PMW 2024-091 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

Because of the prominence of dispensationalism and the Left Behind phenomenon — and whatever moon is now showing –– in evangelical circles, it is important for us to reflect on a fundamental emphasis in contemporary prophecy discussions: Israel. This is important in that Israel plays a prominent role in Scripture. But what is her role?

As all Christians know, throughout most of the Old Testament Israel is God’s special people — beginning in seed form with the calling of Abraham in Genesis 12. She is God’s elect nation (Deut 7:7–8 ; 10:15; Zech 2:8; Rom 3:1–3; 11:1) and the focal point of his redemptive mercies in history (Deut 4:7–8; Psa 147:19–20; Amos 3:2; Rom 9:4). Because of her commanding presence in old covenant history and her central role in Old Testament prophecy she becomes a crucial issue in understanding the Bible.

Dispensationalism’s Error Presented

Perhaps the leading distinctive of dispensational theology is that ethnic Israel remains God’s key and favored people who will continue to star in his major plan for history. This view of Israel involves dispensationalism in its most destructive error. All of dispensational theology orbits around Israel as its theological center of gravity.

Two of the most destructive results of dispensationalism’s error regarding Israel are: (1) Its view of Israel destroys the unity of God’s people by creating two peoples of God in history (Israel and the church). (2) Its prophetic expectation built on Israel lowers the status of the church (by exalting geo-political Israel) and retrogressively re-institutes blood sacrifices as history’s final and highest redemptive period (the millennium).

The Divorce of Israel: A Redemptive-Historical Interpretation of Revelation
This long-awaited commentary has now been published. It is an 1800 page, two-volume deeply exegetical, academic commentary on the Bible’s most mysterious book.

Click: https://www.kennethgentry.com/the-divorce-of-israel-2-vols-by-gentry-pre-publication-offer/

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

Let us focus briefly on this error as explicated by dispensationalism’s leading scholar, Charles C. Ryrie. Ryrie points to the centrality and exaltation of Israel as the first of the three essential elements of dispensationalism: “A dispensationalist keeps Israel and the Church distinct.” He defends this position over against all other evangelical theologies by arguing that:

“(1) The Church is not fulfilling in any sense the promises to Israel. (2) The use of the word Church in the New Testament never includes unsaved Israelites. (3) The Church Age is not seen in God’s program for Israel. It is an intercalation. (4) The Church is a mystery in the sense that it was completely unrevealed in the Old Testament and now revealed in the New Testament. (5) The Church did not begin until the day of Pentecost and will be removed from this world at the rapture which precedes the Second Coming of Christ.”

Unfortunately, each one of Ryrie’s points is mistaken. As a result, the dispensational house is built on sinking sand. Let us see how this is so.

Dispensationalism’s Error Demonstrated

Scripture does not support Ryrie’s distinctive assertions, which are absolutely fundamental to the dispensational system. Rather, it teaches that old covenant Israel is the seed of God’s people which flowers in history, becoming the expanded, global people of God in the new covenant Church.

Israel in the Bible and History (9 mp3 lectures)
by Ken Gentry
The people of Israel are the people of God. But the modern church is divided over the nature, call and identity of Israel. This lecture series covers key issues for understanding the biblical concept of Israel.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

Some call this view “replacement theology” and fear that this position altogether removes Israel from God’s plan and replaces her with a new and distinct people. But a better description would be to call it “fulfillment theology.” That is, this view understands the new covenant as expanding God’s people from a single ethnic people embodied in a geo-political structure to a pan-ethnic people embodied in a new structure, the new, true, spiritual, covenant Church.

The more common evangelical and Reformed view of the oneness of God’s people recognizes old covenant Israel as the actual people of God in the Old Testament. They function as the seed of the coming global people of God in the New Testament. As the Westminster Confession of Faith (written in the 1640s) expresses it, Israel is “a church under age” (WCF 19:3).

Let me demonstrate the biblical warrant for this “fulfillment theology” view. Beginning in my next article. (Sorry. I am weary.)

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