New Wine and the Dispensation of Grace

“Is the new wine in Mark 2:22 the dispensation of grace?”

No, the dispensation of grace was a mystery that was not revealed until Paul (Eph. 3:1-3). That means it cannot be found hidden in the Lord’s parables, for it was still “hid in God” at that time (Eph. 3:1-9).

Wine is a type of the Holy Spirit, for both are associated with joy (Zech. 10:7; I Thes. 1:6), and new wine is a type of the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost. You’ll remember that when the apostles were “filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:4), men thought that they were “full of new wine” (2:13).

With the parable of the bottles, the Lord was saying that the new wine of the Holy Ghost could not be put into the “old bottles” of Israel’s religious leaders; it must rather be put in the “new bottles” of His “little flock” (Luke 12:32).

New wine is first mentioned in the Bible when Israel was gathered back into her land after her captivity (Neh. 10:39; 13:5,12), a type of Israel’s future gathering back into her land for the kingdom, and so it is associated with the kingdom that was taken from Israel’s apostate leaders and given to the little flock (Matt. 21:43). New wine was withheld from Israel when she rebelled against God (Isa. 24:7; Hos. 9:2; Joel 1:5,10; Hag. 1:11) and was given when she was obedient (Prov. 3:5-10), and so it will be given in the kingdom (Joel 3:18; Zech. 9:17; Matt. 26:29) when God’s Spirit will “cause” them to walk in His ways (Ezek. 36:27).

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.


Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

John 19:31-37 – A Bone of Him Shall Not Be Broken

 

Summary:

The Jews didn’t want to leave the Lord’s body on the cross before “the preparation” (v.31), the day before the feast of Unleavened Bread. Since they thought Him guilty of the sin of blasphemy, this would have defiled their land (Deut. 21:22,23), specially on the Sabbath, specially on this “high day” Sabbath of Unleavened Bread. So the Jews asked Pilate to break His legs so He wouldn’t be able to push up on them to breathe easier, and so would die quicker.

Once again we see their religious hypocrisy (Mt.23:24), worrying about a minor infraction of the Law after killing an innocent man. But this hypocrisy helped fulfill Luke 23:43. Without it, the thief would have lived past that day. Pilate normally wouldn’t agree to this, since the purpose of crucifixion is to make the victim suffer, but Pilate knew the Lord was innocent, so granted Him mercy (Jo.19:32).

The Lord had died faster than the two thieves (v.33) be-cause He had chosen to die once all prophecies about Him were fulfilled. But it is important to notice the soldier was convinced He was dead, since some say He just fainted and the apostles claimed He rose from the dead. But Pilate ordered his legs broken, and the only way a soldier would disobey an order is if he knew He was already dead.

The pierced side (v.34) of “the last Adam” (ICor.15:45) should remind you of the pierced side of the first (Gen.2: 21,22). God put Adam under anesthesia and took his rib and made a bride. When the Lord slept the “deep sleep” of death, God took a bride from His side (Rev.21:9), a city full of people. Most pastors teach the bride is the Body of Christ, most grace pastors teach it is redeemed Israel, but it is both, it is all the people in New Jerusalem after the millennium (Rev.21:9,10). Old Jerusalem is associated with unsaved Jews (Gal.4:25 cf. John 8:32-34), but New Jerusalem is “the mother of us all” (Gal.4:26) in the way that Abraham is “the father of us all” (Rom. 4:16), i.e., the father of all the saved of all ages. Abraham looked for New Jerusalem (Heb.11:8-10), and if we won’t be in it too, we’ll be forever separated from our father Abraham.

Grace pastors object to this line of thinking, saying that this makes the Body a part of prophecy, because we’re part of the mystery. But we are part of those “in heaven” (Rev.13:2-6), and so we are part of that prophecy, and the prophecy of Revelation 21:9,10 as well. Saved Jews are a part of the Bride according to prophecy (Is.62:5-19), and we are part of the Bride according to the mystery. Just as saved Jews are part of the New Covenant by prophecy (Jer.31:31-34), but we are part of it through the mystery (IICor.3:6).

Paul says we are “married to…Him who is raised from the dead” (Rom.7:4). Speaking to us he says he “espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (IICor.11:2). He says “in the dispensation of the fullness of times” we’ll be gathered together in Christ (Eph. 1:10), and at that time Christ will be in New Jerusalem (Ps.132:13,14), and so will we, for “so shall we ever be with the Lord” (ITh.4:17). New Jerusalem is 1322 miles high (Rev.21:16), jutting into outer space so we can “judge angels” (ICor.6:3) from the top, Israel can judge the world from the bottom, and we can have fellowship in between.

The water that came out of the Lord’s side (Jo.19:34) came from the water sack around His heart. Once pierced, men die, if not already dead as the Lord was. This water was important and symbolic. As blood and water ratified the Old Covenant (Heb.9:19), it will ratify the New (Mt.26:28; Ezek.36:25). Leprosy was a type of sin, and was cleansed by blood and water (Lev.14:4-52). The blood of the dead bird typified Christ’s death, the water of the live bird typi-fied His resurrection. Christ died for our sins (ICor.15:3) and was raised for our justification (Rom.4:24,25).

John swore an oath that he saw the water (John 19:35) for God knew some would claim the Lord only fainted, and the water proved His heart was pierced. John was about to witness to His resurrection (Acts 2:32; 3:14,15; 5:32), i.e., that He was alive, so God first has him swear he was dead. His unbroken legs fulfilled Ps.34:20 (Jo.19:36) and the type of Exodus 12:43-46 (cf.ICor.5:7). All the Lord’s unbroken bones testified prophecy had been fulfilled (Ps.35:10,11).

Another Back to the Future Day – 2 Thessalonians 2:3

 

Summary:

“Deceived” means to mislead someone down the wrong path, Satan’s MO since the beginning (ITim.2:14). He deceived Eve when God told her one thing and Satan told her another (Gen.2:17; 3:4). He deceived the Thessalo-nians when God told them they wouldn’t go through the Day of the Lord, Daniel’s 70th week, and Satan used false teachers to tell them another (IIThes.2:1,2).

After listing the means by which Satan had fooled them (2:2), Paul told them not to let him deceive them “by any means” (2:3). He revealed “a falling away” had to come before the Day of the Lord. Many good pastors say this is the Rapture, arguing the Greek word just means departure. But the Greek word is apostasia, from which we get apostasy, a departure from the truth. The only other place the Greek word is used bears this out (Acts 21:21). That’s the meaning here as well. “Falling away” in the Bible means to depart from the truth (Heb.6:4-6 cf. Jer. 37:13,14)

There is no need for Paul to introduce the Rapture at this point in his argument. He already begged them on the basis of the rapture not to let anyone deceive them, knowing it must come before the Day of the Lord. He’s already made that argument, now he is arguing that something else must come first, an apostasy. But there are two coming, one before the Rapture (ITim.4:1) and one after. Since this passage started by talking about the Rapture, this is speaking about an apostasy that will come after the Rapture

The Lord said at this apostasy “many” would be “deceived” (Mt.24:5), and when they do they will “fall away” (Lu.8: 13) at the “falling away”! This explains the warnings in the Tribulation epistles not to fall away (Heb.4:11; IIPe.3:17). Antichrist can’t be revealed until after the Rapture and this falling away. That means when you hear men say the president is the antichrist or the pope, this cannot be, for they are revealed before the Rapture.

When the man of sin confirms the covenant (Dan.9:26,27) with Israel, the only people made covenants with (Eph.2:12), it will reveal that he is the antichrist. The Abra-hamic Covenant he’ll confirm will give them a much great-er piece of land than apostate Israel has now, and a promise to protect Israel by cursing those that curse her (Gen.12:3).

Since Paul says he’ll be “revealed” then, some wonder if he’s already born, and maybe grown, and the stage is being set for the Tribulation. But there will be a gap of time after the Rapture, before the 70th week, of up to a generation in length. Daniel was told there’d be 490 years till the kingdom (9:24), the first 483 till Messiah (2:25,26). Then he was told Messiah would be “cut off” from the living (Isa.53:8) “after” the 69th week (Dan.9:26), before the 70th week (9:27). He died in a gap in the 70 weeks prophecy.

This gap is also seen when Israel’s first four feasts, Pass-over, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits and Pentecost, came in the first two months of the year, but her last three feasts, Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Tabernacles, came months later. The first four have been fulfilled in Christ the Holy Spirit, we’re living in the gap before the last three are fulfilled.This gap is not the mystery, that’s an unprophesied gap, this is a prophesied gap, but God put the unprophesied gap within the prophesied gap. God knew prophecy would be interrupted so put the gap in the 70 weeks prophecy.

But the Lord said His generation would see the Day of the Lord (Mt.24:34), a prophecy that was interrupted a year later (Lu.13:6-9). But that means after the rapture closes the unprophesied gap there is most of a generation left of prophesied gap before the 70th week, plenty of time for Antichrist be born and all the stage setting needed.

“Man of sin” (IITh.2:3) is Antichrist in the first half of the 70th week, but when he dies and rises (Rev.13:1-3) he becomes “the son of perdition.” He’ll be reanimated by Judas, the son of perdition (Jo.17:12) when he who was on the earth before that time, “was not” at that time, but who will rise out of the pit of hell (Rev.17:8). Hey, Elijah’s coming back (Mal.4:5), why not Judas? Psalm 55:12-14 describes Judas, 55:20:21 describes Antichrist, because he dies and rises in between (v.15).

Dining with the King

“…I appoint unto you a kingdom…that ye may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:29,30).

As you can see from these words that the Lord spoke to the twelve apostles, dining with the King is associated with reigning with Him. We see this same thought in the Lord’s words to Tribulation Jews who will need to overcome the temptation to take the mark of the beast if they want to reign with Christ in the kingdom of heaven on earth:

“…if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne…” (Rev. 3:20,21).

If you are wondering what connection dining with the king could have to reigning with him, the king’s table was probably a place where the king’s business was discussed. This writer is not a member of the Berean Bible Society Board of Directors, but I have dinner with them when they are in town for a meeting. At these dinners, I’ve noticed that board business is always discussed at the table and, based on these discussions, decisions are made later at the official meeting.

We see this connection between dining and reigning typified in the story of Mephibosheth. If you’ll remember, after David became the king of Israel, he wanted to show kindness to any members of the house of Saul that he could find (II Sam. 9:1). When Mephibosheth was brought to his attention (vv. 2-6), David said to him,

“…I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually” (II Sam. 9:7).

David went on to give Mephibosheth “all that pertained to Saul and to all his house” (v. 9), and remember, Saul had been king of Israel. In other words, Mephibosheth was given a king’s inheritance, and invited to sit at the king’s table and reign with him “as one of the king’s sons” (v. 11). Quite an honor for the grandson of a man who had once been the present king’s enemy.

Some men might take such a tremendous honor for granted, but not Mephibosheth! He later told David:

“…all of my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?” (II Sam. 19:28).

Mephibosheth knew that he had been given such an unbelievably high honor that he felt he had no right ever to ask the king for anything ever again.

Now how about you? May I remind you that what the king did for Mephibosheth is exactly what your King has done for you? God “hath raised us up together” with Christ (Eph. 2:5,6), “and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” we who were once members of the family of God’s “enemies” (Rom. 5:10). Just as the Lord invited kingdom saints to sit and reign with Him in the kingdom of His Father, Paul says that we have been invited to sit and reign with Christ in the kingdom of His Father in the heavenlies—to sit with Him in His throne! Speaking of Christ, Paul says that God “hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church” (Eph. 1:22). Since God “calleth those things which be not as though they were” (Rom. 4:17), you are already seated with Christ at the Father’s right hand, and someday you will reign with Him over the angels (I Cor. 6:3).

In response, you can grumble and complain about your position in life, or you can rejoice in your position in heaven, and join Mephibosheth in wondering about your right ever to ask anything more of God beyond what He has already done in giving you a King’s inheritance (Eph. 1:11) and seating you at the King’s table “as one of the king’s sons” (cf. Gal. 4:4-7). I’m sure David would have given Mephibosheth anything he asked for, but his heart was so filled with thanksgiving that he felt he didn’t dare ask for more. While we have a clear command from God through Paul to “let your requests be made known unto God” (Phil. 4:6), before asking God for anything, it might be good to run a “Mephibosheth check” on the level of your gratitude. After all, if God never did anything else for you other than what He has already done for you in Christ, He’s done enough.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.


Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

John 19:28-30 – The Lord’s Checklist

 

Summary:

Even though He’d been tortured for hours and just finished bearing the wrath of God for three hours, the Lord was still able to run down a mental checklist of prophecies that had to be fulfilled before He could die (19:28). Imagine how well He had to know the Word to do that! He wrote the Word, but had to relearn it after His birth. We should strive to learn it well enough to where obeying it is second nature, even under dire circumstances, or everyday life problems.

In saying He thirsted, He was thinking of Psalm 22:15. He didn’t say “I thirst” because He was thirsty, but “that the Scripture might be fulfilled” (Jo.19:28). He was thirsty, but if He was going to say so, it would have been when experiencing the fire of God’s wrath (cf. Lu.16:24) or when slaying thousands of principalities (Col.2:15 cf. Judges 15:17,18). Both Samson and the Lord defeated thousands with a weapon men despised, a jawbone and a cross.

He also said “I thirst” to fulfill Psalm 69:21, the rest of which was fulfilled in John 19:29. Vinegar is sour wine (Num.6:3), a vessel of which they kept nearby (Jo.19:29) because many were crucified there. Critics point out that Mark says He didn’t receive the drink (Mark 15: 23) and John says He did (19:30). But it was offered twice (Mt.27:34, 48). The first time it was “mingled with gall,” a drug that would have deadened his pain, but also His mind, preventing Him from fulfilling His prophetic checklist.

“It is finished” meant all the work that the Father gave Him to do was done. The Greek word for this phrase is translated “made an end of” (Mt.11:1), for He made an end of our sins, and it’s translated “pay tribute” (Mt.17:24), for He paid our debt. Some say He wasn’t talking about the work done to pay for our sins, because He said that He came to finish the Father’s work (Jo.4:34), and said that He did before He died (17:4). But this was because in His mind it was as good as done (cf.Ro.4:17). He finished transgressions when He was cut off (Dn.9:24-26).

How’d He finish the work to pay for our sins? Priests stood

because their work was never done (Heb.10:11). Knowing it wouldn’t be, God included no chair in the tabernacle. But Christ offered one sacrifice for sin forever (v.12)

In Scripture, bowing the head (John 19:30) was always an act of worship (Ex.4:31; IChron.29:20; Neh.8:6,etc.). So the Lord’s sacrifice of His life was an act of worship, as it is when you sacrifice your life (Rom.12:1).

Bowing His head means He kept it erect till then, some-thing hard for crucifixion victims to do. We know the Lord was stronger than most, for He was able to cry with a loud voice (Lu.23:46), and most didn’t have the breath to do this, since crucifixion victims suffocate from not being to exhale. We know He didn’t bow His head because He ran out of strength, for John says He “bowed” it, it didn’t “drop.” He died like Moses, full of strength (Deut.34:7), and Moses was a type of Christ. He bowed it because He knew it was time to “give up the ghost” (Jo.19:30).

If they murdered Him, how could He say no man took His life (John 10:11,17,18)? They killed and slew Him (Acts 3:12-15; 5:30), and murder is the taking of human life! He laid it down as Prisca and Aquilla did (Rom.16:4), i.e., He made Himself vulnerable to those who could take it. Throughout His life, He resisted those who would take His life, for His hour was not yet come. He had not yet fulfilled all the prophecies. When His hour came, He knocked them over just by saying His name, proving He was allowing Himself to be arrested and killed, laying down His life.

Some say if He hadn’t “dismissed His spirit” that He’d still be hanging there today, but there was nothing miraculous about His death. He died as Jacob did, “commanding” his sons for 32 verses, then laying down and dying (Gen.49:33). He died using the power we all have of relinquishing the will to live. More people die after a birthday than before, for they will themselves to live to see it. Hospice workers tell loved ones to tell the dying that it is okay to “let go.” They know men tend to hold on. It would make no sense to say this if the dying had no power to let go. When the Lord’s time came, he just let go of life.

Objects in the Mirror…

…are closer than they appear.” That’s the warning you see on the passenger-side mirror of your car. The convexity of the mirror gives you a more panoramic rear view, but it also makes the cars behind you look smaller, and further away than they actually are. This can give the illusion that there is room to change lanes, when the truth is that the driver in the adjacent lane may have to hit the brakes if you do—and the horn!

This mirror warning always reminds me of God’s words to Ezekiel:

“Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off” (Ezek. 12:27).

You’ll notice that the problem wasn’t that God’s people doubted that Ezekiel’s prophecies would come true; they just didn’t think they would come true for a long time. And you know, God’s people today are no different. When we read Paul’s predictions about the Rapture (I Thes. 4:13-18) and the Judgment Seat of Christ that will follow (Rom. 14:10), we believe these things will happen, but we tend to think they are a long way off. This can lead to complacency in serving the Lord, just as it did in Ezekiel’s day. Thus we would do well to read God’s response:

“Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; There shall none of My words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done…” (Ezek. 12:28).

While we cannot say that the Rapture will be prolonged no longer, we can say with equal assurance that the word which God has spoken to us shall be done. The panoramic view that the mirror of God’s Word affords us (James 1:22-24) allows us to see everything that is ahead of us, and these things are closer than they appear! If you are not living for the Lord, “boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Prov. 27:1). The Rapture may come today, and you may find yourself standing before your Lord and Judge this evening. Why not heed Paul’s admonition,

“…knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Rom. 13:11,12).

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.


Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

John 19:25-27 – The Sword of Mary

 

Summary:

Mary’s place near the cross (19:25) fulfilled Luke 2:34,35. The “sign” of His virgin birth (Isa.7:14) was “spoken against” when they implied He was a bastard (John 8:41). The signs of His miracles (Isa.8:18) were also spoken against (Mt.12:24; Luke 6:7). These signs were symbol-ized and summed up by the sign Pilate put on the cross saying “King of the Jews,” a claim they also spoke against when they crucified Him. That rejection pierced His heart spiritually as well as physically (John 19:34), and Mary’s heart was pierced that day as well as she watched it happen.

Mary is a type of Israel. Everyone thinks Revelation 12:5 speaks of her and Christ because of Revelation 19:13,14, but His birth was history when John wrote Revelation 12:5, and Revelation is a book of prophecy (1:3). There’s no history in the book. So 12:5 is talking about Israel bearing saved Jews who will rule the earth (2:26,27). Revelation 12:5 sounds like Mary and Christ because she is a type of Israel. Her look at her pierced Son was a type of Zechariah 12:10, when a sword will pierce Israel’s heart when they will “wail” and “mourn” (Rev.1:7). The name “Mary” means “bitterness” (cf. Zech.12:10).

Mary’s sister-in-law Mary was also at the cross (John 19: 25). Her husband Cleopas had given up on the Lord (Lu. 24:18-21) and so was not at the cross. Being named Mary, she too is a type of Israel, for Zechariah says that after they look on Him they pierced they will mourn apart from their wives (Zech.12:10-12), as symbolized by Mary & Cleopas.

Mary Magdalene was also at the cross (Jo.19:25), out of whom the Lord cast 7 devils (Lu.8:2). This Mary is also a type of Israel, for the Lord will have to cast devils out of Israel at His Second Coming. He cast Satan out of them at the cross (John 12:31), but the Lord warned that generation that unless they were filled with the Spirit at Pentecost, the devil would return with seven other devils (Mt.12:43-45). Had they been filled with the Spirit, the devil could not have re-entered them, but he found it swept and garnished with religion, but no Spirit. It didn’t happen to that genera-tion because the dispensation of the mystery interrupted prophecy, but Satan will move back in during the Tribula-tion with seven other devils and the Lord will cast them out at the Second Coming, as typified by Mary Magdalene.

That makes 3 Marys at the cross, bitterness times three! All predicting Israel’s future of looking on their pierced Christ, mourning for Him apart from their wives, with Christ casting the devil out of them after that. Some say “Mary” means rebellion and speaks of the rebellion of Eve, which was being fixed by His work on the cross.

The 12 fled when He was arrested but came back (Lu.23: 49). John doesn’t mention that his own mother was there (Mt.27:55,56), which might be why the Lord asked him to care for His own mother (Jo.19:26,27). Notice Mary was close enough for the Lord to talk to, but the soldiers moved her away when He died (Mt.27:50-55). This is important, since Rome claims she suffered for our sins too when her heart was pierced so near the cross, but the Romans moved her away, and He paid for them “by Himself” (Heb. 1:3). The disciple Jesus loved (Jo.19:26) was John (21:20,24).

Since Mary had other kids (Mt.13:55), was the Lord ignor-ing the rule He later gave Paul (ITim.5:3-16)? No, because His brethren didn’t believe (Jo.7:5) and He wanted believ-ers caring for His mother. But giving His mother to Mary was a type of giving Israel to the 12 and not to her unbe-lieving leaders, and the 12 took over her care at Pentecost.

Notice He didn’t ask Mary to care for John, though millions look to her for help with their lives. She is worshipped as sinless, but only sinners need a Savior (Lu.1:47). And notice that the angel didn’t say, “Blessed art thou above women (Lu.1:42). The Lord rebuked a lady who spoke too highly of her (Lu.11:27,28) and once refused to see His mother (Mt.12:47-50). At Pentecost, she was praying with the disciples, they weren’t praying to her (Acts 1:14). Lastly, Rome teaches that she was a co-mediator between God and man, but the Bible teaches clearly that there is only “one mediator” between God and man, “the man Christ Jesus” (ITim.2:5).

The Limiting of a Limitless God

How many times have you heard it? You tell someone that God is no longer giving men the power to speak in tongues or heal the sick, and you hear the response: “You’re limiting God. God can do whatever He wants.” If you’re not sure how to reply to this accusation, here’s an approach you may find helpful:

God limits Himself. He limits Himself in a couple of ways. First, He is limited by His holiness. God can do anything He wants, but He cannot sin (cf. Tit. 1:2). The righteousness of His holy nature prevents Him from doing anything that even remotely approaches unrighteousness. Thus our limitless God is limited by His own holy nature.

But God also limits Himself by His Word. While He can do anything He wants, He cannot flood the world again because He has given His Word that He won’t. Remember the promise He made to Noah?

“…I will establish My covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth” (Gen. 9:11).

After three thousand years passed with no additional worldwide flood, God compared His faithfulness to this promise to His faithfulness to Israel:

For this is as the waters of Noah unto Me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

“For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee…” (Isaiah 54:9,10).

All those who teach that God washed His hands of Israel after they murdered His Son, and will never have anything further to do with her, and took all her promises and gave them to us, are guilty of charging Him with breaking this most solemn vow (Cf. Isa. 49:15; Jer. 31:35-37). God can do anything He likes, but He cannot forsake Israel, for He has given His Word that He won’t, and someday they will once again be His people (Hosea 1:9-11 cf. Rom. 9:25,26).

And He cannot give anyone spiritual gifts, such as prophecy and tongues, after vowing that these gifts would “cease” and “vanish away” in the present dispensation once the Bible was complete (I Cor. 13:8-10). So don’t let anyone tell you that you are limiting God when you insist that these gifts, which are conspicuously absent in this dispensation anyway, are gone. In so saying, we are simply acknowledging a dispensational limit that God has placed on Himself.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.


Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

A Famous Forgery – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2

 

Summary:

Someone forged a letter from Paul to convince the Thessa-lonians “the day of Christ” was at hand. That phrase is used of the Judgment Seat of Christ (Phil.2:14-16), but that can’t be what “troubled” the Thessalonians, for that’s a day of rejoicing (IICor.1:14). Since words and phrases have differ-ent meanings in different contexts, here it is the day of the Lord (Isa.13:6), the Tribulation, “the Lord’s day” (Rev.1: 10). It is called by both names, just as the Judgment Seat of Christ is called by both names (IICor.1:14; Phil.2:16).

“At hand” means something about to happen (Gen. 27:41), sometimes “immediately” (Mark 14:42,43). The Thessalon-ians were troubled because they thought the Tribulation was coming upon them immediately, so Paul begged them not to believe it! And when Paul begs us to do something, it is for our own good. He begs us to present our bodies as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1) because we won’t be happy till we do. Birds are created to fly and are not happy caged, and you are a new creature (IICor.5:17) that was created to do good works (Eph.2:10) and won’t be happy till you do. Paul also begged us to follow him (ICor. 4:16) because we won’t be happy following James 5:14,15 when our prayers don’t heal the sick. And he begs us not to think we’ll be here for the Tribulation or we’ll lose hope.

Even though the Tribulation was only found in Jewish Scriptures, the Thessalonians knew how bad it would be, for they hung around the synagogue even before they were saved (Acts 17:1-4). So they knew “perfectly” how bad it will be (IThes.5:1,2), knowing verses like Deuteronomy 28:65-67; Luke 21:26,etc. No wonder they were troubled!

Words and phrases have different meanings. The “coming” of the Lord (IIThes.2:1) can refer to the Rapture, as it does there, or to the Second Coming (Mt.24:27-29). Matthew 24 can’t be the rapture, for it speaks of the gathering of the “eagles” (v.28) for Armageddon (Rev.19:17-19). The “gathering” of Matthew 24:31 can’t be the “gathering” of our text for there the Lord sends angels to gather the elect in Israel, while “the Lord Himself” comes for us (ITh.4:16).

Paul didn’t always speak to them as “brethren” (2:1). He spoke as a father to a son (ITh.2:11,12) in regard to walking worthy of the Lord, for he’d led them to Christ and that’s what all spiritual fathers want for their sons. But when suffering persecution you want a brother like Paul who himself was suffering persecution but wasn’t moved by them (Acts 20:22-24). He wasn’t moved because God told him he’d suffer trouble (Acts 9:16). You listen when a brother like that tells you that you’ll suffer trouble too, and you follow his example not to be moved by it (IThes3:3,4).

And you listen when he tells you that you’re not heading for the “wrath” of the Tribulation (IThes.5:9). Notice that’s talking about obtaining the future “salvation” of the Rapture (Rom.13:11), salvation from the wrath of the Tribulation. You need to settle the truth of the pre-trib rapture now before things get bad in this country, just as you need to settle the truth that God loves you before you have any personal troubles. If you think God only loves you enough to keep you healthy if you are good (Deut.7:12-15), you’ll think He doesn’t love you if you get sick. And if you settle the doctrine of the pre-trib rapture in your mind before troubles start, you won’t doubt it later.

In those days there was a “spirit” (2:2) causing them to doubt the pre-trib rapture, so they had to “try” or test the spirits (IJo.4:1) of the prophets (ICor.14:32). False proph-ets had Satan’s spirit causing men to doubt. The spirits of prophets were to be tested to see if their words matched the Word (Deut.13:1-3).We are to test their words by the Word of God through Paul that the Rapture will come before the Tribulation (ITh.4:15—5:2). The “word” (2:1) of men who weren’t prophets was also causing them to doubt, such as the “word” that the rapture was past (IITim.2:17,18), a dispen-sational error (cf.2:15). You have to know where you stand in the program of God. Daniel knew where he stood from Jeremiah (Daniel 9:1,2), the Lord knew from Isaiah (Lu. 4:14-24), Peter knew from Joel (Acts 2:16), but you can only know where you stand in relation to the Tribulation from Paul. Since they also forged letters from Paul, the apostle signed every epistle with his own unique signature (IIThes.3:17).

Peter and the Heavenly Inheritance

“How could Peter say to the Jews that their inheritance is reserved for them in heaven (I Pet. 1:4) if their hope is earthly?”

When the disciples thought “that the kingdom of God should immediately appear (Luke 19:11), the Lord told a parable. The “certain nobleman” (v. 12) represents the Lord Himself, who went to the “far country” of heaven at His ascension (Acts 1:9) “to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.” This means that the kingdom that will eventually be established for Israel on earth was reserved for them in heaven at that time.

Before leaving, the nobleman charged his servants with conducting his business while he was gone (v. 13), a picture of how the Lord left His disciples in charge of His ministry after He left. But after the “citizens” of Israel killed the Lord, they “sent a message after Him” (v. 14) by killing Stephen, a message that said, “We will not have this man to reign over us.”

When the nobleman “was returned, having received the kingdom” (v. 15), he gathered his servants to reward them according to their faithfulness (vv. 15-27). This speaks of how, when the Lord returns to the earth, He will return with the kingdom that is currently “reserved in heaven” for Israel, and He will award positions in the government of the kingdom to faithful Jews at that time.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.


Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.