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Advancing the Revelation of Truth

TRANSITION PERIODS

The previous study No: 87, explains the Spiritual significance of a 1960 year duration for the present Administration of God’s Grace. It is clarified by the use of a chart showing two transitory shemittahs, periods of seven years. During these periods, the Christians whose calling was initiated under one of God’s Administrations, live out that calling during the introduction of a new administration.

In the new Administration Christians were, or will be, seeking to understand the new conditions which then apply and those which carry through [Gk: Phil 1:10] from the previous Administration.

For example, a new Administration was opened when Christ began His kingdom ministry in Israel in 27ad at His commissioning in the synagogue at Nazareth. However, the Scripture records that John The Baptist lived through from the previous Administration. Christ’s comment informs us of the difference:

Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John The Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. [Mat 11:11]

This short study draws attention to the changes which occurred at the opening of the present Administration of God’s Grace in 62ad:

Surely you have heard about the Administration of God’s Grace which was given to me for you…….to preach to the nations the untraceable riches of Christ, to make plain to everyone the Administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God. [Eph 3:2-9]

The kingdom ministry in Israel was no longer open nor proclaimed because of the intransigence of the Jews in their refusal to wholeheartedly receive both the kingdom and their king:

This people’s heart has become calloused, they hardly hear with their ears and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. [Acts 28:27]

In a few years this present Administration of God’s Grace will end and the proclamation of the kingdom in Israel will recommence introducing another transition which will be the experience of many Christians living to-day. Concerning this, God enlightens us through His Word.

Those Christians who experienced the FIRST TRANSITION were generated during the Administration which introduced the Kingdom of God in Israel through the ministry of The Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles when Salvation was found only through the Jew. After its postponement in 62ad, the present Administration, that of God’s Grace was introduced. Christians therefore found the need to familiarise themselves with the order of the new Administration. This change was a peaceful and secret act of God [Eph ch.3] which occurred during the introduction of John’s gospel offering Salvation to all mankind from 62ad onwards. The details of this transition can be studied in Paul’s letters written after this date in the following sequence: 1Timothy. Titus, 2Timothy, Philippians, Ephesians, Philemon, Colossians.

In the SECOND TRANSITION, at the ending of the present Administration of God’s Grace, Christians who have and will be generated during this period will find the need to adjust to the Administration which will reintroduce God’s Kingdom in Israel. This is a traumatic change during which the faith of all mankind will be challenged.

We will now explain these changes in greater detail:

THE FIRST TRANSITION FROM 62ad ONWARDS

This short period of one Hebrew Sabbatic year or Shemittah, i.e. a particular seven year period, one seventh of a Yobel or Jubilee of 49 years, began with four acts of God:

He Spiritually blinds and removes Spiritual understanding from the Jews, the House of Judah consisting of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin who had returned from captivity in Babylon to occupy the south of Palestine [Acts 28:26-27]. The other ten tribes, named by God as the House of Israel, had been scattered in the world after God had condemned them to be: ‘Not my people’. [Hosea 1:9]
He postpones the Kingdom of God in Israel, which was the subject of the ministry of The Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles. He did this because of the intransigence of the Jews in not wholeheartedly accepting His Kingdom nor Him as their King.
He opens the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations. Christ had told the woman of Samaria that Salvation is of the Jews [John 4:21-23], but now it is open to all peoples. This is achieved by the introduction and circulation of John’s Gospel…..which was written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God; and that believing you might have life through His name. [Acts 28:28 John 20:30-31]
He introduces the present but previously hidden Administration of His Grace. [Eph ch.3]. None of God’s creation knew of it until the revelation was given to the apostle Paul during the time of this first transition. Except for Paul’s statements, no prophetic Word in the Old nor New Testament relates to it.

The First Transition moves from the kingdom ministry of the apostle Paul in his letters to the Thessalonians, the Corinthians, the Galations, Romans and Hebrews, all of which were written before 62ad. It ends when Jerusalem and the Temple are destroyed in 69/70ad., followed by the dispersion of the Jews from the land of Palestine. This had been prophesied by their Messiah [Luke 21:5-6, John 2:19] and by their Patriarch, Enoch [93:8]

Since the kingdom in Israel could no longer be proclaimed, following the Jews loss of Spiritual understanding, those things pertaining to that kingdom would cease. e.g. the order of the kingdom churches, the Spiritual gifts of the kingdom and the application of various instructions which only related to the Jews themselves and the few Gentiles whom God called at that time.

Because of the change, the apostle Paul recognised the need to instruct Timothy and Titus concerning this Administration of God, by writing to them both [1Tim., Titus., 2Tim.] Previously, God Himself had chosen the servants of the church by lot [Acts 1:26, 13:19], but in the new churches formed from Christians accepting the newly distributed John’s Gospel, they would be chosen by the assessment of their character.

The gifts of The Spirit, had been given to the members of the kingdom churches that they should be profitable. These ceased to be given when the kingdom was no longer proclaimed. However, as with any gift, they continued with those so endowed until their death. Paul’s second letter to Timothy was written two or three years after the Spiritual gifts ceased to be given, but Timothy’s gift continued. Paul reminds him:

Stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands [2Tim 1:6]

Later [Phil 2:25-27] Paul himself had voluntarily put aside his gifts in order to attain a higher calling [Phil 3:14] He therefore refused to exercise them in relation to the sickness of Epaphroditus. He tells the Philippian church:

For indeed Epaphroditus was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only but on me also lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

He sorrowed over the sickness of Epaphroditus and sorrowed over his determination not to heal him. But God had mercy upon Epaphroditus through prayer and supplication which is the present order of God’s Grace.

Paul determined to apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus……...in order that I might win Christ [Phil 3:7-14]. He therefore says:

I press towards the mark for the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus. [Phil 3:13-14].

The gaining of this prize required him to put aside all that which conditioned him as an Israelite, recognising that it was rubbish which stood in the way of winning Christ. This act of mind is very special. Paul had been a Christian since being apprehended by God on the road to Damascus in 37ad. yet he had never seen the need to win Christ up to the time of this letter to the Philippians in 65ad…….28 years. This could only be achieved in this new Administration of God’s Grace. Paul encourages us to have the same mind [Phil 3:15]

It is evident that the Christian Jews of the Kingdom Administration were very disappointed when Paul revealed the postponement of the manifest kingdom which they were shortly expecting [1Cor 7:29]. The tone of his second letter to Timothy shows that he also was very dispirited. He tells us that all the churches which he had planted in Asia during his missionary journeys have turned away from me [2Tim 1:15], even Demas left him [2Tim 4:10] but later returned [Col 4:14] when Paul had won Christ following his trauma described in the third chapter of his letter to the Philippians.

Paul told the Philippians that the work God had begun in them during the Administration of the Kingdom of God in Israel will be brought to a full end until the Day of Jesus Christ [Gk. Phil 1:6]. This letter was written about the year 66ad, the ’will be brought to a full end’ being the natural death of the members of the kingdom in Israel until their resurrection in The Day of Jesus Christ. After that, the work would then continue until they will be subject to the Judgement Seat of Christ, prior to their entry into the manifest Kingdom of God in Israel [2Cor 5:10].

This Scripture evidence not only tells us that there was a gradual change from one Administration to another but that God Himself allowed for a gradual adjustment in the mind of those that He loves when transiting from one to another. Having recognised this principle which was active during the introduction of the present Administration of God’s Grace, we can apply it to the coming change through the evidence of God’s Word, when The Kingdom of God in Israel is reintroduced.

THE SECOND TRANSITION FROM 2022ad ONWARDS

BEGINNING

When Isaiah writes concerning the House of Judah and Jerusalem he says:

Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong fear not behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. [Isa 35:5]

This act of God, reversing the Spiritual blindness of the Jews imposed on them at the beginning of the first transition implies that when this second transition begins, the Jews will be under attack, fearful for their lives.

It is self evident that details of the SECOND TRANSITION could not be recorded until the major change in God’s revealed acts were known in 62ad [see details of those four acts on pages 2-3] When this present Administration was introduced, Israel’s course during The Last Days and the Seventy Weeks of Daniel’s Prophecy was postponed. Thus this Second Transition will commence when God reverses the act of Spiritual blindness and ignorance imposed upon the House of Judah, the Jews in 62ad. Their eyes will be opened to the reality of their Messiah and the imminent order of His Kingdom in Israel.

THE LAST DAYS RECOMMENCE

Those Christians who remain alive, having lived under this present Administration, will enter the perilous times of The Last Days described in the third chapter of Paul’s second letter to Timothy [2Tim ch.3] This will occur when the Second Transition starts. Evil men will be counterfeiting The Truth just as the princes of Egypt counterfeited the first three acts of God performed by Moses,

The authority of Israel, represented by the staff of Aaron was challenged by those staves of the Princes of Egypt.
The waters of Egypt, that is the life of Egypt. were subjected to the Life of God, that is the blood. The Princes of Egypt copied this.
The land of Egypt was filled with frogs, polluting the food of Egypt. The Princes of Egypt copied this.

These three events are symbolic of those which Evil Men will generate when The Last Days recommence:

1. God’s authority will return to the tribe of the House of Judah only to be confronted by the evil world power seeking to authenticate other tribes.

The parable of the Wheat and the Tares tells us that the chosen of God are confronted by a large group which has very strong similarities to them. This is confirmed in the Revelation of the apostle John who tells us in the two letters to the Churches, those of Smyrna and Philadelphia that there are those that call themselves Jews that are not.

2. False resurrections will counterfeit the life, i.e. the resurrections of God.

Scripture tells us that Egypt is a type of The World Order and its river is its life. That is however not the Life of God which is found only in The Blood [Lev 17:11]. The life of mankind has inherited the bad blood of Adam which must be replaced by receiving the perfect blood of Jesus Christ shed for our Salvation. The Princes of Egypt counterfeited the blood, which is The Life of God fulfilled in resurrection. This will occur when the last Days recommence. Evil men will appear to counterfeit resurrection at that time.

3. Evil spirits will flood in [Ish 59:19], counterfeiting God’s Spirit [Ezk 39:29]

This is the third and last act of God which the Princes of Egypt were able to counterfeit. The symbol of the frogs imposed upon Egypt represents unclean spirits [Rev 16:13]. Isaiah tells us in ch.59 v.19 that these demons will come in like a flood, but when this happens, Paul tells Timothy:

They shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all mankind as was the folly of the princes of Egypt. [2Tim 3:9]

Thus the Evil One will have no further opportunity to interfere with God’s plans at that time. This is confirmed by Isaiah:

The Spirit of The Lord shall lift up a Standard against him. and the Redeemer shall come to Zion and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob [Ish 59:20]

THE EVIL DAY

Paul warns those Christians at present living during God’s Administration of Grace that their faith will be severely tested. Therefore they need to ensure that they have:

put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil because we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against…..the spiritual forces of wickedness among the heavenly beings. [Eph 6:12]

This defence against the Evil One is especially needed during: The Evil Day [Eph 6:13]. This day is at the end of the Shemittah or week of seven days which form this second transition. Paul insists that during this time we should:

be praying always, with all prayer and supplication, during every opportunity in Spirit and thereunto watching with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints and on behalf of me that I may be enabled to express by mouth with boldness to make known the mystery of the Good message. [Eph 6:18-19]

Because Paul has asked for prayers within the context of The Evil Day, we must presume that he will be present at that time, having been resurrected following his desire which was expressed in his letter to the Philippians. He describes his striving for a resurrection of higher priority [Phil 3:10-11] than that which occurs at the end of The Evil Day [Colossians 3:4, Eph 5:14] in 2029ad

CONCLUSION

The dating of these events is according to God’s revealed system in the Scriptures. [see By Grace Nos: 85, 86 and 87]. After His silence during this long period of 1960 years, God will have Administered His Grace only, in order that

in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards us through Christ Jesus. [Eph 2:7]

When this ends, the Kingdom Ministry of The Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles will recommence, being strongly opposed by The Adversary. After seven years, in 2036ad., God’s kingdom will then be established in Israel and the world.

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