GOD’S PLAN OF THE

AGES

IN FOUR ECONOMIES OF

EVANGELISM

By Larry N. Baker

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2012, Larry N. Baker, Our Bible Seminarswww.OurBibleMinistries.com

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Four Agencies of Evangelism through the Ages

“And to bring to light for all what (is) the Economy of theMystery

having been hidden from the ages in God, the One creating all things through Jesus Christ,

in order that there might be made known now to the rulers and theauthorities in the upper heavenlies through the Church the

multifaceted Wisdom of God,according to a Plan of the Ages, which he made in Christ Jesus

our Lord.”Ephesians 3:9-11

Through the Bible one can trace a very simple and helpfulpattern by asking the simple question: How and by whom is Godevangelizing lost men and women at any given time of human history? Thisquestion answered for any given passage will offer a very niceframework for a rather consistent method of interpreting theBible.

God through the ages has chosen to use people to evangelizeother people with His gospel of redemption and salvation. As Hehas moved from using one group or individual to another throughhistory, an interesting pattern can be found through the Biblefrom Genesis to Revelation. God began with Adam’s family byusing various individuals and then families to evangelize otherfamilies with the special revelation that God had given them.These families became the nations, as listed in Genesis 10. TheHebrew term for “nations,” goyim, is often translated “Gentiles,”when referring to peoples outside of Israel. Albeit beforeAbraham, all people were Gentiles. It was with the call ofAbraham in Genesis 12 that God began to use one nation, theHebrews, as His avenue or agency of evangelism. In Genesis14:13, Abraham is specifically called “the Hebrew,” as “one who

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passed over” the river (that is, the Euphrates River), to be usedof God in a land which He was giving to Abraham to fulfill theministry which He had planned for him. So in a sense Abrahambegan, as a Gentile, and became a Hebrew through faith andregeneration. God continued to use this one nation through Isaacand Jacob (who was renamed Israel), as Paul explained in Acts13:47. It was through Jacob’s son, Judah, that among hisdescendants (called Judeans or Jews) the Messiah or the Christwould come.

When Israel, as a nation, rejected their Messiah, Jesus, Godchanged His administration of evangelism from Israel to a newentity called The Church being composed then of Jewish believersand Gentile believers alike. Presently this new administrationof evangelism called “The Age of The Church” is made up ofbelievers who are awaiting the imminent return of Jesus, as Hecomes and takes His Church in the resurrection to heaven. Afterthis, God has prophesied of seven more years of an evangelisticministry by Israel here on earth. In this yet future period Godwill continue and finish His prophesied and promised plan of afinal period of The Age of Israel described, a Tribulation byJesus in Matthew 24:29. At the end of this seven-year period,Christ will come a second time to earth and establish a 1,000-year kingdom, a future golden age of righteousness.

As a plan of the ages, God did not reveal all of this toMoses in his Book of the Law, Genesis through Deuteronomy, oreven to the rest of the biblical writers. But portion by portionin His progressive revelation from Genesis on God revealeddetails of His Plan the Ages even on through Revelation. Forexample, in this progressive revelation the animal sacrificialsystem was developed in detail in the Law of Moses. But, afterChrist’s resurrection, this animal sacrificial system was setaside in the Church during the Church Age. However according toJesus in Matthew 24:15 His reference to “abomination ofdesolation” during the future Tribulation is in the context ofDaniel 9:27 and 12:11 that describe a resuming of these animalsacrifices which will then be a memorial to the cross.

So the key to understanding God’s panorama of Bible historyand prophecy is to ask, “Whom has God placed on earth to beresponsible for evangelism?” at any given point in human history.

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This responsibility or administration has commonly been called “adispensation”. This term, “dispensation”, came from dispensatio,the common translation in Latin versions of the Bible for theGreek word, oikonomia. Interestingly, this is the word from whichthe English word, “economy,” is derived.

The original meaning of “economy” in English, according toThe Oxford English Dictionary1 is “management of a house; management ingeneral.” It came to mean “a society ordered after the manner ofa family” and “in a wider sense: the administration of theconcerns and resources of any community of establishment with aview to orderly conduct and productiveness.” This is the basisfor the original, popular usage of the word, “economy,” fromwhich the current usage of the word developed in English with itsfinancial connotation. In reference to the Gospel andevangelism, as “concerns and resources,” this latter, originalmeaning can be applied directly to the New Testament Greek word,oikonomia,2 commonly translated “dispensation.” This word couldthen be transliterated and translated with this general, derivedmeaning, as “economy”.

In the New Testament, oikonomia is used four different waysaccording to its context and theological thrust:

1. The management of an estate, as in Luke 16:2-4.2. Training in the faith, as in 1 Timothy 1:4.3. A commission or stewardship by God of a ministry and

revelation, as in 1 Corinthians 9:17; Colossians 1:25;and Ephesians 3:2.

4. An administration of God’s plan for evangelism, as inEphesians 1:10 and 3:9 concerning The Church.

This last meaning is the best description of how God has andwill set up His “Divine Plan of the Ages” for evangelism.However, in Ephesians 3:2 and 9 Paul has a play on words betweenusages 3 and 4 above, where he wrote in verse 2 regarding hiscommission and stewardship of revelations from God to himconcerning To Mysterion which is The Church; and then in verse 9 hewrote of The Church itself having a commission and stewardship in

1 Volume 4, page 34.2 The Latin Vulgate translates this word, as dispensatio.

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its own evangelistic ministry. A parallel to this is inColossians 1:25 and 26, where Paul has a similar development ofthe connection. Presently, those in Christ’s Church are thecenter of this plan. The focus of the Gospel in each age isalways Jesus Christ’s atonement and redemption, be it propheticor historical. Salvation in each age comes by grace throughfaith in Jesus Christ, as Lord, either prophetically orhistorically.

The following chart diagrams this very pattern from Genesis toRevelation:

God’s FourEconomies of Evangelism:

I. TheAge ofGentiles

II. TheAge ofIsrael

III. TheAge ofThe

Church-The

Mystery

TheTribulati

on(cont. ofThe Age

ofIsrael)

IV. TheAge ofChrist-The

KingdomAge

Scripture Genesis 1-11

and Job

Genesis12

throughActs 1

(excluding Job)

Acts 2throughRev. 3

(including John13-17)

Revelation

6-19

Revelation 20:1-9

Time Period

Adam toAbraham(4000 BC- 2090BC)

Abraham’sCall toPentecost(2090 BC- 30 AD)

Pentecostto theHarpage(30 AD- ?)

TheHarpage

to The 2nd

Coming(7 years)

1,000 years

Agency of Evangelism

GentileFamilies

andNations

TheJewishNation,Israel(Acts13:47;Esther

TheChurch

(Eph.3:9-10)

[fulfilling

TheJewishNation,Israel, living inpeace/\hiding

ChristHimselfrulingfrom

Jerusalem, as HighPriest

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8:17;Jonah3:2)

Matthew28:19-20]

3 ½3 ½ yearsyears

and King.

Salvation by

Faith inthe seedof thewoman (Gen.3:15)

Faith inthe

PromisedMessiah(Heb.11:13)

Faith inthe

Historical Messiah(Acts16:31)

Faith inthe

Historical Messiah

Faith inthe

Historical Messiah

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Past Evangelism within The Age of Gentiles and The Ageof Israel

The Age of Gentiles

The first stage of God’s plan of the ages began with Adam’sfamily and included all that is found from Genesis 1 through 11and The Book of Job. It involved about 2,000 years from about4000 BC to 2090 BC, that is, to the call of Abraham in Genesis12. In Genesis 2 and 3, God dealt through individuals, then inGenesis 4 through 8 families, and then in Genesis 9 through 11nations, until the problem at the Tower of Babel developed. Inthis period, there was only one language for the most part(through Genesis 11). There was not yet any extant, writtencanon of Scripture but only direct revelations from God.Salvation was first described in Genesis 3:15 concerning “herseed,” that is, the seed of the woman, as a reference to JesusChrist. The gospel in this age was well described in Hebrews11:13, “According to faith, these all died, not [yet] receivingthe promises, but seeing them from afar and embracing [them], andconfessing that they were aliens and pilgrims on earth.”3 Thepriesthood was focused upon family and community leaders, as Noahin Genesis 8:20; Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18-20; and Job in Job1:5.

The Age of Israel

The second age of God’s plan began with the call of Abrahamin Genesis 12 and included the rest of the Old Testament. Italso includes the period between the Old Testament and NewTestament and the ministry of Jesus in the Gospels. However, theJesus’ teachings concerning the Holy Spirit in John 13-17 and acouple of prophetic references to the Church in Matthew 16 and 18would actually be included in the Church Age, although the yet3As an interesting commentary, a fourteenth century Greek manuscript (#1518)and a few other late manuscripts along with the Textus Receptus used by the earlyEnglish versions, such as the King James Version have “. . .but seeing themfrom afar and being persuaded [or convinced by them or believing them] andconfessing. . .”

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future seven-year Jewish Tribulation which is given in the mostdetails in Revelation 6-18 would be a part of this Age of Israel.Jesus Himself gave us much detail of this future part of the Ageof Israel in Matthew 24-25 and Mark 13 and Luke 17:20-37 and21:5-38. The first part of this age was concluded in Acts 2 atPentecost. The Book of Acts described the transition from this ageto The Age of The Church. The last part of The Age of Israelwill be resumed for this seven-year period after Christ comes forthe resurrection of His Bride, the Church, and take her toheaven.

The first part of The Age of Israel involved the period ofThe Patriarchs, from Abraham to Moses. After this came theperiod of The Law from Moses through the ministries of John theBaptist and Jesus, as so described in The Four Gospels. Duringthis Age of Israel, there was (and will be) a specializedpriesthood which was restricted to the sons of Levi concerningthe Tabernacle, as described in Numbers 3:6ff, and later theTemple, as described in 1 Chronicles 23:24ff. Within thisLevitical tribe were the descendants of Aaron, who were denotedas “priests” in Exodus 28:1; 30:30; 40:15. Their duties involvedthe offering of sacrifices and the service in the sanctuaryitself.

The Sabbath was to be a sign of the covenant which God hadmade with Israel according to Exodus 31:13-17. Its covenantalimportance and gravity can be seen in the extreme measure ofpunishment for its violation, namely capital punishment, asspecified in Exodus 31:14; 35:2-3; and Numbers 15:32-36. Jesusspoke much about the Sabbath and the proper perspective thatbelievers were to have about it. The observance of the Sabbathis found in the Gospels and on into the Book of Acts during thefirst few years of The Church Age, at least through Acts 18:4.This weekly observance of the Sabbath is also to be a part of thereligious activity in the future Tribulation according to Jesusin Matthew 24:20.

There was and will be also again in the Tribulation acertain, specialized working of the Holy Spirit in His ministryto believers. In John 7:394, John described concerning Jesus4Literally translated, “But this he said concerning the Spirit, whom the onesbelieving in him were about to receive, for the Holy Spirit was not yet

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that the Spirit had not been given, (as He has been in thepresent Age of The Church.) In the Old Testament and during thedays of the Gospels, He would come upon certain believers, suchas Joshua in Numbers 27:18; 11:19, Samson in Judges 15:14, andworkers on the Tabernacle in Exodus 31:3. But He could be removedfor discipline purposes, as described of Samson in Judges 16:20and King Saul in 1 Samuel 16:14, as recognized by David in Psalm51:11; or when the task was completed, as with the workers on theTabernacle. However, today in the Church Age since Pentecost inActs 2, all believers in regeneration are “baptized by one Spiritinto one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13) with a universal, permanentindwelling of the Holy Spirit.

In Daniel 9:24-27, God had promised or “determined” 490prophetic Jewish years to Israel. Exactly 483 of these yearshave been historically fulfilled, as they were described inverses 25-26. However, verse 27 has never historically found adetailed fulfillment and is still future. It will be a seven-year period that Jesus descriptively called “the tribulation” inMatthew 24:29 and “great tribulation” in Matthew 24:21 inreference to the second half of it. Revelation 11:2 and 11:3together also describe this seven-year period in two, successive3 ½-year sections with the one in verse 2 following the one inverse 3. Hundreds of prophecies are given about this seven-yearperiod in Revelation 6-19; Matthew 24-25; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-11,20-33; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-5, 8-12; andDaniel 9:27 and 11:36-45.

God chose Israel as a missionary witness and agency to takethe gospel to the nations, beginning with Abraham, the Hebrew.Isaiah articulated this quite well in Isaiah 44:8, when headdressed Israel with “You are my witnesses,” within the contextdescribing God’s redemption plan for all mankind and Israel’sevangelistic part, as witnesses. He further prophesied in Isaiah42:6, “I, Yahweh, called you [my servant, verse 1] inrighteousness, and I will take hold of your hand, and I willguard you, and I will give you for a covenant of people for alight of [or to] [the Gentile] nations.” Walter Kaiser argues

[given], because Jesus was not yet glorified.” In light of John 13:31;14:16-17; and 16:5-15; the interpretive “given” appears proper.

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that this “servant/Servant” prophesied is fulfilled in the nationof Israel and in Jesus Christ. Initially,

‘The light for the Gentiles’ is also assigned as aspecific mission for the Servant. If we are correct inseeing that the Servant is a corporate term here, thenit is clear that Israel is being addressed andencouraged by the Lord to be that witness to theGentiles.5

This ministry of being “the light for the Gentiles” is furtherexplained in Isaiah 49:6 — “And he said, ‘It is too small amatter for you to be a servant for me to raise up the tribes ofJacob and to restore those preserved within Israel; I will giveyou for a light to the nations for you to be my salvation to theedge of the earth.” This was the messianic ministry to be foundin the call and purpose of God’s use of Israel in evangelisticministry, which found its ultimate fulfillment in the person andwork of Jesus Christ. Paul quoted this in Acts 13:47, as he sawhimself in this ministry passed on from Israel, as a nation, toThe Church made up of believing Jews and believing Gentiles, “Forthus the Lord commanded us, ‘I have placed you for a light to thenations, for you to be for salvation unto the end of the earth.’”Within this context Luke recorded how Paul’s ministry at Antiochin Pisidia became a turning point for him in particular and TheChurch in general. In the synagogue, the unbelieving Jews becameincensed and jealous of Paul’s ministry to the believingGentiles; but the believing “remnant” of Jews joined Paul andthese Gentile believers, as they understood Isaiah 49:6 whichPaul applied originally to the nation of Israel but found itfulfillment now with the believing Jewish remnant and believingGentiles in The Church. Later, Paul would explain this theGentile Roman Christians in Romans 15:8-12, “Now I say that JesusChrist has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth ofGod, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that theGentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: ‘Forthis reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to

5 Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. Mission in the Old Testament: Israel as a Light to the Nations. GrandRapids, Mich.: Baker Books (2000), p. 61.

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Your name.’ And again he says: ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with Hispeople!’ And again: ‘Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him,all you peoples!’ And again, Isaiah says: ‘There shall be a rootof Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, InHim the Gentiles shall hope.’”

The gospel that Israel was to carry to the Gentile nationsof the world was described well in Genesis 12:3; 15:6; Isaiah52:13-53:12; and Daniel 2:26. Moses explained in Exodus 19:5-6how that, “The people were to be God’s ministers, his preachers,his prophets to their own nation as well as to the other nations.. . Her role as a nation was a mediatorial role as they relatedto the nations and people groups around them.” (Kaiser, 2000 p.22-23) In fact, this “stewardship of evangelism” is the basisfor a proper understanding of The Book of Jonah. In fact, thoughJonah may appear to be the exception, he is the clearest exampleof the rule for Israeli evangelism of the Gentiles, evendepicting Israel’s reticence to the task. Among the otherprophets, one finds Joel prophesying of “all flesh” in Joel 2:28,Amos possessing “all the Gentiles who are called by My name” inAmos 9:12, Micah envisioning “many nations” in Micah 4:2,Jeremiah calling for a gather of “all the nations” in Jeremiah3:17, and Zechariah looking to the day, “When many nations shallbe joined to the Lord” in Zechariah 2:11. An interestingsituation developed under King Ahasuerus in Persia, where Esther8:17 records, “Then many of the people of the land became Jewish,because the fear of the Jews fell up on them.” This is the sameidea of fear found in Psalm 36:1 and personified, as God, inGenesis 31:42 and 53. Even here God was using Israel, as anagency of evangelism.

So Jonah was not the exception the rule for the Israeliprophets. The Book of Jonah offers an interesting bridge betweenJewish/Gentiles believers in Yeshua and unbelieving Jews. It isa summary of God’s choosing of the Jews here on earth. Itsevangelistic message reminds Jews of why they were chosen:

In Jonah 1, note how Jonah’s interaction with the Gentiles inan interesting way parallels Israel nationally in her interactionwith Gentile nations both friendly, as well as others used of Godin discipline. Jonah in particular, as Israel in general, had areticence, or even a reluctance, to evangelically proclaim the

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gospel of the prophetic, coming Messiah to save all peoples fromtheir sins. He was among Gentiles but yet aloof and asleep, whenthe storm came. When confronted, he did confess of his faith inthe LORD, and in his disobedience they did throw him into thesea, where Gentiles nations are also so used to disciplineIsrael.

In Jonah 2, his experience in the belly of the large fishresembles the current Church Age where unbelieving Jews inJudaism are presently in “darkness,” as of a “veil,” as Pauldescribed in 2 Cor. 3:13-16. This began at Pentecost in Acts 2and continues until the Harpage [Rapture]. After this, duringthe future 7-year Jewish Tribulation, Israel like Jonah will becast forth again into the world for her chosen evangelisticmission.

In Jonah 3, Jonah’s ministry parallels what the 144,000 andthe Two Witnesses in the Revelation will do during thisTribulation. Their message like Jonah’s will be a message torepent or perish, though many did in Nineveh, most will not inthe Tribulation, although like those in the Tribulation, Ninevehaccording to the prophecy of Nahum eventually rejected the LORDand were so judged.

In Jonah 4, as an epilog, Jonah illustrates what Pauldescribes in Romans 11:11, 14, where God’s goodness in salvationtoward Gentiles will provoke Jews toward a reactionary jealouszeal. So in this last chapter is a general assessment of God’sdealing with Israel and God pleading with His chosen people ingeneral, the Jews, to have an evangelistic heart for lost peopleeverywhere who hence are destined for Gehenna, as described inIsa. 66:24 and Mark 9:44-48 (which, as a name, is mentioned inNeh. 11:30) and is identified with “the lake of fire” in Rev.20:11-15, that is, to fulfill Isa. 42:6; 49:5-6: 52:10.

Genuine salvation came by faith in the promised Messiah,Jesus Christ, as described in Romans 10:1-13; Hebrews 11:13;Galatians 2:16. Just as Abraham first found salvation, as it wasso described in Genesis 15:6, “And he trusted in the LORD, and Heaccounted to him righteousness,” so even also all who followedhim in that same faith would find salvation.

In “God’s Plan for the Ages,” from Genesis 12 through Jesus’ministry in the Gospels, God sought to use the people of Israel

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to evangelize all the various nations of the world. This line ofGod’s agency for evangelism was through Abraham (the “Hebrew”),Isaac, Jacob (renamed “Israel” whose descendants are called“Israelis” (as an English transliteration) or “Israelites” (as anEnglish transliteration from the Greek transliteration of theHebrew word, “Israeli”)), and Judah (whose descendants are called“Judeans” or “Jews,” as simply an Anglicized, shorten form forJudeans). In John 3:29 John the Baptist called himself “thefriend of the bridegroom,” as the last great prophet of the Ageof Israel before the Church Age. He would be included in thegroup called “the sons of the bridal chamber” in Matthew 9:15;Mark 2:19; and Luke 5:34 who are attendants of bridegroom who arethe wedding guests who stood closest to the groom and played anessential part in the wedding ceremony as what we call today the“groomsmen.” They are the believers of the Age of Israel (incl.the Tribulation) and the Age of Gentiles (and not Church Agebelievers).

As the Old Testament prophets understood it, God’s apparentplan was to continue with the 7-year Tribulation after Jesus’ministry, as described in the Gospels, and to have no break orparenthetical Church Age between Daniel 9:26 and 27 or betweenDaniel 11:35 and 36 or Daniel 7:7 and 8 or Daniel 2:40 and 41.After this seven-year period, He would then bring in HisMillennial Kingdom in about 37 AD. But this did not happen. InActs 2, He called forth The Church which would be made up of thebelieving remnant of Israel and believing Gentiles who were yetto come, to bring in The Church Age which is described from Acts2 to the yet future translation of The Church. Thus from all ofthis came an understanding of “the first advent” and “the secondadvent” of Christ or Messiah, where the Old Testament prophetssaw only a single advent of Messiah. Although Daniel in Daniel9:24, 26-27 did see some twofold coming of the Messiah with sevenyears between the Messiah’s being “cut off” and His bringing inof “everlasting righteous” with His anointing. With this changein God’s providential plan from an apparent original plan forIsrael, it would be very natural for many to confuse theprophesying of “the coming of Elijah” with John the Baptist andthe “Elijah” in the Tribulation, since all of this would havebeen about the same time, if the intervening Church Age had not

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come into play. Jesus discussed with his disciples this comingof Elijah in Matthew 17:11-13,

11But Jesus answering said to them, ‘Elijah, on the onehand, is coming first and will restore all things.12Nevertheless, I say to you that Elijah already came,and they did not know him, but they did to him, as theywanted. Thus even the Son of Man is about to sufferunder them.’ 13Then the disciples put it together thathe said this to them concerning John the Baptist.

It would appear that verse 12-13 described John the Baptist andwould then be historical; however verse 11 described a yet futureElijah with his ministry of restoration of all things. There willbe some person in the Tribulation fulfilling this prophecy ofElijah. It would then appear that such a person would be Jewishand not a part of the Church and would find himself initially nota believer in Jesus as Messiah during the close of The ChurchAge. He would then afterward come to some dynamic faith inJesus [or Yeshua in Hebrew] as his Messiah during the first partof the Tribulation. Then God will use him to help “reestablish”Israel or to “restore all things” to Israel, as God’s agency ofevangelism for the Tribulation to prepare the world for Christ’sMillennial Kingdom.

Present Evangelism within The Age of the Church

This third age of God’s plan for the ages began on the Dayof Pentecost in Acts 2 and will continue, until Christ returnsand translates his Church to heaven. This Church Age isdescribed in Acts and the Epistles of the New Testament,specifically Acts 2 through Revelation 3, along with Matthew16:18 and 18:17 and John 13-17. It was by God’s providentialdesign parenthetically inserted at a point seven years short ofthe end of The Age of Israel. In other words, it began andcontinued since about 30 AD, some fifty days after Christ’scrucifixion and resurrection, i.e., some 10 days after Hisascension, with seven more years of The Age of Israel yet to beaccomplished but unfulfilled. The Church Age was unrevealed in

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the Old Testament but would be chronologically inserted in Daniel9:24-27 between verses 26 and 27. It was referred to as “TheEconomy (or Dispensation) of The Mystery” by Paul in Ephesians3:9. Also, in Colossians 1:26, this term, mystery, is used as aspecial term for the Church and the Church Age.

In Ephesians 3:1-12, Paul described this “mystery” in somedetail, where the Church was to be composed of Jews and Gentiles:

1For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesuson behalf of you, the [Gentile] nations— 2since,indeed, you [have] heard of the economy of the grace ofGod, [which was] given to me for you, 3that accordingto revelation he made known to me the mystery,(accordingly as I wrote beforehand a little, 4withwhich you are able [by] reading to perceive my insightin the mystery of Christ), 5which in other generationswas not made known to the sons of men, as now it wasrevealed to his holy apostles and prophets in thespirit: 6for the [Gentile] nations to be co-heirs andco-body and co-partners of his promise in Christthrough the gospel 7of which I became a servantaccording to the gift of the grace of God, [which was]given to me according to the working of his power. 8Tome, the least of all the saints was given this grace topreach evangelistically among the [Gentile] nationsthe untrackable wealth of Christ 9and to bring to lightfor all what [is] the economy of the mystery havingbeen hidden from the ages in God, the one creating allthings through Jesus Christ, 10[in order] that [there]might be made known now to the rulers and to theauthorities in the upper heavenlies through the churchthe multicolored wisdom of God, 11according to a planof the ages, which he made in Christ Jesus, our Lord,12

in whom we have the boldness and the access inconfidence through faith in him.

Paul wrote of his commission or administration in verse 2,literally translated here as “economy”, concerning therevelations about the mystery, the Church Age, and how that these

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revelations were a part of “the economy of the mystery” in verse9 regarding the Church in God’s “administration” of this mysteryduring the Church Age. God’s plan was and presently is to havethe Church, as His agency of evangelism, to be made up of thebelieving remnant of Israel and believing Gentiles in everygeneration inheriting together, living together, and workingtogether “in Christ” to evangelize the world, as angelic “rulersand authorities” look on. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 10:32, hedescribed humanity as being divided into three groups: those inthe church of God, the (unbelieving) Jews, and (unbelieving)Greeks (a figure of speech for Gentiles.) The Church accordingto Ephesians 3:10 is to be God’s avenue or agency for evangelismin carrying out Christ’s commission of Matthew 28:19-20.

The Unique Characteristics of The Age of the Church

Paul described believers who are a part of the Church asuniquely being “in Christ” (such as in Ephesians 2:10; Romans6:23b; and 1 Thessalonians 4:16). The Church Age believer isplaced “in Christ,” as a part of his or her salvation. This isbrought about by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, according to 1Corinthians 12:13. There is a permanent indwelling of JesusChrist in every believer according to John 14:20 along with apermanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit according to Romans 8:11,which is described in an interesting way by Jesus in John 14:17,“The Spirit of truth, whom the world is not able to receive,because it neither sees him nor knows him; but you know him,because he remains with you and will be in you.” Jesus’ contrastof prepositions, para and en, here is very telling along with Hiscontrast of verb tenses from present to future, in that Hedescribed the working of the Holy Spirit at that point of time asbeing “with” them but in the future, i.e., during The Church Age,He would be “in” them in a special indwelling relationship. Thisspecial working of the Holy Spirit during The Church Age standsin contrast to His working during The Age of Israel, as describedabove. In previous times, the Holy Spirit would leave or beremoved, but for believers in The Church Age He has and willalways have a permanent indwelling.

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In regards to this permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit,Paul explained in Eph.5:18 by way of a command how believers inthe Church Age are to be filled with the Holy Spirit which bringsabout his description in Gal.5:16-23 of how believers are to walkin the Spirit and not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Johndescribed the same thing, as “walking in the light,” which comeby way of confession of one’s sins (1 John 1:5-10).

The aforementioned specialized priesthood belonging to TheAge of Israel can be contrasted with the universal priesthood ofbelievers, which is a part of God’s plan for the Church. Peterreferred to this in 1 Peter 2:9. Even though some denominationswithin Christendom have designated certain clerical leaders amongthem with the term, “priest,” concerning a local church’s pastor,this term within The Church Age, as found in the New TestamentEpistles that describe the Church, refers to any believer inJesus Christ through whom he or she has “access by one Spirit tothe Father” (Ephesians 2:18).

The Church is uniquely called “the body of Christ.” InEphesians 1:23 and Romans 12:4-5 Paul specified and delineatedthis understanding of the Church, which he amplified in 1Corinthians 12:12-27 with great detail with a special closenessand fellowship unique to the Church. This unique relationship ofthe Church to Christ will be culminated in the eschaton by herbecoming the bride and wife of Christ. John wrote in Revelation19:5-9 of the future Marriage Supper of the Lamb, where “his wifehas made herself ready” (verse 7), in reference to the Church.She will have a special part, as Christ’s Bride, in the NewJerusalem of eternity, as it comes down from the heavens. Johnrecorded how one of the seven angels in Revelation 21:9 spoke tohim, saying, “Come, I will show to you the wife, the bride of theLamb.” With the special relationship which the Church has in thework of the Holy Spirit, the reference to “the bride” inRevelation 22:17 would also be the Church.

Other hallmarks of The Church Age can be noted in the bookof Acts and the New Testament Epistles. The Lord revealed toPeter in a vision of clean and unclean animals in Acts 10:9-16 atransition in His dietary laws, as a picture of holiness in theOld Testament, from clean and unclean categories to all beingclean, as a picture of His acceptance of all nations into the

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Church. However, two specifications of dietary uncleanlinesswere noted and held to in Acts 15:29 regarding the eating of meatoffered in idol worship and blood, such as from a strangledanimal not properly drained of its blood, when cooked and eaten.

Paul saw the issue of circumcision, as a part of thistransition. In Acts 16:1-3, he felt compelled to have Timothy,apparently as an adult, be circumcised being of mixed Jewishparentage; however, at about this same time he resisted havingTitus, a Greek, circumcised according to Galatians 2:3. About adecade later Paul would write to the Colossian Christians of thepractice of circumcision giving way to Church’s counterpart ofbaptism in Colossians 2:11-12.

A notable hallmark of the Church Age is the change in focusfrom the Sabbath to Sunday, the first day of the week. Thetransition from the Age of Israel to the Church Age can be tracedthrough the chapters of Acts 2 to 15. Paul’s practice in Acts 16and 17 was still focusing on the Jewish synagogue and theSabbath. However, in Acts 18:4 is found the last reference madeto the Sabbath in Acts and the rest of the New Testament (exceptfor Col.2:16 in a reference to the Law and our Christian libertyand a form of the word in Hebrews 4:9 with reference to a“Sabbath rest” for Israel, as an OT image and concept, but notour Sunday.) Jesus’ resurrection had been on the first day ofthe week during the Feast of First Fruits. His recordedappearances after His resurrection had initially been on thefirst Sunday (John 20:19) and the second Sunday (John 20:26) ofHis resurrection, so with such a remembrance and emphasis onJesus’ resurrection even to the point of belief in it isessential for salvation (see Rom. 10:9-10), Sunday would fromthen on become a memorial of His resurrection celebrated somefifty-two times a year.

In Acts 18-20 there appears to be a dispensational shiftfrom The Age of Israel’s Sabbath to The Age of the Church’sSunday. In Acts 18:6 Paul expressed a turning point in thistransition from a Jewish Church to a Gentile-Jewish Church; andin Acts 20:7 his pattern of emphasizing “the first day of theweek” is seen, when the disciples were accustomed to comingtogether to break bread in the observance of The Lord’s Supper.He also note in 1 Corinthians 16:2 how the Corinthian church had

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their church collection on the first day of the week, as it wouldhave been a part of their weekly gathering together. The firstday of the week, of course, began at sundown on Saturday andcontinued to sundown Sunday. Paul continued to preach and teachon into the evening of the next day and left the followingmorning.

John’s reference to “the Lord’s Day” in Rev.1:10 can well beinterpreted as a traditional reference to Sunday, or as ModernGreeks refer to this first day of the week, as Kyriake. InRev.1:10 John was in the Spirit on “the Kyriake Day,” i.e.literally “the Lordian/Lordly Day.” A major characteristic ofGod’s shift from The Age of Israel to The Age of the Church (inActs) is our observance of Sunday, not as a covenant sign, as wasthe Sabbath, but as a day of rest and worship, thus not solegalistic. Such an emphasis on the first day of the week wouldbe quite natural for the Church, as it focuses on the cornerstoneof its faith, a resurrected Savior.

A notable difference in the specification and explanation ofthe fourth commandment of the Ten Commandments listed in Exodus20 and relisted in Deuteronomy 5 is found in Deut. 5:15, “Andcommemorate that you were a slave in the land of Egypt andYahweh, your God, brought you out from there by a strong hand andby an extended arm; therefore Yahweh, your God, commanded you tokeep the Sabbath.” When one contrasts this with Ex. 20:11 andGod’s emphasis on the seventh day of creation being a rest, suchan emphasis is replaced by Moses in Deut. 5 with the emphasis ofthe Exodus-redemption which can be readily compared with theredemption of Jesus Christ occurring on Good Friday. However, thefollowing first day of the week, Sunday, was a celebration ofFirstfruits, thus Jesus’ resurrection occurred on the Feast ofFirstfruits described in Lev. 23:9-14. After the crucifixion,the following day was a Sabbath and was a time of despair anddisappointment. Jesus was dead and buried. But with all of theglories of His Resurrection Jesus marked the next day. Theimpact was great. The Jewish Messiah was alive again andforevermore. The Church was founded upon this resurrection ofJesus Christ. Hence, Sunday would be the focus in this

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commemorating of the resurrection of Jesus Christ,6 as incontrast to Israel’s Sabbath commemorating “Exodus-experience.”

As to the actual length of time7 for the Church Age, it isunrevealed and unknown, so that the future translation of TheChurch has been and will continue to be imminent, that is, it canoccur at any time. However, after it does occur, God will returnto using Israel again for seven more years during theTribulation.

The Harpage

An issue often debated is whether there will be any set timeperiod between Christ’s translation of His Church and theestablishment of His earthly, millennial kingdom. The questionis, “Are the two events described in 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 andRevelation 19:11-16 (along with Matthew 24:30) to happen at thesame time?” Some sincerely believe that these two events will besimultaneous in a hermeneutical framework popularly called“Historic Premillennialism.” Others sincerely believe that thesetwo event will be separated by a 7-year period called the JewishTribulation, in a hermeneutically framework popularly called“Dispensational Premillennialism.”

Christ’s return for His Church at the end of this presentage is described well in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17,

15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord thatwe who are alive and remaining until the coming of theLord will not precede those who are asleep. 16Because

6 Among the writings of the Apostolic Fathers, The Epistle of Barnabas 15:8-9explains this transition to “the eighth day” - Finally He saith to them; Yournew moons and your Sabbaths I cannot away with. Ye see what is His meaning ;it is not your present Sabbaths that are acceptable [unto Me], but the Sabbathwhich I have made, in the which, when I have set all things at rest, I willmake the beginning of the eighth day which is the beginning of another world.Wherefore also we keep the eighth day for rejoicing, in the which also Jesusrose from the dead, and having been manifested ascended into the heavens.7A novel teaching is found in The Epistle of Barnabas 15:1-5 of 6,000 years ofhuman history, after which “the Lord will bring everything to an end” andcommence a 7th 1,000 years. So with a chronology of Adam’s fall being about4000 BC, such a 6,000-year period would be completed somewhere around 2000 AD.

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the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout,with the voice of an archangel, and with a trumpet ofGod, and the dead in Christ will be resurrected first.17Then we who are alive and remaining shall be caughtup together with them in the clouds for a meeting ofthe Lord in the air, and thus shall we always be withthe Lord.

Those that are “in Christ,” that is, the Church, will “caught up”to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air. This event has beenpopularly called the Rapture. This word comes from the Latinterm, rapere, which is used in the Latin translation of thispassage to translate the Greek word, harpazō, translated above as“caught up.” Perhaps a better technical term for this event,that would be closer to the original language of the NewTestament, would be the noun form of this Greek verb, Harpagē,which would be transliterated, The Harpage (pronounced – “har-pah-gee”). This term could be used for the event described in verse17, after which 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 describes subsequentevents leading to Christ’s Parousia or Apocalypsis some sevenyears later. The details of this event are given quite well inRevelation 19:11-16,

11And I saw the heaven open up, and behold, a whitehorse, and he who sat on it was called Faithful andTrue, and in righteousness he judges and carries onwar. 12And his eyes were like a flame of fire, and onhis head were many royal crowns that had names writtenand a name written, which no one except him knew.13And he was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, andhis name was called The Word of God. 14And the armiesin heaven followed after him, on white horses, clothedin fine, white, clean linen. 15And out of his mouthgoes forth a sharp, double-edged sword, so that with ithe might strike the nations. And he himself willshepherd them with a rod of iron, and he himself treadson the winepress of the rage of the wrath of GodAlmighty. 16And he has on his robe and on his thigh aname written: Kings of Kings and Lord of Lords.

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This appears distinct from that which is prophesied in 1Thessalonians 4:17 and is the culmination of hundreds of minutelydescribed prophetic events recorded in Revelation 6 through 18.The decision to be made is, whether or not to take these variousprophecies through the Book of Revelation as ones to be literallyand chronologically fulfilled, or only figuratively, especiallyits references to specific lengths of various times periods. Ifit is to be taken literally, then the next question would be,have these prophecies in Revelation 6 through 18 been fulfilledhistorically already at some time in the past but subsequent toJohn’s receiving and recording of them around 90 AD, or are theystill yet future? With John’s portrayal of them as prophecy, itwould be inconsistent to find them fulfilled during the fall ofJerusalem around 70 AD. It also appears that no events since thefirst century has fully and completely fulfilled the detailsdescribed in Revelation 6 though 18. If a literal fulfillmentwould be sought, it would have to be yet future.

On the other hand, this teaching of Christ’s imminent returnis found both within and even beyond the New Testament, such asin an ancient letter of the Romans to the Corinthians, commonlycalled First Clement in 23:5, “Upon a truth, quickly and suddenlywill his purpose be accomplished, even from the co-testimony ofthe scripture, ‘Quickly will he come and not delay, and suddenlywill the Lord come into his temple, even the Holy One whom youexpect.’” (Lightfoot, 1992:56) It is interesting to note theclosing chapter of The Didache, chapter 16, in its apocalypticteaching:

1”Watch” over your life: “do not have your lamp beextinguished, and do not have your waist[-belt] becomeslack, but be prepared; for you do not know the hour inwhich our Lord is coming. 2But frequently gathertogether, seeking the things that are proper for yoursouls; for all the time of your faith will be of nobenefit to you, if you are not found complete in thelast time. 3For in the last days the false prophetsand the corrupters will be multiplied, and the sheepwill be changed into wolves, and love will be changed

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into hate. 4For with the increase of lawlessness, theywill hate and persecute and deliver over one another.And then the cosmic imposter will appear, as a son ofGod, and will do signs and wonders, and the earth willbe delivered over into his hands, and he will dolawless acts which have never happened form eternity ofold. 5Then will come the judgment of men in the fieryprocess of testing, and many will be scandalized andperish; but the ones enduring in their faith will besaved by him, the accused one [on the cross]. 6Andthen will appear the signs of the truth: first a signof an opening in heaven, then a sign of a voice of atrumpet, and third the resurrection of the dead— 7butnot of all [the dead]; but, as it has been said, ‘TheLord will come, and all the saints with him. Then theworld will see the Lord coming upon the clouds ofheaven.8 (Lightfoot, 1992:266-268)

There is both a teaching of the immanency of Christ return forhis saints; and then, after the coming of specific events andpersonages similar to those in Revelation 9-18, Christ is to comewith his saints. The Lord’s “coming” of verse 1 can becontrasted to his “coming” in verse 7 with many events needing totranspire between these two comings.

In Revelation, a three and a half year period isspecifically mentioned in Revelation 11:2 and 13:5 (of 42 months)and Revelation 11:3 and 12:6 (of 1260 days, where the Jewishprophetic year contains 360 days) and in Revelation 12:14 (withthe poetic “a time [one year] and times [plural — two years] andhalf a time [half a year]”). This last expression is also found inDaniel 7:25 and 12:7. The various events described as occurringduring these three and a half year periods can well be taken ascontemporaneous, except for the one in Revelation 11:3 concerningthe ministry of the Two Witnesses:

8 J V Lightfoot and J R. Harmer, The Apostolic Fathers Greek Texts and English Translation of Their Writings, Second Edition, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, (1992),pp. 266-268.

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1And there was given to me a reed like a measuring rod,with one saying, Arise and measure the temple of Godand the altar and those worshiping at it, 2and leaveout the outer court of the temple, and do not measure,because it has been given to the Gentiles, and theywill tread the holy city [Jerusalem] forty-two months,3and I will give [authority] to my witnesses, and theywill prophesy 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. (Rev.11:1-3)

The three and a half year period described in verse 3 would fitwell, as preceding that of verse 2, since verses 7-13 of thischapter describes events concerning these two witnesses, that areafter their three and a half year ministry. These later eventsapparently transpire during the second three-and-a-half yearperiod which is described in verse 2 and also described in theother three places in which it is mentioned in Revelation. Thusby putting these two periods together consecutively, one couldparallel this seven-year period with that prophesied in Daniel9:27, as mentioned above. Only a Pre-Tribulation Harpage canexplain how this total of seven years in Revelation 11:2-3 can betaken literally. Either Jesus Christ will not come back for atleast three and a half or seven years from the present, since theevents of Revelation 11 have not literally transpired yet; or onecannot know, when the three-and-a-half year period begins, inorder for the Harpage of Christ to be imminent. It cannot beboth. However, with all the details given in Revelation 11, thelatter could not be the case, and the former would mean that thesoon return of Christ is not imminent. Hence, this two-foldscenario of Christ’s second coming, as The Haparge and then sevenyears later the Second Advent, would fit more into thisScriptural prophecy.

The Application to the Local Church

As noted in the Scriptures above, God has put The Church ina very strategic place in His overall Plan of the Ages with avery strategic purpose: “That there might be made known now tothe rulers and to the authorities in the upper heavenlies THROUGH

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THE CHURCH the multicolored wisdom of God, according to a plan ofthe ages, which he made in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” (Ephesians3:10-11). Paul described this through the eighth chapter ofRomans. Believers during the Church Age, according to Paul, willfind that

1There is therefore now condemnation for the ones inChrist Jesus, the ones not walking according to theflesh but according to the Spirit. 2For the law [orprinciple] of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesusliberated me from the law [or principle] of sin and ofdeath. 3For the thing [was] impossible for the[Mosaic] law in which one is weak through the flesh,God [by] sending his own Son in the likeness of sinfulflesh even concerning sin condemned sin in the flesh,4in order that the righteous requirement of the lawmight be fulfilled in us, the ones not walkingaccording to the flesh but according to the Spirit.(Romans 8:1-4)

With God’s special working of His Holy Spirit in the Church,there is a supernatural dimension of power that God had notworked forth in previous ages and generations. Through theChurch He seeks to reveal features of his “multicolored wisdom”,even to those angelic beings with Paul’s reference “to the rulersand to the authorities in the upper heavenlies.” Paul hinted in1 Corinthians 11:10 at something within the special relationshipof a wife to her husband, which parallels that of the Church toChrist, as something of focus for the angels apparently toobserve. Even Peter in 1 Peter 1:12 explained how the OldTestament saints prepared the way for the gospel to have itsspecial working in the Church, as angels intently look on. Thisappears to be a part of a resultant intensification of an angelicconflict that has been continuing from the time before man.Jesus spoke of this intensification that began in the early daysof his ministry in Matthew 11:12, “but from the days of John theBaptist until now the kingdom of the heavens is violentlytreated, and violent ones seize it.” With the ministry of Johnand then Jesus, Satan and his demonic host found God preparing a

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special, supernatural work that eventuated in the Church, theBody and Bride of Christ, with the unique characteristics listedabove. Each local church and each believer within a local church“in Christ” is a integral part of this fantastic channel throughwhich God’s multi-variated wisdom is being revealed to everyonein the world, both seen and unseen.

Messianic Congregations

Some Messianic congregations/congregants form a strategicBible-believing remnant within the Church during our presentChurch Age. After the Harpage/Rapture when all believers Jewsand Gentiles are taken, the present influence of this believingJewish remnant9 on other Jews apparently will form a basis forGod to return to His previous administration of His Jewishmission of evangelism through Israel in a worldwide Jewish“revival” among Jews, as well as Gentiles, as described inRevelation 7. It is interesting to note the exponential growthin numbers of Messianic congregations during just the past fewdecades and to consider their present ministry and influence uponJewish unbelievers who in the future may have a new understandingof their Messiah and be used in a very special evangelisticministry in Israel.10 This is an exciting dimension of the latter9According to some calculations, there are approximately 5000 Messianic Jewsin Israel today, and in America there are about 25,000, distributed in morethan 200 Messianic congregations. The number of Gentile Messianic believers inboth countries ranges between 80,000 to 120,000.

10To be sure, the Messianic movement presently is NOT recognized as a validJewish expression by all branches of Judaism. According to Jewish (rabbinic)law, in the Mishneh Torah, “Laws of Idolatry”, chapter 9, rule 4, those whoprofess faith in Jesus Christ are idol-worshipers. This includes MessianicJews and gentile Christians. Also in the same code of law written by RabbiMoshe ben Maimon (Maimonides), in “Laws of Kings and their battles”, chapter11, rule 4, Jesus is declared to be a “false Messiah;” thus anyone whofollows him, “follows a false Messiah.” In “Laws of Idolatry” again, we see(chapter 10, rule 1 that it is a “mitzvah” [religious obligation] for a Jew toseek by any means the destruction of the faith of Jewish “apostates,” that is,Messianic Jews. So, if one wants to take the literal reading of this specificrule, Jewish believers in Jesus should be killed by zealots among those inIsrael today tremendous persecution against Messianic believers does exist,such as the case of Beer Sheva in 1999, where more than 1000 Hassidic Jews

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days of this present Church Age with this preparation even by theChurch, as a whole, for this apparently prophesied post-HarpageMessianic revival among Jews, which will be high profiled by the144,000 in Revelation 7 and the two “witnesses” in Revelation 11.This “Jewish Tribulation” is not Jewish, because the Jews will bethe victim (although there will be much persecution of them) butbecause the Jews will be the evangelist avenue of God’s salvationamid his wrath upon a lost and unbelieving world.

Judaism and The Messianic Church in the present Church Age

During the present time of The Church Age, many Jewishunbelievers in their rejection of Jesus as Messiah will continue,as an ethnic entity, in unbelief according to Matthew 24:34; Acts15:14-16; 1 Corinthians 10:32; 2 Corinthians 3:16-17. Thus aform of Judaism will continue through The Church Age.

Even though among the prophets of the Old Testament nothingabout The Church Age was revealed to them, the Book of Estherportrays a interesting picture of Judaism, as it is found in thispresent Church Age. In a sense, the Judaism found in Estherdisplays a foreshadow of present-day Judaism. The book describesGod’s providence for His nation, Israel. “God” and prayer arenever mentioned in the canonical Hebrew text.11 The descriptionof the Jews appears to foreshadow what Paul described in 2 Cor.3:14-15: “But until this day, when (any of the books of) Moses isread, a veil is laid on their hearts; but, whenever one mightturn to Christ, the veil is taken away.” Interestingly, theHebrew verb-form for “Judaism” is even used in Esther 8:17. TheBook of Esther is the record of Israel in a self-chosen pathwayduring the reign of King Xerxes (486-464 BC). At the end of theBabylonian Captivity in 536 BC, the Jews were to return to theLand. Many did return under the ministries of Haggai andZechariah. But the Book of Esther gives the story of those who

intended to eliminate a small group of Jewish believers in Jesus on aSabbath!! The reason for this (according to them) was that the believers hadplans to “baptize” Jewish children and “to convert” them to Christianity.Incidents like this are repeated over and over and few people protest.

11That is, according to the Masoretic Text. This is not the case with thetext of Esther in the Septuagint and even, perhaps, its Hebrew Vorlage.

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did not return but chose instead to stay and to enjoy theprosperity and luxury of Persia. This majority of the Jews(during these events of 483 to 473 BC) were out of God’s will butwere not beyond His care. They had chosen the ease of Persiaover the hardship of a return to their Land.

God the Father found and chose Israel to be His bride andwife by covenant, although she became a faithless wife in time,though never forsaken and ultimately to be restored (Rom.11;Ezek.16:60). However, in the meantime her son, Jesus Christ, theSon of God, born of her (Rev.12:1-6) has Himself found and chosena bride, the Church, made-up of believers from Acts 2 on the DayPentecost to the Harpage.

Presently, the Church is in a betrothal stage awaiting theMarriage Feast of the Lamb after the Harpage. In Judaismpresently Israel, as the wife of Yahweh, has become estranged inharlotry but in a “veiled” blindness from unbelief (2 Cor. 3:13-16).

Future Evangelism within the Tribulation of the Age ofIsrael and within the Millennial Kingdom

That which is yet future is the seven-year JewishTribulation and Millennial reign of Christ, all of which is oftensummed up in the Biblical expression, “The Day of the Lord.” Itwill focus on God’s long-awaiting judgment on mankind and thefulfillment of His glorious purpose of His Kingdom coming toearth.

The Future Seven-year Jewish Tribulation

This will be a continuation of The Age of Israel describedearlier, thus it will be very Jewish in its character. However,a unique part of this period of the Age of Israel will be that itwill occur with Christ’s work of atonement and resurrection beinghistorical rather than prophetic (as they were in the first partof the Age of Israel.) Substantially, Revelation 6 through 18gives the most details of this period, which will be a time ofrelative calm and peace for its first three and a half years and

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then a time of “great tribulation” during its second three and ahalf years. It can also be noted that there is a conspicuousabsence of the Church in these chapters of Revelation, after muchis described about it in Revelation 2-3.

At this point of history the nation of Israel will be backin their promised land. A Revived Roman Empire will come intobeing, headed by The Beast of Revelation 13, also referred to asThe Antichrist in l John 2:18 and “the man of sin” in 2Thessalonians 2:2, 6-9, who will make a seven-year covenant withIsrael and break it after three and a half years according toDaniel 9:27.

Also, the third Jewish temple is to be built apparentlyeither shortly before or after the Harpage. Such a temple ismentioned in Revelation 11:1, as well as in Matthew 24:15 andDaniel 9:27, even though the second Jewish temple was destroyedin 70 AD by the Romans in accordance with Jesus prophecy inMatthew 24:2. So it would seem that its construction could beaccomplished just prior to the Harpage, but with presenttechnology it could be rapidly constructed within the first fewweeks or months of the Tribulation.

A key to understanding this future seven-year period isthat, God will have some special plan for using ethnic Israel’sbelieving remnant as His agency of evangelism that they might be“for a light to the nations.” In fact, Revelation 7:1-8 and14:1-5 described a specific group that God will use: 144,000single Jewish evangelists sealed for a worldwide ministry ofevangelism to Jews and Gentiles. They will be divinely protectedby God during the Tribulation and commissioned with “the gospelof the kingdom” which is mentioned in Matthew 24:14. During thefirst half of this seven-year period, Israel will live in arelative peace, as the two witnesses of Revelation 11 are alsoused in this evangelistic plan. Verse 3 specified this timeperiod’s length. During the second half of this seven-yearperiod, Israel will be in hiding according to Revelation 12:6,during what Jesus called “great tribulation” in Matthew 24:21.Their evangelistic ministry will prepare for what God has furtherplanned in the Millennial Kingdom Age.

Concerning those “in Christ”, that is, those in the Church,during this 7-year period The Judgment Seat of Christ and The

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Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9) will be takingplace for these resurrected and with the Lord, as The Church.

The Future Millennial Kingdom of Christ

The fourth age of God’s plan will begin sometime after theclose of the Tribulation. But it will may not be exactly afterthe 2520th day after the Harpage, since “no one knows concerningthat day or hour, not the angels in heaven nor the Son, exceptthe Father alone” according to Jesus’ words in Mark 13:32).There are to be these 2520 days, but then there will be anunspecified length of time beyond this that God the Father onlyknows. However, there will be a point of time, similar to thesituation of the Harpage, when God will decide and tell His Sonto return to earth for The Battle of Armageddon, in His SecondComing of Christ back to earth, as described in Revelation 19:11-21 and Matthew 24:29-31, 36-44. In Revelation 20:1-10, Johnbriefly described this as a 1,000 years from which comes it name,as “The Millennium.” It will be a golden age of righteousness,as described in Daniel 9:24, when Christ will reign on earth,after its “Regeneration” as mentioned in Matthew 19:18.

The results of this regeneration is described in many placethroughout the Bible, such as in Daniel 9:24; Isaiah 9:6-7; 11:1-16; 35:1-10; 65:20-25. There will be radical changes in natureaccording to Joel 2:24-26; Amos 9:13; Isaiah 60:19-20; Romans8:18-23. There will be universal peace, prosperity, andknowledge of God with a perfect one-world government headed byJesus Christ as the Prince of Peace, according to Isaiah 9:6-7.The Tribulation Temple of Israel will be renovated into TheMillennial Temple that is described in Ezekiel 40-46.

Further, there will be some the fourteen categories ofintelligent beings living in the Millennial Kingdom-Age:

God the Father in the Third Heaven – see 2 Cor. 12:2.God the Holy Spirit poured out on the earth – see Joel 2:28.God the Son ruling from Jerusalem, as King of Kings and Lord

of Lords – see Rev. 20:4c.Michael the archangel – see Jude 9.

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Holy, Elect Angels – the two-thirds of the angels that did notsin – see Rev. 12:4.

The Church resurrected and ruling, as Jesus’ “queen-bride” atHis side – see 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 5:10.

The Friends of the Bridegroom resurrected and ruling overvarious cities – see Rev. 20:4, 6.

Mortal believers coming out of the Tribulation into theMillennium and bearing children – see Isa. 11:6, 11-16;65:21-23; Matthew 24:29, 39-41; 25:31

Mortal believers born during the Millennium – see Isa. 11:8;65:20-23.

Mortal unbelievers born during the Millennium and recruited bySatan at the end – see Rev. 20:7-10.

Unbelievers through the ages still in Hades, who will beresurrected at the end of the Millennium – see Rev. 20:5.

Satan in the Abyss – released for a while at the end of theMillennium – see Rev. 20:7.

The fallen angels of Satan in the Abyss, called demons andunclean spirits.

Specially cursed fallen angels who sinned in Gen. 6:2 and wereconfined forever in Tartarus – see 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 7.

All will go well, until near the end, when Satan will pursueone last effort against God, that is prophetically described inRevelation 20:7-10 with Gog and Magog. Then he will be cast intothe Lake of Fire, which is also called “eternal fire” in Matthew25:41. After this Millennial Age of Christ will be The GreatWhite Throne Judgment which will be by Jesus Christ forunbelievers from throughout the ages.

Applications for The Church Today

Through all of human history God has had an evangelisticpurpose for believers here on earth. As His stewards or agenciesof evangelism, He has used Gentiles, Israel, and The Church; andin the future He will return back to utilizing Israel and thenChrist Himself. These stewards were not to be and will not be

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used concurrently but successively, as four special but separateadministrations or economies of evangelism.

At this present time in history, God’s purpose is that Hismultifaceted wisdom might be made known through the Church. Inthis overall plan, God in the Bible described a special place forHis Church with unique and supernatural resources by which shecan fulfill her ministry. This notable pattern also offers anapproach to a consistent way of interpreting the Bible and a nicesolution to many enigmatic Biblical passages.

God’s FourAdministrations of Evangelism:

I. TheAge ofGentileNations

II. TheAge ofIsrael

III. TheAge ofThe

Church –The

Mystery

TheTribulati

on(cont. ofII. TheAge ofIsrael)

IV. TheAge of

Christ –The

KingdomAge

Scripture Genesis1-11

and Job

Genesis12

throughActs 1

(excluding Job)

Acts 2throughRev. 3

(including John13-17)

Revelation

6-19

Revelation 20:1-9

Time Period

Adam toAbraham(4000BC -2090BC)

Abraham’sCall toPentecost(2090 BC- 30 AD)

Pentecostto theHarpage(30 AD- ?)

TheHarpage

to The 2nd

Coming(7

years+?)

1,000 years

Agency of Evangelism

GentileFamilies and

Nations

TheJewishNation,Israel(Acts13:47;

TheChurch

(Eph.3:9-10)

[fulfilling

TheJewishNation,Israel, living inpeace/\

ChristHimselfrulingfrom

Jerusalem, as High

34

Esther8:17;Jonah3:2)

Matthew28:19-20]

hiding3 ½

3 ½ yearsyears

Priestand King.

Salvation by

Faithin theseed of

thewoman (Gen.3:15)

Faith inthe

PromisedMessiah(Heb.11:13)

Faith inthe

Historical Messiah(Acts16:31)

Faith inthe

Historical Messiah

Faith inthe

Historical Messiah

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Annotated Notes Book-by-book through the Bibleof This Pattern of Four Agencies of Evangelism

Genesis – “Origins” – Creation & the Pre-Mabbul (Pre-Flood) World& the Post-Mabbul (Post-Flood) World where the various GentileNations & then “Hebrew” Abraham – Isaac – “Israeli” Jacob –“Jewish” Judah & Joseph were God’s agencies of evangelism.

1-3 – Creation of the Universe (1:1) & Life (1:20-21) & Man(1:26-27).

3:15 – The Proto-Evangel – The seed of the woman will have hisheel bruised but will crush the head of Satan.

4:7 – The wayward line of man.5-10 – God’s plan of evangelizing with Gen. 3:15 through various

families becoming some 70 nations listed in ch. 10 descendingfrom Shem through Joktan (11:23) in THE AGE OF GENTILENATIONS.

8:20 – The Family priesthood.9:1-17 – The Noachdic Covenant10:1ff – Table of Nations11:1-9 – Men sought to thwart God’s plan at Babel. It was from

this direction taken by man that God scatter man abroad andturned to a single man, family, nation – Abraham, as a newagency of evangelism, and began the Age of Israel.

11:10-32 – Descendents of Shem through Peleg to Terah and thenAbram.

[Job most likely lived here during the events described in Gen.11 or 12.]

12:1-3 – God by a covenant chose Abram through whom to evangelizethe world in what would eventually become THE AGE OF ISRAEL,God’s evangelizing through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob calledIsrael.

12-36, 38 – Abraham, called the Hebrew (14:13) – one who passesover the river (Euphrates, and eventually the Jordan, and theNile)

13:3-4, 14 & 14:13, 18 – Abraham, as priest.

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14:18-20 – The Melchizedekian priesthood in the Age of theGentiles

15:6 – Faith alone brought righteousness – see Rom. 4:3, 9, 22and Heb.11:13.

17:1-27 – The Abrahamic Covenant.37, 39-50 – Joseph became the central figure of God’s using of

Israel & his sons, as they become a nation of priests.

Exodus – The forging of Israel into a nation of God.19:5-6 – In the Mosaic Covenant, God had planned a universal

priesthood of Israel.28:1 & 30:30 – Instituting of the Aaronic Priesthood.29 – While on Sinai, Moses was given details about the priests of

the family of Aaron and eventually a priesthood for the wholetribe of Levi, while in ch. 32 the horrid sin of the GoldenCalf took place.

31:12-17 – The final instruction was given concerning theSabbath, as a covenant sign between God and Israel.

40:15 – The Aaronic Priesthood for all times through theTribulation.

Leviticus – Further details of the Israeli or Jewish priesthoodand sacrifices and feasts.

23 – The Sabbath & Seven Feasts of Israel – fulfilled in theFirst & Second Coming of Christ.

Numbers – The preparing of Israel to possess Canaan.3:6ff – The specialized priesthood among the sons of Levi.

Deuteronomy – Moses three addresses of reviewing and furtherdetails of God’s covenant with Israel [through the Gospels andTribulation] – More quoted by Jesus than any other OT book.

5:12-15 – The Sabbath-covenant with Israel.6:4-9 – The “John 3:16” of the OT.

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Joshua – Israel taking possession of the Land, originally as abase of operation for world evangelism.

Judges – Notice some 7 cycles ofapostasy/slavery/repentance/deliverance by some 13 “judges”(as charismatic, theocratic leaders). This was an OldTestament “Dark Ages” for Israel and even for the rest of theinhabited world of that day.

3:10 & 14:19 – God the Holy Spirit came “upon” Othniel andSamson.

Ruth – A colorful story of God’s preparing of His Messianic linethat included a Moabite mother, a great-grandmother of KingDavid.

2:20 & 4:9-10 – Naomi and Ruth have a near kinsman-redeemer whichis later a type of Christ for His Church.

1 & 2 Samuel – Samuel’s transitions from theocratic judges to amonarchy under King Saul & King David and the Davidic covenant

2 Sam.7:5-19 – The Davidic Covenant – vv.13-17 – since theBabylonian captivity only one king of the house of David hasfulfilled this and forever, namely Jesus Christ.

1 & 2 Kings – The reign of Solomon and the divided kingdom.1 Kgs. 8:54-58 – Solomon’s blessings parallel Jesus Christ.

1 & 2 Chronicles – A summary of God’s work through Israel to theBabylonian captivity.

Ezra – The second returning group of Jews (Ezra 7-10). 1 - The present Church age will end for the Jews much like the

ending of the Babylonian Captivity with the decision to

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rebuild the Temple. The Babylonian Captivity began with thefall of Jerusalem in 586 BC, which was much like its fall in70AD at a 40-year point on into The Church Age that began inActs 2.

3 - Worship with a view toward the completed Temple will berestored with the Feast of Booths.

4-5 - There will be those who will resist this rebuilding of theTemple and of Jerusalem as the capital city. They will seekto slow the work, but it will continue on. Although thistook some 20 years between 536 BC and 516 BC, during the 7-year Tribulation it will highly shortened.

6 - There will be a resumption of Passover worship at the Temple.

Nehemiah – The third returning group under Nehemiah.1-2 – This parallels how Jerusalem in the latter days of the

Church Age will be in somewhat disarray with enemies allaround about it.

3-4 – A political wall will need to be built around Jerusalem forit to be a secure capital.

5 - Opposition will arise against Jerusalem and Israel during theTribulation, especially in the 2nd half.

6 - The Two Witnesses described in Rev. 11 may find similaropposition, as did Nehemiah.

7 - Through the Tribulation, Jews will continue to return back toThe Land.

8 - Interest in the Bible will grow and grow.

Esther – God’s providence for His nation, Israel – This is aninteresting preview of Judaism during the future Church Age.“God” and prayer are never mentioned in the canonical Hebrewtext. The description of the Jews appears to foreshadow whatPaul describes in 2 Cor. 3:14-15: “But until this day, when(any book of) Moses is read, a veil is laid on their hearts;but, whenever one might turn to Christ, the veil is takenaway.”

These Jews (483-473 BC) were out of God’s will and had chosen theluxury of Persia over the hardship of a return to “the land”

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under Zerubbabel, as described in Ezra 1-6, as is Judaismtoday in our present Church Age described in 2 Cor.3:14-15,prior to the Tribulation which parallels the Books of Ezra andNehemiah.

4:13-14 – God’s providential protection of the Jews.8:17 – Interestingly, “became Jews” is one word, the Hebrew verb-

form for “Judaism.”

Job – Outside the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel, Jobknew about Adam (31:33) and Noah’s flood (12:15) and being afamily priest (1:4-5) but nothing about Abraham and theExodus. He lived some 200 years (42:16), when the Chaldeanswere nomad-raiders (1:17), and would fit in the latter part ofGen.11.

1:8 – Job – God’s servant – with integrity and straight.38:1ff – In all of this response by God, He never explains nor

even simply tells Job about His conversation with Satan in Ch.1. Job had an invisible, unseen angelic conflict raging aboveand around him, but never knew the details. He did know ofit, as a believer. Today, believers also have a raginginvisible, unseen angelic conflict above them and all aroundthem. They also may or may not know the details this side ofheaven.

Psalms has some 17 Messianic Psalms –2 – His victory in his 2nd Advent

8 – His incarnation in his 1st Advent16 – His resurrection in his 1st Advent22 – His crucifixion in his 1st Advent23 – His ministry 1st Advent

24 – His Ascension & 2nd Advent40 – His example in his 1st Advent

45 – His glory and bride in his 2nd

Advent(51:11 – An interesting note about the temporal work of the Holy

Spirit in Age of Israel.)68 – His glory in Israel in his 2nd

Advent69 – His ministry in his 1st Advent

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72 – His millennial reign at his2nd Advent

89 – His reign at his 2nd Advent102 – His eternal kingdom110 – His priestly reign at his 2nd

Advent118 – His ministry of mercy at his 1st Advent

132 – His reign in Zion at his 2nd

Advent

Proverbs – Wise sayings in couplet poems, as similes and briefparables by Solomon, The Wise Men, Agur, and Lemuel (which mayhave been a nickname for Solomon).

1:7 – The fear of the Lord is “an awareness of the continualpresence of God must judge every thought, word, and deed” –this is the first step in understanding Proverbs with itswisdom for all the ages.

Ecclesiastes – Man’s reasoning just outside of God’s wisdom.1:2 – Without faith in the LORD life is no more than like a soap

bubble.12:13-14 – This is the conclusion of the theme of the whole book:

Fear God and obey Him.

Song of Solomon – A detailed description of the Marital Covenantillustrating God’s redemptive covenant with His covenantedwife, Israel, and eventually Christ’s redemptive covenant withHis Bride, The Church.

2:4 – God’s banner, as in a wedding, is His eternal love.2:7 & 3:5 & 8:4 – “You shall not stir up or awaken love, until

that it pleases (be willing)” – that is to be in the covenantof marriage only, which beautifully illustrates the covenantof our salvation.

Isaiah – The Prince of the Prophets

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9:6-7 – A Panorama of The Coming(s) of Christ: Counseling Marvel[in His virgin birth and sinless life], Heroic God [in Hisatoning death], Eternal Father [in His resurrection],Peacemaking Prince [at His Second Advent].

11:6-9 (1-16) – The promised Golden Age of the Messianic Kingdom 12:1-6 – A Millennial Hymn – “that day” refers to the Millennial

reign of the Messiah.35:1-2, 9-10 – The glory of Zion in the Millennial Kingdom.42:6, “I, Yahweh, called you [my servant, verse 1] in

righteousness, and I will take hold of your hand, and I willguard you, and I will give you for a covenant of people for alight of [or to] [the Gentile] nations.”

44:8 – Israel was a witness to our Triune God (vv. 3, 6) with amissionary task.

49:6 – Israel’s ministry of The Messianic Light to GentileNations.

52:7-10 – God redeemed Jerusalem/Israel for them to show theNations His salvation.

53:1-12 – A large amount of details about Christ’s first comingand His work on the cross for redemption.

55:3 – A permanent, everlasting covenant with Israel.60:1-3, 19-20 – The Millennium and beyond.62:4 – Beulah (meaning “a married woman”) refers to Israel, as

the covenant-wife of God the Father.65:20-25 – The future Millennial Golden-Age Kingdom.

Jeremiah and Lamentations – The weeping prophet of Israel duringJudah’s last days before the Babylonian Captivity.

3:1 – Israel, as the covenant-wife of God, has gone intoapostasy, where God has had to divorce her. But she canrepent and return, since only God has a covenantalrelationship. All other religions are only whoredoms and notmarriages.

10:11 – In Aramaic – Israel’s word of evangelistic warning to thegentile Babylonian idolaters.

30:7-10 – Prophecy of the 7-yr. Jewish Tribulation called “thetime of Jacob’s trouble” and salvation.

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31:1-3 – A saved remnant in the Tribulation that will find a NewCovenant (vv.31-34) in the Millennial Kingdom with a parallelin the Church explained in Heb. 8.

31:33-34 – “…from being a nation…” – The nation of Israelaccording to the flesh will always exist throughout all ofhuman history, although not necessarily, as an independent,political entity. This did come about again in 1948.

32:40 – God’s everlasting covenant with Israel through theMillennial Kingdom.

50:5 – God’s perpetual covenant with Israel.

Ezekiel – The glory of the Lord in His judgment and restorationof Israel.

11:16-20 – Rather than a prophecy that was fulfilled after theBabylonian captivity under Ezra and Nehemiah, this is aprophecy to be fulfilled in the future Jewish Tribulation.The reference to Gentiles and countries in the plural wouldnot be for Babylon alone but or many countries worldwide(including – Babylon/Iraq).

16:60 – God the Father found and chose Israel to be His bride andwife by covenant, although she became a faithless wife intime, though never forsaken and ultimately to be restored.

37 – Israel in revival during the Tribulation38 – Gog and Magog of the Tribulation and Millennium.40-46 – The Temple in the Millennial Kingdom.

Daniel – God’s prophecies for the Gentile Nations with Israel tothe Eschaton with 2:4b-7:28 in Aramaic, the internationallanguage of that day.

2:26-34 – God’s revelation of the Political Panorama of the Ages:vv.35-40 – Gold-Babylon, Silver-Medo-Persia, Bronze-Greece,Iron-Roman, & Iron/Clay-the Revived Roman Empire.

7:4-8 – Lion (Babylon), Bear (Medo-Persia), Leopard (Greece),Terrifying Beast (Rome), 10 Horns (future Revived RomanEmpire)

8:1-22 – Ram (Medo-Persia), He-Goat (Greece), The Four Horns(Grecian Empire).

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9:24-27 – This passage is “The Backbone of Biblical Prophecy” anddescribes 70 “heptads” [translated “weeks”], in other words,70 x 7 = 490 days that refer to 490 years, as in Gen. 29:27;Ezek. 4:6. The first 483 years were from 447 BC to 30 AD with7 years still to be fulfilled in the future [which is the sameseven-year period described in two halves in Rev. 11:2-3, as 3½ years and 3 ½ years in succession] with the thus-farunrevealed Church Age to be inserted between verse 26 andverse 27, as Paul described in Eph. 3:2-10, as beingunrevealed to the Old Testament prophets, such as Daniel.

9:25 – The fulfillment is describe historically in Neh. 2:8 in445 BC.The “7 Weeks” is a “Jubilee” of 49 years in the Old Testamentwith the 62 “weeks” of years to follow.

9:26 –– This refers to the Messiah’s crucifixion in 30 AD, butthen in 37 AD nothing happened!! This last seven-year periodhas been transpired yet. However, in 70 AD after God hadgiven Israel a 40-year period to repent and a chance to returnto their Messiah, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, who were thepeople of “the prince who is to come” now almost some 2000years later.

{The Church Age fits here, as described in Acts 2 through Rev. 3}9:27 – This “he” is the prince who is to come and is referred to,

as “the Beast” of Rev. 13.This 7-year period is the same, as the 3 ½ years of Rev. 11:3plus the 3 ½ years of Rev. 11:2 and is described in Mat.24:15.

11:21-35 – This is Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria (175-163 BC).{The Church Age fits here, as described in Acts 2 through Rev. 3}11:36-45 – The king is the Beast of Rev. 13, 17-19 during the

Revived Roman Empire of the Tribulation.

Hosea – God’s unconditional covenant to Israel amid any & allwhoredoms = apostasies.

3:1-4 – After the Babylonian Captivity – 530 BC – 30 AD (even 70AD) – interestingly Israel has never sunk back into suchidolatry again.

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{The Church Age fits here, as described in Acts 2 through Rev.3.}

3:5 – This refers to the 7-year Tribulation.

Joel – The Day of the Lord in prophecy.1:15 – The Day of the Lord is imminent – continually approaching

& destructive.2:24-26 – Originally, a prophecy of the Millennial Kingdom

(“wonders in heaven…signs in the earth…blood and fire andvapor of smoke…sun…into darkness…moon into blood” – Rev. 6:12;Mat. 24:7), however because of the spirituality-parallel toThe Church – a universal, permanent indwelling of the HolySpirit in believers – Peter in Acts 2:17-21 applies it to theChurch.

Amos – Justice ignored brings judgment on sin.5:24 – This is the key verse of Amos – work for justice, fight

for justice.9:11-15 – Even though God has judged his people in 722 BC and 586

BC and 70 AD, in Christ’s Millennial Kingdom prefaced by the7-year Tribulation God will plant Israel in their land andraise up the tabernacle of David.

Obadiah – God’s Judgment prophesied on Edom, the descendants ofEsau.

6, 10 – There is more about Edom in the Bible than any otherGentile nation.

15-18 – At Armageddon in the Second Coming God’s judgment will becomplete.

Jonah – The rule rather than the exception: Israel was toevangelize the Gentile world.

1:1-2 – This was to be the norm for Israeli prophets. God’s planwas for Israel to evangelize the Gentiles, as Jonah did or wassupposed to do.

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2:4 – Note the temple.3:5-10 – This is the greatest revival recorded in ancient

recorded history.

Micah – God’s people are to do right and will be judgedaccordingly.

2:12 – Israel’s restoration will be ultimately fulfilled in theTribulation and Millennium.

4:1-2 – The many nations5:2 – Prophecy of Jesus Christ’s first coming.7:16-20 – God will judge, forgive, and redeem Israel.

Nahum – The certainty of God’s judgment and triumph over evil,“Comfort(er).”

The sequel to Jonah about 100 years later, when Nineveh fell tothe rising power of Babylon’s king Nabopolassar and his son,Nebuchadnezzar about 612 BC.

Habakkuk – Israel, as God’s people, chastened by the paganChaldeans.

1:2, 5-6, 12-13 – Why are evil people prospering and being usedby to God to chasten His people? One day God will “set therecord straight” at Christ’s Second Coming in the Battle ofArmageddon..

2:4 – The Key Verse of Habakkuk: The righteous will live by hisfaith.

Zephaniah – The dark side of love – God’s judgment at Christ’sSecond Coming.

1:7 – Christ’s first coming.{The Church Age fits here, as described in Acts 2 through Rev. 3}1:8-10, 14-17 – Christ’s second coming.2:1-2 – God’s call to repentance.3:16-20 – God’s ultimate faithfulness to Israel.

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Haggai – The rebuilding of Temple 1 ½ - this one never had theglory of Solomon’s or Herod’s (which was considered the 2nd

temple).2:6-9 – The Millennial Kingdom Age.

Zechariah – This and Daniel are the “Revelation of the OT”prophesying of The Messiah’s Advent(s) (1st & 2nd)

2:11-13 – The Millennial Kingdom Age.8:1-10 – Jerusalem, as the Holy City in the Future Millennium.9:9 – Jesus coming in His First Advent – Mat. 21:5.{The Church Age fits here, as described in Acts 2 through Rev. 3}9:10 – Jesus coming in His Second Advent – Rev. 19-20.10:6 & 9 – Reference to the Tribulation.12:1-5 – Fulfilling of Yom Kippur in the Future Tribulation by

Israel.12:10 – Fulfilling Yom Kippur in the mourning for Jesus, “the

Pierced One,” by the Jews during the Tribulation.13:1ff – After the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC, the Jews never

again ever fell into idolatry.13:6 – Jesus at His Second Advent.13:8-9 – During the Tribulation, some 1/3 of the Jews will be

saved.14:1-2 – The Second Advent of Jesus Christ.14:3 – At Jesus’ Second Advent on His White Horse of Rev. 19, He

will touch down at the Mount of Olives and cause a cleavagefor a canal from Jerusalem to the Mediterranean Sea throughthe Valley of Jehoshaphat in Joel 3:12.

14:5 – The resurrected saints of the time of the Old Testament &Gospels & Tribulation.

14:6-9 – The Millennial Kingdom and beyond.14:12 – The Battle of Armageddon.14:16-19 – The fulfilling of the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles

during the Millennial Kingdom Age.

Malachi – “My Messenger” – God’s Covenant, Unconditional Loverenounces Sins, exercises Judgment, and brings about Blessing.

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2:10-16 – Salvation parallels Marriage, as a covenant, whereIdolatry parallels Adultery, as a violation of covenant.

3:1-5 – The Coming(s) of Jesus Christ = 1st & 2nd (John theBaptist in the 1st Advent & the 2 Witnesses of Rev. 11 in the2nd Advent).

4:1-2 – Jesus’ Second Coming.4:5 – This is the “Elijah-like” prophet of Rev. 11:3-6.

Matthew – The First Coming of Christ, as the resurrected King ofIsrael.

9:15 – These “sons of the bridal chamber” are attendants ofbridegroom who are the wedding guests who stood closest to thegroom and played an essential part in the wedding ceremony.They are the believers of the Age of Israel (incl. theTribulation) and the Age of Gentiles (and not Church Agebelievers). In John 3:29 such a one is John the Baptist whocalled himself “the friend of the bridegroom.” This is thesame, as “the friend of the bridegroom” in John 3:29.

916-17 – The distinctives among the 4 dispensations should not beconfused or misapplied, e.g., 1) The specialized working of the Holy Spirit in the Age of

Israel should not be used in the Church Age with itsuniversal baptism and permanent indwelling of the HolySpirit.

2) Church Age believers being the Bride, where believers in theage of Israel being the friends of the Bridegroom.

3) A universal priesthood of all believers during the ChurchAge.

10:5-6 – Initial Messianic ministry to Israel then through Israel& 28:19-20

10:23 – Jewish persecution will chase believing Messianic Jewsthroughout Israel, especially in the Great Tribulation of thesecond 3½ years, just before the Second Coming of Christ.

11:11 – The future Kingdom of Heaven in the Church, as the Brideof Christ, will have a place greater than Israel and hergreatest prophet, John the Baptist, as a friend of theBridegroom.

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11:12 – An intensification of the Angelic Conflicted during theChurch Age.

16:18 – The first prophetic mentioned of the future Church builtupon the petra referring to Christ.

17:11-13 – The Tribulational Elijah & John the Baptist18:17 – The second prophetic mentioned of the future Church – in

a need of church discipline.19:28 – The “Regeneration (of the Earth)” is palingenesia. This

also is the very same word used Tit. 3:5 (“not by works ofrighteousness which we have done, but according to His mercyHe saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing ofthe Holy Spirit”) and refers to the earth in The futureMillennial Kingdom Age.

24:3-13 – Described in the 5 Seals of Rev. 6 and in the 1st & 2nd

half of the Tribulation.24:14 – This is a Jewish evangelism of the world by Jews recently

saved just after the Harpage at the end of the Church Age.24:15 – This is the middle of Daniel’s 70th Week prophesy.24:20 – There will be a resumption of worship on the Sabbath

during the Tribulation.24:22 – That is, specifically shortened to 7 years. They will be

“saved” for going into the Millennial Kingdom Age, asbelievers with mortal, corruptible bodies.

24:29 – Post-Tribulation Second Advent with cosmic signsparalleling the Sixth Seal of Rev. 6:12

24:30-31 – This is the same thing, as described in Rev. 19:11ff.24:32-35 – The generation of Jewish believers in the Tribulation

will have precursors, as leaves on a fig tree.24:36-42 – No one knows the day nor hour that God will send for

His Son in Rev. 19:11ff for the Battle of Armageddon.24:44 – Be prepared, prayerful, pure, and proclaiming!!25:1-13 – The 10 Virgins involve 5 representing prepared

believers and 5 representing “lost church members” inapostasy.

25:14-30 – The Talant refers to the Gospel and its ministry ofreconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-21). It is the same, as the“seed” described in Mat. 13:9,13.

25:31-46 – Jesus judging the nations at the beginning of HisMillennial Kingdom Age.

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28:18-20 – Our present commission of evangelism by Christ’sauthority is making disciples (baptizing and teaching) and washistorically launched in Acts 2.

Mark – The First Coming of Christ, as the Servant of God’sRedemption.

2:19 – These “sons of the bridal chamber” are attendants ofbridegroom who are the wedding guests who stood closest to thegroom and played an essential part in the wedding ceremony.They are the believers of the Age of Israel (incl. theTribulation) and the Age of Gentiles (and not Church Agebelievers). In John 3:29 such a one is John the Baptist whocalled himself “the friend of the bridegroom.”

12:28-34 – A picture of (Rabbinic) Judaism (in the Church Age), whose understanding of Elohim-God and the Kingdom of the Mashiach is very close to that of the Church.

13:3-7 – This is the 2nd Advent is not imminent, as is theHarpage.

13:10 – Evangelism by Israel during the Tribulation.13:14 – The 2nd half of the Jewish 7-year Tribulation.13:20 – Specifically, shortened to 7 years, where the “saved”

refers to believers with mortal, corruptible bodies who aregoing into the Millennial Kingdom Age.

13:24-27 – This is the same event, as described in Rev. 19:11ff.13:32 – Even Jesus in his humanity does not the day nor the hour

that God the Father will send him in Rev. 19:11ff for theBattle of Armageddon.

16:15ff – Our commission of evangelism proclamation.

Luke – The First Coming of Christ, as the Anointed Son of Man.5:34 – These “sons of the bridal chamber” are attendants of

bridegroom who are the wedding guests who stood closest to thegroom and played an essential part in the wedding ceremony.They are the believers of the Age of Israel (incl. theTribulation) and the Age of Gentiles (and not Church Agebelievers). In John 3:29 such a one is John the Baptist whocalled himself “the friend of the bridegroom.”

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7:28 – The future Kingdom of God in the Church, as the Bride ofChrist, will have a place greater than Israel and her greatestprophet, John the Baptist, as a friend of the Bridegroom.

11:13 – In the Age of Israel the Holy Spirit did not universallyindwell all believers, thus it was a measure of requesting Hispresence and ministry within by a believer.

16:16 – An intensification of the Angelic Conflict of the ChurchAge.

17:20-37 – The Millennial Kingdom Age and event just prior.21:7-11 – Details of the 7-yr. Jewish Tribulation21:12-19 – The Jewish persecution of the Tribulation.21:20-24a – The fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD has some parallels

with the end of the Tribulation.21:24b – The 2nd half of the Tribulation in Rev. 11:2 (not the

Church Age).21:25-28 – The 2nd Advent of Christ in Rev. 19:11.ff.24:47 – The Gospel entering into the Church Age and fulfilled in

the Tribulation.

John – The First Coming of Christ, as the Only-begotten Son ofGod.

3:27-30 – John the Baptist was the last of the prophets of theAge of Israel and was “a friend of the Bridegroom” (v.29)whose Bride is the Church that began at Pentecost in Acts 2.This is the same thing, as “the sons of the bridal-chamber” inMat. 9:15; Mark 2:19; and Luke 5:34.

5:28-29 – The hour will come at the beginning of the Millenniumfor the saved and at the end of the Millennium for the lost.

7:39 – In the Age of Israel, the Holy Spirit had not been given,as He was during the Church Age in His universal baptism andindwelling of believers.

13-17 – Details of the working of the Holy Spirit in THE AGE OFTHE CHURCH.

14:1-3 – The Jewish Wedding procedure.14:16-17 – In the Age of Israel the Holy Spirit was “with”

believers, but in the Church Age He would be “in” believers.14:20 – “In that day” refers to Pentecost of Acts 2.16:5-15 – The Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age.

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20:19 and 26 – Jesus’ recorded appearances initially were on thefirst day of the week.

20:22 – Before the universal baptism and indwelling of the HolySpirit, as prophesied in John 14:16-17 and fulfilled in Acts2, this was a special measure given by Jesus until then.

Acts – The transition between the AGE OF ISRAEL and the AGE OFTHE CHURCH.

A notable hallmark of the Book of Acts is the transition from TheAge of Israel to The Age of the Church. This transition canbe traced through all the chapters of Acts which began withthe question, “How do Gentiles fit into The Church?” and endwith the question, “How to Jews fit into The Church?”

2:1 – The Pentecostal Birth of the Church and Church Age, as aninfant Jewish Church. The Church began here and includesbelievers from this point on to the Harpage (Rapture) only.12

Any past believer dying prior to this or future believerliving in the coming 7-year Tribulation will not be a part ofthe Church, since he or she would be a part of the Age ofIsrael. It is this believer who is not a part of The Bridethat would be “the friend of the bridegroom” in John 3:29.

2:16-21 – A prophecy in Joel 2:28-32 of the Millennial Kingdom(“wonders in heaven…signs in the earth…blood and fire andvapor of smoke…sun…into darkness…moon into blood” – Rev. 6:12;Mat. 24:7) with its spirituality-parallel to The Church – auniversal, permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit inbelievers.

10 – How do Gentile believers fit into the Church?10:9-16 – a transition in dietary laws, as a picture of holiness

in the Old Testament, from clean and unclean categories to all12 This view is in contrast to that in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 which states in the section on the Church: VI. The Church – “…includes all the redeemed of the ages.” If “ages” mean only the epochs during the Church Age, this would be the same. However, if “age” means the Age of the Gentiles and the Age of Israel (even including the future Tribulation with a post-Tribulational Harpage/Rapture), then this view would be in contrast to it.

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being clean, as a picture of His acceptance of all nationsinto the Church.

10:28 – This situation with Cornelius is the beginning of the“Great Transition” that is found in the book of Acts: In Acts2 The Church was totally Jewish, totally Messianic, with thequestion – How do the Gentiles fit into the Church? Throughthe Book of Acts this transition to the Jewish/Gentile Churchbecomes so complete that at the end of the book of Acts inActs 28 Paul is in Rome meeting a delegation of Jews with thequestion – How do the Jews fit into the Church? The answer isthat The Church of Jesus Christ is a balance of her Jewishroots and Gentile breadth….Jews began the Church….Gentilesexpanded the Church…Jews in the Church are the bridge of God’sprogressive revelation from the beginning…Gentiles in theChurch are the fulfillment of what God began with the Hebrew,Abraham, and demonstrated through the prophet Jonah.

11:19 – Luke noted how the apostles were still focusingevangelism to the Jews only, even after Peter’s exhortationotherwise.

13:47-48 – Though in Ex. 19:6 Israel was to be a “kingdom of priest and a holy nation,” she blew it and was rejected corporately, as God began to use the Church, believes appointed to eternal life.

15:29 – Regarding the eating of meat offered in idol worship andblood, such as from a strangled animal not properly drained ofits blood, when cooked and eaten.

18:4 – This is the last mention of the Sabbath in the NewTestament.18:6 – This is the Gentile focus of the Church Age.18:12ff – Jewish persecution of the Church.19:1-7 – These 12 disciple of John the Baptist from the Age of

Israel had been some 20 years into the Church Age without hearthe “rest of the story” – Jesus’ completed ministry with thespecial working of the Holy Spirit’s baptism and indwellingwith a parallel to Pentecost’s glossalalia, as a sign toJewish unbelievers of v.9, according to 1 Cor. 14:21-23.

19:8 – The last mentioned of the “synagogue” in the NewTestament.

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20:7 – The first mention of “Sunday” commemorating the Feast ofFirst Fruits.

21:18-22:4 – Paul’s reversion back in the Nazarite Vow of the Ageof Israel to pacify Jewish believers and unbelievers, whichbackfired on him.

23 – Persecution of the Church by Jews that in later centuriesreverses.

28:17-29 – How do Jewish believers fit into the Church? Eventoday Gentiles are both puzzled by and either ignore orpersecute Jews; Gentile believers in the Church also are bothpuzzled by or ignore Messianic Jews.

Romans – The Gospel according to Paul.8:11 – The unique ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Age of the

Church.8:23 – This is at the Harpage.

9 – Israel Past: The Sovereignty of God.9:4 – The uniqueness of Israel’s heritage – Rom. 3:2.9:6 – True Israel is the believing remnant, but unbelievers can

be Israeli, too.9:11 – Election for service, not just salvation.9:24 – This is The Church!9:25 – Gomer parallels faithless Israel who is redeemed by the

cross, relieved in the Church, and restored in the Tribulationnationally.

9:30-33 – Presently unbelievers in Israel have been set aside.

10 – Israel Present: Individual salvation by God.10:9-10 – Salvation by Jesus Christ, as Lord.10:19 – The Gentile/Jewish Church will provoke Jewish unbelievers

to faith in Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus Christ.

11 – Israel Future: God’s ultimate purposes fulfilled.11:2 – God has not cast away His plans for Jewish unbelievers –

although Jewish believers are a part of the Church – He hassome special plans for them in the Eschaton, contrary to“Supersessionism” or “Replacement Theology” where the Church

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has permanently replace Israel in all of God’s future plansand Eschaton. The unbiblical doctrine of Supersessionism isthe doctrine that God has totally set aside Israel, concerningunbelievers, as any future agency of evangelism and hasreplaced them with the Church made up of believing Jews andbelieving Gentiles, as to being any future evangelisticagency.

11:5 – Messianic Jews (in the Church), of which some are calledNazorenes.

11:8-10 – Jewish unbelievers described further in 2 Cor. 3:14-15.11:11-20 – The rejection of Jewish unbelievers is not final – God

has future plans for them this side of death’s door.11:25 – Jewish unbelievers have a special, temporal hardening to

the Gospel.11:26 – Jewish believers and unbelievers have a part in God’s

future plans.11:29 – Our salvation and God’s calling of corporate Israel are

both irrevocable.11:33-35 – AMEN!!

1 Corinthians – Correction out of Carnal Living.1:22-24 – Mankind is divided into three groups: Jewish

unbelievers and Gentiles unbelievers and The Jewish/GentileChurch.

5:7-8 – The Sedar-service of Passover has been replaced by ourrelationship with Christ.

10:11, 18 – The things of Israel “according to the flesh” were tobe examples for the Church,

10:32 – Jewish unbelievers & Greek (synecdoche for Gentileunbelievers) & The Church of God.

11:10 – A Husband and Wife are comparable to Christ and Churchwhich are comparable to God the Father and Israel (see Isaiah62:4).

12:13 – The baptism of the Holy Spirit is unique to the ChurchAge.

14:21-23 – Jewish unbelievers have tongues, as a sign, whereGentile unbelievers and we believers have prophecy, as a sign.

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15:20-23 – Jesus Christ’s resurrection is the fulfillment ofFirstfruits, Feast of Firstfruits which is celebrated on theSunday after Passover and could be thus called “PascalSunday.”

16:2 – Offerings were collected in services on the first day ofthe week, Sunday.

2 Corinthians – Paul’s defense of his apostolic authority andcall.

3:13-17 – Jewish unbelievers in the Church Age have some kind ofhampering of their understanding of their Messianic gospel,but whenever they say “yes” to Yeshua HaMashiach, JesusChrist, everything changes and becomes crystal clear.

8:1-6 – These Macedonian Christians sought to financially helpMessianic believers in Judea.

Galatians – Living in a Relationship with Lordship of Christ andnot Religion of Legalism.

1:18-19 & 2:7-8 – The importance & concern for Messianicbelievers.

2:13-15 – Ministry to Messianic believes.3:17 – God’s Plan of the Promise and the Law through Israel.3:28 – The Church made up of Jews and Gentiles (with no “court of

women”).4:21-31 – Not OT & NT but Sarah & Hagar in the Age of Israel –

The Law & the Promise.6:16 – Israel of God = Jewish Messianic (& Gentile) believers in

the Church.

Ephesians – Building up the Body of Christ, the Church.1:10 – The “Economy” is same, as Dispensation and refers to The

Church Age2:11-12 – Lost Gentiles are different than lost Jews, although

both will end up in Hades, if they reject Jesus Christ.2:14-18 – There is a three-wall partition between God, Jews, and

Gentiles.

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3:2-10 – The key is to understand The Church Age, as this“mysterion,” that was unrevealed until Jesus’ mention of it inMatthew 16 and 18.

3:9-11 – This is our present vantage point, as the Church: “Andto bring to light for all what (is) the Economy of the Mysteryhaving been hidden from the ages in God, the One creating allthings through Jesus Christ, in order that there might be madeknown now to the rulers and the authorities in the upperheavenlies through the Church the multifaceted Wisdom of God,according to a Plan of the Ages, which he made in Christ Jesusour Lord.”

4:8-10 – At His ascension, Jesus took the believers of the Agesof Gentiles and Israel to the third heaven (Mat. 27:52-53), ina victory march setting up the Church Age and its intensity(Mt. 11:12; Lk. 16:16).

5:32 – The Mystery is The Church in the Church Age.

Philippians – The excitement of joy is being a Christian.3:3-8 – Paul’s 7 points of his Judaism were foundational for the

coming of the Messiah but had become a religion of ritualswithout the reality of relationship that was to be a hallmarkof the Church.

Colossians – Jesus Christ is to be Preeminent in all things.1:18 – Israel’s Messiah found a Body and Bride in the Church.1:25-28 – Paul was a servant according to an “economy from God”

which also was the Church, an “economy from God,” in which topresent every believer complete “in Christ Jesus.”

2:16-17 – Those in the Church, whether Jews or Gentiles, haveleft the obligation of observances of particular, specialdays, be it annual, monthly, and weekly

3:11 – Jewish unbelievers & Gentile unbelievers & Christians(Jewish & Gentile).

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1 Thessalonians – Holy Living in light of Jesus Christ’s ImminentReturn – We are to be: Looking for His Coming – Longing forHis Coming – Living for His Coming.

4:13-18 – This describes The Harpage in the most detail – 15Forthis we say to you by the word of the Lord that we who arealive and remaining until the coming of the Lord will notprecede those who are asleep. 16Because the Lord himself willdescend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of anarchangel, and with a trumpet of God, and the dead in Christwill be resurrected first. 17Then we who are alive andremaining shall be caught up together with them in the cloudsfor a meeting of the Lord in the air, and thus shall we alwaysbe with the Lord. 18Wherefore, encourage one another with thesewords.

Those that are “in Christ,” that is, the Church, will “caught up”to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air. This event has beenpopularly called the Rapture. This word comes from the Latinterm, rapere, which is used in the Latin translation of thispassage to translate the Greek word, harpazō, translated aboveas “caught up.” Perhaps a better technical term for thisevent, that would be closer to the original language of theNew Testament, would be the noun form of this Greek verb,Hapargē, which would be transliterated, The Harpage.

So then, take these teachings and urge people to live holy lives.5:1-11 – The subsequent events leading to Christ’s Parousia or

Apocalypsis some seven years later. The details of this eventare given in detail in Revelation 19:11-16,

2 Thessalonians – A proper understanding of Christ’s Return helpsin present holy living.

1:6-10 – This is panorama of Christ’s Second Coming, MillennialKingdom, and Final Judgment.

2:3-6 – The latter Church Age Apostasy & Harpage must precedethis Beast.

2:7-8 – The Beast of Rev. 13 will not be revealed until after theChurch’s restraining power of the Holy Spirit is removed atthe Harpage. At the point the ‘veil’ of 2 Cor. 3:15 will belifted.

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2:9-12 – This is the Beast with his False Prophet in Rev. 13.

1 Timothy – Pastoral and Church order.4:1-3 – The Great Apostasy at the end of the Church Age.

2 Timothy – Paul’s Valedictory – fulfilling the ministry.3:1-7 – The Great Apostasy at the end of the Church Age.

Titus – Pastoral advice for ministry in the Church.

Philemon – A personal letter of brotherhood.

Hebrews – The superiority of Jesus Christ in a commentary onLeviticus.

8:8-13 – This New Covenant was prophesied for the MillennialKingdom Age but has application to the Church.

11:6 – This describes faith and salvation in all ages.11:13 – The Gospel prior to the cross and resurrection – OT &

Gospels. (Some 6 mss. [1000-1400 AD] add “being convinced andsure.”)

James – Faith Works – “If you believe in Christ, why don’t youact like it?”

A leader among the early Messianic believers.

1 Peter – The Hope of Christian Living.1:12 – The Old Testament saints prepared the way for the gospel

to have its special working in the Church, as angels intentlylook on. This appears to be a part of a resultantintensification of an angelic conflict that has beencontinuing from the time before man.

4:5 – An account at the Judgment Seat of Christ – 2 Cor. 5:10.

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2 Peter – Growing in Christ.3:1-7 – Scoffers in the latter days of the Church Age and

Tribulation.3:8 – Not a point of hermeneutics but a point of divinity outside

of time.3:10-13 – At the end of the Millennial Kingdom Age, this will

form the Lake of Fire.

1 John – God’s Light, Love, and Life in Christ.2:18 – There will be many AntiChrists – Nero, Trajan, Diocletian

Mohammed, Hitler, Stalin, Mau, Secular Humanism, etc. – allleading up the The AntiChrist of Rev. 13 called The Beast.

4:3 – The Beast’s hallmark will be the denial of the incarnationof Jesus Christ.

2 John – Obedience and Discernment in the Faith.7 – Various AntiChrists and The Beast will be great deceivers.

3 John – Encouraging and guarding the fellowship

Jude – The Foyer to the Book of Revelation.

Revelation – The “Unveiling” of the Future – God has written thelast chapters of history – His Story.

1:10 – “The Lordly Day” is Sunday, first day of the week calledthe Kyriakē in the Greek Orthodox Church. However, the JewishSabbath is never called “The Lord’s Day.”

2-3 A. Ephesus: The Loveless & Joyless Church (2:1-3:22).B. Smyrna: The Persecuted Church 2:8-11).C. Pergamus: The Worldly Church (2:12-17).D. Thyatira: The Paganized Church (2:18-29).E. Sardis: The Lifeless Church (3:1-6).

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F. Philadelphia: The Missionary Church (3:7-13).G. Laodicea: The Lukewarm & Compromising Church (3:14-22).

2:9 – Jewish unbelievers – not Messianic Jews.3:9 – They are not Jews…Messianic Jews…completed Jews…real Jews.

4-5 – Heavenly scene of praise with the opening of the SevenSeals.

6-19 – The Age of Israel: The Tribulation described in “layers”– The unbiblical doctrine of Supersessionism is also called“Replacement Theology” and is the doctrine that God hastotally set aside Israel, concerning unbelievers, as anyfuture agency of evangelism and has replaced them with theChurch made up of believing Jews and believing Gentiles, as tobeing any future evangelistic agency.

6:8 and 9:15 – Modern weapons of mass destruction instead of bowsand arrows and spears.7:1-8 and 14:1-5 described a specific group that God will use:

144,000 single Jewish evangelists sealed for a worldwideministry of evangelism to Jews and Gentiles.

11:2-3 – An important chronological key:11:2 and 13:5 (of 42 months) and Revelation 11:3 and 12:6 (of

1260 days, where the Jewish prophetic year contains 360 days)and in Revelation 12:14 (with the poetic “a time [one year] andtimes [plural — two years] and half a time [half a year]”). Thislast expression is also found in Daniel 7:25 and 12:7. Thevarious events described as occurring during these three and ahalf year periods can well be taken as contemporaneous, exceptfor the one in Revelation 11:3 concerning the ministry of theTwo Witnesses: 1And there was given to me a reed like ameasuring rod, with one saying, Arise and measure the templeof God and the altar and those worshiping at it, 2and leaveout the outer court of the temple, and do not measure, becauseit has been given to the Gentiles, and they will tread theholy city [Jerusalem] forty-two months, 3and I will give[authority] to my witnesses, and they will prophesy 1,260days, clothed in sackcloth. (Rev. 11:1-3)

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12:1-6 – This is a summary of Israel in the Tribulation inimagery: The Woman, The Child, and The Dragon symbolizingIsrael, Jesus Christ, and Satan, especially during theHolocaust of the second half of The Tribulation

13:1-18 – The Two Beasts:The Beast from the Sea, as The Anti-Christ: The political leader

of The Revived Roman Empire, who is revealed and rises to power at the beginning of The Tribulation and has a name whosenumber calculates to 666 (13:1-10).

The Beast from the Land, as The False Prophet: The religiousleader of The Revived Roman Empire (13:11-18).

14:1-5 – The spared 144,000 single Jewish evangelists describedand rewarded.

14-18 – The panorama of the Tribulation.19:1-10 – Marriage Supper of the Lamb during the Tribulation.19:11ff – The most details about Jesus Christ’s Second Advent.20:1-10 – The Age of Christ = The Millennial Kingdom Age.20:11-15 – The Great White Throne Judgment.21 – The Future Age of Eternity with The New Heaven & New Earth &

New Jerusalem.22 – The time for the Harpage is NEAR.

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APPENDIX: THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION OF JESUSCHRIST

I. PREFACE (1:1-20). A. The Revelation from God through Jesus Christ to John, the

apostle, for the reader (1:1-3).B. An Introduction to the 7 Churches of (West) Asia (Minor)

(1:4-20)1. Greetings (1:4).2. A description of Jesus Christ (1:5-8).3. John’s commission to write (1:9-20).

II. THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF (WEST) ASIA (MINOR) (2:1-3:22).A. Ephesus: The Loveless & Joyless Church (2:1-3:22).B. Smyrna: The Persecuted Church 2:8-11).C. Pergamus: The Worldly Church (2:12-17).D. Thyatira: The Paganized Church (2:18-29).E. Sardis: The Lifeless Church (3:1-6).F. Philadelphia: The Missionary Church (3:7-13).G. Laodicea: The Lukewarm & Compromising Church (3:14-22).

III. THE HEAVENLY REVELATION WITH PRAISE AND THE OPENING OF THE SEVEN SEALS (4:1-5:14)A. The Throne of God: A Place of Beauty (4:1-3).B. The Twenty-Four Elders (representing the believers

through the Old & New Testament) (4:4-5C. The Four Living Creatures (Seraphs of Isa.6:2) (4:6-11)D. The Scroll of the Seven Seals (5:1-4).E. Jesus Christ as The Lion of Judah and The Slain Lamb

(Able & Worthy) (5:5-10).F. The Angels’ Praise of The Lamb as Worthy (5:11-13).G. The Eventual Universal Praise of The Lamb as Sovereign

(5:13-14).

IV. THE FUTURE SEVEN-YEAR TRIBULATION OF THE REVIVED NATION OF ISRAEL (6:1-19:10).A. The Tribulation’s Seven Seals and Seven Trumpets, as a

Panorama of the Seven Years (6:1-9:21).

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1. The Seven Seals with The Four Horsemen and The 144,000 Jewish evangelists (6:1-8:1).a. The First Six Seals with the Four Horsemen

(6:1-17).(1) The White Horse as The Anti-Christ Beast

rising to power at the beginning of The Tribulation (1-2).

(2) The Red Horse of worldwide warfare (3-4).(3) The Black Horse of economic disaster and

inflation(5-6).(4) The Pale Green of death over fourth of

the earth (7-8).(5) The Cries of the Martyrs slain in The

Tribulation (9-11).(6) Cosmic disturbances and total anarchy at

the end of The Tribulation (=The SeventhBowl of 16:17ff) (12-17).

b. A Parenthetical Section about the Jews and Gentiles saved during The Tribulation (7:1-17).(1) The 144,000 single Jewish evangelists

sealed and protected by God in The Tribulation (7:1-8).

(2) The multitude of Jews and Gentiles saved in The Tribulation by the ministry of The 144,000 (7:9-17).

2. The First Six Trumpets of The Seven Trumpets Issuingfrom the Seventh Seal, paralleling The Six Bowls of 16:1-16 (8:1-9:21).a. A Prelude of Angels acting in a priestly

capacity (8:1-6).b. The First Six Trumpets describing events in the

first half of The Tribulation (8:7-9:21).(1) The First Trumpet: Vegetation struck

(8:7).(2) The Second Trumpet: A third of the oceans

polluted destroying marine life and marine commerce (8:8-9)

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(3) The Third Trumpet: A third of the lakes and rivers on land polluted by somethinglike a meteor called Wormwood with many people dying (8:10-11).

(4) The Fourth Trumpet: Atmospheric pollutionblocking out a third of the light (and heat) from the sun, moon, and stars (8:12-13).

(5) The Fifth Trumpet (the first of “The Three Woes”): An army of wild demonic locusts from The Abyss led by Abaddon (the ruling angel of hell and destruction) tormenting unbelievers in the middle of The Tribulation (9:1-12)

(6) The Six Trumpet (the second of “The ThreeWoes”): A colorful oriental army of 200 million from The Far East advancing to Israel at the middle of The Tribulation and using tank warfare to destroy a third of the unbelievers still left on earth full of immorality (half of the world’s population killed so far) (9:13-21).

B. The Great Parenthetical Section between The Seals and TheBowls, Describing Israel, The Two Beasts, and The 144,000 (10:1-14:5).1. The Little Scroll describing the horrors of The Day

of The Lord, The Tribulation (10:1-11).2. The Two Witnesses: Moses and Elijah sent back to

earth by God for a supernatural ministry during the first half of the 7-year Tribulation, killed by The Beast but resurrected by God and taken to heaven (during The Sixth Trumpet) (11:1-14).

3. The Seventh Trumpet: An Announcement of The GloriousMillennial Reign of our Lord Jesus Christ (described in 20:1-6) (11:15-19).

4. The Woman, The Child, and The Dragon symbolizing Israel, Jesus Christ, and Satan, especially during

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the Holocaust of the second half of The Tribulation (12:1-17).

5. The Two Beasts (13:1-18):a. The Beast from the Sea, as The Anti-Christ: The

political leader of The Revived Roman Empire,who is revealed and rises to power at the beginning of The Tribulation and has a name whose number calculates to 666 (13:1-10).

b. The Beast from the Land, as The False Prophet: The religious leader of The Revived Roman Empire (13:11-18).

6. A Vision of The Lamb and The 144,000 Single Jewish Evangelists in Heaven (14:1-6).

C. The Second Half of The Seven-Year Tribulation called The Great Tribulation (14:6-16:21).1. The Proclamation of The Three Angels (14:6-13).

a. The first angel preaching the gospel (14:6-7).b. The second angel announcing the fall of Babylon

(14:8).c. The third angel proclaiming judgment upon the

followers of The Beast (14:9-13).2. A Panoramic Preview-Vision of the future Battle of

Armageddon at the end of The Tribulation (14:14-20).

3. The Seven Bowls of Final Judgment (15:1-16:21):a. The preparation of the seven bowls (15:1-8).

(1) Tribulational saints in heaven worshipingour holy and just God (15:1-4).

(2) The temple, God’s dwelling, the source ofthe bowls of God’s wrath (15:5-8).

b. The Seven Bowls (16:1-21):(1) The first bowl: foul, painful sores on

unbelievers who worshiped The Beast (16:1-2).

(2) The second bowl: global pollution of the oceans and death of marine life (16:3).

(3) The third bowl: global pollution of rivers and streams in judgment by a justand righteous God (16:4-7).

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(4) The fourth bowl: unbelievers scorched by solar flares in God’s judgment of sin (16:8-9).

(5) The fifth bowl: darkness and pain on The Beast and his followers (16:10-11).

(6) The sixth bowl: a way is made across The Euphrates River for an oriental army of 200 million from The Far East (describedin 9:17-21) advancing to Israel for The Battle of Armageddon at the end of The Tribulation as described in 19:17-21 (16:12-21).

(7) The seventh bowl: the final geological destruction in climatic chaos and earthquakes, after The Battle of Armageddon and just before the restoration of the earth for The Millennial Reign of Christ (16:17-21).

D. Events Just Prior to The Second Coming of Christ (17:1-19:10).

1. Religious Babylon, The Harlot (17:1-18): a great religion and political system under The Beast of 13:1-10 seated at Rome (v.9), which reaches in itsroots to ancient Babylon (17:1-18).a. The Revived Roman Empire of ten nations headed

by the Beast (17:1-7).b. The seven kings of governments in the history

of The Roman Empire and the ten kings of nations making up the Revived Roman Empire (17:8-14).

c. Religious Babylon destroyed by the ten leaders of the ten-nation alliance (17:15-18).

2. Political Babylon, The City: a worldwide commercial alliance headed by The Revived Roman Empire and a rebuilt ancient Babylon (18:1-24).a. The announcement of her fall and plunder (18:1-

8).b. The anguish of the world over her judgment

(18:9-20).

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c. The rejoicing in heaven over her judgment (18:20-24).

3. The Marriage Feast of the Lamb in Heaven during The Seven-Year Tribulation (19:1-10).a. Praise to God for the victory over Babylon,

Satan’s great harlot (19:1-5).b. The marriage of The Lamb and His Bride, The

Church (during The Seven-year Tribulation) (19:6-8).

c. The marriage-feast of The Lamb attended by blessed Old Testament and Tribulational believers (19:9-10).

VI. THE FINAL JUDGMENT AND STATE OF ALL PEOPLE (20:11-22:5).A. The Great White Throne Judgment: The Great Last Judgment

of All Unbelievers (20:11-15).1. All unbelievers through the ages are judged by their

works and sentenced (20:11-13).2. Their sentence to The Lake of Fire (that is,

Gehenna) is carried out (20:14-15).B. The New Heaven and The New Earth and The New Jerusalem:

The Eternal State for All Believers (after the destruction of the old heaven and old earth) (21:1-22:5).1. The eternal bliss and victory of God for His people

(21:1-8).2. The detailed description of this eternal state for

believers (21:9-22:5).a. The New Jerusalem and The Lamb, Jesus Christ

(21:9-22).b. The River of Life and The Tree of Life (22:1-

5).

VII. JESUS CHRIST THROUGH JOHN TESTIFIES TO THE CERTAINTY OF THE FULFILLMENT OF THIS PROPHETIC BOOK (22:6-21)A. The Promise of Christ’s Return (22:6-15).

1. The testimony and surety of this prophetic book (22:6-13).

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2. The blessed promise God made to His people (22:14-15).

B. A Final Invitation and Warning and Promise (22:16-21).1. The testimony of Jesus and the Spirit and the Bride

(22:16-17).2. The surety of this prophetic book and a warning

about altering it (22:18:19).3. God’s last recorded promise (and our prayer) of

Christ’s soon return, and provision of grace in the meantime (22:20-21).

THE “TWELVE CHRONOLOGICAL LAYERS” OF REVELATION

The Book of Revelation is not strictly chronological,especially from chapters 6 through 18. As one reads throughchapter 6, the end of the Tribulation is described at the end ofthe chapter. Then chapter 7 explains a general sweep of theseven-year period again. Following this chapters 8 and 9 beginat the midpoint and describe the second half. Then chapter 11describes the first half, where chapters 12 and 13 each give asweep of the whole seven-year period again. Chapters 14 through18 focus on events during the second half of the Tribulation.The rest of the chapters are chronological.

Rev. 1 - The Vestibule

Ch. Church | Tribulation | Millennial |Eternity

Age |1st 3 ½ yrs. | 2nd 3 ½ yrs. | Kingdom |

2-3 |xxxxxxxx|4-5 |6 |xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|7 |xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|8-9 |xxxxxxxxxxxx|10 |11 |xxxxxxxxxxxx|

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12 |xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|13 |xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|14 |xxxxxxxxxxxx|15 |16 |xxxxxxxxxxxx|17-18 |xxxxxxxxxxxx|19 |20 |xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|21-22 |xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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