What has happened to the Body of Christ while Israel is set aside, and how does it end?
While Israel is set aside, the Body of Christ has been lifted out as a unique body or group, distinct from the earthly kingdom promised to Israel. Paul becomes the apostle of the Gentiles, and his church letters address the Body of Christ’s heavenly position. Its end comes when it is raptured out.
Les explains that the earthly kingdom was promised to Israel, but they rejected it and funneled back into the mass of Gentile humanity, almost losing their identity. Yet God kept His finger on them, so the Jew remains a viable factor to be dealt with. In the meantime, the Body of Christ has been lifted out as a unique body or group, and its end is going to be when we’re raptured out. Paul becomes the apostle of Gentiles, and his church letters are directed primarily to Gentiles in the Body of Christ, emphasizing their heavenly position. The Old Testament was written to the Jew under the Law, but we are not under the Law nor Jews, so the Jew today has a hard time comprehending Paul.