August 30, 2007

The "Temple of God" in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 - Literal or Metaphorical?

"He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat in God's temple, displaying himself as God" (NET).

Here is an instructive article by Daniel Wallace on this question.

August 23, 2007

Damaged Foundations of Pretribulationism - Part 3 - Revelation 4:1

In this episode of Prewrath Radio Online, we examine implications of the loss of Revelation 4:1 as a support passage for a pretrib rapture. Pretribulationists are now admitting that this passage has nothing to do with a pretrib rapture. This is strike two!

Click here to listen to the program.

August 22, 2007

Premillennial Nuggets - Premillennialism Can Claim Orthodoxy, but Amillennialism Cannot

Recently, I have been discussing Premillennialism with a good friend of mine who is Amillennial. The subject of what the early church fathers believed was broached. I mentioned to him that it is fact that the very early church fathers in a singular voice affirmed premillennialism (He takes criticism well).

His response to me was incorrect, vague, and containing no historical substantiation,

"There were some Premillers before the completion of the canon, yes. But there were also some orthodox guys who thought Premillennialism was fanatical."

"Nevertheless, I see a lot of people reading back their own theology into some of the writings of the early church."

"I think its actually very hard to determine what some of these guys believe, even if some people now days are so confident that they know."

Claims such as those without argumentation do not lend credibility to the Amillennial position.

I have posted the following article back a while ago, but it is important to post it again because it substantiates the orthodoxy of Premillennialism, and the unorthodoxy of Amillennialism. I have yet to receive any attempted refutation of the thesis in this article. Here it is.

August 18, 2007

Premillennial Nuggets - Daniel 9:24
God's Covenant Promises to Israel and Jerusalem

[The following is a selection taken from the Parousia #14 newsletter by Charles Cooper.]

"Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophesy and to anoint the most holy place.” Daniel 9:24

The 490 Year Delay

In this often-debated passage, Daniel indicates explicitly that Israel is to expect a specific 490-year(2) delay in God’s ultimate fulfillment of His covenant promises.(3) The delay is not for 483 years, or 486 and a half-years, but 490 years. Any promises made to Israel and Judah about their eternal restoration must await the completion of their penalization. A face value hermeneutic requires that Israel’s delay has been extended to cover now more than two thousand five hundred years. The futurity of the last seven years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week prophecy (prophetic pillar number one) is a fact accepted by a majority of premillennialists.(4) Critical to this discussion is Daniel’s inclusion of both Israel (the nation) and Jerusalem (the city) in his prophecy. Both the people and the city are shut up under a specific 490 plus year time of chastisement. That fact alone should dispel any notion that Daniel 9:24 has been fulfilled. For God’s promise “to bring in everlasting righteousness” when the delay ends certainly has not been realized in Israel and Jerusalem.

Daniel lists six purposes(5) for Israel’s 490-year delay. The first three purposes find their fulfillment during the passing of the 490 years: transgression, sin, and iniquity. These are three aspects of sin in general. Of the first three purposes, the phrase to finish the transgression alone contains a definite article. Therefore, it sets the stage for what follows. Daniel is not referring to transgressions in general, but the transgression. This is the transgression that Israel is known for—unfaithfulness to her God. This is the basic sense of the term. Transgression comes from a Hebrew word which means, “to rebel.” Isaiah 48:8b states concerning Israel, “And you have been called a rebel [transgressor] from birth.” Ezekiel echoes Isaiah with stronger language when God states, “Son of Man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day (Ez. 2:3).” (Italics added)

Yet, in Ezekiel 37:21-23, God instructs Ezekiel to inform Israel of a promise. Ezekiel writes,

Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them on nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel… They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God. (Italics added)

The point is this: Israel will finish her rebellion against God with her 490-year-plus delay. The implication is clear that once the 490-year plus delay is finished, Israel will no longer rebel (transgress) against her God.

The second purpose in Daniel’s list is the phrase to make an end of sin. We receive help in understanding the meaning of this phrase from the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament). The Septuagint translators understood the sense of the Hebrew to be to make sins scarce. The particular Hebrew word for sins “occurs about 580 times in the Old Testament and is thus its principle word for sin. The basic meaning of the root is to miss a mark or a way.”(6) While man may not be actively rebellious, he, by nature, continually misses the mark of God’s holiness. Daniel promises Israel that her days of missing God’s mark are numbered. The final phrase in this first triad is to make atonement for iniquity. The Hebrew term for iniquity (awon) is a collective noun. It is singular, but refers to the sum of one’s past misdeeds. Notice Genesis 15:16 which states, “The iniquity (past misdeeds) of the Amorite is not yet complete.” All of the misdeeds of the Amorites were bottled up into one. Interestingly, it was 400 years before God judged the Amorites. Similarly, Israel is given a 490-year time allotment to atone for her past misdeeds (perversions) against God.

After the 490-year-plus delay, God will forgive Israel’s rebellious past and implement the benefits of the new covenant. Notice Jeremiah 31:34:

“And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Israel will finally receive total forgiveness and cleansing from her past sins. This is echoed in the final three purposes states in Daniel’s list.

The Benefits After the Delay

Gabriel told Daniel that “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city… to bring in everlasting righteousness.” The Hebrew grammar makes the point with certainty.(7) Only a literal fulfillment of this expectation hermeneutically is permissible: the people and the holy city await “everlasting righteousness.” Jesus Christ made it possible for God to grant personal righteousness to many. However, God will not apply the blood of Jesus to the nation of Israel until the full 490-year period has been completed. Isaiah well captures God’s promise when he writes, “Israel has been saved by the Lord with an everlasting; you will not be put to shame or humiliated to all eternity” (Is. 45:17).

The fifth purpose of the 490-year delay is “to seal up vision and prophecy…” The Hebrew literally says, to seal vision and prophet. Again, the Septuagint is very helpful. It states, “to finish [end] the vision.” The sense is this: with the completion of the 490-year delay (regarding the people of Israel and their city—Jerusalem) revelation through intermediaries will cease. Jesus Christ, Himself, physically present on earth, will personally attend to the needs of Israel starting the day after the completion of the 490-year delay. With the death of the two witnesses (Revelation 11:3 and 7) prophecy to Israel will cease and direct control by Christ will begin.

The final purpose to be realized with the completion of Israel’s punishment for her rebellion will be “to anoint the most holy place.” In the New American Standard Bible, the term place is italicized. This indicates that the term does not appear in the original Hebrew. However, the translators are offering their interpretation of the key Hebrew qodesh qodashim (holy of holies). The choice is either a place or a person.

Interestingly, there are only two occurrences of the Hebrew term anointing in the prophetic writings of the Old Testament. Isaiah 61:1 prophetically declared that Jesus Christ would be God’s anointed messenger to the afflicted.(8) Since Jesus is holy from eternity past, this indicates that that which is already holy can be anointed for service. The other occurrence is in Daniel 9:24. While it is not possible to be dogmatic, it would appear to be more probable that the “anointing of the most holy” has something to do with the Messiah. Since the Lord was anointed in conjunction with His first advent, He will be anointed in conjunction with His Second Advent. In summary, Daniel 9:24-27 offers hope for both Israel (the nation) and Jerusalem (the holy city) for the future.

Endnotes

2. For a defense of the concept of a prophetic week equaling seven years, see Parousia, issue #12.
3. Specifically, Israel awaits the ultimate fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1- 15:17), which consists of the Palestinian (the land grant, Deut. 28-30), the Davidic (eternal kingly lineage, 2 Sam. 7:4-16), and the New Covenant, (future kingdom blessing, Jer. 31:31-33).
4. For a defense of the futurity of Daniel’s Seventieth Week, see the lengthy discussion in Parousia, issue #12.
5. Six infinitives follow the main verb in Daniel 9:24. Each serves as the purpose of the main verb.
6. Theological Word Book of the Old Testament, eds. R.L. Harris, G.L. Archer and B.K. Waltke, 2 vols., by G.H. Livingston, s.v. “afj” 1:277.
7. The Hebrew hifphil stem indicates causative action.
8. See Luke 4:18, 7:22 and Matthew 11:5 for New Testament confirmation.

August 10, 2007

Premillennial Nuggets - Acts 15:12-18
The Restoration of the Nation Israel

[The following is a selection taken from the Parousia #14 newsletter by Charles Cooper.]

And all the multitude kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God has done through them among the Gentiles. And after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying “Brethren, listen to me. Simeon [Peter, the Apostle] has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. And with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, ‘After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, in order that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’ says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.” (Italics added)

Acts 15:12-18 is a very important text [...] concerning [the debate on] the future salvation of Israel (the nation). The text follows the first church council convened in Jerusalem to discuss Gentiles conversion and inclusion in the church. After Peter, Barnabas and Paul defended God’s work among the Gentiles, James offers a summary statement concerning God’s work and the church’s instructions to the new Gentile converts. The quoted passage above offers four very important insights. First, James understands God’s work among Gentiles as the taking of “a people for His name.” Second, the taking of “a people for His name,” is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. James specifically refers to Amos 9:11-12. The third insight James offers is that Jesus “will return and rebuild the tabernacle of David…” This refers to the restoration of Israel under Davidic rule which Jeremiah 30:9 promises. The fourth and final insight James offers concerns timing. Notice the beginning of verse 16 again. After these things is an alteration of In that day which occurs in the original passage in Amos 9:11. James, under the Holy Spirit’s direction instructs the church that David’s restoration will follow the “taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name.”

The importance of Acts 15:12-18 must be seen in light of Acts 1:6-8. Instead of thinking that the kingdom would come immediately, the Apostles finally understood that God’s future program for Israel (the nation) would follow His program for the Gentiles. Thus, Luke is consistent in both his Gospel and the book of Acts. God in a future day is going to restore the fortunes of Israel.

August 8, 2007

Damaged Foundations of Pretribulationism - Part 2 - Revelation 3:10

In this episode of Prewrath Radio Online, we examine implications of the loss of Revelation 3:10 as the determining passage for a pretrib rapture.

Click here to listen to the program.

August 7, 2007

Premillennial Nuggets - Acts 1:1-9
Was Jesus Amillennial?

“In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.” (Acts 1:1-9)

Though all Scripture is inspired and we submit to all of it, what better source to go to than Jesus himself discussing a future Israel in the kingdom of God?

The salient point in this passage is that for 40 days up to the Ascension, Jesus taught the disciples about the Kingdom of God. And notice that on the very last day that Jesus was physically on earth the disciples ask a question about Israel and the kingdom,

“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

After being taught for 40 days by Jesus about the kingdom, the disciples are not asking if he is going to restore the kingdom to Israel, but when. It is a foregone conclusion with the disciples that Israel has a future in the kingdom of God.

Further, Jesus’ answer to their question only underscores this future reality. He says,

"It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority..."

His answer assumes a future Israel, and thereby in this shared assumption with the disciples Jesus defers the answer to when the kingdom will be restored to Israel to the Father’s sovereign timing. Jesus does not chastise them for believing that Israel has a future in the kingdom. He does not say, "The church has replaced Israel so they will not be restored to the kingdom." There is nothing even remotely that suggests this. Jesus' answer to them is that they are not to know when (not if) this happens. Further, they are to focus on being "witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Thus, we can learn two things about the disciples’ question concerning the kingdom of God: (1) Some aspect of the kingdom has not been fulfilled yet. In other words, the kingdom has not been completely fulfilled at that time. (2) The kingdom will be restored to Israel, but only the Father knows what time it will happen in the future.

Was Jesus Amillennial? According to Acts 1:1-9, no, he was not.

It is important that we see kingdom theology as having a progressive inaugurated already/not-yet dimension, rather than an either/or (either it is spiritual or physical).

Classical dispensationalists make the mistake of viewing the kingdom of God as not fulfilled in any sense right now, but only realized at the commencement of Christ's second Coming. And many (not all) amillennialists make the opposite error and view the kingdom as being fully realized at the moment, thereby having no future aspects of the kingdom to be realized.

And therefore, sadly, many who teach on the doctrine of the kingdom of God have a monochromatic view of the kingdom: for them it is only spiritual in nature. But the testimony of Scripture demonstrates that it is multifaceted: political, spiritual, physical, ethnic, and social. And it does not happen at one exact time, but it is progressive, which will culminate into a fully realized kingdom in the next age.

That is why Jesus could speak during his ministry by saying that the kingdom is in their midst. And why Peter in Acts 2 can make certain statements about the kingdom being realized in a new aspect during the apostolic period after Christ’s own kingdom ministry. And why a new phase of the kingdom is ushered in after the seventh trumpet of God's wrath is blown, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever" (v. 11:15b).

So, it is illegitimate when an Amillennialist asserts, "This Bible passage says the kingdom is happening right now, therefore it is completely fulfilled in all its aspects with no future reality to be realized.” The reasoning does not follow Biblically as we noted above because the nature of the kingdom of God is inaugurated and progressive, which will be realized in all its fullness at the commencement of the age to come.

August 6, 2007

Premillennial Nuggets - Romans 11:25-27
The Freedom of God in Saving a Future Ethnic Israel

I must preface this article with a few brief comments on the contextual flow of Paul's argument. It is important to grasp chapter 11 by what just came before it in chapters 9-10. Just as Paul teaches in Romans 9 that it is the freedom of God to save individuals based solely on his mercy to demonstrate his glory and power, likewise, in chapter 11, Paul reminds his audience that God is free and absolutely sovereign in saving Israel in the future.

In Romans 9, Paul responded to the objection that God failed to save a people for himself by arguing that God has not failed because he has graciously chosen Gentile individuals to be saved, "It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel" (vv. 6ff).

And similarly, in Romans 11, Paul reminds his audience that God has not failed with the nation of Israel since their salvation is in the future; and thus believing Gentiles should not become "conceited" and "wise in your own estimation" because "a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in and so all Israel will be saved."

Paul is confident that God will bring about a saved future Israel one day. He furthers writes, "I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!" (v. 1) "Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!" (v. 12) The apostle could not be more emphatic about this future reality.

Let me make this observation. It is essential that we grasp this consistency on seeing Paul's concern in both Romans 9 and 11 as he is defending God's freedom in saving Gentiles (chapter 9) and Israel (chapter 11) which constitute the one people of God. I have observed that many in the Reformed tradition will proclaim fervently God's freedom of individuals in Romans 9, but will not allow God to be free in respect to the future salvation of Israel. And conversely, I have seen many in the non-Reformed tradition proclaim God's freedom in the salvation of a future Israel from Romans 11, but suppress the interpretation of his freedom of saving Gentile individuals in Romans 9. We cannot pick and choose when to apply God's salvific freedom--we must be consistent. We must allow the text to speak, not our Traditions read into the text. We need to submit to the Potter's terms, not ours.

The following is an argument for a future ethnic Israel in God’s sovereign plan. Romans 11:25-27 is one of the clearest texts in the New Testament that teach this truth.

This text should be brought up with any discussion you have with an amillennial friend. You are not going to find a better exposition of this text than here, except in some commentaries and a few journal articles. I suggest you master the following argument. Every Premiller should know how to present this text like they know the back of their hand. Learn how to articulate it and work through the flow of Paul's argument and how he is arguing for God's sovereignty in a future ethnic Israel. Thereby, the next time someone says that there is no future ethnic Israel, or the "church is now Israel," pull out this exegetical ammunition and go on the offense and demonstrate Paul's argument for the freedom of God in sovereignly bringing about a future ethnic Israel. Don't let the amiller avoid this text, or turn it on its head by making it say something completely opposite.

That being said, here is the following selection taken from the Parousia #14 newsletter by Charles Cooper.

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The Exposition of Romans 11:25-27

“For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.’ ‘This is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.’” (Italics added)

The Prelude to Israel’s Salvation – Romans 11:25

The Apostle Paul begins Romans 11 with a rhetorical question, which should settle the debate, concerning whether Israel has a future or not. Paul questions, “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!” Using himself as an example (Rom. 11:1), Paul indicates that God had (Rom. 11:2-4), has (Rom. 11:5-6), and will have a “remnant” through out all generations (Rom. 11:7-10). However, since only a remnant of Israel will be saved, Gentiles should not wrongly conclude the nature of God’s intent. Paul indicates that Gentile salvation is a direct result of Israel’s transgression, which God would forgive immediately if Israel (the nation) would repent (Rom. 11:11-24).

Barring the repentance of Israel, God will personally bring her into a right relationship with Himself. It is in Romans 11:25-27 that Paul speaks directly to the fact that Gentile blessings and Israel’s restoration are intimately tied together. Please notice that verse 25 begins with the word for, which indicates a beginning explanation of Paul’s comments, which ended at verse 24. Having spent two and a half chapters dealing with Israel’s refusal to repent, Paul ends Romans 11 with a final statement of explanation. God has set a time in the future when Israel (the nation) will have a complete restoration. Paul ends Romans 11 with the final statement about Israel’s future. This should erase any misunderstandings in the minds of the Gentiles about God’s purpose for His chosen people.

Israel’s Future A Mystery – Romans 11:25b

Paul begins his discussion by saying, “I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery…” In Romans 11, Paul highlighted God’s decision to break off “some of the branches” of Israel and to graft in some Gentiles. Such a decision by God does not give the Gentiles any basis for arrogance toward the Jews. The clause, “I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed…” is a favorite expression of Paul to highlight significant information about to be shared with the reader. (13) Paul indicates that this significant piece of information about to be shared with the Romans is a mystery (to musterion).

The term mystery (musterion) is a bit confusing to the average reader for two reasons: First, the word is transliterated instead of being translated; and secondly, the modern definition of mystery is foreign to the biblical notion. (14) Charles C. Ryrie is helpful at this point. He writes,

The concept of a mystery is… a secret which only the initiated share. This includes two ideas: (1) a time when the secret was not known followed by a time when it became known; and (2) deeper or higher wisdom which is revealed to the one initiated into an understanding of the mystery. (15)

The point is that a biblical mystery could never be discovered by human wisdom; it must be revealed by God. Thus, Paul reveals new information to his audience—information, which should dispel any arrogance on the part of the Romans toward the Jews. This is the purpose of Paul in sharing this new information with the Romans that is reflected in the statement, “so that you will not be wise in your own estimation…” The future of Israel is not left to man’s speculations, but to the revelation from God. It is sad that in the modern era mankind still seeks to put forth the groundless notion that God has abandoned Israel. It would appear that men have not heeded Paul’s advice to not be “wise in your own estimation.” Abandoned forever, no! A temporary hardening, yes!

The Hardening of Israel – Romans 11:25c

With the clause, “that a partial hardening has happened to Israel,” Paul begins an explanation of the content of the mystery. (16) We have established that the nature of a mystery is that of information revealed by the Spirit of God, heretofore unknown to the reader. Paul indicates that this new information concerns a hardening. The term hardness (porosis) occurs three times in the New Testament. (17) In each case, the term is used metaphorically to refer to man’s unwillingness to correctly respond to God in faith.

The Extent of the Hardening
Paul indicates the extent of Israel’s hardening by stating, “that a partial hardening has happened to Israel…” Effectively, Paul has already stated that God had, has and will have a “remnant according to God’s gracious choice.” The book of Acts highlights the salvation of many Jews during the early years of the church. There fore, Paul states the obvious that the hardening in Israel is in part. A fact seemingly missing in the thinking of those who argue that Israel (the nation) has no future. The salvation of every single Jewish person who has received Christ as Lord and Savior throughout the ages confirms Paul’s statement that “those who were chosen obtain it [salvation] (Romans 11:7b).”

The Time-frame for the Hardening
The fact that God has chosen “to harden” a portion of the nation of Israel which effectively locks them up in their unbelief is not a permanent condition. Paul states that the partial hardening that has happened to Israel will last “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in (Rom. 11:25).” There is some debate about the precise meaning of “until,” but in context, Paul is marking the termination point of Israel’s hardening. Israel’s “hardening” will last until the time in which “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” What then is the exact meaning of the phrase “the fullness of the Gentiles?”

“The ‘fullness of the Gentiles’ has been interpreted in two way: qualitatively and quantitatively.” (18) A qualitative sense “has reference to Gentile blessing and opportunity in this age.” (19) However, such a view does not accord best with the context. A quantitative sense refers to the actual number of Gentiles to be saved. The “fullness of the Gentiles” “is best explained as the full number of elect Gentiles…” (20) Simply put: the national salvation of Israel follows the completion of the salvation of a Gentile “remnant” during the church age. This is the mystery!

Israel’s Restoration Promised – Romans 11:26

Romans 11:26 is significant. When the “fullness of the Gentiles” has come in, Paul states, “all Israel will be saved…” The essential issue concerns the important phrase all Israel. Two questions come to mind: (1) does all mean all? And (2) does Israel refer to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?

The Identity of the Saved
We will addresss the second question first. Some scholars insist that the term Israel in Romans 11:26 refers to the church. The most well known proponent of this view is John Calvin. He writes for many in the Reformed school of theology who see the church as the new spiritual Israel comprised of both Gentiles and Jews. However, this view renders Romans 11:25-26 unintelligible. Along this line of thinking, one would have to say that part of the church has been hardened until Gentiles are saved. Such a view does not make sense. From the very first verse of chapter eleven, Paul has given every possible clue necessary to insure that the reader understands that physical descendants of Israel are his focus. The Israel (the ethnic nation) is Paul’s referent is the one detail of chapter eleven that should be without debate.

The first question we posited above concerns the number of Jews to be saved at the end of the Seventieth Week. The choice is between a great majority, but not every single living Jew at the end of the Seventieth Week or every single living Jew who survives Daniel’s Seventieth Week. John F. Walvoord supports the first choice. He states, “As their [the Jews] rejection, although national, did not included the rejection of every individual; so their restoration, although in like manner national, need not…included the salvation of every individual Jew.” (21)

Whatever Paul’s meaning in Romans 11:25-27, it cannot mean a mere remnant of ethnic Israel. This would not serve as a distinction between the “remnant” of Israel “at the present time” and the “all Israel” saved when “The Deliverer will come from Zion (Rom. 11:26).” In other words, the group saved when “The Deliverer” comes “from Zion” must be distinct from the mere “remnant” of Israel saved at any one given time. Otherwise, there is not contrast between the two groups. Paul is clearly looking forward to a time when the nation as a whole is in a right relationship with their God. This is the essence of his prayer in Romans 10:1-2.

Fortunately, Scripture speaks to this matter. Zechariah 13:8-9 says:

“And it will come about in all the land,” declares the LORD, “That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; but the third will be left in it. And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, The LORD is my God.’” (Italics added)

Taken at face value, the one-third/two-third deliverance/destruction ratio must be understood literally. The prophecy is specifically limited to the land of Israel, which must included both Judah and Samaria. The context would necessitate a yet future fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy given the heavy emphasis on “in that day” that occurs in Zechariah 13:1, 2, and 4. Consequently, we must conclude that every single Jew in the Land of Israel that survives God’s Day of the Lord refining process will be “saved!”

What about those Jews who are not living in the land of Israel? About them, Isaiah 66:20 states, “Then they [the parts of the nations that survive Armageddon] will bring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering to the Lord…” (Italics added) The emphasis upon “all your brethren from all the nations” logically seems to demand that those Jews who survive the wrath of Satan/Antichrist and the “refining wrath” of God will be saved. In summary, every single Jew that survives the persecution by Satan/ Antichrist and God’s refining wrath will “get saved.”

The Time of Israel’s Salvation
For those who take Scripture at face value, the fact of the national salvation of Israel and Jerusalem is not debatable. The timing of that salvation is very much debated. It is this author’s opinion that the national salvation of Israel and Jerusalem cannot occur before the conclusion of the yet future Seventieth Week of Daniel. A literal fulfillment of Daniel 9:24 demands that Israel’s salvation must stand outside the Seventieth Week of Daniel. This is confirmed by Paul. Paul indicates that “the partial hardening” of Israel will last until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in (Rom. 11:25). (22) There is debate about the meaning of the term until. This term is best taken to point “to a time…after which the hardening of Israel will cease.” (23) Therefore, Paul agrees with both Daniel and Luke.

Scripture does not explicitly state the actual day of Israel’s salvation. Hosea 6:2 perhaps contains the closest statement in this regard. The prayerful attitude of Israel when she repents is expressed. Hosea 6:2 states, “He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, that we may live before Him.” This is Israel’s prayer. Whether the Lord will honor Israel’s prayer is not explicitly stated in Scripture. However, with the nation of Israel expressing a repentant heart, it is difficult to believe the Lord will not answer.

We are certain that the salvation of Israel must occur before the sounding of the seventh trumpet detailed in Revelation 11:15. At the seventh trumpet, God almighty takes back the rule of earth and begins His final wrath, this is depicted in the bowl judgments of Revelation chapters 15 and 16. Revelation 16:19 indicates Jerusalem will be completely destroyed by the seventh bowl judgment. However, Zechariah 14:5 promises deliverance of God’s people prior to God’s judgment of the nations. Therefore, Israel must be saved before the final wrath of God begins at the seventh trumpet. (24)

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This article is an excerpt from the newsletter Parousia #14, Spring 2000, "The Prophetic Pillars of the Prewrath Position, Part 3: The Salvation of Israel Occurs After the Seventieth Week of Daniel Ends" by Charles Cooper. Download here for the complete article.

Footnotes:

13. J. Murray, The Epistle to the Romans (NICNT, 2 Vols; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965) 2:91.
14. The fact that the Greek word and the English word look and sound alike demonstrates that we have a transliteration instead of a translation. Also, the modern notion of a “whodunit” in which the audience must discover the secret, which no one knows, is not consistent with the biblical notion. The biblical notion requires God to reveal the secret or it will never be known.
15. C.C. Ryrie, “The Mystery in Ephesians 3,” BSac, 123 [1966]: 26.
16. The Greek word oti begins that clause and indicates purpose.
17. Mark 3:5 speaks to the unreceptive response of the Jews to the ministry of Jesus. Ephesians 4:18 speaks to the heart condition of Gentiles who are alienated from God. In each case, the failure to correctly respond to God is highlighted.
18. M.G. Vanlaningham, “Romans 11:25-27 and the Future of Israel in Paul’s Thought,” MSJ, 3[1992]:154.
19. J.F. Walvoord, “Eschatological Problems VIII: Israel’s Blindness,” BSac 102 [1945]: 288-289.
20. J.L. Burns, “The Future of Ethnic Israel in Romans 11,” in Dispensationalism, Israel and the Church, C.A. Blaising and D.L. Bock, Ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992) 211.
21. J.F. Walvoord, The Return of the Lord (Grand Rapids” Zondervan Publishing House, 1972) 108.
22. Luke 21:24 refers to the Gentile domination of Israel and Jerusalem. Romans 11:25 refers to the number of elect Gentiles called by God to salvation throughout the “times of the Gentiles.”
23. Vanlaningham, “Romans 11:25-27 and the Future of Israel in Paul’s Thought,” 153.
24. This important detail will be discussed in the next issue of Parousia. The fourth prophetic pillar of the prewrath position concerns the timing of God taking back His rule over earth.

August 6, 2007

Premillennial Nuggets - A Needed Defense

There are different reasons why many individuals change their view to either preterism or amillennialism, and in most cases, both. In their mind, it is just easier to regulate the events in Matthew 24 or Revelation to the 1st century and be done with it and move onto something else. Or, for many, they feel more pious to view Revelation as mostly teaching spiritual truths (e.g. the Antichrist is not a literal future historical figure but is symbolic and represents "the principle of evil.")

And lest we forget, in my opinion, one of the key reasons why individuals embrace these views. Their favorite theologians are right on when it comes to the nature of God, humanity, and salvation--so "they must be right when it comes to eschatology."

And given that it is demonstrable that amillennialism is a human creation that developed out of the nascent Roman Catholic church, the premiller has the confidence to know that the early church in a singular voice affirmed a premill position. And that same level of confidence can be displayed in the Biblical arguments as well.

The reason I want to start this continuous nugget series on premillennialism is so I can equip many of you with the best arguments for premillennialism against their best arguments.

I do not want you to be intimidated by their arguments, and certainly not intimidated by their terms they invoke. You will often hear an amill brother or sister say, "We use a 'God-centered' hermeneutic when interpreting the Bible." Or "Christ-centered" hermeneutic. The suggestion is that you are not God-centered--and who wants to be against that!

Another term they use is "Biblical-Theology" hermeneutic. As if premillennialism is not based on a Biblical-Theological hermeneutic.

In reality, when it comes to key texts such as Revelation 20, Acts 15, Romans 11, Matthew 24, Luke 21, and various O.T. passages, their hermeneutic is inconsistent in practice.

Though for the rest of the year I will be working on the Thessalonian series, I will punctuate blog posts with this ongoing series defending premillennialism and equipping you with solid arguments against amillennialism.

As far as the preterist view and interacting with that position, after I am finished with the Thessalonian series, I will commence with an Olivet Discourse series that will indeed last for at least two years. This is where I will interact with the best that the preterist view has to offer, not merely giving asides, but full-length discussions and critiques against the preterist position.

August 4, 2007

Bible Study Tools...

Every so often I come across some helpful and interesting Bible study tools on the Web that I share with you. Here are some recent ones I found.

"Bible Mapper is a fully interactive, highly accurate Bible mapping system that helps you quickly and easily create customized maps of the Holy Lands or study a particular period and aspect of Bible history."

Interactive modern and historical Map of Israel.

Here is a radical (and conducive) way of approaching your Bible that does away with modern mechanical intrusions such as versification, footnotes, etc. (Though there are some valid criticisms of it).

Here is a Jerusalem city model in the time of Jesus.