The Relationship of Jewish and Gentile Believers to the Law Between A.D. 30 and 70 in the Scripture

117 a mystery to Paul (Eph 3). Another dispensational premillennial answer. Though we have found fault with the epangelical view that found the Church in the Old Testament, this does not mean that the passage is not particularly relevant to the situation of the Church. While it is true that Amos referred to the Messianic age it is also true that the Old Testament only saw two stages of history: "this age" and "the age to come" when Messiah would come. That Messiah would come and not at the same time establish the kingdom was unthinkable to the Old Testament saint. Although Jesus understood that he would come twice 171 the prophets and his disciples did not. 172 Peter, Paul and the writer of Hebrews correctly describe the New Testament age as the " last days," 173 but conditions of physical prosperity do not yet exist. This is because in the New Testament age the Messiah has come once but not yet twice. Some of the promised blessings of the kingdom age were given by Messiah during the New Testament era but certainly not all. For example, the promises of the Davidic covenant referred to by Amo do not yet realize Jesus reigning on a throne. 174 The seed of David has come , however , a wa promised to David and he has redeemed mankind. Though Abraham ha not been re urrected , the hope of the resurrection which Paul describes as the hope of I rael (Act 26 :6-9 ; 2:22-32) ha been a ured by the resurrection of Je u . The promi e of the Spirit ha been poured on I rael (Act 2 :16-20) and upon Gentile (Act 10:47) and the ew Covenant i nJ ed b th 171 172 in the mmd 17 17 " 1 et 1 n H . hi careful and limited quotati n of I aiah 61 :1-2a in Luk 4 :1 - 1. p cially 1 Peter 1: 10- 12 whi h mpha iz th th pr ph t . At 2 . 17 ; 2 Pt ., 1m : 1; nd H b 1: nt mm1 tr m h t m nt He 1 n n D 1d ' thr n int , " nfu i n f th tim 1th th D td t thr n t d h n h