The Nugget:
Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
My Comment:
I find in my reading and listening that many Christians, both lay persons and pastors and teachers, are fundamentally mistaken about what the Bible teaches about Bible prophecy.
Ephesians 2:12 is of course very near, in terms of context, to the much more familiar Ephesians 2:8, 9, 10. It should be just as well known and understood, but it clearly is not.
The Covenants of Scripture are an important key to understanding the plan of God in history and promise. Some theologies seem to invent covenants that are not expressly stated in Scripture, and ignore, downplay, or deny the Covenants that are definitely stated as such in Scripture.
A careful study of the cross references I have placed in The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury would be a great help to understanding just what the Bible has to say about these important matters.
Ephesians 2:12
at that time. Eph 2:13, Eph 5:8, Rom 11:30, 1Co 12:2.
without Christ. %Eph 2:13, Eph 5:8, Mat 3:9, +*Joh 10:16; *Joh 15:5; *Joh 15:6, *Act 4:12, 1 Cor 12:2, Col 1:21; Col 3:7.
aliens. or, having been estranged from. Gr. apallotrioō (S# G575). Eph 4:18 g. Exo 12:43; Exo 12:45, Lev 22:25, Jos 5:9; Jos 6:23, Ezr 4:3, Isa 61:5, Eze 13:9; Eze 14:5; Eze 14:7, Gal 2:15; Gal 4:8, Col 1:21 g. Heb 11:34.
commonwealth of Israel. Eph 2:19, Num 9:10; Num 23:9, Deut 4:7; Deut 6:21; Deut 23:8, Psa 147:2; Psa 147:20, Isa 49:8; Isa 63:19, Act 22:28 g. 1Cor 10:18, Php 3:5.
strangers. Gr. xenos (S# G3581). Eph 2:19 g. +Gen 23:4 (S# H1616, S# H8453). +Exo 12:43 (S# H5236). =Lev 22:10, 1Ch 22:2, 2 Chron 6:32, Isa 14:1, Mat 25:35 g, Mat 25:38 g, Mat 25:43 g, Mat 25:44 g. Mat 27:7 g. Act 17:18 g, Act 17:21 g. Rom 16:23 g (host). Heb 11:13 g. Heb 13:9 g. 1Pe 1:1; 1Pe 4:12 g. 3Jn 1:5 g.
the covenants. +**Gen 12:2 note *Gen 15:18; +*Gen 17:7-9, Exo 19:5; Exo 24:3-11, Num 18:19, +**2Sa 7:10 note. *Psa 89:3, etc. +**Isa 55:3, **Jer 31:31-34; *Jer 33:20-26, Eze 37:26, Luk 1:72-73, *Act 3:25, Rom 2:14; Rom 9:1; +Rom 9:4; Rom 9:5; Rom 9:8, +*Gal 3:16; +*Gal 3:17.
of promise. or, the promise. +Act 26:6, Rom 15:8.
having no hope. +Eph 1:18, Job 7:6, Pro 15:29, Jer 14:8; Jer 17:13, Mat 15:26; Mat 20:7, Mar 7:27-28, Joh 4:22, Act 26:6-7; Act 27:20; Act 28:20, %+*Rom 15:4, %*Col 1:5, %*Col 1:27, 1Th 4:13, *2Th 2:16, 1Ti 1:1, %*Heb 6:18, %*Heb 6:19, %*1Pe 1:3; %*1Pe 1:21; *1Pe 3:15, 1Jn 3:3.
without God. 2 Chron 15:3. Psa 10:4, Psa 14:1, Isa 44:6; Isa 45:4; Isa 45:20, Hos 3:4, **Luk 10:22, Act 14:15-16; Act 17:23; Act 19:35, +*Rom 1:18-20; +*Rom 1:28-32; +*Rom 2:12; *Rom 10:13-15, +*1Cor 8:4-6; 1Cor 10:19-20; 1Cor 12:2, Gal 4:8, 1Th 4:5.
world. Gr. kosmos, +Mat 4:8.