Trumpet Ministries The Continuity of the Testaments
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After reviewing some of the ideas of the philosophy termed "Dispensationalism" I have come to the opinion that this model of interpretation of the Scriptures is decidedly harmful. It certainly is anti-Semitic!
One of the major harms done by the concept of the "dispensation" is a destruction of the continuity of the Testaments. It is conjectured that the Christian salvation is not part of the Old Testament promise; that it is not a part of the utterances of the Hebrew Prophets.
The truth is, the New Testament flows naturally from the Old as one unbroken revelation of God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is no such thing as a "Gentile dispensation" or a "Gentile Church." These are not scriptural concepts, although they have been repeated so many times the believers have accepted them as biblical truth.
The one revelation of the Kingdom of God began with Adam and Eve and flows in one unbroken line, one seamless robe, through to the new Jerusalem. It is true that God keeps giving more grace, more of Himself to those He has called. But at the same time he has increased the demands on His elect. More grace, more demands.
God has one goal in mind: all of His children will act righteously, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. However, religion always obscures this one goal.
The Jews obscure the goal by emphasizing slavish obedience to minutia that they have derived from the Law of Moses. The Christians obscure the goal by telling us God does not care particularly how we live as long as we profess belief in Christ.
Such Jews do not know God and such Christians do not know God. As Stephen protested, we always err in our heart. We just can't understand what God is saying to us.
The Book of Hebrews tells us clearly that God has given us a new covenant because the old covenant did not produce righteous people.
So how do we of today define the new covenant? We say that God has given up on us and doesn't really care how we live. He has given His Son to overcome sin for us and now all we have to do is believe He did this and we will go to Heaven on this basis.
The prevailing interpretation of the new covenant is so unscriptural as to be ridiculous. It truly would be laughable if the results were not so horrifically destructive of God's intention.
No matter how God moves, men (with Satan's assistance you may be sure) always manage to frustrate and sidetrack God's loving intention.
We Christians are not separate from the Hebrew Prophets. Rather, according to the Apostle Peter, the Prophets were speaking to us rather than to their contemporaries.
The first Christian assembly comprised 5,000 Jews, all rigorously practicing the Law of Moses. Did you know that? The Christian Church never was and never shall be Gentile. If you will read in the Gospel accounts the angelic announcements and prophetic declarations that accompanied the birth of the Lord you will discover the Gospel primarily is a Jewish covenant and blessing. We Gentiles have been grafted on the Jewish olive tree.
All of the Messianic promises found in the Old Testament apply first to the Lord Jesus Christ, and then to those who are coheirs with Him. No Messianic promise is made to Jews or Gentiles as such, only to the one Seed of Abraham—Jesus Christ and those who are an integral part of Him.
The problem with Dispensational theory is that it cuts us off from the Prophets and we are left with no clear destiny. And so the unscriptural myth about mansions in Heaven continues to be unexamined.
Our goal as Christians is not eternal residence in Heaven. We would not enjoy this. We are not angels. Our inheritance is first God, and then the nations of the earth. People are the only inheritance worth having.
God advised Jesus to pray for the nations and the farthest reaches of the earth. The Lord Jesus advises us to pray the same prayer.
You know why we have gone so far astray in our doctrine? We do not pray and read the Bible. If Christians would pray and read their Bible, instead of endlessly rehearsing their unscriptural traditions about lawless grace and eternal life in Heaven, they soon would learn about the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Today we must provoke God's people to reexamine their traditions in the light of the Scriptures, the Old Testament as well as the New; for both Testaments speak of the one Kingdom of God. It absolutely is not true that God proceeds in dispensations in which His goals are changed. As has been stated: "The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed."
The very concept of the "dispensation" is destructive of sound biblical interpretation and practice.
One thing is certain: if you can't find your belief set forth plainly in the New Testament, in context, it might be a good idea to go to the Lord about it.
They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. (Acts 28:23)
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. (Hebrews 1:1,2)
And how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (II Timothy 3:15)
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. (I Peter 1:12)
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