The Day of the Lord has three phases, the 7 Year Tribulation Period, the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, and then the 1000 year Millennial reign of Christ in his Kingdom.  This second phase is usually called the "second coming" of Christ since our Lord had already come to this earth in his incarnation that led ultimately to his  preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom to the Jews, and finally, to his crucifixion, burial, and after three days, to his glorious resurrection.  That preaching was dramatically different from what Paul preached to the Gentiles.  Specifically, because God was working so differently under the grace administration in which works for salvation were prohibited, under the gospel of the kingdom which Christ preached they were required in addition to faith.  Today's lesson focuses on the teaching of our Lord found in Matthew, chapters 24 & 25. There we find a four part teaching for the Tribulation Jews to which his teaching directly applied exhorting them to consider carefully requirements of the time just before the the flood along with three parables concerning the Lord's return to this earth. This was to prepare the elect of Israel "to endure until the end that they might be saved".  The teaching today will provide a foundation for our dispensational understanding of the differences between the Tribulation and the dispensation of the grace of God and how distinctive the working of God leading to the Second Coming is from God's working under grace today.

Today we are in our second podcast episode focused on “The Long War Against God” and the coming Tribulation period.  Our title today is “‘All Israel Shall Be Saved’ -  God Fulfills His Promises - Part 2“. We will examine the great teaching of the apostle Paul in Romans 11 regarding the coming period of tribulation on this earth that will follow our Rapture and home going. Paul uses the word “mystery” here as well as this teaching was kept secret until given to Paul. The time of the Rapture of the Church which is his Body is clearly revealed here in its relationship to the Tribulation: The Rapture is “pre-tribulational” and when the specific event mentioned in this chapter occurs, then the Lord God will again begin to fulfill his prophetic program for Israel.  Eventually, in God’s good timing and in his way, even “all Israel shall be saved”.   That key event that must occur “before” Israel may be saved and established as a nation is the Rapture of the Body of Christ!  Paul uses in chapter 11 the “Olive Tree” analogy to powerfully illustrate Israel’s setting aside during the transitional period in Acts (Acts 9-28).  During that time Paul goes first to the Jews and then to the Greeks (or Gentiles).  His purpose is to preach the risen Christ.  When the Jews reject that message, he effectively “cuts off” that branch from the tree of blessing.

Today we are in our first podcast episode focused on “The Long War Against God” and the coming Tribulation period.  Our title today is “‘All Israel Shall Be Saved’ -  God Fulfills His Promises - Part 1“. We will examine the great teaching of the apostle Paul in Romans 11 regarding the coming period of tribulation on this earth that will follow our Rapture and home going. Paul uses the word “mystery” here as well as this teaching was kept secret until given to Paul. The time of the Rapture of the Church which is his Body is clearly revealed here in its relationship to the Tribulation: The Rapture is “pre-tribulational” and when the specific event mentioned in this chapter occurs, then the Lord God will again begin to fulfill his prophetic program for Israel.  Eventually, in God’s good timing and in his way, even “all Israel shall be saved”.   That key event that must occur “before” Israel may be saved and established as a nation is the Rapture of the Body of Christ!  Amen.

We have extended our teaching on the Rapture or Catching-Up of the Body of Christ but two.  Our title today is “The Dispensation of the Mystery — Part 8: The Rapture (Catching Up) of the Body of Christ - The Summit”.  In our teaching today and next time, we will establish the timing of our Rapture as pre-Tribulational by some very strong teaching of the apostle Paul in 2 Thess. 2 & 3.  Again, it is the character of the dispensations and their great differences that are the apostle’s main focus and again, it should not be surprising that the apostle uses the word “mystery” in explaining these differences.  But the exhortations are also most wonderful and fully in accord with grace as opposed to the exhortations to believers expecting to see the Great Tribulation and the Millennial Kingdom.  Rightly Dividing the word of truth is so essential if we would properly understand scripture!

Today we are in our final episode of our teaching the Rapture or Catching-Up of the Body of Christ.  Our title today is “The Dispensation of the Mystery — Part 8: The Rapture (Catching Up) of the Body of Christ - Final”.  In this episode we will finish our focus on the Pauline revelation concerning our coming resurrection or transformation / translation.  That is called a “mystery” in 1 Cor. 15.  That same word is also found in Romans 11 and also in 2 Thess. 2 where we will focus our teaching today.  This will compete the Pauline teaching on the essential differences between the Dispensation of the Grace of God and the following rules of God in the Great Tribulation and Kingdom.  This teaching establishes the timing of our Rapture as pre-Tribulational. 

Today we are in our next to last episode on the Pauline teaching of the Rapture or Catching-Up of the Body of Christ.  Our title today is “The Dispensation of the Mystery — Part 7: The Rapture (Catching Up) of the Body of Christ”.  As last time, in this episode we will look specifically at 1 Thess. chapter 5. Here we see specific teaching showing several essential differences between the Dispensation of the Grace of God and the following rules of God in the coming Great Tribulation.  This teaching establishes the timing of our Rapture as pre-Tribulational since it is made clear that there can be no overlap between the two workings of God.