Knowing God; Understanding God's works through History (3)

Good morning.

Last Lord's Day we set forth the basic tenets of covenant theology

and we argued how this is a biblical way in which to best read and

interpret the history of redemption recorded in God's Word, the Holy Bible.

Well today we desire to address the leading dissenters from this view who

advocate dispensationalism as the key to unlocking and understanding

the scriptures.

And so to begin this morning we'll have Pastor Jason come and read for us 1st Corinthians

15.

20 through 28.

1st

Corinthians 15 beginning in verse 20.

But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

But each one in his own order.

Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at his coming.

Then comes the end when he delivered his death.

For he has put all things under his feet.

But when he says all things are put under him, it is evident that he who put all things under him

is accepted.

Now when all things are made subject to him, then the Son himself will also be subject to him who put

all things under him that God may be all in all.

Let's pray.

Our Heavenly Father we thank you for your sovereignty.

We thank you Lord that you are over all things and that we are held tightly in your hand.

We thank you Lord for the Bible.

We thank you for its truth.

We thank you that it gives light to us even in the midst of great difficulty and

uncertainty.

We thank you Lord that you are a faithful God that we can always trust in you and that you will accomplish all of your

purpose.

And Lord we pray that as we study this passage that you would help us understand what it means.

Help us to understand why it's important and how we can apply these truths to our lives.

We pray Lord that we would be enlightened with the truth this morning.

Help us Lord to live these truths out to your praise, glory, and honor.

Thank you Lord in Jesus name, amen.

The Holy Spirit has set before us in these few verses that were just read

through the hand of the Apostle a description of the kingdom of God through the course of this church

age even unto the consummation of history.

And so Paul speaks of the resurrection of Christ and he also speaks of the second coming of Christ

when the general resurrection of the dead will take place.

And so here we have described for us the current reign of Jesus Christ over

the kingdom of God.

Since our Lord's resurrection and enthronement as the king over the kingdom of God the Lord

Jesus has been fighting and overcoming his enemies the enemies of God through history

as he brings his people, yes even all things, into subjection to his Father

on whose behalf he reigns.

And Paul indicated that the last enemy that Christ will conquer is death itself

which will take place at the future resurrection of the dead.

Upon the completion of his reign the Lord Jesus will then present this kingdom in all its fullness

to the Father.

He will have accomplished the purpose for which the Father sent him to recover the creation

onto the Father bringing it back into willing subjection to him.

Now please note that in this passage there is no mention or suggestion of a future

rapture of the church which initiates a seven -year tribulation on earth

which then culminates in Christ's visible second coming which is then followed by

a 1 ,000 year long Jewish millennium which is then when the final judgment of unsaved

people takes place followed by the creation of the new heavens and the new earth.

In other words there is really no way to interpret this passage as it stands

according to the view of history and the future taught by dispensationalism.

There is however in this passage direct mention of the elements of covenant theology

which we addressed last Lord's Day including the roles of Adam and Christ as the

federal head of their people.

The simple and straightforward assertions of the Apostle are consistent with covenant theology

that we considered last Lord's Day.

Now today is the third and final Lord's Day that we're devoting to this

subject understanding God's works in history and we have shown that although our God

has given us a complete and wholly sufficient and inerrant Bible he has given his people a

greater understanding of the Bible through church history.

Through history God has revealed his word more clearly and fully to his people and he's done this by

raising up godly men through history who were mighty in the scriptures who

confronted errant even heretical teaching that had troubled the churches and through their

exposure and correction of error these godly men clarified and declared the truth of God's Word

regarding God's ways and we have cited a number of cardinal doctrines that if

that we hold dear the spouse as biblical they're taught in the scriptures but doctrines that were not

clearly understood and articulated until the Lord used events in history to bring them before us.

Now again last Lord's Day we asserted that the development of covenant theology in the

17th century England as well as New England brought the clearest and most

complete expression of what God has revealed to his people through his word.

Again what is covenant theology?

Well this is the belief that the holy scriptures teach that a relationship with God and his people

can only be obtained and enjoyed by God's willingness to condescend to come to us to

enter and maintain a relationship with him.

He must intervene in history in order to reveal himself to people and to enter into formal

relationship formal covenant relationship with them and of course the Bible records that he first did

so with Adam.

Adam who is the central head or representative of the human race.

God established a relationship with Adam and through Adam with all mankind that came forth from him.

The covenant upon which that relationship was based has been called the covenant of works for

God's promise of an eternal blessed relationship with him was conditioned on the

obedience in other words the works of mankind in Adam to keep his law perfectly.

He was told not to eat of that tree of the knowledge of good and evil

and the penalty of God's of man's transgression of God's law was death both physical and

spiritual which was eternal in duration the covenant of works

and when Adam fell he lost to mankind the blessed role in relationship that mankind had enjoyed before

God and so Adam although he had served as God's prophet priest and

king in the garden ruling over the garden on God's behalf through

sin he lost that kingdom he was to manage and protect it and he actually

surrendered that kingdom and all humanity into the kingdom ruled by the devil.

But upon Adam's breaking of the covenant of works with God and having the sentence of God pronounced

upon him and all that came after him God intervened

and God gave forth the promise of a new covenant which was a covenant of grace and

this is first expressed in Genesis 3 15.

God promised that he would one day send a Savior a king who would defeat the devil and recover

and restore his people that is his elect to an everlasting covenant relationship with himself in his

everlasting kingdom.

And this relationship with God in Christ would be a covenant of grace which was based entirely on God's

promise and God's on man's behalf apart from man's merit for he has

none and apart from man's works there's nothing man can do in order to

obtain salvation.

The Savior would not only make full atonement for the sin of his people whereby he achieved forgiveness of

their sins but he would keep the covenant of works that Adam had failed to keep in order to obtain

righteousness before God on behalf of his people.

And so in this covenant of grace God grants the gift of righteousness freely to his people through

faith alone by his grace alone whereby he secures and assures

his eternal blessed favor upon them in this life and in the life to come.

Now this concept of covenant theology is the key to best understand the

unfolding of the entire Word of God.

It is the theological framework by which we may read and understand the scriptures

and all the various covenants mentioned in the scriptures that God has made through history with mankind may be

understood from this vantage point of covenant theology with its

covenant of works and covenant of grace.

And so this understanding of the scriptures divides the Word of God itself into two broad

categories that we may refer to as the old covenant that would be the covenant

of works which is based on keeping God's law and the new covenant that would be the covenant

of grace which is based on Christ keeping God's law on our behalf and for having died for our sins.

And historically.

Of course these two broad categories have always been recognized for their significant distinctions

and achievements.

In fact we divide the Bible itself into the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The word testament is another word for covenant the old covenant and the new covenant

we divide the Bible into these two sections or portions.

And so the Bible contains God's revelation in his old covenant that is the Old Testament and

which is the promise of the new covenant throughout.

And then we have his revelation of the new covenant which is the New Testament which is the realization

and fulfillment of God's promise of the new covenant.

And so these two Testaments the new and the old record for us the full and complete plan

and purpose of God in history.

Within this unfolding history of redemption God reveals to us the presence of our sin

and in our attempts to keep his law as a covenant of works whereby we come to understand our

need of salvation by his grace alone that he freely bestows upon us solely through our

faith in his son.

And so the entire story of redemption the entire story of the Bible finds its

emphasis in the promise of God and his fulfillment of that promise in Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the center of all that is Jesus Christ himself is the fullness

and the finality of God's purpose.

In history.

All that came before were but a shadow of things to come.

But the substance belongs to Christ according to Paul in Colossians 2 17.

And so we see the Old Testament as preparing the world and the way that

brings us to Jesus Christ.

And then we see in the New Testament that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment and the culmination of

God's dealings in his world.

And when Jesus Christ returns at the end of the age he will execute his judgment upon the world

separating his people who have been saved by his grace from all others who are damned due to their sins.

And then his people will enter the full enjoyment of his kingdom that they will inherit which God had

prepared for them from the foundation of the world.

And so we would argue that this understanding of the scriptures is not a complicated matter

it is a rather simple and straightforward matter.

It speaks of what went on before the coming of Christ and what has taken place after the coming of Christ.

The Old Testament that is Old Covenant promised a future inauguration of the kingdom of God with

God's Son as its perfect and rightful King the New Testament.

New Covenant declares the arrival and establishment of that kingdom through the life death and resurrection

of Jesus Christ.

The New Testament sets forth the true nature of this kingdom and the nature of the true citizens of that

kingdom both Jewish and Gentile believers.

And the New Testament records the full realization of that kingdom to the entire world at the end of this

age when the Lord Jesus will have conquered all people and forces that have been opposed to his kingdom

that his father had given to him.

And so here we are now living as citizens of his everlasting kingdom with Jesus Christ as our king

and we are awaiting the full revelation of his kingdom at his future.

Second coming now one would think that this rather simple and

straightforward understanding of the nature and content of the biblical message would continue to be

proclaimed by Protestant churches.

The most accepted and widely used confessions of faith upheld and declared covenant

theology.

The Westminster Confession of Faith the Savoy Declaration of the Reformed Congregationalists

John O and Jonathan Edwards and of course our own Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689

all declared this covenant theology.

It was the common understanding of most Protestants from the middle of the 17th century through the next

two and a half centuries.

But a new and quite different understanding of the biblical message arose in the 19th century

and became dominant in the early years of the 20th century and its pervasiveness in

evangelicalism has continued to this day.

And so rather than covenant theology being the most popular and proclaimed message

rather dispensationalism arose to become the governing principle but

with which evangelicals have understood the message of the scriptures.

It continues today to be the most commonly accepted and promoted message

proclaimed by evangelicals.

And although we tend to bring this matter up often because it's so critically important it needs to

be addressed I'd like us to consider it today and show why it's both errant

and a very poor way in which to interpret the Holy Scriptures.

And so rather than explaining accurately and clearly the message of the Holy Scriptures we would argue

that dispensationalism obscures and obfuscates the truth that God has

revealed to his people.

And so let's consider dispensationalism of the 20th century.

Although it had its beginnings back in the 1830s and had growing influence throughout the

19th century it became predominant in the 20th century.

Dispensationalism had its beginning among the Plymouth Brethren movement both in

Ireland and England during the 19th century.

The Brethren was a group of Christians who were anti -clerical resisting and resenting the dead

formal clergy of the Church of Ireland and the Church of England they formed

independent churches which did not recognize the role or the need of educated

and ordained clergymen but were strictly congregational in their polity and their

practice though they did not have formal ministers serving in their congregations.

Gifted members rose over time to provide leadership through their teaching preaching

and writing and it was in this movement that J .N. Darby arose in prominence.

He was the leading figure through the 19th century he introduced and popularized

dispensational doctrine among the Brethren and later to other evangelical churches in

the latter half of the 19th century he was the mentor of Cyrus

Ingersoll Schofield.

Schofield was an American congregational and Presbyterian clergyman

writer Bible conference speaker and the producer of the Schofield reference Bible

who was the great promoter of dispensationalism in his study Bible which was first published

in 1909 and then reissued to a far greater degree in 1917.

The early 20th century was a tumultuous time for evangelical Christians

until the end of the 19th century the mainline denominations Presbyterian Methodist

Lutheran Baptist dominated Protestant Church scene but they

all had become corrupted with Darwinian philosophy and German higher criticism.

The Bible became scorned as the inerrant and authoritative Word of God the

miraculous was denied the virgin birth and bodily resurrection of Christ

and his present role as Lord was denied.

Those who believed the Bible left these denominations and began to form new Bible believing

churches missionary societies Bible college and seminaries and those

began to flourish but there was a great absence of sound historical Christian

literature for these fledgling evangelical churches and ministries but then

CI Schofield published his Schofield reference Bible in 1909

reissued in 1917 not 19 and it was the only study Bible

produced at that time it was the only thing available and so it came to be viewed as the

Bible for Bible believing Christians.

Christians believed this is what the Bible taught through Schofield study notes and so Schofield's

dispensationalism promoted in his study Bible replaced covenant theology as

a dominant way in which the Bible was read and interpreted and the influence of

dispensationalism grew throughout the 20th century shaping the belief system of a generation of

evangelicals including Lewis Barry Schaeffer who founded Dallas Theological

Seminary whose legacy was assumed by John Walvert and Charles Ririe.

Most conservative evangelical pastors and teachers of the 20th century had their views of law and

grace Israel in the church the rapture in the second coming the belief in

the future in a future Jewish 1 ,000 year millennium shaped directly or indirectly by

the teaching held by these men.

Their teaching is still predominant and is taught to people in the pews not only by

pastors and teachers influenced by them but through their books and study Bibles that have always

sold quite well.

Almost all radio and television preachers and teachers espoused

dispensationalism as the only right way to interpret the Bible.

I would guess that perhaps 95 of all Bible believers in America

today believe the teachings of dispensationalism that is all they've ever been

taught.

And I would I would think that the only really popular radio preachers that I can think

of today who continue to espouse covenant theology would be R .C. Sproul who's

now with the Lord of course and I think probably Alistair.

Interestingly however since the 1980s there has been some dispensationalists who've

modified some of their more aberrant positions of early earlier classical

dispensationalists and they are referred to as progressive dispensationalists.

They're still dispensationalists but they have moderated some of the former teaching.

But thankfully we would assert in the past handful of decades there has

been a resurgence of teaching of covenant theology perhaps largely due to the republishing of

books of the Puritans of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Now with that little bit of background in introduction let us now consider in some detail the teaching

of dispensationalism.

A lot of people hear that word dispensationalism but they really don't know what it's all about.

And so let's consider the major viewpoints of

dispensationalism by which they interpret the Bible.

What beliefs distinguish dispensational theology.

Well there are many but the main beliefs may be as follows.

First they argue that God's dealings in history are to be understood according to seven

distinguishable dispensations.

If there is a single verse of scripture that dispensationalists have called upon to legitimize their interpretation of the

scriptures it is 2nd Timothy 2 15.

Paul wrote to Timothy study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that

needed not to be ashamed.

And then here it is rightly dividing the word of truth.

Paul was exhorting Timothy to properly interpret and apply the Holy Scriptures to his pastoral ministry.

Dispensationalists however claim that the last words of this verse speak to rightly

dividing up the Bible into distinguishable dispensations.

In order to understand the Bible rightly one must be rightly dividing the word of

truth.

And just before the turn of the century C .I. Schofield wrote a little pamphlet and I have a copy of it.

I was looking at yesterday a copy of it in my library and it's entitled rightly dividing the

word of truth.

And he said of this verse the word of truth then has right divisions.

And it must be evident that as one cannot be a workman that needeth not be ashamed without observing them.

So any study of that word which ignores those divisions must be in large measure

profitless and confusing.

What we see therefore is that instead of dispensationalists viewing the concept of

covenant as central to understanding and applying the scriptures rightly their primary biblical

hermeneutic that is principle of interpretation is to interpret the scriptures according to

the various dispensations that unfold in the biblical record.

More specifically what is their definition of a dispensation.

Well Schofield defined a dispensation as a period of time during which

man is tested obviously tested by God in respect to his

obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God.

In other words it's believed that the Bible records a number of success for successive

points in history.

Actually there are seven in number when God reveals some new and additional teaching

regarding himself in his will and then he began in that dispensation to test

mankind according to that revelation of himself.

Each dispensation is distinct from one another but each dispensation contains certain

aspects or elements that are common to them all and so it is taught within each

dispensation there is a five -step pattern and here they are.

First there is a distinctive idea of God's revelation that's provided at the beginning of the

dispensation.

Secondly there's a specific test of obedience in relation to this divine revelation.

Thirdly the Bible records the failure of man under the economy of this divine revelation.

Fourthly there is in each dispensation the judgment of God for man's failure

and then fifth what is followed is the beginning of a new dispensation.

And so biblical history is viewed as conveyed through these seven dispensations.

A dispensation is understood as a period of specific trial and testing and mankind shows its

sinfulness by its failure in every test which brings an end to that dispensation in which God

began to deal with mankind differently with a different test in the age that follows.

How many dispensations are believed to be set forth in the Bible.

It's believed that there are seven dispensations in the biblical record and they are identified

as follows.

There's the age of innocence the age of conscience the age of promise the age of human

government the age of the law the age of the grace age of grace and then the

age of the kingdom which they view as a future thousand -year Jewish millennium on earth.

Let's work and see how they understand each one of these dispensations.

First the age of innocence was God's test of Adam and Eve while in the Garden of Eden before the fall

God had created man and a state of innocence placing him in a perfect environment.

The test was that obedience to his command not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

And of course Adam and Eve failed the test when they sinned bringing God's judgment upon them by his pronouncement of

his curse and is excluding them from the garden.

Dispensations argue that this dispensation is recorded in Genesis 128 through

Genesis 324 with Adam and Eve's fall into sin and God's

pronouncement of judgment the age of innocence the first dispensation came to an end.

This gave way to the second dispensation which is called the age of conscience.

After having fallen into sin and having been excluded from the garden mankind went into the world of sinners.

But God continues to deal with mankind according to the conscience that he had given to

everyone.

The test during this dispensation was that men and women were to govern themselves in righteousness according to

their conscience.

God had taught them about simple

sacrifice animal sacrifice for sin and had taught man that he was to live righteously before

God.

But man failed this test.

Also mankind grew worse and worse and so we read in Genesis 6.

And the Lord saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thought of his heart

was only evil continually.

And the Lord was sorry that he made man on the earth and he was grieved in his heart.

So the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth both man

and beast creeping thing and birds of the air for I am sorry that I have made them.

And so they argue that this dispensation ended with God's judgment upon the earth with the worldwide flood

by which God washed the earth of sinful humanity.

Of course the one exception was with Noah and his family for Noah found grace in the sight of

the Lord.

This was then followed by the third dispensation which is referred to as a dispensation of human

government.

It began with Noah and his family coming forth from the ark after the flood.

We read a record of the nations that came forth and repopulated the earth.

It is claimed that the test for this dispensation was a new test of obedience to obey human government

through which man was to govern the world.

But mankind failed this test and God brought his judgment on mankind at the Tower of Babel.

God confounded the languages scattered the peoples across the world.

And so it's taught that this dispensation is recorded from Genesis 8 15 through chapter

11 verse 32.

This gave way to the fourth dispensation which is very important in the mind of the

dispensationalist.

This is the age of promise.

This began with God's call of Abraham and continues through the book of Genesis and the exodus of

Israel from Egypt ending at Mount Sinai God has selected one man

from whom would come forth the nation of Israel and eventually the promised Messiah.

God promised his blessing upon Abraham and his descendants in other words Israel and therefore it's

called the age of promise.

It is claimed that the test that God imposed upon this people during this dispensation was whether or not

they would choose to continue in a relationship with God according to his promise of grace.

They failed their test.

And this I find this fascinating and terribly alarming by the way they failed this

test by choosing rather to relate with God according to his law given to them on Mount Sinai

which they chose to accept as the basis of relationship with God.

And so it is said the test was when God at Mount Sinai offered this people a law

relationship with him rather than the grace relationship with it which they had known under Abraham

they rashly and foolishly accepted it thus failing the test ending the period of promise.

Consider what they're saying.

According to dispensationalist Israel should not have accepted the law of God at Mount Sinai

insisting they remain under the grace of God given to them through God's promise to Abraham.

I find that just absolutely bizarre.

Well then began the fifth dispensation which is the age of the law with the giving of the Ten

Commandments at Mount Sinai.

God gave Israel the Ten Commandments by which they were to order their corporate and individual life.

The test of this dispensation was whether or not Israel would faithfully keep God's law.

Of course the Bible records that Israel repeatedly failed to do so.

The final test therefore was whether or not Israel would accept the promised Messiah who was sent

to them who offered them the earthly kingdom.

They believe when John the Baptist and Jesus came teaching the kingdom of heaven is at hand the kingdom of God is

hand that they were offering Israel the Jews the earthly Millennium

the kingdom of David.

But because they rejected Jesus as their Messiah that offer the kingdom was withdrawn

and will not again be instituted until after the second coming of Christ.

And so of course the Jews failed miserably terribly and that they crucified their promised Messiah

King.

This dispensation of law continued from Exodus 19 verse 1

until Acts 126 just before the day of Pentecost.

And then the sixth dispensation came into existence which is referred to as the

age of grace that began with Pentecost and continues until what they believe to be the rapture of

the church with the rejection of Christ by Israel the test is given to the

Gentile world to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Here's their understanding of this age of grace when Israel God's chosen people rejected the

kingdom and crucified their King God now turned to the Gentiles to deal with them through the

grace of his son's death for the formation of the body of people for himself.

And this body of people was the church.

This is a parenthetical period.

In other words it's an interruption in God's true purpose in history.

The church age.

This age of grace is parenthetical.

It's introduced for a time.

Plan B we might say is what they what they believe this is a

parenthetical period until God wants again to deal with his chosen people Israel.

The point of testing in this period is the acceptance of Jesus Christ.

The period will however end in failure with the apostasy of the professing church and the

result in apocalyptic judgments which they would believe is at an end time seven -year tribulation.

And so the age of grace is said to end with the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Now it's not clear when they claim what they claim regarding a so -called seven -year

tribulation after the church is said to be raptured out of the world.

Biblically they claim this dispensation.

The age of grace is covered from Acts 2 1 until Revelation 1921

which records the second coming of Christ.

In other words according to their own view of dispensationalism where does

those who lived during the seven -year tribulation fall.

Because the church has been taken out they say before the tribulation.

And yet they say the age of grace continues through the tribulation until the

visible physical second coming of Christ.

It's it's really a convoluted portion of history that I don't think any of them have ever dealt with.

But then of course with the second coming of Christ the seventh and final dispensation is said to be the age of

the kingdom.

It is said with the failure of the church to evangelize the world in this age of grace that God will

turn to work once again among his chosen people the Jewish people after the

rapture of the church the Jews will once again have preeminence in God's purposes through the final

seven -year tribulation and into the kingdom age after the second coming of Jesus Christ

and it said that the thousand -year kingdom age will be a world in which is dominated by the Jewish people

Israel who served Jesus Christ who's established the promised Davidic kingdom of the Old Testament

but this thousand -year millennium will also end in failure when the people of the world

moved by Satan rebel against King Jesus who is enthroned in Jerusalem and

then the end of history occurs and the great white throne judgment of the unsaved takes

place according to dispensationalism.

So those are the major tenets of dispensationalism and they argue that this is the

way the Bible is to be read and interpreted and it's in conflict with covenant

theology in a number of ways and we would argue that it was a invention of man

back in the 19th century and yet it is accepted uncritically by most

everybody who's an evangelical today I would argue I would say that probably less than 5 of

Bible believers believe in covenant theology rather than

dispensationalism.

Now let's take some time and deal with some of the major errors of dispensationalism

we would assert that there are many many serious and foundational problems with

dispensationalism and that it is a very poor tool by which to interpret the

Scriptures many errors result in much ignorance of the truth of the Scriptures is

lost to those who espouse dispensationalism.

It's important to understand that these errors do not touch essential matters of the gospel

thankfully that should result in causing us to separate

formally from these brethren who are dispensational.

Now these are very important matters we would argue but they are not essential matters on which the

salvation of the ones who believe or disbelieve dispensationalism is in jeopardy.

Most Christian brethren who truly know the Lord Jesus are dispensational.

I was for the first 10 years of my Christianity from 1972 until 1982 when I

came to understand that the Bible did not teach this scheme of interpretation

and so the fact is that most of all Christians in today's world began their walk within the

setting and understanding of dispensational teaching and although these faults within

the system adversely influenced the content and weaken the impact of the gospel message I would argue

the heart and substance of the gospel is not affected so as to make their teaching another

gospel.

Now the errors of dispensationalism are so many and they are so pernicious in so many ways

that it's a significant challenge to put into words a summary in one sermon.

We could easily speak for the next 10 Sundays about these matters and not feel that we were

thorough in our treatment.

I personally came out of dispensationalism almost 40 years ago after having been

indoctrinated in the system for about 10 years and through the years I've become increasingly

mindful of how much damage the system has done to the understanding of the truth of God's Word

and how difficult a task it is to wean sincere and committed Christians

from what they've been taught and I believe firmly to be the truth of the scriptures.

For our purposes at this time we are only able to speak in rather broad terms and

categories.

If you're interested I have good books available that address these and many more matters thoroughly

about dispensational teaching and so we may attempt to address the major

categories of error of dispensationalism in the following ways.

We will first speak of errors of understanding of principles of biblical

interpretation.

Secondly we'll address errors of understanding of the identification and the role of Israel.

Thirdly we'll speak about the errors of understanding the church set forth in the

Bible.

Fourth we'll deal with errors of understanding of the promised kingdom of David that dispensationalists

teach and then fifth we'll speak of errors of understanding regarding the end times and lastly

six errors of understanding regarding the future judgment of mankind.

We're going to have to speak quickly through these matters because of the time.

First let's consider errors of principles of interpretation.

Dispensationalism arose in history because its originators had adopted certain ways of interpreting the Bible

that were a departure from historic Protestantism.

They claim that they alone practiced the right method of interpreting the scriptures which is according to

the grammatical historical method.

They accuse those who are not dispensational is not interpreting the Bible literally but that non

-dispensationalist spiritualized and allegorized that which should be accepted

literally.

First of all this is an incorrect accusation for we would argue that we also

interpret the Bible both the old and the New Testaments using the grammatical historical

method but whereas they claim to interpret the Old Testament literally we would

charge them that in doing so they fail to take the New Testament literally for we advocate that

God meant everything he said in the Old Testament but that in the New Testament God tells us what he meant

in the Old Testament.

God means what he says the Old Testament and says what he means in the New Testament

was a well -known quote of John Wilmot an early 20th century writer who

wrote against dispensationalism.

The key to rightly understanding the Old Testament is to read it in the light of the person and work of Jesus Christ

as the Holy Spirit illuminates the truth to the student of scripture.

Speaking of Jews who failed to believe on Jesus as their promised Messiah Paul wrote these words

their minds were blinded for until this day he's talking about non -Christian Jews until

this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament because the veil is taken away

in Christ but when even to this day when Moses is read a veil lies on their heart the

Jews themselves could not rightly understand the Old Testament nevertheless when one turns to the

Lord the veil is taken away he one has to read and understand the Old Testament in the light of the

coming of Christ.

The Jews interpreted their scriptures our Old Testament literally but in doing so they failed to

recognize the true identity of Jesus as the Christ the spiritual nature the

promised kingdom of God and of the need to be born again and exercise repentance and

faith in the son of God for salvation even entrance into the promised kingdom they didn't see

it and as a result they crucified the Lord Jesus.

Basically dispensationalists are saying that the Jews interpret the Old Testament rightly because they interpreted it

literally and the result was a rejection of Jesus and the crucifixion of him on the cross.

Dispensationalists tend to literalize the Old Testament and interpret the New Testament in the light of their Old

Testament understanding again we argue that you read the Old Testament it

means what it says but then the New Testament tells us what it means.

They say you read the Old Testament literally and then when you get into the New Testament you cannot

read anything in the New Testament which conflicts with what you already perceive is set forth in

the Old Testament and so they have the matter backwards they tend to literalize the

Old Testament and then they interpret the New Testament in the light of their understanding.

Here are the words of John Wilmot we referenced earlier writing of the hermeneutics of a dispensationalist.

Hermeneutics is simply the the science of interpretation the principle of

interpreting the Bible and he mentions a well -known writer who is a dispensationalist.

Mr. B .W. Newton maintaining a rigidly literalistic outlook writes that the prophecies of the New

Testament cannot be interpreted in opposition to those of the Old Testament that they are

professedly supplemental to those already given in the Old Testament and it's important to receive

the instruction of the prophets if we wish to apprehend the additional lessons of the apostles

and then these are Wilmot's words.

The rule would be sound if the testaments were reversed.

That is to say the prophecies of the Old Testament must not be interpreted in opposition of the New Testament.

The supplementary lessons of the apostles are expository and meaningful.

It's important to receive the lessons of the apostles if we wish to understand the instruction of the prophets

our Lord and his apostles were exponents of Moses and the prophets.

By such guidance we find that a spiritual meaning is given and a gospel and evangelical

fulfillment intended.

On the other hand the judgment of the able writer he's referring again to Newton quoted

leads him to postpone fulfillment to the millennial period.

And so millennial interference millennial blessing human life in the millennium the millennial heavens the

millennial earth and choice words of psalmist and prophet are said to be those of the Israeli

Israel nation when the Lord shall come.

The fact is no millennial qualifications are mentioned in the Old Testament and human judgment therefore

forces the text to fit the theory.

The one millennial occurrence in the New Testament and in the whole bible makes mention of none of the earthly

characteristics so arbitrarily placed within that thousand years.

And that's a reference to revelation 20.

And so the dispensational system fails to adhere to a biblical principle that God first

reveals what is true in the natural physical and temporary order of

things in order to later reveal the supernatural spiritual and eternal order.

The divine order is first the natural and then it's followed by what is spiritual.

Consider Paul's words in first Corinthians 15 respecting the relationship between Adam and

Jesus Christ.

However the spiritual is not first but the natural afterward the spiritual.

The first man was of the earth made of dust the second man is the Lord from heaven as was the

man of dust so also are those who are made of dust and is the heavenly man so also those who are heavenly.

And as we have borne the image of the man of dust we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man.

And so the natural comes first and then the realization the fulfillment is that which is spiritual.

And so what may be read and understood as literal in the Old Testament may actually be pointing to something beyond

itself to that which is spiritual.

And this is basically the meaning of typology.

What is typology.

Typology is one of the most important pieces of biblical interpretation in general as well as the

mystery of Christ and covenant theology in particular.

Greg Beal he's a friend of ours offers a helpful definition of typology the

study of analogical in other words a comparative the analogical

correspondence among revealed truths about persons events institutions the other things within

historical framework of God's special revelation that would be the bible which from the perspective view

are of a prophetic nature and are escalated in their meaning.

In other words in the Old Testament you have types.

In the New Testament you have their anti -types.

But because dispensational claim to take the bible literally they cut off the anti -type and they

say the type is the reality that which is eternal.

And so they speak of the nation of Israel as being the eternal people of God and the church is a parenthesis.

They do not see Israel as a type and the church is the anti -type but rather they see these things

literally and therefore they ignore New Testament teaching regarding these because they claim that

they take the Old Testament literally.

And it's a problem in their method of interpretation.

Most often the Old Testament contains the type.

Then the New Testament reveals its anti -type the spiritual reality to which the physical type had pointed.

And so Adam was the type Jesus Christ is the anti -type.

The manna was the type Christ was the anti -type the true bread from heaven Canaan the promised land

was the type heaven and the eternal state is the anti -type.

Circumcision was the type spiritual circumcision or regeneration is the anti -type.

And there are so many examples and type of types and their anti -types of scripture that to catalog them all

would be quite a feat.

I pulled down yesterday a book off my shelf my library written by a 17th century form Baptist

Benjamin Keech entitled parables from the types and metaphors of scripture.

It's a classic book reprinted by Kriegel.

It's a thousand and seven pages in length.

Much of errant dispensational teaching can be assessed as the failure to identify and distinguish

between the literal types of the Old Testament and their spiritual anti -types in the New Testament.

One of the major ways in which dispensationalist err is in not terminating the importance and

abiding reality of the type.

Once the anti -type arrives the Old Testament those literal physical things were

shadows not the reality.

The reality are the spiritual truths revealed in the New Testament.

And so here we have a principle that wants the anti -type comes on the

scene.

The type disappears.

If types are not their anti -types it naturally follows that when the anti -type arrives the type

is discarded.

The substance being calm the shadow flies away.

Hercules Collins was a Reformed Baptist in the 1600s.

This is the argument of the author to the Hebrews a return to animal blood is a denial that Jesus's

blood has any meaning.

To prefer the shadow over substance is to say that the substance has not arrived.

To prefer animal sacrifices is to say that Jesus has not come in the flesh and is not the

Christ.

I wish our dispensational friends understood and apply this principle to their interpretation of the Old Testament.

The Old Testament temple was the type that pointed to the New Testament anti -type of the physical body of

Jesus Christ.

Destroy this temple in three days.

I'll raise it up.

He was speaking about the temple of his body.

They wrongly thought.

He was talking about the physical temple the type and the anti -type.

To teach that one day there must be a rebuilt physical temple and that there will be legitimate service during a

future thousand -year millennium is a denial of the spiritual reality of the Lord Jesus himself

and a denial of his death on the cross.

The teaching that the Levitical priesthood of the Old Testament will be reinstituted and practiced

during a future thousand -year millennium offering myriad sacrifices.

Animal sacrifices as a memorial to what Christ did on the cross is a denial of the

atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

He was the anti -type.

The sacrifices in the Old Testament were the type.

And so to claim that because we're to take the Old Testament literally that there will be a restored Levitical priesthood in

a future millennium offering animal sacrifices as a memorial to the death of Christ in a

rebuilt temple that God regards as a legitimate means of worshiping him is a violation

of under the understanding of the nature and meaning of types and their anti -types.

It's a literalizing of shadows while obscuring the abiding spiritual

realities.

Similar idea to the matter of typology.

Dispensationalist disregard the normal manner in which God has worked through history.

He is always moving forward in order to accomplish his purposes.

Dispensationalist declare that God will one day return to his real love and purpose that is to

manifest himself to and through the physical nation of Israel.

The major message of the book of Hebrews was that there was no going back for Jewish Christians a

return to former practices of the Jews.

Religion of the Old Testament.

God has come through Jesus Christ and is moving forward in history to the consummation of time

and all things.

But dispensationalism teaches that God himself will turn back and return to his old purposes in

ways with the physical Jews and the political political nation of Israel.

But God does not walk backward.

The scriptures don't teach that.

So errors in the matter of interpretation.

Now that's just one category a major category.

But it's really what sets them off in a wrong course.

Then secondly there's errors of the understanding and identification of the role of Israel.

Dispensationalist will deny the legitimacy of using the expression spiritual Israel.

They say the Bible doesn't teach anywhere the notion of spiritual Israel.

They define Israel as the physical children of Abraham only to whom God has bound himself to

bless.

They believe that God's primary plan in history is to bless the Jewish people who are the physical offspring of

Abraham to whom God committed himself.

They persist in their belief that God's favor is shown due to and according to one's race.

When throughout the Bible God has manifested his favor according to ones he purposed in grace.

God deals with people in his covenant of grace on people his purpose to show grace not

because of who their physical parents are or ancestors were.

God is indeed dealt with race as determining factor in the past respecting his covenant

of works.

But it's according to grace that he relates with people in the covenant of grace.

Now clearly God has called and used many of Abraham's physical offspring in his plans and purposes of

history.

But God purpose to be in covenant relationship with the spiritual descendants of Abraham not the physical descendants of

Abraham.

They the ones who are spiritual descendants of Abraham who had the same faith as Abraham were the

true recipients of grace.

They had the same faith as Abraham and therefore they're the true children of Abraham to whom God has given his

promises.

Spiritual Israel includes all people of history who have had the same faith as Abraham not

because they have the same blood as Abraham.

If you believe as Abraham believed you're a child of Abraham and the promises to Abraham are your

promises.

Dispensationalists deny that the promises to Abraham are to his physical children and this

is a hermeneutic that they continue to have and interpret the Bible

accordingly.

The Apostle Paul stated in a number of places both in Romans 4 and also Galatians that Abraham was

called to be the father of many nations in other words Gentile nations.

He was talking about people of faith.

And so the idea that somehow God's favor God's grace is bestowed upon Abraham's

physical posterity is just not taught in the Bible.

Paul argued in Romans 9 that not all physical descendants of Abraham were blessed.

Why God did not bless Ishmael.

But rather he chose Isaac and even Rebecca through Isaac had two sons they were twins.

And yet he didn't bless both of them because they were physical descendants of Abraham but rather he chose in

his grace to bless the younger rather than the older.

He blessed Jacob rather than his brother.

And yet this is a principle that dispensationalists do not follow.

They regard Israel as the physical descendants of Abraham only.

But truly throughout the Bible the Israel of God are people of faith both in the Old

Testament and New Testament.

Thirdly there is errors respecting the church.

Dispensationalists teach that the Bible holds forth promises for two different people Israel and the church.

Israel contains the Old Testament people of God his earthly people.

They believe and teach no Old Testament Saints belong to the church for the church is comprised only of

those who are saved on or after the day of Pentecost.

They maintain a strong distinction between God's promises to Israel and his promises to his church.

These two peoples of God will exist in eternity separated and with separate

destinies and distinguished blessings.

I've often asked our dispensational friends to which group Israel of the church did the redeemed people

belong who lived before Abraham.

What about Noah.

Is he in Israel or the church.

And of course Noah was born and lived before the birth of Israel.

It is it is convoluted confusing and unbiblical.

The scriptures teach there is one people of God all who are redeemed by Jesus Christ

Abraham David.

All the Old Testament believers are part of the church the invisible church of all

the elect of all the redeemed of history.

The dispensationalism doesn't teach that the church are only those who believe on Christ from the

day of Pentecost until a future rapture of the church.

Errors respecting the promised kingdom of David.

They say that Jesus Christ did not inaugurate the kingdom of David but rather the kingdom of

David is an earthly kingdom.

And one day at the second coming of Christ Jesus will establish his kingdom.

I read to a popular study Bible of a very good and godly man the other day I read through it

entirely in a study notes a couple years ago and I remembered a quote.

And I went back through the entire New Testament the other day looking at all his footnotes where I'd

underlined and made comments in the margin and I kept coming across this statement when

Jesus returns the second time to establish his kingdom.

There's no place in the Bible where it says Jesus is going to establish his kingdom.

At the second coming he established his kingdom when he died upon the cross rose again and sat

down at the right hand of the Father.

At the second coming there's going to be the full manifestation of that kingdom.

But it's already existing.

But dispensationalists say no.

There are two different kingdoms.

There's the kingdom of God that exists now the one day the kingdom of David be

reinstituted.

And so they speak about two of everything.

They speak about two kingdoms two peoples Israel and its church.

Two different destinies.

They divide God's program into two of everything and that includes the

kingdom of David.

The scriptures say Jesus Christ is at the seat of David raised from the dead.

And Peter proclaimed on the day of Pentecost that when Jesus was enthroned in heaven that

was Jesus being seated on the throne of his father David.

There's not two different kingdoms the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Israel to the kingdom of David there's one

kingdom and Jesus Christ is Lord and we have to close because of the time.

But fifthly we haven't even touched on this hardly errors respecting the end

times.

There are so many it would be hard again to even list them.

We can't address them.

Dispensationalist teach that there are two stages in a second coming of Christ.

A rapture where Jesus comes down from heaven catches up all the church goes back to heaven.

A seven -year tribulation takes place on earth.

The second physical literal coming.

The second stage.

The second second coming I like to call it at the end of seven years.

I would argue that the Bible does not teach a future seven -year tribulation.

That is a misunderstanding of the 70th week of Daniel from Daniel chapter 9.

And yet it's such an accepted teaching.

People's only speak in terms of do you believe in a pre tribulation rapture mid tribulation rapture or

post tribulation rapture.

I tend to believe that much of the wording of tribulation in the New Testament is speaking about what happened

in AD 70 when the temple was overthrown and Jerusalem destroyed.

And that tribulation takes place throughout this entire year.

But with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ no man knows the hour.

And it may be just as in the days of Noah when nobody was expecting the flood.

And all of a sudden Jesus Christ is going to come and the end of history will take place.

And the general judge of the mankind.

And lastly I'm going to conclude with this last error that I think is the most important of them all

regarding the error of dispensationalism.

There is no place in dispensational theology to teach an end time

judgment of works of believers.

They believe that the only judgment of works in the future that will take place with regard to salvation

is unbelievers and they'll all be damned at the end of the thousand years.

But the Bible teaches a general resurrection of all the dead and that every one of us is going to be judged for

the works that we've done in this life.

We're not saved by works but our works will either demonstrate and validate our claim

we're Christians or it's going to reveal that we were actually hypocrites.

We're going to be judged according to our works.

Every action we've done every attitude we've exhibited every word we spoke every attitude that

we've ever had will be measured against the law of God.

This is not to say that we as Christians should be fearful with anticipation of that judgment but rather we ought

to welcome it because on that day we will be shown to be true believers.

We who have turned from sin believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our words the words we speak will testify the fact that we're Christians.

Our attitudes our loves our motivations our actions are going to demonstrate clearly

the Lord Jesus is going to point to us as validating our Christianity by the way we have

lived.

And then of course for those that are standing before him they're not because there are good lives but because of the

right gift of righteousness of Jesus Christ being conferred upon them.

They will be exonerated completely from guilt and damnation.

And they'll be granted everlasting life as the free gift that Jesus Christ obtained for them.

For Jesus Christ will stand not only as their advocate their defense attorney on that day of judgment but he's also

sitting on the throne as judge.

And there's no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.

But there is no room in dispensational teaching no place of the idea of a future

judgment of works of believers.

And the outcome is salvation or damnation.

And as a consequence there are many professing Christians who live this in this life with no

concern whatsoever how they live because they think hey I'm saved by grace to faith alone it doesn't matter

how I live.

And dispensationalism has reinforced that false teaching for the last hundred years we have to

close we're way over time.

Let's pray father give us wisdom and understanding in these matters.

Give us clarity of thought help us to read and interpret your word rightly our God and

deliver your people Lord from error and ignorance into the truth that you have disclosed

for.

We ask these things father in Jesus name amen.