Let me give you an example that all of us can understand. In 1957 the Internet was in existence. Some had knowledge of it, and used it everyday. While the people that had knowledge of the Internet did not know the ultimate implications of it, they knew the fundamentals; they knew what was necessary to make it work, and to communicate with others. It was a mystery to the rest of us until 1991. It is not as though it was not made known to those in the Military, but it was not made known in 1957 as it was revealed in 1991. Everyone now had access to the Internet, while before only a select few had access. Those who had knowledge of the Internet are likened to the Prophets and the redeemed of the Old Covenant, but it was not made known as it is now. The entirety of those who were informed of the Internet in 1991 are likened to the Apostles and Prophets of the New Testament. It was revealed, but veiled to the sons of men in the Old, like the Internet was in 1957, but it was revealed, but not fully, to the elect in the Old Testament. The phrase sons of men is usually a reference to the unregenerate in the Scriptures. As it is revealed now, we have the full understanding, but they back in 1957 (Old Testament) had a fundamental understanding.
As it is revealed now, does not mean we have different light than those in the Old Testament had, we simply have more of the same light. We must keep in mind, that the Holy Spirit cannot contradict Himself as He moved the men of God to write the Inspired God Breathed Word. The same Holy Spirit, who moved in Isaiah and Moses, is the same Holy Spirit that moved in Paul and Peter to write what they wrote. When the Scriptures are viewed as a unified whole concerning a given subject of theology, they speak as one mighty voice, not as incongruous, diametrically opposed ideas, competing with each other for the stamp of approval.
Keeping this in mind, we turn to the words of Isaiah:
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising (Isaiah 60:1-3).
The normative Dispensational interpretation of the phrase your light as referring to National-Ethnic Israel in the yet future Millennial Reign, but is this the intended meaning of Isaiah?
The glory of the Lord has risen upon you this is the crucial phrase. The phrase glory of the Lord is found in these passages (Exo 16:7; Exo 16:10; Exo 24:16; Exo 24:17; Exo 40:34; Exo 40:35; Lev 9:6; Lev 9:23; Num 14:10; Num 14:21; Num 16:19; Num 16:42; Num 20:6; 1Ki 8:11; 2Ch 5:14; 2Ch 7:1; 2Ch 7:2; 2Ch 7:3; Psa 104:31; Psa 138:5; Isa 35:2; Isa 40:5; Isa 58:8; Isa 60:1; Eze 1:28; Eze 3:12; Eze 3:23; Eze 10:4; Eze 10:18; Eze 11:23; Eze 43:4; Eze 43:5; Eze 44:4; Hab 2:14; Luke 2:9; 2Co 3:18; 2Co 8:19.)
The glory of the Lord spoken of here is not merely the Shekinah, or cloud of glory, such as rested above the ark in the old Covenant, but the glory of the Lord in person (Revelation 21:23; 22:5).
The glory of the Lord has risen upon you (Malachi 4:2; 1 Peter 4:14; Luke 2:32). For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you.
These passages shed further light on the glory of the Lord appearing on us:
(Mat 4:16) "THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED."
(Luke 1:79) TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, To guide our feet into the way of peace."
(John 12:46) "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.
(Act 26:18) to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'
(Rom 2:19) and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,
(2Co 4:6) For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
(Eph 5:8) for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
(Col 1:13) For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
(1Th 5:5) for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;
(Heb 12:18) For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind,
(1Pe 2:9) But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
(1Jo 2:8) On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul (1 Peter 2:9-11).
You were once not a people, but now you are the people of God. Who is Peter referring to here? Is he referring to the National Israel? Most certainly not! They were the Old Covenant people of God. Who then were once not a people? The very epistle we are studying (Ephesians) has already answered that:
Remember that you (Gentiles as normative; for there was Nineveh and Rahab to name but a few Gentiles saved under the Old Covenant) were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12).
The Gentiles were once not a people, but now are the people of God; that is, they are included and so identified with the redeemed Israelites, they are called the people of God, they are numbered among the sum total of the elect of God.
"I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, And I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they will say, 'You are my God!'" (Hosea 2:23)
Not only does Peter quote this verse, Paul does as well; and both passages, 1 Peter 2:9-11, and Romans 9:24-26, have the exact same context, the Gentiles.
Even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. As He says also in Hosea, "I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, 'MY PEOPLE,' AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, 'BELOVED.'" "AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, 'YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,' THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD" (Romans 9:24-26).
Therefore, we conclude that the inclusion of the Gentiles into the number of the saints, the body, was veiled but revealed, not in whole as it is now, but in part, but the knowledge of it was there, and so was the existence of this body; for the elect are all those who possess true saving faith in Christ. And if it is objected that all those in the Old Covenant were circumcised, I beseech you to turn to Romans 4:11, where we read:
He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them (Romans 4:11).
You see, circumcision was never to obtain righteousness; it was the sign and seal of that righteousness that was already possessed by faith alone. Judaism insists that one must be circumcised in order to be saved (Acts 15:1); but those who possess saving faith in Christ know the difference between the Jews Religion (Galatians 1:13-15) and what it means to be in the Church of God, which is in faith in Christs work alone; Peter (Acts 15:8-9,11), Barnabas and Paul (Acts 15:12) and James (Acts 15:13-18). The elect were always a sub-set of National Israel. They saw past the religion of the Jews to the real spiritual meaning of it all, for the Law is spiritual, but for those in the Jews religion, they only saw the words engraven on stone.
Our Lord had something to say about the Jews Religion and making one a proselyte, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves (Matthew 23:15).
The mystery of Christ Notice here, that it is not that the mystery = unprophesied church, distinct hope, a different gospel, a distinct eternal destiny; but the mystery is of Christ Himself.
As Paul says elsewhere,
Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:25-27).
The preaching of the Word of God, is to be specific, includes this mystery. What is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles? Christ in you, the hope of glory!
What does it mean Christ in you? In Ephesians 3:17 we read; that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Through grace through faith and faith alone, Christ dwells in our hearts by faith. So, then, this mystery among the Gentiles is that Christ is dwelling in your hearts by faith alone, Who is the hope of glory.
The Hope of Glory Rom 5:2; Eph 1:12; Eph 1:18; Col 1:27; *** 2:13 and 1Pe 1:21; it is interesting, that hope and glory are so intimately connected in these passages.
Through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:2).
To the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:12).
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints
(Ephesians 1:18).
To whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).
Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus (Titus 2:13).
Who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God (1 Peter 1:21).
In connection with this theme, that we are eagerly waiting for the blessed hope the appearing of the glory of our Great God and Savior Christ Jesus, which is the goal of our being called unto salvation, we read:
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it (Romans 8:18-25).
The restoration of the creation itself, and the revealing of the sons of God with Him in glory when He returns is our blessed hope, the same one that Paul spoke of:
"But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. "In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men (Acts 24:14-16).
You see, as above, it was revealed, but not as it is now, and not only to Paul (contrary to the constant assertion of the Dispensationalists), but Apostles plural and prophets plural by the Holy Spirit. The Gentiles are, to be specific, fellow-heirs with the saints, fellow body members with the saints and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.
Fellow heirs and fellow members of The Body, what does this mean? Those from among the nations who are redeemed are heirs together with someone else. The word heir presupposes an inheritance. As a son inherits what his father leaves him, so too this inheritance pre-existed the Gentiles being made fellow heirs-members of the body. It is of great importance that the subject of fellow heirs and fellow members is the body. But, lets complete the sentence.
-The Gentiles are fellow heir-members of the body with the saints (Ephesians 2:19). Who are the saints, but those Jews who were redeemed before the Gentiles were grafted in among them (Romans 11:16-22), to be fellow heir-members of the body?
The eternal purpose of God is the Church, but secondary to His own glory and honor. The Church is not parenthetical in Gods plan, an interlude in the eternal purpose of God; it is the eternal purpose of God. The Dispensationalists insist that we understand the Church in this manner:
<--------------National Israel Prime Purpose (The Church - Interlude Purpose) -----------> National Israel Prime Purpose Resumes
The manifold wisdom is being displayed through the Church, Gods eternal purpose. Remember, the Church being the sum total of the elect.
This revelation had nothing to do with an earthly calling to an earthly kingdom... 
