--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The New Testament reveals the present age…" description: "\"“The New Testament reveals the present age as a parenthesis in the prophetic program during which the Church is called out from among the Gentiles, a s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb8/lewis-sperry-chafer-28299_kingdom-of-god_the-new-testament-reveals-the-present-ag_1518047.jpg" --- # The New Testament reveals the present age as a parenthesis… ![“The New Testament reveals the present age as a parenthesis in the prophetic program during which the Church is called out from among the Gentiles, a stranger and pilgrim body, belonging to the kingdom of God, but in no sense identical with the kingdom of heaven.” quote by Lewis Sperry Chafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb8/lewis-sperry-chafer-28299_kingdom-of-god_the-new-testament-reveals-the-present-ag_1518047.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb8/lewis-sperry-chafer-28299_kingdom-of-god_the-new-testament-reveals-the-present-ag_1518047.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb8/lewis-sperry-chafer-28299_kingdom-of-god_the-new-testament-reveals-the-present-ag_1518047.jpg) > ““The New Testament reveals the present age as a parenthesis in the prophetic program during which the Church is called out from among the Gentiles, a stranger and pilgrim body, belonging to the kingdom of God, but in no sense identical with the kingdom of heaven.”” [Lewis Sperry Chafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-sperry-chafer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The current era is a brief interval within God's prophetic timeline, where the Church, distinct from Gentiles, is a wandering, foreign community belonging to God's kingdom yet not the heavenly kingdom itself. **In simple terms:** The age is a short phase; the Church is a pilgrim body in God's kingdom, not the heaven. Key Takeaway Recognize the Church’s unique role in history. Themes theology prophecy church identity kingdom of God Mood reflective thoughtful Type theological interpretive When to use this quote - mission work - interfaith dialogue - personal faith formation - historical study Key Concepts Ecclesiology eschatology spiritual pilgrimage Questions to Reflect On - How does this view shape your understanding of the Church’s mission? - What responsibilities arise from seeing the Church as a pilgrim? A Different Perspective The metaphor may oversimplify complex theological nuances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Kingdom of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kingdom-of-god/) [Kingdom of heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kingdom-of-heaven/) [New testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-testament/) ## Related quotes > [When one loves God better than the Church is one called a heretic?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-corelli/when-one-loves-god-better-than-the-church-is-one-called-a-heretic/) [Marie Corelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-corelli/) > [“The church is called to be semper reformanda, “always reforming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/the-church-is-called-to-be-semper-reformanda-always-reforming/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [It's a frightening thing. To go to France, the elder daughter of the church, it's always called, and you get the feeling the church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wilkins/it-s-a-frightening-thing-to-go-to-france-the-elder-daughter-of-the/) [John Wilkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wilkins/) > [“The church is called a “new man” in Ephesians 2:15, meaning it could not have existed in Old Testament times.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-rhodes/the-church-is-called-a-new-man-in-ephesians-2-15-meaning-it-could-not/) [Ron Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-rhodes/) > [The Church is called to draw near to every person, beginning with the poorest and those who suffer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-church-is-called-to-draw-near-to-every-person-beginning-with-the/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [The church is called to be now what the world is called to be ultimately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-yoder/the-church-is-called-to-be-now-what-the-world-is-called-to-be/) [John Howard Yoder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-yoder/) > [“Why do they call it the Catholic Church? Because if they called it the Pedophiles Club, nobody would join.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-golden/why-do-they-call-it-the-catholic-church-because-if-they-called-it-the/) Mike Golden > [The level above Man is called the Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God in the Gospels. It has many other names in different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-nicoll/the-level-above-man-is-called-the-kingdom-of-heaven-or-kingdom-of-god/) [Maurice Nicoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-nicoll/) > [The kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God on the earth will be combined together at Christ's coming - and that time is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/the-kingdom-of-heaven-and-the-kingdom-of-god-on-the-earth-will-be/) [Gordon B. 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He is saying that a whole new order is about to enter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-wallis/jesus-proclaimed-repent-for-the-kingdom-of-heaven-is-at-hand-he-is/) [Jim Wallis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-wallis/) > [“The Kingdom of God is, in reality, the mental kingdom of a conscientious, compassionate and courageous human.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-kingdom-of-god-is-in-reality-the-mental-kingdom-of-a/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs ! Believers who are poor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/god-blesses-those-who-are-poor-and-realize-their-need-for-him-for-the/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [If Jesus is king in heaven then the Kingdom of God is in heaven. If Jesus is king, reign on earth then the Kingdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/if-jesus-is-king-in-heaven-then-the-kingdom-of-god-is-in-heaven-if/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) ## More by Lewis Sperry Chafer > [True salvation is wholly a work of God. It is said to be both a finished work and a gift, and, therefore, it lays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-sperry-chafer/true-salvation-is-wholly-a-work-of-god-it-is-said-to-be-both-a/) [Lewis Sperry Chafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-sperry-chafer/) > [Anyone can devise a plan by which good people may go to Heaven. 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Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-roberts/) [Browse all 715 Kingdom of god quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kingdom-of-god/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The New Testament reveals the present age as a parenthesis in the prophetic program during which the Church is called out from among the Gentiles, a stranger and pilgrim body, belonging to the kingdom of God, but in no sense identical with the kingdom of heaven.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lewis Sperry Chafer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-sperry-chafer/the-new-testament-reveals-the-present-age-as-a-parenthesis-in-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Kingdom of god" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-sperry-chafer/the-new-testament-reveals-the-present-age-as-a-parenthesis-in-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb8/lewis-sperry-chafer-28299_kingdom-of-god_the-new-testament-reveals-the-present-ag_1518047.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb8/lewis-sperry-chafer-28299_kingdom-of-god_the-new-testament-reveals-the-present-ag_1518047.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb8/lewis-sperry-chafer-28299_kingdom-of-god_the-new-testament-reveals-the-present-ag_1518047.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The New Testament reveals the present age as a parenthesis in the prophetic program during which the Church…” — Lewis Sperry Chafer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lewis Sperry Chafer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-sperry-chafer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The New Testament reveals the present...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-sperry-chafer/the-new-testament-reveals-the-present-age-as-a-parenthesis-in-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-sperry-chafer/the-new-testament-reveals-the-present-age-as-a-parenthesis-in-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```