Help Complete What Might Be Lacking in my Understanding

Am I seriously missing part of the puzzle, if I understand the STORY OF THE BIBLE like this?

This thought is in response to the fact that many Pentecostals and other Evangelicals are taking their Dispensational view of the BIBLE to imply a return to some sort of Jerusalem-centred Levitical worship in future (and some even say, not only in the future, but now too).

A bit long...but help me, if you will.

__________________________________________________

AROUND the time when the ancient nations of Israel and Judah were being carried away captive throughout the Assyrian and Babylonian empires, the Prophets encouraged them that God was nevertheless going to be faithful to His promise:

While they were in captivity, God was going to rid them of their penchant for idolatry. Then they would be regathered to their land and reunited as a single nation, their temple would be rebuilt, Levitical sacrifices would resume - proselytes from the nations would even begin making annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem for the feasts. 

All that came to pass - while the Old Covenant still stood, while the genealogical records which were required to authenticate the Levitical priests were still in tact. 

But there was to be more. By the last century BC and first century AD, Jews were hoping for a greater deliverance from their enemies - a greater salvation. According to the Prophets, God Himself was going to come and deliver their nation from its sins, and therefore from its enemies, and reign over all the earth from among them. A 'river' was going to flow to all nations, bringing healing. Even the dead would be raised to inherit the earth with the Messiah. 

John the Baptist began to prepare Israel for that, with his baptism of repentance. He warned that just being ethnically Jewish wasn't going to cut it. Malachi had earlier issued the same warning. Messiah was indeed going to come: but the outcome wasn't all going to be roses for everyone in Israel. John the Baptist's unique privilege among other prophets was to actually identify the Messiah to Israel. The One who would take away the sins of the world: was JESUS! 

After John's imprisonment the Lord also began to preach, declaring that the long-awaited 'time is fulfilled' and 'the kingdom of heaven is at hand'. Like John He also warned that entering the kingdom wasn't going to be automatic upon Jewish ethnicity. That wasn't an unheard of concept: numbers of sects within first century Judaism each had their own version of who in Israel might qualify to enter the kingdom and why. 

Jesus performed many of the expected Messianic signs, such as healing the sick - and His disciples believed on Him. But strangely, Jesus also began to predict that He would be crucified, and that He would rise again. When He was crucified, many of His disciples were disillusioned and afraid. It was only after His resurrection that His disciples understood that this also had been predicted in the Scriptures. Messiah died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day - in accordance with the Scriptures.

After His resurrection the graves were opened and many of the saints who had died came out of their graves and were seen in Jerusalem. Seeing the prophesied Messianic sign of resurrection begin, meant that Jesus had been vindicated; it meant He was declared to be the righteous Son of God; His death had been vicarious; Israel's sins had been dealt with at last - even death itself had begun to be conquered - that meant the hope of Israel - the kingdom - was indeed being inaugurated among them. The events were beginning to tick all the Messianic-kingdom boxes. All that remained was the wrap-up: seeing the implications of what had already happened for Jesus outworked fully for Israelis, for all nations, and for creation itself. 

For 40 days after His resurrection, Jesus spoke with His disciples about the theme of none other than the 'kingdom of God'. But He told them that the kingdom-scheme wouldn't be completed until a Day known only to the Father. Meanwhile they would be empowered by the Spirit - to be witnesses unto Jesus. 

Jesus ascended to reign from heaven until the time appointed by the Father when all His enemies will finally be put under Him (including the enemy of death and decay).

Ten days later the Spirit fell - fulfilling another Messianic theme in Prophecy (that of Joel's) - and they continued preaching the gospel 'of the kingdom', beginning in Jerusalem. 

But not all Jews believed the report. Not all believed the Apostles' hermeneutic. And then the Spirit led the Apostles to announce the same kingdom-scheme for non-Jews also. Without requiring them to become proselytes to Judaism! The disciples came to understand that this scenario also had been foretold by the Prophets, as being part of the manner in which the promises which Israel were custodians of would all unfold. By the last chapter of Acts, the message was still 'the kingdom of God' - even in Rome, no matter whether the audience was Jewish or Greek. 

It was also well-known (from Daniel), that the Jews' temple was again going to be destroyed, and their city and nation scattered. Jesus declared that it was going to happen within that generation. (Which did come to pass.)

None of this was meant to be taken however as if God was no longer interested in saving Jewish people. The Apostle Paul nipped that misconception in the bud, in his letter to the congregation at Rome. He explained that for as long as God was still saving Gentiles, He was also still reaching out to Jews. Still saving Jews. In fact, God was even using the testimony of Gentiles to try to provoke Jews to respond, and this scenario also had been anticipated in Prophecy. It was with that scenario that God was carrying out His promise to save Israelis, precisely as predicted: He wasn't finished with Jewish people. 

So the mission of announcing the good news of the Messianic kingdom continued to be announced (and explained) to Greeks and Jews alike - and its blessing was powerfully experienced by the Spirit in believers. Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost! Mixed congregations were to embody true unity. Rejoicing together in hope of the glory of the Messiah (of God). 

But for the meantime, the disciples also shared not only in the hope of Messiah's glory, and in the gift of the Spirit, but also in His sufferings. The rampaging reign of evil was understood to be only temporary, and really a farce: because Jesus - the beginning of new creation, the first to rise from the dead - was in reality already now risen and reigning from heaven. It was just that God, in His patience, was giving space for more people to repent. 

But Jesus will come quickly. He will bring the dead in the Messiah with Him. The dead will rise. The defeat of Death will be rolled out. Creation itself will be delivered from decay. The wicked will be judged. The just will be vindicated. The 'new heavens and earth' will be complete. God will dwell with us. 

And all of this God will do - and is already doing - for Israelis, yes - but also for all families of the earth, and even for creation itself. God is gathering together in one all things in the Messiah. This is the bigger picture which Abraham's promise was really ultimately going to be all about. 

This is the true Jerusalem, city, Zion, mountain, land, country, kingdom, 'temple', 'nation' of kings and priests, and river - which are really bigger and eternal and heavenly in origin and character, made by God. The real thing, which the temporary Levitical Law could only foreshadow. What Prophecy was always ultimately going to end up being all about.

This way of unfolding Prophecy, is I think the story the New Testament is telling. It's the claim the Apostes seemed to be asserting, as eye-witnesses. The Holy Spirit confirmed this message with all of the Messianic-kingdom signs which had already been foreseen in Prophecy.

Therefore I think the future isn't intended to be about the world reverting back under some quasi-Levitical Law with nations being required to make pilgrimages to a replica-temple in Jerusalem to offer animal sacrifices during imitation 'feasts', as if we are still back on the other side of the prophetic-fulfilment of such themes. And as if the gospel is really just something 'else' not really related to the main ultimate outcome pictured in Bible promise and prophecy. 

It's truly meant to be all about JESUS now. The GOSPEL. For all nations. Without anyone needing to have become proselytes to Judaism; and without the world needing to revert back in future to the shadows of things which have now already been inaugurated in CHRIST. 

That's how I think the Apostles' unpacked Old Testament Prophecy. To them, the 'gospel' was the very scheme that faithfully fulfilled (and fulfils) Israel's promises.

Israel's promise was in the first place always going to be about JESUS; and about JEWS who believed in Him, yes; but also about ALL NATIONS - and also about creation itself - without anyone needing to revert back under any form of Judaism now or in the future.
And this isn't the least bit antisemitic - because it takes nothing away from the citizens of modern Israel - it only adds or completes (potentially) everything to them and for them (just as it does for all)!