Hermeneutics of Dispensationalism

The Literal Sense and the Lenses of Dispensationalism

Hermeneutics of dispensationalism. Dispensationalism is known for particularly emphasizing that they take a literal approach to the Bible. They often say that take it literally or they'll say they'll take the Bible at face value.

The plain meaning the plain sense often use terms like that. It I heard some pithy little saying that when the plain sense makes the most sense. It's the best sense something that We'll see what they believe what they teach.

Is that really the literal or is it really the plain. Is it really what the Bible teaches. There are lenses. We interpret our Bible through lenses. And whether those lenses can help us to see clearly or whether actually like, you know.

If I have this thing on my glasses think it's out there but it's really right here and the glasses and start with dispensationalism is what they say is in the Bible because is it really in the Bible or is it because that's what they What they're seeing the Bible through.

Dispensations and the Meaning of Rightly Dividing the Word

First of all that gets his name as it said in the introduction of the video through use the word economies. What have you on eras? Governments that the belief that God works. It has worked at different times through different Economies eras of governments you get right with God at different times through different ways we say called dispensations and and to know.

Dispensations left that scripture. I was at first Timothy 2 15. I think I forget the King James version. It's a study show yourself proved. You yourself approved into God rightly dividing the word of truth and actually the word idiom or dividing.

It means just I think like the ESP would have say you show help prove to God rightly in handling. And it's like someone who knows how to handle meat or something knows how to divide it in the right ways.

Handle it, but they would take that word dividing quite literally say there are divisions all through the Bible. You need to find those divisions and you kind of therefore. What's in one side of the division you kind of cut out and this is the important part and so you find out which dispensation any passages from whether it relates to the old era of the law or the new that our age or the future age the Millennium and the dispense most dispensation.

Listen, you know, of course, there's always people disagree. But this is the main way this is described by Charles Ryrie one of the main dispensational teachers. These dispensations dispensation of innocence, that's Adam and Eve before the fall conscience.

You know before early Genesis like from the fall to what would that be. Noah's era? Civil government, it's from like Noah to Abraham. I guess before Abraham.

Patriarchal rule.

Abraham to Moses mosaic rule the era of what they usually call that the dispensation of law. And the dispensation of grace or the church age. I'll call it and then the Millennium in the future. These are the typical dispensation, you know, you look at that and you think well.

They spend a lot of time dealing with all these dispensations. Not really I saw someone said that I think it's Schaeffer wrote like a Three volumes long systematic theology. Someone said he spent like a page and a half on all the dispensations except for Law and grace that's really the upset in the Millennium.

The rest of them they kind of just pass over. Okay, so you hardly hear about any of that. The main issue is really law grace in Millennium. So they say there's a dispensation of obscure their dispensation of law and.

Which is from Moses to. Well, that's it. That's the question. Is it to wear? Because where's the Bible said there's a dispensation of law. When does it begin? When would it end? Some would say most of them would say till Jesus.

We're in Jesus's life, by the way. Where does the dispensation of law in when he's born? Someone say no no. Because he came to offer in the dispensation of law to Jews to offer them the kingdom is rejected.

So and not until he's crucified. That's what they'll say. So the dispensation of law and now we're doing the dispensation of grace. That got all messed up. Sorry, which is the Church Age, which is what we're in now.

All right. So this is one of their charts. I love charts charts out. Easily and so you and that their belief then they interpret all of Scripture through that. This is the dispensation. Whatever passage open up somewhere.

Oh, this is during the dispensation of law. So it's not really I'm in grace. So I don't really need to eat it and this goes even for well, we'll see. Even for a lot of the teachings of Jesus Jesus came to those under the law.

So therefore it's nice that he said it but it's not really relevant to me. Yeah, so I'll skip over that I got a lot here so for dispensation is understanding which Dispensation a Passage of Scripture is for is key to seeing whether it applies to us or not.

Understand if it's in dispensation of law, even if it's Jesus teaching they say for example. Many of them say the Sermon on the Mount is Jesus came during the dispensation of law and it's about law. And so well, it's nice to Jesus said all that stuff sermon them out.

Blessed are the poor or you know. You look on a woman with lust and all that stuff, it's nice that he said all that but it's dispensation of law era. It's really not relevant to me just to kind of put that aside.

So you end up nullifying all that but that's that's what they say. That's dispensation of law. So you end up basically with. Maybe the book of Acts in the the epistles. Is that really what that's the way they would see it.

Law and Grace in Romans and Galatians

And then of course, we're under the dispensation of grace and they'll for example take the phrase from Romans chapter 6 verse 14 You are not under law. Which they interpret that to mean you are not under the dispensation of law the government of law the time of law.

When the when you the time when God said to be right with him you had to approach him through keeping the law. You're not under that anymore, but under grace. Now we're in the era of grace. That's the way they interpret that phrase by Paul now.

You think is that what Paul meant when he said that you are not under law under a dispensation of law. Is that what he was thinking? But under grace. But he's not speaking of different eras. He doesn't mention that the word dispensation of law.

Never occurs anywhere in Scripture our dispensation of grace or church age. None of that occurs anywhere in the Bible. He's not speaking of a different eras or dispensations. You know first law and you know, God kind of gave up on that and tried grace for a while.

But different approaches to God there are people who think even still today. Joe and George can testify to this you try to share. You know, how do you you know, if you should die today, you're kind of typical evangelism question.

You should die today. Why do you think God will accept you into heaven? Well because I've kept the Ten Commandments or whatever. I tried maybe I failed here. They're thinking I'm coming to God by law and there are plenty of people who think that way today and What Paul is saying is you're not under law.

But under grace is that way of thinking is wrong and it always has been wrong. These are different approaches to God that people at all times have had for example Romans chapter 9 verse 32. Because they did not talk about the Israelites.

Particularly unbelieving. I'm believing Israelites that did not Believe in Christ or even before that the way they approach God. They did not pursue Salvation or righteousness, you know, there have been brackets there means I'm inserting that word.

They did not pursue salvation.

By faith.

And he's not even to Jews in earlier times. Before Christ, they did not pursue salvation by faith, but as if it were. Based on works. What does someone mean when they say something as if it were? If I say about some guys this guy can you know Jim on Sunday night?

This guy came into Jim. You wouldn't believe it. He came in here as if he were LeBron James. What am I saying? I'm saying one. He's not LeBron James and I'm also implying. He's probably not even a very good basketball player.

Yeah, he came in here looking like he was with all the gear and the attitude, but he's really funny kind of lousy. So what is Paul saying here? He did not pursue salvation by faith these Jews. But as if it were based on works implying it wasn't based on works it never was based on works.

There was no dispensation of law. Understand that as if it were it never was so the Bible never uses the term terms dispensation of law. It never shows us show me anyone here got an example. I can think of one show me one person and all the Bible is said to be justified right before God because of his works.

So me where is such a person? I mean if there was a dispensation of law. You would expect at least a few people to make it through law. But no one did because there was no dispensation of law and then you think even of you know, even in Old Testament times.

How did people come to God. People came to God or were right with God? Save we might say made a good relationship with God.

Through faith.

It always has for example Galatians chapter 3 verse 8 Paul says the gospel Was preached beforehand to Abraham. Wait, I thought that was a previous dispensation. Well, God wasn't doing the gospel in faith back then.

Paul says he was. Paul says God preached the gospel beforehand before it's fully revealed to Abraham and Abraham is just he's right before God. Not because of a previous dispensation but because he believed it because of through faith by grace through faith.

Romans chapter 4 is makes a whole chapter on that that he is right before God. Abraham is the example of the person who through faith is Right with God in Romans and he's supposedly in a previous dispensation if there was such a thing.

So the gospel was preached beforehand to Abraham in he believed the promise the promise was given to him. He believed it that promise is fulfilled by Christ. So he's looking forward and all people who were right with God in the Old Testament were looking forward to Christ.

They didn't know all the details. But they they believed a promise that's fulfilled by Christ. And so through faith in that they're made right with God. For example in the very next verse so then those who are of faith At any time are blessed along with Abraham.

The man of faith not the man of a different dispensation who did things a different way. No, all the faith and he in Galatians. He's used as an example of the believer right, that's and also again Romans 4 makes a big point of that and another example of that is would be the heroes of the faith and Hebrews 11 all of them are Old Testament people.

Aren't they all of them? Maybe Abraham's before that is what's that dispensation of. I forget the patriarchs whatever but most of them are in the so-called dispensation of law. In the writer of the Hebrews though chap famous chapter 11 all these list of people who were right before God because of their Their faith because of their work law-keeping because of their works, right?

They're they're heroes of the faith not heroes of the law. The the reality is rather than being different dispensations from the fall Till today and you know until we're all glorified Jesus returns and we're glorified.

There is one covenant of grace. That's a theological term. But I think it's a good one when covenant of grace in other words God made a covenant with his people and he knows who They are we'll see in our passage later in the sermon great passage.

Make one the children of God scattered abroad. He knows who they are scattered abroad. He's made a covenant with them. We get the name for this church. In other words, he's committed himself to those people out there and he knows who they are.

We don't know fully who they are. But he knows who they are. He's committed by grace not because of anything about them not because anything about us not because of our law-keeping. To save us and make us one and that's been true from the fall Till today and now that kind of unfolded in the Old Testament God revealed different things about it progressively.

That's what the whole Goldsworthy book was about and for then finally fully revealed in Christ. But but now we know but it's never been another way of salvation. Right. It's never been a dispensation of a law to try to be right with God.

Right, so we're in a covenant grace. So in the Bible, there is no dispensation of law and everyone always has been saved through faith. So the second one another sort of area of the way through which they interpret Scripture the seed of Abraham.

That are God's people. The Is the literal ethnic people? Okay, this is very similar to what we did the past two times I taught so I'm going to pass try to pass over this.

Very quickly.

The Seed of Abraham Is Christ and Those Who Are in Him

Literal seed of Abraham. What is the seed of Abraham? In the Bible God gives a promise to Abraham you'll have a seed, of course. The dispensation would say well, they are the Israelites.

They're the Jews.

And so they're the ones that get the promise the seed of Abraham. They would say of the literal ethnic Jewish people. And for example, here's John Wolvard. Wolvard's give me and he's a Was a leading dispensational teacher and he says literally the seed of Abraham is the national Israel.

Here's a quote from him. The promises to Abraham seed will be fulfilled by his physical seed. That's why they would say is the literal interpretation. It's the physical seed. You know, I prefer to interpret the Bible the way the Bible tells me to interpret the Bible.

Describing this the way they believe it. Here's a Daniel Fuller. He's not a dispensationalist, but he wrote his doctoral dissertation on the way they interpret it. The essential concern of dispensationalism is to keep the seed of Abraham which consists of his physical descendants.

That's the seed of Abraham they say. Separate from the spiritual seed which consists of those who are somehow blessed through him. Okay, so he's describing dispensationalism. That's their view and that's the way they interpret Scripture through that.

But what does the Bible say in Galatians chapter 3 verse 7 know then that they who are of faith? These are the sons of Abraham those who are faith are the sons our daughters of Abraham. That kind of answers the question, doesn't it?

I mean like I say, I think there are sometimes when a scripture just so clearly addresses the topic debates over we come to the answer and There it is. Who are the seed of Abraham those who are a faith and He goes on Galatians chapter 3 verse 26 for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

And if you are up and in verse 29, and if you are of Christ, then you are Abraham seed there it is again if You are of Christ. You're a believer in him you you. Even if you're you can't trace anything back to Isaac or Jacob or Abraham you want your family line comes from another way.

It doesn't matter if you are a faith. You are Abraham seed and heirs according to promise. So here's the promise if you remember now to Abraham and his seed where the promise is made. This is Paul and Galatians and check Galatians chapter 316.

He did not say to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed to your seed. Which is Jesus Christ first and wait Jesus himself is the true descendant of Abraham the son of Abraham. That's how the New Testament begins in Matthew chapter 1 verse 1 the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of Abraham son of David.

He's the true seed of Abraham and then we're all become seeds of Abraham children of Abraham through him. Then in light of that think of Galatians chapter 2 verse 28 for no one is a Jew is one merely one outwardly.

But a Jew is one inwardly. So we conclude in the Bible the seed of Abraham is first.

First.

Christ and then those in him those who are in Christ. Through faith you believer in him you're in him. In other words. God sees you as if you were in Christ. He covers your sin he and and so you get it you get seen by the father as if as everything that Jesus is including being the seed of Abraham through faith and.

The New Covenant People and the Promise, “I Will Be Their God”

Then there's these promises. I should go fast of this to his people. I will be their God for for Dispensationalism God has always been ethnic Israel's God. There's a promise in Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 33.

But the Bible links this promise of being your God with regeneration not with ethnicity. Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 33. There to the people he will be their God. Who are they? They're people the people with whom the God has made a new covenant in that same chapter and Hebrews 9.

Applies that to believers in Christ. To Christians. True believers to Christians. They're the houses of Israel in the house of Judah and I will put my law within them. How does God put your law on you by making giving you a new heart, right?

With the Holy Spirit is in you he's telling you what God's law is reminding you sometimes when you fail and you and you sin and Convicts you or sometimes hopefully before that and you listen and I will write it on their hearts and I will be their God and They shall be my people.

Who are the day then?

Those who are born again Put it here regeneration. That's just a fancy word for being born again. Given a new heart it goes on Jeremiah chapter 32 verse 38 and following. They shall be my people and I will be their God.

I will give them one heart and one One way that they may fear me forever for their own good and the good of their children after them. It's a new heart the heart results in fearing God. I'm like with them an everlasting covenant these people whose heart is new That I will not turn away from doing good to them and I will put the fear of me in their hearts.

That's what being regenerate being born again does now you you believe you believe God you believe his promises and you believe his threats and so you fear offending him that they may not turn from me and.

Then similarly and Ezekiel chapter 37 verses 24 and 26 my servant David Shall be king over them and they shall all have one shepherd. This is Not directly relevant to what we're talking about now, but I is it preparing this lesson thought you wonder if this is reflected echoed.

And Jesus's words in John 10 as we'll see in my sermon later. Jesus there talks about Remember John 10. I'm the good shepherd. I laid down my life for the sheep and I have other I have other sheep not of this Sheepfold that I must bring there will be one sheep one flock and one shepherd and it sounds like Jesus get that originally from Ezekiel.

That my servant David who's his servant. Does that mean David? Literally? He's gonna come back. I know that the Messiah the one who is the son of David from the line of David will Will be king over his people and this King shall be their shepherd.

They shall have one shepherd. So Jesus fulfilled this he's the one shepherd one shepherd in one flock. So Ezekiel chapter 37 verse 27 later on in the passage He says to make an everlasting covenant my dwelling place shall be with them and I will be their God and they shall be my People how it's got a dwelling place with them.

That means it's gonna the temple is gonna be rebuilt on the once they destroy that That big mosque in Jerusalem. They're gonna build a temple there and he's gonna live in the temple again In the Millennium, is that what he's referring to or no the church is the temple of God on earth.

Right church is God's temple. He lives in their midst. He lives in our hearts. If you're born again, you get a Jeremiah said 30 chapter 31. Yeah, I will live in their their hearts. So the people are the his people are their temple and they shall be by people.

So he lives in Those who are born again, he lives within them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel who was Israel. Well Israel's the people whom God in whom God lives and whom are born again who are regenerate when my sanctuary is in the mid in their midst forevermore a sanctuary again is In your hearts in your church the born-again people of God.

So question number four in the Bible God is the God of those he gives a new.

Heart.

Those he dwells in their hearts Those are his people and he will be their God another sort of lens another. Way through which dispensationalism sees the Bible is the assumption that we're waiting on Israel possessing the literal land.

I think both Rodney and I've said, you know, there's both the there are things promised in the Bible there are now and there are things that are not yet and What dispensationalism does it says a lot of things are not yet and you need to understand that all these things are not yet.

The Promised Land Has Been Fulfilled

Interpret the Bible. This is not yet. Let's see if those are true. So we're waiting on Israel to possess the literal land. That's one of the things you were kind of waiting on. For example, here's dispensational teacher.

My name is the name of Arnold Fruchtenbaum. His German means fruit tree. He's mr. Fruit tree for the first time in the future to be fulfilled. That's it. I'm starting that the first time knows that though for the first time he's saying right now.

We're still waiting that on the first time in Israel's history. She will possess all of the promised land. We're waiting on that. You understand even now Israel doesn't own. It's just kind of just really a small portion of the land that's promised it.

But that's what he's saying for the first time. We're waiting on Israel to ever. It hasn't done it yet. It's never done it. He says all in the basis of the Abrahamic Covenant, right? There is. Is that true?

Are we really waiting on that? Is that a not yet or is that a now or even a past? Well, let's see. What does the Bible say? It says in Joshua chapter 21 verses 43 and following. Remember, they've come to the land book of Joshua.

They've conquered at least some of the land. Here's what Joshua said or at least the writer of the book of Joshua says so the Lord gave Israel all The land which he had sworn to give to their fathers and they possessed it and lived in it.

It's not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed all. Came to pass. Oh Mr. Fruchtenbaum, did you look over look that verse or what and then Joshua just a little bit later.

It's Joshua now himself speaking now behold today I'm going the way of all the earth and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of All the good words was the Lord your God spoke concerning you has failed all have been fulfilled for you for you.

Not one of them has failed. So Joshua has to say and then later on just a little bit later. It shall come about that just as the good words was the Lord your God spoke to you have come upon you. Okay, so the Lord will bring upon you all the threats.

Until he has destroyed you from off this good land, which the Lord your God has given you. Otherwise God Promised in the land the time of Abraham. Joshua was saying he's given you all the land now you.

Keeping it is another thing. Yeah, where do you think you can keep it forever no matter how you live. Do they get to keep the land forever? No matter how simple if they live. Joshua says no, of course.

Deuteronomy 28 says no you you you he's gonna give you the land. But whether you keep it isn't you know is another thing as a conditional later on in the reign of Solomon first King chapter 4 verse 21 Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt.

All the land does that sound familiar all the kingdoms from the Euphrates Euphrates River the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt. That's the land that's described by God to given to Abraham and here Kings first King says God gave it all to him.

It was at the time of David and Solomon they owned possessed all that land also second Chronicles chapter 9 verse 26 is the same Thing they possessed all that land their territory was that large. And then first King chapter 8 verse 56.

This is a Solomon himself in his prayer to the Lord. Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.

Jeremiah Says in chapter 11 verse 4 and 5 I brought them out of the land of Egypt that I may confirm the oath that I swore to your fathers to give them a Land flowing with milk and honey as it is at this day.

And it was he gave to them what he swore he gave them the land. Then they broke the covenant later after they've taken away in exile and they've come back some other man. Anyway, there's some of the Jews Nehemiah.

And here's Nehemiah. I believe this is in a prayer to the Lord Nehemiah chapter 9 verse 8. You found his heart fateful before you and made with him the covenants of Israel to give to his offspring. The land of the Canaanite the Hittite the Amorite the Perizzite the Jebusite and the Girgashite and you have kept your promise.

For you are righteous. Nehemiah says God you kept your promise about the land you you gave it to us so in the Bible the promise to Israel to have the land is Fulfilled it's passed. It's done. God did it but keeping the land.

It's conditional. It's based on their. You know keeping certain laws. And so are you waiting on the promised land and the New Testament? Say it's fulfilled. Let's put it this way. Hebrew chapter 12 verse 22.

But you have come I come forward to somebody's you have come forward to Mount Zion and to the city of the Living God Heavenly Jerusalem, which is the church of the firstborn. You've come to that. So in the Bible the promise to the land is ultimately fulfilled in believers being brought into the into the church when they believe.

They come in to come in Christ then there are in. There's the fulfillment of the promised land promise. So number four because of the dispensations, this is the way they interpret the Bible and the message of Jesus often doesn't apply to us.

I encounter a guy like this on online just yesterday. I believe it's it just like it that was the prodigal son Jesus was speaking to those under the law. So that whole thing is just for those under the law until the cross then then's the era of grace after so everything before the cross.

Even Jesus is teaching Sermon on the Mount all that's Dispensation of law, it's really not relevant to us. For example, here's CI Schofield one of the leading Dispensational teachers the Sermon on the Mount has application literally to the kingdom.

He's talking about that Jesus offered it under the law. It'll come again. He says in the Millennium, but for us right now is not relevant at all. It's not it's not applicable. So dispensationalists generally say the Sermon on the Mount is not for the church.

So repentance is a change of life from sin is not required only a change of opinion about Jesus. So the call of repent for the kingdom of God is at hand that Jesus preached is not applicable today. You don't have to do that.

You know, Jesus came saying repent for the kingdom of God his hand. That's not for you. That's dispensational law. That's to Israel Millennial Kingdom. Don't worry about that. Y 'all do you have to do is have a different opinion of who Jesus is?

All right, so for dispensationalist much of the message of the Lord Jesus does not Apply to the church because it was offered to Israel under the dispensation of law and so they divide the message of Jesus about where they say and Where in the Gospels does it say suddenly?

He's this is past. It's not for us and this of course nothing in the gospel tells us that they're in they're imposing that on to the text. They're saying there's a division there that the Bible never says there's a division there, right?

But here's a Charles Ryrie also where the leading dispensational teachers talking about so Repentance Jesus has come saying repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. Remember that the word he would say that the word repentance means to change one's mind.

About Jesus of Nazareth being the Messiah. This repentance is preached by the apostles. It's just a now we're in the book of Acts was actually the act of faith in Jesus. Which brought salvation to the one who repented?

I'm getting a little too bogged down in this. You understand the point now. Repentance is different than the repentance Jesus talked about Jesus. I've got to change your life now. Let's we got to change our opinions.

Even if our life doesn't change it doesn't matter. But that's not really true. You think of Simon the sorcerer who said he said kind of he believed he at least accepted the message first Stephen and then was it Peter and James or John came but later he tried to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit and Peter said you make your money perish with you.

You need to and you need to repent. But they would say for example, is it that when Jesus says strive to enter the straight gate? We looked at just a few weeks ago. What Jesus is Jesus and Luke's unit strive to enter the straight gate.

That's Jesus speaking to people under the law to us today. We're under grace. We don't have to strive to enter the straight gate. That's what he says, right? Such as the human condition that the characterizes all the kingdom passages which offer entrance into the life.

But an abrupt change is met after the turning of the gospel of John which gospel was written to announce the new message of grace. Which is that eternal life may be had through believing no two words of Scripture were more vividly expressed the great characterizing Relationship in law and grace then agonized as to strive and believe they're totally separate.

Really are they? Paul says Work out your own salvation and fear and dribbling. It's not like striving to enter the straight gate to me, doesn't it? Sorry, mr. Schaefer and the Bible saving faith produces agonizing.

Work.

Not that the work did you saved. Is that if you're saved.

Your work.

The Kingdom of God Has Come in Christ

Another lens to which they see the the kingdom of God as they would say is a literal earthly kingdom. That's what Jesus came to bring but it was rejected. For example, John Nelson Darby who's the founder of dispensationalism for the 19th century in England?

He said suppose for a moment that Christ had not been rejected. Then the kingdom would have been set up on earth. If they had rejected him the kingdom would have been set up. You would have had just Literal Jesus would have been ruling as the king in Jerusalem drive out the Romans.

So basically he's saying the Jews were right about what the kingdom of God is. They didn't accept it so God reverted to a plan B dispensations cannot agree that the Old Testament prophets predicted that the Messiah must first suffer and then be glorified because then the kingdom that John the Baptist and Jesus announced could not have been the glorious Davidic kingdom.

And you think about that? He's saying that's what the kingdom was meant to be a literal reign on earth. Look at all that we've learned about the kingdom of God. Over the last year so Jesus said in Luke 11 if it is by if I by the finger of God cast out Demons then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

And of course he did by the finger of God cast out demons of the kingdom of God had come upon them. That was his point. The kingdom that was different than they thought and that's what he taught that in his parables.

It's like leaven. It's like the smallest mustard seed. It's like all those other parables that he thought the kingdom of God was totally different than what you think you're not seeing the kingdom. Correctly and he taught about that and we had that whole series of that.

Remember all that. Okay, all of that that we heard from lad and fee and others is all wrong if dispensationalism is true way in the Bible. Jesus brought in the kingdom of God and taught it came. Mysteriously in our myths.

That's my word mysteriously. I don't mean it's not the best word. But in our myths it came like yeast it came like a mustard seed. That's what Jesus taught right remember all that and finally this is since the kingdom has it come.

Then we are waiting for it to do so in the future. That's the way they see it. The kingdom obviously has it come. Jesus is it raining in Jerusalem over a literal kingdom? So therefore the kingdom has not come.