Saturday 31 October 2015

On Eschatological Views

Bible-Prophecies concerning Israel.

Two common misconceptions:

One, is to say the fulfilment has been delayed until the future (such as during a future 'Great Tribulation', or future 'Millennium' - as many futurist-Dispensationalist evangelicals including many Pentecostals, teach).

Another mistake is to change the identity of Israel by spiritualising it, to the extent that it was never about Israel at all but instead only about the Gentile Church (as many adherents to 'Covenant Theology', including both many Post-Millennialists and many A-Millennialists, teach).

But my understanding of the New Testament view (the Apostles' doctrine - the Gospel) is that God had fulfilled His promises to Israel, and sent His Son Jesus - the Messiah.

Israel's promised salvation didn't fail - it's just that only a remnant believed.

Next, Gentiles began enjoying all the benefits of the same salvation too, and the number of Gentile believers soon outnumbered Jewish believers - nevertheless the first church had been entirely Jewish.

And despite widespread unbelief in Israel, it wasn't over for Jews - because God, having fulfilled His promise to Israel, never revoked their opportunity. In fact God started using Gentile believers to provoke Jewish unbelievers to faith!

So Israel and the Gentiles ended up on an equal footing - both sinners, both unbelieving; and both receiving the same mercy - if they believed.

Through that process God created one new identity, called the Church - His Body - comprising both Jews and Gentiles without distinction, and without being required to keep the works of the Law.

But historically and Scripturally, salvation was offered in ISRAEL first - in fulfilment of promise and prophecy - and AFTERWARD to the Gentiles. Then Gentiles even helped more Jews believe.

How good is God!

All of that was the exact scenario foreseen by the Prophets.

That was the scheme through which the Prophecies (about the offer of salvation for all Israel) were seeing their fulfilment.

In Israel (literally) first - then afterwards among the Gentiles.

That outcome fulfilled the promise to Abraham spoken before Israel ever was; before Moses' Law was given - the promise that all nations (without distinction) would be blessed (saved) in him and in his seed (seed singular, not seeds plural - which was Christ).

Abraham foresaw Jesus' day, and was glad.

Israel's promise didn't fail.

The promise hasn't been postponed.

Neither has it been fulfilled instead in some other spiritual way alone.

It was fulfilled exactly as written - on location, in Israel; and on time, by the end of Jesus' generation - through the Gospel.

So the Gospel wasn't unforeseen.

It isn't just an interim plan.

It isn't just a parenthesis inserted until God gets back to fulfilling Prophecy - back to Kingdom-business - in future. The Gospel is the Gospel of the Kingdom.

God isn't hiding a better card to play in the future.

The Gospel was the very fulfilment of Israel's promises - without postponement, and without changing the identity of Israel in Prophecy, and without spiritualising any of the details in the prophecies.

There are two problems associated with seeing Israel’s promises as delayed, or spiritualising all of it.

A delayed fulfilment implies that we must practise Judaism in future (because the prophecies about Israel described a functioning Levitical priesthood including sacrifices and feasts). But that would be impossible, unnecessary and wrong.

It also removes the historical basis for our faith. If Israel's prophecies haven't been fulfilled yet, then Jesus wasn't the Messiah (because Prophecy described Messiah coming in the same historical setting as Israel's promises).

During and before Israel's captivity in Babylon, the Prophets spoke of Israel's regathering to their land; of the rebuilding of their Temple; of the reinstitution of the Levitical priesthood, animal sacrifices and the Feasts - and they foresaw that Messiah would come in that setting, bringing eternal salvation.

Postponing that to the future, or spiritualising the meaning of all those details, and changing the identity of Israel by spiritualising it, removes the historical basis of our faith altogether, or replaces it with a mere spiritual, ethereal basis instead.

But when we understand that God has already fulfilled His promises to Israel in history, we can assert that Jesus of Nazareth is Messiah - because only Jesus came in the required historical setting.

First God restored them to their land; their Temple was rebuilt; the Levitical priesthood was restored, animal sacrifices were reinstituted, and people from many nations began making annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem to keep the feasts - literally. And all of that legitimately, because Israel was still under the Old Covenant, and the required Levitical genealogies were still in tact) - and then in that historical setting, Messiah came - precisely as prophesied - to fulfil the Old Covenant and inaugurate the New.

It means we have a historical, chronological, geographical, physical, literal, Scriptural and objective basis for our Christian faith - not only a future, or spiritual, ethereal and subjective basis.

This puts the focus of Scripture - and our focus - clearly on JESUS - the Messiah.

It reassures us of salvation without any need to practise Judaism, while we wait for the Second Coming of our Lord, and His Kingdom.

It's the Gospel - plus nothing.

JESUS is Lord and Saviour! without the works of Moses' Law.

This is the Gospel which the Apostles asserted - the good news - planned before the foundation of the world - which was to be for all people.

Based on Daniel and Jesus' Olivet discourse, the early Church were expecting the destruction of the Jewish Temple and of Jerusalem within that generation - and it came to pass precisely.

But as for the Second Coming of the Lord in His Kingdom, the resurrection, final judgment, and the new heavens and new earth, no-one knows the time (not Daniel, the angels, nor even the Son of Man - but only the Father).

Jesus fulfilled promise and Prophecy by inaugurating the Kingdom - and there shall come the consummation of His Kingdom when He comes. But only the born-again shall enter it, whether Jew or Gentile.

The Kingdom shall come openly - it is already in you.

We shall be saved in that Day - yet we are already saved.

We shall receive grace - yet we have already received it.

We shall be raised up - yet we have already been raised with Christ.

All things will be made new - yet we have already been born again.

The announcement of the end began when John baptised Jesus - yet the end of all things is still at hand.

The Kingdom inaugurated - yet not consummated.

Already/Not Yet.

The Prophets wrote statements which show they had glimpses of this two-phase coming of the Kingdom. The New Testament expounds it.

God is giving space for more people to be saved.

Christ alone - without needing to observe Moses' ceremonies - is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. That‘s a message of freedom for the nations.

It's the message of eternal life in Jesus - and this is the message which the Holy Spirit still confirms with signs following, until He comes.

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