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To: Cvengr; Alex Murphy; Lee N. Field; PAR35
If one continues to ignore the distinctions between the Church and Israel, then one will slip into confusing Israel as the Church and attempt to steal her blessing while ignoring the cursings.

No one is ignoring the biblical distinctions. What we are ignoring, or rather denying, is that futurist dispensationalism is able to correctly articulate the biblical distinctions. This is seen clearly in the reaction to your statement on the dispensationalist-inspired distinction between the wife of Jehovah vs. the bride of Christ, which is an entirely false as a biblical concept.

The evidence is that futurism has an inadequate model for describing the Israel/Church relationship. Attempting to make distinction like wife/bride suggests a view of God that is like that of the heretic Marcion, i.e., that the God of the Old Testament is different and distinct from the God of the New Testament. Is God a polygamist? Is Jesus different than Jehovah? Is there a biblical distinction between wife and bride (cf. Matt. 1:20-24).

Scripture is much more true and rich than simply to ignore the very real covenants made with Israel prior to the Church Age, but this does not imply any of the grace God has made for the Bride of Christ.

Again, no one denies such things. What we deny is that futurist dispensationalism has a correct handle on the interpretation of such matters.

59 posted on 08/24/2009 6:30:50 AM PDT by topcat54 ("If Israel is 'God's prophetic clock,' then dispensationalists do not know how to tell time.")
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To: topcat54
"the distinction between the wife of Jehovah vs. the bride of Christ, which is an entirely false as a biblical concept"

The exact words are used in Scripture to describe Israel and the Church. If the Word of God isn't sufficiently biblical for the antiquated false preterist Reformed camp, they might simply return to God so He may return to them.

The entire format of the book of Deuteronomy is of an ancient marriage contract signed between God and Israel. The marriage is reiterated in Ezekiel 16.

Jeremiah 3 decribes her great adultery breaking the marriage contract in Jeremiah 31 and also described in Ezekiel 16 and in Hosea 2. The separation of the marriage occurred Isaiah 50 and a bill of divorcement in Jereiah 3. Hosea is the Bill of divorcement of the Northern Kingdom, while Jeremiah is the Bill of Divorcement of the Southern Kingdom. A new marriage contract is now available for Israel when she returns to God and it will be an everlasting contract.

Equating Israel with the Church denies the separation and punishment of the adulterous wife, if the Church is identified as the wife of Jehovah.

This is also another reason why preterism was a dead heresy up until several decades ago, while premillenialism was well assumed even in the first century after Christ.

62 posted on 08/24/2009 8:23:48 AM PDT by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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