This episode illustrates how “rightly dividing” Scripture reveals God’s distinct dealings with mankind across three time periods: “time past,” when God worked through prophecy with Israel, offering her an earthly kingdom that was postponed because of national unbelief; “time present,” the current unrevealed “mystery” dispensation of grace in which God has turned to the nations and formed the Church, the Body of Christ, through the Apostle Paul; and “time future,” when the kingdom program resumes for Israel after the Rapture, during the Tribulation and millennial reign. This dispensational framework prevents mixing the future earthly kingdom age with today’s heavenly grace program and provides the proper lens for understanding God’s Word.