RichardBurger
Member
- Aug 31, 2009
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AN OVERVIEW OF THE BIBLE:
I thought I would like to pen what I feel, IMHO, is an overview (the big picture) of the Bible. First let me make it clear that in my understanding, the entire Bible is written "FOR US" but not all of it is written "TO US." I believe this fact “MUST†be understood in order to understand the Bible.
A. THE AGE OF GOD'S MERCY:
From the Garden of Eden to Abraham God dealt with mankind by showing mercy to those that would acknowledge Him and respect Him as God. It must be noted that at that time all of mankind were Gentiles.
B. THE AGE OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL:
After the Tower of Babel God turned His back on all of mankind except for Abrams. God started a new race of people to be His chosen (elect) race (the Jews) with Abraham (Abrams) being the first. The sign of being a Jew was circumcision. God made promises (covenants) to Abraham concerning what He would do for him and his children, in the flesh, if they would acknowledge Him and respect His ways. God made additional promises to Isaac, Jacob and Moses. All of these promises were God's way of dealing with His chosen people, the Jews. God promised the Jews that they would have a nation on this earth and that God would send a king to rule the earth through this nation called Israel. The fulfillment of these covenants with the Jewish people was what Jesus preached when He came. It is this earthly kingdom, promised to the nation of Israel, that Jesus spoke of when He said the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Gen 12:3 (NKJ)
3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
God's promise(s) to Abraham: Gen 22:17-18 (NKJ)
17 "blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."
At this time there are only two peoples in the world, Jews and Gentiles. In Gen 12:3 above we see that the Gentiles who bless the nation of Israel shall be blessed along with the nation of Israel. This is why Cornelius was given salvation in Acts 10. The writer of Acts said much about the things that Cornelius did for the Jews (blessings to the Jews).
A side note: In Gen 22:17 we see the word "descendants," it is plural, not singular and it refers to Abraham's children in the flesh. In verse 18 we see the word "seed" and it is singular, not plural, and it is referring to Christ. It should also be noted that in verse 17 we see a promise God made to the descendants (plural) that they "shall possess the gates of their enemies." This has never been fulfilled. Read Isaiah 54:1-8, Ps 72 and know that these words have not been fulfilled either. But they will all be fulfilled during the 1000-year reign of Christ on this earth. ---- In Gal 3:16 we see Jesus as the SEED (one). The promise of righteousness by faith was made to Abraham AND HIS SEED (Jesus), NOT SEEDS (THE JEWS)
Let me say it again, the promise of righteousness by belief (faith) was ONLY MADE TO ABRAHAM AND HIS SEED, Jesus. It was not made to all men AT THAT TIME.
It should also be noted that God keeps His promises and that when Jesus comes back He will set up His kingdom just as it was promised to the Jews. --- See Matthew 25:31-46 (sheep and goat judgment) and note the reasons given for the sheep to enter into the 1000-year kingdom reign of Christ's kingdom on this earth. To say that these are children of God (believers saved under grace) is to say that that they have become saved without faith in Christ and being born of God. Therefore, this judgment is only to establish which Gentiles will go into the 1000-year reign of Christ on this earth.
During the time from Abraham to Christ, God had men prophesy about a Messiah that would be sent by God to save the Jewish people, His people, and that He would rule from Jerusalem. The scriptures shown above are some of those scriptures of prophecy.
C. THE AGE OF THE LAW:
Starting with Moses God instituted the Jewish laws and the Jews were commanded to do them. This was the beginning of the dispensation of law and was in effect, for the Jews, until the destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70 AD. God's relationship with the nation of Israel was one of faith in God, AND doing the works of the law (faith + works, James 2:24). If you can see it, the main thing that Jesus told the Jews is that they had left out the "faith in God" part and only had faith in their religion (works) (read Luke 7:1-9 and notice verse 9 and read John 5:38-40).
D. THE ARRIVAL OF THE MESSIAH:
Let me make it clear that Jesus Christ did not come to minister to the Gentiles, nor was His message "the kingdom gospel" sent to the Gentiles. He did not offer the "kingdom of heaven" TO the Gentiles. The following scriptures support my view.
Matt 10:5-7 (NKJ)
5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.
6 "But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Matt 15:23-24 (NKJ)
23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."
24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
Rom 15:8 (NKJ)
8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
Note that in Matt 10:5-7 and Matt 15:23-24 Jesus said He did not come EXCEPT to the house of Israel. Jesus came to confirm/fulfill all that was written of Him in the O.T. His mission was to the Jews, not to the Gentiles. This is what Paul meant in Rom 15:8.
E. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE NATION OF ISRAEL?
From Acts 1 until Acts 7 (or perhaps 70 AD) the Jewish nation could have repented and accepted Jesus as their savior. He would have returned for His second coming and set up His kingdom rule from Jerusalem and all Gentile nations would be blessed through Israel. Read Luke 13:6-9 and realize that Jesus told this story as an indication of what would happen if Israel (the fig tree) rejected Jesus. The Jews had a time period in which they could have repented. (Acts 2:37-38)
Luke 13:6-9 (The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree)
6 He also spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.
7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?'
8 But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.
9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.'"
NKJV
However, just as the nation of Israel rejected God when they said they wanted a human king to rule over them, (1 Samuel 8:19 and 10:19) they also rejected the Son of God when they said they "had no king but Caesar," (John 19:15) and, finally, they rejected the Holy Spirit when they stoned Stephens, Acts 7. They had rejected all three in the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who was speaking through Stephens, and their doom was sealed. The "kingdom of heaven" on this earth was put on hold until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled, Luke 21:24.
IMPORTANT NOTE: -- This is not to say that God did not have another purpose for Jesus' death on the cross. But that purpose was “hidden in God†and revealed to Paul on the road to Damascus by Jesus. (Eph 3:9)
F. THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD AS GIVEN TO PAUL:
As said above, God had a hidden secondary purpose for the death of Jesus on the cross. From Jesus, and the preaching of the "Kingdom of Heaven," to this time in which we now live is a new dispensation and it was not mentioned in the O.T. it was not mentioned in the first 4 books of the N.T. nor was it mentioned in the Jewish writings of the 12. This new gospel was ""hidden in God"" and revealed to Paul by Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, Acts 9:3-6 and Eph 3:8-9.
All that was written "to the Jews" in the O.T. and the N.T. was written "to the Jews," not to the Gentiles. Is it necessary for us to understand them? YES. If we don't then we are missing the foundation for understanding who Jesus is and the shift to the gospel of God's grace. The message of salvation by God's grace, "alone," given to Paul, was without precedence. It was not in the Jewish relationship with God. The Jewish relationship was a religious one of "faith + works to show that faith" (James 2:24). However, the gospel of God's grace requires no works whatsoever. God has done all the works that are necessary on the cross. As Paul said;
Rom 4:5-6 (NKJ)
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
Only Paul penned the words "in Christ" for he understood that God places those that believe in Him "in Christ" by the operation of the Holy Spirit (new birth). Man cannot accomplish this new birth. This idea of being "in Christ" was totally new. Up to this time it was all in a religious relationship of works, rituals and ceremonies.
1 Cor 6:11 (NKJ)
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and """"by the Spirit of our God.""""
It should be noticed that only Paul talks about the rapture (caught up in the air /
1 Thessalonians 4:17-18). It is only for those that are saved under the gospel of the grace of God. These have NOT been promised an earthly kingdom but have become Children of the living God.
I have often thought, that since Israel (the Jews) rejected God and the whole world was to be saved through them, Satan must have thought he had won. But Satan did not know that there was a "hidden gospel" that had existed in God from the beginning (Ephesians 3:9). This gospel was going to save many by what God did on the cross and it had nothing to do with the nation of Israel (the Jews) or a person's ability to work for their salvation in religions. It was no longer to be by what a man can do for salvation. It is now based solely on what God has done, and will do, for mankind. It is completely based on God's power both to save, and to keep saved, a person.
1 Cor 2:7-10 (NKJ)
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
Matt 19:25-26 (NKJ)
25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
God no longer deals with mankind through, good works, rituals, ceremonies and organized religions. He deals with each individual person in his, or her, heart and that is where salvation occurs. It has nothing to do with external things.
I thought I would like to pen what I feel, IMHO, is an overview (the big picture) of the Bible. First let me make it clear that in my understanding, the entire Bible is written "FOR US" but not all of it is written "TO US." I believe this fact “MUST†be understood in order to understand the Bible.
A. THE AGE OF GOD'S MERCY:
From the Garden of Eden to Abraham God dealt with mankind by showing mercy to those that would acknowledge Him and respect Him as God. It must be noted that at that time all of mankind were Gentiles.
B. THE AGE OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL:
After the Tower of Babel God turned His back on all of mankind except for Abrams. God started a new race of people to be His chosen (elect) race (the Jews) with Abraham (Abrams) being the first. The sign of being a Jew was circumcision. God made promises (covenants) to Abraham concerning what He would do for him and his children, in the flesh, if they would acknowledge Him and respect His ways. God made additional promises to Isaac, Jacob and Moses. All of these promises were God's way of dealing with His chosen people, the Jews. God promised the Jews that they would have a nation on this earth and that God would send a king to rule the earth through this nation called Israel. The fulfillment of these covenants with the Jewish people was what Jesus preached when He came. It is this earthly kingdom, promised to the nation of Israel, that Jesus spoke of when He said the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Gen 12:3 (NKJ)
3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
God's promise(s) to Abraham: Gen 22:17-18 (NKJ)
17 "blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."
At this time there are only two peoples in the world, Jews and Gentiles. In Gen 12:3 above we see that the Gentiles who bless the nation of Israel shall be blessed along with the nation of Israel. This is why Cornelius was given salvation in Acts 10. The writer of Acts said much about the things that Cornelius did for the Jews (blessings to the Jews).
A side note: In Gen 22:17 we see the word "descendants," it is plural, not singular and it refers to Abraham's children in the flesh. In verse 18 we see the word "seed" and it is singular, not plural, and it is referring to Christ. It should also be noted that in verse 17 we see a promise God made to the descendants (plural) that they "shall possess the gates of their enemies." This has never been fulfilled. Read Isaiah 54:1-8, Ps 72 and know that these words have not been fulfilled either. But they will all be fulfilled during the 1000-year reign of Christ on this earth. ---- In Gal 3:16 we see Jesus as the SEED (one). The promise of righteousness by faith was made to Abraham AND HIS SEED (Jesus), NOT SEEDS (THE JEWS)
Let me say it again, the promise of righteousness by belief (faith) was ONLY MADE TO ABRAHAM AND HIS SEED, Jesus. It was not made to all men AT THAT TIME.
It should also be noted that God keeps His promises and that when Jesus comes back He will set up His kingdom just as it was promised to the Jews. --- See Matthew 25:31-46 (sheep and goat judgment) and note the reasons given for the sheep to enter into the 1000-year kingdom reign of Christ's kingdom on this earth. To say that these are children of God (believers saved under grace) is to say that that they have become saved without faith in Christ and being born of God. Therefore, this judgment is only to establish which Gentiles will go into the 1000-year reign of Christ on this earth.
During the time from Abraham to Christ, God had men prophesy about a Messiah that would be sent by God to save the Jewish people, His people, and that He would rule from Jerusalem. The scriptures shown above are some of those scriptures of prophecy.
C. THE AGE OF THE LAW:
Starting with Moses God instituted the Jewish laws and the Jews were commanded to do them. This was the beginning of the dispensation of law and was in effect, for the Jews, until the destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70 AD. God's relationship with the nation of Israel was one of faith in God, AND doing the works of the law (faith + works, James 2:24). If you can see it, the main thing that Jesus told the Jews is that they had left out the "faith in God" part and only had faith in their religion (works) (read Luke 7:1-9 and notice verse 9 and read John 5:38-40).
D. THE ARRIVAL OF THE MESSIAH:
Let me make it clear that Jesus Christ did not come to minister to the Gentiles, nor was His message "the kingdom gospel" sent to the Gentiles. He did not offer the "kingdom of heaven" TO the Gentiles. The following scriptures support my view.
Matt 10:5-7 (NKJ)
5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.
6 "But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Matt 15:23-24 (NKJ)
23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."
24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
Rom 15:8 (NKJ)
8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
Note that in Matt 10:5-7 and Matt 15:23-24 Jesus said He did not come EXCEPT to the house of Israel. Jesus came to confirm/fulfill all that was written of Him in the O.T. His mission was to the Jews, not to the Gentiles. This is what Paul meant in Rom 15:8.
E. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE NATION OF ISRAEL?
From Acts 1 until Acts 7 (or perhaps 70 AD) the Jewish nation could have repented and accepted Jesus as their savior. He would have returned for His second coming and set up His kingdom rule from Jerusalem and all Gentile nations would be blessed through Israel. Read Luke 13:6-9 and realize that Jesus told this story as an indication of what would happen if Israel (the fig tree) rejected Jesus. The Jews had a time period in which they could have repented. (Acts 2:37-38)
Luke 13:6-9 (The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree)
6 He also spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.
7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?'
8 But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.
9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.'"
NKJV
However, just as the nation of Israel rejected God when they said they wanted a human king to rule over them, (1 Samuel 8:19 and 10:19) they also rejected the Son of God when they said they "had no king but Caesar," (John 19:15) and, finally, they rejected the Holy Spirit when they stoned Stephens, Acts 7. They had rejected all three in the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who was speaking through Stephens, and their doom was sealed. The "kingdom of heaven" on this earth was put on hold until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled, Luke 21:24.
IMPORTANT NOTE: -- This is not to say that God did not have another purpose for Jesus' death on the cross. But that purpose was “hidden in God†and revealed to Paul on the road to Damascus by Jesus. (Eph 3:9)
F. THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD AS GIVEN TO PAUL:
As said above, God had a hidden secondary purpose for the death of Jesus on the cross. From Jesus, and the preaching of the "Kingdom of Heaven," to this time in which we now live is a new dispensation and it was not mentioned in the O.T. it was not mentioned in the first 4 books of the N.T. nor was it mentioned in the Jewish writings of the 12. This new gospel was ""hidden in God"" and revealed to Paul by Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, Acts 9:3-6 and Eph 3:8-9.
All that was written "to the Jews" in the O.T. and the N.T. was written "to the Jews," not to the Gentiles. Is it necessary for us to understand them? YES. If we don't then we are missing the foundation for understanding who Jesus is and the shift to the gospel of God's grace. The message of salvation by God's grace, "alone," given to Paul, was without precedence. It was not in the Jewish relationship with God. The Jewish relationship was a religious one of "faith + works to show that faith" (James 2:24). However, the gospel of God's grace requires no works whatsoever. God has done all the works that are necessary on the cross. As Paul said;
Rom 4:5-6 (NKJ)
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
Only Paul penned the words "in Christ" for he understood that God places those that believe in Him "in Christ" by the operation of the Holy Spirit (new birth). Man cannot accomplish this new birth. This idea of being "in Christ" was totally new. Up to this time it was all in a religious relationship of works, rituals and ceremonies.
1 Cor 6:11 (NKJ)
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and """"by the Spirit of our God.""""
It should be noticed that only Paul talks about the rapture (caught up in the air /
1 Thessalonians 4:17-18). It is only for those that are saved under the gospel of the grace of God. These have NOT been promised an earthly kingdom but have become Children of the living God.
I have often thought, that since Israel (the Jews) rejected God and the whole world was to be saved through them, Satan must have thought he had won. But Satan did not know that there was a "hidden gospel" that had existed in God from the beginning (Ephesians 3:9). This gospel was going to save many by what God did on the cross and it had nothing to do with the nation of Israel (the Jews) or a person's ability to work for their salvation in religions. It was no longer to be by what a man can do for salvation. It is now based solely on what God has done, and will do, for mankind. It is completely based on God's power both to save, and to keep saved, a person.
1 Cor 2:7-10 (NKJ)
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
Matt 19:25-26 (NKJ)
25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
God no longer deals with mankind through, good works, rituals, ceremonies and organized religions. He deals with each individual person in his, or her, heart and that is where salvation occurs. It has nothing to do with external things.