keras quoted Lloyd in post 6393:
Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Luke 13:20, 21
It is often assumed that here the leaven must represent corruption.
Leaven can indeed represent corruption. For Jesus referred to the false doctrine and hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which had corrupted how the Jews understood and practiced their religion, as being like leaven (Matthew 16:12, Luke 12:1b). And Paul referred to malice and wickedness, which can corrupt church congregations, as being like leaven (1 Corinthians 5:8). He also referred to the false, Pharisaical doctrine that believers have to be physically circumcised and keep the letter of the Old Covenant Mosaic law in order to be saved (cf. Acts 15:1,5), which doctrine can corrupt church congregations, as being like leaven (Galatians 5:4-14).
But the leaven in Matthew 13:33 and Luke 13:20-21 can't represent corruption, for the kingdom of heaven/God isn't like corruption, but is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). The fact that Leviticus 23:16-17 says the 2 loaves of the feast of Pentecost had to be leavened suggests the leaven in Leviticus 23:16-17, Matthew 13:33, and Luke 13:20-21 could represent the Holy Spirit, who came upon the church during a feast of Pentecost in the 1st century AD (Acts 2). The 2 leavened loaves of Pentecost (Leviticus 23:16-17) could have typified how the Holy Spirit would eventually come upon both Jewish and Gentile believers (Acts 10:45). And in Matthew 13:33 and Luke 13:20-21, the woman could represent the church spreading the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands (Acts 8:17, Acts 19:6). The 3 measures of meal through which the Holy Spirit is spread (Matthew 13:33) could represent the (roughly) 3 millennia from the time of the Pentecost in Acts 2 (in the 1st century AD) until the end of the future millennium (of Revelation 20:4-6).
Also, the 3 measures of meal through which the Holy Spirit is spread (Matthew 13:33) could at the same time represent the 3 main groups which the Jews divided humanity into at the time of Jesus' 1st coming: Israelites, Samaritans (Gentiles who had a quasi-Jewish religion), and Gentiles (Matthew 10:5-6). Israelites were the first to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2), then Samaritans (Acts 8:14-17), then Gentiles (Acts 10:45-46).
keras quoted Lloyd in post 6393:
What is truly amazing is how the Dispensational system (known to most as the Rapture theology) specifically designates three stages (or so called “Dispensations”) of salvation within this unbiblical system.
Dispensationalism seems to be based on the mistaken idea that Ephesians 3:2 refers to a period of time (a so-called age of grace or church age) which doesn't include Israel, and which will end when the future tribulation begins.
But regarding the present age (world) ending, nothing in verses like Ephesians 1:21b, Ephesians 1:10, Ephesians 3:2, Colossians 1:25, Titus 2:12b and Hebrews 6:5 says or requires that only the present age is an age of grace or a church age, or that the age to come won't also be an age of grace or a church age.
Also, the present age can include the future tribulation (Revelation chapters 6 to 18) and the subsequent millennium (Revelation 20), with the age to come being the subsequent time of the new earth (Revelation 21). For the end of the present age, when all the unsaved will be cast into the lake of fire (Matthew 13:40, Revelation 20:15), won't occur until sometime after the future millennium (Revelation 20:7-15).
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Also, dispensationalism is mistaken because all genetic Jews in the church remain members of whichever tribe of Israel they were born into (Romans 11:1, Acts 4:36). And all genetic Gentiles in the church have been grafted into Israel (Romans 11:17,24, Ephesians 2:12,19, Galatians 3:29), and so have been grafted into its various tribes (cf. Ezekiel 47:21-23). So the entire church is the 12 tribes of Israel (Revelation 21:9,12; 1 Peter 2:9-10). This is necessary, for all those in the church are saved only by the New Covenant (Matthew 26:28; 1 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 9:15), which is made only with Israel (Jeremiah 31:31-34, John 4:22b). John 10:16 refers to the "other sheep" of believers who are Gentiles being brought into "this fold" of Israel, which is the "one fold" of the church (1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 4:4-6, Revelation 21:9,12). A genetic Gentile believer can pray and ask which tribe of Israel he has been grafted into, and he will receive an answer from God, if he asks in faith (cf. Matthew 21:22), without any wavering (cf. James 1:6-7).
Also, all those in the church, no matter whether they are genetic Jews (Acts 22:3) or genetic Gentiles (Romans 16:4b), have become spiritually-circumcised Jews, if they have undergone the spiritual circumcision of water-immersion (burial) baptism into Jesus (Romans 2:29, Philippians 3:3, Colossians 2:11-13).
keras quoted Lloyd in post 6393:
To this end, most "Christians" caught in the Rapture Cult refuse to even consider or examine the compelling historical record which conclusively documents the origin, development, and rise of the Spiritual deception that is the pre-tribulation Rapture doctrine. Obviously, Jesus will hold such "believers" accountable for refusing to respond to His own warning concerning just how the Kingdom of God would be leavened (see Matthew 22:11-13 for their fate).
Actually, Matthew 22:11-13 doesn't relate to merely a mistaken belief in a pre-tribulation rapture.
Instead, in Matthew 22:11-13 the wedding garment represents the righteousness of believers (Revelation 19:8), which is conditional not only on their continued belief in Jesus himself (Romans 3:22), but also on their continued doing of righteous deeds (1 John 3:7, James 2:24). Some believers will end up suffering the fate of Matthew 22:13 because of unrepentant laziness (Matthew 25:26,30, John 15:2a, Romans 2:6-8), or unrepentant sinfulness (Luke 12:45-46, Hebrews 10:26-29; 1 Corinthians 9:27), or apostasy (Hebrews 6:4-8, John 15:6; 2 Timothy 2:12b).
keras quoted Lloyd in post 6393:
The second alleged "Dispensation" was what is usually called the "Church" age . . .
"Alleged" is right. For there is no such thing as the church age, because the church will continue in the world throughout all ages (Ephesians 3:21, John 17:15). For just as the church will continue in the world throughout the future tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:9-13, Revelation 13:7-10, Revelation 14:12-13, Revelation 20:4-6), and then throughout the subsequent millennium (Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 2:26-29), so the church will then continue forever on the new earth (Revelation 21:1 to 22:5).