THE PROGRAMS OF PROPHECY AND THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH

By Ken Blue

“ These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 10:5-7.

“But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:24.

“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:” Romans 15:8.

“ Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” Colossians 1:25-27.

“And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:” Ephesians 3:9.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The church is never the subject of prophecy.[/perfectpullquote]

These are just a few of the many passages that explain that there are two programs in the Word of God. One is the program of prophecy and concerns Israel, and the other is the program of the mystery and concerns the church, the body of Christ. The church is never the subject of prophecy. Prophecy concerning Israel, their King, their land, and their kingdom; the subject of prophecy is from the very beginning.

But, the fact that there would be a body consisting of Jew and Gentile; where each is saved by grace alone, without Israel or the Law, was unknown until revealed to and by the Apostle Paul. This mystery church was unknown in every dispensation. This is why it is called a “mystery.”

The ministry of Peter and the Twelve concerned the fulfillment of prophecy and is called the gospel of the circumcision. “But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;” Galatians 2:7. The gospel preached by Paul was all grace and is the gospel of the un-circumcision. Some assume that Paul and Peter had the same gospel message, but that is not what the text says. It does not say to the circumcision; that would be contrary to the commissions in the gospels and early Acts.

Peter made it clear that Israel was living in the last days of prophecy for them, if they would repent. “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: Acts 2:16-20. Since they did not repent, the finalization of Joel’s last days of prophecy will be after the rapture of the body of Christ.

The two programs are crystal clear once we understand the purpose of Paul’s ministry. The two programs of God concern prophecy and the mystery. The unseen and unrevealed mystery of the church, the body of Christ, was hid from the foundation of the world until made known to and through Paul.