Auxano Ministry
By the grace of God I am what I am:
1 Cor. 15:10a
Our Time Scope IV
Dispensations, Administrations, Ages
Part 4
6 – The Revealing Administration
In 1859 Charles Dickens wrote The Tale of Two Cities, opening with the line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” Regardless of his thoughts, the Revealing Administration, without doubt, is the worst of times, according to a statement from Jesus.
Matthew 24:21
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Tribulation unlike anything the world has seen since the beginning of the world. The word world is kosmos, referring to the arrangement of the world. The current arrangement of the world, with the Adversary in charge, goes all the way back to Genesis chapter 3 when Adam deliberately disobeyed God. Tribulation is the Greek word thlipsis and should be understood as mental pressure.
What is meant by the term mental pressure?
Thlipsis comes from the Greek word thlibo, which means to press as grapes. Therefore, some handle this word as to crush. The better example would be that of a diamond. Consider a lump of coal under great pressure, in the darkness and heat of the earth. However, if it endures the pressure it becomes a diamond. How a Christian endures in the darkness and pressure of the world is by turning to God and His Word, that is how a believer becomes a diamond in a world of glass counterfeits.
William Barclay wrote of thlipsis, “In the early years of Christianity the man who chose to become a Christian chose to face trouble. There might well come to him abandonment by his own family, hostility from his heathen neighbors, and persecution from the official powers.”
This was and will also be true in the Revealing Administration. The purpose of the mental pressure is to move a person away from God and His Word. To squeeze, to oppress, to pressure a person away from what he have received. In the Revealing Administration the threats producing pressure will be numerous.
Matthew 13:21
Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation [thlipsis] or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
The context is the parable of the sower and the seed. This specific verse is speaking of the person who leaves the Word of God because he gets pressured from the world. Jesus is saying, in Matthew 24, the pressure, during the Revealing Administration will be greater than at any previous time in world history.
I have spoken of the Revealing Administration in both the past tense and the future tense. How can one administration be both past and future tenses? That is another part of the uniqueness of the Revealing Administration. The key to understanding the fulness of what God designed within this age is to see and understand the point at which God put this administration on pause and held His working with Israel, as a nation, in abeyance. If you wrongly divide God’s Word concerning the point at which Israel is held in abeyance, you will be completely wrong in understanding the Revealing Administration. It will also bleed over into your understanding of other administrations.
The Revealing Administration is past tense because it began almost two thousand years ago when the day of Pentecost had fully come in Acts chapter 2. It is future tense because God held Israel in abeyance and will not start the Revealing Administration again until after Our Time.
We will see these things as we travel through this glance of the Revealing Administration.
The Truth that God provided during the transition between the Christ Administration and the Revealing Administration deals with the baptism in the spirit, witnessing of doctrine already given, having no fear, the scope of their mission, and power in manifestation.
The fifty days between the resurrection of Jesus and the day of Pentecost, in Acts chapter 2, is the time of the transition into the Revealing Administration. Much of what is recorded of these days pertains to the leadership of the apostles. This is so because these leaders have the most challenging assignment that has ever been given to a person in the lineage of Adam, step into the sandals of Jesus Christ. Now, they, the disciples, are to become the teachers.
Matthew 28:19a, 20a
Go ye therefore, and teach [disciple] all nations…
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…
What they had been taught by Jesus, they were to communicate to the world. Consider the qualification of Matthias, who replaced Judas.
Acts 1:21-22
Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
The qualification to replace Judas was someone who had been with them from the baptism of John unto the ascension.
Why?
Because they were to be a witness of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, the “sayings” of Jesus. If you are to disciple people to “observe all things whatsoever Jesus commanded” you need to know what Jesus taught.
Luke 6:46-49
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built a house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built a house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
The “sayings” of Jesus are the words the apostles and disciples were to carry forth to the world. If a person believed those “sayings” he would do them. In so doing he would be building his house upon a rock. Remember Matthew 16:18 “…and upon this rock I will build my church…” Acting on the “sayings” of Jesus are what a man builds upon that foundation, upon that rock, Jesus.
John 14:23-25
Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
What Jesus taught during his earthly ministry are the words men and women needed to hear and believe to get from the Revealing Administration into the Millennial Kingdom Administration. Death awaits believers in the Revealing Administration for two reasons, which we will look at in a little while. But for those, in the Revealing Administration, who build upon the rock, the resurrection of the Just awaits them.
But how could anyone expect these men to remember all the “sayings” of Jesus? Especially considering the pressure, the thlipsis, they were under while Jesus taught them. Threats of death, horrific storms, pressure from religious leaders, angry mobs, and other things. Their classroom was not peaceful and calm. How could they remember all Jesus said?
John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
How could a man remember all the “sayings” of Jesus? The gift of holy spirit is there to remind them.
John 15:26-27
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify [martyreo = affirm what has been seen or heard] of me: And ye also shall bear witness [martyreo], because ye have been with me from the beginning.
They have been with Jesus from the beginning, just like Matthias, and the gift of holy spirit will confirm to them what they have seen and heard.
John 16:13
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will shew you things to come.
The paraclete will bring to their remembrance what they need to know, and it will show them things to come, consider the book of Revelation written by John almost two thousand years ago.
John 6:63
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
As Jesus spoke words of eternal life from the Old Covenant and as his spirit received words from his Father, the disciples were to speak the “sayings” of Jesus and words they were receiving through the spirit God had given to them.
What is the Revealing Administration?
The Revealing Administration is a time of great darkness because mankind has embraced unrighteousness. The ways of the Adversary are so acceptable to mankind that the Adversary can send a man, carrying a devil spirit, that will have the full power of Satan. He will not only come, but he will also be received with open arms.
2 Thessalonians 2:9
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
The word “power” is the Greek word dunamis, which means strength, inherent power, natural ability. This is THE antichrist that religion has so feared. He will come during the Revealing Administration.
The Revealing Administration is also the wrath of God against all ungodliness and unrighteousness.
Exodus 34:7a
Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty…
Deuteronomy 28:14-15
And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
Jude 1:11
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
If God is truly Just then He must not only reward those who believe, He must condemn those who rebel. The word “gainsaying” in Jude 1:11 is the Greek word antilogia and means against the Logos or in place of the Logos. Those who rebel against God either stand against His Word or have replaced His Word with their own word. This is the wrath of God that comes in the Revealing Administration for those who are antilogia.
As the Revealing Administration begins on the Day of Pentecost all that remained of believers in Israel were a handful of apostles and disciples, about 120 (Acts1:15). The rest have rejected the living Word of God, they are antilogia, and are awaiting, unknown to them, the darkness and wrath they had embraced.
Matthew 5:18
For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
All the Law must be fulfilled. The blessing and the curse. The righteousness and the judgment.
Luke 17:25
But first must he [Jesus] suffer many things and be rejected of this generation.
Matthew 8:34
And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.
Luke 4:28
And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things.
Luke 23:18
But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!”
Judgment because the Word of God had been rejected.
Darkness because men had embraced the world of the Adversary.
A prince, better known as the antichrist, will arise and Israel will be so deceived that they enter into a seven-year covenant with him, the final week of Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 9).
Judgment because men had and will reject the righteousness of God. Embracing unrighteousness was true two thousand years ago and it will be true as the Revealing Administration begins again after Our Time is completed.
John 3:18-19
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
The Law came with a blessing and a curse. Jesus fulfilled the Law and made available the blessing. Now those who have rejected God’s Word must face the curse on their own strength and merits. Yet God, in His infinite love, and grace, and mercy did not leave them alone. For He sent, and will send, into this age, men, and women to preach salvation and redemption from the impending judgment.
Acts 2:22-23
Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Acts 2:36
Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Revelation 11:3
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Revelation 7:4
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
These are the witnesses of the past and the future.
Acts 2:41-42
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
On the Day of Pentecost, the apostles did exactly what they had been told to do. They received God’s gift of holy spirit, they manifested power by speaking in tongues, and they were witnesses of what Jesus Christ had said to them. Those who believed them stood steadfast in the apostle’s doctrine.
What doctrine was that?
2 Peter 1:3b
… through the knowledge of him [Jesus] that hath called us to glory and virtue:
1 Peter 1:25
But the word of the Lord [Jesus] endureth for [eis tou = with respect to the] ever [aion = age]. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Their doctrine were the “sayings” of Jesus during his earthly ministry.
What is the foundation?
According to Acts chapter 2, it is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the foundation laid by the apostles.
Acts 2:23-24
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Acts 2:27
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
This is the rock upon which the believer did, and will, build his life with the “sayings” of Jesus. This is the doctrine of the apostles wherein believers stood steadfast. This was how a person would move his life from the darkness and wrath of the Revealing Administration into the glory of the Millennial Kingdom Administration.
But flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, as Jesus had taught Nicodemus in John chapter 3. What then was their key to understand their entrance into glory?
Matthew 19:28
And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
When was Jesus Christ’s entrance into glory?
It was the resurrection from the dead.
Romans 1:4
And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
1 Peter 1:13
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation [apokalypsis = appearing or revealing] of Jesus Christ.
The resurrection was the regeneration of Jesus and that will be the regeneration of Israel in the future. When the resurrection of the Just takes place to open the Millennial Kingdom Administration the Nation of Israel will be regenerated.
Luke 24:39
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
Jesus was not a spirit, but rather had a spiritual body as Ezekiel had prophesied.
Ezekiel 37:5-6
Thus, saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath [ruwach = spirit] to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath [ruwach = spirit] in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 37:13-14
And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put my spirit [ruwach] in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.
When Israel is regenerated, they too will have spiritual bodies like unto Jesus.
1 John 3:2
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
The Law of Moses had been fulfilled by Jesus, making it obsolete. Now those who believed needed to follow the royal law of the King.
James 2:8
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
The Royal Law is the Law of the King, the “sayings” of Jesus.
Matthew 22:39
Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
It is at the time of this regeneration that Israel will realize their forgiveness of sin.
Acts 3:18-21
But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 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 [God]. And he [God] shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 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.
“That your sins may be blotted out…” the next word is extremely important. “When…” When speaks of time. It sets the time of the action. “When the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ…” When Jesus Christ shall return their sins shall be blotted out.
Look again at Matthew 24, we considered this in a previous teaching.
Matthew 24:3
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world [aion = age]?
What shall be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?
The Revealing Administration will end with the return of Christ. He will once again set foot upon the mount, Olivet (Acts 1:11, Zechariah 14:4). Sins will be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come when God sends Jesus Christ back to earth. (Understand the Jewish marriage analogy of the Gospels to gain a fuller understanding of the groom, Christ, returning for his bride, Israel.)
Heaven was to receive Jesus “until the times of restitution of all things.” Restitution is the Greek word apokatastasis and means to restoration, to reconstruct.
Restored to what previous time?
Well, when did things go bad? When was the earth cursed? It is a restoration back to before Adam’s sin that sent mankind and the world, the kosmos, on a downward spiral. The Millennial Kingdom Administration begins the restoration of all things.
That is when sins will be blotted out?
Daniel 9:24
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
This takes place when the 70 weeks have been accomplished. The 70th week is the time of tribulation. First, Jesus will close the Revealing Administration with the defeat of the antichrist. Then, after the transition, he will begin the Millennial Kingdom Administration with the resurrection of the Just. It will be the beginning of the New Covenant.
Matthew 26:28
For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
With the coming of the New Covenant comes the remission of sins. With the coming of the Millennial Kingdom Administration comes the New Covenant. But first, the Old Covenant must be completed, the Old Covenant must be finished before the New Covenant can begin.
God has rewarded those who have believed with His gift of holy spirit. Their full reward for believing, a new spiritual body like unto Jesus, comes with their regeneration. But before these things those who have refused Jesus as the Messiah must stand through the wrath of God against all unrighteousness and the darkness they have loved.
Hebrews 8:10-12
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
With the coming of the New Covenant the Word of God will be written in the hearts of Israel, God’s laws will be in their minds. They will not need to teach one another for they will all know God and God will remember their sins and iniquities no more.
Now follow to the next verse.
Hebrews 8:13
In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
“Decayeth” and “waxeth’ should have been translated “worn out” and “obsolete” respectively. “Vanish away” should be translated disappear or pass away. What has stopped the Old Covenant from disappearing since it is old, worn out, and obsolete?
As we have already seen, the conclusion of the Mosaic Covenant stands in the way of the New Covenant being ratified. As Jesus declared in Matthew 5, "one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." This brings us to a point we must understand, when was Israel held in abeyance?
From Acts chapter 7 to Acts chapter 12 God, through the heavenly ministry of Christ Jesus, holds the Revealing Administration in abeyance while He rises up a man to carry forth a secret God held in Himself since before the foundation of the world.
Acts 7:1-2
Then said the high priest, Are these things so? And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,
This is the account of Stephen as he stood before the ruling council of 70, the Sanhedrin, of the Nation of Israel. Stephen has been charged with blasphemy; a similar charge laid at the feet of Jesus during his trial.
Acts 6:13-14
And set up false witnesses, which said, this man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.
If you are having flashbacks to the trail of Jesus, that is because the two trails are uniquely alike, down to the charge, and the false witnesses, and the supposed changing of customs. Then as Stephen stood before the Sanhedrin, he gave them a history lesson concerning God’s gracious and benevolent walk with Israel, even though Israel broke their covenant with God. Then in verse 51 Stephen told the Sanhedrin where they were standing in respect to the Word of God.
Acts 7:51-53
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels and have not kept it.
Stephen laid before the Sanhedrin the judgment of God. But their self-righteousness could not receive his words.
Acts 7:54
When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
This is the second time in Acts the Sanhedrin were “cut to the heart.” The first time in Acts 5 they took counsel to kill Peter and the other apostles. With Stephen they decided, why wait. The hardness of heart that resulted in the murder of Jesus still reigned in the hearts of the religious leaders and the nation of Israel.
Acts 7:55-56
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
What does it mean to see Jesus standing at the right hand of God? The Gospels speak of Jesus sitting on the right hand of God (Matthew 26:64, Mark 16:19, Luke 22:69). Why then did Stephen see Jesus standing on the right hand of God?
Isaiah 3:13
The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.
Jesus was standing to act upon the will of God in judgment, Jesus stood to bring forth the wrath of God.
Revelation 5:5
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Revelation 6:17
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
It is the responsibility of Jesus Christ to carry out the wrath of God. In Acts chapter 7, he stood to carry out his heavenly ministry.
The Revealing Administration is the time of the wrath of God. It is the time to bring the Old Covenant to a close with those who had rejected Jesus as the Christ and embraced unrighteousness.
Stephen laid out the history of Israel and their rejection of the one True God. Israel had rejected God’s plan of righteousness in favor of their own self-righteousness. Jesus stood to carry out the wrath of God against all unrighteousness, as proclaimed in the written Word of God.
Jesus, during his ministry, had declared the length of time of the Revealing Administration.
Matthew 16:28
Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Matthew 23:36
Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation.
Matthew 24:34
Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
According to the written Word of God, following on the heels of the Christ Administration would come the Revealing Administration, and on the heels of the Revealing Administration would come the Millennial Kingdom Administration, and Jesus Christ knew the written Word of God.
What Jesus Christ did not know was that God still had a secret to reveal, a secret He had kept since before the foundation of the world.
Colossians 1:26-27
Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation [administration] 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:
Ephesians 3:9
And to make all men see what is the fellowship [administration] of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Jesus did not know of Our Time because it was not in scripture, it was hidden in God. So, Jesus stood in Acts chapter 7 prepared to execute judgment upon the unrighteous as the Old Covenant called for him to do.
John 3:18-19
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
John 5:45
Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
If you rejected the accomplished work of God’s only begotten son, then you were to face God’s wrath, according to the Law of Moses, based upon your own words and deeds. Many scriptures speak of the consequences of breaking the Law in one part, but we will read the result of this in the Epistle of James.
James 2:10
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Why go to the Epistle of James?
The doctrine, the “sayings” of Jesus, is recorded in the four gospels, but the general epistles of Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1,2,3 John, Jude, and Revelation carry the practical application of the “sayings” of Jesus. These general epistles instruct Israel in living what Jesus taught.
Again, what were the directions of Jesus?
Matthew 28:20
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world [aion = age]. Amen.
Mark 16:15-16
And he said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Luke 24:46-48
And said unto them, thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.
Each Gospel has a specific purpose; in Matthew, Jesus is the King (Jeremiah 23:5), in Mark, Jesus is the servant (Zechariah 3:8), in Luke, Jesus is a man (Zechariah 6:12), and in John, Jesus is the son of God (Isaiah 4:2).
With respect to the great commission to take the “sayings” of Jesus over the world; the King in Matthew (28) gave a command, while in Mark (16) they were to serve mankind the gospel, so that in Luke (24), man could receive remission of sins.
You do not add to Truth, you do not subtract from Truth, for Truth is whole and complete. Truth is to be absorbed, and incorporated, and distributed.
Israel is being given the command to take God’s Word to the entire world, including Gentiles. For a nation that is extremely comfortable separating themselves from the rest of the world, this is a tall order.
I said there is a time between Acts chapter 7 while Israel is winding down and God’s man for this secret administration is learning and growing. A lesson Israel needed to learn before they are held in abeyance is the lesson of the Gentiles. For Israel to take the “sayings” of Jesus to the entire world, they are required to take the gospel to the Gentiles.
Acts 10:1-2
There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God alway.
Cornelius is a proselyte at the gate and Israel does not like proselytes at the gate. Look at the response to Peter going to Cornelius.
Acts 11:2
And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him,
The word “contended” is the Greek word diakrino and in this context should be translated, to judge, to dispute, to oppose.
They were upset with Peter’s action. A proselyte was acceptable because he was circumcised and was following the Law of Moses, therefore he was taking part in the covenant. He was as one born in the land.
Exodus 12:48
And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
But a proselyte at the gate was a Gentile, a stranger, that was not circumcised and not taking part in the Mosaic Law. A proselyte at the gate recognized the God of Israel as the One True God but they were not a part of the covenant.
View the tabernacle in your mind. It had only one gate, one point of entry. A proselyte could enter at the gate because he was circumcised. But a proselyte at the gate could go no further.
There are two reasons it was important for Israel to learn from the conversion of Cornelius. First, the blessing part of the Mosaic Law had been fulfilled, that portion of the covenant was over, circumcision no longer carried the same function. Second, all the Gentiles in the Revealing Administration would be proselytes at the gate. They would be those who recognize the One True God of Israel and act on the “sayings” of Jesus, not the Law of Moses.
It is always important to recognize the doctrine that is addressed to the specific administration. It has been, and continues to be, a trick of the Adversary to get those who believe to follow the doctrine from a different administration. This robs a believer of their relationship with God and the power God has made available in their day and time.
A final thought before I close this teaching, why then all the fanfare of “cloven tongues like as of fire” if the day of Pentecost is not the start of the New Covenant or the start of Our Time?
1 Corinthians 1:22
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
The word “require” means to ask, or to desire. It is like the Pharisees asking Jesus for a sign confirming his identity. On the day of Pentecost, the apostles, the disciples, and all who heard Peter’s teaching were Jewish, and they always desire a sign.
The Revealing Administration has many facets and aspects. Today we have considered some of those aspects. In future teachings we will continue to examine this administration in greater depth and detail.
© Auxano Ministry 2021
All verses quoted in this teaching are from the King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.
Our Time
