These are the three basic time periods in the KJV Bible according to our Apostle Paul
🔹PAST~ Genesis through Mid-Acts
🔹PRESENT~ Romans through Philemon
🔹FUTURE~ Hebrews through Revelation Rightly divide
Prophecy (Israel•Earthly Kingdom)
from Mystery (The Body of Christ•Heavenly Kingdom).
Lord Jesus Christ revealed the mystery to Apostle Paul in Acts 9! This is what God did, is doing and what he will do!
UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE:
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth"
2 Timothy 2:15 KJV
In Ephesians 2 the Apostle Paul sets forth the basic three-fold division in God's dealings with mankind: Time Past (v.11,12), But Now (v.13), and The Ages to Come (v.7). When the Bible is "laid out" according to this divinely inspired design we easily get an overview of not only what we are reading but when and to whom it was written. Thus the Word of God itself provides us with the key to its own proper understanding and right division.
This chart in three parts demonstrates the importance of dividing prophecy "Time Past" & "Ages To Come", mystery: hidden nature of the present dispensation of grace (Ephesians 3:1-9) "But Now". The first part of the chart the "Time Past" section you see "which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:21). The middle part of the chart reveals the mystery program and how the prophetic program has been temporarily interrupted by "the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest" (Romans 16:25,26).
The present dispensation of grace is "the mystery" hid in God until first revealed to the Apostle Paul in Acts9 (Ephesians 3:1-9, Colossians 1:24-26, Romans 16:25,26, I Timothy 2:4-7, Titus 1:2,3, etc.). Thus in Paul's writings alone we find the doctrine, position, walk and destiny of the body of Christ.
TIME PAST: Ephesians 2:11,12 sets forth the basic issue in Time Past as the division between Circumcision and the Uncircumcision, between the nation Israel and the Gentiles. When you find this issue governing the way God was working with men, you know you are in Time Past. This covers the Old Testament (see Gen. 17:9-14, Deut. 4:5-8, Num. 23:9) as well as Matthew thru John (see Rom. 15:8, Matt. 10:5,6; 15:24, John 4:22) and the early Acts period (see Luke 24:47, Acts 1:6,8;2:14,22,36;5:32;11:19).
BUT NOW: The Church, The Body of Christ, The Pillar and Ground of the Truth~ Ephesians 2:13 indicates that in the But Now portion Gentiles are no longer "far off" but rather the "middle wall of partition" between Israel and the Gentiles has been eliminated and now" those who were far off are made nigh." Romans thru Philemon provide the doctrine for the dispensation of grace (Romans 11:13;15:16;16:25, I Corinthians 14:37, Ephesians 3:1-9). [You are not Israel and did not replace them: Since the unique doctrine of the mystery church was given to Paul, the author of Romans, it is easy to hastily presume that the wild branches mentioned must in some way be the church of today. Wrong, don't take what is not yours! Romans 9-11 does not look forward and explain the mystery revelation of the one body church. Instead, Paul is going back and explaining how God took away the kingdom promises from stumbling Israel, and gave them to a nation that could bear fruit. The wild olive graft of Romans 11 is the faithful nation that bears fruit in Matthew 21. It was the people of that wild nation that continued in God’s goodness by faith to receive Israel’s kingdom.] We are Ambassadors for Christ in this dispensation not disciples. We are under grace (not Law) and our free salvation was paid for by the finished work of Christ (our Head) on the cross! [1 Corinthians 15;1-4 KJV] Saved by grace through faith not works! [Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV] We have been given the ministry of reconciliation!
AGES TO COME: God will bring His purposes to fruition and thus Ephesians 2:7 points to the Ages to Come. The books of Hebrews thru Revelation focus on this.
REMEMBER Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?: While all Scripture is for us, all Scripture is not written to or about us. This is the key to understanding the Bible.
✞Grace and peace in Christ!
🔹FUTURE~ Hebrews through Revelation Rightly divide
Prophecy (Israel•Earthly Kingdom)
from Mystery (The Body of Christ•Heavenly Kingdom).
Lord Jesus Christ revealed the mystery to Apostle Paul in Acts 9! This is what God did, is doing and what he will do!
UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE:
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth"
2 Timothy 2:15 KJV
In Ephesians 2 the Apostle Paul sets forth the basic three-fold division in God's dealings with mankind: Time Past (v.11,12), But Now (v.13), and The Ages to Come (v.7). When the Bible is "laid out" according to this divinely inspired design we easily get an overview of not only what we are reading but when and to whom it was written. Thus the Word of God itself provides us with the key to its own proper understanding and right division.
This chart in three parts demonstrates the importance of dividing prophecy "Time Past" & "Ages To Come", mystery: hidden nature of the present dispensation of grace (Ephesians 3:1-9) "But Now". The first part of the chart the "Time Past" section you see "which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:21). The middle part of the chart reveals the mystery program and how the prophetic program has been temporarily interrupted by "the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest" (Romans 16:25,26).
The present dispensation of grace is "the mystery" hid in God until first revealed to the Apostle Paul in Acts9 (Ephesians 3:1-9, Colossians 1:24-26, Romans 16:25,26, I Timothy 2:4-7, Titus 1:2,3, etc.). Thus in Paul's writings alone we find the doctrine, position, walk and destiny of the body of Christ.
TIME PAST: Ephesians 2:11,12 sets forth the basic issue in Time Past as the division between Circumcision and the Uncircumcision, between the nation Israel and the Gentiles. When you find this issue governing the way God was working with men, you know you are in Time Past. This covers the Old Testament (see Gen. 17:9-14, Deut. 4:5-8, Num. 23:9) as well as Matthew thru John (see Rom. 15:8, Matt. 10:5,6; 15:24, John 4:22) and the early Acts period (see Luke 24:47, Acts 1:6,8;2:14,22,36;5:32;11:19).
BUT NOW: The Church, The Body of Christ, The Pillar and Ground of the Truth~ Ephesians 2:13 indicates that in the But Now portion Gentiles are no longer "far off" but rather the "middle wall of partition" between Israel and the Gentiles has been eliminated and now" those who were far off are made nigh." Romans thru Philemon provide the doctrine for the dispensation of grace (Romans 11:13;15:16;16:25, I Corinthians 14:37, Ephesians 3:1-9). [You are not Israel and did not replace them: Since the unique doctrine of the mystery church was given to Paul, the author of Romans, it is easy to hastily presume that the wild branches mentioned must in some way be the church of today. Wrong, don't take what is not yours! Romans 9-11 does not look forward and explain the mystery revelation of the one body church. Instead, Paul is going back and explaining how God took away the kingdom promises from stumbling Israel, and gave them to a nation that could bear fruit. The wild olive graft of Romans 11 is the faithful nation that bears fruit in Matthew 21. It was the people of that wild nation that continued in God’s goodness by faith to receive Israel’s kingdom.] We are Ambassadors for Christ in this dispensation not disciples. We are under grace (not Law) and our free salvation was paid for by the finished work of Christ (our Head) on the cross! [1 Corinthians 15;1-4 KJV] Saved by grace through faith not works! [Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV] We have been given the ministry of reconciliation!
AGES TO COME: God will bring His purposes to fruition and thus Ephesians 2:7 points to the Ages to Come. The books of Hebrews thru Revelation focus on this.
REMEMBER Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?: While all Scripture is for us, all Scripture is not written to or about us. This is the key to understanding the Bible.
✞Grace and peace in Christ!