Our dear apostle wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:3-7: “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. In whom the God of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined into our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the Excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
Aren’t you so glad that the “glorious gospel of Christ, shined into your hearts” one day? We too had our minds blinded by Satan & his “unclean thing,” calledreligion. But God saw fit to “command the light of knowledge, & right division to shine into our hearts. Now we have this treasure of rightly dividing the word of God in our earthen vessels that the Excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.
This is why we study Israels Program & Ours. Paul admonished us: “for I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.
1 Peter 2:11-12: “Dearly beloved, I beseech (plead) you as strangers, and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; (12) Having your conversation (manner of life) honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the Day of Visitation.
Peter is writing about an event that will take place before the resumption and the fulfillment of God’s program with Israel, in Ages To Come. The Day of Visitation will take place after this dispensation of grace is over. The dispensation of grace was still a mystery, hid in God. Because we honor God’s method of “right division,” we understand what God was doing in Time Past, what God is doing today “But Now” & what God is going to do in Ages to come when he resumes & fulfills His program with Israel.
Peter explains that God expects the believing remnant to have a impact or an influence over the Gentiles that were scattered out amongst them. The impact or influence was connected with His Day of Visitation, at the last stage of God’s Day of :Wrath. The Day of Visitation means God will VISIT the Gentiles in His anger, yes His wrath. And, God will avenge His cause with Israel.
David wrote in the 59th Psalms, vs 3: “For lo, they (Gentiles) lie in wait for my soul (believing remnants) the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin oh Lord. Vs. 5 “Now therefore, oh Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to VISIT all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Vs. 7 “but thou, oh Lord, shall LAUGH at them; thou shall have all the heathen in derision (willful disobedience, open disrespect
David understood the time will come when God will VISIT the heathen and will LAUGH at him, for God knows his days are numbered. And God will deliver and defend the believing remnant, avenging His cause with Israel. The Day of Visitation will come at the end of the Day of Wrath, not the beginning.
The remnant will have a message. They will be preaching the gospel of the Kingdom. They will make an offer to the Gentile nations, for them to respond positively to the gospel of the Kingdom and not be consumed and God’s wrath, but instead be participants in the Kingdom.
The Prophet Jeremiah confirmed the Time of the Day of Visitation.” the word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles. This is the description of the Lord in His Day of Wrath against the Gentiles. Destruction cometh, Because of their wickedness the day of their calamity will come upon them, and the time of their Visitation. God will declare vengeance and destroy Satan’s policy of evil in the earth, and the unbelieving Gentiles and apostate Israel. (46:1; 21).
Israel’s Redeemer is strong, the Lord of hosts is His name, He shall thoroughly plead Israel’s cause. This is why the Gentiles will be VISITED. The Lord will avenge Israel’s cause, and establish His Kingdom, fulfilling His plan & purpose with Israel on the earth. God’s purpose with the nation of Israel is to destroy the satanic policy of evil on this earth, and establish God’s Kingdom on this earth fulfilling Genesis 12 & Genesis 3:15. This concludes our study of Israel’s Great Commission. Now we will turn our attention to OUR COMMISSION, to the CBOC, in lesson 9 & 10 .
Colman J. Gilliland 