Lesson # 5
Prophecy and Mystery
In lesson # 4 we should have learned:
- We are instructed to rightly divide the Scriptures.
- Although the Bible is divided into Old and New Testaments, we must divide it into Prophecy and Mystery for a deeper understanding of it.
- That Prophecy concerns a group of people whose eternal inheritance is to reign with Christ as their King – ON THE EARTH.
- That Mystery concerns a group of people whose eternal inheritance is to reign as part of Christ's body – IN HEAVEN.
- The saved today become members of the Church the Body of Christ.
Today we will take that discussion a little farther, for if we do not fully understand the differences, we will be confused.
Prophecy
- Is found in all the Old Testament, in Matthew – John, Acts and Hebrews – Revelation.
- Primarily deals with Israel as a nation.
- Involves the promise given to Abraham and the Law given to Moses.
- Concerns an earthly inheritance, with the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles having positions of honor in the New Jerusalem-Christ sitting on the throne there.
- Includes the Jews having the honor of the Messiah to come from their lineage.
I think you can see that the Jews are an elite group of people. These people were given specific orders from God about what they should do and should not do. These elitists were to separate themselves from the Gentiles for Gentiles were considered to be dogs, or undesirables.
"Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land (Gentiles), and from the strange wives." Ezra 10: 11
This separation began in the early stages of Abraham's calling. " And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you." Genesis 17: 11. "And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant." Genesis 17: 14.
Israel had been called of God to be a peculiar treasure, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. "Now therefore, IF ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shall speak unto the children of Israel." Exodus 19: 5-6
You will notice this calling carried with it an obligation, if not carried through it would mean God would set them aside and favor another group of people. In the preceding verse you will notice that blessing was conditional upon their: 1) obeying God's voice and 2) keeping the commandments. If they did not do that, then God would exercise other options, which He had already made arrangements for before the foundation of the world. He would establish Paul as an apostle to the Gentiles and they would become elitist.
"Blessed be the God and Father of out Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." Ephesians 1: 3-4
Even though Israel, as a whole, never succeeded in becoming all that God intended; there always remained a remnant who were committed to the work of the ministry they were given, i.e. to tell the world about the true and living God. So God patiently dealt with her, even though she was always looking for outward signs of God's presence among them, thus showing a lack of faith.
It seems as though Israel was never satisfied with what God gave them. They asked for a King, like the Gentiles had, so they could show them they were as good as or better. Next, they asked God to give them prophets to speak His words to them, but they wouldn't believe what they said. Then when God sent His Son, Jesus, to dwell among them, most did not accept Him for who He was.
God knows everything. So He knew that Israel would fail in their mission to evangelize. Knowing that this failure would happen, God promised He would restore their position of honor one day. Why? Because they are still God's chosen people and they have been promised an earthly inheritance. God will give them what He promised. They have been promised restoration, and God will restore them - in time. He will give them back all that Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece and Rome took from them.
"And I will restore to you the years that the locust (Media-Persia) hath eaten, the cankerworm (Greece), and the caterpillar (Rome), and the palmerworm (Babylon), my great army which I sent among you." Joel 2: 25
This will be the time of restoration for Israel but it will not come until the Age of the Mystery reaches its conclusion. So all that God promised Israel is going to occur but the time of its occurrence is not known.
During this period of time, which we call the Age of Grace, Israel is Lo-ammi - not my people. It is something that was foretold by many of the prophets. I want you to go to the book of Hosea. This book is an overview of the life and times of Israel. If it were a play it would be called a tragedy but it is not a play, it is prophecy.
Hosea represents Israel. He is instructed to take a wife who is a whore and have children by her (Hosea 1: 1-2). These three children were to have names that would represent the stages of the life and times of Israel.
- 1)Jezreel (Hosea 1: 4), which means scattered,
- 2) Lo-ruhamah (Hosea 1:6), which means not pitted or not having obtained mercy and
3) Lo-ammi (Hosea 1: 9), which means not my people.
If you read the Old Testament you will see Israel being scattered from one place to another and you find evidence that God allowed her to suffer a lot, not having pity on her. You will also find prophecy pertaining to her becoming Lo-ammi. Look at Isaiah 6: 9-10.
"And He said, go, and tell this people, hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed."
This prophecy is fulfilled in Acts 28: 25-28. Read it!
Review Questions:
- Name all the books of the Bible where you will find prophecy.
- Was Israel an elite group? _____________
- Were they taught they were better than the Gentiles were? ____________
- Were they told to separate themselves from the Gentiles? _____________
- What Scriptures tells about the three phases of Israel's life? ___________
- Is Israel "God's people" today? _____________________
- What is the word for not my people? ________________
- When did Lo-ammi occur? __________________
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