PMW 2024-093 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

This is my third installment on the question of Israel in redemptive history and the Bible. I am providing this four-part survey in order to expose significant errors in dispensationalism, held so dearly by so many.

Regarding what the Bible teaches about Israel, I will continue with my third observation:

3. THE NEW COVENANT CHURCH RECEIVES OLD TESTAMENT PROMISES

Not only do we learn that Old Testament prophecies regarding Israel are fulfilled in the church, but we even see that old covenant promises for Israel apply to the church. The new covenant church is the recipient of old covenant Israel’s blessings.

For instance, when Paul speaks to the Gentiles in Ephesians, he reminds them that “formerly” they were “at that time” in the past “strangers to the covenants of promise” (Eph 2:12). That is, in their past they were devoid of God’s “promise.” But this no longer is true!

Paul adds: “but now in Christ Jesus you who were formerly were far off have been brought near” (Eph 2:13). Interestingly, Paul is citing Isaiah 57:19, which was a promise of future blessing to Israel given though she was currently in sin. In Isaiah 56:1 through 66:24 Isaiah is focusing on the shame and glory of Zion, that is to be followed by her glory. Yet Paul applies a promise from Zion in Isaiah 57:19 to the Gentiles in Ephesus.

BEFORE JERUSALEM FELL
Doctoral dissertation defending a pre-AD 70 date for Revelation’s writing (459 pp; paperback). Thoroughly covers internal evidence from Revelation, external evidence from history, and objections to the early date by scholars.

For more study materials: https://www.kennethgentry.com/

In Galatians 3:29 he refers to the foundational promise to Israel contained in the Abrahamic Covenant. He applies that promise to the Gentiles: “if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

Dispensationalists teach that the new covenant church is an aside, an intercalation in God’s major plan, a parenthesis in the outworking of redemptive history. The New Testament, however, deems her the direct recipient of God’s full blessings.

4. THE NEW COVENANT CHURCH IS NOT A MYSTERY WHOLLY UNREVEALED

Based on Ephesians 3, dispensationalist argue that the new covenant era, international church was a mystery that is “completely unrevealed in the Old Testament.” Certainly the clarity of the revelation of God’s expanding people increases in the New Testament. But that revelation was, in fact, given in the Old Testament.

Let’s look at dispensationalism’s key passage for this concept. Ephesians 3:5–6 reads: “which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” We have already seen that the Old Testament anticipated this. Now we must note that Ryrie and the dispensationalists misread Paul’s statement. Consider the following.

Dispensational Distortions
Three Lectures by Kenneth Gentry. Reformed introduction to classic dispensationalism, with analysis of leading flaws regarding the Church, kingdom, redemptive history, and Christ. Helpful for demonstrating errors to dispensationalists.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

To begin with, we must discern for whom the revelation was a mystery. Ephesians 3:3–6 reads: “By revelation he made known unto me the mystery . . . which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men.” Thus, the “mystery” now revealed was not previously made known to the “sons of men,” that is, the Gentiles. It was made known to the “sons of Israel” through their prophets. The phrase “sons of Israel” appears often in the Old Testament (e.g., Exo 3:3, 14–15; 4:31; 5:14–15; 6:5; etc.), setting them over against the rest of the world, the Gentiles, the “sons of men.” When God speaks to Ananias he distinguishes between “the Gentiles” and “the sons of Israel” (Acts 9:15; cp. Luke 2:32; Acts 4:27).

This is made indisputably clear in Romans 16:25–26. There Paul points out that the “mystery” of Gentile salvation is hidden only from the Gentiles, not from the Old Testament prophets — for he defends his doctrine of the mystery by referring to “the scriptures of the prophets”: “the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.” Paul declares that the “mystery” is “now made manifest” to “all nations” — not just to Israel.

5. THE NEW COVENANT UNITES JEW AND GENTILE INTO ONE BODY

Paul teaches us that Gentile Christians of the new covenant church are grafted into the stock of Israel (Rom 11:16–19). Indeed, we are united with the patriarchs of the old covenant, even while many ethnic Jews are cut out of the kingdom of God: “if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you” (Rom 11:17–18). God’s people are symbolized by one tree, not two.

Furthermore, Paul expressly declares that Christ’s death wholly removes the wall of separation between Jew and Gentile, merging them into one: “He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall” (Eph 2:14). Nothing hints that this great redemptive truth is temporary and will be removed later in the millennium, as per dispensational teaching.

The Book of Revelation and Postmillennialism (Lectures by Ken Gentry)

In the first of these three 50-minute lectures Gentry explains Revelation’s judgments to show they do not contradict postmillennialism. In the next two lectures he shows how the Millennium and the New Creation themes strongly support the gospel victory hope found in postmillennialism.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

In fact, the “cementing” agent in this union is the powerful blood of Christ: “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Eph 2:13). Consequently, he was “abolishing [not temporarily halting] in His flesh the enmity” that separated Jew and Gentile (Eph 2:15). This comports well with what Christ teaches when he presents himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10:16: “And I have other sheep [Gentiles] which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.”

Dispensationalism demands two groups and thus attempts to repair the barrier wall that Christ broke down as they make two people out of those whom Christ has made one. Whereas, the more biblical position would be to affirm: “What God has joined together, let no man separate.”

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