Skip to content

Topics Research

Question

Is the Church a "mystery parenthesis" unknown to OT prophets? Tests FUT's keystone presupposition.

Topics

MYSTERIES

Full Nave's Entry: - OF REDEMPTION: DEU 29:29; JOB 15:8; PSA 25:14; PRO 3:32; AMO 3:7; MAT 11:25; 13:11,35; MRK 4:11; LUK 8:10; JHN 3:8-12; ROM 16:25,26; 1CO 2:7-10; 2CO 3:12-18; EPH 1:9,10; 3:3-5,9,18,19; 6:19; COL 1:25-27; 2:2; 4:3,4; 2TH 2:7; 1TI 3:9,16; HEB 5:11; 1PE 1:10-12; REV 10:7 - See SALVATION, PLAN OF

Key Observation: Nave's categorizes "mysteries" under "OF REDEMPTION" -- the mystery is about the plan of salvation, not about a separate dispensational entity. The entry links Eph 3:3-5 with Rom 16:25-26, Col 1:25-27, 1 Cor 2:7-10, and 1 Pet 1:10-12, treating them as parallel passages about the same mystery.

GENTILES

Full Nave's Entry:

Unclassified Scriptures: JER 10:2,3; MAT 6:7,8,31,32; ACT 14:16; 17:4,16,17,22-27; ROM 1:18-32; 2:1-15; 1CO 10:20; 12:2; GAL 2:15; EPH 2:12; 4:17-19; 5:12; 1TH 4:4; 1PE 4:3,4

PROPHECIES OF THE CONVERSION OF (OT predictions of Gentile inclusion): GEN 12:3,5; 22:18; 49:10; DEU 32:21; PSA 2:8; 22:27-31; 46:4,10; 65:2,5; 66:4; 68:31,32; 72:1-20; 86:9; 102:15,18-22; 145:10,11; ISA 2:2-5; 9:1-7; 11:1-10; 18:7; 24:16; 35:1-10; 40:4-11; 42:1-12; 45:6,8,22-24; 49:1,5,6,18-23; 54:1-3; 55:5; 56:3,6-8; 60:1,3-5,8-14; 65:1; 66:7-23; JER 3:17; 4:2; 16:19-21; EZK 47:3-5; DAN 2:35,44,45; 7:13,14; HOS 2:23; JOL 2:28-32; AMO 9:11,12; MIC 4:3,4; HAG 2:7; ZEC 2:10,11; 6:15; 8:1-23; 9:1,9-17; 14:8-21; MAL 1:11; MAT 3:9; 8:11; 12:17-21; 19:30; MRK 10:31; LUK 13:29,30; 21:24; JHN 10:16; ACT 9:15

Key Observation: Nave's lists an enormous OT catalog (50+ references) under "PROPHECIES OF THE CONVERSION OF" Gentiles. This is not a minor or obscure strand -- it is a massive OT expectation of Gentile inclusion in God's people. If this was prophesied extensively, Gentile inclusion cannot be called "completely unknown."

CONVERSION OF (NT fulfillment): ACT 10:45; 11:1-18; 13:2,46-48; 14:27; 15:7-9,12-31; 18:4-6; 26:16-18; 28:28; ROM 1:5-7; 9:22-30; 10:19,20; 11:11-13,17-21; 15:9-12; GAL 1:15,16; 2:2; 3:14; EPH 3:1-8; COL 3:11; 1TH 2:16; 1TI 3:16; 2TI 1:11; REV 11:15; 15:4

CHURCH

Full Nave's Entry:

Definition: (Hebrew: qahal, 'edah; Greek: ekklesia) -- The people of God; the collective body of believers. (Also, CONGREGATION, ASSEMBLY, THE BODY OF CHRIST.)

Key Names and Titles: - Called CONGREGATION in the O.T.: EXO 12:3,6,19,47; 16:1,2,9,10,22; LEV 4:13,15; 10:17; 24:14 - Called CHURCH in the N.T.: MAT 16:18; 18:17; ACT 2:47; 1CO 11:18; 14:19,23,28,33,34; 15:9; GAL 1:13 - BODY OF CHRIST: EPH 1:22,23; COL 1:24 - ISRAEL OF GOD: GAL 6:16 - HOUSEHOLD OF GOD: EPH 2:19 - FAMILY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH: EPH 3:15 - FOLD OF CHRIST: JHN 10:16 - GENERAL ASSEMBLY: HEB 12:23 - BRIDE OF CHRIST: REV 21:9 - CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN: HEB 12:23 - HEAVENLY JERUSALEM: GAL 4:26; HEB 12:22 - KINGDOM OF GOD: MAT 6:33; 12:28; 19:24; 21:31 - LAMB'S WIFE: REV 19:7-9; 21:9

Key Observation: Nave's explicitly defines the Church as "the people of God; the collective body of believers" and states it was "Called CONGREGATION in the O.T." and "Called CHURCH in the N.T." -- treating them as the SAME entity under different names in different testaments.

UNITY OF: PSA 133:1; JHN 10:16; 17:11,21-23; ROM 12:4,5; 1CO 10:17; 12:5,12-27; GAL 3:26-28; EPH 1:10; 2:14-19,21; 3:6,15; 4:4-6,12,13,16,25; COL 3:11,15

PROPHECIES CONCERNING PROSPERITY OF (massive OT list): GEN 12:3; 49:10; DEU 32:21; PSA 2:8; 22:27-31; 46:4,10; 65:2; 66:4; 68:31,32; 69:35,36; 72:1-20; 85:10-12; 86:9; 87:4; 89:1-37; 96:1-13; 102:13-16,18-22; 110:1-7; 113:3; 118:24; 126:5,6; 132:15-17; 138:4,5; 145:10,11; ISA 2:2-5; 4:2,3,5,6; 9:1-7; 11:1-10; 18:7; 19:24,25; 23:17,18; 24:16; 25:6-8; 29:18-24; 30:20; 32:1-20; 33:5,13-24; 35:1-10; 40:4-11; 41:17-20; 42:1-12; 44:3-5; 45:6,8,14,23,24; 46:12,13; 49:6-12,18-23; 51:3-16; 52:1-15; 53:10-12; 54:1-17; 55:1-13; 56:3-8; 59:19-21; 60:1-22; 61:1-11; 62:1-12; 65:1-25; 66:7-23; JER 3:17; 4:2; 16:19-21; 31:7-9,34; 33:22; EZK 17:22-24; 34:23-31; 47:1-12; DAN 2:35,44,45; 7:13,14,18,22,27; 12:1-13; JOL 2:26-32; 3:18; AMO 9:11,12; MIC 4:1-7; 5:2-15; HAB 2:14; ZEP 2:11; 3:9-20; HAG 2:7-9; ZEC 2:10,11; 6:15; 8:20-23; 9:1,9-17; 14:8-21; MAL 1:11; MAT 8:11; 11:5,11; 13:16,17,31-33; 16:18; MRK 4:26-32; LUK 7:22; JHN 8:35; 10:16; ACT 2:16-21; ROM 1:5-7; 1CO 15:24-28; EPH 1:10; HEB 12:23,24,27,28; REV 5:10,13,14; 11:15; 12:10; 15:4; 20:4-6; 21:9-27; 22:1-5

Key Observation: Nave's lists Church prosperity prophecies starting from Gen 12:3 -- the Abrahamic covenant. The Church's prophesied prosperity includes the identical OT passages listed under Gentile conversion. Nave's treats the Church and Israel's prophetic future as overlapping, not separate.

TRIUMPHANT: GAL 4:26; HEB 12:22,23; REV 3:12; 21:3,10

UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES: DEU 32:9; PSA 2:6; 9:11,14; 14:7; 20:2; 46:4,5; 48:1,2,11-13; 50:2; ACT 7:38 (included in the main list!)

COVENANT

Full Nave's Entry:

OF GOD WITH MEN: - Confirmed with an oath: GEN 22:16; 26:3; 50:24; PSA 89:35; 105:9; LUK 1:73; HEB 6:13,17,18 - Everlasting: GEN 8:20-22; 9:1-17; PSA 105:8,10; ISA 54:10; 61:8 - God faithful to: LEV 26:44,45; DEU 4:31; 7:8,9; JDG 2:1; 1KI 8:23; PSA 105:8-11; 106:45; 111:5; MIC 7:20

INSTANCES OF -- With Abraham: GEN 12:1-3; 15; 17:1-22; EXO 6:4-8; PSA 105:8-11; ROM 9:7-13; GAL 3

THE SECOND COVENANT (New Covenant): JER 31:31-34; HEB 8:4-13; 12:18-24; 13:20

To be confirmed: DAN 9:27

Key Observation: The covenant with Abraham (Gen 12:1-3; 17:1-22) is listed as the foundational covenant, and Gal 3 is included as its NT interpretation. Dan 9:27's "confirm the covenant" is listed under the covenant section, linking it to the Abrahamic/salvation covenant rather than a separate dispensational covenant.

CONGREGATION

Full Nave's Entry: - Those who were excluded from: DEU 23:1-3 - See CHURCH - See EXCOMMUNICATION

Key Observation: Nave's treats CONGREGATION as a cross-reference to CHURCH -- they are the same topic. This is consistent with the CHURCH entry defining itself as "Called CONGREGATION in the O.T."

PROPHECY

Full Nave's Entry:

OLD TESTAMENT MESSIANIC PASSAGES QUOTED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT (selection relevant to Gentile inclusion): - GEN 12:3; 18:18; 22:18 with ACT 3:25; GAL 3:8 - ISA 11:10 with ROM 15:12 - ISA 42:1-4 with MAT 12:17-21 - ISA 49:6 with LUK 2:32; ACT 13:47,48; 26:23 - HOS 1:10 with ROM 9:26 - HOS 2:23 with ROM 9:25; 1PE 2:10 - JOL 2:28-32 with ACT 2:16-21 - AMO 9:11,12 with ACT 15:16,17 - ISA 55:3 with ACT 13:34 - ISA 59:20,21 with ROM 11:26,27

Key Observation: Nave's PROPHECY entry provides explicit OT-to-NT fulfillment pairs. The NT authors repeatedly cite OT prophecies and declare them fulfilled in Gentile inclusion. This is not a matter of interpretation -- it is the NT's own reading of the OT.

ABRAHAM

From Nave's entry: GEN 12:1-3; 15:6; 17:5; 22:16; ROM 4:1-22; 4:13,16-18; GAL 3:6-18,29; HEB 6:13,17,18; 7:1-10; 11:8-10,17; JAS 2:21-24

The Abrahamic covenant is repeatedly interpreted by NT authors as including Gentile believers. Abraham is called "the father of many nations" (Gen 17:5) and Paul interprets this as applying to all who share Abraham's faith, not just his ethnic descendants (Rom 4:11-17; Gal 3:7,29).

ISRAEL

From Nave's entry: ISA 49:3 (Messiah called "Israel"); GEN 32:24-32; REV 21:12

The term "Israel" is applied to the Messiah himself in Isa 49:3, suggesting the identity "Israel" transcends ethnic boundaries and centers on the Messianic calling.