19. PARENTHESIS OF PRESENT DISPENSATION
over it. Having been occupied with the proclamation of the Kingdom they "close the book," and when it is opened again, it is opened at the Apocalypse, where we see the Kingdom set up with Divine power and glory.¹
The period during which the rejected kingdom is in abeyance is not taken account of in the four Gospels, for it had not yet been revealed.
It was one of "the secrets of the kingdom" spoken of by our Lord in Matt. xiii. 11, and then made known by Him.
The seven parables of the Kingdom in Matt. xiii. leap over this present Dispensation, as if it had no existence. They carry over the truths concerning the Kingdom, and continue them as though the Kingdom had never been in abeyance. To understand these seven parables aright we must entirely exclude the Church of God, and the period of its Dispensation, and read them without any reference whatever to it. We can then easily see which part of each parable belongs to the past Dispensation, and which part belongs to the next.
There are many places in Scripture in which this passing over of the present Dispensation is very plainly evident; and where, in our reading, we have, like our Lord, to "close the book." If we fail to do this, and if we refuse to notice these so-called "gaps," we cannot possibly understand the Scriptures which we read.
We give a few by way of example, placing this mark (—) to indicate the parenthesis of this present Dispensation, which comes between the previous Dispensation of Law, and the next Dispensation of Judgment² which is to follow this Present Dispensation of Grace.
Ps. cxviii. 22, "The stone which the builders refused (—) is become the head-stone of the corner."
Isa. ix. 6, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: (—) and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Compare Luke i. 31, 32.)
¹ See further on this point in Section II. of Chapter II. of Part I, page 16.
² I.e., between C and C, page 34.
III. RIGHTLY DIVIDING: AS TO DISPENSATIONS
Isa. liii. 10, 11, "It pleased the LORD to bruise him: he hath put him to grief; when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin (—) he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hands. He shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied."
Zech. ix. 9, 10, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion: shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (—) And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle-bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth."
Luke i. 31, 32, "And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. (—) He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David."
All this shows us the far-reaching consequences of the Lord's example in the Synagogue at Nazareth. Far-reaching in the confusion which arises from not heeding it; and far-reaching also in the happy results of applying the same principle that He applied to Isa. lxi. 1, 2, in all the other passages where the present Dispensation is passed over, and indicated only by a comma.
This applies only to Scriptures where the two other Dispensations are actually referred to. But there are many where only one is in question; and more care is then required to detect it, so as not to interpret of one Dispensation that which refers to another.
God's dealings in each period correspond with its distinct character; and if we would understand those dealings we must be able, readily, to classify the truth appropriate to each.
This classification forms a subject quite distinct from the Dispensations themselves, and demands separate treatment, which we propose to give in our next chapter.
¹ Others may be seen in Amos ix. 10, 11. Dan. ix. 26, 27. Hab. ii. 13, 14. Zeph. iii. 7, 8. Zech. viii. 2, 3. Luke xxi. 26. See Things to Come for Dec. 1904, Vol. X.
DISPENSATIONAL TRUTH AND TEACHING