Faith Baptist Church
4258 Botetourt Road
Fincastle, Virginia 24090
(540) 473-2325
The singing of the saints due to the goodness of the Lord is amazing, but quite conversely, the sighing of the sinner over the need to repent and turn to God is astounding. We have seen both so far in this book study.
Why men say no to forgiveness of sin and eternal life and a wonderful home built by the hand of Christ awaiting them is hard to understand. When God made it clear to me that he existed, and that I was a lost sinner, and that he had the only answer in Jesus Christ, I did not hesitate to say “I believe”. I have not, since that day, doubted my salvation or sensed being condemned by God. Oh yes, I know I have let him down, and I am so thankful for I John 1:9, for the opportunity to be restored to fellowship after I have sinned. I am thankful for having a faithful pastor, Dr. Richard Frampton, for nearly three decades and a loving local church where as a new child of God I was nurtured, steered, and enlightened in the word of God. And now I am a pastor trying to enlighten and steer you as best I can. The rest is up to your cooperation with God the Holy Spirit and God’s word.
Today we will study some biblical eschatology, the study of things to come.
I am bringing these things out today because our closing chapters in the book of Revelation are misread and misapplied to different groups of saints just as the writings of Matthew’s chapters 24-25 passages are misapplied today. If we do not know to whom a passage is given, especially in prophetic Scriptures, we can make a mess of our Christian service.
We can put burdens on fellow saints that are not at all warranted in Scripture. We can make the local church to be something it was not intended to be.
The Apostle Paul told Timothy as well as all pastors to rightly cut straight the word of truth, II Tim.2:15.
And so, we must always keep God’s particular plan for the church separate from his particular plans for Israel. We have already taught on God’s purpose for Israel, Rom.3:1-2.
To Israel was given God’s word and his testimony. She was to obey the word as it was revealed at that time.
Israel was to keep all of God’s laws. The Mosaic Law would serve as a schoolmaster to point mankind to Jesus Christ, Gal.4:1-7, but because Christ knew he was being rejected he said in Matt.23:38 “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” As you know Jesus Christ was tried for treason against the Roman government, a trumped up charge to appease the outcry of the religious zealots of his day.
Since the time of our Lord’s ascension he has passed the mantle of responsibility to the local church, I Tim.3:15. Some folks have turned away from the local church for various reasons; partly because the local church has failed to major on spiritual edification, and a clear presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and some folks today are so anti-authority they will not submit themselves to the word of God.
[2] Israel was called to represent the righteousness of God before the entire world and that holy representation would culminate in the person of her Savior-Messiah, Jesus Christ. Emanuel means “God is with us”.
Israel was to look for her Messiah and receive him, but she refused him, Matt.12:24-32.
Israel observed for over fourteen hundred years God given rituals and sacrifices depicting the Son of God and her dependence on him for salvation. And when Jesus Christ came he was not, and is still not to this day, acceptable to most Jews.
The religious leaders of that day ascribed the works and wonders of the Son of God to that of Satan, and for this blasphemy God blinded them as a nation and dispersed them until the time of the second coming of Christ. Matt.23:39 “For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Individually many Jews have become Christians, but there will be no national repentance and conversion until the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Israel had already endured two national dispersions; Egypt for 430 years and Babylon, 70 years.
The third and final dispersion of Israel is prophesied in Deut.28:63-66. It was carried out in 70 A.D. by Titus, Emperor of Rome. Israel was reborn as a nation in 1947, but she is not the biblical Israel she will be during Christ’s Millennial Kingdom. She will have no enemies during that time. She will be the head of all nations for 1,000 years.
The Church - A New Dispensation
After the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and his forty day post-resurrection ministry was complete he sent the Holy Spirit to represent the plan of God, and this Spirit of God indwells every born again person whether they are Jew or Gentile. New teachings were given, John 16:13, not to Israel as a people, but to Jew and Gentile alike.
Much of this teaching was given to the Apostle Paul in the form of thirteen letters. These letters are of divine origin as they are inspired by the Spirit of God just as the Old Testament books are inspired of God, Gal.1:11-12, 2:2; II Tim.3:16.
Different Age – Same Faith
The Church is not a reinvented Israel, though it is grafted into the same Spiritual father Abraham, and why so? Because Abraham is God’s example to the world of the faith way of salvation; Abraham believed and God imputed eternal life to him, Rom.4:20-24.
The Church age dispensation too will end in judgment, not in glory. When this dispensation ends the conclusion of God’s plans for Israel will be resumed. His purpose for the tribulation period which covers seven literal years here on earth is found in Rev.4-18. We have studied this period as a period of awakening the spiritual slumber of the Jews, Rom.11:7-25. God did not arbitrarily choose to suffer Israel, but because of her unbelief his plans for her were postponed, but not cancelled, Rom.11:20.
He has since opened the doors to the Gentile nations. This Church called the bride of Christ will be in heaven during the tribulation period. These are the ones we will cover in Rev.19:7-10 as the Church triumphant will return with the Lord Jesus Christ in his second coming.