Today, we began our study of difficult passages in the gospels, and how they are more clearly understood when viewed through the filter of right division. When we understand where we are in the dispensational timeline, being in the dispensation of the grace of God / the Mystery time period, we can clear up all supposed contradictions of scripture when we rightly divide it out.
The three main divisions on your chart help us in our study.
There is “Time Past” which covers 4,000 years + or – up till death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
There is “But Now” which covers the 2,000 years + or – of the Church Age.
There is “Ages to Come” which covers all time after the rapture of the Church Age saints, through the millennial kingdom, and into eternity future.
We had to lay proper groundwork before we dive into the difficult / misunderstood scriptures found in the gospels. Rightly dividing the Word from the position of “The Mystery” accepts three basic ingredients:
A literal interpretation of scripture. The Bible says what it says. Take the Bible literally until it is impossible to do so.
There is a distinction / difference between Israel and the Church / the body of Christ. “Things different are not alike.”
Recognize progressive revelation in scripture. God reveals more of himself, his grace, and his plans as each new dispensation is revealed in scripture.
We also established the simple keys to rightly dividing the word of truth:
When studying scripture, we must establish:
Who is speaking or writing?
Who is the intended audience?
Is there a distinction between Jew (prophetic program) and Gentile (mystery program).
We need the whole Bible! It is all for us, but it is not all to us. It is all truth, but not necessarily our truth for this dispensation.
In light of world events, we spent some time in Romans 11 and Matthew 24, comparing and contrasting what Paul said concerning the current spiritual state of Israel – blind, deaf, asleep, stumbled and fallen from their exalted position, diminished and cast away, but not forever. Paul makes it clear that the Deliverer will come out of Zion and save them from their sins at the Day of the Lord / the 2nd Advent. Jesus, in Matthew 24, in the Olivet Discourse, gives the condition of the world and Israel's situation in it. Wars and rumors of wars / nations rising against each other. The Jews will be most hated among the nations. His words ring so true today, when we look at current events.
We took a brief look at the simile Jesus used “as the days of Noah” in v.37-42. Understanding that we are in The Mystery which was kept secret from the beginning of the world, Jesus is not speaking of the rapture of the Church, because it was hidden until revealed to Paul. So, he was speaking of the end of the tribulation – the 2nd Advent, when he returns and purges all wickedness out of the world, and establishes his messianic millennial kingdom. The flood took all the wicked people away. The one taken from the field, and the one taken from grinding at the mill are the wicked ones, and the ones who are left are the righteous ones who are allowed into the kingdom prepared for them from the beginning of the world.
Over the next few weeks we will spend some time looking at difficult scriptures in Matthew and other gospels, from a “right division” mindset understanding scripture through the lens of the Mystery. Also, if you would like a certain scripture explained, please email the scripture to me, and I would be glad to explain it in class. I will not divulge who sent a scripture to be explained. I expect some more challenging scriptures from you!
Remember, the prophetic program concerning Israel is in “timeout” during this dispensation of the grace of God, aka the mystery program. The prophetic program will resume when the mystery period closes at the rapture of the Church Age saints.
