A Letter To My Dad
Regarding the Teachings of J.N. Darby

By Ward Fenley

The Myth of 'Already but not yet' Theology - "most of those who deny dispensationalism would argue that we already have the kingdom but the physical aspect of the kingdom is not here yet.  Where in the Old Testament does it ever say that when the kingdom comes it would be divided into an already but not yet? "
A Response to Zaspel's 'Already but not yet' Theology - "It is very clear that the prophets viewed one future kingdom that would be consummated when the time of Messiah would come. "
Honesty with the Scripture - "This is a letter to a dear friend of mine concerning the issue of viewing Scripture with honesty and integrity. He is a pretribulational premillennialist, pretty much what I used to be."

Dear Dad,

  I know it has taken a long time for me to respond to the article on Romans 11 but there have been a lot of things going on with studies and other things that involve our fellowship which I believe God views as priority. But thanks for being so patient.

  First, I will examine the various passages which Darby uses to support his position and then try to examine them within their O.T. context since the majority of the passages cited are taken from the O.T. In the case of the N.T. where the O.T. is quoted I will then observe the N.T. context and then the O.T. context.

  Considering the timing of the events, which of course is the main issue of contention, the first disagreement I had with D. is on page 267. He quotes from

Romans 11:26-28 "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: ²⁷ For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. ²⁸ As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes."

"Here we have God’s ways toward them clearly set forth: partial blindness for a time, during which the church, the fulness of the Gentiles, is called; when that is closed, their Deliverer comes out of Zion."-J.N.D.

I agree with D.’s placement of most of the events in the redemptive outworking of God. I believe however that he is in error with his timing of the phrase "for a time, during which the church, the fullness of the Gentiles..." etc. You and I would both agree that there were fulfillments of the prophecies of Christ even within the N.T. writings. e.g. Prophecy-Matthew 24:5 "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Fulfillment- 1 John 2:18 "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." Matthew 24:2 we would agree, was definitely referring to 70 A.D. I believe that Darby’s phrase "for a time, during which the church, the fullness of the Gentiles...", is found as fulfilled within the N.T. writings. e.g.

These prophecies and fulfillments, to me, are very convincing, especially in light of Christ’s prediction in Matthew 24:14 that, after the proclamation of the gospel to the nations and the world, the end would come referring to the end of the age which the disciples associated with the destruction of the temple. Some dispensational scholars say that the disciples were mistaken when they associated the destruction of the temple with the end of the age. However this would present a problem with Matthew 13:36-51:

Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." ³⁷ He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ "The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. ³⁹ "The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. ⁴⁰ "Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. (i.e. Jewish age) ⁴¹ "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, ⁴² "and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ "Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! ⁴⁴ "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. ⁴⁵ "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, ⁴⁶ "who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. ⁴⁷ "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, ⁴⁸ "which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹ "So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, ⁵⁰ "and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." ⁵¹ Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."

If the disciples were mistaken in their understanding of Jesus’ explanation of the parables and the end of the age, one would think that Jesus would have corrected them, especially by the time He delivered the Olivet Discourse.

It is when D. quotes Romans 11:26 ("And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob"); and applies it to the future that I believe he is misinterpreting the O.T. prophets’ eschatological outlook especially when the O.T. prophets are affirmed as declaring the truth by the N.T. prophets. We both agree that the O.T. prophets did NOT know how that salvation and deliverance would come (i.e. Christ’s death, resurrection, and Parousia.) but they certainly declared that it would be within the same timeframe. An example of this would be in 1 Peter 1:5-13:

"...who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷ that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, ⁸ whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, ⁹ receiving the end of your faith; the salvation of your souls. ¹⁰ OF THIS SALVATION the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come TO YOU, ¹¹ searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the GLORIES THAT WOULD FOLLOW. ¹² To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, BUT TO US they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven; things which angels desire to look into. ¹³ Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon THE GRACE THAT IS TO BE BROUGHT TO YOU at the revelation of Jesus Christ"

The questions arise: What deliverance was it for which these first century saints were looking? What grace was it that would be brought to them that was "ready to be revealed in the last time"? What did Peter mean by "this salvation"? Paul, after declaring that the gospel in fact had been preached to all the world in Romans 10:18, later said in Romans 13:11-12

"And that, knowing the time that now it is high time (gk-hora=hour cf. 1 John 2:18 above), to awake out of sleep: for NOW is our salvation NEARER THAN WHEN WE BELIEVED. ¹² The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."

D. quotes Romans which quotes from Isaiah 59:20 "And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD." The mistake he made was not observing the next verse: Isaiah 59:21:

"As for me, this is my covenant (see above verse) with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever."

Paul tells us in Galatians in no uncertain terms that there are two distinct covenants with which the Galatians were dealing: the Abrahamic and the Mosaic covenants. According to Isaiah 59:21 the prophet tells us that this covenant will be an everlasting covenant. There is only one Everlasting Abrahamic Covenant: Hebrews 13:20-21:

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, ²¹ Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

also, Matthew 26:28:

For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

My question to D. would be; "If you take Isaiah 59:20 as an unfulfilled prophecy then are we really under the bond of the Everlasting Covenant?" Also I would ask: "Are we living in all the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant now or not? If not, then to what was the apostle Paul referring in Galatians 3:6-9?:

"Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. ⁷ Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. ⁸ And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. ⁹ So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham."

The fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant is by faith in Jesus Christ for justification. The important phrase is "justify the heathen through faith." The justification of the heathen by faith, the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant, and the New Covenant in Christ’s blood are inseparable, as is proven in Galatians 3:13-14:

^"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: ¹⁴ That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles THROUGH JESUS CHRIST; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

Paul explains the two covenants and clearly defines the geography ("for lo, the kingdom of God is within you") of each in Galatians 4:23-28:

"But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. ²⁴ Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. ²⁵ For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to JERUSALEM WHICH NOW IS and is in bondage with her children. ²⁶ But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. ²⁷ For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. ²⁸ Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise."

"Jerusalem which now is", which was, before 70 A.D., Paul declared to be in bondage with her children which were the children of the kingdom of which Jesus spoke in Matthew 8:12:

"But the children of the kingdom (physical Jerusalem under the law) shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

He contrasts the two covenants plainly by saying "Jerusalem which is above is free", which is why Paul in the very next chapter says:

Galatians 5:1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

The question may be asked: "How could this be if Christ had not come yet? After all, this epistle was written before 70 A.D." True. This is where the book of Hebrews solves that problem.

Everything in Hebrews points to the contrasts between the two covenants, from the very first two verses of chapter one; Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, ² Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the ages (Old and New Covenants) all the way to 13:20 which was cited above.

It is however in chapter 8 that the then present status of the fading Old Covenant is contrasted with the incoming New Covenant. A question that the amillenialist and premillenial dispensationalist must answer is: If the first covenant was completely done away at the cross (as the two positions affirm), what was it in Hebrews 8 that was in the process of vanishing away? i.e. Hebrews 8:1-13:

"Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, ² a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. ³ For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. ⁴ For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; ⁵ who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." ⁶ But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. ⁷ For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. ⁸ Because finding fault with them (the first), He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; ⁹ "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. ¹⁰ "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. ¹¹ "None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. ¹² "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." ¹³ In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away."

In this last verse, what did the writer mean by saying "what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away", when Jesus had already been dead and resurrected for 38 years? How could it be growing old and becoming obsolete if it had already been completely abolished at the cross? The answer becomes manifestly clear when we look at the O.T. passage to which the writer was alluding. Isaiah 51:1-9:

"Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug (Death under the law of the first covenant). ² Look to Abraham your father (the Everlasting Covenant), And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him." ³ For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody. ⁴ "Listen to Me, My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation: For a law (Christ and the New Covenant) will proceed from Me, And I will make My justice rest As a light (Christ) of the peoples. ⁵ My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands (Gentiles) will wait upon Me, And on My arm they will trust. ⁶ Lift up your eyes to the heavens,(the Old Covenant) And look on the earth beneath (Jerusalem). For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner (Judaizers and Pharisees who had held on to the sacrifices); But My salvation (life in Christ under the New Covenant) will be forever, And My righteousness (which is imputed by faith) will not be abolished. ⁷ "Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, You people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men (Judaizers- hence the Galatian heresy), Nor be afraid of their insults. ⁸ For the moth will eat them up like a garment, And the worm will eat them like wool; But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation from generation to generation."

It is obvious that the writer of Hebrews uses distinct phraseology to bring the Jewish mind to their own prophets. We see this especially when comparing Isaiah 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner;, And My righteousness will not be abolished. & Hebrews 8:13 "In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away."

1 Peter 1:10-12 "Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, ¹¹ searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. ¹² To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven; things which angels desire to look into."

Also in regard to Isaiah 51:8 "For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness (Christ and the New Covenant) shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.", we see a parallel passage in Isaiah 50:6-9:

"I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. ⁸ He is near that justifieth me (1 Timothy 3:16..."He was justified in the Spirit"); who will contend with me? (John 8:46 "Which of you convinceth Me of sin?) let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me. ⁹ Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. (The Jews who rejected Him cf. Matthew 21:37-40 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. ³⁸ But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. ³⁹ And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. ⁴⁰ When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? also Matthew 23:33-36 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? ³⁴ Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: ³⁵ That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation."

After sufficient use of cross references we see that God clearly uses highly figurative language to contrast the two covenants. This gives us a better understanding of what the writer of Hebrews was describing even at the beginning of the book. Hebrews 1:10-12:

"And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: ¹¹ They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; ¹² And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail."

The phrase "in the beginning", might present a problem at first glance without examining "in the beginning" of what!? As we both know, similar themes are frequently addressed in all the epistles. I believe the theme of the beginning of the age is one of those themes. We see this especially in Ephesians 3:4-9:

"Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) ⁵ Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; ⁶ That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs (heirs of the Abrahamic covenant), and of the same body, and partakers of his promise (the Abrahamic covenant) in Christ by the gospel: ⁷ Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. ⁸ Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; ⁹ And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world (gk. aeon or age i.e. the Jewish age) hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:"

This interpretation may not seem plausible to some, however when we examine another passage dealing with the same motif, (that is, the Jewish age vs. the promise of the Abrahamic covenant) we see the performance of this Everlasting Covenant executed in the "day" or time of Christ. (4 B.C.-70 A.D.) The passage is Luke 1:67-76:

"And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, ⁶⁸ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, ⁶⁹ And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; ⁷⁰ As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world (aeon) began: ⁷¹ That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; ⁷² To PERFORM the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; ⁷³ The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, ⁷⁴ That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, ⁷⁵ In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. ⁷⁶ And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;"

Zacharias was obviously familiar with the Abrahamic covenant and declared that he was now in the time when God would PERFORM it. When D. quotes a passage like Isaiah 59:20:

"And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD,"

We should be very aware that these types of restoration passages are inseparable from the Abrahamic covenant. Did Christ perform what Zacharias said He would perform or is He tarrying to perform the Promise. Hebrews 10:36-37:

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, YE might receive the promise. ³⁷ For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry."

D. makes this bold statement "that these prophecies (regarding the restored kingdom of the Abrahamic covenant) have never been accomplished, (PERFORMED) the passages themselves will prove." Up to this point it has been clear that what was prophesied has been fulfilled in Christ. There is however more that D. has mentioned that needs to be refuted.

D. states on page 268 these words regarding the beginning of Christianity: "Further, when Christianity was introduced, not only was Jerusalem destroyed in judgment, but the Gentiles were in full glory and triumph." First D. admits that Jerusalem was in fact, "destroyed in judgment" with which we are very much in agreement. However the very book that describes that 70 A.D. judgment he dismisses as yet to take place (Revelation). Here would be appropriate to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that MYSTERY BABYLON THE HARLOT is Jerusalem. It is obvious that the O.T. clearly depicts Israel as a harlot: cf. Isaiah 1:1-4,13-15,21 Ezekiel 16:2,3,15-17,20,22,25,26,28-37; Jeremiah 2:18-20;3:1-3,6-8;13:27; Hosea 1:1,2;2:2-7,10-12;4:10-18;5:3,4;6:10. These are just a few passages that prove her harlotry. However to prove this from the N.T. might convince those who otherwise would contradict 70 A.D. as the Great and Notable Day of the Lord. In Revelation 14:6-8 we discover a phrase used that can begin to clear up the problem identifying the HARLOT.

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, ⁷ Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. ⁸ And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that GREAT CITY, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

The term GREAT CITY is also used in Revelation 11:1-8 and makes it very clear that there is only one GREAT CITY:

And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. ² But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. ³ And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. ⁴ These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. ⁵ And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. ⁶ These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. ⁷ And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. ⁸ And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the GREAT CITY, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

The text speaks for itself and chapter 14:8. Since the GREAT CITY is MYSTERY BABYLON THE HARLOT which is Jerusalem, we can stop assuming that this false religious system is the Catholic Church, Arminianism, the Charismatic Movement etc. It is true that these and many others are false religious systems and harlots for that matter, nevertheless this does not justify identifying them as MYSTERY BABYLON THE HARLOT. Further proof that Jerusalem is unquestionably the HARLOT is seen when a comparison is made between Matthew 23:29-38 and Revelation 17:1-6,18;18:5,10,16,18-21,24.

Matthew 23:29-38 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. ³¹ Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. ³² Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. ³³ Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? ³⁴ Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: ³⁵ That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. ³⁷ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! ³⁸ Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

Revelation 17:1-6 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: ² With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. ³ So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. ⁴ And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: ⁵ And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. ⁶ And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

Revelation 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Revelation 18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

Revelation 18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

Revelation 18:16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

Revelation 18:18-21 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! ¹⁹ And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. ²⁰ Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. ²¹ And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

Revelation 18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

The only way to make good sense of these passages is to compare them side by side.

The statement by D. that "Jerusalem was destroyed in judgment" is true, but where does he find his information that it was truly judgment if he maintains a future coming. Though there are many sources outside the gospels in the N.T. which predict the 70 A.D. judgment upon Jerusalem, the sources primarily used by dispensational premillenialists are those in the gospels. (i.e. the Olivet Discourse). Regarding the destruction of the temple, Jesus said in Matthew 24:2

"And Jesus said unto them, ‘See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.’"

Most scholars including dispensationalists would agree that this is a prediction of the 70 A.D. destruction. Jesus confirms this in verse 34

"Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."

We have further evidence that the final coming in judgment was also before that generation would pass by using the parallel passages. For example Luke 21:20-32:

"And when YE shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. ²¹ Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. ²² For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. ²³ But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. ²⁴ And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled (cf. Revelation 11:1,2). ²⁵ And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; ²⁶ Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. ²⁷ And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. ²⁹ And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; ³⁰ When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. ³¹ So likewise YE, when YE see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. ³² Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled."

Also in Hebrews 10:25 the writer makes it very clear to his audience that the Day of the Lord was drawing near:

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the Day approaching."

Even puritan John Owen in his monumental commentary on Hebrews writes of this Day, "It is not such a day, such a motive, as is always common to all, but only unto those who are in some measure in the same circumstances with them....Wherefore this day was no other but that fearful and tremendous day, a season for the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple, city, and nation of the Jews, which our Saviour had forewarned His disciples of, and which they had in continual expectation." Unfortunately, Dr. Owen was inconsistent in that he held to a separated future judgment which is very destructive to the redemptive outworking of God’s plan, especially as it pertains to the passing away of the Old Covenant.

Secondly, D. declares that at this time "the Gentiles were in full glory and triumph." Obviously his definition of full glory and triumph is vastly different than what most scholars think "full glory and triumph" to be. I believe he is absolutely correct when he says the Gentiles were in full glory and triumph, but probably not in the sense that he intended. In defining what eternal glory is, there must be an understanding of the contrast between the two covenantal glories. Paul makes a clear comparison of the two glories in 2 Corinthians 3 as it pertains to resurrection life, which is sadly overlooked by the majority of evangelicals. In 2 Corinthians 3:3-11 we read:

"clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. ⁴ And we have such trust through Christ toward God. ⁵ Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, ⁶ who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. ⁷ But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, ⁸ how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? ⁹ For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. ¹⁰ For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. ¹¹ For if WHAT IS PASSING AWAY was glorious, what remains is much more glorious."

The phrase "what is passing away" is very important as we look at the changing covenant worlds. The verb is a present passive participle which simply means it was occurring in the actual time that Paul wrote the epistle. Those who try to maintain that the Old Covenant had passed away completely at the cross find the same problem in Hebrews 8:13:

"In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what is BECOMING OBSOLETE and GROWING OLD is READY to vanish away."

"Becoming Obsolete" is also a present passive participle. This is not the only stumblingblock for the futurist. As we noted before, the book of Hebrews is a book of covenantal contrasts, which is precisely the aim of 2 Corinthians 3. There is no difference. The same goal is in mind. In order to convince the readers that they are experiencing the change from the Old Covenant world to the New Covenant world, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:18:

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."

It should be obvious that the covenantal change which Paul and his readers were experiencing was not a "physical" change but rather a spiritual change that is in accordance with Christ’s words to the Pharisees in Luke 17:20-21:

"Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God DOES NOT come with observation (outward show-NKJV); ²¹ "nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."

This is exactly why the author of Hebrews writes, in Hebrews 12:22-28:

"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, ²³ to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, ²⁴ to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. ²⁵ See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, ²⁶ whose voice then shook the earth; but NOW (at this time) He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." ²⁷ Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."

The phrase "receiving a kingdom" is once again a present active participle indicating that this was taking place at the time the author was writing it.

In order to fully understand the fulness of glory which the saints were about to experience, we must keep in mind that the light of Christ is the fulness of glory. This is why the apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 5:14:

"Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."

This is a partial quotation from Isaiah 60:1 which is perhaps the most conclusive chapter in Isaiah that correlates the light of Christ with the glory of His people. Glory is stated in the first and second verses:

Isaiah 60:1-22 "Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. ² For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. ³ The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising."

If we are to comprehend the glory of Christ and His saints, there must be a clear understanding of the timeframe regarding "the Light of the world." An astounding passage that relates the timing of the believer’s glory and the mystery of the Gentiles is Colossians 1:21-27:

" And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled ²² In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: ²³ If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; ²⁴ Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: ²⁵ Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; ²⁶ Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: ²⁷ To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

The phrase "hope of glory" had its fulfillment with Christ consummating the marriage relationship in 70 A.D. This is seen even more clearly in Galatians 4:19:

"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you"

We see then that the "hope of glory" for which all saints were waiting, was, "Christ in them" who at that time was being formed in them. This corresponds in perfect harmony with John 11:25-26:

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: ²⁶ And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

The themes of marriage, light, glory, and salvation cannot be disconnected. We see clearly in Revelation 19 after the HARLOT ("Jerusalem which now is") is destroyed that marriage to the Lamb plays an integral part in the glory and salvation of the Bride.

Revelation 19:1-7 "And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: ² For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. ³ And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. ⁴ And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. ⁵ And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. ⁶ And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. ⁷ Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready."

This happens immediately after the destruction of the temple, which indicates the significance of the temple in relation to the Ministration of Death that was still existing but growing old.

When Christ was incarnated He declared that spiritually He was the fulfillment of all the Abrahamic promises. Paul explicitly states in 2 Corinthians 1:19-20:

"For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. ²⁰ For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us."

This is indisputably evident if we examine the "I am" statements that Christ made and then find the appropriate O.T. passage from which Christ’s statements are drawn. See below:

  THE TRUTH,

  THE LIFE

John 6:32-35 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. ³⁴ Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. ³⁵ And Jesus said unto them, I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE: HE THAT COMETH TO ME SHALL NEVER HUNGER; and HE THAT BELIEVETH ON ME SHALL NEVER THIRST.    

After taking a detailed look at the context of each of these O.T. passages, including the references to time, Paul’s conclusion that "all the promises of God in Him (Christ) are yes and amen" makes much greater sense both covenantally and contextually. A concept that can help in our understanding of the "New Heavens and New Earth" is that the New Testament books are all books written during a transition from one covenant to another. This may sound elementary at first, but when we start observing the Old Covenant as the Old Covenant "world", or "the First Heaven and First Earth", the idea of changing from glory (Old Covenant) to glory (New Covenant) becomes much more profound and rich. The glorification of the saints is obviously a subject of concern considering the popular view of glorified "material" or a glorified "physical body." But before trying to identify the constitution of the glorified state, we must first identify the timing of the glorification as it relates to Christ fulfilling all Abrahamic promises.

In Haggai 2:6-9 we see a passage which at first seems to refer to the rebuilding of the temple after the Babylonian captivity.

"For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; ⁷ And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. ⁸ The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. ⁹ The GLORY OF THIS LATTER HOUSE shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts."

However, upon the commentary found in Hebrews, we see that God had something completely greater in mind than the "physical" rebuilding of the Old Covenant House. The writer of Hebrews explains the "Yet once more":

Hebrews 12:27-28 "And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things (Old Covenant & kingdom) that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken (New Covenant & kingdom) may remain. ²⁸ Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."

Both passages are declaring the comparison between the two "houses", as does the passage in 2 Corinthians 3. As Isaiah 51 and Galatians make clear, the Old Covenant and "Those who dwell therein shall die in like manner." It is very interesting that ALL the passages which futurists use to support a physical destruction of the universe and earth are making comparisons between the two covenants. (cf. Psalm 102; Isaiah 51, Hebrews 1; Revelation 21). In Hebrews 3:1-6 the writer begins the "house" motif.

Hebrews 3:1-6 "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; ² Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. ³ For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. ⁴ For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. ⁵ And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; ⁶ But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (i.e. the end of the Jewish age or house)

The "house" over which, Christ is the Son, is definitely the "greater", more "glorious" house of Haggai. The urgency of the phrase "if we hold fast...to the end" is carried throughout the entire book, however it is important to note that the same idea of continuing in the faith is directly related to entering His rest in Chapter 4. This rest is none other than the glorified position of the saints in the new "house."

In Psalms we have a definite time statement about the appearing of Christ in His glory.

Psalms 102:16 "When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory."

When "Zion" and "house" are used synonymously in relation to the New Covenant 1 Peter 2 comes to life, as he knew that "the end of all things was at hand" (4:7), when he says:

1 Peter 2:5 "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."

Continuing the theme of glory, in light of the changing of house and covenant, the passages in the O.T. concerning the Abrahamic Covenant have much more significance regarding glory and its relation to the covenantal transition. We also see the specific timing of this glory as it pertains to the fulness of the Gentiles during the transition. i.e. Isaiah 60:1-14:

"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee (Israel). ² For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. ³ And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, (glory) and kings to the brightness of thy rising. ⁴ Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. ⁵ Then thou shalt see, and flow together (Jew and Gentile cf. "He has made of the two one new man and broken down the middle wall of partition"), and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.(cf. "and the fowls of the air [Gentiles] lodged in the branches of it" [early Jewish church]). ⁷ All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will GLORIFY THE HOUSE OF MY GLORY. ⁸ Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? ⁹ Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. ¹⁰ And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee. ¹¹ Therefore thy gates shall be open continually cf. Revelation 21:23-27:

"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. ²⁴ And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. ²⁵ And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. ²⁶ And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. ^{27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth}, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."

"they shall not be shut day nor night"

If the New Jerusalem and New Heaven and New Earth are in fact "physical" and they are supposed to be perfect; then two questions need to be addressed 1. Why are the gates open continually?®

• that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.

• 2. Who are these that were outside of the gates and from where did they come?)

¹² For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. ¹³ The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious. ¹⁴ The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

Hebrews 12:22 "But YE ARE COME unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.

Revelation 22:14-15 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may ENTER IN THROUGH THE GATES INTO THE CITY. ¹⁵ For outside are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Finally, to show the relation between light and glory, Isaiah concludes the chapter with these words that are virtually identical to that in Revelation 21,22.

Isaiah 60:19 "The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God THY glory."

This is covenantally exclaimed by Paul in Ephesians 5:14:

"Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light."

We see then that glory, light, and rising from the dead are interchangeable terms in relation to the New Covenant.

To expound upon this light motif I have formulated a chart to show the relation of light and glory as it pertains to the believer in Jesus Christ in the New Covenant aeon.  

• I. THE LIGHT OF "I AM"---(I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD)

When D. makes the statement that all restoration promises have yet to be fulfilled, I believe he makes a dangerous error, in that redemption, cleansing, washing, and holiness are now coming from two separate events separated by at least two thousand years. This may not seem very serious at first glance, but when the integrity of Jesus Christ is at stake in regard to fulfilling His promises of restoration within the allotted time He had given, the problem becomes much more serious. That is, if Christ did not fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant when He said He would, (at the end of the age) then the only option would be to resort to two totally separate redemptions, kingdoms, washings, cleansings, resurrections, purgings, and New Heavens and New Earths.

D. quotes from Isaiah 4:2-4 and lumps this with the rest of what he would say is unfulfilled prophecy.

Isaiah 4:2-4 "In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. ³ And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: ⁴ When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning."

The phrase "in that day" plays an integral part in the recognizing the complete fulfillment of redemption in Christ. First, the phrase without a single doubt specifies a certain timeframe. Jesus Himself recognized that His "day" had come, but more importantly He associated it with the Abrahamic Covenant.

John 8:56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad."

The question is: Of what "day" was Abraham rejoicing? Why was he glad? The only possible answer, scripturally, is the Everlasting Covenant. God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations: hence ("I will give you Canaan for an everlasting possession.") How would he become the father of many nations. Through his physical seed? Quite the contrary. It is clear just exactly how he is a father of many nations in Romans 4:11-16:

• "And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: ¹² And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. ¹³ For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: ¹⁵ Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. ¹⁶ Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all."

According to the passage in Isaiah, the culmination of redemption results in the branch of the LORD being beautiful and glorious. Paul gives us clear statements to prove to his readers that they are in the "generation" upon whom ALL the Abrahamic/New Covenant blessings would come. In Romans 15:8-16 He tells of the certainty that Christ is in fact the absolute fulfillment of Everlasting Covenantal blessings:

• "Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: ⁹ And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. ¹⁰ And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. ¹¹ And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. ¹² And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. ¹³ Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. ¹⁴ And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. ¹⁵ Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God, ¹⁶ That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost."

It is interesting to see Paul use the very passages which dispensationalists use to prove a literal, future thousand year reign on the physical earth, to prove the reality of the prophetic consummation on the generation in which he was living. The problem for the futurist, whatever their view, is that Paul says that those O.T. prophetic passages are complete in the time of Christ. For Paul, knew perfectly well, being the minister to the Gentiles, that the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant was then coming upon his generation. D. however is convinced that the time of the Branch of the lord as beautiful and glorious has not yet come to pass. But scriptures conclude otherwise. i.e. Paul quoted three passages in Romans 15 that were clearly intended in the O.T. to speak of the kingdom of God. This is obvious because of the clear references to the Gentiles coming to the Branch. D. overlooks the fact that Paul quotes from another passage that speaks of the Branch of the Lord being beautiful and glorious. Specifically, he quotes that the time of the Gentiles coming to trust in the root of Jesse was being fulfilled. The problem for the futurist is that Paul is quoting from Isaiah 11 which is, without a doubt, a whole chapter devoted to the same timeframe. This is made very clear by the prophets use of the phrase "in that day." This may not seem convincing until one looks at the rest of the context:

• Isaiah 11:1-16 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: ² And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; ³ And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: ⁴ But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. ⁵ And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. ⁶ The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. ⁷ And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. ⁸ And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. ⁹ They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. ¹⁰ And IN THAT DAY there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. ¹¹ And it shall come to pass IN THAT DAY, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. ¹² And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. ¹³ The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. ¹⁴ But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. ¹⁵ And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. ¹⁶ And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt. (that is, freedom from the bondage of sin)

The references of "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb" etc. have almost always been interpreted by the futurist to refer to a time of perfect "physical peace" on a physical earth. This view however becomes inconsistent with Paul’s use of Isaiah 11:10 as being a confirmed fulfillment in his time. Where is the justification for assuming that between any of the verses, a two thousand year separation may be interjected, especially when Paul and Luke (Luke 1:68-76) have exclaimed that Christ is the performance/confirmation of the Everlasting Covenant? We need to look at the Cross and the Parousia as one event identified by Christ Himself as "my day." We also need observe that His "day" was the changing from the Covenant of Death to the Covenant of Life (2 Cor.3;Gal.3,4).

The Gentiles coming to His rest is paralleled with Christ’s words "come unto me and I will give you rest." Because the futurist position is one that is focused on physical blessings rather than "spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus", they overlook the basic gospel which, if obeyed, brings one into the gates of the kingdom, thus, the "gospel of the kingdom." This is why the Baptist and Jesus declared without a doubt that the Kingdom of God was at hand.

Since the book of Isaiah is essentially a book about the coming kingdom, grammatically we can understand that once again the prophet’s use of the phrase "in that day" is imperative to understanding the New Covenantal reality in Christ. We also see that this New Covenantal reality is one and the same with the New Heavens and the New Earth. This is seen when comparing Paul’s statement in Romans 15:15-16:

• "Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God, ¹⁶ That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost."

In verse 16 we have an irrefutable confirmation that the fulfillment of the New Heaven and Earth was taking place in the time of the apostle. In following an historical, grammatical hermeneutic, this is better understood when the O.T. prophecy from Isaiah is put along side Paul’s understanding of His ministry in the New Covenant.

• Isaiah 66:19-22 "And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. ²⁰ And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD. ²¹ And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD. ²² For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain."

When these passages are correlated Colossians 1:24-27 comes alive:

• Colossians 1:24-27 "Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: ²⁵ Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, TO FULFIL THE WORD OF GOD; ²⁶ Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, BUT NOW IS MADE MANIFEST TO HIS SAINTS: ²⁷ To whom God would make known what is THE RICHES OF THE GLORY of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY:"

The correlation of Romans and Isaiah will make clear the "mystery of the Gentiles" passages as "confirmation" (Romans 15:8) and "performance" (Luke 1:72) of the Abrahamic Covenantal blessings upon the Gentiles through faith.

• Ephesians 3:1-9 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, ² If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: ³ How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, ⁴ Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) ⁵ Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; ⁶ That THE GENTILES SHOULD BE FELLOWHEIRS, and of the same body, and PARTAKERS OF HIS PROMISE IN CHRIST BY THE GOSPEL: ⁷ Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. ⁸ Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; ⁹ And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

The mystery according to Paul was now transparent. The Gentiles are fellowheirs. The question is: fellowheirs of what? Partakers of what PROMISE? The Bible is clear that there is only one PROMISE in which the Gentiles would be "blessed with faithful Abraham", and that is, the Abrahamic Covenant. This fulfillment is what is described by Paul as "the unsearchable riches of Christ." How are they made partakers?:

• Ephesians 3:6 "That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ BY THE GOSPEL"

Being "fellowheirs" and "partakers of his promise" are synonymous with "entering in through the gates of the City" Revelation 22:14.

• D. being forced to be consistent with his eschatological perspective has to say that vs.4 of Isaiah 4 is also yet unfulfilled.

   

• Isaiah 4:4 "When the Lord shall have WASHED away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have PURGED the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning."

In order to say that this passage remains unfulfilled D. cannot affirm that any washing and purging or any other type of cleansing for that matter has been imputed since New Covenant age began. Virtually the whole book of Hebrews would have to be viewed as a book of unfulfilled prophecy, and any other passage that declares the washing of God’s people.

• Hebrews 1:3 "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high"

  Hebrews 9:14 "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

  Hebrews 10:22 "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."

  John 13:8 "Peter saith unto him, ‘Thou shalt never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.’"

  1 Corinthians 6:11 "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

  Revelation 1:5 "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood"

At this juncture one may ask the question, "These truths in the Christian’s life were fulfilled before 70 A.D. so if the final coming had not yet taken place, how could the N.T. writers say that these things had already happened to them?" First, this question does not address the problem D. and the majority of futurists have with the obvious statements in the N.T. regarding the fulfillment of purging. Second, we must remember the status of the Old Covenant/Ministration of death which at the time of the writing of Hebrews was "becoming obsolete and growing old and was ready to vanish away." This was the purpose of the encouragement by Paul to the Ephesians regarding the sealing of the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 1:12-14:

• "That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. ¹³ In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."

Earlier in the chapter Paul writes:

• Ephesians 1:7 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace"

When analyzing the word "redemption" one must ask, "Are there two New Covenant redemptions or were there two aspects of one redemption? Peter in the book of Acts delivered a sermon in which he observed the two parts of one redemption together and obviously within a certain timeframe:

• Acts 3:18-26 But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. ¹⁹ Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; ²⁰ And he shall send Jesus Christ (to whom?), which before was preached unto you: ²¹ Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things (The New Covenant), which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world (age) began. ²² For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, (Jews) like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. ²³ And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. (Jews) ²⁴ Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of THESE DAYS. ²⁵ YOU ARE THE CHILDREN of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. ²⁶ Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless YOU, in turning away every one of YOU from his iniquities.

Even the false accusers of Steven knew that Jesus and Steven had predicted the destruction of the Temple to "change the customs"

• Acts 6:13-14 "...And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: ¹⁴ For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, AND shall CHANGE the customs which Moses delivered us."

Was Peter or Paul or any of the N.T. writers for that matter writing anything that was not written in the O.T. scriptures? Paul in his defense before King Agrippa said this was not the case:

• Acts 26:22-23 "Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses DID SAY SHOULD COME: ²³ That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles."

Peter also intimates the same thing before his passage concerning the dissolution of the Old Covenantal system:

• 2 Peter 3:1-2 "This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: ² That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour"

These affirmations of the O.T. scriptures should direct us to the O.T. scriptures to which they were referring. What redemption were the N.T. apostles accosting? The scriptures teach two redemptions: one out of Egypt, and the other out of the bondage of sin. If it is addressed in the O.T. prophecies as something yet future but after the Exodus then we can be assured that it is prophesying of the time and redemption of Christ. Here are some passages that speak of Christ’s redemption, some of which associate judgment, and the Kingdom of God:

• Isaiah 1:26-28 "And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. ²⁷ Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. ²⁸ And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
• Isaiah 35:1-10 "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. ² It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. ³ Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. ⁴ Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. <