 |  |
"There shall be a root of Jesse, and He that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles: in
Him shall the Gentiles trust (hope, elpizo). Now the God of hope (elpis) fill you with all
joy and peace in believing" (Rom. 15: 12, 13).
While Isa. 11: contains a gracious promise, the Millennial conditions there anticipated
and shared by the Church during the Acts are not, and cannot be the hope of the church of
the Mystery. Again I Thess. 4:, with its insistence on "the archangel" links the phase
of the second coming with Israel, for Michael the archangel stands for Israel (Dan. 10: 21;
12: 1, 2). In like manner the second coming of I Cor. 15: 52 is related to "the last
trump". The hope of the Mystery, set out in Col. 3: 1-4, "the manifestation in glory" is
a fitting climax to those promises that speak of heavenly places, far above all (Eph. 1: 20,
21) and is a different aspect of that coming that is intended by the words "in the air"
(I Thess. 4: 17), and "on the Mount of Olives" (Acts 1: 11; Zech. 14: 4). Hope in
Scripture is either the realization of a calling, or the fulfillment of a promise, and the
Church of the Mystery, is entirely disconnected with the promises made unto the
fathers (Eph. 2: 12) whereas this was the prerogative of Israel (Rom. 9: 3-5).
Dispensational Truth recognizes that Israel is the key to prophetic truth while they are a
"people" before God, the promises made to the fathers, the Millennial glories, the
Headship and Kingly-Priesthood of Israel must colour the hope set before the believer.
When Israel became lo-ammi (not my people) in fulfillment of Hosea 1: 9, 3: 1-4, Israel
the appointed channel of blessing being temporarily removed, God introduced the
dispensation of the Mystery, using the apostle Paul as the Prisoner of Jesus Christ for you
Gentiles, as the mouth-piece to "make all men see" (Eph. 3: 1-14; Col. 1: 23-27). We
cannot expect to walk worthy of this calling, or to know what is the hope of this calling
(Eph. 1: 18; 4: 1) if we persist in ignoring the distinction that Scripture makes between
the purpose of God with Israel as a people, and the purpose of God while Israel are
scattered abroad in unbelief--in other words if we persist in ignoring the sovereign rights
of Dispensational Truth in the realm of its interpretation of Holy Scripture. What has
been said along this line is enough to convince any who will examine the matter without
bias, and to multiply examples will not necessarily strengthen the argument, and so there
we must leave this aspect of the matter. It might however be, that where the reader will
not listen to the arguments we have brought forward, he may feel obliged to listen to the
example of his Lord. Consequently, we ask him to turn to the record of the Saviour's
opening ministry, as recorded in Luke 4:, and see for himself that the Lord recognized
dispensational truth.
"And He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as His custom was,
He went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when He had
opened the book, He found the place where it is written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon
Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to
heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to
the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
And He closed the book, and He gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the
eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him.
And He began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears" (4: 16-21).