DISPENSATIONALISM: CHURCH IN OT PROPHECY?

Dispensationalism has had a large influence upon American Christianity for about a hundred years. It has an influence on the interpretations of Scripture by believers who do not think of themselves as being dispensationalists, or even know exactly what this theology says. If you come across someone who opposes what you say about the Bible based upon Remnant Teachings of the Christian Media Network and cmnfolks, this opposition will most likely come out of dispensationalism. Its true that people in the Reformed camp will sometimes disagree strongly with our interpretations of end time prophecy, but they are not as numerous as dispensationalists. There are a number of teachings by the dispensationalists and many of these are not brought up when considering what this theology is all about. Here is a list of dispensationalist teachings I pulled out of a longer list, from: http://www.fpcjackson.org/resources/apologetics/Covenant%20Theology%20&%20Justif\ ication/Ligons_covtheology/09.htm Dispensationalism May be Arminian or modified Calvinist. Almost never 5-point Calvinist. Stresses literal interpretation of the Bible. Israel always means only the literal, physical descendants of Jacob. Israel of God in Galatians 6:16 means physical Israel alone. God has two peoples with two separate destinies: Israel (earthly) and the Church (heavenly). The Church was not prophesied as such in the O.T. but was a hidden mystery until the N.T. All O.T. prophecies for Israel, are for literal Israel, not the Church. God's main purpose in history is literal Israel. The Church is a parenthesis in God's program for the ages. The main heir to Abraham's covenant was Isaac and literal Israel. Israel was rash to accept the Covenant at Mt. Sinai. The New Covenant of Jeremiah. 31:31- 34 is only for literal Israel and is not the New Covenant of Luke 22:20 Some Dispensationalists have said that O.T. sinners were saved by works. Most Dispensationalists teach that men in the O.T. were saved by faith in a revelation peculiar to their Dispensation, but this did not include faith in the Messiah as their sin-bearer. The O.T. sacrifices were not recognized as the Gospel or types of the Messiah as sin-bearer, but only seen as such in retrospect. The Holy Spirit indwells only believers in the Dispensation of Grace, not O.T. and not after the Rapture. Jesus made an offer of the literal Kingdom to Israel; since Israel rejected it, it is postponed. O.T. believers were not 'in Christ,' nor part of the Body or Bride of Christ. The Law has been abolished. O.T. laws are no longer in effect unless repeated in the N.T. The O.T. animal sacrifices will be restored in the Millennium. David will sit on the Millennial throne in Jerusalem. In addition, dispensationalists tend to present the broad way to salvation. See Matthew 7: 13-16, 21-23. Dispensationalists do not seem to differentiate between apostate or physical Israel and the Remnant of Israel who were faithful to God. This mistake has led into the Christian Zionism of CUFI under John Hagee, which glorifies the nation of Israel and rejects the identify of Christians in Christ. Had the dispensationalists separated out the Remnant of Israel, which was a small group of the faithful, from the large number of Jews who were not faithful, they might not have come to the false teachings that God has two distinct peoples he deals with, the Jews and the Church, or that there can be no application of Old Testament prophecy applied to Christ's followers, the Church. Dispensationalism is a man-made theology which has become a tradition of men (Matthew 15: 6, Mark 7: 13). It is another gospel. In science a theory must be stated as working hypotheses which can be tested against data in experiments. How well a working hypothesis fits the data is often referred to as the validity of that hypothesis. Many of the several teachings of dispensationalism do not work very well when tested by the "data" of Scripture without resort to the slippery machinations of interpretation offered by dispensationalists and their followers in an effort to make Scripture appear to fit their theology. Dispensationalism does not have very high "validity," and in cases where the theology contradicts New Testament interpretations of Old Testament verses, the dispensationals are clearly guilty of interpretation of Scripture by theology rather than by Scripture. I want to focus on just one teachings of dispensationalism, that we cannot interpret Old testament prophecy as applying to the Christian Church. Classical dispensationalist theologians taught that the Old Testament prophets knew nothing about the Church which came into being at Pentecost. I think that Progressive Dispensationalists have mostly given up this claim, but I am interested in the older dispensationalist claim that no prophecy in the Old Testament can be applied to the establishment of the Church at Pentecost. The older or classical dispensationalists include John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), C.I. Scofield (1843-1921), Lewis Sperry Chafer, Charles Ryrie, Dwight Pentecost and John Walvoord. There are younger dispensationalists though, like John Hagee (born 1940 I think), who still follow classical dispensationalism and Hagee is following an extreme version of the theology. When New Testament writers such as Peter, Christ himself in Matthew or Paul acknowledge that an Old Testament prophecy on something clearly characteristic of Christ's followers after Pentecost was fulfilled, the classical dispensationalists are faced with a dilemma. For example, Peter says in Acts 2: 16 that Joel 2: 28-32 was fulfilled in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, a dispensationalist might say that Joel is talking about the locust plague and that Peter did not really mean that the prophecy of Joel 2: 28 was fulfilled. But this does not accurately follow what Joel 2: 28 and texts surrounding it are saying, and might suggest an inability to parse the statements made in Joel. In Luke 4: 17-21 Jesus quoted Isaiah 61: 1-2 and then said "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." he left out "the day of vengeance of our God..." in Isaiah 61: 2, but he did say that Isaiah 61 : 1-2 in predicting specific functions of his ministry, which was to extend into the ministry of his Apostles in the period following Pentecost, was fulfilled. Again, the classical dispensationalists would not want to accept this statement by Christ that an Old Testament prophecy about the ministry of Christ and his Apostles was fulfilled. And in squirming around in their interpretation of Luke 4: 17-21 the dispensationalists may in effect admit that they are using man-made theology to interpret Scripture rather than using Scripture to interpret Scripture. There are other Old Testament prophecies dealing with some aspect of the ministry of Christ and of his apostles such as Psalm 118: 22-23 about Christ as the corner stone and especially Isaiah 28: 16-17 on Christ being the chief corner stone in Zion, the reference to the plumb line of Amos 7: 7-8, and the sweeping away of the refuge of lies of false prophets that are said to be fulfilled in the New Testament. In Matthew 21: 42-43 Jesus says "Did you never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, The same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I under you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." Paul uses the Old Testament prophecy of Christ as the chief corner stone of what was to become the New Testament Body of Christ in Romans 9: 32-33 where he says "Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written, Behold I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offense and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." Then I Peter 2: 5-9 uses Christ as the stone of stumbling in saying "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8. And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 9. 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:" The Old Testament prophecy of Jesus Christ as the chief corner stone (Psalm 118: 22-23; Isaiah 28: 16-17) became the stone of stumbling for the majority of physical Israel, the Jews, but he became the corner stone of faith for both Gentiles and Jews who accepted him. CUFI, Christians United For Israel, and their leader John Hagee, might like to ignore I Peter 2: 9, saying that Christians, not unsaved members of physical Israel, are the chosen generation, a holy nation and a royal priesthood. Dispensationalists might try to claim that Peter was only talking about Jews who accepted Christ as being a chosen generation, but this contradicts what Peter testified in Acts 15: 7-12 that God gave Gentiles the Holy Spirit and put no difference between Christian Gentiles and Christian Jews. Peter in Acts 10: 43 says "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." Peter here states a very important part of the ministry of Christ which he gave over to his Apostles, that whoever believes on Christ will have his sins forgiven. Do we find a prophecy in the Old Testament saying that Christ will take away the sins of his people? Isaiah 53: 11 says "...by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities." Jeremiah 31: 34 says "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." Daniel 9: 24 says "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy." The next verse identifies the one who will make reconciliation for iniquity; it is Messiah the Prince. Micah 7: 18 says "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy." The remnant of his heritage is the Remnant of Israel, or spiritual Israel, all those saved by Christ in all ages. Zechariah 13: 1: "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness." With their consistent literal interpretation the classical dispensationalists would try to wiggle out of Zechariah 13: 1 by saying that the house of David is physical Israel, the Jews, and that Jerusalem refers to the physical-literal city of Jerusalem. No,, Zechariah 13: 1 is saying that the house of David is Jesus Christ and is using "Jerusalem" metaphorically, that is, Jerusalem is spiritual Jerusalem. Malachi 4: 2 says "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall." The Sun of righteousness again is Christ and his healing includes forgiveness for sin. Paul in Romans 15:12 quotes Isaiah 11: 10 which says "And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious." I count sixteen verses in the Old Testament which prophesy that Gentiles will become part of God's elect, that is, of spiritual Israel. Isaiah 11: 10 is just one of these verses. Isaiah 42: 6 says "I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;" Spiritual Israel, under Christ, is said here to become a light of the Gentiles. Isaiah 49: 6 says "And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth." Spiritual Israel is not only to become a light to the Gentiles but is to be the Lord's way of salvation "unto the end of the earth." Then Isaiah 54; 3 says "For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited." Isaiah 60: 3 says "And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." Isaiah 61: 9 says "And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed." Isaiah 62: 1-3, 11-12 For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. 2. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. 3. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God... . Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 12. And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken." Spiritual Israel in Isaiah 62 is to be called by a new name. Could this be Christians? Isaiah 66: 12 says " For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees." Jeremiah 4: 2 says "And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory." The nations, or many different peoples, are to bless themselves in the Lord. This, and other texts quoted above, is beginning to sound like bringing the Gentiles into spiritual is much more important for the Old Testament prophets than admitting a few Gentiles to Israel now and then. It sounds like a whole bunch of Gentiles are scheduled to come into spiritual Israel. How did the classical dispensationalists miss this in the Old Testament? Maybe they have just ignored it and hoped their slippery reasoning would convince their deceived followers that "Thew Old Testament prophets knew nothing of the coming of the Church." Jeremiah 16: 19 says "O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit." Jeremiah 16: 19 adds that in coming to Christ and into spiritual Israel, the Gentiles will repent from the lies their fathers inherited, which could be both pagan religious lies and lies of false Christian prophets. Daniel 7: 14 then tells us that "And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." "Him" is the "one like the Son of man" of verse 13. It is Christ. In light of what the New Testament says about Christ and his followers there can be no doubt that Daniel 7: 14 refers to an eternal dominion of Christ and also to the period of Spiritual Israel under Christ before he appears again. Haggai 2: 7 says "And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts." Zechariah 2: 11 states that "And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee." Zechariah 8: 22 says "Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD." Malachi 1: 11 says "For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts." Bernard

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