A Transition Period

Sadly, this question has engendered confusion over the years. In the truest, most absolute sense, the Scriptures speak of "that first covenant [the Old Testament]" and "the second [the New Testament]" (Hebrews 8:7). So, there are only two Testamental Dispensations. 

The Hebrew writer penned: "For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead" (Hebrews 9:16-17). So, in reality, the New Testament was not in force until Christ died.

Many times, confusion arises because our understanding is deficient in some manner. Certainly, the Lord does not want us confused, and He certainly never gave us His Word to confuse us ("God is not the author of confusion"; 1 Corinthians 14:33). We are instructed to "study" to be "rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). This requires us to do as Isaiah 28:13 admonishes and lay "precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little." Every Scripture must be compatible with the entire harmony and scheme of the Scriptures. 

To properly understand there was a time of transition, we must recognize some truths concerning the ministry of the one styled in Matthew 3:1 as "John the Baptist" ("Baptizer"; Wuest's Expanded Translation of the Greek New Testament) and of Christ. John was a unique man who was a definite fulfillment of prophecy. 

In Malachi 4:5, the prophet wrote, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." Concerning John in Matthew 11:14, Jesus proclaimed, "If ye will receive it, this is Elias [Greek for the Hebrew Elijah], which was for to come." John was designated as "my messenger," who "shall prepare the way before me" (Malachi 3:1). In Matthew 11:10, Jesus said this was fulfilled in John. 

Notice the curious statement Jesus made concerning John. Matthew 11:11 states, "Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist ['baptizer'; Wuest's]: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." How can these expressions be so? It is because John was one who was "born of women," and the "least in the kingdom" is "born of the Spirit" (John 3:6). 

In Matthew 11:9, Jesus was speaking of John when He said, "A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet." John occupied the position as the last of the Old Testament prophets, and he came "in the spirit and power of Elias [Elijah]" (Luke 1:17). There had not been a public message from God since Malachi, 434 years earlier. (These 434 years were the "threescore and two weeks" the Prophet Daniel prophesied of in Daniel 9:25.) 

John's role was unique. He was "to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17). Jesus said John was "more than a prophet" because of the special position he occupied. He came "in the spirit and power of Elias [Elijah]," and he was "saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2).   John was preaching "the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3). All this was "to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17).

One truth that must be recognized—the doctrine of repentance is not solely a New Testament doctrine. Ezekiel 14:6 records, "Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols." Ezekiel 18:30 says, "Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions." The repentance aspect of John's message was the same as the Old Testament message. The distinction was what followed his message of repentance—"the kingdom of heaven is at hand." For people to be made ready (Luke 1:17) required sin to be dealt with. Thus, it was necessary to "preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (Mark 1:4). 

Israel was covenantally still under the Old Testament. When Jesus healed the ten lepers (subsequent to John's ministry), He said, "Go shew yourselves unto the priests" (Luke 17:14), in compliance with the Law (Leviticus 14:2).  However, the ministry and message of John were unique; no other prophet had that message. This aspect of "remission" was a precursor to a new dispensation that was "at hand" (Matthew 3:2). It was John's message concerning "remission," "prepare," and "the kingdom" that was transitory, and Christ continued this message concerning "the kingdom" (Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15; Luke 4:43). 

Prior to John's ministry, access into "the kingdom of God" (Luke 16:16) was not an availability. However, "since that time [John] the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it" (Luke 16:16). Thus, at that juncture, a positive response to the message enabled people to enter "into it." The Emphatic Greek Diaglott renders it as, "Every one into her presses." 

Repentance and remission were necessary, and the result was the ability to enter the kingdom. However, "the kingdom of God" did not "come with power" (Mark 9:1) during John's ministry, nor during the earthly ministry of Christ.   Christ said in Mark 9:1, "Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power." It came "with power" on the Day of Pentecost (A.D. 33), as Christ told them in Acts 1:8, when He said, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." The experience the people had (with repentance and remission) also had a preparation component. 

Acts 19:4 reads, "That they should believe on him which should come after him [John], that is, on Christ Jesus." They had to have an operation of faith. When they exercised that faith, they became "justified by faith" (Romans 5:1).

Earl R. Borders

From the February 2026 issue of The Gospel Trumpeter