Believers who live during the dread time of the Antichrist and the Beast at the end of this age, are likewise

exhorted to hold fast faithfully and endure even to death with a view to having an inheritance in this glorious city

(Rev. 2:10; 3:11,12).

The careful reader will not fail to notice the prominent place that is still given to Israel. Revelation 21:12-14

declares that there are twelve gates and upon each is the name of the twelve tribes of Israel, and upon the

foundations are written the names of the twelve apostles. Those overcomers who are blessed in this sphere, are

either Israelites or Gentiles who have been associated with Israel and go through Israel's gates into the city.

So we see that the hope of the Pentecostal church was Israel's hope, the setting up of the kingdom of God on this

earth; their reward or prize is something better, the Heavenly Jerusalem which is to come down from heaven to the

new earth at the goal of the ages. As we search the Scriptures with opened eyes we shall find the nation of Israel

dominates the scene from Genesis 12 to Acts 28. They are in the forefront of God's purposes and He plans to bless

the whole earth through them. At the end of the Acts they are laid aside in unbelief and hardness of heart.

THIS MEANS THAT GOD MUST HAVE SOME NEW METHOD OF DEALING WITH MANKIND, OTHERWISE

HIS

WOULD BE FRUSTRATED AND THE DEVIL WOULD HAVE TRIUMPHED.

Either He has appointed a fresh channel through which to bless all families of the earth, or He has revealed

another aspect of the purpose of the ages through Christ. Only the Word of God can settle this for us.

At the beginning of the Acts the word was sent to Israel alone (Acts 10:36) because of their prior place as the

instrument for world blessing. Then, as the Gentile was brought in to share Israel's blessings, we read `children of

the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent' (13:26). At

the end we have `Be it known therefore unto you (Jews), that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that

they will hear it' (28:28), that is to the Gentiles independently now of the Jewish nation. This age is predominantly

a Gentile one, so can we find any Scriptures written after the Acts which are addressed to Gentiles, without being

associated with the nation of Israel? Can we find a writer who is commissioned by the ascended Christ to minister

to Gentiles apart from the earthly people? The answer is we can, and he is the apostle Paul. After the Acts period

Paul wrote seven more epistles. They are Ephesians, Philippians, Titus, Colossians, Philemon, 1 Timothy and

2 Timothy.

`I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles' (Eph. 3:1), and in verse 8 `that I should preach among the

Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ'.

`To whom God would (or wills to) make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery (secret) among the

Gentiles ...' (Col. 1:27).

`I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle ... a preacher of the Gentiles' (1 Tim. 2:7).

`I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles' (2 Tim. 1:11).

`Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known,

and that all the Gentiles might hear ...' (2 Tim. 4:17).

This then is what we are seeking - a mouthpiece for the ascended Christ with a message for us who are Gentiles

showing exactly where we stand in the Divine plan now that Israel has failed. No other New Testament writer

makes this claim. Paul is pre-eminently the Apostle of the Gentiles, and in his letters mentioned above we have the

special features of truth for the Gentile age revealed, resting upon the finished work of Christ on Calvary's Cross.

The foundation has not altered, for the Lord Jesus Christ is the `same yesterday, and today, and for ever' (Heb.

13:8). The truth concerning sin, salvation by grace, sanctification, and allied foundation doctrines of the Christian

faith remain unchanged. They are true for all time for the redeemed of all dispensations. What has happened is that

the superstructure has changed, or to put it another way, God has taken the opportunity, consequent on Israel's

failure, to reveal another phase of His plan, this time touching the heavens and not the earth. Let us repeat that this