We are continuing in our study where we are discussing the relationship between the Jewish Feasts and the events of the First Advent of TLJC that launched the church age.
We have seen that the Jewish Feasts that relate to the events of the First Advent of TLJC are Passover, Unleavened Bread: First Fruits and Pentecost, the day that the Holy Spirit was sent to indwell and fill believers universally providing the power for unique spiritual life for believers in the church age.
We have seen that the model and precedence for this unique spiritual life was established by TLJC during his life on this earth in unglorified humanity at the beginning of the hypostatic union. Heb 10:5; Heb 12:2a;
At Pentecost God launched the church age and in view of this at this point in our study, we are briefly contrasting Israel and the Church.
Last time we ended with the event that marks the termination of the church age that is found in 1Thes 4:13-18;
This exit resurrection or rapture when the "dead in Christ" shall rise, first and the generation of believers who are still alive on the earth will go to be with the Lord is a promise centered in heaven, not on the earth.
This is described in Eph 1:3; "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."
Israel on the other hand, looks forward to the second advent that occurs seven years after the exit resurrection of the church when the covenants will be fulfilled.
The land that she has held title to since the days of Abraham will then be completely inhabited by them because they will have received Jesus Christ as their savior and can be obedient to Him.
Christ will have regathered them into the land, and He will reign as their King, the qualified administrator of their kingdom on the earth..
Isaiah clearly describes these future earthly blessings of Israel. Isa 14:1-2;
Gen 17:8; states that the land promises to Israel are eternal. "I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."
A promise of this scope requires that there be a new earth at some future time.
Rev 21:1; describes this, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away; and there is no longer any sea."
This new earth will be the abode of Israel forever. The abode of the church will be in the new heaven and the New Jerusalem, the administrative center of eternity.
This New Jerusalem is described as being suspended between the new heaven and the new earth. Rev 21:2;, "And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God made ready as a bride adorned for her husband."
A description of the eternal home of the Church in heaven, is also mentioned in John 14:1-3;
Much damage has been done to the church by those who apply the promises and protocol of Israel to the church because it takes away from the church age believer's understanding of the unique spiritual life and purpose for the church in it's mission to re-presenting TLJC to the world in his absence by deploying the same power system that he used while he was on this earth in unglorified humanity.
Dr. Scofield states on page 13 of his book 'The Word of Truth Rightly Divided, "It may safely be said that the Judaising of the Church has done more to hinder her progress, pervert her mission, and destroy her spirituality, than all other causes combined."
A clear understanding of the Church and Israel enables the believer to properly grasp their place in scripture and enjoy the stability of a life sustained by proper Biblical interpretation and fulfills the mandate to "rightly handle the word of truth" 2Tim 2:15;
Even though God is presently working through the church we must always remember that God's plan for Israel is incomplete and his covenants with them guarantee that they will be preserved so that God can fulfill his covenants with them.
Given the reality of Pentecost, and the importance of understanding the unique spiritual life of church age believers let's review the Doctrine of the uniqueness of the Church Age.
As we have seen, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit that occurred at Pentecost was the transitional link between the dispensation of the Hypostatic Union and the Church Age. It is the means of extending the power of the TLJC in Hypostatic Union and deploying it into Church Age believers.
This is the ministry of God the Holy Spirit at salvation whereby He takes every person who believes in Jesus Christ during the Church Age and enters them into union with the person of Jesus Christ making every believer a new spiritual species and a member of the royal family of God.
This never occurred before the Church Age and will never occur after the Church Age.
We know the baptism of the Holy Spirit never occurred before the Church Age because it was prophesied during the great power experiment of the Hypostatic Union in John 14:20. Just before Christ ascended, He again prophesied about it in Acts 1:5.
Our Lord's prophecy about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, John 14:20 and Acts 1:5, was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost.
Water baptism was practiced as a sign that was used as a teaching aid to demonstrate an invisible reality during the dispensation of the Hypostatic Union. It was carried over into the Church Age for only forty years during the pre-Canon period.
Water baptism remained a teaching aid in the pre-Canon period of the church to teach about the Spirit's baptism. Going under the water was a picture of identification with Christ in His death and burial. Coming out of the water was a picture of identification with Christ in His resurrection.
Now that we have the completed Canon of Scripture there is no longer any need for the ritual of water baptism.. We can now understand from scripture the baptism of the Holy Spirit and recognize that it is totally separate from the teaching ritual of water baptism.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit marked the beginning of the Church Age. Acts 2:1-4; Acts 11:15-17. The baptism of the Holy Spirit only occurs during the Church Age; it is the basis for the formation of the royal family of God as a new spiritual species.
The mechanics of the baptism of the Holy Spirit are described in 1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:26-28. Like everything else in the believer's portfolio of invisible assets, the baptism of the Spirit is an invisible asset it is not experienced or felt.
It is not a system of emotion, it is not speaking in tongues, it is not progressive, it cannot be improved or developed, and it is not related to any form of human merit or human works.
No one has ever done anything to earn or deserve the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is one of the forty grace gifts that the believer receives at salvation.
It is completely and totally accomplished at the moment of salvation, but it's effects in the believer only comes from the believer's spiritual growth that is the result of consistent and persistent PMA of the mystery doctrine of the Church Age that is primarily recorded in the New Testament epistles.
It is something that has to be learned and understood because it cannot be used from a state of ignorance.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the basis for the extension of the divine power that was deployed in the unglorified humanity of TLJC during the beginning of the Hypostatic Union into the Church Age believer.
Church age believers are identified with Christ, the phrase "in Christ" that us used throughout the New Testament means we are related to the power system of the Hypostatic Union and in no way related to the Old Testament dispensations.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit becomes the transitional link that connects the two Christocentric dispensations. The church has the same benefits as Jesus Christ while he was on the earth in unglorified humanity in the first phase of the Hypostatic Union.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the basis for creating a new spiritual species for the availability of Divine power for every Church Age believer.
The omnipotence of the Father is related to our portfolio of invisible assets, Eph 1:3;
The omnipotence of God the Son related to the perpetuation and preservation of human history and the holding together of the universe, Col 1:16-17
And the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit related to residence, function, and momentum inside the divine power system and the means of executing the PPOG. Phil 2:13;
The election or formation of the church as the royal family of God is to complement our Lord's strategic victory during the great power experiment of the Hypostatic Union.
In their association with TLJC, there is a tactical victory by the few Church Age believers who advance to spiritual maturity and form the pivot for a Gentile client nation.
The believer's positional sanctification from the baptism of the spirit removes any basis for cultural, social, gender, economic, personality, or political advantage or prejudice. These are all removed positionally at salvation because of the new spiritual identity but they are not erased experientially apart from spiritual growth.
Being in union with Christ makes church age believers higher than angels. Jesus Christ came into the world through the virgin birth and as a member of the human race in his unglorified humanity was lower than the angels, but because of His strategic victory in his unglorified humanity in Hypostatic Union, He became higher than angels in his resurrected glorified humanity Heb 2:6-9; Phil 2:5-9;
Therefore, because we are in union with Him:
Every church age believer is positionally higher than angels and in a resurrection body, will be higher than the angels. 1Cor 6:3;
Every church age believer shares the eternal life of Christ. 1John 5:11-12;
We share the righteousness of Christ, 2Cor 5:21;
We share the election of Christ, Eph 1:4;
We share the destiny of Christ, Eph 1:5;
We share the sonship of Christ, Gal 3:26;
We share the heirship of Christ, Rom 8:16; 1Pet 1:4-5;
And we share his priesthood.1Pet 2:7;