ReformedBaptist said:
I do reject dispensationalism (as I understand it) in the main because of its teaching of two peoples of God: the Church and Israel. I do not see this concept in Scripture.
I have seen this concept twist and mangle verses like Jeremiah 31 which I was appalled when I learned many dispensationalists apply to Israel and think it has nothing to do with the Church. How folks can do this only makes sense when I understand our human tendency to hold to a prior belief even in the face of revealed Scripture. There is no need for any interpretation of Jeremiah in this passage as Hebrews applies the very verses to the Church and the New Covenant spoken of there to the Covenant in Christ.
This alone is enough for me to know dispensationalism has missed the mark of truth, although many godly men hold to it.
For many, dispie appears to violate the law of non-contradiction when reading Jeremiah and Hebrews. The law says that contradictory statements about the say thing cannot be true in the same way at the same time -- and they're not in the case of Jeremiah and Hebrews.
Jeremiah prophesies a "kingdom" in which "God" will put a "heart of flesh" into "Israel." Isn't that the gist of it? Hebrews speaks of a SPIRITUAL kingdom already come in which JESUS put a "heart of flesh" into some of believing Jews and Gentiles which He calls the "CHURCH."
Now that does not preclude (contradict) the "EARTHLY MILLENNIAL KINGDOM" when GOD/MESSIAH will resurrect believing ISRAEL (cf: Ezek 37:14) to earth and give them "HEARTS OF FLESH."
Now from Jeremiah to the cross, Israel could not see that it would work that way. All their expectations should have been fulfilled when Messiah came and presented Himself entering Jerusalem in 33 AD. From their prophecies, He would then set up His kingdom on earth and give a heart of flesh to all believers -- Israel. Instead, Rom 11:26 says that they await the "fulness of the Gentiles" (nations, Armageddon) "and then shall ALL Israel [OT and trib] be saved [resurrected and indwelt]!"
These are clearly NOT same way-same time events and, thus, they are noncontradictory, right? Nobody is "replacing" anybody else in the prophecy as some others put it. Like many prophecies or events, there is merely "dual fulfillment." Take the feasts of Israel for instance. Every one of them was viewed as Irael-centric by the Jews and yet we understand them to have a different Christ application.
Then look at the law. Lance might want to comment on this, but under the "
law," it appears that God was
sanctifying the OT saints' spirits through "works" of the flesh whereas now Christ is
sanctifying the NT saints' flesh through the indwelling Spirit such that Paul said, "If it is of the law [flesh], it is no more of grace [Spirit]..." and vice versa. They were to think about God according to feasts, rituals, historic events, etc. -- external SIGNS. We are to think of God according to Christ's Spirit that abides in us. If you noted only this difference in the revelation of God, you would be a dispensationalist!
skypair
