Arnold's Blog: July 2022

In the early years of my Christian life I believed in a premillennial second coming of Christ and a pretribulation rapture, then an article in "Israel My Glory" in 1990 refuting postmillennialism moved me to restudy my beliefs because the author dismissed postmillennial teachings as false without proving anything except that he disagrees with postmillennialism, so I decided to do a more objective and thorough study of Bible prophecy to either reaffirm my belief or learn if I am in error. Back then I didn't know about any amillennial or postmillennial authors or preachers, I just had a Reference Bible, a Bible Dictionary, and other Bible study aids, and occasionally visited a public library, and did prayerful and detailed studies of eschatology and prophetic books of the Bible. I am not attempting to cross swords or make enemies; I am hoping to encourage you to study this further.

In Christian eschatology, postmillennialism is the belief that the personal, bodily, and visible second coming of Christ will occur after an era of Christian prosperity and dominance, a Golden Age.

Dispensationalism replaces New Testament interpretations of Old Testament prophecies concerning Israel with Zionist teachings and interprets the historical and poetic books of the Old Testament and the Gospels and Epistles of the New Testament in the “light” of extra-biblical teachings and pet theories about the interpretation of passages of prophecy in prophetic books (especially Daniel, Zechariah, and Revelation). In many Christian circles a popular and growing trend in the study of eschatology has been to interpret passages of Bible prophecy through the lens of current headlines, distort facts and scriptures to make every passage of Bible prophecy appear to be a literal narration of end time events, try to make every current event fit the mold of pet theories about the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, support theories and predictions by cross referencing unrelated passages of Bible prophecy, and try to make dispensationalist theories into criteria for Christian fellowship. What is wrong with this picture? First, the Holy Bible is the final authority and Scripture itself, comparing Scripture with Scripture, is the key to understanding Scripture: Bible passages must be understood in relation to context and the whole Bible, and difficult passages must be understood in relation to clear passages. (Psalm 119:130; I Corinthians 2:13; II Timothy 2:15)

Those who study Bible prophecy merely to find a schedule of future events have missed the purpose of prophecy: Prophecy (even prophecies fulfilled long ago) teaches us about God and His truths, principles, standards, and Providence. (Ephesians 1:11) Many Bible prophecies that are being applied to the second coming of Christ are fulfilled prophecies (e.g., Return from Babylonian captivity, destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, etc.). When someone makes a ministry of making predictions and one or some of his predictions come true it is often assumed that this puts him and all his teachings above scrutiny. (Making a correct prediction could be considered inevitable if someone keeps making predictions. This certainly is not rightly dividing the Word of God but is putting men and theories of men above God’s Word.)

Prophecy preachers and theorists often predict a world where demonised and satanic people hold public offices after the rapture, but this has been a characteristic of the world for thousands of years. (Consider Matthew 4:8-10 & 1 John 5:19) Christians are the salt of the Earth and the light of the world, and salt cleanses, purifies, preserves, and makes people thirsty, and light dispels darkness; government corruption and social maladies are signs of a lack or decline in Christian influence or an increase in exposure of corruption, not signs that the Second Advent is imminent. (Matthew 5:13-16)

QUESTIONS FOR DISPENSATIONALISTS AND PREMILLENNIALISTS

· What is the basis for insisting that the Millennium of chapter twenty of the Book of Revelation, an extremely symbolic book, is a literal one-thousand-year period?

· Is the word "thousand" always used in the Bible in the absolute mathematical sense and never to mean a great number or amount? (E.g., Psalm 50:10; II Peter 3:8; etc.)

· Where does the Bible explicitly teach that Christ will reign on earth for a literal thousand years?

· Do you argue for a completely literal hermeneutic while insisting that some parts of the Bible are figurative, allegorical, or typical? (E.g., Revelation 1:4, 20; 17:9-12; etc. Whether some parts of the Bible are figurative, allegorical, or typical is not the issue, which parts of the Bible are figurative, allegorical, or typical is the issue. The thousand years in Revelation 20 is in a context of obvious symbolism and is a figurative expression indicating an indefinitely long period of time.)

· Where does the Bible explicitly teach that the “antichrist” will make a covenant with the Jews and then break it?

· Have you carefully studied to learn for yourself if Bible prophecies that are being applied to the second coming of Christ might be fulfilled prophecies (e.g., return from Babylonian captivity, destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, etc.)?

· How do you reconcile the teaching that Christ sitting on the throne of David is a future event with Acts 2:29-36? (Also, Matthew 28:18; I Corinthians 15:20-28; Ephesians 1:18-23; Hebrews 1:8)

· How do you reconcile the teaching of a gap between the resurrection of the saved and the resurrection of the unsaved with John 5:28-29?

· How do you reconcile the teaching that in Matthew 24:4-33 Christ gave signs of the Second Advent to be seen by people living centuries later with Matthew 24:34? “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” (Matthew 24:34; after verse thirty-four the subject changes to the second coming of Christ and the discourse does not give us any visible signs or verifiable events to precede the Second Advent except people carrying on with their lives unaware in the final phase of history after the long period of righteousness. -Matthew 24:36-39)

· What is the basis for insisting that “This generation” in Matthew 24:34 does not refer to people then living? (Consider Matthew 11:16; 12:39; 17:17; 23:36)

· If Christ wanted Matthew 24:34 to mean that Matthew 24:4-33 would be completely fulfilled within the lifetime of people then living how would he have changed the wording of Matthew 24:34 and the context thereof?

· Doesn’t the Jewish War of 66-70 AD qualify as a “great tribulation,” and if not, then why not? (Matthew 24:21)

· If the great tribulation is global, why were people living in Judea warned to flee to avoid the great tribulation? (Matthew 24:16)

· If Matthew 24:30-31 refers to the Second Advent why is the Greek word Erchomia (“coming”) used in the Greek text of Matthew 24:30 instead of Parousia?

· Do references to the “last days” give signs or conditions to indicate to people of our generation that the end of the world is near, or does the term "last days" refer to the Christian era? (Compare Joel 2:28-32 & Acts 2:16-21; 2 Timothy 3:1; Hebrews 1:1-2; II Peter 3:2-3. The Old Testament served as the “days of old” and “former years” that gave way to the “last days” that started at the First Coming of Christ. - Malachi 3:4)

· If 2 Timothy 3:2-5 is a list of signs or conditions prior to the rapture, then how many times has the rapture occurred over the last two thousand years? (The instruction "from such turn away" in 2 Timothy 3:5 indicates that the previously described conditions in chapter three of 2 Timothy existed at the time this epistle was written. Note that Christ was upon the earth during the “last days.” -Genesis 49:1 & 10; Hebrews 1:1-2; 9:26)

· If God wanted 2 Timothy 3 to be a warning of perilous times resulting from conditions that have been characteristic of the world, in greater and lesser degrees throughout Christian history, and a warning or reminder that the advance of Christianity would be accompanied by efforts of enemies of the Gospel to thwart the Lord’s work through persecution from without and corruption from within, how would he have changed the wording of 2 Timothy 3?

· What is the basis for insisting that Philippians 4:5 does not say “the Lord is at hand” in the sense that God is near His people? (Psalm 46:1; 145:18)

· What is the basis for insisting that “the end of all things” in 1 Peter 4:7 is not an obvious reference to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple around which the Jewish world revolved in the first century?

· If nearly two thousand years ago the New Testament taught that the Second Advent was near, wouldn’t that mean the Holy Bible contains error?

· Where does the Bible say that the establishment of the modern state of Israel relates to the Second Advent or the end or fulfillment of "the times of the Gentiles?"

· Why did God use singular pronouns instead of plural pronouns when addressing Abraham in the Hebrew text of Genesis 12:1-3?

· Does a comparison of 1948 USA with modern America indicate that alliance with Israel brought blessings or curses?

· Is the modern state of Israel a godly nation?

· How do you reconcile the teaching that the land promise made to Israel is yet to be fulfilled with Joshua 21:43-45 & 23:14-15?

· Where does the New Testament explicitly support the teaching that the land promise made to Israel is yet to be fulfilled?

· If God has two different plans for Jews and Gentiles, why does the New Testament say there is no longer a distinction? (Romans 1:16; 10:12; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11)

· Where does the New Testament say that Old Testament prophecies about Israel have their fulfillment in the modern state of Israel and not the Church?

· Where does the Bible say the temple will be built a third time, and if the Bible foretells a rebuilt Jewish temple why does the Bible say that God does not dwell in man-made temples anymore and that Christ is the new temple? (Acts 7:48, 17:24; John 2:19-21; Revelation 21:22)

· Why do all the New Testament passages that compare Israel to a fig tree point to Jerusalem’s destruction (not restoration)? (e.g., Luke 13:6-9)

· Why does dispensationalism divide justification by law and grace even though both law and grace are present in both the Old Testament and the New Testament? Doesn’t the New Testament teach that Old Testament saints were saved by faith? (Romans 4:1-8) Didn’t God preach the gospel beforehand to Abraham? (Galatians 3:8) Didn’t Paul quote the Old Testament in Galatians 3 to prove that nobody is justified by the law? Doesn’t Hebrews 10:4 teach that nobody was ever saved by animal sacrifices? Doesn’t the New Testament clearly teach the necessity of obedience to the moral law? (Matthew 5:19; Matthew 7:16-20; Matthew 13:36-43; Matthew 25:31-46; Romans 2:13; 3:31; James 2:10-17)

· Does “no man” in John 14:6 include both Jew and Gentile?

· How do you reconcile the teaching that Christ’s earthly kingdom will be set up in earthly Jerusalem with John 4:21?

· How do you place Zechariah 13:8 somewhere in the future when the New Testament places the previous verse in the time of Christ, making it obvious that Zechariah 14:2 is a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD? (Zechariah 13:7; Hebrews 13:20)

· How do you reconcile the teaching that the Second Advent will bring about the establishment of an earthly kingdom of Israel with the New Testament teaching that the Second Advent will bring the sudden destruction of the heavens and the earth? (II Peter 3:10-12)

THE OLIVET DISCOURSE

Does the Olivet Discourse provide signs or conditions to indicate to people of our generation that the end of the world or the Second Advent is near? Let us take another look:

The Olivet Discourse is a reply to the inquiry about the end of the Jewish world, which centered on Jerusalem and the temple, and the Second Coming (Greek: Parousia): "And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (Matthew 24:1-3)

There were many deceivers claiming to be Christian (saying that Jesus is Christ) and there were many false prophets and false messiahs in the years preceding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” (Matthew 24:4-5) “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” (Matthew 24:11) “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matthew 24:24) “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” (Romans 16:17-18) “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15) “For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision.” (Titus 1:10)

Wars, famines, and pestilences characterised the years preceding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.” (Matthew 24:6-7)

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14) “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20) Matthew 24:14 is not the Great Commission given in Matthew 28:18-20. In any language words often have various possible meanings which depend on context. Matthew 24:14 is part of a prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and is saying the gospel would be preached throughout the Roman Empire before the destruction; compare the use of word "world" elsewhere. For example, did Caesar Augustus tax everyone on the entire inhabited earth or just everyone in the Roman Empire? “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.” (Luke 2:1) Matthew 28:18-20 refers to the entire inhabited earth and verse twenty refers to the Second Advent as Christ began with "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore ...." Matthew 24:14 was fulfilled before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” (Romans 1:8) “But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.” (Romans 16:26) “Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth.” (Colossians 1:6) “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister. (Colossians 1:23)

Matthew 24:15 is an obvious reference to the earthly temple in Jerusalem then in operation. "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)" (Matthew 24:15; compare Hebrews 9:11-12, 24-25) In 66 A.D., Roman forces surrounded Jerusalem and made a thrust up to the temple walls and then withdrew for no apparent reason, and then the Christians in Judea fled to the mountains as instructed. “Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains.” (Matthew 24:16)

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matthew 24:21) This verse is preceded by “Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day.” (Matthew 24:16-20) If the “great tribulation” will be worldwide, why did Christ tell Christians to flee into the mountains?

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.” (Matthew 24:29) Here Christ used an Old Testament figure of speech for national disaster. “For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.” (Isaiah 13:10) “And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.” (Ezekiel 32:7) “The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.” (Joel 2:10) “The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.” (Joel 3:15)

“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matthew 24:30-31) Christ used figurative language to say that people would see the evidence or sign of His coming (Greek: Erchomia) in judgment against Jerusalem in 66-70 AD. Followers of Christ were destined to occupy all nations and gather the elect from all peoples. Christianity did spread and prevail after this period. (Note the use of the word Erchomia instead of Parousia)

"Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." (Matthew 24:34; compare the use of the word "generation" in Matthew 11:16; 12:39; 17:17; 23:36; etc...) Matthew 24:4-34 was fulfilled within the lifetime of people living when the prophecy was given. After verse thirty-four the subject changes to the Second Advent (Parousia) and from there the discourse does not give us any visible signs or verifiable events except people carrying on with their lives unaware. “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:36-39)

THE DAYS OF NOAH

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:36-39) The world conditions that moved God to destroy the world with an earth wide deluge were preceded by a religious movement and conversion of mankind in general. (Genesis 4:26) So, what happened? Believers (sons of God) marrying unbelievers (daughters of men) became a popular trend which had a devastating impact on society. (Genesis 6:1-5) If the Second Advent will be as the days of Noe (Noah), the teaching that there will be a period of Christian prosperity and dominance followed by a final apostasy just prior to the Second Advent does not contradict the Olivet Discourse but lines up with it.

THE LAST DAYS

References to the “last days” do not give signs or conditions to indicate to people of our generation that the end of the world is near, the term "last days" refers to the Christian era. Compare Joel 2:28-32 & Acts 2:16-21: “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.” (Joel 2:28-32) “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:16-21)

The Old Testament served as the “days of old” and “former years” that gave way to the “last days” that started at the First Coming of Christ. “Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.” (Malachi 3:4)

Christ was upon the earth during the “last days.” “And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. … The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” (Genesis 49:1 & 10) “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” (Hebrews 1:1-2) “For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:26)

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5) The instruction "from such turn away" indicates that the previously described conditions in chapter three of Second Timothy existed at the time this epistle was written. (2 Timothy 3:5)

If 2 Timothy 3:2-5 is a list of signs or conditions prior to the rapture, then how many times has the rapture occurred over the last two thousand years?

If God wanted 2 Timothy 3 to be a warning or reminder that the advance of Christianity would be accompanied by efforts of enemies of the Gospel to thwart the Lord’s work, through persecution from without and corruption from within, and a warning of perilous times resulting from conditions that have been characteristic of the world in greater and lesser degrees throughout Christian history, how would he have changed the wording of II Timothy 3?

Old Testament prophecies foretold that during the “last days,” the age between the First and Second Advents, the Christian era, God’s holy law, standards of righteousness, will go forth from the church of Jesus Christ, along with the word of the Lord (an obvious reference to the whole Bible), and there will be a Golden Age of Christian dominance and prosperity and worldwide peace prior to the Second Advent. “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Isaiah 2:2-4) “But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Micah 4:1-3) In the New Testament the church of Jesus Christ is Mount Sion {Zion} and heavenly Jerusalem, and while in the New Testament a church normally means a local body of Christians, the redeemed are also collectively referred to as the church. “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.” (Hebrews 12:22-23)

PROBLEMS WITH CHRISTIAN ZIONISM

“Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” (Matthew 21:43) Let us suppose that one of your neighbors began a building project and persuaded others to participate in this building project and let us suppose that when you asked what they are doing they explained that they are building an ark according to the instructions in Genesis 6:14-16 in preparation for a global flood. What would be your reaction if, after you told them this is unnecessary because those commands applied to Noah, they explained that this is in the Bible and they are being obedient to God’s commands?

Here are a few questions you should consider:

· Where does the Bible say that the establishment of the modern state of Israel relates to the Second Advent or the end or fulfillment of "the times of the Gentiles?"

· Why did God use singular pronouns instead of plural pronouns when addressing Abraham in the Hebrew text of Genesis 12:1-3?

· Does a comparison of 1948 USA with modern America indicate that alliance with Israel brought blessings or curses?

· Is the modern state of Israel a godly nation?

· How do you reconcile the teaching that the land promise made to Israel is yet to be fulfilled with Joshua 21:43-45 & 23:14-15?

· Where does the New Testament explicitly support the teaching that the land promise made to Israel is yet to be fulfilled?

· If God has two different plans for Jews and Gentiles, why does the New Testament say there is no longer a distinction? (Romans 1:16; 10:12; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11)

· Where does the New Testament say that Old Testament prophecies about Israel have their fulfillment in the modern state of Israel and not the Church?

· Why do all the New Testament passages that compare Israel to a fig tree point to Jerusalem’s destruction (not restoration)? (e.g., Luke 13:6-9)

God's covenant with natural Israel was a conditional covenant. “For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. …I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you. (Deuteronomy 4:23, 26-27) “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: …The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young: And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee. And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee. And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee.” (Deuteronomy 28:15, 49-53) “If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.” (Jeremiah 31:36) “Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity. They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us. Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.” (Micah 3:9-12)

The Old Testament requirement of the obedience of faith and genuine repentance removed Israel as a special nation, as natural Jews as a people cast off God's Word for their human traditions and rejected Christ. “But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.” (Numbers 15:30-31) “Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:1-9) “Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” (Matthew 21:43) “They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. …He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” (John 8:33-44, 47)

In the first century many Christians were unfairly judging one another on the basis of the observance or neglect of circumcision, the seventh-day Sabbath, Jewish holidays, dietary restrictions, and other aspects of the Old Covenant that separated or distinguished natural Jews from Gentiles as a result of the teaching that Jewish priority and privilege is perpetual; those laws were based on principles and truths that did not change, but their application changed under the New Covenant. (Consider Matthew 5:17 & Romans 3:31) The New Testament makes it clear that the real issue was whether anyone should really be considered a Jew without first becoming a Christian as the Church is a continuing body in the Old Testament and the New Testament and the New Testament Church is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy concerning Israel. “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:16-21) “And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.” (Acts 15:15-17) “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” (Romans 2:28-29) “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.” (Romans 9:6-8) “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. …Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. …Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:7,16-19,24-29) “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.” (Galatians 4:21-31) “Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:15-17) “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” (Hebrews 12:22-24) “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” (1 Peter 2:9. Note that while in the New Testament a church normally means a local body of Christians, the redeemed are also collectively referred to as the church. -Matthew 16:13-18; Hebrews 12:22-23; etc.)

Old Testament prophecy about restoring Israel was fulfilled by the calling of the Gentiles to be God’s people. Compare Amos 9:11-12 with Acts 15:13-17: “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.” (Amos 9:11-12) “And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.” (Acts 15:13-17) Compare Hosea 1:10 & 2:23 with Romans 9:22-26: “Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. …And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.” (Hosea 1:10; 2:23) “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.” (Romans 9:22-26)

The prophecy of the New Covenant that is made with the house of Israel is fulfilled in the New Testament Church. “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34) “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25) “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6) “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” (Hebrews 8:6-13) “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.” (Hebrews 10:14-18)

The modern teaching that Jewish priority and privilege is perpetual, and that God is working through two distinct bodies of people, natural Israel and the Church, and that Old Testament prophecies about Israel have their fulfillment in the modern State of Israel is contrary to Scripture.

THE MILLENNIUM OF REVELATION 20

Premillennialists claim that Revelation 20 teaches that Christ returns before the Millennium because it presents Christ as on the throne and Satan bound, but Revelation 20 does not say or imply that the return of Christ is prior to the Millennium. Jesus Christ sat down at the right hand of the Father when He ascended to heaven after His resurrection. “Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:29-36) “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.” (Hebrews 8:1) “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” (Revelation 1:5)

The Millennium of Revelation 20 began with the binding of Satan at the first advent. “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:2) “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.” (Matthew 12:28-29) “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:17-20) “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” (John 12:31)

“And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” (Revelation 20:3) The Devil is bound in that he is unable to deceive the nations in the way he did prior to the first advent when only natural Israel knew the true God. After the first advent the Gospel was preached to all nations. (Isaiah 2:2-3; 11:10; Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 2:32; 24:47; Acts 1:8; 13:47)

Christ will return at the end of the millennium. “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. … And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.” (Revelation 20:7-9, 12-13; John 5:28-29; II Thessalonians 1:7-9)

There will be a general bodily resurrection of the dead at the Second Advent after the Millennium and the Bible does not teach a gap between the resurrection of the saved and the resurrection of the unsaved. The use of the singular word “hour” (Greek: Hora) in John 5:28 makes it clear that the resurrection of the saved and the resurrection of the unsaved take place in the same period. “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:28-29)

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4-6) The first resurrection is the new birth; those who are born again have been raised from the dead spiritually. There are two resurrections: one is taking place now through the salvation of sinners and the other is the future physical resurrection of the dead. (John 5:21-29; Romans 5:17, 21; 6:11-23; Ephesians 1:20-2:6; Colossians 3:1-3; also consider I Peter 2:5, 9)

THE BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW

Rather than seeing history as HIS story and recognising God as the present ruler of the earth Who intervenes in human history and ultimately controls everything, the Providential view of history, many Christians adopt a worldly view of history, such as the Humanist, Cyclical, and Marxist views of history. (Romans 12:2; Colossians 2:8; consider Acts 17:6-7 & Ephesians 1:11) Many even believe that Satan rules the Earth; Satan rules in the hearts of unbelievers, "the wicked world system," but God is the present ruler of the Earth and nothing in the Bible ever indicates that God has ever abdicated His throne and turned rulership over to Satan. (I Chronicles 29:11-12: 2 Corinthians 4:4) The Humanist worldview deifies man, does not recognise absolute principles or truths, sees Christian culture and Bible truths as old-fashioned, restrictive, and irrelevant, and means that the strongest men (or the government) dominate home, school, culture, and church. The view that Satan rules the earth sees Christians as isolated and Christian culture as a counterculture, makes Christian culture and Christian influence irrelevant and insists that everything must go from bad to worse, limits Christian influence and responsibility to soul winning and church activities, and supports and adopts the Humanist worldview. The Christian worldview sees God as the present ruler of the earth and the Holy Bible as the final authority in all areas of human existence, sees Satan as a defeated foe, sees Christian culture as leavening all areas of life and blessing mankind, and sees self-governing Christians as influencing and dominating home, school, culture, and church.

The pagan concept of man and government makes man (corporate man, the state) the standard of truth and the ultimate authority, which puts it in conflict with God and those who believe that God is the standard of truth and the present ruler of the earth, and sees the individual as a mere servant of the state whose value is determined by his usefulness to the state, thus making encroachments upon God-given rights inevitable (e.g., encroachments upon the right to life, liberty and property, excessive taxation, excessive legislation, gun control, etc.); socialism is not really new or modern or the new wave of the future; socialism is the modern version of ancient paganism. (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10) The Christian worldview sees God as the present ruler of the earth and human government as ordained of God to protect the rights of the people and punish evildoers; in His special grace God saves sinners and in His common grace God uses human government to protect the good against evil. God is the authority that gave power to civil government, and the civil government must morally act within those perimeters. If the civil government does not act within the perimeters set by God it is acting without proper authority. (Romans 13:1-4)

Note that Christians are commissioned to convert nations as well as individuals. “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

The Throne of David

Is Christ sitting on the throne of David a future event? Christ sat on the throne of David when He was resurrected and ascended to heaven. “Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.” (Acts 2:29-31) Also consider: “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18) “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-28) “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” (Ephesians 1:18-23) “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.” (Hebrews 1:8)

THE SCOPE OF THE GOSPEL

The Bible does not limit the scope of the Gospel. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17) “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32) “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:15-21) “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” (II Corinthians 5:19) “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (I Timothy 2:1-6) “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (I John 2:2) “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.” (I John 4:14)

Did Christ limit the scope of the Gospel? "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) Matthew 7:13-14 is descriptive, not prescriptive; in the context of the time few Jews would recognise or acknowledge Jesus as the Christ and many would be killed in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and the Roman war against Judea. (Luke 19:41-44)

If you plant seeds in your garden or field and then later look at the seeds or watch your garden or field at any point in time between planting and harvest it will likely appear that nothing is happening, and this is also true of the Christianisation of the whole world. “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation.” (Luke 17:20b) “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” (Matthew 13:31-33) “And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.” (Mark 4:26-28)

While the world will eventually be a field of wheat instead of a field of tares, we can expect to have some tares among the wheat until the Final Judgement at the Second Advent. The Bible does not teach a form of universalism that says there will come a time before the Second Advent in which everyone will be perfect or even that every individual will be saved; the eventual worldwide conversion will be majoritarily, not universally. (Matthew 13:24-30)

THE VICTORIOUS CHURCH

Scriptures present the Church as victorious. (Matthew 16:17-19; 28:18-20; II Corinthians 10:3-5; I John 4:4)

The Second Advent will be after worldwide conversion. “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:21) “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. …But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?” (Hebrews 1:8 & 13) “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.” (Hebrews 10:12-13)

Note that Christ came to save the world and destroy the works of the Devil. “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:17) “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” (I John 3:8) “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.” (I John 4:14)

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:” (Acts 3:19-20) Acts 3:19-20 is the promise of the sending of Jesus Christ in salvation while He is not physically present. (John 14:23-26; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 2:17-18) The focus of the context is what had been done to Christ. (Acts 3:14-18) Peter was not telling the Jews that if they repent God will send Christ to them thousands of years in the future, Christ was being presented to them right then. The resurrection and exaltation of Christ provides for the sending of Christ to lost sinners. (Acts 3:26)

“Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:21) Christ must physically remain in heaven “until the times of restitution of all things.” This restitution is a fulfillment of that “which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Psalm 2:8; 22:27; 72:11; 86:9-10; Daniel 2:35, 44; Isaiah 2:2-4; 9:1-7; 11:1, 9; Micah 4:1-3; etc.) It is a process leading to the reformation of the fallen world as a system and where Christ’s kingdom grows and advances. (John 1:29; 3:17; 4:42; Matthew 6:9; 13:31-33; I Corinthians 15:20-27; Hebrews 9:10)

Arnold's Blog

Tuesday, July 5, 2022

A DEFENSE OF POSTMILLENIALISM (OPTIMISTIC AMILLENIALISM)