An Alternative to Dispensationalism: Covenantal Theology

In the last section of this paper, we examined some of the distinctives of dispensationalism. We saw how the dispensationalist believes in a pre-tribulation rapture, that there is a distinction between Israel and the Church, and that they read the entire Bible with a Literal-Grammatical-Historical hermeneutic. The second half of this paper will outline what I believe regarding covenantal theology, and hence what that means for the tribulation and the rapture. I will not take a deep dive into these topics like many others before me have but should this paper spark interest in studying these things one would find valuable resources in the footnotes of this section of the paper. I will illustrate not only what I believe based on the Scriptures but also what many other faithful men hold to be true.

Israel as the Church

As discussed already, the dispensationalist views the Church as a separate entity from Israel. Hence, they see the Old Testament promises made to Israel as belonging to the ethnic nation of Israel or the literal physical descendants of Abraham. I will argue that these promises were indeed made to Israel, but that Israel is the Church. Not that the Church has replaced the Jew, but that all those in Christ, including Gentiles in Christ, now make up Israel (Romans 11:17).

The key to understanding who the promises were made to is recognizing three options. Abraham was promised that his Seed would inherit the land (Genesis 12:7), so therefore, which offspring was this promise made to? First of all, we can safely for the purpose of this paper state that it was not made to Ishmael otherwise he would not have been cast out of the covenantal people. Or option two, the dispensationalist would argue that the promise was made to Isaac. Isaac being the seed of promise. But of course, which we will get to later, if we allow the New Testament to interpret the Old Testament instead of using Literal-Grammatical-Historical approach we would see that under the Divine authorship the book of Galatians tells us that Jesus Christ is the Seed promise (Gal.3:16). So it wasn’t upon Ishmael or Israel that all the nations of the world would be blessed (Gen. 26:4), but rather in Christ that all the nations would be blessed. As Jeffrey Johnson explains, “these spiritual children would not belong to any one geopolitical nation or ethnicity, they would make up the citizens of the kingdom of God”.1 Paul writing to the Ephesians tells us that, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4:4-6). Paul seems to be saying that though the nations were dispersed at Babel, they all now find salvation in one name: Jesus Christ. Both Jew and Gentile are saved through the redemption of the cross of Jesus Christ and are “fellow citizens…and are of God’s household” (Eph. 2:19-22).

Kim Riddlebarger affirms this in his book, A Case for Amillennialism, when he writes, “The Bible everywhere supports the idea of the organic unity of God, despite the fact that these people are citizens of national Israel in the Old Testament and members of Christ’s church in the New”.2 Therefore, there is no need for two separate or distinct redemptive purposes or plans for the Old Covenant people and the Church, the two are made one in Christ. And again, the Apostle Paul makes this point when he says, “For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s seed, but: “THROUGH ISAAC YOUR SEED WILL BE NAMED.” That is, the children of the flesh are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are considered as seed” (Romans 9:6-8). The redemption that was made possible by Jesus Christ and His perfect atoning sacrifice became the very blessing God promised Abraham: “and by your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 26:4). So essentially what I am conveying is that the Church is Israel, or as Sam Waldron puts it, “the church may be considered as the true Israel and as such the continuation of the Old Covenant people”.3

This matters because it is the heart of this paper. It is in my view the dividing distinctive between dispensationalism, who believes the Church and Israel are separate from one another, versus Covenant Theology which states that the Church is Israel. The Church certainly didn’t replace the Jews but is rather a fulfillment. God’s word never tells us, unlike the dispensationalist, that the Jewish nation will once again be exalted above others during the millennial reign. In fact the Scriptures teach quite the opposite as outlined already. Of course, in the future Messianic Kingdom or millennium, the prophet Isaiah actually tells us that Israel will be considered an equal with Egypt and Assyria (Isa. 19:23) whom were their enemies at the historical writing of the book of Isaiah.

Christ Exalted

When we understand that Israel is the church, then we realize we are in the Kingdom of Christ now. The Dispensationalist says the Kingdom is postponed due to the dispensation of the Church and the need for the Millennium Kingdom to be Jewish and centered around the Temple and Jerusalem. But what we will see is in fact that Christ is exalted now as the King of Kings.

A matter of importance to iron out right away is this: Christ is ruling and reigning now at the Right hand of the Father from the throne room of Heaven. His Kingdom is not postponed and is not waiting. Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and His authority is far above all rule and authority (Eph. 1:21), His name is above every name (Phil. 2:9), He created the Heavens and the Earth and made purification for sins then sat on His exalted throne (Heb 1:3-4) and is the ruler of the kings of the Earth (Rev. 1:5). It is important that we don’t read passages with a stone-cold literal reading which would then ignore the Bible’s own interpretation of those realities.

The Dispensationalist would tell you Christ must still return to sit on the literal throne of David. And they say this because of their Literal-Grammatical-Historical interpretation of Scripture. But this just outright denies the Apostle Peter’s claim that the ascension of Christ to the Throne at the right hand of the Father was the fulfillment of this prophecy. Peter preaching the first Gospel message at Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2 says, “And so, because [David] was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SET one OF THE FRUIT OF HIS BODY ON HIS THRONE, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ” (Acts 2:30-31). The Bible says that the resurrection of Christ was his exaltation to the Davidic Throne over the Davidic Kingdom. Although the dispensational camp mistakenly denies this because they think the throne must be Earthly and over geographical Israel, Peter tells us that it is the resurrection and ascension of Christ that fulfilled that promise to David. According to God’s word, Jesus is enthroned and must remain there until all His enemies are defeated (1 Cor. 15:20-26). Jeffrey Johnson concludes, the “son of David is not only on the throne of David, He will and must continue to reign on David’s throne until He has conquered all His enemies”.4 Postmillennialist David Chilton agrees with Johnson and thus with Scripture as Chilton says, “it is crucial to understand the Bible’s own interpretation of the throne of Christ. According to the inspired Apostle Peter, David’s prophecy of Christ being seated on a throne was not a prophecy of some earthly throne in Jerusalem…David was prophesying about Christ’s throne in heaven”.5

Jesus’ authority is over both Heaven and Earth and He has been given all authority (Matt. 28:18). Since Jesus has all authority then Jesus must have authority even over Satan.

Satan is Bound

In his commentary on the book of Ephesians, RC Sproul says, “The Lord Jesus is above all titles of power in this world and the next. He has authority over kings, prime ministers and presidents, over every being, every angel, good or bad, even the archangels. God put all things under Christ’s feet for the church. He is now the supreme Lord over all things.”6 As we saw in the previous section, Jesus Christ is highly exalted, on the throne of David.

But the Dispensationalist would argue that if that were true, according to Revelation 20, Satan must be bound. The Dispensationalist has a hard argument here, as they are arguing with clear Scripture passages. The New Testament doesn’t just clearly teach that Jesus Christ is on the Davidic Throne now, hence signifying that we are in the millennium rule of Christ now, but that Jesus has also bound Satan.

Jesus tells His disciples that he witnessed the falling of Satan’s Kingdom (Luke 17:10). We also know that Jesus said that Satan was cast down (John 12:31) and that Jesus came and bound the Strong Man (Matt. 12:28-29, Rev. 20:2-3). The reason Jesus Christ took on flesh, the Apostle John tells us, was to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). Because of the binding of Satan, people can now resist the devil and he will flee from them (James 4:7).

Jay E. Adams in his book, The Time is at Hand, tells us that Jesus is on the Throne of David and thus, “Christ restored [the Kingdom] from its ruined condition”.7 The ruined condition that begun at the Fall in the Garden. The Apostle Peter tells us, that since Christ is ascended, the angels and authorities and powers were subject to Him (1 Pet. 3:22). Christ now has authority over demons, fallen angels and Satan. He has bound Satan from deceiving the nations (Rev. 20:2-3) so now the nations can flow to Christ. The prophet Amos foretold of such a day, when God would kill off the sinners of His people (Amos 9:10) but then God says, “In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David… And all the nations who are called by My name” (Amos 9:11-12). Prophesying that when the descendant of David takes up the throne the Gentiles will begin seeking the Lord. And this of course James tells us in Acts 15:14-19 is fulfilled. Christ is Highly exalted at the right hand of the Father and has bound Satan from deceiving the nations. The Gentile nations are now seeking the Lord and grafted into the pre-existing tree (Romans 11:17).

Concluding Remarks

Next week we will conclude our introductory look into the topic of End Times and the Rapture. As we will take a brief look at the Olivet Discourse.

Endnotes

1 Jeffrey Johnson, The Five Points of Amillennialism (Free Grace Press, 2020). Pg. 32.

2 Kim Riddlebarger, A Case for Amillennialism: Understanding the End Times, Expanded Edition (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2013). Pg. 134.

3 Samuel E. Waldron, End Times Made Simple: How Could Everybody Be so Wrong about Biblical Prophecy (Greenville: Calvary, 2015). Pg. 153.

4 Johnson, The Five Points of Amillennialism. Pg. 72.

5 David Chilton, Paradise Restored (Horn Lake: Dominion Press, n.d.). Pg. 69.

6 R. C. Sproul, The Purpose of God: Ephesians (Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 1994), 41–42.

7 Jay E. Adams, The Time Is at Hand (Memphis: Institue for Nouthetic Studies, 2021). Pg. 36-37.