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The Fundamental Problem of Dispensationalism
Posted : 3 Oct, 2013 03:34 PM
The Fundamental Problem of Dispensationalism
Posted : Posted : 3 Oct, 2013 08:22 AM
The Fundamental Problem of Dispensationalism
The fundamental problem with dispensationalism is not the timing of the second appearing of the Lord. The problem is one of faith and of identity.
However, at least three scriptures indicate that Christ will appear at the end of the age, not before the end. See John 6: 44, I Corinthians 15:52 and Matthew 24: 29-30.
The problem with what has been called dispensationalism, Christian Zionism, Postponement Theology or the Rapture Cult is faith as being the absolute truth of the word of God. Absolute truth cannot be compromised, added to, or slightly changed. When Christ in John 10: 16 says "there shall be one fold and one shepherd" he means there will be one people of God, one elect group, one Body of Christ.
Paul affirms this in more than once place, by strong implication. Galatians 6: 16 says there is THE Israel of God, to make it clear that this Israel is not physical Israel of Romans 9:6-8 "For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel...That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God."
There is one saved Israel, THE Israel of God. Not two saved groups, that is, group called the church and a second group who is going to all be saved, as a house, because of their race or DNA from Abraham. "Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance." Isaiah 19: 25
"...for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth." Deuteronomy 14: 2
"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:" Exodus 19: 5
"And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:" Deuteronomy 28: 1
"But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee." Deuteronomy 28: 15
We see that the Old Covenant was conditional upon physical Israel being obedient to God. They were not obedient and were judged for it.
Jeremiah 18: O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
"Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away." Isaiah 50: 1
"And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also." Jeremiah 3: 8
"And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:" Amos 7: 8
Physical Israel was changed and a remnant of it (Romans 11: 5) became the beginnings of that spiritual house of I Peter 2 5-9.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate."
"Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:" Romans 11: 20 "They" are physical Israel who rejected Christ.
"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.: Galatians 3: 16
"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28.There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29.And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Galatians 3: 27-29
Who is the seed of Abraham? It is Israel, but after the Cross not physical Israel. The identity of those in Christ is in that Israel, THE Israel of God. The ekklesia is just a meeting, assembly or congregation of that Israel reborn in Christ. Look at Ephesians 2: 11-20. The certain implication of the Gentiles drawing close by the blood of Christ in verse 13 is that they draw close to what they had previously been aliens from, in verse 12, the commonwealth of Israel.
To say God now has two peoples, implying two saved groups, is a serious falling away from sound doctrine - into another Gospel. To try to fix this problem by saying that all physical Israel will be saved in the future - sometime - is adding to the New Testament from doctrines made up by John Darby, C.I. Scofield and their followers.
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