vincit qui pat itur. “He is a winner
who perseveres.” The Christian winner keeps on using his privileges and
opportunities!
ROYAL COMMISSIONS
Among the many benefits of Spiritual royalty, two Divine commissions have
been granted to every Church Age believer. Each Christian is a royal priest
and a royal ambassador. A priest is a human being who represents some
segment of the human race before God. In the Dispensation of the Gentiles,
the head of the family represented the family in matters of worship. The family
priest’s duties included presenting revealed Truth and officiating in rituals and
animal sacrifices. (Gen 4:3-5; Gen 8:20; Gen 14:18; Gen 22:13) In the
Dispensation of Israel, God ordained the Levitical priesthood to serve on
behalf of the nation. (Num 3:5-10; Lev 8:1-36) This specialized priesthood
taught Truth verbally and ceremonially through the rituals authorized in the
Mosaic Law. The Levitical priesthood included only unblemished adult males
from the family of Aaron in the tribe of Levi. (Lev 21:17-21) In previous
dispensations, membership in the priesthood was severely restricted. Priests
were a small minority among believers. The New Covenant Age is unique in
that the priesthood has been extended to include every believer. (1Pe 2:5-9;
Rev 1:6; Rev 5:10) In union with Christ, every Church Age believer belongs to
the most exalted of all priestly orders under the high priesthood of the
resurrected Jesus Christ. (Heb 9:11-14) As a royal priest, each Church Age
believer represents himself before God. (Rom 12:1; Eph 6:7-8; Heb 13:15-16)
This is the basis for the believer’s Spiritual privacy, in which he lives his own
life before the Lord. (Rom 14:4-10; (2Th 3:11-12) The believer’s priesthood is
also grounds for offering effective prayer. Furthermore, the faithful intake of
Truth, which is the basis for Spiritual growth and the attainment of Spiritual
adulthood, is a priestly function. Spiritual growth is a result of the believer-
priest’s protocol function before God. The setting for the royal priest’s duties is
inside the Spiritual life, in contrast to the service of earlier priesthoods at
physical altars or in material temples. Although the believer is a fully ordained
priest at the moment of Salvation, his priesthood becomes more effective as
he attains successive stages of Spiritual growth. (Heb 5:12-14) The universal
priesthood of the Church does not imply total independence of believers from
one another. The priesthood and Spiritual gifts create a balance. The
priesthood emphasizes the individual; Spiritual gifts emphasize the group.
Spiritual gifts are Divinely given abilities that support the many necessary
functions within the congregation, as well as outside the church in spreading
the Gospel and Divine Thinking. Believers as priests have responsibilities both
before God and among other believers. Every Christian is a priest, but not
every priest has the same Spiritual gift. The gift of pastor-teacher, for
example, enables a believer to accurately study and teach the Word of God.
These functions belonged to the priesthoods of earlier dispensations, but in the
Church Age not every priest has a gift of communicating the Truth to
assembled groups. All believers are royal priests, but only some royal priests
are pastors. Pastors depend on the attendance of hearers. Those who are not
pastors remain dependent on a pastor’s exposition of the Scriptures. Although
autonomous before God, believers do not live in isolation from one another.
The Christian service of individual believer-priests also brings them into contact
with other Christians. Here the privacy of the priesthood treats each individual
with respect and prevents sins like gossip, judging and intolerance. This
respect for the individual permits relationships to develop on a solid foundation
of Virtue. In other words, privacy contributes to rewarding relationships with
other people; it is not a barrier that excludes others from the believer’s life.
Each believer-priest is responsible for residing in the Spiritual life, learning
Truth, and living his own life before the Lord, but he does not have to eliminate
or distort human relationships to do so. The church, computer, car, house, etc.
are places where believers hear Truth, and wonderful human relationships can
develop on the common ground of love for the Word of God. Privacy allows
each person in the congregation to choose his own activities — within and
outside the church — and to pursue or decline relationships on his own
initiative. The Christian’s second royal warrant operates not toward God but
toward man. As a royal ambassador every Church Age believer represents
the Lord Jesus Christ to mankind on earth. (2Co 5:20; Eph 6:20; Phm 1:9)
A close analogy exists between a nation’s senior diplomat to a foreign country
and the Church Age believer as God’s royal ambassador to man. A nation’s
ambassador does not appoint himself; likewise, God appoints the royal
ambassador to be His representative on earth. An ambassador does not
support himself; similarly, God supplies all the logistical grace necessary to
perpetuate the believer’s physical and Spiritual life in the devil’s world. An
ambassador’s instructions are given to him in writing; the royal ambassador
operates according the Word of God. An ambassador is not a citizen of the
country in which he serves; the ambassador of Jesus Christ has his citizenship
in heaven. (Php 3:20) An ambassador does not reside in his assigned country
to advance his own personal interests; the royal ambassador lives to glorify
Christ and personally benefits not by following his own agenda but through
fulfilling his royal responsibility. An ambassador does not take insults
personally; the believer does not regard the negative volition of mankind as a
personal insult but continues to faithfully represent Christ regardless of
insulting treatment by others. The recall of an ambassador accompanies a
declaration of war. (Rev 3:10)
THE INDWELLING OF THE TRINITY
GOD RESIDING IN THE BELIEVER
Never before the Church Age does God indwell every believer’s body. At
the moment of Salvation, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy
Spirit take up residence in the body of the Church Age believer. God’s
indwelling continues uninterrupted throughout the believer’s life. Scripture
documents this unprecedented indwelling.
1. The indwelling of God the Father (John 14:23; Eph 4:6; (2Jn 1:9)
2. The indwelling of God the Son (John 14:20; John 17:22-23; Rom 8:10;
(2Co 13:5; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27; (1Jn 2:23-24)
3. The indwelling of God the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:11; (1Co 3:16; (1Co 6:19-20;
(2Co 6:16)
How can God indwell a believer’s body? God is omnipresent, which
involves His immanence and His transcendence. (Deut 4:39; (1Ki 8:27;
Psa 139:7-8; Prov 15:3; Isa 57:4) Immanence means His entire essence is
always present everywhere so that the whole of God is in every place.
(Jer 23:23-24; Acts 17:27-28) Transcendence means He is independent of
the created universe so that no particular place exclusively contains Him.
(Psa 113:5-6; Isa 55:8-9; John 8:23) Immanence and transcendence exist in
balance, so that “the whole earth is full of His glory,” (He is wholly in every
point in the universe) while at the same time He is “holy” and “lofty and
exalted” infinitely beyond the universe. (Isa 6:1-3) If God is everywhere, what
is the meaning of His special indwelling of the Church Age believer’s body?
The combination of immanence and transcendence means that God is free to
be local, to have a presence at a particular location. (Exo 19:20; Exo 24:9-18;
Exo 40:34; Lev 16:2; John 1:14) And since He is not restricted to time and
space, He can decide how He wants to dwell in these temporal and physical
dimensions. He does not always have to be present in the same sense. When
He dwells within creation, therefore, He dwells by His own choice and in a
manner of His own choosing. His sovereign decision in this matter is a striking
expression of His love and His eternal purpose. The indwelling of the Church
Age believer’s body is God’s local presence in a more intimate relationship
with the believer than has ever existed prior to this dispensation. God’s
personal, indwelling presence within the Christian’s body is an astounding fact
and the basis for blessings beyond imagination.
THE INDWELLING OF THE FATHER
Each member of the Trinity has a purpose for residing in the believer’s
body. The indwelling of the Father is related to the glorification of His protocol
plan. (Eph 1:3-14) The Father is the author of our portfolio of invisible assets.
He is the grantor of our escrow blessings for time and eternity. He is the
Mastermind of the protocol plan for the new Covenant. He is the designer of
the Spiritual life, the invisible sphere of power in which the protocol plan is
executed. The Father is not the revealed member of the Trinity; the Lord
Jesus Christ is. The Father is not the Divine agent in the believer’s execution of
the Christian way of life; the Holy Spirit is. Because God the Father is revealed
indirectly — through Christ by the power of the Spirit — little appears in
Scripture concerning His personal indwelling. The Bible presents only the
arresting fact that He does indeed indwell every Church Age believer. His
indwelling guarantees His personal ministry to every believer.
THE INDWELLING OF JESUS CHRIST
Shekinah Glory was originally a Jewish Theological term for the presence
of God made manifest. Shekinah comes from the Hebrew word meaning
“to dwell.” The Son is the revealed member of the Godhead, (John 1:18) the
special Divine presence, or Shekinah, who is glorified among men. The Lord
Jesus Christ is the Shekinah Glory. The Shekinah Glory appears in numerous
dispensations, establishing continuity from age to age. But the change of
residence of the Shekinah Glory is yet another example of the dramatic
differences between the dispensations. In the Dispensation of Israel, the
pre-incarnate Christ took the form of a pillar of fire and smoke that led and
defended the Jews. (Exo 13:21-22; Exo 14:19; Exo 16:7-10; Exo 24:16-17)
The Shekinah Glory also dwelt between the golden cherubs in the Tabernacle
and later in Solomon’s Temple as a sign of blessing for the nation of Israel.
(Lev 26:11-12; cf. Exo 25:22; Exo 33:9-10; Exo 40:34-38; Lev 9:23;
Num 16:42; (1Ki 8:11; (2Ch 5:13-14) In the Dispensation of the Hypostatic
Union, the revealed member of the Godhead “became flesh and tabernacled
among us and we beheld His glory [The Shekinah Glory] ...full of grace and
Truth.” (John 1:14) In this well-known statement, John refers to the
Transfiguration, (Matt 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luk 9:28-36) in which he witnessed
the glory of Christ’s Deity briefly revealed. During the Transfiguration the Voice
declared that Christ is the Revelation of the Father, (John 6:46; John 14:9-10)
the very Shekinah Glory that appeared in Isaiah’s vision of the enthroned Lord
“lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.” (Isa 6:1;
Isa 6:10; John 12:37-41; cf. Isa 53:1-12) The Old Testament Shekinah Glory
in the Temple and the incarnate Christ are the same Person. Earlier our Lord
had referred to His body as a temple, (John 2:18-22) the new dwelling place
of the Shekinah Glory. The Shekinah Glory had changed residence from the
Temple to the body of Jesus Christ. The incarnate Christ is the “flashing forth
of [God’s] glory.” (Heb 1:3) In the Church Age, the body of each believer is a
temple in which Jesus Christ, the Shekinah Glory, dwells. (2Co 6:16; cf. Lev
26:12) This change of residence of the Shekinah Glory indicates the transition
between the Dispensation of the Hypostatic Union and the Dispensation of the
Church. The indwelling of God the Son in the body of the Church Age believer
is the escutcheon or badge of the royal family. The Shekinah Glory has fulfilled
different purposes in God’s plan for different dispensations. Under the ritual
plan of God in Israel, the Shekinah Glory dwelt in the Tabernacle and Temple;
to be the focal point of worship in the nation. The Shekinah Glory resided
among His people but not in them, until they reached maturity. (Psa 26:1-8;
Psa 84:1-12) Under the incarnation plan of God, the purpose of the Shekinah
Glory in human form was to provide Salvation. Jesus Christ came in the flesh
to bear man’s sins in His body on the Cross. (1Pe 2:24) Under the protocol
plan for the Church, the Shekinah Glory indwells every believer’s body at the
moment of Salvation, (Col 1:27) for the purpose of fellowship with the glorified
Christ. As the Church Age believer advances to Spiritual maturity, the Holy
Spirit glorifies Christ, (Rom 8:11) in his body. (Php 3:3) Every member of the
royal family is a new Spiritual species indwelt by Christ, (Rom 6:3-4) like the
Shekinah Glory’s reluctant departure from apostate Israel. (1Sa 4:21;
Eze 9:3; Eze 10:4; Eze 11:22-23) The impact and blessings depend on
obedience. (John 14:23; John 15:1-8) The ministry of God the Holy Spirit gives
the Church Age believer unprecedented opportunity for Spiritual impact.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, [Deity of God the Holy Spirit] and where the
Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. [Freedom to Spiritually mature] Now we
all, with an unveiled face [The filling of God Holy the Spirit gives Spiritual
perception] looking into a mirror [Truth, the Mind of Christ] to produce a
reflection [A reflection of Christ’s Thoughts and Virtues, who indwells us]
namely, the glory of the Lord [The Shekinah Glory revealed to us by God the
Holy Spirit, who illuminates Truth, (John 16:13-14)] are being transformed into
the same image [The execution of the protocol plan of God manifests in us the
glory of Christ] from glory to glory, [From the source, the indwelling Shekinah
Glory, to the manifestation of the Shekinah Glory in the Church Age believer
who follows the protocol plan] as it were, from the Spirit of the Lord [The
power of God the Holy Spirit which executes the protocol plan] (2Co 3:17-18)
As in previous dispensations, the Shekinah Glory is both a sign and a
guarantee of blessing. Jesus Christ’s presence in the Church Age believer
assures him that his portfolio of invisible assets is now available. The
indwelling Jesus Christ is the King who rules in our heart, (Col 1:13; Col 3:3-4)
as in the nation of Israel before they wanted a human king. (Luk 19:38;
John 18:37; Rom 15:12; Col 3:15; (1Ti 1:17; (1Ti 6:15; Rev 15:3) He Himself
is the depositary with whom the Father entrusted escrow blessings for time
and eternity. (Eph 1:3) His presence in the believer’s body guarantees that
these irrevocable blessings will be distributed if he attains Spiritual maturity
through execution of the protocol plan! (Luk 19:26; Rom 14:17-18) Christ’s
indwelling of the body is also an assurance of eternal life in the presence of
God. At death the believer departs from the body and comes “face-to-face
with the Lord” in heaven. (2Co 5:8) Christ is personally invisible while
indwelling the believer’s mortal body. (1Pe 1:8) He becomes visible in the
moment of our death. The Doctrine of the indwelling of Christ takes the fear
out of death, for the Lord, who even now indwells the believer, will be the first
person he will see. These guarantees and assurances encourage the believer
while he remains on earth to execute the protocol plan of God. The Church
Age believer’s confidence can surpass even the confidence of David who
wrote, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no
evil, for You are with me...” (Psa 23:4) The same Lord who was with the
heroes of the Old Testament dwells in every Church Age believer.
(John 14:17-20)
While instilling confidence, the indwelling Lord Jesus Christ simultaneously
becomes the object of the believer’s love. The personal, indwelling presence
of Christ is a compelling reason for giving priority to relationship with God over
relationships with people, self, circumstances or things. First priority goes to
assimilating Truth, called the “Mind of Christ” (1Co 2:16) so that the believer
can experience Occupation with Christ. Occupation with Christ is the Spiritually
mature believer’s constant awareness of the One he loves! (Heb 11:27)
THE INDWELLING OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
Like God the Father and God the Son, God the Holy Spirit also indwells
the body of every Church Age believer. The Spirit indwells to make the
Christian’s body a temple worthy of Christ, the Shekinah Glory. (1Co 3:16;
(2Co 6:16) The believer himself is incapable of providing an acceptable
dwelling place for Christ. The old sin nature inherited from fallen Adam
contaminates the body throughout the believer’s temporal life. Only the
“washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Tit 3:5) makes the
“temple” fit for Christ to occupy. The existence of this inner sanctuary for
Christ makes it possible (In fact, makes it even conceivable) for the believer to
obey the Command to “glorify God in your body.” (1Co 6:19-20) This
Command is fulfilled by God the Holy Spirit. He executes the plan of the Father
in the life of the positive believer, the believer who adheres to Divine protocol.
Two post-Salvation ministries of the Spirit are involved: indwelling and filling.
The Spirit indwells the body so Christ may take up royal residence there, while
the filling of God the Holy Spirit enables the believer to reflect the glory
(Spiritual life) of the resident Christ. (John 16:14; (2Co 3:18) Indwelling puts
God the Holy Spirit’s help near at hand, in fact, within the Christian himself;
filling actually delivers God the Holy Spirit’s help as He invisibly energizes the
Spiritual life. Indwelling is permanent; filling is intermittent. Scripture never
Commands the New Covenant believer to be indwelt by God the Holy Spirit
but rather regards His indwelling as a constant Reality. The Bible does,
however, Command the believer to “be filled with the Spirit.” (Eph 5:18; cf.
Gal 5:16)
The Christian cannot change the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit, but the
filling of God the Spirit is a matter of choice. The believer loses the filling of
God the Holy Spirit by committing sin. He restores the filling of the Spirit by
confessing or acknowledging his sins to the Father. (1Jn 1:9) The Principle of
rebound remains the same in all dispensations as the only means of recovering
fellowship with God. (Prov 1:23) At the moment of Salvation in the New
Covenant; God the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the body, and a perpetual
inner conflict begins. (Rom 6:16-18) God the Holy Spirit and the old sin nature
compete for management of the soul. (Eph 3:16-17; cf.
Rom 7:15 thru Rom 8:13; Gal 5:17-26) The believer’s volition decides the
issue: to sin or to resist temptation, to remain in a state of carnality after
committing a sin or to rebound back into the Spiritual life. God the Holy Spirit is
the power source in the Spiritual life. Living outside of the Spiritual life, under
the power of the old sin nature, is “grieving” and or “quenching” the Holy Spirit.
(Eph 4:30;
(1Th 5:19) For the Christian, living in the Spiritual life always implies being
filled with God the Holy Spirit. When the believer concentrates on the Word of
Truth when it is taught and Thinks with it, and applies it in solving problems and
just living life, God the Holy Spirit illuminates the Truth. (1Co 2:9-16) But this
indispensable ministry of the indwelling Spirit operates only when the believer
is filled with God the Holy Spirit! (1Co 3:1-3)
THE AVAILABILITY OF DIVINE POWER
During Old Testament dispensations the power of God was used by a few
believers, who reached Spiritual maturity. God the Holy Spirit empowered by
enduement the understanding of Truth until they reached Spiritual maturity,
than He could indwell them. (Isa 59:21) Exceptional Old Testament believers
who held positions of unusual responsibility, where given Spiritual power by
God the Holy Spirit, to carry out their particular functions. (Num 11:16-17;
Num 27:18-20; 1Sa 10:6-10; Eze 2:2; Mic 3:8; Zec 7:12; (1Pe 1:11) In
dramatic contrast to previous dispensations, the protocol plan of God is
executed through a power structure available to every New Covenant Age
believer at the moment of Salvation. (1Co 12:13; Gal 3:27) The indwelling and
filling of God the Holy Spirit are extended to every member of the royal family.
The “ordinary believer” is extraordinary in this dispensation. The omnipotence
of God the Holy Spirit enables the individual believer to execute the protocol
plan of God. God the Holy Spirit supplies the power necessary for perception
and application of Truth by which the believer advances to Spiritual maturity.
(John 14:16-17; John 16:12-14; (1Co 2:9-16) Each Church Age believer also
has available to him the power of God the Father and God the Son. Each
person of the Trinity exercises His absolute power in behalf of the Church Age
believer. How does this magnificent resource become operational in the
believer’s life? It does so according to the Commands of Divine protocol. The
omnipotence of God the Father is related to the portfolio of invisible assets.
As the believer learns and obeys the Father’s plan, he begins to experience
the “riches of His grace.” (Eph 1:7-9) The omnipotence of God the Son
preserves the universe and perpetuates the human race. (Col 1:17; Heb 1:3)
He controls human history by blessing nations that have a large enough pivot
of positive believers (1Ch 12:22) and by judging nations with too large a spin-
off of negative believers. (Lam 1:4-5) The final two characteristics of the
Church Age — concerning Prophecy and invisible heroes — explain how the
Son’s power operates uniquely toward the Church.
PROPHECY
Like all other dispensations, the pre-canon (Before the book of Revelation
is completed) and post-canon, (After the completed New Testament in A.D.
96) the New Covenant Age is the era in which Biblical Prophecy has been and
will be fulfilled. (John 14:16-17; John 16:7-15; Acts 1:5; Acts 2:16-21;
(1Co 14:21; (Acts 3:18-24; Acts 15:14-18; Rom 9:25; (1Pe 1:10-12) Jesus
Christ is the key to the Divine interpretation of history, including past, present,
and future (Or Prophetic) history. (Eph 3:10-11) In His timeless Deity He
knows the future as clearly as the past or present. The Bible, as the Mind of
Christ, is not a complete “history book” of the future. The relatively few future
events it describes ~ are selected to reveal Christ, for “...the Testimony of
Jesus is the spirit of Prophecy.” (The Thinking of Jesus is The Word of God.)
(Rev 19:10) Many Prophecies have been fulfilled in the past, just as others will
be in the future. For example, the Doctrines of Christ as Savior (Christology)
and of His saving work (Soteriology) were Prophetic during the Age of the
Gentiles and the Age of Israel. They were fulfilled during the Dispensation of
the Hypostatic Union. Now, during the Church Age, we look back upon
historical facts in connection with these Doctrines. Like Prophecies already
fulfilled, those concerning the future reveal Christ — and the events
surrounding His second advent, His reign on earth, and His eternal glorification.
The Church Age stands between two periods rich in Prophecy. The
Dispensation of the Hypostatic Union fulfilled many Old Testament Prophecies,
and the two eschatological dispensations, that is, the Tribulation and
Millennium, are described throughout the Old and New Testaments.
(Isa 66:6-24) Naturally, the growing believer’s love for Christ creates eager
anticipation of His appearance, (1Co 1:4-8; Tit 2:13) but that enthusiasm must
be tempered by patience (Jas 5:7-8) and redirected toward fulfilling God’s
purpose in this present dispensation. When one acknowledges that the Church
Age is a dispensation, he recognizes that God’s yet-unfulfilled Prophecies and
Promises concerning Israel still belong to Israel. In other words, the Church
does not usurp the position of Israel in God’s plan for the ages. God will keep
His Promises to the Jews. (Gen 13:14-15) In the meantime, the fulfillment of
Divine Prophecy will be seen, (Acts 15:14-18; Rev 3:10) and continue through
the Tribulation period. (Dan 9:27; Luk 21:24) Jesus Christ controls history, but
rather than fixing our attention on particular Prophesied events, He directs us
to concentrate on His Thoughts. (1Co 14:20) The “Testimony of Jesus” during
this dispensation is manifested not only through Prophecy but through the New
Covenant Church Age believer. The Church is the Body of Christ. The Church
is in union with Christ. The Church has access to the same Divine assets that
sustained the humanity of Christ. The Church possesses the completed canon
of Scripture, given to sustain Spiritual growth which glorifies Christ. The
Church is meant to be inculcated with the Mind of Christ. Believers should
learn the whole realm of Scripture. In fact, the final two dispensations are
entirely eschatological. But our Lord controls history in the Church Age through
His direct rule as a Theocracy. A Spiritual kingdom in the souls of believers,
(Luk 17:21) not by a succession of Prophesied events, but according to
historical trends. This is illustrated by Christ’s evaluation of local churches in,
(Rev 2:1) thru (Rev 3:22) in which He comments on various tendencies in the
congregations and warns of their consequences. The Church Age may even
be called the dispensation of historical trends: As goes the believer, so goes
the historical trends at any point in any generation of the Church Age.
Residence, function and momentum inside our very own palace, the
operational-type Spiritual life means historical uptrend, while involvement in the
cosmic system means historical downtrend. As go believers, so go gentile
client nations; and as go client nations, so goes human history! The influence
of Church Age believers is invisible and generally indirect, whereas the Bible’s
yet unfulfilled Prophecies frequently describe the political stage and events in
the public spotlight. The pattern of historical disaster begins with economic
depression, moves to moral and immoral degeneracy, and ends in military
disaster. Historical trends are related to the conflict between objective Reality
(What God’s Word declares Reality to be) and subjective reality. (What we
think reality is) Choosing to believe Satan’s propaganda whether in religion,
“human old sin nature morality,” philosophy, family life, social life, money,
things, self, psychology, sociology, political science, or any other academic
subject related to human viewpoint, results in choosing the thinking and
environment of Satan’s cosmic system. Believers create these trends of
history — anonymously. And in the Church Age the scope of the Christian’s
invisible impact is not restricted within a Prophetic outline; in the atmosphere of
Salvation for unbelievers and encouraging believers to learn God’s Reality, to
take the initiative, advance Spiritually, and pursue their Spiritual destinies, in
the glorification of Christ. From the beginning, this was the tenor of Christ’s
repeated encouragement to the disciples in the Upper Room Discourse. Christ
kept urging them to “ask Me anything in My name,” (John 14:13-14;
John 15:16; John 16:23-24) because the extent and manner of the
glorification of His name in the Church is not announced in advance but is left
to the positive volition of the individual believer. In other words, the scope of
the Christian’s influence is virtually unlimited! Each believer influences history to
an unprecedented degree, for good or ill, Decisions create environment, not
environment decisions. And consequently the Christian has a profound
responsibility to grow up Spiritually. This theme is in accord with the rest of
Church Age Doctrine: The fabulous Divine resources at the command of the
royal family — just waiting for positive volition — turn a brighter spotlight upon
the free will of each believer than in any other dispensation. Knowledge of
Doctrine helps the believer interpret events and historical trends as they occur
in his own generation of the Church Age. The impact of the believer’s decisions
stresses his need to grow up Spiritually to the point that he can Think for
himself within a Biblical frame of reference from God’s Reality. (1Co 2:16)
INVISIBLE HEROES
The Doctrine of dispensations shows the Church Age believer where he
stands in the panorama of human history, but this Doctrine also teaches him
how to have an influence on history. When a Church Age believer advances to
Spiritual maturity, he has a positive impact. (Heb 11:32-34) In Old Testament
dispensations God worked through visible heroes like Abraham, Moses, David,
and Daniel. In the Church Age God works through invisible heroes. The
difference is that every Church Age believer has equal privilege and equal
opportunity to become an invisible hero. (Gal 3:28) The positive impact of the
royal family comes from the individual believer’s personal execution of the
protocol plan of God. As Christ distributes blessings to the mature believer,
those blessings benefit the believer’s periphery and his nation. God may
protect and bless the nation as a means of blessing the Spiritually mature
believer. Therefore, the vigor of a generation and the Divine blessing it enjoys
spring from those believers who thrive under God’s plan, not from political,
social or religious crusades to change the world. The negative impact of the
royal family also comes from the individual believer. The believer who rejects
the plan of God brings suffering and Divine discipline upon himself and
becomes a source of adversity in his periphery and nation. Therefore, every
individual Christian has a major role to play in his generation of the Church
Age. Believers can be invisible heroes or invisible villains, but there are no
ordinary Christians in the royal family of God! The great power experiment of
the Church Age was designed to create invisible heroes. An invisible hero is
any believer who advances to Spiritual maturity. In maturity he has fivefold
impact.
1. Personal impact. Individuals in the Spiritually mature believer’s periphery,
including family, loved ones, and the organizations to which he belongs,
receive blessing by their association with him. (Gen 39:3-5; Gen 39:21-23)
2. Historical impact. The client nation receives blessing through the mature
believers who reside within its borders. The vigor, prosperity, and survival of
the client nation revolve around Spiritually mature believers. This is the
Principle of the pivot. (1Ki 19:18; Matt 5:13-16; Rom 11:2-5; Eph 1:21-23)
A pivot of anonymous, unsung, invisible heroes is the Spiritual solution to
national degeneracy. The Spiritual pivot is the only solution and a nation’s only
hope! Blessing to the nation is an escrow blessing our Lord distributes to the
Spiritually mature believer. In this way Jesus Christ earns all the glory, and His
reputation is not obscured by the questionable judgment of over-zealous
Christians attempting to play power politics in His name. Those who vainly
strive to establish the kingdom of God on earth during the Church Age
overlook this Principle of invisible historical impact. As a good citizen (Made
better by his Spiritual life) the believer contributes positively to his nation; he
does not crusade in the name of Christianity to remake his nation in the image
of his personal faith. (Rom 13:1-7)
3. International impact. Non-client nations are blessed by association with
Spiritually mature believers who come as missionaries from a client nation.
This is one of the responsibilities of the client nation. Unfortunately, not all
missionaries are mature believers, but the missionary who is an invisible hero
is a source of blessing to two nations: the nation in which he serves and the
nation from which he is sent. (John 4:4-42)
4. Angelic impact. God summons the invisible hero to the witness stand, as it
were, to provide testimony in the appeal trial of Satan. Angels constantly
observe the human race; (1Co 4:9; Eph 3:10; (1Ti 5:21; cf. 1Pe 1:12) and
Spiritually mature believers are strong evidence of the grace of God. The devil
cross-examines the Spiritually mature believer through suffering and prosperity
testing. (Job 1:6-12; Job 2:1-6; cf. Matt 4:1-11; Eph 6:11-12) By using Divine
Thoughts to pass evidence testing, the invisible hero has far-reaching, unseen
impact among the angels.
5. Heritage impact. The loved ones and close friends of the Spiritually mature
believer receive blessing after his death. David presents this encouraging
Principle, making this blessing an example of continuity through the
dispensations. (Psa 37:25) The Spiritually mature Christian can face death
with complete assurance that God will care for those he leaves behind. His
survivors are blessed not necessarily because they are Spiritual winners
themselves but because of God’s high regard for the departed Spiritually
mature believer. Indeed, Spiritual losers and even unbelievers can receive
heritage impact just as they can receive personal impact during the mature
Christian’s lifetime. Today the Christian’s privilege of having impact as an
invisible hero is being broken. Because Christians are being misdirected by
Satan, leading them to become involved in emotionalism, personality cults,
church programs, social work, and political activism. Trends in Protestant
Christianity show signs of an imbalance that emphasizes the visible (Life in this
world) at the expense of the invisible, (Spirit and Truth) the material (Human
sin nature solutions; treating others as we want to be treated; by the power of
the old sin nature) at the expense of the Spiritual, (Divine solutions) the
believer’s overt image at the expense of the inner dynamics of Truth in the
soul. This problem takes root in ignorance of dispensations. The overwhelming
majority of Christians do not know what God has provided for them or why He
has given them so much. After Salvation, what? What does God desire the
Christian to do? If believers do not realize that they belong to the royal family,
how can they fulfill their destinies? How can they execute the protocol plan of
God for the Church Age if they do not know such a plan exists? Ignorance
undercuts every good intention. No matter how a Christian desires to make his
life count for God, if he is ignorant of God’s plan, he fails to glorify God. At
best, the impact of his life is fleeting, no sooner achieved than dissipated. At
worst, his impact is for evil as he inadvertently struggles in Satan’s cause to
improve the devil’s world.
AFTER SALVATION, WHAT?
THE PROTESTANT REFORMERS DISSENTED from the Roman Catholic
Church over several essential points of Doctrine. The Reformation clarified the
issue of justification by faith, but none of the Reformers — not Luther, Calvin,
nor Zwingli — gave a lucid description of the believer’s post-Salvation way of
life. Salvation is by faith in Christ; but after Salvation, what?
The mechanics of the Christian way of life are no clearer to Christians
today than in the darkness of late medieval Roman Catholicism. Emotionalism
and empty ritualism dominate many churches. Mysticism supplants objective
knowledge of Bible Doctrine. Good deeds are touted as an approach to God.
Morality is distorted into legalistic asceticism and is preached as a substitute
for Christian Virtue. [The filling of God the Holy Spirit] Christian service is
enforced through guilt, fear, penance, doubt concerning one’s eternal status
and a false hope of Divine blessings. Political activism prevents Divine
Viewpoint Thinking. And there are endless schemes to raise money!
(Psa 50:10-12) These age-old practices — which the Reformation did not
eradicate — squander the riches that God has given to every Church Age
believer. The legalism that emerged from the Reformation may differ in
specifics from Roman Catholic legalism, but it is just as ineffective in defining
post-Salvation Christian experience. The Doctrine of dispensations is among
the basic Doctrines that every believer must comprehend. This Doctrine
enables us to recognize the Biblical mechanics of the Christian way of life.
Dispensations clarify the Truth that the humanity of Christ established the
pattern for us. Jesus is the “...Author and Perfecter of our Spiritual life...”
(Heb 12:2) He pioneered the protocol plan of God. He tested and proved the
prototype of the Spiritual life. Christ was able to fulfill His destiny because He
utilized the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit: “...through the Eternal Spirit
offered Himself without blemish to God...” (Heb 9:14) Christ persevered and
succeeded because He applied Divine problem-solving devices.
Illustration
Illustrated by sharing the happiness of God: “...because of the previously
demonstrated happiness [He] endured the Cross...” (Heb 12:2) The assets
used by Jesus Christ belonged to the prototype Spiritual life. Designed by the
Father (John 15:10) and energized by God the Holy Spirit, (John 3:34) the
prototype Spiritual life was tested and proved under the most extreme
pressure when Jesus Christ endured Divine judgment on behalf of us all. After
our Lord’s death, the same infinite power of God that designed and energized
the Spiritual life, demolished all satanic and human opposition by raising Christ
from the dead and seating Him at the right hand of God. (Eph 1:19-23)
Both the omnipotence of God the Father (Acts 2:24; Rom 6:4;
Eph 1:20; Col 2:12; (1Th 1:10; (1Pe 1:21) and the omnipotence of God the
Holy Spirit (Rom 1:4; Rom 8:11; (1Pe 3:18) were agents of Christ’s
resurrection. Now we can live in “the power of His resurrection Spiritual life.”
(Php 3:10) Divine omnipotence and Divine problem-solving devices are now
found in the operational Spiritual life, which belongs to every Church Age
believer.
(John 14:15-17; John 16:13-14; (1Co 6:19-20) We are Commanded to “put on
the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 13:14) to have “Christ... formed” in us, (Gal 4:19)
to have “Christ at home” in our hearts (Eph 3:16-17) to “exalt [Christ]” in our
bodies. (Php 1:20-21; Matt 13:23; Rev 17:14) The plan of God for the Church
Age believer is a supernatural plan that demands a supernatural means of
execution. The infinite power of God, therefore, goes silently into effect in our
lives when we follow the Commands of His protocol plan. This system of
Divine power can handle any difficulty in our lives and will glorify Christ as in no
other dispensation.
WE ARE UNITED with Christ. The Trinity indwells our bodies. Reverent in
the face of these astonishing Truths, we ask again: After Salvation, what?
We must learn God’s Thoughts on every subject; and be filled with God the
Holy Spirit! (John 4:24) Church Age Doctrine sets forth the protocol of Christ’s
royal family. In mystery Doctrine we learn of the portfolio God established
personally for each of us in eternity past. The portfolio contains outright gifts
from God that define the scope of our freedom and responsibility. We are the
aristocrats of heaven residing on earth. We are royal priests. We are royal
ambassadors. We have an unprecedented opportunity to utilize Divine power,
and God stands ready to enlarge our already vast resources.
If we learn, understand, and apply His Word, He will stimulate our own
desire to know Him, lead us into eternally meaningful service, and lift us above
our sufferings. He will create an impact with our lives that will resound
throughout time and eternity. Our royal destiny is to become invisible heroes in
the most intense and challenging dispensation in human history!
End.
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