Israel is the Gentile Church; and the Gentile Church is Israel. They are one thing. They are the same thing. They are God's one and only people. And their collective name is Israel.
This is a very important message. Some people may know this, some will readily agree, some will find the idea discomforting, and some will be repulsed. However, God has confirmed this message in a very real and public way, and I will discuss that in my next post.
I am a very detail-oriented person, and I intend to explain this in detail, but some people just want me to get to the point so I am going to do that first.
I was led to acquire this book many years ago, and once I got it I devoured it as quickly as I could. It was an answer to prayer and to questions I had, and it led me to places I had never dreamed of going.
As I write this, the book is apparently still available, and the author's ministry is still active. I have had no contact with them, other than reading the book. I originally saw it advertised in the Christian magazine, World, back in 2001.
There are other resources that talk about this issue. One of them is a website link in the sidebar of this blog, "Israel and the Church," and it covers some of the key points in the "Mystery" book. In particular, it explains how the Bible shows that Gentiles are grafted into Israel. This is contrary to many of the Gentile Church's historical and current teachings on the subject.
The "Mystery" book goes beyond that, however, and taught me several profound and critical concepts that are for all disciples of Jesus. These things have been lost, although they are right there in the Bible. Because they are lost, the saints have been snookered and left teetering on the edge of defeat for centuries. It is only God's mercy and grace that have prevented complete darkness. This is a big deal.
I am nobody; just a disciple of Jesus. He has graced me with some understanding about these things, and I pray He will do the same for you.
It began for me one day as I was reading about the "armor of God" in Ephesians, and I noticed Paul concluded that discussion with a request for prayer that he would fearlessly proclaim the "mystery of the gospel" for which he was in chains. Being the young, enthusiastic believer that I was, I prayed for that, too. And I prayed for it again. And again. At church, I made my own prayer requests for the same thing. I thought, "If it was good enough for Paul, it's good enough for me." Eventually, I saw the advertisement and obtained the book.
So, back to "getting to the point"...
Gentiles are grafted into Israel.
"Israel" is the family name of Jesus and his bride.
Identification with Israel is necessary for authority. We may be able to heal the sick, cast out demons and raise the dead by using spiritual power, but if we do not have appropriate authority we will be acting lawlessly.
Grace comes through preaching about Jesus according to the Mystery.
God is going to destroy every nation but Israel. Our loyalty is important.
What is Paul's Mystery?
Paul was a Jew. So were Jesus and all the early disciples at the time. Jews were commanded not to have anything to do with non-Jews, although non-Jews were welcome to become Jews from the beginning (Exodus 12:43-51). Jesus was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel, but the Canaanite woman received grace (Matthew 15:21-28). The Centurion was most likely a Gentile and he received grace (Matthew 8:5-13). Cornelius the Gentile and his whole household were granted repentance that leads to life (Acts 10:1-11:18). Jesus sent Paul to proclaim His name to the Gentiles and to the people of Israel (Acts 9:15). In Paul's time, the mystery was the fact that God wanted Gentiles to be part of Israel.
The mystery is the same today, but most people now think the Jews are outside of the Gentile Church and must join them. The Bible doesn't say that, however. An enemy has done this. Byers recognizes this conflict and does a good job of methodically explaining what the Bible actually does say in a loving and patient way, in my opinion. I think it is revealing that this book is still available but essentially unknown. I think the Darkness wants the Mystery to remain a mystery, and I think my future posts will reveal to you why.
Paul refers to a mystery in several of his letters. According to Byers' assertions, he is referring to a single mystery, except for a couple of exceptions that I will not discuss here. The following comes from Appendix A of his book...
1) The Mystery was hidden in God from the beginning -- Romans 16:25-26; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 3:1-9; Colossians 1:26-27.
2) It is the Mystery of God -- Ephesians 3:1-9; Colossians 2:2; Colossians 4:3.
3) We are called to be ministers of this Mystery -- 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 3:1-9; Ephesians 6:19; Colossians 4:3.
4) This Mystery has been revealed to the saints, apostles, and prophets -- Romans 16:25-26; Ephesians 1:9-10,18; Ephesians 3:1-9; Colossians 1:26-27.
5) The Mystery is related to preaching to the Gentiles -- Ephesians 3:1-9; 1 Timothy 3:16.
6) The Mystery is related to spiritual "riches" among the Gentiles -- Ephesians 1:9-10, 18; Ephesians 3:1-9; Colossians 1:26-27.
7) It is the Mystery of the gospel and, therefore, it is the Mystery of our faith -- Galatians 3:8; Ephesians 6:19; 1 Timothy 3:9.
8) It is a Mystery for which Paul was in prison -- Ephesians 3:1-9; Ephesians 6:19-20; Colossians 4:3. (Byers' chart seems to have missed the Ephesians 6:20 reference, but I have included it here.)
Byers also believes the following three references are the same Mystery, but he only gave a superficial explanation about them in his Appendix A (page 147) because they could potentially touch on doctrinal issues that would be outside the scope of the book and might distract readers enough to cause them to reject his explanation.
a) "Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Cor. 15:51-52)
b) "For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved..." (Rom. 11:25-26a).
c) "'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church." (Eph. 5:31-32)
The Book
Here is a list of the book's chapters, to give you a flavor. I enthusiastically encourage everyone to get a copy of the book and read it, like I did.
Chapter 1. What a Seminar! What a Question!
Chapter 2. Who Is Israel?
Chapter 3. Who Were the First Israelites?
Chapter 4. God Chose to Save Only One Family.
Chapter 5. "Salvation Is From the Jews."
Chapter 6. The Jews Did Not Know They Had Been Rejected!
Chapter 7. Who Are Israelites Today?
Chapter 8. Are You a Citizen of the Right Nation?
Chapter 9. Total Identification; Total Assimilation.
Chapter 10. Mutiny in the Body!
Chapter 11. From the Prisoner Comes the Emancipation Proclamation.
Chapter 12. The Prisoner Reveals the Key to Victory.
Chapter 13. The Victory Has Been Promised to the Jews.
Chapter 14. Noah Found Grace In the Eyes of the Lord.
Chapter 15. Every Kingdom But One Will Cease to Exist.
Chapter 16. What Is the Answer for Us?
Chapter 17. Are You a Monarch?
Holy Spirit will help you understand these things. The Darkness will lie about it.
Grace to you.
Please continue to my next post on this topic by clicking here.
UPDATE, August 11, 2023...
Apparently, things seem to happen on this day, and they have been happening to me. Amazing.
If you read the link, above, you will see that very significant events happened around the 15th of Nisan. The Passover certainly happens around that time, and perhaps scholars have been able to make confident connections to the other events. I will leave that to them.
I joined the Michigan Assembly as an American State National on April 6 of this year. Afterwards, I realized it had been the 15th of Nisan. I also seemed to move into a new chapter of my life on that day. That was the day my spiritual sibling and her beau came to have supper at my house for the first time, and ever since then she has been confidently living her life and I have been able to give my attentions to others. It was like she was a baby bird that flew from the nest.
Some people seem to think the 15th of Nisan has something to do with "moving to new timelines," or universes, or whatever. Personally, I think those notions are "Gentile Teachings." I have asked the Holy Spirit to help me understand and comprehend what it is really all about.
He tells me it is like a "plot point" in a movie script, or the beginning of a new chapter in a book. God created the universe with order and organization, and many things in His Creation are beyond our comprehension. I believe this may be something that borders on our abilities to keep up with Him.
In my opinion, anyone who thinks they know the answers to these things really doesn't. It's like Paul's Mystery. Some things seem so simple, yet they blow right past most people. This is humbling, and exhilarating.
Hence, the name of my blog.
UPDATE, November 21, 2023...
In addition to the posts following this one about Paul's Mystery (Authority and Paul's Mystery for DUMMIES), I believe Who Are 'My People?' is also critical for people to comprehend, pray about, and ultimately embrace. The initial part is rather cryptic because I was trying to apply Socratic questioning, but the updates speak more plainly.
Please consider that post prayerfully.