Category: The Nation Israel

A Hope Reserved for Israel in Heaven? #5

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,…” (1 Peter 1:3,4 KJV).

Perhaps we can search the Scriptures to resolve an apparent contradiction, thereby perfecting that which is lacking in superficial readers….

God is omnipresent, everywhere: He cannot be confined to one location. Nevertheless, if He wants, He can manifest His presence or glory in a particular way or at a specific place. This is exactly what happened during the Mosaic economy, when He dwelt in the Tabernacle and, later, the Temple. “Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34,35). “And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house [temple] of the LORD, So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD. Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever” (1 Kings 8:10-13).

Under the Law of Moses, as in Leviticus chapter 26 and Deuteronomy chapter 28, Israel had to perform to receive blessings from God (and failure to work resulted in curses). Over the course of hundreds of years of disobedience, the nation Israel underwent drastic spiritual and political changes. Ultimately, once the Babylonian troops invaded Jerusalem for the third and final time, they burned the Temple to the ground. Just prior to the attack, the LORD God’s presence had departed the Temple (so that that structure had ceased to be the house of God).

This is made abundantly clear in the Book of Ezekiel….

A Hope Reserved for Israel in Heaven? #4

Monday, February 2, 2026

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,…” (1 Peter 1:3,4 KJV).

Perhaps we can search the Scriptures to resolve an apparent contradiction, thereby perfecting that which is lacking in superficial readers….

Having an earthly kingdom in mind, the LORD God created and put Adam on the Earth: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26-28). “Dominion” is a governmental term; here, it relates to Adam and Eve reigning on Earth.

“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:…” (Matthew 25:34). See again how the issue of earthly government reaches back to “the foundation of the world” or Adam’s creation. Compare this to Acts 3:21: “Whom [Jesus Christ] the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” This is prophecy, encompassing God’s purpose and plan for mankind and Earth. In other words, the earthly kingdom that was delayed because of Adam’s sin is finally brought in thousands of years later, with Israel inheriting the earthly kingdom originally promised to Adam.

So, where and how does Israel and Heaven enter into the picture? Let us see….

A Hope Reserved for Israel in Heaven? #3

Sunday, February 1, 2026

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,…” (1 Peter 1:3,4 KJV).

Perhaps we can search the Scriptures to resolve an apparent contradiction, thereby perfecting that which is lacking in superficial readers….

As Peter expresses in today’s Scripture, believing Israel has a hope in Heaven, not a hope on Earth. Some maintain that this challenges—yea, disproves—dispensational Bible study. A second line of argument is offered via an appeal to other verses. Note the recurring expression of Christ’s earthly ministry, “the kingdom of heaven,” which is clearly to and about Israel. Observe, again, how it is not the Kingdom of Earth, but the Kingdom of Heaven.

The 31 “kingdom of heaven” references are exclusively in the Gospel Record of Matthew (see Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 5:3,10,19,20; 7:21; 8:11; 10:7; 11:11,12; 13:11,24,31,33,44,45,47,52; 16:19; 18:1,3,4,23; 19:14,23; 20:1; 22:2; 23:13; 25:1,14). Also, remember, this “kingdom of heaven” is at the heart of the Gospel of the Kingdom: “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand…. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people” (Matthew 4:17,23).

Souls who have not matured in the Word of God rightly divided have reached an impasse at this point, facing a difficulty that appears to have no satisfactory resolution. Two options are available. The first is easiest, and therefore, most tempting. We can throw up our hands in defeat, and never take up the Bible again. Or, maybe we could do a little study, a little digging, a little thinking, looking for a Bible cross-reference here and there that will afford us the ability to weave together a tapestry of superb spiritual judgment. We certainly do not have to be spiritual geniuses, or graduates of Bible college or seminary (Bible cemetery). All we need is to be humble enough to let the Holy Spirit enlighten the eyes of our understanding….

A Hope Reserved for Israel in Heaven? #2

Saturday, January 31, 2026

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,…” (1 Peter 1:3,4 KJV).

Perhaps we can search the Scriptures to resolve an apparent contradiction, thereby perfecting that which is lacking in superficial readers….

These (unexpected) references of Israel’s inheritance and Heaven fall under two categories. Firstly, we have today’s Scripture and similar verses, which indicate believing Israel has an inheritance “reserved in heaven.” Observe!

“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:11,12). “Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets” (Luke 6:23). “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:…” (Matthew 6:20). “Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth” (Luke 12:33).

“Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me” (Matthew 19:21). “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me” (Mark 10:21). “Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me” (Luke 18:22).

Again, these mentions of Israel and Heaven are most surprising, and we cannot change them. They say exactly what they mean and mean exactly what they say. Now, let us see the other grouping….

A Hope Reserved for Israel in Heaven? #1

Friday, January 30, 2026

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,…” (1 Peter 1:3,4 KJV).

Perhaps we can search the Scriptures to resolve an apparent contradiction, thereby perfecting that which is lacking in superficial readers….

We Pauline dispensational Bible students have been charged with wrongdoing—the accusation being utterly false. Never do we confine our reading and studying to Paul’s epistles of Romans to Philemon. We throw away none of the 66 Books of the Bible, Genesis to Revelation. (What is true is that some in Christendom throw away Paul’s epistles altogether!) Dispensational Bible study allows us to think of God’s words in an orderly fashion, arranged on a timeline… instead of jumbled thoughts and disparate activities that make people lose the overall “big picture” of God’s plan for the ages. We will easily demonstrate this, and, in doing so, provide the solution to that aforementioned “contradiction.”

Read today’s Scripture in context: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:1-5).

Dispensational Bible students distinguish between the nation Israel (God’s earthly people) and the Church the Body of Christ (His heavenly people). Consequently, it comes as quite a shock to them (as it did to me so long ago) to learn that the Bible links Israel with Heaven. How could this be? Does that not challenge the very premise of right division? Here is where we have to exercise exceptional spiritual discernment….

Heir by Position, Pauper by Practice #22

Monday, January 26, 2026

“Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Galatians 4:7 KJV).

Saints, we in Christ are spiritual winners and heirs by position, but we can choose to be spiritual losers and paupers by practice!

Re-read today’s Scripture and context (Galatians 3:22–4:11). Though the Law of Moses had been given to Israel, it was designed to prove to every Jew and every Gentile that man is sinful and therefore can merit nothing but curses from a holy, righteous God (cf. Galatians 3:10-14). Failing to keep the Law perfectly, sinners would be forced to realize they could gain acceptance before God only by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who did obey the Law completely (Romans 3:19–5:11). The Law pointed sinners to that Saviour of sinners, so, once they trusted Him, their performance in religion would remain insignificant and thus still shut out of the conversation forever.

Believers would then move to spiritual maturity, just as a biological father declares his son to be a man/adult who could be his successor in the family estate (the “adoption” of Romans 8:15-17,23; Galatians 4:5-7; and Ephesians 1:3-6). Therefore, to return to the Law is like going back to spiritual kindergarten—condemned to re-learn the basics like little children starting school at the very beginning (cf. Galatians 4:8-11,19,21). “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage…. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law” (Galatians 5:1,18).

Once Satan corrupts us with bad information, he is victorious because God cannot use us to our full potential! We did not become heirs of God by our works, so it is impossible to lose that position by failing to work. Rather than being servants (who lack the son’s rights and privileges), we believers in Christ are sons of God (today’s Scripture). What belongs to Father God is actually ours through the mediatorship of Christ (the Father’s Primary Heir!). Does it make sense for the heir of the father’s grand estate to live in poverty and squalor, eking out an existence with feeble efforts performed by dirty hands, so pitifully ignorant of whom he really is?! No, it is spiritual madness, craziness….

Heir by Position, Pauper by Practice #21

Sunday, January 25, 2026

“Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Galatians 4:7 KJV).

Saints, we in Christ are spiritual winners and heirs by position, but we can choose to be spiritual losers and paupers by practice!

Instead of resorting to the lame excuse, “This verse does not mean what it says,” we can simply leave it in its dispensational context. Just because we do not see a passage fulfilled today does not prove it to be false; it merely means the verses are not to or about us. We need to be scriptural and dispensational, especially keeping Law/Moses and Grace/Paul separate!

The Devil labors in religion because it is all about self—“I have done this, I have done that” (cf. Exodus 19:5,8). Church members seldom differentiate between this and Christianity, and such bragging demonstrates and reinforces those misunderstandings. “That no flesh should glory in his [God’s] presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:29-31). If we boast, let us brag about what the Lord Jesus Christ is for us and what HE did for us!

Romans is the standard of grace/Christian living. We have total forgiveness of all sins in Christ by grace (Romans 4:6-9 cf. Colossians 2:13) and therefore have joy (Romans 5:11), but religion questions this. Guilt weighs us down, and we stumble over 1 John 1:9 and Israel’s Law system (cf. Galatians 4:15,21)! We hesitate to believe we have complete, permanent, unconditional fellowship with Father God through Christ (1 Corinthians 1:8,9). Forgetting our victory in Christ in Romans chapters 6 and 8, we suppose we must keep laws to make God happy with us! Under the Law, we do not have liberty to do right but bondage to keep doing wrong: self-pity and misery consume us! We believe we cannot help but sin, so sin conquers us just as it did poor, hopelessly defeated Paul in Romans 7:7-25! We wonder if God loves us, doubting He has actually made us accepted in His beloved Son, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:6). We are not only paupers in religion, but also prisoners….

Heir by Position, Pauper by Practice #17

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

“Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Galatians 4:7 KJV).

Saints, we in Christ are spiritual winners and heirs by position, but we can choose to be spiritual losers and paupers by practice!

Despite the (hopefully) underlying sincerity, it is vain church tradition to urge unbelievers and new believers to begin reading the Holy Bible in the Book of John. Yea, it is more preferable for them to start in the Book of Romans. After all, Paul’s epistle (formal doctrinal letter) to the Romans is actually divided into four “grace pillars” which constitute the foundation of the Christian life. How does the Christian life commence? Read Romans! How does the Christian life work? Read Romans!

Romans chapters 1–5 is justification, having a right standing before God by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Chapters 6–8 is sanctification, being set apart unto God’s purposes (chapter 6 is how we are dead to sin, chapter 7 is how we are dead to the Law, and chapter 8 is how we are alive unto God by the indwelling Holy Spirit). Romans chapters 9–11 is dispensation, how we are not Israel and how we have not replaced Israel (chapter 9 is Israel’s past, chapter 10 is Israel’s present, and chapter 11 is Israel’s future). Chapters 12–16 is application of grace principles to specific daily situations and circumstances (renewed mind, living with fellow Christians and unbelievers, human government, weaker brethren, unity among members of the local church, et cetera).

“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6,7). Our “walk” is our Christian conduct or service—and it works by faith in Christ just as we received Him by faith (see verse 5). “Rooted in Him” suggests life (like a plant), whereas “built up in Him” implies firmness (like a structure). “Stablished in the faith” is stabilized according to sound/healthy Bible doctrine which we must first be “taught,” for our Christian life will not operate on the basis of Bible ignorance. We should be immensely grateful to God for what He has done for us. Yet, Colossians 2:8 issues a warning….

Heir by Position, Pauper by Practice #15

Monday, January 19, 2026

“Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Galatians 4:7 KJV).

Saints, we in Christ are spiritual winners and heirs by position, but we can choose to be spiritual losers and paupers by practice!

Romans is the most basic grace Bible Book: “For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me” (Romans 1:11,12). The Book of Romans “establishes” us, firmly fixes our feet in grace truth.

The final three verses of Romans are: “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen” (Romans 16:25-27). Paul praises Father God who is able to “stablish” (stabilize) us, to prevent us from swaying or drifting spiritually. How is this spiritual stability achieved? Three items are given in that doxology.

Firstly, God will “stablish” (stabilize) us according to Paul’s Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3,4), as found in the Book of Romans. This is how the Christian life begins. Secondly, God will “stablish” (stabilize) us according to the mystery/secret preaching of Jesus Christ, as made known in Paul’s epistles of Romans through Philemon. Thirdly, God will “stablish” (stabilize) us according to the Scriptures of the prophets, or the whole Bible (Genesis to Revelation) in light of Pauline information. Most professing Christians—and even most genuine believers—have no such grounding. Actually, they are those poor souls of Ephesians 4:14, “…children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;….”

Pauline dispensational Bible study is how we know precisely what God wants us to know and how we do exactly what He wants us to do….

Heir by Position, Pauper by Practice #14

Sunday, January 18, 2026

“Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Galatians 4:7 KJV).

Saints, we in Christ are spiritual winners and heirs by position, but we can choose to be spiritual losers and paupers by practice!

It is no secret that Christendom is unhealthily obsessed with Matthew through John. While these Four Gospel Records are the inspired and infallible Word of God, confused souls fail to realize Christ’s earthly ministry is still Judaism and not Christianity. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are under the Law of Moses (Matthew 8:4; Mark 1:44; Luke 5:14; cf. Luke 1:59; Luke 2:21-24; cf. Matthew 5:17-19). “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,…” (Galatians 4:4). Also, Christ’s earthly ministry was restricted to Israel because the Old Testament covenants were given exclusively to the Israelites (Romans 9:4,5; cf. Ephesians 2:11,12). “But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24; cf. Matthew 10:5-7; Romans 15:8).

Also, it is quite obvious that Christendom is exceedingly fixated on early Acts and “Pentecostal power,” more passages that are the infallible and inspired Word of God but nevertheless do not describe what the Lord is doing right now. Israel is still dominant in the opening chapters of Acts (see Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14,22,36; Acts 3:12,24-26; Acts 4:8,10; Acts 5:31; Acts 7:2), with her fall occurring in Acts chapter 7 once her leaders stoned the Prophet Stephen and thus blasphemed against the Holy Ghost (Matthew 12:31,32; Mark 3:28-30). Salvation and blessing go to the nations starting with Paul’s salvation and commissioning to Gentiles in chapter 9 of Acts.

Serving as “the apostle of the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13; cf. Acts 26:17; Romans 15:16; 1 Timothy 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:11), Paul writes inspired and infallible words in Romans through Philemon to identify true spirituality today. “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant” (1 Corinthians 14:37,38).

May we not be like most, willingly ignorant of Pauline revelation….