THE NEW COVENANT
The most important prophetic promise made to fleshly
Israel and inherited by the Christian Church is the one of the NEW Covenant
recorded in Jeremiah 31:31-34. There is no other Old Testament prophecy the
exposition of which four chapters are devoted in the New Testament-2 Cor.3; Heb.
8 to 10. The SRB states the NEW Covenant of Jer. 31:31 is "one of the
significant covenants of Scripture" and that "it REMAINS TO BE
REALIZED by Israel according to the explicit statement of vs. 31"
The Christian Church of the NEW Covenant is Abraham's
spiritual seed of faith of ALL nations, to whom alone ALL the unfulfilled OLD
Testament prophecies and promises are being fulfilled (Gal. 3:7,9,29). The
rulers and majority of fleshly Israel rejected Christ (John 1:11), but He established
the NEW Covenant with the REMNANT OF FAITH among them (Matt. 26:28; Rom.
9:6-8; 11:5-7).
The OLD Testament gives us a
foreshadowing of-this when the TEN TRIBES under Jeroboam seceded from the TWO
TRIBES of Judah under Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:16; 2 Chron. 13:4-11) to whom the
promise was given of ONE to sit upon David's throne (1 Kings 11:36; 2 Sam.
7:12-17). Hence there was secession from the established and legitimate order
by the TEN TRIBES of Israel. That only was the TRUE ISRAEL, the people of God,
that remained loyal to the house of David; for to that house God had solemnly
covenanted to give the throne of Israel in perpetuity (2 Sam 7:8-17;
1 Chron. 29:23). TheCONTINUITY of the nation remained with the loyal minority, namely, the TWO TRIBES.
The case in the New Testament
is exactly parallel. Jesus Christ came to Israel as their promised Messiah, the
legitimate King of Israel. The official heads and majority of the people
rejected Him (John 8:45-59). Did those who accepted Christ lose their standing
before God as to being true Israelites? Did they secede from Israel, or did
those who rejected the King secede? If Christ was their legitimate King, then
those who refused Him were in rebellion and IPSO FACTO they lost ALL claim to
the promises of God (Heb. 3:1-6,12,13). Those who are not IN CHRIST, namely,
the unbelieving and disobedient, HAVE NO PROMISES - not one. Christ appointed
NEW LEADERS, namely, the 12 apostles, from among the loyal group and made them
the official heads of the RE-ORGANIZED Israel of God (Eph. 2:20-22; Gal. 6:16).
The SRB states the NEW COVENANT "secures the
perpetuity, FUTURE CONVERSION, and BLESSING of a repentant (national) Israel,
with whom the NEW COVENANT WILL YET BE RATIFIED" (footnote, Heb.8:8).
Salvation is neither racial or national, but individual; consequently, if any
Jews are saved now or in the future it will be as INDIVIDUALS (John 6:37).
Moreover, the NEW COVENANT has been made with Israel (Mark 14:22-24; 1 Cor. 11:25;
Heb. 10:15-18), the only group legitimately entitled to the name (Rom. 9:6-8,
27). It is Jews as INDIVIDUALS and not Israel as a NATION who will experience
conversion, namely, the "NATURAL BRANCHES" who will be "grafted
into their own olive tree" IF they abide not still in unbelief" (Rom.
11:23, 24).
The question is not whether Christ is called in
Scripture KING OF THE CHURCH, but whether He did set up a kingdom and whether
true believers are subjects in it.
He testified to Pilate — "My Kingdom is NOT OF
THIS WORLD (John 18:36) and to Nicodemus He said that no man could either see
or enter it, except he was born from above (John 3:3,5,7). IF CHRIST HAS A
PRESENT KINGDOM (1 Cor. 4:20) and TRUE BELIEVERS ARE IN IT, AS PAUL SAID HE WAS
(Col. 1:13), THEN SUCH ONES ARE CERTAINLY HIS SUBJECTS AND HE IS THEIR KING:
(Rev. 19:16). The church is the manifestation of Christ's invisible kingdom.
Where is the Church in any given locality today? If one can find a group of
believers holding to salvation by grace plus nothing and practicing scriptural
ordinances and living godly lives (Tit. 2:10-13) there is a VISIBLE
MANIFESTATION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. When the apostles preached in distant
lands they declared Christ to be their King (Acts 17:7). The apostle Paul
preached the kingdom of God as existing in his day, and knew nothing of it
being postponed to some future time AFTER the rapture of the church, but
rather as a PRESENT REALITY (Acts 19:8; 20:25; 28:23;
cp 1:3). The apostle John who
lived the longest of any of the twelve apostles was in the kingdom of God and
called men to repentance and faith in Christ (Rev. 1:5, 6, 9;
2:5,16,21). the SRB teaches
that "Israel has NOT BEEN FOREVER SET ASIDE", but Christ said it has
as a nation (Matt. 21:43), but not as INDIVIDUALS (Luke 24:46-48).
The SRB denies "that the Christian NOW INHERITS the distinctive Jewish promises" and states such "is not taught in Scripture" (footnote, Rom. 11:1), but this is exactly what the Bible teaches (2 Pet. 1:3,4; 2 Cor. 1:20). The SRB also teaches that Israel as a nation "IS YET TO HAVE ITS GREATEST EXALTATION AS THE EARTHLY PEOPLE OF GOD" (footnote, Rom. 11:26), but the Bible knows of only ONE earthly people of God (1 Pet. 2:6-10; 2 Cor. 6:14-18), whose citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20, 21). The SRB footnote on Romans 11:1 also says, the promised deliverer will come out of Zion and THE NATION WILL BE SAVED" (cp vss. 26, 27). The taking away of the sins of Jacob is JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH, the central doctrine of Romans and that is NOW (Acts 3:26), in this day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2; Acts 4:12). There is no more salvation for Jew or Gentile AFTER Christ's Second Coming than there is after death! The Bible teaches "And SO all Israel shall be saved — the little word SO means IN THIS WAY or in this manner, namely, as from the patriarchs onward until time ends and the work of saving Israel is concluded. Neither Christ nor His apostles taught that Israel will YET be saved AS A NATION. The heart of prophecy is Jesus (Rev. 19:10) and not the nation of Israel. The Old Testament prophecies that centered on Israel had to do with its demise, and not with its future glory (Deut. 28:62,63) a most remarkable prophecy of all time. See also Deut. 29:24-28; 2 Chron. 7:19,20. Under the NEW COVENANT ALL God's prophecies and promises center in Christ, and not in any race or nation. The apostle Paul saw no future for the nation of Israel as such (1 Thess. 2:14-16). The SRB also teaches that "during the millennium the Jew will then be the missionary" (footnote, Zech 8:23). The Bible on the contrary teaches that the Church is the agency for carrying out the great commission (Matt. 28:18-20; Luke 24'47,48). Nowhere in the New Testament is there given the slightest intimation that the JEWS CONVERTED AS A NATION at Christ's Second Coming will evangelize the world. The Second Advent of Christ ushers in eternity; the day of salvation is over then.
THE TWOFOLD PURPOSE OF GOD?
The Premillennial Dispensationalism of the SRB holds
that throughout the ages God is pursuing TWO DISTINCT PURPOSES: One related to
the earth with earthly people and earthly objectives; and the other related to
heaven with heavenly people and heavenly objectives. It maintains TWO DISTINCT ESCHATOLOGIES
for Israel and the Church, each having its own contrasting Covenant promises.
But God has ONE ETERNAL PURPOSE (Eph. 3:11) running throughout Scripture (Heb. 9:11-15; 1 John 4:9, 11, 14). The apostle Paul taught the ONENESS OF THE TOTAL ELECTION OF GRACE OF ALL AGES (Gal. 3:7-9, 28. 29) cp Gal. 4:1-7, 21-31). There is ONE and ONLY ONE true and living God, one Lord Jesus Christ, one Holy Spirit, one faith, one baptism, one gospel, one Israel of God (Gal. 6:16), one church of the firstborn, one family of God (Eph. 3:15), one household of faith, one good olive tree, one way of salvation, one New Man (Eph. 2:15), one Bride of Christ, one Body of Christ, one NEW CREATION, one New Heavens and Earth. Who shall we believe, Scofield or Christ?
The SRB states that Christ came offering the Kingdom
to the Jews, but it was MORALLY REJECTED (footnote-Matt. 11:20) at which time
Christ changed His message to one of REST and SERVICE to all who are in
conscious need of His help, and this is said to be "a PIVOTAL POINT IN HIS
MINISTRY" (footnote-Matt. 11:28). To say that Christ had to postpone His
kingdom offer because the Jews rejected it through unbelief is to say that the
Second Person of the sacred Trinity, the Son of God, had to give up the purpose
which He came to accomplish, namely, to make propitiation for our sins (1 John
4:9, 10, 15). To say that unsaved and lost men could stop Christ and compel Him
to wait until some future time to establish His kingdom, namely, AFTER His
Second Coming, is a denial of the sovereignty of God(Psa. 115:3; Job 23:13;
Daniel 4:35), and contrary to Scripture (Eph. 1:11).
The SRB states that "the
restoration of Israel and the establishment of the kingdom are connected with
the advent of the Lord, and is "YET FUTURE" and that "the Davidic
Covenant is "YET TO BE FULFILLED" (footnote-Zech. 12:8, f, g). And
yet once more, the SRB states: "The Lord WILL YET give to that
thorn-crowned One "the throne of his father David" (footnote-2 Sam.
7:16), and "it will be established by POWER, and not persuasion at the
Second Advent" (footnote Zech. 12:8, 4). But the apostle PETER declares
Christ is reigning NOW on David's throne in glorious majesty (Acts 2:29-36; 1
Cor. 15:25-28; Heb. 10:12, 13). The apostle Paul declares that the LAST ENEMY
DEATH will be destroyed at Christ's Second Coming (1 Cor. 15:51-58). IF THE
LAST ENEMY IS DESTROYED ATTHE ONE AND ONLY SECOND COMING OF CHRIST (and not in
two stages), CAN ANY OTHER ENEMIES ARISE AFTER THE LAST ENEMY HAS BEEN
DESTROYED? Whom will we believe, Scofield or the Bible?
"There was a man who sat on the throne of the
greatest empire the world has ever known. He was the titular head of nearly six
hundred millions of people. For the love of a woman he laid aside his crown and
sceptre, and stepped down from the throne. Eventually he was appointed Governor
of a little island called Nasau, among the West Indies. I said, "What a
step down for the ruler of the greatest empire ever known to man. Now Christ
"ascended up on high and led captivity captive. The gates swung wide to
welcome the returning Conqueror and he sat down on THE;
RIGHT HAND OF THE MAJESTY ON HIGH, having said before His ascension, "ALL AUTHORITY (power) IS GIVEN TO ME IN HEAVEN AND EARTH"-"Go ye therefore and teach all nations." NOW DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT THE LORD OF GLORY AND THE EMPEROR OF ALL WORLDS, will condescend to a material throne in a little city of Jerusalem? Can you think of anything more absurd? I am positive is is not in the Book." (Dr. T.T. Shields).
Dispensationalists represent
the Church as a PARENTHESIS between two Jewish dispensations: one from Moses to
Christ and the other from the Second Coming of the church, a heavenly people
and Israel an earthly people. Thus dispensationalists regard the Old Testament
prophecies as a kind of prophetic kangaroo that leaps over the whole of the New
Testament into the Book of Revelation, insisting THAT THE PRESENT GOSPEL DAY OF
SALVATION (2 Cor. 6:2) was not known in the Old Testament times, but was a
PARENTHESIS between two Jewish dispensations (Isa. 49). The truth, however, is
exactly the opposite. The Mosaic economy or OLD COVENANT was a parenthesis
between the two aspects of the GOSPEL ECONOMY or NEW COVENANT OF GRACE, namely,
its primitive form from Adam to Moses and its complete development in these
Messianic times (Eph. 3:5,6; Gal. 3:19; Heb. 9:7-10; Acts 3:17,18). "Yea,
and ALL THE PROPHETS from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have
spoken have likewise FORETOLD OF THESE (Gospel) DAYS" (Acts 3:24; cp
10:43; 1 Pet. 1:10,11). The word "ABOVE" in Gal. 4:26 is used in
reference to time as well as place. The phrase may mean either the Jerusalem
above in place, that is, the heavenly Jerusalem, or it may mean the Jerusalem
above in time, i.e., the ancient Jerusalem seems to have been a seat of
religion before the Mosaic economy. Melchisedec, the priest of the Most High
God, was King of Salem, which was the ancient name for Jerusalem (Heb. 7:2).
Jerusalem above, or the ancient Jerusalem, is a very appropriate emblem of the
religion of fallen man in its primitive form, before "the law was
added" which is substantially the religion of the New Testament, the
latter being the complete development of the former" (John Brown).
DANIEL'S SEVENTY WEEK PROPHECY
The TWO-STAGE theory of
Christ's coming is based on an erroneous interpretation of Daniel's prophecy
of SEVENTY WEEKS DETERMINED UPON THY PEOPLE and upon the holy city of Jerusalem
(Daniel 9:24). The TWO-STAGE theory propogated and popularized by the premillennial
dispensationalism of the SRB states the seventy weeks are an "INDETERMEDIATE
PERIOD OF TIME" (footnote-Dan. 9:24, (4), because the seventieth week is
separated from the sixty-ninth by the present Christian era by some 1981 years
to date. The SRB states this final (or seventieth) week "HAS NOT YET BEEN
FULFILLED" (Dan. 9:24 footnote-7). The seventy weeks are CONSECUTIVE and
to separate the sixty-ninth from the seventieth is to destroy the time period
given of Israel's probation. It breaks the CONTINUITY of Daniel's seventy weeks
prophecy. This is as if one were to saw off a yardstick at the 35th inch and
attach a piece of elastic to the 36th inch and stretch it to ones liking. By so
doing, one destroys the measurement of a yard and so does the TWO-STAGE THEORY
wrest the Scripture with reference to Christ's FIRST ADVENT and end of Israel's
probation. Daniel's prophecy was fulfilled at the FIRST ADVENT OF CHRIST and
ran its course in CONSECUTIVE FULFILLMENT. The prophecy is BEHIND us and NOT
BEFORE US: it is now HISTORY and not PROPHECY;
it belongs to the PAST and
NOT TO THE FUTURE: it has been FULFILLED and does NOT AWAIT FULFILLMENT. In the
middle of the last week (the 70th) the Messiah was "cut off" (Dan.
9:26), caused the sacrifice to cease, confirmed the NEW COVENANT with His
apostles, declared the judgment that would overtake the Jews in the destruction
of their city and Temple (fulfilled in 70 A.D.) and TERMINATED FOREVER THE
MOSAIC ECONOMY of things under the OLD COVENANT, never again to be reinstituted.
THE FUTURE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST THEORY
The SRB teaches Satan will be bound at the Second
Coming of Christ, and will establish the Jews (nationally converted) in a world-wide
kingdom for a thousand years, and reign on a literal throne in Jerusalem,
ruling the nations with a rod of iron (Psa. 2:9). The Bible teaches Satan was
bound at the Cross (Matt. 12:29;Col 2:15; 1 John 3:8; Heb. 2:14,15)-not
ABSOLUTELY (1 Pet.. 5:8), but RELATIVELY, i.e. with reference to UNITING THE
WORLD OF THE UNGODLY IN AN ALL OUT OPPOSITION TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST to
destroy it from the face of the earth (Psa. 2:1-3; Rev. 20:1-3, 7-10). Christ
is REIGNING NOW and will continue so to do until the last enemy is destroyed
which is death (1 Cor. 15:25,26) at His Second Coming in power and great glory
(Heb. 10:12,13). Three apostles declare the Lord will come in FLAMING FIRE:
Paul — 2 Thess. 1:8; Peter — 2 Pet. 3:7, 10, 12; and John — Rev. 20:9. By three
witnesses shall every word be established (2 Cor. 13:1). IF THE SECOND COMING
OF CHRIST WILL BE IN FLAMING FIRE, at which time ALL who know not God and obey
not the gospel, will be punished with everlasting destruction from the
presence of the Lord, WHO AMONG THE WORLD OF THE UNGODLY WILL BE LEFT TO ENTER
ANY SUPPOSED MILLENNIUM OF A THOUSAND YEARS OF TIME PLUS A LITTLE SEASON AND
PROROGATE THE HUMAN RACE AFTER THE RETURN OF CHRIST IN GLORIOUS MAJESTY. Whose
teaching shall we accept Scofield or the Bible? THE JEW QUESTION
The SRB in a footnote on Gen.
12:1 states that the individuals and nations that bless Abraham's descendants
are blessed and those who curse and persecute them are cursed. We should never curse
the Jew or any other people on earth for that matter (Gal. 6:7-10). The
reference in Gen. 12:3 is primarily to Abraham's SPIRITUAL SEED OF FAITH OF ALL
NATIONS, namely, the church (Matt. 12:46-50). The natural unbelieving Jew is
under the curse of the law as is the unbelieving Gentile (Gal. 3:10; Rom.
11:32), for there is no difference (Rom. 3:22,23). The SRB in footnote on Zech.
12:8 states that "Israel will first be regathered, restored, and converted
in the FUTURE THEOCRATIC KINGDOM (c). This is to give the Jews a false hope and
is ANTI-SEMITIC. The apostle Paul preached their hope, as ours also, is in the
RESURRECTION (Acts 23:6; 24:14,15; 26:6-8; 28:20; Rom. 8:23-25; 1 John 3:2,3).
God's REJECTION of them as a
NATION (Matt. 21:43) and their EJECTION from the land (2 Cron. 7:19,20; Jer.
12:17; 15:11) is FINAL and IRREVOCABLE. Nevertheless, God has not rejected them
as INDIVIDUALS, IF they "continue not in unbelief" (Rom. 11:23).
However, when the Lord grafts INDIVIDUAL JEWS who repent and believe the gospel
into the good olive tree, it will not set them up, NOW OR IN THE FUTURE, in a
NATIONAL CAPACITY as a world power kingdom, but bring them into the Christ
Church, the Body of Christ (Eph. 2:15-17, of which there can be no greater
honor and privilege (Eph. 5:25-27; 1 Cor. 12:27;
Rev. 19:7-9). The true
Biblical restoration of the Jewish people IS NOT TO THE LAND, but to Christ:
"For ye were as sheep going astray; BUT ARE NOW RETURNED UNTO THE
SHEPHERD AND BISHOP OF YOUR SOULS" (1 Pet. 2:25), the ONLY return, restoraton
and conversion Christ and His apostles know anything about.
It is sometimes objected that
the UN has recognized them as a NATION and PALESTINE as their homeland. The
answer is they are not back in the land in fulfillment of Bible prophecy, but
by the negotiations of intrigue, conspiracy, and/or conquest. They ruthlessly
displaced the Arab population and seek to expand into the surrounding
territory. There is no resemblance of their return to the land in our day to
that of their former return from the Babylonian captivity under Ezra and Nehemiah,
which was of Divine providence, and manifestly of the Lord's doing and marvelous
in our eyes to behold (Ezra 1:1-4; 6:1-12; 7:11-28; 8:22, 23). There is no
Scripture in the New Testament that states that the Jews are to be regathered,
restored to Palestine, now or in the future (Isa. 5:1-7; Jer. 19:11). I am sure
that the THEORY is absolutely devoid of New Testament authority. Historic
Christianity fulfills, transcends, and supercedes Mosaicism (Gal. 4:18-20; Heb.
9:1-28).
Abraham's true SPIRITUAL SEED OF ALL NATIONS
(believing Jew and Gentile) are the only heirs of the world (Rom. 4:13) - not
the little land of Palestine, nor yet this present evil world (Gal. 1:4) under
a curse and appointed to a fiery destruction, but of the NEW HEAVENS AND NEW
EARTH, according to PROMISE (Gal. 3:29; Rom. 8:16,17; 1 Cor. 3:21-23) into
their PROMISED INHERITANCE, to whom it alone belongs (Eph. 1:11), even
ABRAHAM'S TRUE SPIRITUAL SEED OF ALL NATIONS, THE TOTAL ELECTION OF GRACE OF
ALL AGES (Rev. 21:5-8).
CONCLUSION
The Scofield Reference Bible with its seven
dispensations, eight covenants, two eschatologies, a future thousand year
JEWISH kingdom AFTER Christ's Second Advent and the whole of its millennial
program is unscriptural and therefore untrue.
The minimizing of the
importance of the Christian Church by limiting it to the Dispensation of Grace,
from Christ to the Rapture is contrary to the teaching of the New Testament.
The Postponement Theory of the kingdom implies Christ is not King today, which
dishonors Him and disregards the fact that He was enthroned on David's throne
at His ascension (Acts2:39-36) cp. 1 Chron. 29:30; Heb. 1:8,13; 10:12,13). It gives Israel a false hope by teaching
that Israel's greatest day is yet future, thus robbing them of the present
opportunity of salvation (Isa. 55:7). Co. John 8:12-32. It causes them to
neglect so great salvation (Heb. 2:3)
Premillennial Dispensationalism has been spread far
and wide by modern propagative methods and popularized by the Scofield
Reference Bible. If one keeps in mind that this Bible only claims to be a
REFERENCE BIBLE, one may find it helpful as one does other REFERENCE BOOKS on
one's bookshelf. But if an individual considers the notes printed on the same
page with the sacred text as inspired as the text itself, and believes them to
speak with infallibility and finality on all questions, ESPECIALLY PROPHECY, then
this Bible can become a source of spiritual harm. Millennialism is a revival
with slight modification of ancient Rabbinism. It is based largely on a
particular interpretation of certain Old Testament Messianic prophecies. These
prophecies of the coming Messiah were for the most part stated in terms of a
restored and prosperous Israel, which were the popular concepts of that time.
The rabbis always interpreted them in literalistic style; hence, they pictured
the Messiah as gathering Israel, and restoring the Davidic throne and reign in
Jerusalem. To all the Jews this was "the hope of Israel." But when
Christ came. He made no effort to carry out this literal program, and for this
reason He was rejected by the Jews. Whenever He or His inspired apostles quoted
Old Testament prophecies they invested them with a higher, spiritual meaning,
and APPLIED THEM NOW. Not once did they create a future age or millennium, in
which to carry out on the plane of the natural these Old Testament prophecies.
In Acts 26:6, 7 Paul on trial before Agrippa, declared that it was because of
the "HOPE" of Israel that he was accused of the Jews, which hope he
shows to be the resurrection from the dead. In Acts 28:20 he says, "for
the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain," which he never would have
been had he held out to them the prospects of an earthly kingdom in the pomp
and glory of David and Solomon. In Acts 13:27 he says further concerning the
Jews:
"Because THEY KNEW NOT,
NOR YET THE VOICE OF THE PROPHETS which are read every Sabbath day, they have
fulfilled them in condemning Him." Because they did not understand their
prophets, they crucified Christ and sent Paul bound in chains to Rome (1 Cor.
2:7, 8). Dr. G.B. Fletcher
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