Stephen,

 

First let me thank you immensely not only for your response, but for the "maturity" of your response.

 

There are very few who understand the truth of what I said in my letter about the Gospels being taken out of their historical context.  Most everyone simply takes for granted the construction of the Bible as we have it today, along with the traditional teachings that assume the content of the Gospels, prior to the Resurrection, are to be understood as if the concept of the Church was common knowledge and that Jesus came to create the Church rather than offer Himself as the Sacrificial Lamb and King of the Jews. 

 

I understand that the concept of the Church was "mysteriously" woven into a lot of what went on in the Old Testament, as well as the teachings of Jesus.  My point is: the general message of the Bible is that God's plan is to redeem mankind and all of creation, and He is going to do so through the seed of Abraham.  His plan started with His covenant with Abraham, and ends with the Jews finally inheritting the Promised Land and their promised Messiah/King ruling over them.  But before the covenant with Abraham could be fulfilled, mankind's corruption had to be realized (through the Law) and nullified (through God's grace and sacrificial pardon).  The essence of His plan was the salvation of His chosen people, the Jews.  But they rejected His intended method of Messianic Salvation, through a Servant Messiah as opposed to a Warrior Messiah, and had their Messiah killed.  So God had to punish them for their misbehavior (if you'll pardon the understatement) before He could complete His plan with them.  The punishment began with God turning His back on them for 2,000 years, and will end with Him pouring His wrath out on them and the world.....on them for their rejection of Him, and on the world for their rejection of the Jews.  And both are without excuse.  Both should have known better.  Both should have known that God's plan was for Redemption of His creation through the Jews.  It had been spelled out all throughout history.

 

It just so happens that while God had His program with the Jews set aside temporarily, He used the opportunity to create a Bride for His Son.  This part of God's program was not meant for Jewish knowledge, at least not prior to the fact.  If the Old Testament Jews, including those alive during Jesus' ministry, would have known about the coming Church, they would have had to also know that the only way God could create this Church was if they rejected and killed their Messiah.  And hence, they wouldn't have done it.  One of the reasons for the Church being created was God saying to the Jews, "See!!  This is what I offered to you.  But you refused to understand.  I planned on including the Gentiles in my program of Redemption, but I wanted you to have it first, and then them through you.  But you rebelled and rebelled and rebelled.  You were determined to keep your religious practices and you demanded a Warrior King to deliver you from Roman oppression.  You ignorantly killed your Messiah, and I am going to use this to offer my salvation to the Gentiles directly.  Many will understand and accept my Messianic Lamb sacrificed on their behalf.  Many will understand that my salvation isn't through religion, but through pure Grace on my part."

 

Up until the Jews realized that God turned His back on them and they witnessed the Church being created, they were completely unaware of the Church.  And it was meant for them to be unaware.  God's overall plan wouldn't have worked if the Old Testament Jews knew about the Church.  And therefore Jesus didn't teach about the Church.  And as I said, the Church (Christians) was not the subject of any of the parables.  Jesus taught about how the Gospel is supposed to be delivered to the world through the Jews, and how both the Jews and the world would reject Him as Savior, and how God would pour out His wrath on the Jews and the world before He would allow His Son to come back again as The Messianic Judge and King and set up His righteous Kingdom on Earth.  He taught a straight line plan, omitting the side issue of the Church being created. 

 

As for the 10 Virgins.....I didn't say they are Tribulation Jews.  I said they are everyone (Jew and Gentile, but not the 144,000 Jews) who become believers after the Rapture and survive the Tribulation period.  The wise ones are those who endure and don't take the Mark (the Holy Spirit staying with them through it all), and the foolish ones are those who start out as believers, but can't endure and take the Mark, and the Holy Spirit departs from them (their lamp loses its oil.) 

 

The Master delaying His coming refers to Daniel 12:9-13.  Tribulation believers in general will be expecting there to be exactly 1290 days between when the Antichrist proclaims himself as God and the return of Jesus.  Many won't want to wait any longer than that.  But verse 12 says that His return will be delayed for 45 days.  Some of those who endured to the 1290 days will see that He didn't come when they expected Him to, and foolishly become upset and give up and take the Mark and begin persecuting those who don't give up.  And the reason they don't give up is because they are aware of Dan. 12:12.  They knew there would be a delay, and they were still watching.  They will know when Jesus is coming, but the one's who gave up waiting will become part of the world again and when He does finally come, it will take them by suprise. 

 

During the Tribulation, the only people who will be looking for His return are believers.  The unbelieving world will know nothing of His soon return.  The ones who are hiding in caves are hiding from the wrath of God being poured out, not from the coming of Jesus.  The believers know He is coming 1290 days after the Antichrist desecrates the Temple.  Some can't even endure that long.  Some can and do, but when He doesn't come after the 1290 days, they give up and are no longer watching.  Therefore, the only people who are not taken by suprise are those wise believers who knew there was going to be a delay.  The foolish servants of Matt 24:43-51 and the foolish virgins of Matt. 25 1-12 are those who give up before or after the 1290 days. 

 

You say that the Rapture is a time of not knowing, while the Tribulation is a time of knowing.  You further say that the wise virgins know when He's coming because they see the foolish servants beating the wise ones.  You seem to be saying that this happens before the Rapture because the wise virgins, whom you say are Christians, are watching them and using it as a sign of His near return.  And in saying this, you are saying that the wise virgins know when He is coming in the Rapture, while on the other hand you say that the Rapture is a time of not knowing.

 

I am not sure what you mean by "Jew and Gentile would be of ONE NEW MAN, or, Body of People."  This would apply to the Church, the Body of Christ, The Bride....."one new man" being the "Christian."  But if you're saying that God is finished with the Jews as a race and that the promises to Abraham no longer apply to them and them alone, then I must strongly disagree with you.