The supposition that the most important division of the Bible is that between the Old and New Testaments has often been expressed in the statement: "The Old Testament is for the Jews; the New Testament is for us."

This is quite incorrect, however.  First of all, the titles Old Testament and New Testament are not accurate designations of the two sections of the Bible which they are supposed to represent.

The covenant of the law (later called the old covenant, or testament) was not made until 2500 years of human history had elapsed. "The law was given by Moses" (John 1:17), about 1500 B.C., as recorded in Exodus 19 and 20.  We are told concerning this period of time "from Adam to Moses" that "there [was] no law" (Rom. 5:13,14), i.e., the law had not yet been given.

This means that there is actually not one word of the Old Testament in Genesis.  Indeed, Israel did not even emerge as a nation until her deliverance from Egypt described in Exodus.  If, therefore, the Old Testament is for the Jews and the New Testament for us, for whom is the book of Genesis?

As to the new covenant; this was not made until the death of Christ.

He is the Mediator of the new testament [covenant] that by means of death . . . they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance" (Heb. 9:15).

It was in the shadow of the cross, as our Lord communed with His disciples, that He said:

"This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you" (Luke 22:20).

This means that the greater part of the four gospel records actually covers old testament rather than new testament history and that our Lord and His disciples all lived under the old covenant at that time.¹

It should be noted too that both the actual old and new testaments, though they affect us, were made with the nation Israel, and that the new covenant simply promises that Israel will one day render spontaneously the obedience required of her under the old covenant. (Deut. 5:1-3, Jer. 31:31).

The most important division in the Bible, then, is not that between the so-called Old and New Testaments.

The most important division in the Bible is that between prophecy and the great mystery proclaimed by the Apostle Paul.

It is a striking fact that the very opening words of the Bible read: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." It does not say that He created the universe, but the heaven and the earth.  This is because He had a purpose concerning the earth quite distinct from His purpose concerning heaven.  His purpose concerning the earth and Christ's reign upon it is the subject of prophecy (II Pet. 1:16-19).  His purpose concerning heaven and our exaltation there with Christ is the subject of "the mystery" (Eph. 2:4-10, 3:1-4).  Into these two great subjects the Bible is basically divided.²

Concerning the kingdom on earth Zacharias said:

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people,

"And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David;

"AS HE SPAKE BY THE MOUTH OF HIS HOLY PROPHETS, WHICH HAVE BEEN SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN" (Luke 1:68-70).

Again at Pentecost, Peter, speaking of the absence of Christ and of the signs of His return, said:

"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."

"YEA, AND ALL THE PROPHETS FROM SAMUEL AND THOSE THAT FOLLOW AFTER, AS MANY AS HAVE SPOKEN, HAVE LIKEWISE FORETOLD OF THESE DAYS" (Acts 3:21,24).

But concerning the body of Christ, with its heavenly calling and position, not one word is to be found in the pages of prophecy.  Indeed, God kept this great purpose a secret until He was ready to bring the body itself into being, and then He revealed it first to the Apostle Paul.  The apostle says of this great purpose, that it was:

"KEPT SECRET SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN" (Rom. 16:2.5).

"A MYSTERY . . . ORDAINED BEFORE THE WORLD UNTO OUR GLORY" (I Cor. 2:7).

"IN OTHER AGES... NOT MADE KNOWN" (Eph. 3:5).

"FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD HID IN GOD" (Eph. 3:9).

"HID FROM AGES AND FROM GENERATIONS" (Col. 1:26).

Manifestly there is a great difference between that which was "spoken by the mouth of all [God's] holy prophets since the world began" and that which was "kept secret since the world began."
 
 

As we have seen, God's plan to establish the Messianic kingdom was no secret to the Jews of Christ's day.  The kingdom is the very theme of Old Testament prophecy and is described there in great detail.  Some of the principal facts to be noted in regard to it are as follows:

1.  It will be set up on earth: "I shall give Thee the uttermost parts of THE EARTH for Thy possession" (Psa. 2:8). "THE EARTH shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord" (Isa. 11:9). "A King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in THE EARTH" (Jer. 23:5). "He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in THE EARTH" (Isa. 42:4).

The angels confirmed this when, at His birth, they praised God, saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and ON EARTH peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14).

Our Lord, too, confirmed it when He said: "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit THE EARTH" (Matt. 5:5), and taught His disciples to pray: "Thy kingdom COME.  Thy will be done IN EARTH, as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10).

The kingdom which John the Baptist, our Lord and the twelve proclaimed "at hand" was indeed "the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 3:1,2, 4:17, 10:5-7), but it was to be set up on earth.  Now, while its establishment is held in abeyance, it is vested in Christ Himself in heaven (Col. 1:13), but the goal of prophecy is the establishment of the kingdom on earth (Rom. 11:25-29).

2.  It will be a theocracy.  God Himself will reign, in the person of Christ: "They shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" (Isa. 7:14, Matt. 1:23). "And His name shall be called . . . The mighty God" (Isa. 9:6). "The Lord shall be king over all the earth" (Zech. 14:9). "The King, the Lord of hosts" (Zech. 14:16).

3.  It will be centered at Jerusalem, Israel's capital city: "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isa. 2:3). "The Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem" (Isa. 24:23). "At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord" (Jer. 3:17).  Thus He will reign primarily over Israel (Mic. 5:2).

This was confirmed by the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:32,33), by the Magi (Matt. 2:1,2) and by the Lord Himself (Matt. 19:28).

4.  It will extend to all the earth: "Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him: all nations shall serve Him" (Psa. 72:11). "And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him" (Dan. 7:14). "Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord" (Zech. 8:22).
 

5.  All Israel will then be saved: "They shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them" (Jer. 31:34). "I will save them . . . and will cleanse them: so shall they be My people, and I will be their God" (Ezek. 37:23).

This was confirmed by Paul in Romans 11:26, etc.

6.  Israel's suffering and sorrow will then be over: "Speak ye comfortably [comfortingly] to Jerusalem. . . . that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned" (Isa, 40:2). "Give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" (Isa. 61:3). "They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (Isa. 35:10).

7.  Israel will then become a blessing to all nations: "And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising" (Isa. 60:3). "And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing" (Zech. 8:13). "In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold, out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you" (Zech. 8:23).

These promises date back to the covenant which God made with Abraham: "I will multiply thy seed . . . and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 22:17,18).

8.  Government will be purified: "With righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth" (Isa. 11:4). "As the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations" (Isa. 61:11). "A King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth" (Jer. 23:5).

9.  War and bloodshed will be abolished.³"His name shall be called . . . The Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9:6). "And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: 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" (Isa. 2:4).

10.  Health and long life will be restored to the human race: "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.  Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing" (Isa. 35:5,6). "There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed" (Isa. 65:20).⁴

11.  The animal creation will be tamed: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain" (Isa. 11:6-9).

12.  The curse will be removed from the vegetable creation: "The desert shall rejoice, and blossom as a rose.  It shall blossom abundantly . . .  for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.  And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water" (Isa. 35:1,2,6,7).
 
 

All Scripture is, of course, equally important as the Word of God, and all profitable to the man of God.  Yet the thoughtful student of the Word soon discovers that certain passages have a more direct bearing upon others than upon himself and are in that sense more important to those directly involved.

The command to keep the Passover, for example, directly involved the Israelites under the law and was, in that sense, of greater importance to them than to us.

In the same way prophecy (except Paul's) deals directly with Israel and the nations, not with the body of Christ.

While a deep interest in the prophetic word is commendable, we must not forget that there is nevertheless another great body of truth which more directly concerns us.

When God finally set the nation Israel aside He said, through the Apostle Paul:

"Be it known therefore unto you, that THE SALVATION OF GOD IS SENT UNTO THE GENTILES, and that they will hear it" (Acts 28:28).

Therefore Paul says, by inspiration:

"I SPEAK TO YOU GENTILES, INASMUCH AS I AM THE APOSTLE OF THE GENTILES, I MAGNIFY MINE OFFICE" (Rom. 11:13).

Thus, while Israel and the prophetic program are temporarily set aside, the church is made up predominantly of Gentiles in the flesh, with Paul as their apostle.

This is why the apostle speaks of "this mystery among the Gentiles" (Col. 1:27) and explains to the Gentile believers of this day:

"For I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of THIS MYSTERY, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; THAT BLINDNESS IN PART IS HAPPENED TO ISRAEL, UNTIL THE FULNESS OF THE GENTILES BE COME IN" (Rom. 11:25).

When the period here referred to has run its course, God will again resume His dealings with Israel and bring the prophetic program to a conclusion, as the next verses state:

"And so ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED: AS IT IS WRITTEN, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

"FOR THIS IS MY COVENANT UNTO THEM . . (Rom. 11:26,27).

This interruption of the prophetic program must be borne in mind in any consideration of the importance of the prophetic word.  While as the Word of God, prophecy is fully as important as any other part of the Scripture, it deals directly with Israel and the nations, not with the body of Christ.

Thus it is Peter, not Paul, who says:⁵

"We have also a more sure word of prophecy;⁶ whereunto ye do well that ye take heed [(] as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day star arise[)] in your hearts" (II Pet. 1:19).

Again it is John, not Paul, who writes in his introduction to The Revelation:

"Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand" (Rev. 1:3).

A blessing, of course, comes to any one who reverently studies any part of the blessed Book, but this special blessing will be the portion of those who study the Book of the Revelation and keep its precepts in that day when the revelation of Christ in glory will again be at hand.

Hence it is important to remember that while all Scripture is indeed for us, Paul's epistles constitute our private mail. It is Paul who was specially chosen of God as the apostle of the Gentiles and the one through whom the mystery was to be revealed.

What a pity, in this dispensation of the grace of God, that the church abounds with "prophetic experts," while "experts" in "this mystery among the Gentiles" are so rare!
 
 

Many "mysteries" are to be found in the Scriptures, but one stands out pre-eminently as "The Mystery:" the great body of truth committed by revelation to the Apostle Paul.

When Messiah first appeared on earth, God did not immediately establish His kingdom by force.  The kingdom was first proclaimed "at hand" and offered for acceptance.  This proclamation and offer was, of course, made to Israel, for the Gentiles had long been given up, "even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge" (Rom. 1:28).  But Israel proved herself no better than the Gentiles as she took the heaven-sent King, nailed Him to a tree and then, when God raised Him from the dead, still stood by her awful deed, defying the resurrected and glorified Christ and waging relentless war against those who dared to acknowledge Him as Messiah.

"He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.

"He came unto His own, and His own received Him not" (John 1:10,11).

And so, before the actual bringing in of the glorious reign of Christ, man was allowed to demonstrate his own moral failure and see for himself that the establishment of the long-promised kingdom would not be the result of his own efforts or character but of the grace and power of God, for man had done everything in his power to hinder the bringing in of the kingdom.

But "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Rom. 5:20).  When Israel rejected her Messiah, God cast her aside (temporarily) along with the other nations, that He might offer to all His enemies everywhere reconciliation by grace alone, through faith in the rejected Christ.  Thus "the dispensation of the grace of God" was ushered in (Eph. 3:2) so that those willing to accept God's grace might be reconciled to Him in one body by the cross (Eph. 2:16).

"FOR GOD HATH CONCLUDED THEM ALL IN UNBELIEF, THAT HE MIGHT HAVE MERCY UPON ALL" (Rom. 11:32).

"AND THAT HE MIGHT RECONCILE BOTH [JEWS AND GENTILES] UNTO GOD IN ONE BODY BY THE CROSS, HAVING SLAIN THE ENMITY THEREBY.

"And came and preached peace to you [Gentiles] which were afar off, and to them [Israelites] that WERE nigh" (Eph. 2:16,17).

Nothing of this is to be found anywhere in prophecy.  It was a surprise of grace, so to speak, "hid from ages and from generations"; "kept secret since the world began."

The main features of this hitherto unrevealed program were as follows:

1.  Israel set aside, temporarily, along with the Gentiles: "Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for" (Rom. 11:7). "The fall of them" (Rom. 11:12). "The casting away of them" (Rom. 11: 15). "Because of unbelief they were broken off" (Rom. 11:20). "For God hath concluded them all in unbelief" (Rom. 11:32).

2.  Mercy shown to all alike: "For God hath concluded them all in unbelief THAT HE MIGHT HAVE MERCY UPON ALL (Rom. 11:32). "For there is NO DIFFERENCE between the Jew and the Greek: for THE SAME LORD OVER ALL is RICH UNTO ALL THAT CALL UPON HIM.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:12,13). "For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (I Tim. 2:5).

3.  The gospel of the grace of God, through Christ's finished work, proclaimed: Hence Paul's claims concerning "the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD" and "THE DISPENSATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD which is given me to you-ward" (Acts 20:24, Eph. 3:2).

4.  Believers reconciled to God by the cross: "God was in Christ, RECONCILING the world unto Himself" (II Cor. 5:19). "That He might RECONCILE both [Jews and Gentiles] unto God . . . BY THE CROSS" (Eph. 2:16). "When we were enemies, we were RECONCILED to God BY THE DEATH OF HIS SON" (Rom. 5:10). "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies . . . yet now hath He RECONCILED in the body of His flesh THROUGH DEATH" (Col. 1:21,22).

5.  Jewish and Gentile believers thus baptized into one body: "That He might reconcile both unto God in ONE BODY by the cross" (Eph. 2:16). "That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs [joint heirs], and of THE SAME BODY [of a joint body], and partakers [joint partakers] of His promise in Christ by the gospel" (Eph. 3:6). "There is ONE BODY" (Eph. 4:4). "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into ONE BODY, whether we be Jews or Gentiles" (I Cor. 12:13). "Now ye are THE BODY OF CHRIST, and members in particular" (I Cor. 12:27). "So we, being many, are ONE BODY in Christ, and every one members one of another" (Rom. 12:5). "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek . . . for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:27,28).

6.  This body of believers given a position in Christ in the heavenlies: "And [God] hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6). "[God] hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). "For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven" (Phil. 3:20). "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affection on things above . . .  for your life is hid with Christ in God" (Col. 3:1-3).

How vastly different this is from the reigning of Christ on earth at Jerusalem over Israel and the nations!  How different from peace on earth with all Israel saved, war and disease abolished, the animal creation tamed and the curse removed from the vegetable creation!

What a pity that these great distinctions between prophecy and the mystery have not been more generally observed!
 
 

Because of a failure to recognize the mystery, some have supposed it necessary to alter prophecy to account for the present condition of Israel and the presence of the predominantly Gentile church of this age.

Seeing that the fulfillment of prophecy apparently ceased shortly after the crucifixion of Christ, and realizing that there was still much left to be fulfilled, these have supposed that God could not have meant exactly what He said when He prophesied that Christ would sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem as King of Israel.  They have supposed that these things must have been intended in a "spiritual" sense and so have concluded that Christ is now seated on "David's throne" at God's right hand, thus confusing earthly Jerusalem with "the Jerusalem which is above." They have further concluded that the church of today is "spiritual" Israel, that heaven is Canaan, etc.

But there is in fact nothing spiritual about this interpretation of the Scripture.  It is carnal, not spiritual, to fail to take God at His Word and to seek to explain away difficulties by arbitrarily altering what has been plainly written.

We vigorously object to this whole system of interpretation because:

1.  It leaves us at the mercy of theologians. If the Scriptures do not mean what they obviously, naturally seem to mean, who has the authority to decide just what they do mean?  If theologians have that authority, then we must agree with Rome that the Church, not the Bible, is the final and supreme authority.  Nor will it any longer avail us to turn to the Scriptures for light, for the Word of God does not mean what it says and only trained theologians can tell us what it does mean.

2.  It affects the veracity of God.  It is a thrust at His very honor.  If the obvious, natural meaning of the Old Testament promises is not to be depended upon, how can we depend upon any promise of God?  Then, when He says: "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved," He may also mean something else.  This is unthinkable of God, for it is only just that the promisee should have a fair understanding of the promise, for promised something, he will have a right to claim exactly what he has been promised.  A little child is supposed to have said: "If God didn't mean what He said, why didn't He say what He meant?"

3.  It endorses apostasy.  Indeed, it is the mother of apostasy.  When Luke 1:32,33 is "spiritualized" the Modernist agrees wholeheartedly.  He agrees that the throne of David and the house of Israel in this passage must be viewed in a "spiritual sense"--and so must the next few verses!  Thus Christ was not really born of a virgin.  This picture is merely drawn to impress us with the purity of His person, etc.!

And the Modernist denies the resurrection in the same way.  Concerning Acts 2:30-32 it is argued that since Christ will not really occupy the throne of David, neither was He really raised from the dead!  The Scriptures which say so must be "spiritually" interpreted!

And here comes one of "Jehovah's Witnesses," claiming to belong to the 144,000.  Ask what tribe he is from and he will explain that not physical, but "spiritual" Israelites are referred to in the prophecy of the 144,000!  Yet we are distinctly told that there are to be 12,000 from each tribe, and the tribes are named!

Rome employs the same reasoning.  She is seeking to establish the kingdom of Christ on earth!  Because the Church of Rome is really a political system, with a state and a ruler on earth it may seem at first that she leans rather to a literal interpretation of prophecy, but this is not so, for the Church of Rome is not literal Israel, Rome is not Jerusalem, and Christ Himself is not reigning.

Those who have resorted to the "spiritualization" of the prophetic Scriptures because they cannot account for the seeming cessation in their fulfillment, will find the solution to their problem in the recognition of the mystery.  Recognize the mystery and there will be no need to alter prophecy.
 
 

Before further considering this great body of truth let us note the surpassing importance of it to us.  We say to us because Paul was sent particularly to the Gentiles with this revelation (Eph. 3:1-3).

1.  God has made it known:

"HAVING MADE KNOWN UNTO US THE MYSTERY OF HIS WILL" (Eph. 1:9).

2.  It is His will that all see it:

"AND TO MAKE ALL MEN⁷ SEE WHAT IS THE FELLOWSHIP [Gr. oikonomia, DISPENSATION] OF THE MYSTERY" (Eph. 3:9).

3.  Paul asked prayers for open doors to make it known:

"PRAYING . . . THAT GOD WOULD OPEN UNTO US A DOOR OF UTTERANCE TO SPEAK THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST" (Col. 4:3).

4.  He asked prayers for an open mouth and boldness to proclaim it:

"THAT I MAY OPEN MY MOUTH BOLDLY, TO MAKE KNOWN THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL" (Eph. 6:19).

5.  A knowledge of it imparts spiritual encouragement and enlightenment:

"THAT THEIR HEARTS MIGHT BE COMFORTED [ENCOURAGED] . . . UNTO ALL RICHES OF THE FULL ASSURANCE OF UNDERSTANDING . . . THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT [Gr. epignosis, FULL KNOWLEDGE] OF THE MYSTERY" (Col. 2:2).

6.  Believers are established by it:

"NOW TO HIM THAT IS OF POWER TO STABLISH YOU ACCORDING TO MY GOSPEL, AND THE PREACHING OF JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO THE REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY" (Rom. 16:25).

7.  Proclaimed for the obedience of faith:

"NOW . . . MADE MANIFEST, AND BY THE SCRIPTURES OF THE PROPHETS [Gr. PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES⁸] . . . MADE KNOWN TO ALL NATIONS FOR THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH" (Rom. 16:26).
 
 

PROPHECY	THE MYSTERY9
Concerns a kingdom; a political organization (Dan.2:44, Matt. 6:10).	Concerns a body; a living organism (I Cor. 12:12,27, Eph. 4:12-16).
The kingdom to be established on earth (Jer. 23:5, Matt. 6:10).	The body given a position in heaven (Eph. 1:3, 2:5-6, Col. 3:1-3).
Christ to be its King  (Jer.23:5, Isa. 9:6,7).	Christ its living Head (Eph. 1:19-23, Col. 1:18).
The kingdom prophesied "since the world began" (Luke 1:68-70, Acts 3:21).	The body chosen in Christ before the world began, but "kept secret since the world began" (Rom. 16:25, Eph. 1:4-11, 3:5-9).
Israel to be given supremacy over the nations (Isa. 60:10-12, 61:6).	Jew and Gentile placed on the same level before God (Rom. 10:12, 11:32, Eph. 2: 16,17).
The Gentiles to be blessed through Israel's instrumentality (Gen. 22:17,18, Zech. 8:13).	The Gentiles blessed through Israel's obstinacy (Acts 13:44-46, Rom. 11:28-32).
The Gentiles to be blessed through Israel's rise  (Isa. 60:1-3, Zech. 8:22,23).	The Gentiles blessed through Israel's fall  (Acts 28:27,28, Rom. 11:11,12,15).
Prophecy mainly concerns nations as such (Isa. 2:4, Ezek. 37:21,22).	The mystery concerns individuals (Rom. 10:12,13, II Cor. 5:14-17).
Prophecy concerns blessings, both material and spiritual, on earth (Isa. 2:3,4, 11:1-9, etc.).	The mystery concerns  "all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies"  (Eph. 1:3, Col. 3:1-3).
Prophecy concerns Christ's coming to the earth (Isa. 59:20, Zech. 14:4).	The mystery explains Christ's present absence from the earth (Eph. 1:20-23, Col. 3:1-3).
In prophecy salvation by grace through faith alone is not contemplated.	Salvation by grace through faith alone lies at the very heart of the mystery (Rom. 3:21-26, 4:5, Eph. 2:8,9).
The proclamation of the prophetic program committed particularly to the twelve (Matt. 10:5-7, Acts 1:6-8, 3:19-26).	The proclamation of the mystery committed particularly to Paul (Eph. 3:1-3,8,9, Col. 1:24-27).
The prophetic program revealed through many of God's servants (Luke 1:70, II Pet. 1:21).	The mystery revealed through one man: Paul (Gal. 1:1,11,12, 2:2,7,9, Eph. 3:2,3).10
Old testament writers frequently did not understand the prophecies made known through them (Dan. 12:8-10, I Pet. 1:10-12).	Paul both understood and longed that others might understand the mystery revealed through him. (Eph. 1:15-23, 3:14-21, Col 1:9-10, 2:1-3).

 

1.  Which is the most important division of the Bible?

2.  When and through whom was the old covenant (or testament) made?

3.  When and through whom was the new covenant made?

4.  What is the main subject of prophecy?

5.  What form of government will prevail in the Messianic kingdom?

6.  Where will the kingdom be set up?

7.  What great change will take place in Israel with the establishment of this kingdom?

8.  What will be the relation of the Gentiles to Israel in the Messianic kingdom?

9.  What is the main subject of the mystery?

10.  At what point in Israel's history did God begin to reveal the mystery?

11.  What is the relative status of Gentiles to Jews before God today?

12.  What is the relation between Jewish and Gentile believers today?

13.  Where is the believer's position and citizenship today?

14.  What erroneous method of interpretation have some theologians applied to the kingdom prophecies?

15.  What has caused them to adopt this method?

16.  How does this method of interpretation affect the rest of Scripture?

17.  What is the relation of this method to the prevailing heresies of our day?

18.  What is the solution to the problem which has caused some theologians to adopt this method?

19.  Name five basic distinctions between prophecy and the mystery.

20.  Give five Scriptures to show the importance of the mystery.