Part 3 – Comparing “The Mystery” With “Prophesy”

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called Is the Rapture Pre-Trib or Pre-Wrath?.

Today’s dispensational age of what Paul called “the Mystery,” is very different from that concerning Israel’sProphecy” program, yet “the Mystery” and “Prophecy” both depend upon the worth of the Cross-work of the Lord Jesus Christ for their ultimate fulfillment. The age of “the Mystery” and that of “Prophecy” refer to two quite different dispensational relationships.

The time of “Prophecy” is two-fold. “Prophecy” refers to both of these aspects seen below.

  1. There was time of “Prophesy” Given, concerning Israel, during the Old Testament and the 4 Gospels.
  2. There is the time of Prophecy Being Fulfilledalways primarily concerning the Nation Israel.

The Pauline “Mystery” was inserted into the timeline of the Bible between ‘Prophecy Given and … ‘Prophecy to be fulfilled.’ The program of the “Mystery,” being “kept secret” by God, then obviously had never been prophesied.

  • “Prophecy,” which almost always concerns the Nation Israel, was spoken during and under the dispensation of “the Law covenant given to Moses for Israel ONLY.
  • The “Mystery,” meaning secret” refers to the formerly secret plan of God. The age of the Pauline “Mystery” pertains to an entirely new gospel and new information that Jesus from heaven dispensed to the Apostle Paul for us Gentiles during today’s “dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2, cf. 1-5).

Israel’s Timeline Interrupted:

God has essentially interrupted Israel’s Prophetic program after the “fall of Israel” and inserted a whole new relationship between God and “ALL men.” which is now available to “all men” regardless of race or gender.

Today’s grace program of “the Mystery” is totally separate from Israel’s Prophetic Law program; separate from Israel’s prophecies, covenants, rituals, laws, works requirements for blessings, and traditions.

Since God has only one program at a time for man, God had to set Israel’s Prophecy Program aside when He called Paul and instituted the new pure grace program of “the Mystery [Gk. musterion, secret]” … for the Gentiles. This age today includes “ALL men” of ALL races … with ALL men now being seen as ‘Gentiles’ since “the fall of Israel.” Paul refers to the setting aside’ of Israel in these Romans 11 verses;

Let their [Israel’s] eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. 11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their [Israel’s] fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.” (Romans 11:10-11 (KJV)
“For if [since] the casting away of them [Israel] be the reconciling of the world [Gk. cosmos, the whole arrangement of the world], what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?” (Romans 11:15 (KJV)

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery [secret plan of God], lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, UNTIL the fulness of the Gentiles be come in [with the Rapture at the moment of the last soul saved … under pure grace]. Romans 11:25 (KJV)

Let’s now further compare that which applies to the Nation Israel as compared with that applying to the Gentilebody of Christ.

  • A Mystery - Paul, as “the Apostle to the Gentiles of today’s grace age says his unique “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) and “the dispensation of the grace of God” for the Gentiles was of a “mystery [‘SECRET’ plan of God] for “all men.” This has Nothing to Do with Israel’s Prophetic program that concerned the Nation Israel ONLY.

“Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my [Paul’s] gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which Was Kept Secret Since the World Began,” (Rom. 16:25 (KJV)

  • Prophecy’ - Note how that Peter here below says everything that concerns Israel, including its coming restored Davidic kingdom, to be reigned over by Christ at His return, was Prophesied, beingspoken of by ALL Israel’s prophets” (v21 below). Here Peter re-offers the Messiah and His kingdom to Israel.

[Peter to “ye men of IsraelActs 3:12]19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God Hath Spoken By The Mouth Of All His Holy Prophets Since The World Began.” (Acts 3:19-21 (KJV)

Note that Paul is the only writer concerning the catching away’ or Rapture. This concerns only the Gentile people to whom Paul was sent – those who became the members of the believing church called “body of Christ.”

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [have died], that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep [are dead] in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep [dead]. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be CAUGHT UP TOGETHER with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so [in this manner] shall we ever be with the Lord [in heaven]. 18 Wherefore COMFORT One Another With These Words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (KJV)

Though the Lord has been patient, holding back His wrath” for thousands of years to date, the God of Scripture is a God of “vengeance.” The LORD says in Deut. 32:35, “To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence…”  Twice more in that same chapter, vs 41 and 43, He says, “I will render vengeance on My adversaries.”

The “Day of the Lord,” … “of God, … “of Christ,” are expressions often used in the context of future events, which refers to the time when God will intervene decisively for judgment and salvation during the Tribulation period. This time is variously termed as the “day of the Lord” (Amos 5:18), the “day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:8; cf. 2 Cor. 1:14), the “day of God” (2 Peter 3:12; Rev 16:14), or “the last day(s),” are expressions highlighting the appearance of Christ at His 2nd coming. God will thereby make visible his rule in righteousness during the Millennium which soon follows the full 7-year Tribulation period, when He will call for an accounting by “the nations” as well as ‘individuals,’ dispensing just judgment upon all, and ushering in salvation to His kingdom reign for believers. NO unbelievers will live to enter the Millennium, all who will not believe, as ‘tares’ will be gathered and burned to ash.

“Let both [the wheat believers and the tare unbelievers] grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares [darnel, false wheat], and bind them in bundles to BURN THEM [to ash]: but gather the ‘wheat [believers of Israel of His fold] into my barn. (Matt: 13:30).

In the Old Testament the expression “day of the Lord” occurs 26 times in Prophetic Scripture. It’s not found in Daniel. A similar expression that stands close to it is “on that day,” occurring 208 times in the O.T.; half the occurrences are in the Prophets. The New Testament expression, such as day of the Lord,” and “day of God,” are found in, e.g. 2 Pet. 3:10, 12, and in 2 Thess. 2:2, referring to His 2nd coming on earth. The title “the day of Jesus Christ” as in Philippians 1:6 and 10 refer to the Rapture of the member of “His body.”

The coming 7-year Tribulation period is a period of judgments UPON the Nation Israel and the world of mankind, since we of His body” will have already been Raptured to heaven (cf. 1Thes 4:13-18). Actually, every Christian believer of this age of Gpd’s grace has already been judged “in Christ,” wherein they’ve ‘died with Him’ (cf. Rom. 6:3, 7:4) when He bore “the wrath of God” on the cross for us. Thus, Paul says the grace believers of this age of “the body of Christ” are saved from the coming “wrath of God in “the great day of the Lord.” The 7- years of God’s “vengeance” and “wrath” are intended purge out the rebel apostate unbelieving Israel and also the rebels of mankind in the world at large.

Ezekiel 20:38 And I will purge out from among you [Israel] the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Zephaniah 1:14-18 The great ‘day of the LORD’ is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole land shall [of Israel] be devoured by the fire of his [The LORD’S] jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them [the unbelievers that dwell in the land [of the whole land of Israel].

I’ve already established the fact that the “vengeance” and “wrath of God” is to begin early in the timeline of Revelation events with the first Four Seals of the Four Horseman.’ The ‘Four Horseman’ appear well BEFORE the Sixth Seal! The four riders upon the ‘Four Horses’ symbolize Conquest by Antichrist, War, Famine, and Death [the ‘Pale horse’], respectively.

Revelation 6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them [the Four Horsemen] over The Fourth Part [25%] of the earth, to Kill with Sword, And with Hunger, And with Death, And with The Beasts of The Earth.

By way of consolation for us ‘grace believers’ of this age of “the Mystery,” let’s consider these Pauline verses regarding the Christian’s secure relationship keeping them from the “wrath to come” upon non-believers.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which Delivered Us from The WRATH to come.

1 Thess 5:9 For God hath Not Appointed Us to WRATH, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Romans 5:9 being now justified [declared innocent] by his blood, We Shall Be Saved from WRATH through him.

Paul also writes of God’s “wrath” that will come upon all non-believers living at the time of the Tribulation period.

Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the WRATH of God Upon the Children of Disobedience.

Colossians 3:6 For which things’ sake the WRATH of God Cometh on the Children of Disobedience:

1 Thessalonians 2:16 Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the WRATH is come upon them to the uttermost.

The above four Pauline verses speak of the saved believing “Gentiles that they might be saved (1Thes. 2:16), then saying the unbelievers would have to endure the wrath to come(1Thes. 1:10) in the Tribulation period should one be alive at that time. Today is the day of salvation by God’s grace, through faith … ruling out having to endure the WRATH is come upon them to the Uttermost.”

Thus, ever reader of this we should heed Paul’s words in the verse below.

“…  behold, now is the accepted time [to believe and be saved]; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2 (KJV)