Dispensationalism’s Two Peoples of God Doctrine:
Now we will turn back to modern Dispensational Theology, which was brought to America around the time of the Civil War by John Nelson Darby. How has this doctrine confused the covenants found in scripture? Dispensationalists have mainly ignored the New Blood Covenant in their attempts to promote the Two Peoples of God doctrine.
According to the book “Dispensationalism” by Dr. Charles C. Ryrie, one of the keys to modern Dispensational Theology is the distinction between Israel and the Church. Clearance Larkin was one of the old time classic Dispensationalists who used to add to it… “And never the twain shall meet.” As we shall see later, he and others adopted the belief that the kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are not the same. They also said the Jews are God’s eternal earthly people, while the Church is God’s eternal heavenly people. You will also often hear Dispensationalists say the Gospels were written for the Jews, while the Epistles were written for the Church. Many will call this “Rightly Dividing the Word”, which they take from 2nd Timothy chapter 2.
2Ti_2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
One of Dispensationalism’s main methods of confirming its doctrine is to ignore Paul’s references to Two Israels, Israel of the Flesh and Israel of the Promise.
I have never heard a Dispensational preacher give a sermon on the New Covenant or any of Paul’s writings which show the differences between Israel of the Flesh and Israel of the Promise.
When John G. Reisinger was in Bible School he asked his professor the meaning of Galatians 3:16. Reisinger said his professor seemed to get upset and dismissed the class early. Was it that his professor did not know what the verse meant or was he a Dispensationalist who knew the verse destroyed his doctrine? It is my suspicion that the latter was the truth.
Dispensationalists often cite the Abrahamic covenant as the reason God has Two Peoples with Two different Plans. Let us examine Galatians 3:16 again in order to get the Apostle Paul’s viewpoint. Paul will be our witness.
Gal 3:16 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.
This verse clearly states the Promise was made only to Christ, who is the One Seed. Just to make sure we have the clear meaning, Paul says the Promise did not go to the many seeds. The One to whom the Promise was made has to be singular. However, in the Dispensational view, the Promise must be to the plural “seeds”. Therefore, the words of the Apostle Paul stand in opposition to the Dispensational viewpoint in this verse.
In discussing the New Covenant with Dispensationalists, you will usually find them lumping all Israelites together, even though we know some Israelites did place their faith in Christ. Dispensationalists may also say Israel did not accept the New Covenant or the New Covenant has not taken effect yet, since Jeremiah chapter 31 refers to a covenant made with Judah and Israel. Their logic will not stand against the words of the writer of the letter to the Hebrews.
Heb 8:6 But
now hath
he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he isthe mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
(Here the New Covenant is in the present tense.)
Heb 8:7
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
(This gives the reason for the New Covenant.)
Heb 8:8
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:
(This is taken from the promise in Jeremiah chapter 31.)
Here we have the writer of Hebrews clearly stating that Christ is “now” the mediator of a better covenant. The text following the three verses above clearly shows it to be the New Covenant from the Book of Jeremiah.
Neither will the Dispensational arguments stand up to the words of Peter on the day of Pentecost.
Act 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye
men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
Act 2:22 Ye
men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Act 2:36 Therefore let all
the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Act 2:41
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
On the day of Pentecost about 3,000 “
men of Israel” of “
the house of Israel” became a part of the New Blood Covenant of Christ foretold in Jeremiah chapter 31.
In the Book of Romans the Apostle Paul attempts to identify the differences between the physical seed of Abraham and the spiritual seed of Abraham. These verses make it clear the middle wall of separation between all races of people was broken down at the Cross. As a friend of mine said… “The playing field has been leveled.”
Eph 2:12 That
at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
(The Gentile Christians later become part of the commonwealth of Israel.)
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph_2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one,
and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
(The middle wall in the temple separating the Israelites from the Gentiles was broken down at Calvary. All races of people are treated the same way under the New Covenant.)
Those who continue to claim a link between God’s plan of salvation and bloodline must ignore what Paul said, in order to preserve their Dispensational doctrine.
Rom 2:28 For
he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither
is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 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.
In Romans chapter 9 the Apostle Paul identifies two Israels. Israel of the Flesh and Israel of the Promise.
Rom 9:6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For
they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
(Not all Israelites would be Israel of the promise.)
Rom 9:7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham,
are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Rom 9:8 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.
In the passages above we find being a physical descendant of Abraham or Jacob does not make one a child of God. These words from Paul, who was a Jewish scholar before his conversion, stand in direct conflict with the statements coming out of the mouths of many Christians today. Sometimes we do not like what we find in scripture, especially when it conflicts with what we have believed our whole lives. It is often very difficult to say three little words… “I was wrong” , especially if you are a pastor who has been teaching a particular doctrine for many years.
Romans chapter 11 is one of the passages most often used by those promoting John Darby’s doctrine. Although much of this text was reviewed in chapter 3, it is necessary that we cover this text again and in the process compare it to the Dispensationalist’s interpretation. We will use the process of “Conflict Resolution” to find out if the Dispensational interpretation agrees with the previous writings of Paul and the other New Testament writers. If any conflict is produced, then their interpretation cannot be correct.
In order to make their doctrine work, many Dispensationalists will change one little word in Romans 11:26. Most of those promoting the doctrine have no idea who or where this change was first made. It actually goes back to the document used by Edward Irving to originate the Two Peoples of God doctrine. Since this book is now available online, it is a simple matter to verify the information being presented. Edward Irving had gained access to the Spanish version of the book “Coming of Messiah in Glory and Majesty” written by Manuel Lacunza, who was a Jesuit priest. Irving had the book translated into English and added his own commentary to Lacunza’s work before having it published in English during 1827. On page 124-125 of Irving’s commentary we find him reporting that he had taught doctrine from Lacunza’s book at the Albury Prophetic Conference held the year before.
On page 170 of the 2007 edition of his book “Dispensationalism”, Dr. Charles C. Ryrie connects John Nelson Darby to Irving and the Albury Conference.
“It was not until several years after leaving the Church of England that Darby became interested in prophecy. His interest was piqued through conferences at Albury, out of which the Irvingian movement grew.”
In 1966 Brethren Historian F. R. Coad wrote a paper detailing the origin of John Darby’s doctrine.
(
http://brethrenhistory.org/qwicsitePro/php/docsview.php?docid=418)
Coad’s paper reveals that in the early years of the Plymouth Brethren movement, Benjamin Newton and John Darby worked together. Edward Irving died as a result of tuberculosis in 1834. Sometime after 1834 John Darby adopted the “Secret Rapture” doctrine of the Irvingites and divided scripture into that for the Jews and that for the Church. When Newton would not accept Darby’s new doctrine, Darby made a personal attack on Newton which split the movement into two groups.
(from pages 23 and 24 of the paper by F.R. Coad)
"Darby’s solution was to project considerable sections of the New Testament away from the Church, as applicable only to a future dispensation of the restored Jewish remnant, which the Secret Rapture adherents envisaged. This would remove all the difficulties, and those Scriptures in the Gospels and elsewhere which presented such difficulty to adherents of the new teaching were thus simply explained: they referred not to the Church at all, but to the future Jewish remnant. The solution was too facile. If Darby had hoped for Newton’s glad acceptance he was sorely disappointed. Newton saw its weakness at once:—
‘At last Darby wrote from Cork, saying he had discovered a
method of reconciling the whole dispute, and would tell me when
he came. When he did, it turned out to be the “Jewish
Interpretation”. The Gospel of Matthew was not teaching Church
Truth but Kingdom Truth, and so on. He explained it to me and I
said “Darby, if you admit that distinction you virtually give up
Christianity.” Well, they kept on at that until they worked out the
result as we know it. The Secret Rapture was bad enough, but this
was worse.’
The damage was indeed done, and for a moment dispensationalising ran riot, as Tregelles has explained in his accounts of those times. But worse resulted, for Darby, finding his teachings challenged, reacted by vigorous attacks on Newton’s position, until a form of pamphlet war developed."
Around the time of the American Civil War, Darby brought his new doctrine to America. Several decades later the doctrine was incorporated into the notes of the Scofield Reference Bible and as they say… “The rest is history.” Since that time the doctrine has spread through much of the evangelical Church in America, especially Baptist church bodies. Dallas Theological Seminary was built to promote John Darby’s doctrine as one of its main goals.
On page 349 of Lacunza’s book we find the following change to Romans 11:26.
“When this fulness hath entered in, or the time of the nations are concluded,
then all Israel shall be saved.”
(bolding is mine)
Let us compare Lacunza’s words to those of the Apostle Paul.
Rom 11:26 And
so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
As stated in chapter 3, the Greek word translated to the English word “so” is the Greek word “houto”, which means… “in this manner”.
By switching this one word Lacunza attempted to change the meaning of the passage. He changed the word “so”, which is an adverb of manner, to the word “then”, which is an adverb of time. I have heard pastors make the same change during television broadcasts by saying… “And
then all of Israel shall be saved.”
This change is necessary to produce a future time of “national salvation” for the modern descendants of Jacob. There is still just one little problem. Let us look at the next verse.
Rom 11:27 For this
is my
covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Which “covenant” is the covenant in Romans 11:27 and when were the sins of all people taken away? Jeremiah 31:34, John 19:30
Let us examine Romans chapter 11, again remembering as we go, all of the Apostle Paul’s previous references to two Israels… Israel of the Flesh and Israel of the Promise from Romans 9:6-8. Also, remember from Galatians 3:16, 29 the Promises to Abraham were made only to Christ and we are the seed of Abraham who inherit the promises through Christ. Then we will ask ourselves if the Apostle has become a schizophrenic and changed his mind in Romans chapter 11.
Rom 11:1 I say then,
Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For
I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
(Paul was an Israelite who was not cast away, because of his faith in Christ.)
Rom 11:2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
Rom 11:3
Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
(This group of Israelites turned from God.)
Rom 11:4 But what saith the answer of God unto him?
I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
(This group of Israelites remained faithful to God.)
Rom 11:5
Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
(During Paul's time there was also a remnant of Israelites who believed in Christ.)
Rom 11:16 For if the firstfruit
be holy, the lump
is also
holy: and
if the root be holy, so are the branches.
Rom 11:17 And
if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
(Here the Olive Tree is a symbol of those in the New Covenant. The Israelites who did not believe in Christ were the branches broken off of the Olive Tree. The Gentile branches were grafted in among the Israelites who accepted Christ, like the Apostle Paul.)
Rom 11:18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Rom 11:19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Rom 11:20 Well;
because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
(The branches broken off has to be a reference to the unbelieving Israelites, who were broken off because of unbelief.)
Rom 11:23 And
they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
(These Israelites can be grafted back into the Olive Tree, through faith in Christ.)
Rom 11:24 For if thou wert cut out
of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into
a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural
branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
In the verse above we find two Olive Trees, one is wild and the other is cultivated. The wild tree represents the Gentile Christians, and the cultivated tree represents the Israelites who accepted Christ. At the end of the verse, we find those Israelites broken off from the tree, can be grafted back into the tree through faith.
Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that
blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
There are at least two methods of interpreting verse 25. Dispensationalists would like to say “all” of the Israelites were “partially” blinded as to who the Messiah is. However, the rest of the passage conflicts with this interpretation starting at verse 1, with Paul stating he is an Israelite. Paul was not “partially” blinded, nor were the 3,000 men of “the house of Israel” who accepted Christ on the day of Pentecost.
The other option is that part of the Israelites were blinded and part of the Israelites were not blinded and accepted Christ. This fits the clear meaning found in the other verses of Romans chapter 11.
Dispensationalists also often claim the Church is the “Gentile Bride”, even though we know from this passage the early New Covenant Church was made up of Israelites and Gentiles grafted together and is still made up of both bloodlines today. Darbyists do this in order to claim the Pretribulation Rapture is the time when “the fullness of the Gentiles be come in”. There are several conflicts produced by this logic. The first is the many problems with the pretrib doctrine. One of the main purposes of the pretrib doctrine is to get the Church off the planet so that God can have a “Second Chance” with the modern descendants of Jacob. The second problem is how even Dispensationalists acknowledge some Gentiles come to faith in Christ during the tribulation period.
……………………………
Since the pretrib doctrine is an essential part of modern Dispensational Theology, we will take a quick detour here to look at the actual text most often used by Dispensationalists to prove a pretrib removal of the Church.
Will the text produce a seven year stay in heaven for the Church, before the Second Coming of Christ?
Please remember when Paul wrote this letter there were no verses or chapters in the text.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also
which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
(The phrase "sleep" in Jesus is a metaphor describing the dead in Christ.)
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive
and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
(The word "descend" means to come down.)
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1Th 5:1 Butof the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
(The word "But" connects chapter 5 to chapter 4.)
1Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that
the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.(We also find the "day of the Lord" when He "comes as a thief" in
2 Peter 3:10 and
Revelation 16:15, which are clearly Second Coming passages. Therefore, this verse provides the timing of the event at the end of chapter 4.)
1Th 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1Th 5:4
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.(It will not overtake us as a thief.)
1Th 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as
do others; but let us watch and be sober.
1Th 5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
1Th 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
(Dispensationalists often claim the tribulation period is “the wrath of God”, even though the Greek words translated as “tribulation” and “wrath” are not the same, and Revelation 12:12 shows at least some of the period to be the wrath of Satan.)
1Th 5:10 Who died for us, that,
whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.(The metaphor "
sleep" in this verse proves that chapter 5 is connected to chapter 4.)
The verses above show the Apostle Paul gave a description of the event at the end of chapter 4 and the timing of the event in chapter 5.
No seven year stay in heaven can be found within this text. It must be imported from another passage.
Author Tim LaHaye’s fictional books and movies known as the “Left Behind” series have convinced millions of modern Christians that the Pretrib doctrine is scriptural. Look at his quote below and consider carefully which viewpoint is the oldest.
"It may come as a surprise to most pre-Trib prophecy students that the post-Trib position (in its primitive form) is the oldest point of view."
Tim LaHaye, "Rapture Under Attack", page 197, Multnomath Publishers, Inc., 1998
Now, we will return to Romans chapter 11 to finish our examination of the Dispensational interpretation of the passage.
………………………………....
Rom 11:26 And
so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
("
so" is an adverb of manner indicated by the Greek. It is not an adverb of time.)
G3779
οὕτω
houtō
hoo'-to
Or, before a vowel, οὕτως houtōs hoo'-toce.
From G3778;
in this way(referring to what precedes or follows): - after that,
after (in) this manner, as, even (so), for all that, like (-wise), no more, on this fashion (-wise), so (in like manner), thus, what.
This could also be written,
“And in this manner all Israel shall be saved…” which refers back to verse 23. They can be grafted back in through Faith in Christ.The ESV translation is very similar to the above.
The descendants of Jacob can only be grafted back into faithful Israel by faith in Christ. This is the "so", manner of their salvation by grafting them back into the Olive Tree at Romans 11:23.
Rom 11:27 For
this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
This has to be the New Covenant foretold in Jer. 31:31-34, and spoken by the words of Christ at Matt. 26:28. It is also found at Hebrews 8:6-13, 12:24, 13:20. It is “now” in effect, based on Heb. 8:6 and is “everlasting” at Hebrews 13:20. Christ took away the sins of all bloodlines of people at the Cross of Calvary. If this covenant is already in effect, instead of waiting on a future fulfillment, the Dispensational viewpoint of the passage cannot be correct.
We also have to remember Paul clearly teaches in the passage that those in faith must be grafted into the Olive Tree. The passage provides no path of salvation for those broken off of the Olive Tree. We know limbs broken off of a tree wither and die without regrafting.
Rom 11:28
As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
I have heard the following question asked by Dispensationalists in regard to Romans 11:28.
How can “they” be enemies of the Gospel and elect at the same time?
The logical answer is… They cannot. In order to prevent conflict with the rest of the passage, this verse must include two groups of Israelites.
Paul started Romans chapter 11 with two groups of Israelites, those who bowed to Baal and the remnant of Israelites who would not. In this verse we also have two groups. There were those blinded to who was the Messiah and were broken off of the Olive Tree. Paul constantly battled these Israelites, who were enemies of the Gospel. There was also another group of Israelites, who like him, were the “election” by accepting Jesus as their Messiah and remained in the Olive Tree. The Gentiles were grafted in among the election of Israelites.
We would all like to see the entire modern nation of Israel come to faith in Christ. However, the Dispensationalist’s plan for a future “national salvation” of the descendants of Jacob outside of the New Covenant Church, cannot be found in Romans chapter 11.
The Olive Tree, is a symbol of those in the New Covenant and according to the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 11, salvation only comes through being grafted into the Olive Tree. The modern Church needs to share the Gospel message with the modern descendants of Israel based on this passage.
In my humble opinion, the greatest error of modern Dispensational Theology is the idea that the “Church Age” will end seven years before the Second Coming of Christ. It is the one thing about the doctrine that should concern all of us, as members of the New Covenant Church.
John Darby’s doctrine claims there will be a future seven year time period, when people will come to salvation outside of the New Covenant Church. This time period is to begin at the Pretribulation rapture of the Church and is commonly called Daniel’s 70th week. This future 70th week is produced by adding a manmade “gap” to Daniel chapter 9, not mentioned by the angel Gabriel. In this process they have also added an antichrist not found in the chapter and insist the “covenant” with the “many” in Daniel 9:27 is a treaty made by the antichrist, instead of the “covenant” with the “many” in Matthew 26:28.
The Dispensational interpretation also ignores any period of time during the first century when the Gospel was taken to Daniel’s people. It is commonly held that the ministry of Christ on earth was about 3 ½ years, which is half a week of years. We also know the early Church was almost completely Jewish.
In Daniel 9:25, we find the Messiah would be “cut off” (killed) after the 69 weeks. If I agree to paint your house “after” 69 days, it will not be painted until the 70th day or later.
Dan 9:26 And
after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof
shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
If Christ was “cut off” after the 69 weeks was finished, it had to be during the 70th week of years.
We find in Daniel 9:24 a summary of things to be accomplished during the 70 weeks.
Dan 9:24 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.
One of the key events in the verse above is the anointing. Jesus of Nazareth was anointed by His Father from heaven when His cousin John the Baptist placed Him in the waters of the Jordan River.
Luk 3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
Luk 3:22 And the
Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
This most likely was the beginning of the 70th week, which continued until the time Stephen reviewed the whole history of the nation of Israel before he was stoned. This would be a seven year time period when the Gospel was taken to Daniel’s people. It was no accident Paul was there that day, since he would be the one chosen by Christ to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.
If we compare the notes at Daniel 9:27 found in the 1599 Geneva Bible to what we find in the notes of the Scofield Reference Bible, we see the Scofield interpretation substitutes a future treaty made by an antichrist, in place of the New Covenant already foretold in Jeremiah 31:31-34. This is accomplished by adding a “gap” not mentioned by the angel Gabriel and by inserting an antichrist not found in the chapter. This interpretation also has the angel Gabriel “forgetting” to mention the New Covenant found in Jeremiah chapter 31. We know it would be the Blood of the Messiah that would confirm the New Covenant and the focus of Daniel chapter 9 is the Messiah. The Dispensational interpretation has hidden the New Blood Covenant of the Messiah from millions of modern Christians, who have never been shown there is another interpretation. The most logical interpretation, based on the text is that the “covenant” with “many” in Daniel 9:27 is the same “covenant” with “many” in Matthew 26:28, which is clearly the New Blood Covenant.
Classic Dispensationalists believe God will again go back to dealing with the modern nation of Israel after the end of the “Church Age”. They claim the Church is a “parenthesis” in God’s dealings with the nation of Israel.
Lewis Sperry Chafer, the first president of Dallas Theological, had the following to say about the difference between Israel and the Church.
“The dispensationalist believes that throughout the ages God is pursuing two distinct purposes: one related to the earth with earthly people and earthly objectives involved which is Judaism; while the other is related to heaven with heavenly people and heavenly objectives involved, which is Christianity.”
Lewis Sperry Chafer, Dispensationalism (Dallas, Seminary Press, 1936), p. 107.
Chafer states that, ‘Israel is an eternal nation, heir to an eternal land, with an eternal kingdom, on which David rules from an eternal throne,’ that is, on earth and distinct from the church who will be in heaven.”
Lewis Sperry Chafer.
Systematic Theology. 1975. Vol. IV. pp. 315-323.
John Walvoord, another prominent voice of Dallas Theological stated…
"...it is an article of normative dispensational belief that the boundaries of the land promised to Abraham and his descendants from the Nile to the Euphrates will be literally instituted and that Jesus Christ will return to a literal and theocratic Jewish kingdom centred on a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. In such a scheme the Church on earth is relegated to the status of a parenthesis.”
John F. Walvoord, The Rapture Question.1979, p. 25
There are numerous conflicts with other passages of scripture produced by John Darby’s Two People of God / Two Kingdoms of God doctrine. Many of the older classic Dispensationalists claim the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are not the same. However, a parallel study of the Gospels reveals the error of this logic.
Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Mat 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the
kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Mat 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven
suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
Luk 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the
kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The
kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Luk 9:2 And he sent them to preach the
kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
Mat 19:23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the
kingdom of heaven.
Mat 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the
kingdom of God.
We will now turn back to the New Blood Covenant.
Hebrews 13:20 says the New Blood Covenant of Christ is “everlasting”.
Heb 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead
our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
A verse from Hebrews chapter 12 proves this is the New Covenant.
Heb 12:24 And to
Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the bloodof sprinkling, that speaketh better things than
that of Abel.
Therefore, the “Age of Grace” will not end before the Second Coming of Christ. The other major problem for Dispensationalists is the fact that not one passage in the New Testament clearly shows there will be a future time period when people will come to salvation outside of the Church.
A verse in the Book of Revelation exposes an “Achilles Heel” of John Darby’s doctrine, once one comes to understand the New Covenant. Dispensationalists claim members of the Church are not present during the tribulation period, even though the New Blood Covenant is “everlasting” in Hebrews 13:20.
Rev 12:11 And
they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
A person cannot be under the Blood of the Lamb and not be under the Grace of the New Blood Covenant. The claim that believers during the tribulation period are not members of the New Blood Covenant Church of Jesus Christ has just been shown to be in conflict, by this one verse.
Instead of placing our hope in a future seven year period of time when the modern nation of Israel will come to faith in Christ, we need to do everything in our power to make sure they hear the Gospel now. Sadly, many leaders of the modern evangelical Church act as if the modern Jews are still somehow under the Old Covenant. At least one modern televangelist has stated this as a fact and has promoted the idea of “Dual Covenant Theology”. This doctrine is not to be found within the pages of the New Testament. However, in some ways “Dual Covenant Theology” is a natural consequence of many of the teachings found in the “Two People of God” doctrine of modern Dispensational Theology. Hebrews 8:13 kills “Dual Covenant Theology” by showing the New Covenant has made the Sinai Covenant “obsolete”.
Dispensationalists also often use the following verse from the Old Testament and claim a large number of modern Jews will come to salvation on the day of Christ’s Second Coming.
Zec 12:10
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn
.
This interpretation seems to stand in conflict with the parable of the virgins in Matthew chapter 25. Jesus said the virgins must be prepared before the Bridegroom arrives.
Mat 25:10 And while they went to buy,
the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Mat 25:11
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
Mat 25:12
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Mat 25:13
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
On the day of Pentecost, some of the Jews present that day had called for Jesus to be crucified a few weeks earlier. Also, the Spirit was poured out upon some of those present on the day of Pentecost.
Act 2:21 And
it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Act 2:22 Ye
men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Act 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God,
ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Act 2:36 Therefore let all
the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Act 2:37 Now
when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them,
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
In 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1, we find Christ returning in Flaming Fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God.
2Th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us
, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2Th 1:8
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2Th 1:9
Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
2Th 1:10
When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
We also need to remember the John 5:27-30 bodily resurrection of all the dead, when all will be judged by Christ,
including those who pierced Him.
Joh 5:27 And hath given him authority
to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for
the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29
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.
Joh 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as
I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
2Ti 4:1 I charge
thee therefore before God, and
the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
(The “quick” are those who are alive.)
The sheep and goat judgment from Matthew chapter 25 should also be considered in the context of this issue.
Mat 25:31
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations:
and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
We need to ask… Does the Dispensational interpretation of Zechariah 12:10 have Christ rebuilding the “middle-wall of separation” and becoming a “respecter of persons” by making salvation dependent on bloodline, during the day of His Second Coming?
Conflict in scripture must be considered within any end-time doctrine. Since these events lie in the future, “conflict resolution” must be one of our key guides in understanding the relative timing of these events.
Gal 3:28 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.
Dispensationalists have most often been those willing to go into the deepest and darkest jungles of the world to spread the Gospel to lost people. I personally know one missionary who was speared while attempting to evangelize native peoples in South America. He was later told by his doctor if the spear had deviated in any direction, he would have been a dead man. After his recovery, this missionary went back to the same people who tried to kill him, and later saw the man who wielded the spear come to faith in Christ. We should all strive for his passion to reach the lost.
We must ask ourselves the following question…
Is there now any difference between a naked native living in the Amazon rain forest, and a modern descendant of Jacob living in the modern nation of Israel?
Based on the words of the New Testament, they both need Christ for the same reason and in the same way.
Do we find Two separate Peoples of God with Two separate Plans in the words of Christ, found below?
Joh 10:15
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Joh 10:16
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
The modern Church must keep our focus on the Gospel, instead of manmade doctrines. The only way to get into the fold above is by being “Born Again” through faith in Christ. It cannot come from immersion in water, and all bloodlines of people now come into the fold in the same way. According to Hebrews 13:20, the New Blood Covenant is “everlasting”. The Blood-bought Grace of the Lamb will not end before the Second Coming of Christ based on Revelation 12:11.
Since we have identified how both Reformed Covenant Theology and modern Dispensational Theology have deviated from the text of the New Testament, what can we do about it? We find the Apostle Paul describing the Church as a Body in the Book of Corinthians.
Rom_12:5 So we,
being many, are
one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
The human body is made up of organs with each having a role in keeping the body as a whole working correctly. When one organ begins working incorrectly the whole body is often effected. God’s Word reveals the New Blood Covenant of Jesus Christ as God’s Plan of salvation starting in Genesis 3:15. An interpretation of scripture which deviates from this purpose causes confusion within the organs of the Body, and therefore keeps the Body from working at its full potential.
Many times when our body is not working correctly, we seek the help of a physician.
Jesus Christ is the great physician. He wrote the whole Bible. (John 1:1,14).
The one unchanging purpose of the Bible is the revealing of how God’s own Son would bless all the families of the earth through His sacrifice on the Cross. He is the only One who can heal us.
Isa_53:5 But he
was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace
was upon him; and
with his stripes we are healed.
Many times a physician will order an MRI or a CAT scan to look for abnormalities within the body. In many ways, that has been the purpose of this chapter.
In our examination of Reformed Covenant and Dispensational Theology we simply compared their doctrines to the Word of God. There is no doubt manmade interpretations of scripture have misapplied, hidden, and ignored the treasure of the New Covenant. In this regard, we have only acted as the technician responsible for doing the Body scan. The report on this scan is now complete and we have turned the findings over to the patient.
The patient now has to take some corrective action in order to restore the Body to full function.
If the patient ignores the report, then the ailment will continue to impede Body function and may eventually lead to even more
damage.
Lacunza, Manuel, “Coming of Messiah in Glory and Majesty“
http://www.regal-network.com/dispensationalism/pdfs.htm
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