NATIONAL & PERSONAL CRISIS #27, Doctrine of the Uniqueness of the Church Age (6-1-25)

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The Doctrine of the Uniqueness of the Church Age
1. The uniqueness of the Church Age is based on the strategic victory of Jesus Christ during the first advent, His two deaths on the cross, both of which are involved. The first death validated the New Covenant. His second death or physical death abrogated the old covenant (Mosaic Law).
So, the Mosaic law was abrogated by His physical death but His first death was a spiritual death and that was the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ refers to the explanation of the sacrifice of Christ bearing our sins. The blood of Christ covers the last three hours on the cross when He who knew no sin was made sin for us, and His first death on the cross, the blood of Christ death, actually validated the New Covenant whereas the second time He died on the cross he died physically and that abrogated the First Covenant. From those two deaths we have resurrection, ascension and session, all part of this great strategic victory. From this victory comes the Royal Family of God, and because of the royal family of God and because of the validation of a New Covenant, there has to be an interruption of the Jewish Age.
For one thing, the Jewish Age had just run out of gas because its covenant is abrogated. The Mosaic Law was abrogated at the cross and therefore out of gas in the name of the game for the Jewish Age. Furthermore, Christ is sitting up there alone and the born-again Jews cannot be royal family, they all were saved during the period when the Mosaic law was operative. Therefore, a New Covenant means a whole new ball game, and that means a new age, a unique age, the Church Age; that means things that never happened before. That means a Royal Family and there never was a Royal Family of God, there was just family of God.
The interruption of the Jewish Age was prophesied in Daniel 9:21 -27. The angel Gabriel told Daniel that there would be seventy weeks (490 years) for God’s plan for Israel to unfold. Gabriel told Daniel that from a decree that would allow the Israelites to return to rebuild Jerusalem. Daniel 9:25 until Messiah the Prince (J.C.) … Daniel 9:26 Then after the sixty-two weeks there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks (69 years) then Messiah will be cut off (be crucified) and have nothing, and the people (unbelievers)of the prince (anti-Christ) who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary…
Ten days after Christ ascended, the day of Pentecost started the Church Age and the last seven years will not come until the end of the Church Age and the beginning of the Tribulation.
2. Every believer lives in the holy of holies in the palace forever. Therefore, this is accomplished by something absolutely unique, the baptism of the Holy Spirit and resultant positional sanctification.
3. As a sign of royalty every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament no one was ever indwelt by the Holy Spirit. John 7:39 — “The Holy Spirit was not yet given because Christ was not yet glorified.” No glorified Christ, no possibility of a Royal Family. Glorified Christ; Royal Family. While believers in the Old Testament could be filled with the Spirit they were never indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
4. A second sign of royalty is the fact that the believer is indwelt by the Son of God as well as the Holy Spirit.
5. A new dispensation means a new covenant, a unique covenant authorizing a new priesthood, and so the fifth unique factor is that every believer is a priest, and not only just a priest but a Royal Priest.
6. As members of the Royal Family of God we have the completed canon of scripture. All divine revelation to the Royal Family of God is in written form and therefore God does not reveal Himself to us by dreams, visions, trances, or direct conversation.
The canon of scripture was completed in 96 AD and God does not reveal Himself apart from the canon of scripture. A new communicator of doctrine has now been provided: the pastor-teacher; and a new classroom: the local church. And since this is the intensified stage of the angelic conflict, all get attacked - the Word, the communicator, and the local church.
7. The believer does not live under the Mosaic Law; he lives under the new covenant which abrogates and supersedes the Mosaic law. Therefore, we have a clearly defined grace way of life, so clearly defined as to be unique. There is no clearer definition of grace than Ephesians and Hebrews.