Posted on 10/26/2007 9:00:59 PM PDT by topcat54
Replacement theology has become dispensationalism's latest prophetic boogeyman. If you want to end a debate over eschatology, just charge your opponent with holding to replacement theology. What is “replacement theology,” sometimes called “supersessionism,” and why do dispensationalists accuse non-dispensationalists of holding it? Here’s a typical dispensational definition:
Replacement Theology: a theological perspective that teaches that the Jews have been rejected by God and are no longer God’s Chosen People. Those who hold to this view disavow any ethnic future for the Jewish people in connection with the biblical covenants, believing that their spiritual destiny is either to perish or become a part of the new religion that superseded Judaism (whether Christianity or Islam).1
“Replacement theology” is dispensationalism’s trump card in any debate over eschatology because it implies anti-semitism. Hal Lindsey attempted to use this card in his poorly researched and argued The Road to Holocaust.2 He wove an innovative tale implying that anyone who is not a dispensationalist carries the seeds of anti-semitism within his or her prophetic system. This would mean that every Christian prior to 1830 would have been theologically anti-semitic although not personally anti-semtic.
As Peter Leithart and I point out in The Legacy of Hatred Continues,3 it’s dispensationalists who hold to a form of replacement theology since they believe that Israel does not have any prophetic significance this side of the rapture! Prior to the rapture, in terms of dispensational logic, the Church has replaced Israel. This is unquestionably true since God’s prophetic plan for Israel has been postponed until the prophetic time clock starts ticking again at the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week which starts only after the Church is taken to heaven in the so-called rapture. Until then, God is dealing redemptively with the Church. Am I making this up? Consider the following by dispensationalist E. Schuyler English:
An intercalary4 period of history, after Christ’s death and resurrection and the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, has intervened. This is the present age, the Church age. . . . During this time God has not been dealing with Israel nationally, for they have been blinded concerning God’s mercy in Christ. . . . However, God will again deal with Israel as a nation. This will be in Daniel’s seventieth week, a seven-year period yet to come.5
According to English and every other dispensationalist, the Church has replaced Israel until the rapture. The unfulfilled promises made to Israel are not fulfilled until after the Church is taken off the earth. Thomas Ice, one of dispensationalism’s rising stars, admits that the Church replaces Israel this side of the rapture: “We dispensationalists believe that the church has superseded Israel during the current church age, but God has a future time in which He will restore national Israel ‘as the institution for the administration of divine blessings to the world.’”6
Dispensationalists claim that their particular brand of eschatology is the only prophetic system that gives Israel her proper place in redemptive history. This is an odd thing to argue since two-thirds of the Jews will be slaughtered during the post-rapture tribulation, and the world will be nearly destroyed. Charles Ryrie writes in his book The Best is Yet to Come that during this post-rapture period Israel will undergo “the worst bloodbath in Jewish history.”7 The book’s title doesn’t seem to very appropriate considering that during this period of time most of the Jews will die! John Walvoord follows a similar line of argument: “Israel is destined to have a particular time of suffering which will eclipse any thing that it has known in the past. . . . [T]he people of Israel . . . are placing themselves within the vortex of this future whirlwind which will destroy the majority of those living in the land of Palestine.”8 Arnold Fruchtenbaum states that during the Great Tribulation “Israel will suffer tremendous persecution (Matthew 24:15–28; Revelation 12:1–17). As a result of this persecution of the Jewish people, two-thirds are going to be killed.”9
During the time when Israel seems to be at peace with the world, she is really under the domination of the antichrist who will turn on her at the mid-point in the seven-year period. Israel waits more than 2000 years for the promises finally to be fulfilled, and before it happens, two-thirds of them are wiped out. Those who are charged with holding a “replacement theology viewpoint” believe in no inevitable future Jewish bloodbath. In fact, we believe that the Jews will inevitably embrace Jesus as the Messiah this side of the Second Coming. The fulfillment of Zechariah 13:8 is a past event. It may have had its fulfillment in the events leading up to and including the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Contrary to dispensationalism’s interpretation of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus' disciples warned the Jewish nation for nearly forty years about the impending judgment (Matt. 3:7; 21:42–46; 22:1–14; 24:15–22). Those who believed Jesus’ words of warning were delivered “from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:10). Those who continued to reject Jesus as the promised Messiah, even though they had been warned for a generation (Matt. 24:34), “wrath has come upon them to the utmost” (1 Thess. 2:16; cf. 1 Thess. 5:1–11; 2 Pet. 3:10–13).
Before critics of replacement theology throw stones, they need to take a look at their own prophetic system and see its many lapses in theology and logic.
Read Part Two of this article...
2. Hal Lindsey, The Road to Holocaust (New York: Bantam Books, 1989). The address for Bantam Books is 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York.
3. Gary DeMar and Peter J. Leithart, The Legacy of Hatred Continues: A Response to Hal Lindsey’s The Road to Holocaust (Powder Springs, GA: American Vision, 1989).
4. Inserted into the calendar.
5. E. Schuyler English, A Companion to the New Scofield Reference Bible (New York: Oxford University Press, 1972), 135.
6. Thomas Ice, “The Israel of God,” The Thomas Ice Collection: www.raptureready.com/featured/TheIsraelOfGod.html#_edn3
7. Charles C. Ryrie, The Best is Yet to Come (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1981), 86.
8. John F. Walvoord, Israel in Prophecy (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1962), 107, 113. Emphasis added.
9. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, “The Little Apocalypse of Zechariah,” The End Times Controversy: The Second Coming Under Attack, eds. Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2003), 262.
I don't, but I'm not the one that has a problem with hyperliteralism. You're the inconsistent one, applying the "literal when convenient" hermeneutical method. I was just pointing out the inconsistency.
At least we do exegesis. We don't run from it like a scared rabbit.
Matthew 24:30 is the second coming, thus when tc asserts that Matthew 24:30 is past tense, then what are those who read his posts supposed to conclude????
That you haven’t done your homework and cannot exegete a passage of Scripture.
At that your emperor is not wearing any clothes.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’” ~ Luke 13
OK, when do you believe this was fulfilled?
“I don’t, but I’m not the one that has a problem with hyperliteralism.”
Let’s make this simple. Did the high priest actually see Jesus coming in judgment at the destruction of the temple?
Will the high priest actually see Jesus at the White Throne judgment seat?
Does Matthew 23:39, “Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” contradict Matthew 24 and 26 and if not how do you reconcile them?
You mean when will this be fulfilled???
at the 2nd coming, the one still future.
If that's what preterists call what they do to the scriptures, then I don't need it. Mine speak clearly without the preterist's torture techniques.
At that your emperor is not wearing any clothes.
Take that up with him. I'm just his boot polisher.
Yes. When he saw Jerusalem surrounded by armies and the impending destruction of the temple, I have no doubt that Jesus’ personal words to him were ringing in his ears. That is about as real as you can get, biblically speaking.
If your question is did the high priest actually see Jesus in His physical person, then the answer is no. But the language and context does not require that interpretation of the text, as I have demonstrated on a number of occasions.
Does Matthew 23:39, “Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” contradict Matthew 24 and 26 and if not how do you reconcile them?
Nope. Unless you are trying to apply some forced dispensational hermeneutics. The reconciling is in the meaning of the language and context, including key phrases like "Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation " (v. 36).
You can wish away the fact that Jesus was speaking directly to that generation for their sins against the prophets and Him, but it impossible to do with any honest reading of the text.
True. And I ask you today, is it your blood or mine? No, the sacrifices produce tangible results.
No postmil believes in Utopia. But we do believe the world is being Christianized as we speak, according to God's will.
I never see premils or amils discussing the increased number of Christians. Over 1/6 of the planet is Christian. That is progress. Who can deny that?
Christ established the kingdom of God on earth at His resurrection and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. It will triumph.
Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house." -- Matthew 12:28-29"But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
From the link I sent you (which is from an excellent short Calvinistic essay found here and well worth reading -- FIVE POINTS
The victory of Christ's kingdom can be clearly seen in His three parables of the kingdom found in Matt. 13. The parable of the wheat and the tares is instructive: "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field." Jesus said that the kingdom of God is like a wheat field. Even though there are also tares in the field at harvest time, it must be remembered that it is a wheat field, not a tare field. Those who hold to various brands of "pessimillennialism" seem to teach that the Kingdom is a tare field with a few wheat stalks scattered here and there. Matt. 13:30-31 records the parable of the mustard seed: "The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed..." Jesus goes on to make His point that although the mustard seed is tiny, it grows into a very large bush. The Church of Jesus Christ started out small — 11 frightened men. Now there are millions of Christians all over the world. The Kingdom will grow larger still, as God's people are faithful to water and fertilize it and as God is pleased to pour out His Spirit upon His Church giving the increase. Finally, in verse 33, Jesus said that the kingdom is like leaven. The kingdom is not like dough adulterated by evil leaven, it is like leaven. Leaven gradually permeates the whole lump of dough. What could Jesus be teaching except that the Kingdom will gradually penetrate the whole world? Still not convinced? My favorite proof text for an optimistic view of history is a well known scripture verse. Although well known, few seem to understand it's significance. This verse is Matthew 16:18, "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The context is Peter's confession of Jesus as Messiah. Jesus says that He will build His church on that truth. Jesus also says that the gates of Hell will not prevail against that Church as it stands upon that foundation. Many Christians are so conditioned to a pessimistic view of history that they automatically reverse that passage to read "Hell will not prevail against the gates of the Church." That's not what it says, folks! The Church is not to withdraw within her walls and take pride in the fact that she can withstand the continuing siege of the forces of darkness until Jesus comes back and raptures her out of her predicament. No! Christ is commanding His church to get out and take the offensive and storm the gates of Hell and knock over the devil's strongholds. Christians therefore have a duty to take their principles to the marketplace and make inroads in the world for the kingdom of Jesus Christ. He has promised that the gates of Hell are no match for His loyal troops. I leave you with one more teaching from the lips of our Lord, proving that Jesus taught the success of His gospel in bringing the whole world under the discipline of God's law. In Matt. 22:44 Jesus quotes Ps. 110:1, "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.'" One clear fact of the New Testament is that Jesus went to the right hand of the Father at His ascension. (Heb. 1:3). Jesus will stay there until all His enemies are under His feet. There will be no rapture of a defeated Church. Jesus will come for His bride only after He has destroyed the enemies of God through His bride, the Church. Sorry Hal, Satan may be alive for now, but he is not well on planet earth. He is being crushed by the power of God under the feet of the Church (Rom. 16:20)."I believe Jesus had a very optimistic view of the success of the Kingdom He established. He bound Satan. The Evil One can no longer deceive the nations as he did before Jesus came, for "the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." The gospel of Jesus Christ is a powerful double-edged sword. As He gave the Great Commission, Jesus said that all authority in heaven and earth had been given to Him and He promised to be with His people always (Mt.28:18-20).
FWIW, it seems to me that Baptists are more prone to the premil and amil perspective, whereas Presbyterians take a more postmil position, at least historically. It might just come down to the Baptist loathing for the institutional church (seen as a remnant of Romanism which then would come under the heading of wrongly "throwing out the baptized baby with the bath water") whereas Presbyterians believe in church accountability and a stronger sense of church organization. I don't know.
I do know that most of the Scriptural proofs for postmillennialism seem to rest on Christ's own words and parables, which is as solid a basis for understanding as we can get.
Along with most Reformers, Calvin would be considered a postmil; he believed the Reformation was God's edict to right the course of history and further set the captives free.
And on and on and on... "until He puts all enemies under His feet."
"It is a wheat field, not a tare field."
What could be clearer? Christ's own words from His lips. "This generation."
You can wish away the fact that Jesus was speaking directly to that generation for their sins against the prophets and Him, but it impossible to do with any honest reading of the text.
AMEN!
An assertion is not a demonstration. All you have demonstrated is that if you torture the text enough with your preterist exegesis you might be able to get it to deny exactly what it says.
It does have the markings of desperation.
Say anything to hide what the verse is referring to in Daniel.
The sense of the curse being dealt with is that there is no more animal ferocity (Is.11:6, 65:25), and life expediency is greatly extended to where a child will be considered 100 years old.(Isa.65:20)
“Yes. When he saw Jerusalem surrounded by armies and the impending destruction of the temple, I have no doubt that Jesus’ personal words to him were ringing in his ears. That is about as real as you can get, biblically speaking”
Caiaphas (high priest 18-37 A.D) and his father Annas (high priest 8-15 A.D.) were long dead before the fall of Jerusalem. His tomb discovered in 1990 showed he was approximately 60 years old when he died. He saw nothing and heard less. He will see Jesus at the Great White Throne judgment just as Jesus said.
Yet all of humanity does not become Christian. The final rebellion occurs at the end of the 1,000 yrs.
Yes, and to be precise, no one in the Millennial becomes a 'Christian' nor in the Tribulation for that matter.
People cease becoming Christian after the Rapture.
People return to being either a saved Jew or Gentile, but the term Christian is for those who have become part of Christ's body and His Bride.
***You mean when will this be fulfilled???
at the 2nd coming, the one still future.***
Do you see the Matthew 23 cite and this one in Luke to be the same cite or different events?
the Same —
Hmmm. That would mean that he was dead by about 48 AD, and missed all those fireworks 22 years later.
Oh well -- back to the drawing board and time for some more preterist exegeting.
Only for one who walks by sight and not by faith.
Walking by faith is walking by what the Bible actually says, not what you want it to say.
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