We are laying a firm foundation concerning the historic understanding of the sign gifts, and tongues in particular. Each week we will examine what the Bible says about the confusion that exists, because of misunderstanding the purpose and use of the sign gifts.
As we saw in Mark 16:17-20, Jesus prophesied all that the apostles would accomplish in the power of the Holy Spirit. The book of The Acts of the Apostles records for us, the history of the first century Church, the beginning of the Dispensation of the Grace of God, this marvelous mystery time of the Gentiles! Paul was given the specific stewardship of this mystery, as the Apostle to the Gentiles.
Colossians 1:24-27: Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
The Jews were suffering from spiritual blindness brought on by their unbelief. This blindness, as a nation, will remain until the Church is removed from this world. The Tribulation will be that time in which the blindness of Israel will be removed, once she turns her heart and focus back to God.
Romans 11:25-27: For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
The issue of the Jews requiring a sign to see and believe is exacerbated by the fact that they have a spiritual blindness that exceeds the blindness of Gentiles. We will have greater clarity as we go through Acts next Sunday.
I quoted a statement by a dear saint, Edythe Gould, that I want to give again: God is not so concerned with what we do as in who we are; and when we are who we should be, we will do what we should do.
I also made a statement concerning the rapture of the Church that is my humble opinion. In the O.T. the sons of God were always angels. Genesis 6, Job 1, 2, and 38. We know that 1/3 of the angels followed Lucifer in his attempted overthrow of God — Revelation 12:3-4. The sons of God were included in this group of angels. In the N.T., the sons of God are born again believers. John 1:11-13; Romans 8:14,19; Philippians 2:15; 1 John 3:1-3
I made the statement that the rapture will not occur until the sons of God who were created perfect and chose to fall with Lucifer, will be completely replaced by the sons of God, who are born with a fallen nature and are made perfect through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is just my musing about the rapture. There is no biblical doctrine that I base this on; just my personal thoughts.