Características de la Obligación Alimentaria

The Dispensation of Grace has already continued about 1900 years

Reign of Christ Return of Christ to Earth Believers caught up to meet the LORD in the air I Thess. 4:15-18 PENTECOST Joel 2:28,29 Acts 2:16,18 PAUL SEES CHRIST EXALTED FAR ABOVE ALL Ascension of Christ John 16:7

74

"FOR THIS WE SAY UNTO YOU BY THE WORD OF THE LORD, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep.

"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

"Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (I Thes. 4:15-18). "BEHOLD, I SHOW YOU A MYSTERY; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (I Cor. 15:51-52).

Note again, from these passages, that Paul could not have expected the dispensation of grace to last for many years, for he says: "WE shall notall sleep"

and "WE which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them [those risen] to meet the Lord in the air." Moreover, he consistently instructs believers from his day on to be waiting and looking for the Lord to come and take them to heaven (Phil. 3:20, I Thes. 1:10, Tit. 2:13).

Space does not permit a thorough study of this wonderful subject in this volume, but let us say here that God's grace and longsuffering in prolonging the present dispensation and delaying the world's judgment for nineteen hundred years should fill our hearts with wonder and gratitude, while at the same time the "blessed hope" of His coming for us should keep us continually watching and waiting, for He may come before the reader has finished reading this volume.

PETER AND THE MYSTERY

We have seen that Peter was not wrong when he declared at Pentecost that the last days had begun. They had indeed begun, but God had a secret

purpose to give the world a period of grace before putting down the world's rebellion and sending Christ to reign.

But the interruption of the kingdom program by the dispensation of grace sheds light on some of Peter's last recorded words too. Writing in his second epistle concerning the delay in Christ's return to earth and the ushering in of the

75

day of the Lord, he says:

"But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that ONE DAY IS WITH THE LORD AS A THOUSAND YEARS, AND A THOUSAND YEARS AS ONE DAY" (II Pet. 3:8).

Notice, this is not our feeble explanation now of the delay in Christ's return. This statement was made at the beginning of this time of waiting; at the dawn of the age of grace, and it indicates clearly that Peter then recognized that an interruption in the program had taken place. But let us go on with his statement: "The Lord Is NOT SLACK concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; BUT IS LONGSUFFERING to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (II Peter 3:9).

So the delay should not be counted slackness or laxness on the Lord's part, but longsuffering. And now see verse 15:

"And account that the longsuffering of our Lord Is SALVATION.. ." Where did Peter get all this? How did he know about the dispensation of grace? Go on with verse 15:

"EVEN AS OUR BELOVED BROTHER PAUL ALSO ACCORDING TO THE WISDOM GIVEN UNTO HIM HATH WRITTEN UNTO YOU."

This was written more than 30 years after Pentecost and by that time Peter had learned from Paul about the dispensation of grace.

Thus Peter and Paul did not work at cross purposes or preach contradictory messages. God simply gave Paul a further revelation of truth.

It was sometime after Paul had been sent out with "the gospel of the grace of God," that he went to Jerusalem "by revelation" and communicated to Peter and the others "that gospel which [he preached] among the Gentiles" (Gal. 2:2). Peter and the rest "saw" and "perceived" that a new revelation had been committed to him and, far from disagreeing, "gave to [Paul] and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship" (Gal. 2:7-9).

Thus while the last days of prophecy had indeed begun at Pentecost Peter, in his last epistle indicates a delay in Christ's return to judge and reign and acknowledges this as truth revealed through Paul (II Pet. 3:3-16).

Finally, both Peter and Paul teach that the delay is all of grace, with no assurance as to how long the dispensation of God's longsuffering will be

76

extended (II Cor. 5:20-6:2, II Pet. 3:8).

What an effect all this should have upon our conduct and service for Christ! We are living, so to speak, in the tense days between man's declaration of war on God and God's counter-declaration (Psa. 2:1-5); a few days of grace, as it were, in which the ambassadors of Christ are authorized to offer reconciliation to any individuals who will receive Him as Savior and Lord. The next number on the divine program is the shout with which He will recall His ambassadors and declare war on those who have spurned His grace.

QUIZ

1. What, in a general way, does the term "last days" refer to in Old Testament Scripture? 2. Was Peter right or wrong when he said at Pentecost that the "last days" had come? 3. Explain why. 4. From what famous prophecy did Peter quote in his Pentecostal address? 5. Did all the signs of that prophecy appear at Pentecost? 6. Of what was Peter ignorant when he said the "last days" had come? 7. What has happened to the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy? 8. Why did not the Lord tell His apostles when the kingdom would be restored to Israel? 9.When, according to Old Testament prophecy, would the world have been ripe for judgment? 10. Where did the twelve begin their ministry under the "great commission"? II. Why? 12. Where did Paul hope to launch his ministry for Christ? 13. Where did the Lord send him instead, and why? 14. Between what two great prophetic periods does the dispensation of grace come? 15. What is the company of God's people in this dispensation called? 16.To what "last days" does Paul refer in his epistles? 17. Why are there no specific signs of Christ's return for the believers of this dispensation? 18. Give two Scriptures to prove that Paul did not expect the dispensation of grace to continue for 1900 years. 19. Give one Scripture each to show how Paul exhorted (a) the lost, and (b) the saved, in this connection. 20. Where, in Peter's writings, does he confirm what Paul has to say about the dispensation of grace?