20 major reasons to reject the Premillennial doctrine

[jgr]

Why don't you first provide scripture that actually states that "the Ninevites were saved"?

Why don't you first read post 4058?

While you're at it, see if you can answer any of its questions.

 

[jgr]

When you say salvation has always been personal, you are rejecting Israel's special relationship with God as the chosen nation in time past, as well as in the age to come.

Why did God slay Israelites by the thousands?

Why did He exile them on multiple occasions?

Wasn't that a strange way for Him to treat a "chosen nation"?

 

[Guojing]

Why did God slay Israelites by the thousands?

Why did He exile them on multiple occasions?

Wasn't that a strange way for Him to treat a "chosen nation"?

Israel broke their covenant of Law that was given at Mount Sinai. They killed or ignored all the prophets that God repeatedly sent to them when they were separated into 2 kingdoms and went into captivity under Babylon, and then under Persia.

Jesus used the parable of the tenants, one of my favorite parables to understand his first coming on Earth to Israel, in all 3 synoptic gospels. (Matthew 21:33-45; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19) to illustrate this.

When Jesus and the 12 were preaching from Matt-John, they need to repent of rejecting God their Father in the OT, and believe in his Son is their promised King and Messiah, as foretold by their prophets.

God had mercy on them even when they killed his prophets (e.g. 2 Chronicles 24:20-22; Jeremiah 26:20-24; cf. Luke 13:34; Acts 7:52)., and is now sending his very own Son to Israel, to do a final persuasion to Israel to repent and believe in him.

If they do, as Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3, Israel will be born again.

 

[jgr]

If they do

That describes each person, Jew and Gentile, throughout all of humanity and all time.

The only "special relationship" that God recognizes is the relationship based on faith and obedience.

If they, whether Jew or Gentile, repent and believe, they will be saved.

If they, whether Jew or Gentile, do not, they will be lost.

Because salvation is personal.

 

[Guojing]

That describes each person, Jew and Gentile, throughout all of humanity and all time.

The only "special relationship" that God recognizes is the relationship based on faith and obedience.

If they, whether Jew or Gentile, repent and believe, they will be saved.

If they, whether Jew or Gentile, do not, they will be lost.

Because salvation is personal.

You are also a covenant theologian so naturally, you would interpret and understand the entire bible based on their "covenant of grace".

What Is the Covenant of Grace?

 

[jgr]

You are also a covenant theologian so naturally, you would interpret and understand the entire bible based on their "covenant of grace".

What Is the Covenant of Grace?

You're welcome to attempt to disprove my post.

 

[sovereigngrace]

You can believe the Bible thru the lens of covenant theology.

When you say salvation has always been personal, you are rejecting Israel's special relationship with God as the chosen nation in time past, as well as in the age to come.

That is the one of the defining features of covenant theology. Reformed Theology Is Covenant Theology by Richard Pratt Jr.

The mistake many people make in regard to this subject is that they attribute to the natural what pertains exclusively to the spiritual. They totally misunderstand the heart of God and the global focus of His plan of redemption for mankind from the beginning. First, man has never in history been saved on the grounds of his race, some supposed innate qualities he possesses or any religious efforts; it has always been by grace through faith.

The sound Bible student will know that mere natural birth has never been sufficient to secure one’s salvation or favor with God. As a recent communique signed by a number of leading Reformed leaders outlined: “Eternal life in heaven is not earned or deserved, nor is it based upon ethnic descent or natural birth” (The People of God, the Land of Israel, and the Impartiality of the Gospel).

The fact is: the basis of salvation is the same in both the Old and the New Testaments. The old covenant saints looked forward by faith to Israel’s coming Redeemer and experienced forgiveness. Only those Israelis who accept the Gospel constituted God’s people. Dispensationalists should know: salvation has always been by grace, through faith, in Christ (the Messiah). Men of faith are found throughout the Old Testament. Hebrews 11 attests to this in a very powerful and detailed way. If men are born in sin, and if faith is the product of the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, then the Old Testament saints must assuredly have supernaturally been birthed of the Spirit. Faith is the spiritual fruit of the renewing work of the Spirit of God within a human. Of course, the old covenant saints looked forward “by faith” to their promised coming Messiah who would redeem His people (Hebrews 11:13). But it seems evident that the Spirit performs the same transformative function in Old Testament times as He does in the New Testament economy.

 

[Guojing]

The mistake many people make in regard to this subject is that they attribute to the natural what pertains exclusively to the spiritual. They totally misunderstand the heart of God and the global focus of His plan of redemption for mankind from the beginning. First, man has never in history been saved on the grounds of his race, some supposed innate qualities he possesses or any religious efforts; it has always been by grace through faith.

The sound Bible student will know that mere natural birth has never been sufficient to secure one’s salvation or favor with God. As a recent communique signed by a number of leading Reformed leaders outlined: “Eternal life in heaven is not earned or deserved, nor is it based upon ethnic descent or natural birth” (The People of God, the Land of Israel, and the Impartiality of the Gospel).

The fact is: the basis of salvation is the same in both the Old and the New Testaments. The old covenant saints looked forward by faith to Israel’s coming Redeemer and experienced forgiveness. Only those Israelis who accept the Gospel constituted God’s people. Dispensationalists should know: salvation has always been by grace, through faith, in Christ (the Messiah). Men of faith are found throughout the Old Testament. Hebrews 11 attests to this in a very powerful and detailed way. If men are born in sin, and if faith is the product of the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, then the Old Testament saints must assuredly have supernaturally been birthed of the Spirit. Faith is the spiritual fruit of the renewing work of the Spirit of God within a human. Of course, the old covenant saints looked forward “by faith” to their promised coming Messiah who would redeem His people (Hebrews 11:13). But it seems evident that the Spirit performs the same transformative function in Old Testament times as He does in the New Testament economy.

You are preaching the doctrine of covenant theology here, in case you are still unaware

 

[Guojing]

You're welcome to attempt to disprove my post.

unlike you, I respect your different method of Bible interpretation, even though I don’t use it.

so there is nothing to disprove

 

[sovereigngrace]

You can believe the Bible thru the lens of covenant theology.

When you say salvation has always been personal, you are rejecting Israel's special relationship with God as the chosen nation in time past, as well as in the age to come.

That is the one of the defining features of covenant theology. Reformed Theology Is Covenant Theology by Richard Pratt Jr.

Many Dispensationalists look back to Old Testament Israel through rose-tinted glasses. They talk as if the nation was in constant step with God in loyal covenant relationship. It is as if they were always faithfully walking in obedience to God. Yet the reality was frequently quite the opposite. They often walked in idolatry and disobedience. The carnal rebellion of the children of Israel is repeatedly recorded throughout the Old Testament. Despite their privileged position, their tendency was often to fight the purposes of God. The prophets constantly rebuked them for their folly. They also frequently highlighted the small remnant number that were faithful.

Probably one of the most powerful examples of a rebellious child of Abraham under the old covenant is Esau. Old Testament Scripture illustrates that Esau’s natural birthright, like our own, was not sufficient to impute righteousness into him. All it did was take him to a lost sinner’s hell outside of Christ, hope and salvation.

But Israel’s story is frequently grievous. There is no better an example of this than when Moses went up Mount Sinai to commune with God for 40 days. There he received the 10 commandments written by the finger of God on two stone tablets. He obtained the blueprint for the tabernacle, the details on ark of God and ordinances that would accompany this.

Robert L. Deffenbaugh explains: “Moses has been gone for 40 days, during which time he has been on Mt. Sinai in the presence of God, seeing the heavenly tabernacle and receiving the earthly pattern, so that it may be constructed. He has also received the commandments, written by the finger of God in the two stone tablets. During his absence, the people have decided to worship another god, in the form of a golden image” (Israel and Aaron at the Hand of Moses).

He continues: “(1) First, when the Israelites spoke of their new idol as their “god” they consistently used a term which the pagans used for their gods (which, as the marginal reading of our text indicates, is plural). It can be used of Yahweh, but I don’t think it is used in this sense by the Israelites. Only Aaron spoke of this “god” in terms reserved for Yahweh (cf. v. 5). I believe that Aaron was feebly and foolishly trying to syncretize the false worship of the people with the true worship of Yahweh. Israel’s “golden god” will be given credit for leading Israel out of Egypt, and will be the guarantee of future victory in battle, as the Israelites press on to dispossess the Canaanites and dwell in the promised land. (2) Second, when Moses drew the line, asking people to declare their allegiance to Yahweh, the majority of the nation failed to identify themselves with the Him. If Israel refused to stand on God’s side, then they had already rejected Him, choosing their golden god instead. (3) Third, the severity of Moses’ response to what he saw, on coming back to the camp of the Israelites, signals to us the seriousness of Israel’s sin” (Israel and Aaron at the Hand of Moses).

How could Israel do this? How could Aaron permit this? This shows the foolish propensity of ethnic Israel to turn from the One who loved them, sustained them and kept them.

Numbers 16:26 describes Israelites Korah, Dathan, and Abiram as “wicked men.” Whilst all of these were off solid Hebrew stock, they did not belong to the Lord. Their awful end (and that of their families) is seen when confirms that: “And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods” (Numbers 16:32).

No one could argue with any validity that these men and their families were the chosen seed of Abraham! These were not God’s people! They were Israelites that were of their father the devil.

What about the apostate priests Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10:1-3? These were sons of Aaron, yet they “offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.” What resulted was not pretty: “And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.”

Whilst the religious credentials of these men were impeccable, they were strangers to God, and strangers to salvation. 1 Samuel 2:12 gives us another similar example of priestly man who where enemies of God: "Now the sons (Hophni and Phinehas) of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD."

Belial was a common name for Satan in the Old Testament. 1 Samuel 25:25 gives us another example of an Israelite who was unsaved. He is described as “this man of Belial, even Nabal.” Earlier and 1 Samuel 25:3 he is described as “the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.”

Whilst he had good pedigree, being “of the house of Caleb,” he was nonetheless a child of the evil one.

We find a Benjamite in 2 Samuel 20:1 who is described as “a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba.”

Numbers 14:29–30 confirms that not all of the children of Israel who came out of Egypt entered into the Promised Land. God dealt very harshly with those who sinned against God, by complaining and refusing to believe Him: “Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.”

Unbelieving Israelites didn’t enter into God’s “rest,” however, believing Israel did. This is a pattern in Scripture. God is bound to a believing people. His elect are a company of faith.

Hebrews 3:16-19 substantiates this saying, “For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

Only Joshua and Caleb and all those under 20 years old experienced Canaan land.

The prophets, priests and kings of Israel repeatedly fell short. Even righteous king Solomon who oversaw the construction of the temple in Jerusalem self-imploded. 1 Kings 11:1 tells us that “king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites.” The Bible tells us that the total of these strange women amounted to 700 wives and 300 concubines – 1000 in all. Not only did Solomon marry these strange women but he let their false gods turn his heart away from the living God.

Things got to such a low ebb in Elijah’s day that there the Lord disclosed that were only “seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18). This shows us the degree of apostasy that had overcome natural Israel. While Israel may had had 3 million citizens, amazingly, there were only 7,000 Israelites that were true Israelites in Elijah's day,

It is quite amazing the amount of kings both of Israel and Judah that did evil in the eyes of the Lord. The Old Testament shows us many cases of them building the high places, raising up altars unto Baal, setting up graven images, making groves, worshiping the host of heaven, and serving them. Sadly, the people followed them like poodles.

Israel’s wicked kings included Saul (1021–1000 BC), Jeroboam (931—910 BC), Nadab (910—909 BC), Baasha (909—886 BC), Elah (886—885 BC), Zimri (885 BC), Tibni (885—880 BC), Omri (885—874 BC), Ahab (874—853 BC), Ahaziah (853—852 BC), Jehoahaz (814—798 BC), Joash (798—782 BC), Jeroboam II (793—753 BC), Zechariah, (753 BC), Shallum (752 BC), Menahem (752—742 BC), Pekahiah (742—740 BC), Pekah (752—732 BC), and Hoshea (732—722 BC).

Judah’s wicked kings and a queen included Abijah (913—911 BC), Jehoram/Joram (53—841 BC), Ahaziah (841 BC), Queen Athaliah (841—835 BC), Ahaz (735—715 BC), Amon (642—640 BC), Jehoahaz (609 BC), Jehoiakim (609—597 BC), Jehoiachin (597 BC) and Zedekiah (597—586 BC).

These kings and queens lead Israel and Judah into much idolatry. They rebelled against God. They fought against God. They refused to buy down to his precepts. And, sadly, Israelites followed him into error.

 

[sovereigngrace]

You are preaching the doctrine of covenant theology here, in case you are still unaware

How about addressing what is being written?

 

[Guojing]

Many Dispensationalists look back to Old Testament Israel through rose-tinted glasses. They talk as if the nation was in constant step with God in loyal covenant relationship. It is as if they were always faithfully walking in obedience to God. Yet the reality was frequently quite the opposite. They often walked in idolatry and disobedience. The carnal rebellion of the children of Israel is repeatedly recorded throughout the Old Testament. Despite their privileged position, their tendency was often to fight the purposes of God. The prophets constantly rebuked them for their folly. They also frequently highlighted the small remnant number that were faithful.

Probably one of the most powerful examples of a rebellious child of Abraham under the old covenant is Esau. Old Testament Scripture illustrates that Esau’s natural birthright, like our own, was not sufficient to impute righteousness into him. All it did was take him to a lost sinner’s hell outside of Christ, hope and salvation.

But Israel’s story is frequently grievous. There is no better an example of this than when Moses went up Mount Sinai to commune with God for 40 days. There he received the 10 commandments written by the finger of God on two stone tablets. He obtained the blueprint for the tabernacle, the details on ark of God and ordinances that would accompany this.

Robert L. Deffenbaugh explains: “Moses has been gone for 40 days, during which time he has been on Mt. Sinai in the presence of God, seeing the heavenly tabernacle and receiving the earthly pattern, so that it may be constructed. He has also received the commandments, written by the finger of God in the two stone tablets. During his absence, the people have decided to worship another god, in the form of a golden image” (Israel and Aaron at the Hand of Moses).

He continues: “(1) First, when the Israelites spoke of their new idol as their “god” they consistently used a term which the pagans used for their gods (which, as the marginal reading of our text indicates, is plural). It can be used of Yahweh, but I don’t think it is used in this sense by the Israelites. Only Aaron spoke of this “god” in terms reserved for Yahweh (cf. v. 5). I believe that Aaron was feebly and foolishly trying to syncretize the false worship of the people with the true worship of Yahweh. Israel’s “golden god” will be given credit for leading Israel out of Egypt, and will be the guarantee of future victory in battle, as the Israelites press on to dispossess the Canaanites and dwell in the promised land. (2) Second, when Moses drew the line, asking people to declare their allegiance to Yahweh, the majority of the nation failed to identify themselves with the Him. If Israel refused to stand on God’s side, then they had already rejected Him, choosing their golden god instead. (3) Third, the severity of Moses’ response to what he saw, on coming back to the camp of the Israelites, signals to us the seriousness of Israel’s sin” (Israel and Aaron at the Hand of Moses).

How could Israel do this? How could Aaron permit this? This shows the foolish propensity of ethnic Israel to turn from the One who loved them, sustained them and kept them.

Numbers 16:26 describes Israelites Korah, Dathan, and Abiram as “wicked men.” Whilst all of these were off solid Hebrew stock, they did not belong to the Lord. Their awful end (and that of their families) is seen when confirms that: “And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods” (Numbers 16:32).

No one could argue with any validity that these men and their families were the chosen seed of Abraham! These were not God’s people! They were Israelites that were of their father the devil.

What about the apostate priests Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10:1-3? These were sons of Aaron, yet they “offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.” What resulted was not pretty: “And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.”

Whilst the religious credentials of these men were impeccable, they were strangers to God, and strangers to salvation. 1 Samuel 2:12 gives us another similar example of priestly man who where enemies of God: "Now the sons (Hophni and Phinehas) of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD."

Belial was a common name for Satan in the Old Testament. 1 Samuel 25:25 gives us another example of an Israelite who was unsaved. He is described as “this man of Belial, even Nabal.” Earlier and 1 Samuel 25:3 he is described as “the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.”

Whilst he had good pedigree, being “of the house of Caleb,” he was nonetheless a child of the evil one.

We find a Benjamite in 2 Samuel 20:1 who is described as “a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba.”

Numbers 14:29–30 confirms that not all of the children of Israel who came out of Egypt entered into the Promised Land. God dealt very harshly with those who sinned against God, by complaining and refusing to believe Him: “Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.”

Unbelieving Israelites didn’t enter into God’s “rest,” however, believing Israel did. This is a pattern in Scripture. God is bound to a believing people. His elect are a company of faith.

Hebrews 3:16-19 substantiates this saying, “For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

Only Joshua and Caleb and all those under 20 years old experienced Canaan land.

The prophets, priests and kings of Israel repeatedly fell short. Even righteous king Solomon who oversaw the construction of the temple in Jerusalem self-imploded. 1 Kings 11:1 tells us that “king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites.” The Bible tells us that the total of these strange women amounted to 700 wives and 300 concubines – 1000 in all. Not only did Solomon marry these strange women but he let their false gods turn his heart away from the living God.

Things got to such a low ebb in Elijah’s day that there the Lord disclosed that were only “seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18). This shows us the degree of apostasy that had overcome natural Israel. While Israel may had had 3 million citizens, amazingly, there were only 7,000 Israelites that were true Israelites in Elijah's day,

It is quite amazing the amount of kings both of Israel and Judah that did evil in the eyes of the Lord. The Old Testament shows us many cases of them building the high places, raising up altars unto Baal, setting up graven images, making groves, worshiping the host of heaven, and serving them. Sadly, the people followed them like poodles.

Israel’s wicked kings included Saul (1021–1000 BC), Jeroboam (931—910 BC), Nadab (910—909 BC), Baasha (909—886 BC), Elah (886—885 BC), Zimri (885 BC), Tibni (885—880 BC), Omri (885—874 BC), Ahab (874—853 BC), Ahaziah (853—852 BC), Jehoahaz (814—798 BC), Joash (798—782 BC), Jeroboam II (793—753 BC), Zechariah, (753 BC), Shallum (752 BC), Menahem (752—742 BC), Pekahiah (742—740 BC), Pekah (752—732 BC), and Hoshea (732—722 BC).

Judah’s wicked kings and a queen included Abijah (913—911 BC), Jehoram/Joram (53—841 BC), Ahaziah (841 BC), Queen Athaliah (841—835 BC), Ahaz (735—715 BC), Amon (642—640 BC), Jehoahaz (609 BC), Jehoiakim (609—597 BC), Jehoiachin (597 BC) and Zedekiah (597—586 BC).

These kings and queens lead Israel and Judah into much idolatry. They rebelled against God. They fought against God. They refused to buy down to his precepts. And, sadly, Israelites followed him into error.

you are saying the same thing as what I have already said to you, in summary form, here

20 major reasons to reject the Premillennial doctrine

none of us saw Israel thru rose tinted glasses, if you bothered to read what I said there

 

[sovereigngrace]

you are saying the same thing as what I have already said to you, in summary form, here

20 major reasons to reject the Premillennial doctrine

Dispensationalists wrongly attribute unqualified divine favor to the natural offspring of Abraham on the grounds of the external physical sign of circumcision they possess instead of the internal spiritual work of circumcision of the heart of God’s elect. They fail to distinguish between the outward and the inward in the Old Testament economy.

This is something that Christ repeatedly confronted and exposed in His mission on earth 2,000 years ago. We see this highlighted in Matthew 23:25-28. They portrayed one thing outwardly, but were another thing inwardly. They had religion, but no real relationship. They had a head-knowledge but no heart knowledge. They professed but did not possess. Religious people clean themselves up externally, yet inwardly they are full of religious hypocrisy.

The admonition to Israel, in the Old Testament, from God’s servant Moses, in Deuteronomy 6:4-6, was, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart.”

Nothing could be more spiritual than this infamous righteous demand of the Lord to national Israel. This was the requirement God made off every true Israelite. Through adherence to this they experienced personal salvation. Without it they were not a legitimate child of God. But how can man do something which is totally alien to his depraved nature? How can an unredeemed heart truly love that which is anathema to him?

Paul the apostle gives us good insight into this overall subject in his writings in the New Testament. He continually highlights the impotence of physical circumcision (Romans 2:28-29, 9:8, 10:12, Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 3:11). Paul tells us that “circumcision is that of the heart” and that it only comes in and through “the Spirit” (Romans 2:29).

This circumcision of the heart is shown to be a work of the Spirit of God and can only be executed by Him. Through this, the Holy Spirit applies God’s truth to an ignorant heart and brings immediate enlightenment. Deuteronomy 6:4-6 shows us that the heart is the receptacle of God’s inspired words, and the place that experiences a supernatural change.

No one can surely question the fact that only God can transform the stubborn deceitful heart of man. This ‘circumcision of the heart’ describes a spiritual change of heart that accompanies the new birth. This is a supernatural fete that only the Spirit of God can (and could) accomplish. Paul addresses the redeemed of God in Philippians 3:3, “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”

Salvation involves a change of heart. It is a change of affections from that which is carnal to that which is spiritual, from that which is self-centered to that which is Christ-centered, from that which is provisional to that which is eternal, from that which is earthly to that which is eternal. Without that no man can know God.

J Rodman Williams tells us in his systematic theology Renewal Theology: “‘circumcision’ of the heart is possible through Jesus Christ! And it occurs through faith in Him whereby His Spirit and transforming power performs a miracle of cutting away the old to make the heart ready for a total change.”

Colossians 2:11-13 supports this, saying, “ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.”

Whilst the law required every Israeli boy to be circumcised on his eight day (Leviticus 12:3, Philippians 3:5) in order to authenticate his Jewishness, the Gospel required a spiritual convert to have his heart circumcised upon salvation. We are clearly looking at a deep definite supernatural work in the life of a human that produced a new man.

A lot of Christians miss the fact that ‘circumcision of the heart’ was an ongoing spiritual reality for the redeemed of the historical ethnic people of Israel during the old economy. Paul is simply expounding and expanding upon a truth and reality that the elect of God in the Old Testament previously enjoyed since the beginning. God warns Israel in Leviticus 26:41-42: “And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.”

Physical circumcision was intended to be a symbolic outward sign of inward spiritual circumcision of the heart under the old covenant. Notwithstanding, for someone to be considered a true covenant child in God’s eyes, in the old economy, the human heart had to be changed. A circumcised heart in the Old Testament indicated that one was a true child of God. An uncircumcised heart in the Old Testament denoted one was a child of the devil.

Stephen used a similar term in Acts 7 to rebuke the hard-hearted Christ-rejecting Israelites: “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye” (Acts 7:51). This title clearly refers to the unregenerate in both economies.

Evidently, these orthodox Jews would have been physically circumcised as infants. But this meant little without a new birth experience. It did not constitute favor with God or did it carry any spiritual merit. Only a renewed heart signified that one was a chosen child of God. The ‘uncircumcised hearts’ spoken about in these passages equates to “the heart of stone” mentioned in both Ezekiel 11:19 and Ezekiel 36:26.

Moses exhorted the congregation of Israel in Deuteronomy 10:16 to “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.” He instructed in Deuteronomy 30:6: “the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.”

Here, the result of spiritual circumcision is an inward change that results in one suitably loving God for who He is. What is more, the result of this ‘circumcision of the heart’ produces spiritual life. This reinforces the idea of a complete regenerative change of constitution that accompanied circumcision of the heart in the Old Testament saints, that enabled them to give God His due.

This begs an important question for our Dispensationalist friends: how possibly could the human heart be circumcised without the indwelling aid and work of the Spirit of God? Who else could change a hardened sinful heart that is hostile to God to a softened heart that wants to please God? Who could deny we are looking at regeneration?

 

[jgr]

unlike you, I respect your different method of Bible interpretation, even though I don’t use it.

so there is nothing to disprove

Should we respect error, or should we expose it?

 

[Guojing]

Should we respect error, or should we expose it?

just because I disagree with a view, it’s not sufficient to conclude that the view is erroneous

 

[jgr]

just because I disagree with a view, it’s not sufficient to conclude that the view is erroneous

Do you think that post 4104 is erroneous?

 

[Guojing]

Do you think that post 4104 is erroneous?

That post ignored what Jesus stated in Matthew 10:5-8 and Matthew 15:24, who the audience, the gospel of the kingdom was meant for

 

[sovereigngrace]

That post ignored what Jesus stated in Matthew 10:5-8 and Matthew 15:24, who the audience, the gospel of the kingdom was meant for

He had to come to Israel and speak to Israel first. But that in no way limits the relevance and application of His message to just Israel, quite the opposite. His message is for everyone.

 

[Guojing]

He had to come to Israel and speak to Israel first. But that in no way limits the relevance and application of His message to just Israel, quite the opposite. His message is for everyone.

Under the gospel of the kingdom, gentiles were to be saved thru the rise of israel.

But Israel rejected their king and fell, that was why salvation has now come to us thru the fall of Israel instead, thru the apostle Paul (Romans 11:11)

 

[sovereigngrace]

Under the gospel of the kingdom, gentiles were to be saved thru the rise of israel.

But Israel rejected their king and fell, that was why salvation has now come to us thru the fall of Israel instead, thru the apostle Paul (Romans 11:11)

Not so! Gentiles would be exclusively saved through Israel's Messiah alone. Paul, in Galatians 3:8-9, shows that Abraham was saved through the same inspired Gospel as we are today. It was the good news of salvation, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. It says: “the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.”

The same glorious Gospel runs from the Old to the New Testament. It involves one ongoing progressive harmonious revelation of the person and work of Christ. He is man’s only redeemer. He is man’s only hope. Notwithstanding, the Old Testament saints were looking at our Savior from a more obscure perspective, and their revelation of Him was more veiled than that of the new covenant saints. However, they embraced the same overriding life-changing message.

The old covenant saints were looking forward with anticipation to Christ’s earthly assignment on man’s behalf, while the new covenant Christian is looking back to His victorious earthly ministry. Salvation came in both testaments through the enlightening power of the Gospel. We see in this passage that it the glad tiding of good news that we enjoy today was proclaimed to Abraham and he embraced it by faith.

Repeated Scripture shows the continuity between the old covenant Gospel message and the new covenant Gospel message. It also shows the harmony between the people of God in the Old Testament and the people of God in the New Testament.

1 Peter 4:4-6, “they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”

Previous generations have heard the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those that had eye to see embraced Him, those that were blind rejected Him. There is one Gospel that has gradually developed through clearer revelation. All the truth we find in the New Testament can normally be found in the Old Testament, albeit sometimes veiled. This not does in any way suggest 2 Gospels. There is only one Gospel, one faith, one overall covenant of grace, one election and one salvation.

Hebrews 3:17-19 4:1-2: “with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”

The writer to the Hebrews is here showing us that the Gospel was indeed preached onto natural Israel in the Old Testament. This is the same Gospel that we have today. This Gospel produced the same fruit then, in those that got it, as it does in us today. Those who rejected that liberating message back then faced the same awful consequences as those who do the same today. The Gospel in essentially the good news of Jesus Christ. He is man’s only Savior. He is man’s only hope. The Old Testament saints looked forward by faith to His appearing. We today look back and rejoice in His appearing 2000 years ago.

The Old Testament sets forth a Gospel theme consistent with the New Testament that men were saved from sin by grace through saving faith in the Lord and His promises.

The Gospel message was a prophetic message predicting the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. Christ was the central focus of the Old Testament. His life, death and resurrection are man’s only hope – past, present and future.