In this chapter, we will discuss the church during its journey delivering the message of the blessing of grace to the world.  Spiritual day/age 5, the gentile church era, began with Jesus’ ministry and is not yet completed.

Day 5 of creation of Genesis 1 provides a general overview of spiritual day/age 5.  Recall that we have mentioned correlations between the days of creation of Genesis 1; specifically, environments were created in days 1, 2, and 3, and then those environments were populated in days 4, 5, and 6.  Spiritual day/age 2, when God Almighty placed the firmament between the waters above and the waters below, correlates with day/age 5 because God Almighty populated those expanses above and below with creatures.

Then God said, “Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let the birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.”  And God created the great sea monsters, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.  And God blessed them saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”  And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.  Genesis 1:20-23  NASB

The symbolic meaning of fish and of birds suggests what is to occur during this fifth day/age of spiritual creation.  The waters below the firmament–the rivers, lakes, and seas–were filled with fish.

Why hast Thou made men like the fish of the sea,  /  Like creeping things without a ruler over them?  Habakkuk 1:14  NASB

And walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  Matthew 4:18-19  NASB

The fish of the sea are symbolic of the souls of humanity.

For the sky (the waters above the earth) God Almighty created the birds, which are symbolic of spirits, both good and evil.  Here is an example of birds as good spirits.

Now it came about when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also was baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well pleased.”  Luke 3:21-22  NASB

Recall in the parable of the sower (Matt 13:3-8), Jesus identified the birds who ate the seed at the side of the road as evil spirits.  Events in spiritual day/age 5 will include birds as symbolic representatives of spiritual beings.

In spiritual day/age 5, we have water creatures (human souls) and birds (spiritual beings).  Thus we have the suggestion that there will be heretofore unseen levels of spiritual activity with respect to humanity, a suggestion of implementation of the great commission to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19).

The apostle Paul in the eleventh chapter of his letter to the Romans discussed God Almighty’s covenants for the justification of individuals while on earth, the covenant of the Law and the covenant/blessing of grace.  The covenant of the Law with the requirement of works was given to the Israelites, but their transgressions and disobediences, including the crucifixion of Jesus, brought to Gentiles the covenant/blessing of grace with the requirement of faith.

I say then, they [Israelites/Jews] did not stumble so as to fall, did they?  May it never be!  But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.  Romans 11:11  NASB

However, this dislocation of God Almighty’s favor from Israelites/Jews to Gentiles is for a limited time.

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION,  /  HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINNES FROM JACOB.”  /  “AND THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM,  /  WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.”  Romans 11:25-27  NASB

Paul characterized this relocation of God Almighty’s favor from the Israelite/Jew to Gentiles as grafting of branches into a tree.

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you [Gentiles], being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,  …  For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?   Romans 11:17,24  NASB

Here then is an indication that Jews (descendants of Israelites) will return to God Almighty’s favor in the future.  So, Jews must be included in the background in the discussion of the spiritual progression of humanity during the time of the church of Gentiles.

Patterns for the church era of spiritual day/age 5 will come from the patriarchs, ancient Israel, and Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension.  We begin our consideration of the church age with a discussion of the church forming and growing during Jesus’ ministry.