Genesis 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him (Abram), saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. (Now this is a singular heir and seed of the woman as referred to in Genesis 3:15 which is Christ but also those who will come to the same trust or faith as Abraham from among the nations.) Now turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and then 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and read each and ask for and wait upon the Holy Spirit to impart the illumination of revelation.
Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars (the heavenly realm of man or the born again spiritual man), if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be (we know that for the some part only a few of the Hebrew people were spiritual and they are listed in Hebrews chapter 11.)
Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. (the spiritual seed are the righteous ones)
Genesis 15:13
"And he (God) said unto Abram, `Know of a surety (it's going to happen) that thy seed (your offspring through Isaac) shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, (they are going to be some place other than the promised land, and we know it was Egypt, not only the Hebrews but as we see in the Age of Grace all those who are of the righteousness of Abraham as strangers and sojourners in the world) and shall serve them; (they are going to go into bondage, and now here comes the time element) and they shall afflict them four hundred years:'"
Do you see that? Now God is making a prophecy that this nation coming out of this one man, Abraham, will end up in a nation that is not theirs which we know is Egypt, and it's going to cover a period of 400 years (from the time Abram leaves his home about 120 years and then when Jacob goes into Egypt and Moses removes the nation 280 years latter). Now that's the way prophecy always works. Now once we come past the first 11 chapters which is Noah, Shem and Eber, after the flood, and the tower of Babel - now comes the call of Abram and the appearance of the Nation of Israel through Jacob. But the promise is to Isaac for the children of faith. Then we come about 500 more years to Moses and the Exodus experience, and the corral of the Levitical Law. Then we have all the rest of the Old Testament writers in the prophets, the Psalms and everything else. So everything now is prophetically looking forward to, and promising of what we call, the first advent of Christ. In other words, His birth at Bethlehem when He came to the Nation of Israel to fulfill those promises, the Levitical Law and part of the prophecies.
The outline of this prophetic period or Old Testament program is Psalms Chapter 2. So here in Psalms chapter 2 we call this the outline of God's prophetic program.
Psalms 2:1-6
"Why do the heathen (in Old Testament language, and even in the New Testament anyone that was not a Hebrew born out of Isaac, and Jacob, and the Twelve sons of Jacob are either called a Gentile, a dog or heathen, or uncircumcised. So why does the heathen the non[-Hebrews) rage, and the people (the promised Covenant people, the nation of Israel) imagine a vain thing? 2. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers (of Israel) take counsel together, (even though the Book of Acts lays the blame on the Nation of Israel for crucifying Christ, yet never forget Rome, the gentiles, carried it out) against the LORD, and against his anointed (Apostle and Prophet Jesus Christ), saying, 3. `Let us break their bands (their restraints) asunder, (that is the Godhead. Let's not let God rule in our affairs) and cast away their cords (God's Sovereign rule, the corral or yoke of God's making) from us.' (Now here was the response of God the Father in Heaven) 4. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them (the nations of the world and Israel) in derision (mocking or stammering to speak unintelligibly, in confusion). 5. Then (now that's not a specific time of six months or years, but nevertheless there would be a definite time element between His crucifixion, and the next event in the timeline and that is not a pretty picture. And what is it? His wrath! The wrath of God, and) shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. (the nations of the world and Israel in particular. Now that's the Tribulation) 6. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion." Now in verse 6 that is both the Age of Grace as a parenthetical and the 1000-year Kingdom age that is coming.
Psalm 2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. (Hebrews 1:5, 3:5-6; 2Peter 1:17-18)
Psalm 2:8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the
uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. ( John 17:4-5; Psalm 22:27, 72:8 and Daniel 7:13 This is where we are in the Age of Grace as it is a parenthetical period of time and the rest of the story.)
Now then coming back to Abraham at 2000 BC all the way up to Christ's first advent it was all Hebrews, with a few exceptions, and God dealing with only the Nation of Israel. Christ came and brought about His three years of earthly ministry, preaching and proclaiming Who He was only to the Nation of Israel, (Matthew 15:24) and they crucified Him. He ascended back to glory, and now, according to Psalms 2 that we just looked at, the next event would be the wrath and vexation which would be the seven years of Tribulation and then Christ would come and yet set up His Kingdom. Now that's Psalms chapter 2, verses 5, 6, and 7-8. That's just as plain as we can get.
It's obvious then, there's something missing in those verses: what is it? The Church Age the establishing of the New Covenant based on Grace, God's doing His works in redeemed mankind. There is not a word about the Church Age in the Old Testament. There's not a word about the Church Age in the Four Gospels that God would turn to the non-Hebrew, the Gentiles, and call out of them the Body of Christ composed of Hebrews and Gentiles. The only thing that the Old Testament was looking for was the fulfillment of this line of promises, prophecies and the fulfillment of the Law. That Christ would come, He would suffer, He would die. He'd be raised from the dead and then the wrath of God would fall, and then the Kingdom would be set up. Now let us show how obvious it really is that Peter had no concept of anything other than this Old Testament timeline - Acts chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost. Remember these Jewish believers had been accused of starting their drinking a little too early in the morning. So by 9 A.M. they were drunk. We don't know how in the world they could accuse someone who was speaking in languages that everybody could understand as being drunk. Our experience with drunken people is we can't understand one language let alone many. Now in verse 15, Peter's response was:
Acts 2:15-18
"For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. (only 9 o'clock (AM) in the morning. But Peter in verse 16 is saying in effect that what you're seeing is fulfillment of prophecy) 16. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; (now where's Joel? Back in the Old Testament, it was part of prophecy, and now he quotes him. This is what Joel wrote) 17. And it shall come to pass in the last days saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18. And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:..."
Peter was seeing this happen on the day of Pentecost. Now if Peter had understood that there was going to be a Church Age and that Israel was going to go into a dispersion, he should have stopped right here, and not read the rest. Because the rest is Tribulation ground. But Peter didn't stop, because he was still hanging on that Old Testament program that Israel had to come to a knowledge of their Messiah and then the Tribulation could unfold, and then they would have the King and the Kingdom. But since he didn't understand this, look what he continues to quote in verse 19.
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