What about the kingdom of God?
 

Dispensationalists claim that the church is not the kingdom. Dwight Pentecost believes that “God will inaugurate the theocratic kingdom at the return of the Messiah and fulfill all the covenanted blessings. Thus, throughout the New Testament the kingdom is not preached as having been established, but is still anticipated.”[2] However, what does the New Testament say? When Philip preached in Samaria he was “preaching the good news about the kingdom of God” (Acts 8:12). When Paul preached in the synagogue in Ephesus he was “reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). Returning to Jerusalem after his third missionary journey, Paul met the elder from Ephesus and declared, “And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will see my face no more” (Acts 20:25). The book of Acts closes with Paul in a Roman prison, but still proclaiming the kingdom of God as the message of the gospel. In the final verses we read: “And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters, and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered” (Acts 28:30-31).  In Colossians 1:13 Paul declares that the redeemed have already been brought into the kingdom of God. He writes: “For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”
 

The dispensational view makes the Parables and the Sermon on the Mount as Jewish, rather than Christian, lessons. C. I.  Scofield says the “Sermon on the Mount in its primary application gives neither the privilege nor the duty of the church.”[3]

Did Jesus fail?
 

Dispensationalists teach that the “kingdom” was prophesied in the Old Testament but the Jews rejected Christ and His kingdom, and in its place Christ established the church. This is called the “postponement theory.” C. I. Scofield claims that “the kingdom of heaven announced as ‘at hand’ by John the Baptist, by the King Himself, and by the twelve, and attested by mighty works, has been morally rejected.”[4] John Walvoord believes that the Messianic kingdom prophesied in the Old Testament was strictly for national Israel, that “It was the Messianic kingdom which was announced at hand in connection with the coming of Christ, and it was this kingdom that was rejected when Christ was rejected.”[5] In the thinking of dispensationalists, since Israel rejected the King, and Christ substituted the church, the church is not foretold in the Old Testament. Dwight Pentecost says that “The fact that God was going to form Jews and Gentiles alike into one body was never revealed in the Old Testament and forms the mystery of which Paul speaks in Ephesians 3:1-7; Romans 16:25-27; Colossians 1:26-29.”[6] Pentecost then states “It is after the rejection of the Cross that the church had its inception in Acts 2.”[7]
 

Since dispensationalists claim that the Davidic kingdom was offered to the Jews, but they rejected it, one must ask when the rejection took place. Their lack of agreement on the time of this rejection indicates that their biblical base is very unstable.
 

If Jesus failed, the promises of Daniel 9:24-27 are not fulfilled. And this is what the dispensationalist says. The New Testament witness is that only Christ could accomplish the prophecy of Daniel 9:24—and that He has already done it. Therefore, the events of Daniel 9:24-27 are historical: the death, resurrection and enthronement of Messiah, and the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. There is no gap, no postponement, and no church as “parenthesis.” Yet, it seems that dispensationalists are blind to this glorious truth.
 

Pentecost says the six events of Daniel 9:24 are related to Messiah's death and reign. Even that the “first three have special reference to the sacrifice of the Messiah.”[8] But, that this sacrifice “anticipated the removal of sin from the nation.”[9] In other words, in Pentecost's mind, the blessing of forgiveness of sin through the death of Christ was not intended for Gentiles. This contradicts the New Testament, for “the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘All the nations shall be blessed in you’” (Galatians 3:8).
 

This also involves the dispensationalists in an internal contradiction. For if Daniel 9:24 anticipated the death of Christ, and the death of Christ was the result of the Jewish rejection of their king, how can they say the Old Testament did not foresee the Church? Pentecost says that the last three events prophesied in Daniel 9:24 have to do with Christ's future reign over Israel. He says “This Kingdom can only be established when the Holy One or the Holy Place in the millennial temple is anointed.”[10] Therefore, he concludes: “Thus we see the prophecy anticipates the whole work of the Messiah for Israel: He will redeem and He will reign at the expiration of time stipulated in prophecy.”[11]
 

Understanding that only Christ can fulfill the promises of Daniel 9:24, how could one not see that He has already brought about all these things?
 

Hebrews chapter eight—as well as many other Scriptures—says that Christ fulfilled the Old Testament promise of a New Covenant. Dispensationalists say otherwise. Pentecost says that in Hebrews 8, “as in Hebrews 10:16, the passage from Jeremiah is quoted, not to state that what is promised there is now operative or effectual, but rather that the old covenant was temporary and ineffectual and anticipatory of a new covenant that would be permanent and effectual in its workings.”[12] By this he means a New Covenant with national Israel. It is a serious matter when one so blatantly changes the meaning of the Apostles’ teaching!

What is the Church?
 

Dispensationalists say the church is simply a “stopgap” until Christ returns to set up an earthly reign over Israel.
 

But the New Testament says the church is the Body of Christ purchased by His precious blood. Anything less is a denial of His glorious work of redemption. Peter preached: “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death” (Acts 2:22-23). See also Matthew 16:18 and 1 Peter 1:18-20.
 

Dispensationalists deny that the church is the Temple of God and that Christ rules on the throne of David. A primary example of this observation is the way the dispensationalists interpret Acts chapter fifteen. C. I. Scofield says, “Dispensationally, this is the most important passage of the NT.”[13] And, since he has already concluded that the Prophet Amos is writing about some future kingdom for national Israel, he ignores James' application of Amos chapter nine. John Walvoord also calls Acts 15:14-18 “one of the important passages in the New Testament bearing on this subject”[14] (The Kingdom of God). Having the same mindset as Scofield, Walvoord concludes that, “The normal and natural exegesis of these passages therefore requires a future restoration to Israel and a future fulfillment of the Kingdom promises.”[15] Is this what Acts 15:14-18 is saying? Of course not! The message of James is the opposite of the interpretation of dispensationalism.

The Authority of Scripture
 

David Reagan’s Lamb and Lion Ministries, located in McKinney, Texas, is a very active promoter of dispensationalism.  Reagan published a booklet entitled, Psalm 2: The King is Coming! which teaches that Psalm 2 is a prophecy of our Lord's Second Coming.
 

However, when one allows the New Testament to interpret this Psalm, it is seen clearly as a prophecy of our Lord's first coming and victorious work of redemption.  Observe how beautiful this is.

Psalm 2                                                                 New Testament

Verses

1-3: Gentiles rage..............................................Acts 4:25-26 (Crucified Christ)

4-6: I have installed my King............................. Acts 13:30-37

Philippians 2:9-11

(Resurrection/Coronation)

7: My Son-Begotten Today................................. Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5

(Resurrection)

8-9: Inheritance among Gentiles....................... Matthew 28:16-20

Colossians 1:6,23

(Saved in the church)

10-12: Exhortation to submit

to the Lord............................................... Acts 4:12; 17:30-31

(Present reality)

Psalm 2 is a Messianic Psalm as the inspired New Testament unquestionably affirms. A biblical title for this Psalm would be, The King Has Come!
 

For some OT prophecies interpreted in the NT, see George Stewart’s book, Our Reigning King and Returning Lord, pages 52-58.

Doctrines Influenced by Eschatological Views
 

The subject of eschatology is not one on the periphery of the Christian faith. It is not a minor issue to be left to the “scholars” or the “radicals.” One often hears Christians say such things as, “It's not important to know when or how Jesus is going to return. He will do it in His own way.” If this subject affected only the events surrounding our Lord's return, there could be some merit in such an attitude. However, that is not the case. Rather than being an incidental subject, eschatology relates to several fundamental biblical doctrines.
 

Most of the proponents of dispensationalism are from a Calvinists background. Consequently their biblical interpretations are influenced by their—to one degree or another—predestinarian theology. The subject of eschatology encompasses the entire revelation of God; therefore one's theological presuppositions will influence one's understanding of eschatology. “But more specifically, the millennium debate raises hermeneutical questions concerning Old Testament prophecy, literalism and the relation of the Old Testament to the New.”[16] Consider the following.
 

The Purpose of Creation
 

Is the purpose of creation a physical nation or a holy people? Were Adam and Eve Jews? See Galatians 3 and Ephesians 2:14-16.
 

The Sovereignty of God
 

Does God allow Himself to be manipulated by an obstinate people, such as national Israel? Is He so “out of control” that His rejection by a few rabble-rousers forces Him to alter His eternal plans? Is God truly sovereign, or is His relationship with Israel a classic “tail wagging the dog” event? If God is not truly King in His attempt to establish His kingdom in the first century, is He a King to be trusted with eternity? If dispensationalism is true, then these are some disturbing questions. Paul wrote of God: “He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords; who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen” (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
 

Conditionality of God's Promises
 

One area of Christian determinism is the Calvinistic doctrine of “perseverance of the saints,” or “once in grace, always in grace.” Those who hold this doctrine teach that one who has entered into a Christ-covenant can never be lost-regardless of their choices. It should be clear that the dispensational doctrine of the salvation of Israel is a parallel to this Calvinist teaching.
 

Walvoord says that “a parallel (with the unconditionality of the promises made to Israel) can be found in the doctrine of eternal security for the believer in the present dispensation.”[17] One who believes that man can be saved in Christ and then be lost through disobedience, should see the inconsistency of the dispensational theory concerning national Israel. Even the promises to Abraham were conditional.
 

Impartiality of God
 

Dispensationalism makes God partial to the nation of Israel. But God's word says otherwise. “There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God” (Romans 2:9-11). See also Ezekiel 18.
 

The purpose of the Incarnation
 

While dispensationalists do not believe the church is foretold in the Old Testament, they do believe that God eternally planned the first coming of Christ. But they believe this plan was for national Israel and was rejected by Israel. Thus the incarnation did not accomplish what God had originally planned. They believe the purpose of the incarnation is only partially (and not primarily) fulfilled in the church.
 

The New Testament seems to view the incarnation (birth, death and resurrection) as the beginning of the end, with the present age ending with a new heaven and a new earth. Christ “was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times” for our salvation (1 Peter 1:20). Our salvation in Christ is that which God planned “from all eternity” (2 Timothy 1:9).
 

Rather than Christ's death and resurrection being the result of Israel's rejection, it was “by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23).
 

Redemption
 

One who studies this subject for long must wonder how God would have accomplished our redemption (for Jews as well as Gentiles) had Christ not been rejected by Israel and He had then established an earthly rule over national Israel. Dwight Pentecost approaches the problem like this:

There are many who argue that the bona fide offer of a kingdom at the first advent minimizes the cross and leaves no place for the accomplishment of the redemptive program of God. In reply to this contention it may be said that the offer and the rejection of the theocratic kingdom was the design of God by which His eternal purpose was actually accomplished. That which accomplished the divine purpose of salvation through Christ's death was the rejection of a kingdom offered to Israel.[18]

Does   this   mean   that God arbitrarily predetermined Israel’s rejection of Christ? Then Israel would be innocent? According to Acts 2:23,33,37 Israel was very much guilty. Does God condemn actions that He causes? Never! Doesn't Pentecost's answer sound like determinism?
 

Pentecost considers the offer to Israel to be a bona fide offer. This means that Israel could have accepted the offer. Then how could anyone have ever been saved from his or her sins? Here Pentecost quotes approvingly from G. N. H. Peters:

The question, How, then, would the atonement have been made by the shedding of blood? Has nothing whatever to do with the sincerity of this offer, for 'the manifold wisdom of God' would have been equal to the emergency, either by antedating to some other period, or by providing for it previously; or in some other, to us unknown, way.[19]

That may be a satisfactory answer for Pentecost, but offers no solution to the problem at hand. It simply avoids the question by appealing to “the manifold wisdom of God.” But the manifold wisdom of God revealed to Isaiah (Chapter 53) was that the Messiah would shed His blood. Does a righteous and just God then turn around and make an offer to Israel that would possibly make null and void His promise?
 

God says that “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). But He also says “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). Therefore, it was necessary for Christ to die for the sins of all mankind (Hebrews 9:11-17).
 

Value of the New Testament
 

If one follows the dispensational theme then such Scriptures as the Sermon on the Mount, the Kingdom Parables and Revelation chapters 4-22 have yet to be of any value for the Christian. Peace from God is a very real blessing.
 

Still thinking in physical and political terms, dispensationalists project the Old Testament promises of peace under the Messiah as a yet-to-be-fulfilled promise to national Israel during the “millennium.” This “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) is to head a “government of peace” and to sit “on the throne of David and over his kingdom” (Isaiah 9:7).
 

The angel Gabriel announces to Mary that this promised ruler and giver of peace is to be named Jesus (Luke 1:26-33).
 

At the birth of Christ, the hosts of heaven announced that He would be the One who would bring “peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14).
 

We can begin to see that this promised peace is not political nor for those who reject the gospel. Therefore, when God promises that in the last days “they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks” (Isaiah 2:1-4), He is referring to the end of hostilities brought about by reconciliation with God, through Jesus Christ. For it is through “the stem of Jesse” that “the wolf will dwell with the lamb” and “all nations will resort” to Him (Isaiah 11:1-10).
 

And this is not some future promise for national Israel, but rather the peace that Jesus offers now. He told His apostles: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give” (John 14:27).
 

This is not a peace that the world understands but a peace “which surpasses all comprehension” for the one in Christ (Philippians 4:7). Isaiah 52:7 announces: “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, 'Your God reigns'!” Paul confirms that this was being fulfilled in the first century (Romans 10:15). Isaiah declares that a day would come when peace would be offered to those far off and those who are near (Isaiah 57:19). Ephesians 2:17 quotes from Isaiah 57:19 to affirm that this bringing together of Gentiles and Jews has been accomplished in Christ. Consequently, Christ is our peace (Ephesians 2:14). Peter came to the same conclusion (Acts 10:34-37).
 

It should be obvious that one could have political and national peace without having peace with God. And only peace with God, through Jesus Christ, matches the peace offered in God's word, the One who “was pierced through for our transgressions,” and “was crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5) is the One through whom God has reconciled “all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20).