In the glory of the Jews it seems that the Gentiles were forgotten and then in the Glory of the Gentiles it seems that the Jews have been forgotten. There has always been a division between the Jew and the Gentile. The Scriptures verify this in the flesh because of the seed of Abraham. The division being Ishmael, the Gentile, the firstborn of Abraham by the bondwoman, Hagar and the second son, Isaac, the Jew, as promised to the free woman. This being an allegory of the Scriptures people cannot brush over this fact or this happening and get its real meaning. The Beloved John and Apostle Paul endeavored to point out the uniting of these two people through Jesus Christ, the one sacrifice and atoning for all. I have thought very much on the two Scriptures used by the Beloved John where he always referred to the elect and then to the elect sister that is found in the second Epistle of John, this pointing out an elect lady and an elect sister. The great wise man, Solomon, spoke of it as having a little sister, also. I have reasons for believing that this was the Jew and the Gentile Church, which space is not available to go into detail. I would like to refer to some more important facts in conjunction with this subject.

The fact: that it has been overlooked by the Jews and also the Gentile Christians is, a Promise God made to Abraham in regard to Ishmael. It is true that the believing Gentile is Abraham’s seed because Ishmael was Abraham’s seed. The Promise was made that through Ishmael there were to be Twelve Princes, even though the Twelve Tribes of Gentiles were scattered abroad as the Jews are today. Under this great Promise, WE, THE CHURCH OF GOD, present the Twelve Gentile Apostles (Princes). Even though Isaac was of the circumcision, Ishmael was first circumcised; this can be found in Genesis 17:20. When the fullness  of the Gentiles comes, they are to be a great nation, and this will be the fullness of this Promise. This greatness is made up of the twenty-four elders, or the thousand years’ reign. Twelve Jewish Apostles and Twelve Gentile Apostles. There are the Two Sticks spoken of by Ezekiel—the stick of Judah and the stick of Joseph. Judah--(the old House of Israel), and Joseph--(of the Gentile nation); and these Two Sticks becoming one (The Church).

The second Promise made to Ishmael, concerning the first, came from God to his mother, Hagar (Genesis 21:18-20). "Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for, I will make him a great nation. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water and gave the lad drink.  And God was with the lad and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer." Today, the Gentiles drink of that well. It is reaching its fullness for the grafting of the Jews and they two are becoming one.

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* Article Written By:  The Late Grady R. Kent, St. John II, Chief Bishop of The Church of God, 1957-1964. This sermon was taken from The Vision Speaks, Volume 2 : Number 12 : April 1960.

All grammatical and typographical errors have been corrected except for direct quotations from the Author.  Thought content of said article has not been changed.