Actually, i appreciate all the correction and support
anyone can offer...iron sharpening iron and all
that...Although, I thought I may have been on a side road
with that first post initially..actually, what I was trying
to get across was the relation between the fulness of the
gentiles ending and salvation in the trib. being a picture
of acts 2....of course acts 10 bears out the salvation going
to the gentiles, as you pointed out. But where everyone gets
sidetracked is that they believe the age of grace began at
the cross, or at least at Paul's early epistles, partly
because of the mis-interpretation of the thief who repented
and was saved by confessing his faith in Jesus upon their
deaths . The thief( malefactor) was promised paradise,but if
he had lived, he would have had to perform works and fruit
bearing as continuous evidence of faith and obedience(
if you love Me, obey My commandments, love neighbor as
yourself). This is Acts 2 to a "T". Only after Paul was done
with missionary journeys( see below) was Israel fully
diminished and no distinction was made between Jew and
gentile any longer. " This", and only then, is the
advent of "Full" grace without works initiated...hence, then
the " Pause" started, spoken of here:
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/may2012/michaelc58-4.htm
When the rapture happens, the pause rewinds back to
acts 2, which is testified to with the events following...
Israels 3 strikes ( a theory of reasons for the Kingdom
of Heavens 2,000 yr. delay)
Strike 1
Jn. 19: 11-15
11 Jesus
answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against
me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he
that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
12 And
from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the
Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou
art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a
king speaketh against Caesar.
13 When
Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus
forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place
that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew,
Gabbatha.
14 And
it was the preparation of the passover, and about the
sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your
King!
15 But
they cried out, Away with him, away
with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto
them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests
answered, We have no king but Caesar.
Strike 2
Acts 7: 51-60
51 Ye
stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do
always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did,
so do ye.
52 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:
53 Who
have received the law by the disposition of angels,
and have not kept it.
54 When
they heard these things, they were cut to the heart,
and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 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,
56 And
said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of
man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then
they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their
ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And
cast him out of the city, and
stoned him: and the witnesses laid down
their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was
Saul.
59 And
they stoned Stephen, calling upon God,
and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And
he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord,
lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said
this, he fell asleep.
We see next
that Paul's journey here is coming to a close..he will
go to prison after this. Only after this will Israel as
a nation be set aside and full grace reflected in Paul's
prison Epistles will fully be realized. "Remission of
sins" of the past only is replaced with " full
redemption "..only in the prison epistles is this
emphasized.
Acts 16: 16-25
16 For
Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he
would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it
were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of
Pentecost.
17 And
from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders
of the church.
18 And
when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye
know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after
what manner I have been with you at all seasons,
19 Serving
the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many
tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying
in wait of the Jews:
20 And how
I kept back nothing that was profitable unto
you, but have shewed you, and have taught you
publickly, and from house to house,
21 Testifying
both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance
toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
22 And
now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem,
not knowing the things that shall befall me there:
23 Save
that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying
that bonds and afflictions abide me.
24 But
none of these things move me, neither count I my life
dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course
with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of
the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of
God.
25 And
now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have
gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face
no more.
Acts 21: 10-15
10 And
as we tarried there many days,
there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named
Agabus.
11 And
when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and
bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the
Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the
man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into
the hands of the Gentiles.
12 And
when we heard these things, both we, and they of that
place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then
Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine
heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also
to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
14 And
when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The
will of the Lord be done.
15 And
after those days we took up our carriages, and went up
to Jerusalem.
Acts 21: 17-21
17 And
when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received
us gladly.
18 And
the day following Paul went in with
us unto James; and all the elders were present.
19 And
when he had saluted them, he declared particularly
what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his
ministry.
20 And
when they heard it, they glorified the
Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many
thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they
are all zealous of the law:
21 And
they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the
Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses,
saying that they ought not to circumcise their children,
neither to walk after the customs.
Now the stage is set..Paul is led of
the Spirit with zeal and sorrow for Israel, to make a
last appeal and wants there national repentance.
Strike 3
Acts 21 ;
27-31
27 And
when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which
were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred
up all the people, and laid hands on him,
28 Crying
out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that
teacheth all men every where
against the people, and the law, and this place: and
further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath
polluted this holy place.
29 (For
they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an
Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought
into the temple.)
30 And
all the city was moved, and the people ran together:
and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple:(
and forthwith the doors were shut).
it should be
noted that this event occurs on Pentecost..hmmm..Israel
gets the holy ghost on that date and set aside on that
date ? Read on
Acts 22: 20-23
20 And
when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also
was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and
kept the raiment of them that slew him.
21 And
he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far
hence unto the Gentiles.
22 And
they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted
up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from
the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
23 And
as they cried out, and cast off their clothes,
and threw dust into the air,
Acts 23: 1-3 ;
10 -12
1 And
Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren,
I have lived in all good conscience before God until
this day.
2 And
the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by
him to smite him on the mouth.
3 Then
said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited
wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and
commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
10 And
when there arose a great dissension, the chief
captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in
pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and
to take him by force from among them, and to
bring him into the castle.
11 And
the night following the Lord stood by him, and said,
Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of
me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at
Rome.
12 And
when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together,
and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they
would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
Now look at verse 11....With the
Lord's own command and edification to Paul. he has been
told to forsake the capitol of the Nation of Israel, and
go to the Capitol of the Gentiles..proof of The "Pause"
going into effect.
Even to this point, the Jews
nationally had resisted adding any gentiles that were
not converts observing the law of Moses...aside from the
disciples and the remnant of believers, israel would
have to wait.