| Let me begin by saying that the term
"futurism" is not derogatory in nature any more than "preterism" is derogatory.
They are factual terms that describe the stress of prophetic fulfillment
as either being future or past, respectively. "Preterism" simply comes
from the latin term for "past". The following study shows what I consider to be the missing factor in dispensationalistic bible prophecy, demanding this category of teaching to propose a physical restoration of the natural nation of Israel to the physical locale of the Middle East in Palestine, and the return of Jesus to sit upon a earthly throne of David. I agree that Jesus has yet to return in the resurrection for the Church, however, I propose He will not sit on an earthly throne. Let me explain. The Old Testament was entirely a foreshadow of the spiritual Kingdom of God. God's entire goal and point was to first bring in that which is natural, and afterward, and permanently, that which is spiritual. And that includes everything! A new heaven and earth, the throne of David, the New Testament, the New Israel, the New Temple and the New Jerusalem. All old things pass away and all become new. WHAT
SORT OF COUNTRY DID ABRAHAM SEEK AS A RESULT OF THE PROMISE?
Notice: It is summed up in this thought. Hebrews 11:8-10 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. (9) By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: (10) For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Hebrews 11:14-16 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. (15) And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. (16) But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. Abraham was within the Promised Land! But he dwelt there as a "stranger" in a strange land. And we read that he sought for a city whose builder and maker was God. This is the Promised Land that dispensationalists think that God will ultimately bring Abraham's Seed, to fulfill Abraham's promises. But Abraham was already in that land, and is there as though its not his goal, still seeking a heavenly Country! Should dispensationalism be correct, Abraham would have never sought for a heavenly country in fulfillment of his promise from God. If the earthly land of Canaan was the fulfillment of the promise to him, where else was he told of a heavenly country for which he waited, looked and manifested faith in? There he was in temporal tents in the Promised Land, declaring he was not intending that earthly land to be his goal due to God's promise! He was not looking for an earthly city, or else he would have built one. But God would build him a spiritual city! And that city would not be upon the earth, for he considered that earthly country a foreign land to him, and not his home. Hebrews 12:22 says we, the seed of Abraham, have already come to the city, the heavenly Jerusalem. If the Promised Land in the Earth was the ultimate goal for Israel, then why did Abraham live there as though a stranger in a strange land? The point I believe dispensationalists miss, to their severe detriment, is that God spoke using natural elements, including natural land and earthly thrones, in the days of the Old Testament, that were fulfilled completely spiritually in the New Testament. Where does the Bible say that God cannot prophesy of Christ using the natural throne of David on earth and fulfill that prophecy with the true spiritual throne? Where does the Bible say that God cannot foretell of a spiritual gathering into a heavenly world by stating that He will regather Israel to a natural land in Canaan? Where does the Bible say that prophesying anything, using earthly terms and elements, is not fulfilled spiritually in the New Testament? Of course there are some issues that can only be dealt with in physical fulfillment. Prophecies of Christ's first coming were fulfilled while still under the law. he literally was born in Bethlehem and literally was born of a virgin. He literally was pierced in hands and feet. Destruction of the earthly Jerusalem could only have been fulfilled physically. However, the gathering to the Promised Land can certainly be fulfilled spiritually in Christ. And the entire issue of the country, or land, was noted in Hebrews 11 quite plainly. After the cross, the spiritual aspects for mankind came into being, and the church was born, the heavenly Israel. LAW
AS OPPOSED TO GRACE AND TRUTH
Notice that John told us how Law came by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:14, 17). Why does John distinguish Christ's ministry using the terms grace and truth, as opposed to Law? Was law untrue? Of course not. It was true. But the sense of the term truth is contrasting what was temporary and physical with that which was permanent and spiritual. Christ brought the true, which was the fulfillment and anti-type of all that was of the Old Testament in the Law. He brought the true Sabbath rest in Him, and the True sacrifice for sins, and the True Temple and True Israel. Etc. etc. Absolutely everything beneath law was shadow of the truth. Abraham's story in Heb 11 proves this out. Abraham never did look for an earthly city or earthly land. He dwelt in the earthly land as a stranger! He was looking for a spiritual country. Hebrews 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. He was in the country of Canaan, and still sought another country! And it was not another earthly country, either! It was heavenly, or spiritual. That can only mean one thing. Hebrews 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. In this light, what world was Abraham going to inherit? Romans 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. Read Hebrews 11:16 to find out! A Heavenly world! It could not be earthly because he had been in the promised land, and yet regarded it not as the heavenly country he actually sought. SARAH
OR HAGAR?
The two worlds are those of either Ishmael or Isaac. Galatians 4 shows a huge allegory of Hagar vs. Sarah, and Ishmael vs. Isaac. And it is very much minimized in dispensationalism. Paul said that Jerusalem in this world was Hagar. And the people of Abraham through flesh were Ishmael. Galatians4:21-31 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? (22) For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. (23) But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise. (24) Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. (25) For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. (26) But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. (27) For it is written, Rejoice, [thou] barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. (28) Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. (29) But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him [that was born] after the Spirit, even so [it is] now. (30) Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. (31) So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. He said that Jerusalem above (heavenly) is Sarah and the people of Abraham through faith are Isaac. Is God going to establish Ishmael and Hagar? That is, will God establish earthly Jerusalem and earthly and fleshly people of Abraham who were never born again? No. It cannot be. Prophecy given in fleshly context is not limited to a fleshly fulfillment. The proof is in the allegory of Ishmael and Isaac. Dispensationalism limits spirituality to the church age, with a literal and fleshly fulfillment of prophecies in the tribulation period and Millennium. This makes the spiritual a mere temporary issue! It is a departure from truth to temporal and earthly! There will not be animal sacrifices again, as per Ezekiel's prophecies. They are fulfilled in the spiritual sacrifices of the church! God will not turn away from the spiritual in His work on earth back to the fleshly and natural again. This is the overall and, in my opinion, dangerous error of dispensationalism. I cannot stress that enough. James proved, through inspiration of the Spirit, that the rebuilding tabernacle of David was solely applicable to the church in which the gentiles were at that early church date coming into the commonwealth of God's true kingdom. The apostles said nothing else about that prophecy to indicate a double fulfillment. Dispensationalists force a double fulfillment in order to fit with their pattern of reason and interpretation. But the fact that the apostles said nothing about it, in fact, said nothing about any fleshly fulfillment of any of those scriptures cited by dispensationalists, makes me to highly question and stand in strong suspicion of the origin and validity of their interpretation. CHRIST
ON AN EARTHLY THRONE?
David's covenant would be an everlasting covenant. There are not two everlasting covenants. God's tabernacle would be with them. Ezekiel 37:24-28 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. (25) And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. (26) Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. (27) My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (28) And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore. This is speaking about Christ. And Revelation 21 speaks of the Tabernacle of God with us, which is the Church in Hebrews 12:22. This pattern of thought is faithful and does not miss the mark. It sticks within the confines of the Bible, and is exalting the sole interpretations of prophecies the apostles gave in reference to the church and the spiritual fulfillment, whereas dispensationalism departs from the apostles' words, and allegedly claims to not contradict them, but offer a dual fulfillment aside the apostolic interpretation of fulfillment. (Quite ingenious, really, although, I believe, patently false). God was not happy with Israel's choice to have a king on an earthly throne. They had been under a theocracy beforehand. God rules them from the throne in heaven. And we read of God's dislike of their desire for an earthly king and earthly throne. Hosea 13:11 I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took [him] away in my wrath. He told Samuel, 1 Samuel 8:5-7 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. (6) But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. (7) And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. And the very thought of an earthly throne for even God was mocked as follows: Acts 7:49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? To think that God will nevertheless come back in Christ and sit on an earthly throne defies the discontent the Lord had for such a thought in the first place. David's throne was a foreshadow of the throne of glory where Christ now sits. Acts 2:30-36 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; (31) He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. (32) This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. (33) Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. (34) For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, (35) Until I make thy foes thy footstool. (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. The above passage states plainly the reason why Christ would be raised. It would be to sit on the throne of David. "God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne." And we read that Christ was indeed raised. "This Jesus hath God raised up." So if He was raised to sit on the throne of David, and that seating has not yet occurred, is it mere coincidence that the passage speaks of Christ being "seated"? Is that "seating" something other than that which is upon the throne of David? Not at all. The throne of David was in reference to the throne at the right hand of the Father in which Christ is King in this world and that world which is to come. Ephesians 1:20-22 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, (21) Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: (22) And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church, Notice that the above passage says that Christ is seated at God's right hand far above all powers, not only in this world. In other words, he is seated above all powers in this world! Dispensationalism induces its proponents to believe that He is not yet seated on david's throne over this world because sin yet abounds in this world. However, the Bible says quite plainly that sin will exist beneath His reign, because He is not reigning until after sin and all enemies are made his footstool, but He is reigning until all enemies are made his footstool. 1 Corinthians 15:24-26 Then [cometh] the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. (25) For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. (26) The last enemy [that] shall be destroyed [is] death. Hebrews 10:12-13 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; (13) From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. After all enemies are beneath His feet, He will then relinquish the throne to the Father, and the Sonship element that fulfilled the position Adam lost as king over this world will end! No more necessary ruling will be required over this world once death has been put beneath His feet, because all will wrap itself up in God, and He will be all in all. That which is natural will be gone! We will not have mortal bodies, and those sinners who did, will have been removed into the Lake of Fire by this time. There will be nobody on the earthly world to rule! The earthly world will be gone. The physical, remember, is only temporal. 2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. So the bible clearly teaches that there will be no earthly rule on an earthly throne by the Lord. Nowhere are we told that the throne of David was not fulfilled spiritually in the throne of heaven being occupied by Christ in power over this world. |