Articles

Covenant and The Mystery #1

Covenant and The Mystery #1. From Truth for Today Archives, Aug. 1964-July 1975, by Oscar M. Baker. There were seven articles entitled, “Covenant and The Mystery” (From Vol. 22, #3, p. 249)

We are told in Gal. 3 that at that time the covenant God made with Abraham back in Gen. 12 was in no way affected or annulled by the law which came 430 years after at Sinai. The epistle to the Romans has much to say about Abraham and the covenant and the law.

The question then that comes to mind is the relation of the covenant made to Abraham and the mystery. Did the mystery annul the covenant? Did Abraham have any knowledge of the mystery? Will he have a part in it? The law was added to the covenant because of transgressions, or the great transgression (the worship of the Golden Calf). Was the dispensation of the mystery added to these things? Not many seem to know the answers to these questions. They are confused.

Peter had opened the doors of the kingdom to Israel at Pentecost in Acts 2. Again he opened the doors of the kingdom to Gentiles in Acts 10 at the house of Cornelius, a Roman centurion. But there is strong evidence that Paul closed these doors of the kingdom in Acts 28 and that Israel as a nation was set aside. How long was that setting aside going to last? Hos. 6:2 says this period is to be 2 days.

There is a vast amount of prophecy concerning Israel that has not been fulfilled yet today. And there are some people who think and teach that Israel is finished, written off the books and will never again be in God’s favor. But what says the Book?

If Israel has been set aside now for 1,900 years, then what of their law, their rituals, and their obligations? What of the New Covenant which was promised to them and ratified by the blood of their Messiah whom they murdered? If they are now out of God’s program, then certainly there must be a new and entirely different administration or dispensation in force today. Christendom with one voice says there has been no change of dispensation and that the new covenant has been sent to the Gentiles. But the Bible says the salvation of God was sent to the Gentiles, not the new covenant (Acts 28:28).

Most of us have a lot to learn and to unlearn in regard to these things. Tradition is a veil that covers the eyes of Christendom today lest they should see the truth and give God the glory. And who is it that veils the eyes and blinds men to the truth? It is the god of this world, the evil one.

We have in these days revealed to us a mystery, a secret that had been hid in God from ages and generations, but made known for the first time by the apostle Paul. See his claim in Col 1:21-29. A special dispensation of grace was given to Paul alone that he might make known this wonderful gospel of the mystery. If that is true, if the Word of God is right, then Abraham never knew about it. It was no part of the promise; and that it was the adding of Gentiles to Israel and her hope, is utterly false, a lie.

Before the mystery was made known to Paul, the blessing upon Gentiles, as well as Jews, was Abrahamic, millennial, and even of the New Jerusalem, in character. The promise was still in effect. Salvation was still of the Jews. The earth was their hope (the New Jerusalem will be on the earth). But we must now turn to Romans to check this.