is,
and then examine the teaching of the Word as to the tribulation.

I. What is the Church and the Destiny of the Church?

The church is an altogether New Testament institution. Nowhere in the
Old Testament Scriptures is there said anything about the church, the
expression so often used, the Old Testament church, or, the Jewish
church is therefore incorrect. It springs from the view that Israel,
the seed of Abraham, was the church in the past and that since Israel
has rejected Christ, the Christian Church has become Israel and all the
promises made to Israel are now being fulfilled in a spiritual way.
This theory plays havoc with the Word of God and leads into confusion.
The presentday condition of Christendom is to a great extent the result
of this erroneous view. Israel is not the church, nor has the church
taken the place of Israel. All who believed in Old Testament times
were saved by grace, in the same way as believing sinners are saved
during this dispensation. They were Saints, as we are Saints. But
where is there in any portion of the Scriptures of the Old Testament
(so-called) a statement that these Jewish believers formed the church
of God, the body and the bride of Christ? Israel was not the church in
the past and it is equally impossible that the people Israel in their
future day of restoration and blessing can become the church. Israel's
calling is earthly; the calling of the church is a heavenly calling.
Israel will some day possess the earthly Jerusalem while the church
will be in the heavenly Jerusalem.

Our Lord mentioned the church for the first time. In the Gospel of
Matthew xvi:16-18 we find the following words:

"And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou,
Simon Bar-Jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but
my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art
Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it."

Peter had made his great inspired confession of Christ as the Son of
the living God. Upon this confession the Lord said, "Blessed art thou,
Simon Bar-Jona." Each believer in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of
God shares this blessedness. He called Simon by a new name, "Thou art
Peter;" which means "a stone." Then the Lord announced that upon this
rock He would build His church. He did no