Transcript

Contrast #9

PROPHECY: Prophecy concerns blessings, both material and spiritual, ON EARTH.

Deuteronomy 28:2-4: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

Isaiah 2:3-4: And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

MYSTERY: The mystery concerns “ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN THE HEAVENLIES.”

Ephesians 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

We are blessed materially as well. 1 Timothy 6:17 says that the living God “giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” But the focus of our blessings under grace is spiritual. Being “in Christ” we are blessed with ALL spiritual blessings. We are richly blessed in Him.

You see it often in prophecy about Israel’s crops and cattle being increased and them prospering materially within the kingdom. They are blessed spiritually as well, but the material blessing is forefront for how God blesses them when Israel obeyed Him.

Contrast #10

PROPHECY: Prophecy concerns Christ’s COMING TO THE EARTH.

Zechariah 14:4: And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

MYSTERY: The mystery explains Christ’s present ABSENCE FROM THE EARTH.

Ephesians 1:20-22: Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.

Philippians 1:2: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

So many are confused as to what God is doing today. When John the Baptist came on the scene and then the Lord’s earthly ministry began they all said that the kingdom of heaven is “at hand.” 2000 years later the kingdom still hasn’t started!

The Lord, of course, meant what He said. If Israel hadn’t stumbled at the Stumblingstone and fell in their unbelief after Christ’s earthly ministry and then the Holy Spirit’s ministry, the kingdom would have been established very soon.

According to the years of prophecy on its timetable, it was “at hand.” It would have been established after Christ’s 3-year earthly ministry, the 1 additional year of the Holy Spirit’s ministry, and then after the 7 year Tribulation. So it was about 11-12 years from being established when the Lord said that it was “at hand.”

And in light of that, the teaching of the Lord’s earthly ministry was about preparing Israel to go through the Tribulation, about His Second Coming, and His teachings for Israel to follow in His earthly kingdom, especially His Sermon on the Mount.

But Israel fell, and God had a program that He had said nothing about, the Mystery. After Israel fell, instead of bringing in the prophesied Tribulation, He postponed it, and saved the chief of sinners by grace, and began a dispensation of grace with the Gentiles.

For the last 2000 years, mankind has been living in the dispensation of grace and Christ has been carrying out a heavenly ministry. This explains His absence from earth.

All of Paul’s epistles begin with Grace and Peace from God the Father and God the Son. That is what God is declaring and offering to all people today.

But one day, Christ will return at the Rapture to catch away His heavenly people, the Body of Christ to heaven. Seven years later after the Tribulation, He will return to the earth at His Second coming TO ISRAEL, to establish His kingdom on the earth.

Contrast #11

PROPHECY: In prophecy salvation by grace through faith ALONE is not contemplated.

James 2:24,26: Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

MYSTERY: Salvation by grace through FAITH ALONE lies at the very heart of the mystery.

Romans 3:21-26: But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Romans 4:5: But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

“But now,” means that a plan and program has been revealed by which God righteously saves unrighteous sinners, not requiring them to keep the law. That plan and program is the mystery, something God said nothing about in time past.

Paul said this is witnessed by the law and the prophets. You can’t find righteousness given to those who believe only, apart from the law, within the law and the prophets. They teach that you must keep the law. You’ll search in vain to find it.

Paul says that the righteousness of God given to believers is by faith OF Jesus Christ.

Faith meets faith in salvation, as Romans 1:17 says. “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith.”

It’s Christ’s absolute faithfulness and trustworthiness in providing and offering salvation by faith alone, and when we place our faith in what Christ has done, by His faithfulness to His Word, we have it. It is ours. It’s from God’s faithfulness to our faith.

As it’s been said, “The availability of the gospel is as universal as the need. And the need is universal because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

The reason God can declare ungodly sinners to be righteous is because the Lord Jesus Christ has fully paid the debt of their sins by His death and resurrection.

When sinners accept Christ by faith, they are justified.

We are justified freely. It is not something we can earn or purchase, but rather something that is offered as a gift. It is wholly apart from any merit in ourselves. It is by grace.

But when you read and study the prophetic Scriptures, they had all kinds of works to do which manifested and demonstrated their faith in God. So in prophecy you don’t find salvation by grace through faith alone contemplated.

This was the gospel revealed to the Apostle Paul for this dispensation of grace. But the problem is when you don’t rightly divided the Word of truth, you often hear a gospel mixed with elements of Israel’s program and you hear that you have to be water baptized or you must confess your sins to be saved, or you must demonstrate your faith by your works to show that you really did believe. None of that is true.

We just believe that Christ died for our sins and rose again, and in that moment of time you are saved and sealed by the Holy Spirit. And you are God’s forever.

Contrast #12

PROPHECY: The proclamation of the prophetic program committed particularly to THE TWELVE.

Matthew 10:5-7: These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Acts 3:19-26: Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

MYSTERY: The proclamation of the mystery committed particularly to PAUL.

For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words.

Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.

That message that was committed to the Twelve is consistent with the hope of Israel and with the message of prophecy from the beginning. God told Abraham that He would make His seed a blessing to all the families of the earth. He made covenants with Israel through Abraham and David that will be literally fulfilled one day through Jesus Christ.

After Peter, healed the lame man at the temple, you see Peter’s powerful message was in every way consistent with the program of prophecy.

But then you have the Apostle Paul. And he talks about a revelation that was made known to him called the mystery, a message that God had said nothing about in the past.

It’s a message of grace, a program for the Gentiles, a heavenly hope, the Blessed Hope of the Rapture, and a new way to walk and please God: by grace through faith. We live the same way we are saved: by grace through faith in Christ.

Contrast #13

PROPHECY: The prophetic program revealed through MANY of God’s servants.

Luke 1:70: As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began.

2 Peter 1:21: For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

MYSTERY: The mystery revealed through ONE man: Paul.

Galatians 1:1,11-12: Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;). But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The message of prophecy was revealed to many prophets, many people down through the ages. Whereas the revelation of the mystery was revealed to Paul alone by Christ.

Paul’s apostleship was not of men=the twelve, neither by man=Peter.

Paul’s gospel was not after man, Paul didn’t receive it from man, and he was not taught it. Peter and the twelve did not teach or reveal Paul’s gospel and message to him. He received “by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Contrast #14

PROPHECY: Old Testament writers frequently did not understand the prophecies made known through them.

1 Peter 1:10-12: Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

MYSTERY: Paul both understood and longed that others might understand the mystery revealed through him.

Ephesians 1:15-18: “Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened.

Colossians 2:1-3: For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Paul wanted all to understand the mystery, the message revealed to him by Christ. That is the desire of this ministry as well. We want you to know and understand the message that the risen, glorified Christ revealed to Paul from heaven.

In understanding this, you understand God’s will for your life today, and you can understand His Word more clearly and you can enjoy it even more.