God The Father, God The Son and God The Holy Spirit has existed, is existing and will exist forever! The Godhead is equal in nature but distinct in personality and office. f
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I) The Eternal Past God The Father, God
The Son and God The Holy Spirit has existed, is existing and will exist
forever!
The bible gives us a preview of this pre-earth, perfect, celestial world in Ezekiel 28:13,14 as Eden is described before the creation account in Genesis 1:1 as well as His highest ranking angel Lucifer: "Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire." John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Prior to Genesis 1:1, the earth as we know it now differed in that it appeared to be a kingdom of stones and precious jewels which could indeed reflect the "shikinah" glory of God. In this pre-sin state, earth would not have a need for any of the elements that we have now for God would be all that any of His creation would need! Job 38:3-7
Gird up your loins like a
man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me. "Where were you
when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have
understanding. Who determined its measurements--surely you know! Or who
stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the
morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Psalms 148:1-5 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created. |
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II) The Angelic Fall Luke 10:18 - And he (Jesus) said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Some time in
eternity past, Lucifer's heart was filled with pride as we read n Isaiah
14:
A recap shows that Lucifer wanted to be like God in the following ways:
Revelation 12:4 - And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Many may wonder why God would allow this to happen or why he would create beings to rebel against him. There are several ways to answer those questions! God could have left everything as it was and existed in peace, love, greatness and harmony for all eternity. But in His completeness, perfection and love, He chose to create beings to share with. His generosity is another one of His many awesome attributes! In addition, God could demonstrate His power and greatness to His creation. The apostle Paul spoke of the sovereignty of God when describing His motives in regards to His plan for Israel and the Gentiles in Romans 9. I believe it is safe to use this principle in describing the character of God as we begin to explore why He created the angels: "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?" - Romans 9:18-21
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The bible is God's inspired or God-breathed word for man. It's contents show the greatness of God and failures of man over the last 6,000 years. The most important thing it shows man is that despite his failures and miserable existence, hope lies within these pages as fallen man can be reconciled to God The Father through the person and work of God The Son, Jesus Christ!
Since the beginning of creation, God has dispensed instructions for man to follow. God did this for mankind's well-being, prosperity and most importantly, to assure that His relationship would never be broken with man. However, since man's rebellion in the Garden of Eden, he continually disobeys God to his own destruction as well as to the destruction of others!
Because of God's grace, love and mercy, the bible shows us that God gives man repeated opportunities to respond to Him. Man, in turn, responds with disobedience. God judges man and then counters man's rebellion with the ushering in of a new set of dispensed instructions called dispensations. Since the beginning, the bible can be broken into roughly eight (8) of God's dispensations that in essence, all have the same conclusion through the first seven:
God dispenses instructions for man to follow so that man will take God at His word
Man rebels through unbelief and rejects God's instructions
God judges man
God in His grace, love and mercy ushers in a new set of instructions
Parts or components of each of God's instructions may or may not carry into the next one (such as marriage). However, the requirements to satisfy what God would approve of in regards to salvation change due to His love, mercy, justice and grace to man!
Today as of this writing and since Jesus Christ revealed it to the apostle Paul over 2,000 years ago, the gospel of the grace of God (also called the revelation of the mystery) is our latest instructions by God to man in this present evil age in which we live. The doctrine for Christian living today is found in Paul's letters exclusively from Romans to Philemon! This of course does not imply that the rest of the bible has no value (as we have been wrongly accused) for 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that "all scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works".
Creation
I) The Dispensing of Innocence - Genesis 2:7 to Genesis 3:22
Man (Adam) was created innocently by God and placed in a perfect environment. In addition he was:
Given stewardship of the Garden of Eden and told what was acceptable to God and what was not acceptable to God.
Man was clearly warned of the consequences of not taking God at His word.
Woman (Eve) sinned in her pride while man (Adam) sinned in knowing rebellion against God.
God clothed Adam & Eve with animal skins (through the shedding of blood) and restored them. However, death had now entered the human race (Romans 5:12).
JUDGMENT: EXPULSION FROM THE GARDEN
II) The Dispensing of Conscience - Genesis 3:22 to Genesis 7:23
Rather than destroy man physically on the spot, God chose to expel man from the perfection of Eden which resulted in man's spiritual separation (or death) from God . In His love, grace and mercy God ushered in a new dispensing.
Because of disobedience, man came to a personal and experiential knowledge of good and evil - of good as obedience, of evil as disobedience towards the known will of God. It was this knowledge that God warned Adam about which brought about the birth of conscience!
The Cheribums and a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life (Genesis 3:24) were a grim reminder of mankind's fall through Adam until the close of the second dispensation.
The continued downward spiral of man was evident as Cain killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4:8) and Lamech made a sport of murder by killing a man as recorded in Genesis 4:23. In addition, Lamech was the first recorded polygamist (Genesis 4:19).
Lastly, the
depravity of mankind reached its pinnacle in Genesis 6. Here we read
about God's warning, His long-suffering and His judgment (Genesis
6:5-7).
After roughly 120 years of warning through Noah (who built the ark in plain sight of rebellious men), God destroyed the earth (Genesis 7:12-23). Out of all of the earth's inhabitants, only eight people were saved (1 Peter 1:20).
JUDGMENT: THE FLOOD
III) The Dispensing of Human Government - (Genesis 8:20 to Genesis 11:9)
The third set of dispensed instructions by God to man (dispensation) was Human Government. Although man demonstrated his utter failure to govern the world in righteousness for God, components such as marriage as well as the principal of human government still exist today!
This particular set of instructions gave man the opportunity to judge and rule on behalf of God for the first time with explicit instructions given to Noah and his sons by God (Genesis 9:1-6). Man is held responsible to govern the world for God with the highest function of this leadership culminating in the judicial requirement to take life for the taking of life (Genesis 9:5-6).
Noah and his sons are told on two recorded occasions "to be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 9:1; 9:7). The human race was overspread across the whole earth through Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Genesis 9:19). God said in His heart that He would not again smite everything living as He had done nor curse the ground because of the wickedness of man (Genesis 8:21).
The earthly seasons are established as we know it today (Genesis 8:22).
Mankind was told to replenish the earth but instead gathered together under one language in one structure against the will of God (Genesis 11:1-6).
God judged man through the confounding of languages so that mankind could not understand one another. They left the Tower of Babel as the Lord scattered them abroad upon the face of the earth (Genesis 11:5-9).
JUDGMENT: CONFUSION OF TONGUES
IV) The Dispensing of Promise - (Genesis 12:1 to Exodus 19:8)
The fourth set of dispensed instructions by God to man involved an individual by the name of Abram who would later become Abraham. Up until this point, man was an utter failure and demonstrated as such! He had failed in the garden, failed in establishing dominion over the earth to the extent that God judged the planet due to his gross and exceeding sin (Genesis 6:5-7).
Notes from the Scofield study bible tell us that Genesis 11 and 12 mark an important distinction in how God dealt with mankind. Man's existence had come as a direct result of Adam's offspring. Further, God "paired down" man via the flood due to his rebellion and re-kindled the human race through Noah, a descendent of Adam. Noah was the patriarch God used to replenish the earth once again!
There is no national distinction, no Jew or Gentile; only the human race as a whole. As noted above, man would again grow into self-dependency while growing further from God. God had called out Adam who failed. The sons of Noah grew into the nations who would respond to God's calling by constructing the Tower of Babel. God told man to scatter and replenish the earth, man stayed in one place in the land of Shinar in order to establish the world's first church and religion (Genesis 11).
Abraham and his descendents became distinctive heirs to the land. God called Abraham out of his country, his kindred and his father's house which were steeped in idolatry (Joshua 24:2,3). God promised Abraham and his descendents a land of their own and they were to abide their in order to inherit the blessings of God despite the testing they would have to endure.
Israel left the land and went into Egypt and became slaves for 450 years.
JUDGMENT:
1) ISRAEL'S PHYSICAL SLAVERY IN EGYPT FOR 450 YEARS.
2) ISRAEL'S SPIRITUAL SLAVERY THROUGH BELIEVING THAT THE LAW WAS THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS RATHER THAN TRUSTING IN GOD AS THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Moses & The Law
The Prophets
Jesus Christ & His Earthly Ministry
V) The Dispensing of Law - (Exodus 19:8 to Acts 9:17,18)
This dispensing starts at Mt. Sinai and ends at Calvary through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ although the full knowledge of His accomplishments are not yet revealed but instead kept secret until Paul is ordained as the apostle of the Gentiles!
Jesus Himself fulfilled or completed the law as stated in Matthew 5:17: Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
For the law was given by Moses, [but] grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. - John 1:7
Israel's charter as a nation was to to bring the holy law of God to the unbelieving, heathen Gentiles who were steeped in idolatry since Genesis 11. Israel's history of self-righteousness, unbelief and violation against the law of God that was entrusted to them eventually led to their captivity as noted in 2 Kings 7:17
The apostle Paul writes a stinging account against God's Holy Nation for their failure to take the "God of Israel" to the Gentiles:
17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; 19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. 21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? 24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. - Romans 2:17-23
The Kingdom Church prospers initially as the "Little Flock" (led by Peter and the 12) continues to carry out the earthly message that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and the very Son of God.
Israel as a nation STRIKES OUT!!
STRIKE ONE: They reject God The Father through the beheading of John the Baptist.
STRIKE TWO: They reject God The Son through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
STRIKE THREE: They reject God The Holy Spirit through the stoning of Stephen.
JUDGMENT:
1) PHYSICAL REMOVAL FROM THEIR LAND AS THE PROPHECIES OF CHRIST ARE FULFILLED IN LUKE 21:21-24 (TITUS SIEGE IN A.D. 70 IS BUT A PRELUDE TO THE GREAT TRIBULATION...).
2) ISRAEL ALREADY DIVORCED FROM GOD LOSES NATIONAL DISTINCTION AND HER PROGRAM IS PUT ON HOLD AS HER KING, JESUS CHRIST REMAINS IN EXILE.
3) GENTILES GIVEN EQUAL STATUS WITH ISRAEL
The unbelief of Israel and God's postponement of her program......
Paul preaches GRACE to the Gentiles and of Jesus Christ & His Heavenly Ministry!
VI) The Dispensing of Grace - Acts 9:6 to Philemon
"Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting." - 1 Timothy 1:16
The Church, The Body of Christ fails to recognize and embrace Paul's distinctive message as noted by the many times he defends his apostleship and what he received from Christ
Paul speaks candidly of the revelation he received from the risen Lord Jesus Christ: Paul an apostle, not of men neither by man but by Jesus Christ.
Paul asks Ephesian saints in chapter 3: If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery....
Prior to Paul's beheading he writes about the condition of The Church, The Body of Christ:
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. - 2 Timothy 4:3,4
2,000 years after Paul's writing to Timothy please consider these questions:
Has The Church, The Body of Christ yet embraced the gospel of the grace of God according to the revelation of the mystery???
Has The Church, The Body of Christ learned from Israel's mistakes or have they fallen into self-righteousness also???
Has The Church, The Body of Christ mixed law and grace?
As glorious as leaving this planet will be to abide with our Lord Jesus Christ, it is but a double-edged sword as we leave loved ones behind and The Church, The Body of Christ has but a remnant preaching grace: 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work - Romans 11:5,6
JUDGMENT: THE DEPARTURE OF THE BODY OF CHRIST ALSO KNOWN AS THE RAPTURE. 13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. 15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. - Romans 11:13-20
Jesus Christ & Israel (The Bride of Christ)
VII) The Dispensing of The Kingdom - to the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times
The belief of Israel and God's restoration of her program
Doctrine for The Tribulation Saints after the rapture of the Body of Christ: Here Israel is now back at the forefront under the law against the imminent judgment and earthly return of The Messiah, Jesus Christ.
The Millennial Reign, the destruction of unregenerate man and the day of God
To "the dispensation of the fullness of times"
VIII) The Dispensing of the Fullness of Times
Eternal bliss and communion with God and man!
The Godhead is equal in nature but distinct in personality and office.
In His love and desire to love, He created (Ezekiel 28:13)
angelic beings to rule and reign with Him in order to share in His
greatness. God's perfect demonstration of love, knowledge, power and
presence would provoke all those around Him to worship Him for He is
worthy! 
The book of Job clearly
refers to sons of God or the angelic host being present as God created
the earth. They were amazed and "sang together" as they worshipped
the greatness of God.
"How
art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou
cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast
said in thine heart,
I will ascend
into heaven, I will exalt my
throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the
congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the
heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."
Worse
yet, Lucifer sold this idea (or trafficked) to 1/3 of the angelic host:
"Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities,
by the iniquity of thy traffick;" - Ezekiel 28:18 a