Christian Life

 Today I present Part 3 of this year’s Christmas Story. You can find the first two parts here at this link, along with all of the other Growing4Life Christmas stories.

     As Mike drove off the exit, I was groaning inside. A delay was one thing. The financial implications of this was another. We just could not afford a hefty mechanic’s bill during this holiday season. I could almost hear my grandmother murmuring her favorite saying in my ear…don’t count your chickens before they hatch. I tried to will myself not to panic.
     “Where are we going?” Observant Aiden had noticed we had left the highway.
     “Need to check out something with the car, Bud,” said Mike casually, but I could tell the way his hands gripped the steering wheel that he was worried.
     “Why don’t we play a little game, boys?” asked Aunt Hattie, as she creatively thought of some fun little game to play with them to keep them preoccupied as we rolled into a gas station right off the exit.
     Mike opened the hood of the car and looked inside. This car had been a gem so far but it did have an awful lot of miles on it.
     After a short while, Mike pushed the hood down and came to stand by my window, which I rolled down.
     “I don’t think it’s anything major, but I do need to find a mechanic. I’m going to go in and see if they can tell me where to find one,” he pointed to the mini-mart attached to the garage.
     “Okay,” I said.
     I suddenly realized that I hadn’t heard anything from the boys for a while. I turned to check on them. Bless Aunt Hattie’s heart, she had them engrossed in their drawing boards, creatively concocting some game that was keeping them both busy and quiet.
     I closed my eyes and started praying, “Lord, if you could keep this a simple fix that isn’t too expensive, we’d sure appreciate it…”
     Soon Mike was climbing back in the vehicle, “the guy in there said there’s a garage about three miles in that direction,” he pointed to the left and then started the car and turned that way.
     A few miles later, we arrived at an old-fashioned garage that looked like something right out of a movie set from the 1960s. An older man, bearded and dressed in stained blue overalls, walked out of the garage, wiping his hands on an old rag, asking how he could help us.
     Mike opened the hood and he and the mechanic talked for a bit. Meanwhile, I heard Aunt Hattie fussing a bit in the back. She was trying to reach a bag and just couldn’t get to it.
     “Mom, I have to go to the bathroom,” Miles whined.
     I looked at the garage, doubtful that it had a public restroom. But I guess it couldn’t hurt to ask. Miles and I and climbed out of the car, “Aiden, do you have to go?”
     “Yeah, I’ll try,” he said, bounding out of the car with the typical energy of a boy his age.
     Aunt Hattie joined the group, declaring she may as well “try”, too.
     The mechanic kindly offered to let us use the restroom in his shop and soon we all felt much better and started to climb back in the car.
     “Oh, my dear, can I get something out of the back?” Aunt Hattie said.
     “Sure,” I moved to the back and opened the hatch for her. A bag started to tumble out of the stuffed compartment as the door swung up. I moved quickly and was proud of myself for catching it before it fell to the ground.
     Aunt Hattie sifted through the luggage, looking through two or three of her bags, finally pulling a small red box out of one of them and telling me I could shut the hatch.
     I eyed the box curiously. But I didn’t want to be nosy so I didn’t ask. We all got back in the car to wait.
     Within an hour, the mechanic was closing the hood and wiping his hands on his rag again. He took Mike’s credit card for payment and went inside. Hattie jumped out of the vehicle, red box in hand, and followed him inside.
     What in the world was she up to now?
     Soon she came out without the red box, waving the receipt and credit card. She handed the card to Mike, who put it in his wallet but she held on to the receipt, “I went ahead and paid the bill. I am just so grateful that you brought me with you. This is just a little way for me to say thanks.”
     “Oh, Aunt Hattie, no, you don’t need to do that…”
     “Oh, I know I don’t need to. I want to!” she said with a twinkle in her eye.
     “What was in that red box?” a curious Aiden wondered. I was so glad he asked because I wanted to know, too!
     “Oh, it was just a $10 Amazon gift card. I carry several of them with me most always because you just never know when you are going to need to say a hearty thanks to someone who did something special for you. Or maybe just give someone a tiny little pick-me-up. It’s amazing how such a small thing like that will lift someone’s spirits. It’s just a little way to let someone know they are appreciated and care for,” she smiled and then asked the boys if they’d like to continue their game. They enthusiastically said yes and they were soon back to drawing.
     As we pulled back on to the highway, I had to reflect on Aunt Hattie’s words. I knew Aunt Hattie was a thoughtful person. But I didn’t realize how intentional she was in how she cared for others or that her care extended to strangers.
     And I found myself wondering: Should I be more intentional? I was feeling uncomfortable as I recognized how self-focused and self-centered I was as I lived my life. Oh, I loved my family well and took good care of them, and that care extended to my parents and other family. But I rarely thought about the needs of others outside my immediate circle.
     But Aunt Hattie was challenging my whole perspective. As I heard her laugh in the backseat, I just had to smile. Yes, this was going to be an interesting trip in more ways than one.

Today is the second installment of this year’s Christmas story. If you’d like to read Part 1, you can find it here.

     The day had finally arrived! Christmas was only a few days away and it was time to begin our trip to my parents in Florida.
     The boys woke up full of energy and chattered away about the trip. They were especially excited about going to the beach, something they had never done before. Mom had assured me she’d have plenty of beach towels and she had also bought some sand toys. I was thankful not to have to worry about packing these things.
     Mike was out in the driveway loading things into our Honda Pilot, trying to leave some space for Aunt Hattie’s things. He had attached the roof bag and fit as many pieces of our luggage into it as possible. As we both stood back and looked at the room available for Aunt Hattie, we were pleased. She should have plenty of room to add her one suitcase and a few gifts.
     Around 10am we set off for Aunt Hattie’s house. When we arrived, she was standing outside, her petite frame engulfed by her long purple coat. Fluffy white ear muffs and a scarf covered with cheerful, sparkly snowmen completed her attire. In her arms was Princess, whose tail started wagging as soon as she saw the car pull in.
     Aunt Hattie put Princess down, who immediately jumped in the car to greet the boys. They giggled as she excitedly jumped back and forth between them giving them kisses, her bright red and green Christmas collar jingling with every move. Meanwhile, Aunt Hattie gave both Mike and me a grandmotherly hug.
     “Oh, isn’t it so exciting? Can you believe it is the day we are to leave? I’ve been so looking forward to this!” She had the biggest smile on her face.
     Both Mike and I had yet to notice the huge pile of stuff on the porch that was somehow supposed to fit in the car. I happened to glance over at Mike just as his eyes moved to the porch. His eyes grew large and he took a deep breath—I knew just what he was thinking—but he didn’t say a word as he went over to pick up a few of the bags.
     “Oh, I hope this isn’t too much…”
     “Well, let’s see what we can do, Aunt Hattie,” Mike said cheerfully.
     When it was all said and done, only a couple of bags with non-essentials ended up not making the trip with us. The car was packed to the gills and Mike would have no view out his back window but it wasn’t the first time for him to drive like this and I was sure it wouldn’t be the last.
     Tucking the two unnecessary bags inside the house, she locked the door and climbed in the car to sit beside Aiden, who was in the middle seat. Miles was holding Princess, who had already crawled into a little ball into his lap and lay there contentedly.
     Meanwhile, Aiden was already whining, “Mom….I want the puppy.”
     Mike stepped in immediately, “you both will need to take turns with the puppy. We will let Miles have her for awhile,” and then he smiled at everyone and said, “are we all ready to go?”
     There were shouts of enthusiastic “yes!”‘s followed by a dismayed squeal.
     We all turned to Aunt Hattie to see what was wrong.
     “Oh,” she groaned, “I forgot Princess’s things. It’s in a bag in the laundry room. It has all of her food, her leash, her little fluffy reindeer, her squeaky taco, her smartbones…” Aunt Hattie listed every single thing in that bag.
     I considered the space in the car and hoped the bag was not very big.
     “Oh, it’s not a problem,” I assured her, “we will wait here while you run in to get it. It should fit on the floor below Miles,” I said, hoping I was right. The floor was already filled with toys and snacks for traveling. Thankfully, the bag wasn’t overly big and fit nicely in the small area left on the floor.
     “Oh, my,” Aunt Hattie said breathlessly as she got settled again, “do you know I forgot to shut the kitchen window? I opened it last night because it was so hot in the house for some reason I never did figure out and I so I opened it just a little teensy crack. But you know I never thought to shut it last night or this morning? Oh, my goodness, God must have had me leave that bag in my house for just that reason. I noticed it as soon as I went in and I thought to myself, Hattie, God is taking care of you because that window would have been open the whole two weeks we were gone if I hadn’t forgotten that bag. Doesn’t that just go to show you how God uses even annoying, irritating everyday things to work out His plan for us?” She stopped with a giant sigh and leaned back into her seat, “well, shall we go?”
     Mike and I glanced at each other and smiled. One thing we could be sure of is that this trip wouldn’t be boring.
     He started the car and backed out of the driveway and we were soon on our way. The traffic on the highway was surprisingly light. This was unexpected so we were grateful.
     Aunt Hattie talked non-stop for the first hour but then she seemed to wear herself out and decided to take a little nap. The boys were surprisingly content with the toys and books I had brought and I was just thinking how this trip was going to be so much better than I had thought when, suddenly, an odd noise came from the car.
     “What was that?” I asked Mike worriedly.
     “I have no idea,” his voice was concerned, “but something doesn’t feel right.”
     He pointed to the green exit sign that was coming up, “I’m going to take the exit to check it out.”
     I groaned inside. Maybe this trip wasn’t going to be so easy, after all.

A Personal Note: As many of you already know, we lost my Aunt Sarah this past March in an unexpected car accident. I’d like to dedicate this particular story in her memory. While she was not really like Aunt Hattie–she didn’t have a dog and she didn’t talk too much–she did have some things in common with Aunt Hattie. First, she did love dogs and dogs loved her. Many were the times my little dogs would climb in her lap and rest comfortably there. And she did talk a lot if you got her going on the right subject. She got the biggest kick out of certain things and she would tell us all about them when she had the opportunity to do so. But the thing she had most in common with Aunt Hattie is the saddest thing. She, too, lost her husband and only, unmarried child and found herself without a family as a middle-aged woman. And so this part of the story is coming out of my personal experience. Aunt Sarah, like Aunt Hattie, found herself, quite suddenly, without an immediate family. And, while this story is from the point of view of Allie, I’d like to encourage you to reflect on Aunt Hattie’s point of view for a bit. As we begin the Christmas season, may we not get so caught up in our own personal festivities that we forget those who find themselves alone, for whatever reason. Can you brighten someone’s Christmas this year?

The idea of gratitude is a pretty easy concept when things are going great. It’s easy to praise God when we and those we love are healthy, we have plenty of money to pay the bills, we feel secure and loved, and we have all our needs met and even many of our wants.

But when life takes a detour from our plans; when it doesn’t go as we had hoped or desired…this is when gratitude can be hard to practice.

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, I’ve been reflecting a bit on these verses–

 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (I Thessalonians 5:18)

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; (Ephesians 5:20)

These verses also come to mind–

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Colossians 3:15-17)

It is clear that gratitude is an integral part of the true believer’s life. However, knowing what to do and knowing how to do it are two very different things, aren’t they?

As I’ve been considering trials (both big and small), I’ve been pondering how we can be thankful in them and for them. (And please keep in mind that I am just looking to scripture for this answer. I do not have this perfected and I am trying to remind myself of these things as much as I am reminding you!)

So what can we thank God for in any trial?

We can thank Him for spiritual growth. Any trial we encounter can be used by God to conform us into the image of Christ. In fact, this is the whole gist of Romans 8:28-29–

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

The good that God is working in our lives is to make us look more like His Son. As one who is easily distracted back to temporal things, my expectation for God’s good is way too...small. I want His good to be fixing my problem, making me more comfortable, and providing miraculously for my needs and perhaps even giving me a few of my wants. BUT this is not what is promised. We are promised that He will work all things together for our spiritual benefit.

This will mean so much more to us if we get our eyes off this world and set them on things above (Colossians 3:1-4). Keeping our eyes on this world, filling our minds with things of this world, living for this world will only bring discontentment and frustration.

What else can we thank God for in any trial?

We can thank Him for His abundant grace and His abounding small and large mercies. Have you experienced these things, as I have? Sometimes they are evident as you walk through the deep, dark valley. Other times, you only see them once you get to the other side. But God, in His Providence, often provides just the right bit of encouragement or the blessing you need at just the right time. His timing is impeccable. He provides for His own in ways that are unfathomable. While we must expect persecution and trials in this life (John 15:19-20; I Peter 4:12), we also can be confident that God will walk with us and provide all we need on our difficult journey (Psalm 9:9-10; John 14:27; Hebrews 13:5).

And is there anything else?

We can thank God for His Word. Have you ever been in turmoil of soul and opened the Bible and there was exactly what you needed? The words wash over you like a balm and calm you. God’s Word is not just any old book. It’s God’s precious and holy Word, given to us for all of life and godliness (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3) Including for those times that are just really rough. Memorizing verses exponentially helps us in times of darkness, because we don’t need to read the Word but it’s already there in our hearts. So those nights when we toss and turn, with anxiety-ridden minds, we can take our thoughts captive by bringing some of the verses we memorized to the forefront and meditating on them.

While there are probably other things to thank God for in trials, I’d like to focus on just one more.

We can thank God for His family. When we are going through a trial, the family of God surrounds us with so much care and love. As we live our normal lives, we don’t think to express our concern and love for one another, but as soon as someone faces a trial, we are there, aren’t we? Ready to do what we can to ease the burden. It’s the wonderful blessing of Christian love (I Corinthians 12:26; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 2:19 Romans 12:10).

I would like to recognize here that some trials are acutely private and so, in these times, we do not get the blessing of this Christian love. Some of you are going through things you would never share with anyone. Struggles and circumstances that are deeply personal and not evident to others. These may be the most difficult trials of all.

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As we consider this idea of thanking God in all things and for all things, perhaps it’s important to remember that it’s an intentional choice that needs to be made each and every day. For most of us (me!), it’s our natural bent to complain or to whine. But God wants us to be thankful. Not just at Thanksgiving but always in all things and for all things. May we reflect on this as we begin the holiday season.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

There is a lot going on in Israel these days. And there has been since its modern inception in 1948. This ancient people group and its goings-on are often at the center of the news. Is their biblical significance to this?

Over the past several years, I have been on my own journey regarding this topic. Because the view that believes in a future for Israel has come to be viewed with antagonism and condescension, I had to start to do some digging to answer the question: Is what I believe actually what the Bible teaches? Or am I just following the traditions of my childhood? And my study led me to a very definite conclusion: A resounding YES! Without a doubt, the Bible teaches in such detail and so clearly the truths I learned in my childhood regarding the future of Israel and also of this world.

I’ve been meaning to write about it but just not taken the time to do so. As my daughter (found on social media at Anchor for the Soul) and I have spent a lot of time discussing what the Bible says regarding the future of Israel, she finally decided to do her own research and write about it. As I’ve done in the past, I have asked her if I can re-post what she wrote here on the blog. I know many of you follow her on social media but I also know that some of you don’t have social media and I also believe this content is easier to share, save, and print from a blog post.

At the very least, I hope that you will spend some time reading what she has written. Everything she writes has been confirmed by my own personal study of this topic (which I have studied in-depth, as mentioned above).

As Jess was preparing this, one particular conversation stands out. We were discussing all she was learning and her eyes lit up as she expressed her joy and awe at discovering the truth for herself in God’s Word. I, too, have discovered this same joy and awe. There is nothing like it! Please, please, please do your own study of this topic. Don’t take our word for it! Study the Bible with an open mind and a literal perspective. And then study the miraculous history of the Jews. And then perhaps take some time to study the dubious beginnings of the opposite view. And when you do these things, I promise you that you, too, will be filled with joy and awe at our great God who plans and carries out those plans in such detail as to leave no doubt that He is in control and what He says will come to pass! It’s so amazing!

I hope what is written here will be a blessing to you. This can be a jumping off point for your own study, as a short post like this could only ever touch the surface of so large a topic. Eschatology (what the Bible teaches about the last days) is an extremely important topic and we really should know what the Bible teaches about it as we navigate the chaotic and confusing Christianity of today.

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There’s been a lot of buzz recently on social media surrounding the nation of Israel. And I’m sure there’s quite a few of you who don’t know what you believe when it comes to Israel and eschatology. What is covenant theology? What is dispensational theology? Is God finished with Israel? Does the land have any significance at all? Has the church taken Israel’s place? Why does it even matter? This post is for you. I’m going to attempt to give a crash course in the differences between covenant theology and dispensational theology. And then I’m going to give you a few things to consider before choosing either one.

I’m sure many will accuse me of oversimplifying. And, to a certain extent, I am. There’s only so much I can cover in a post like this. But I’ve seen post after post from the perspective of covenant theology and very little from any other point of view. My goal is to simply offer another perspective and help those of you who have no clue where to begin. I hope this is a starting point for you in studying the topic for yourself.

This post really isn’t for those of you already in the covenant theology camp. I don’t really expect to change your mind. And you aren’t going to change mine, either. My study on the topic in preparation for this post has only solidified my position even more. I hope that this post is gracious in its approach because I know there are many brothers and sisters in Christ who disagree with me on this topic. Please be gracious in return.

First things first. What am I even talking about?

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐘:

Dispensationalism sees the Bible as the progress of revelation from creation to consummation, with a focus on how God works through distinct stages. The definition of dispensation is simply “ a system of order.”

Dispensational theology teaches that there are two distinct peoples of God: Israel and the Church. God has one plan of salvation (grace through faith alone) throughout all time. The believing remnant from among Israel is saved by faith just as the true Church is saved by faith. But Israel is not the Church and the promises to national Israel have not been transferred to the Church. The promises God made to them in the Old Testament (covenants, land, descendants, blessings) will still be fulfilled literally.

Dispensationalism is committed to a literal interpretation of Scripture from beginning to end. So there will be a literal, one thousand year kingdom. We are not in that kingdom now. Therefore, Dispensational theology is also premillennial, meaning they believe that the millennium is still coming. The promises made to Israel will be fulfilled during that time. Jesus Christ will rapture His church and then bring judgement upon Israel (a literal tribulation with a literal antichrist) and ultimately bring them to repentance. He will literally rule for a thousand years from the throne of David in Jerusalem, fulfilling the many Messianic prophecies that were not fulfilled in His first coming.

𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐘:

Covenant theology sees the Bible through the lens of covenant, specifically the unfolding and expansion of God’s covenant of grace. It emphasizes continuity and claims that there are three covenants and one people. These covenants are the covenant of redemption (pre-creation), the covenant of works, (pre-fall), and the covenant of grace (post-fall). The covenant of grace is at work in every covenant in the Bible after the fall.

Covenant theology presumes that Jesus is the true Israel and God now accepts all those who place their faith in Him as Israel. Essentially, Israel was the Church in the Old Testament and the Church is Israel in the New Testament. The Church is understood as the culmination of Old Testament prophecies about blessings for Israel and receives them all spiritually.

Those who hold to Covenant theology would say that the kingdom was ushered in when Christ came to earth and is a present, spiritual reality. They believe the tribulation is also an ongoing reality in the present age. History will end at Christ’s second coming and the eternal state will begin. So they are amillennial because they reject the view that Jesus will physically reign on earth in a literal kingdom for one thousand years. They don’t believe in a rapture.

(Postmillennialism, in contrast, believes that Jesus will return after the Church has established His kingdom here on earth. The world will become better and “Christianized” through the influence of the Church. Most covenant theologists are not postmillennial, but the belief system has certainly paved the way for the view. You can’t be postmillennial without believing that the Church has replaced Israel.)

𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃:

If I’ve heard the argument once, I’ve heard it a thousand times. “Dispensationalism only emerged in the 1800’s with that silly Darby guy. Church history stands on our side. Therefore, we’re right.”

First, is this claim true?

No. Chiliasm was the predominant viewpoint in the 1st-3rd centuries AD. It held a premillennial, literal view of Israel and the kingdom. Papias and Irenaeus both held this view, and both had a historical connection to the apostle John. Others include Barnabas, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Methodius, and Lactanius.

Gentile leaders within the church began to reject Chiliasm as time went on. Augustine, influenced by his antisemitism and the gnostic belief that matter was evil, rejected any Biblical future for Israel and the idea of a literal kingdom on earth. To do so, he allegorized the book of Revelation and the promises made to Israel. Augustine’s influence shaped theology more than any other since the apostle Paul, and by the fourth century, amillennialism was the predominant view.

Do you think that the early church (who was directly influenced by John’s teaching) and those closely associated with him would have a correct understanding of what John meant by the millennium? Or do we think Augustine (who had no connection to the apostle John) had the better view, influenced by his hatred of the Jews and Gnosticism? Is Augustine our finally authority? Why?

The Catholic church distorted many key doctrines taught by the early church. The Protestant reformers began to clarify these doctrines, beginning with faith by grace alone. Few studied eschatology, most simply reverted back to Augustine’s view. Calvin, for example, wrote on every New Testament book except Revelation. Premillennialism never disappeared, though. John Bunyan, Thomas Brightman, Joseph Meade, Cotton Mather, Isaac Watts and Thomas Goodwin are just a few examples.

By the 1800’s, the doctrine of eschatology was finally studied on a larger scale (especially the book of Daniel) and clarified. And yes, Darby did play a role in this, among other men. Premillennialism became the dominant view for much of the 20th century, especially after Israel was miraculously gathered in 1948.

Secondly, does church history always prove something to be true?

No. Scripture always assumes priority over church history in regard to our beliefs. Pointing to the fact that the church was amillennial for much of its history does not automatically mean that it’s the correct view. Catholicism preached faith by works for nearly a thousand years. Would you have told Martin Luther he was wrong for standing on Scripture instead of on what the church taught historically? Church history is helpful, yes. But the Bible is always our final authority. Don’t prove your point with what other men have to say. Prove your point with the Bible.

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Covenant theology is very popular. Dispensationalism is viewed as silly, backward, unintelligent. But here are 9 things you must consider before jumping on the bandwagon of covenant theology:

𝟏. 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐜

Covenant theology requires you to allegorize some portions of Scripture while using the historical-grammatical interpretation for others. Passages referring to national Israel, the millennium, and end times are interpreted allegorically while almost everything else is interpreted using the historical-grammatical method. Who are they to choose which passages are interpreted one way or the other?

So far, Biblical prophetic Scriptures have been fulfilled in accordance with the historical-grammatical method of interpretation, not the allegorical method.

Jesus really was pierced. He really was born of a virgin in Bethlehem. He literally rode on a donkey. The wise men followed a literal star. He really was in the grave for three days. He was born in Bethlehem. They literally cast lots on his garments. He was literally sold for thirty pieces of silver. I could go on and on.

Why do we think other prophecies (like the millennium and the tribulation) are fulfilled allegorically? And if they are, how do we know which ones are literally fulfilled and which spiritually or symbolically? All prophecies about the first coming were literal but all the prophecies about his second are symbolic? Unlikely.

𝟐. 𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

Covenant theology depends for its credibility upon theological covenants with virtually no exegetical proof. The covenant of grace cannot be found directly in Scripture. It’s simply a theological inference. And so the covenant of grace becomes the hermeneutical lens from which they view the rest of Scripture. Its inferences built on inferences.

The Covenant of redemption (a covenant between the trinity) and the covenant of works (a covenant between God and Adam) are also not found in Scripture.

In Covenant theology, the New Testament must be used to interpret the Old Testament. It denies the Old Testament its own perspicuity, integrity, and inspired revelation. Their interpretations veto the plain sense of Old Testament text. They create massive discontinuities all in the name of the demanded continuity of their covenant of grace and one-people of God concept. (which isn’t found in Scripture in the first place)

𝟑. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥?

Here are just a few:

Earthly Land – Gen. 12:7, 15:7-21, 28:13, Deut. 30:1-9, Isa. 62:1-5, 63:15-17, Jer. 3:18, Joel 2:21-24, Zeph. 3:15-20, Zech.14:8-21

Peace and Prosperity – Isa. 2:1-5, 11:1-10, 26:1-4, 12, 30:15-26, 32:15-17, 35:1-10, 55:1-14, Mic. 4:1-7, Ezek. 36:33-36, Hos. 2:14-23, Joel 3:16-21, Amos 9:11-15

Israel to be the Head Nation and Jerusalem the Top City – Deut. 26:19, 28:13, Joel 3:17, Jer. 23:5-8, Isa. 62:1-5, Zech. 8:20-23, 14:16-21)

A King on David’s Throne — Psa. 89:1-4, 28-37, Isa. 9:6-7, Jer. 3:14-18, Jer. 23:5, 30:8-9, 33:14-26, Ezek. 37:15-28, Zech. 12:6-9, 13:1

Perpetual Priesthood – Num. 25:11-11-13, Psa. 106:30-31, Jer. 33:20-22, Ezek. 37:25-28, 40-48, Zech. 8:12-13, 14:16-21, Mal. 3:3-4

Gathering of rebellious Israel – Isa. 11:11-12, Jer 30:3, 31:6-9

Covenant theology would say that the Church has absorbed and appropriated the Old Testament prophecies and promises for Israel. One people, elect in the Old and New Testament, inheriting the heavenly promises of Christ.

But what do you do with the promises that don’t fit into that framework, like those above? Physical land, literal throne of David, gathering of a rebellious people, millennial reign. You have to make them “types” or “shadows” of spiritual realities.

“When the plain makes sense, make no other sense” seems an obvious approach to interpreting the Bible. Not so when it comes to Covenant theology and these hundreds of promises and prophecies made to and about Israel.

𝟒. 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬?

In the Old Testament, God promised that Israel would be cursed for their disobedience. Chastening, slaughter, evil kings, and exile. Was this fulfilled literally? Absolutely.

And yet the promised blessings are spiritual and for the church? If national Israel received the promised cursing literally, will they not also receive the promised blessings literally?

“The scattering was literal; so also will be the gathering. The pulling down of Zion was literal; so also will be the building up. The rejection of Israel was literal; so also will be the restoration.” – J.C. Ryle

𝟓. 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥 & 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

It is clear that Israel specifically is to endure God’s judgement in the end (Jeremiah 30:7, Zec 13:1-9, Rev. 7:4-8) and yet the Church is not appointed to wrath and the judgement that is to come (1 Thessalonians 5:9). How can both of these be true if Israel is the Church and the Church is Israel?

𝟔. 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝

Revelation 20 is clear that Satan is bound during the thousand years. Is Satan bound now? Does he wield any power on earth right now? Of course he does! Then how can we be in the thousand year kingdom in this present age, either literally or figuratively?

𝟕. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟑?

The Church takes center stage in the Bible beginning in Acts 2. This continues until Revelation 3. After that, the Church is never mentioned again (Revelation 4-22) and Israel takes center stage. Why? Because the Church has been raptured! If the New Covenant revealed that the Church and Israel are one and the same, why switch back to using the word Israel after Revelation 3?

𝟖. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥

How do you explain that Israel is the only surviving people group from Bible times? How do you explain how they were miraculously gathered back into the promised land (according to prophecy)? How do you explain the hatred of the nations toward them (according to prophecy)? How do you explain their survival as a nation while surrounded by powerful enemies? Is it really all a coincidence? None of it makes sense apart from the Bible.

How about all the prophecy you can see being fulfilled literally right before our eyes? A literal apostasy of the Church, the technology, the stage being set for the antichrist and everything the Bible tells us he’s going to do? It’s undeniable if you open your eyes to see it.

𝟗: 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟗 & 𝟏𝟏

I wish I had more time to go into Romans 9 & 11. But it’s clear that there are two distinct groups of people in that passage. If Israel and the Church were the same, this is where Paul would have told us. We can be sons of Abraham by faith (Galatians 3:6-9) without being the same as Israel. There is clear distinction for the offspring of Jacob (Isaiah 65:9, Jeremiah 46:21) and that’s why the tribulation is called “Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7)

———–

The burden of proof is on Covenant theology. Show us. Where does it say the Church is Israel? How do you determine which passages are allegory and which are literal? How do you explain your assumption that God equivocates and breaks his non-conditional covenants?

These are things you must consider and questions you have to answer before picking one side or the other. I think it’s obvious. But study it for yourself! Message me if you’d like some of the articles, sermons, and resources I used in preparing this post.

I’ll leave you with this quote by J.C. Ryle written long before Israel became a nation in 1948:

“𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐟 𝐈 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝. 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐚𝐡, 𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐚𝐡, 𝐄𝐳𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐥, 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐚, 𝐉𝐨𝐞𝐥, 𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐬, 𝐎𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐡, 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐡, 𝐙𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐡, 𝐙𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝. 𝐈 𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐝𝐨. 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝.”