WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:09.839 Thought was we've done this on occasion, have it um on what would be the Feast of Trumpets, which actually that would have been last week. 00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:20.960 And I thought later, you know, we we really don't need to celebrate old covenant holy days at all, but um we are gonna be thinking about the Old Testament summon. 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:31.920 I I thought we don't really need a reason to do communion, but I thought in light of that we have sometimes done it an extra service in the fall. 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:42.880 We normally do it um you know on Thanksgiving and at Pentecost, but uh thought we'd also do it today. 00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:51.039 Uh let's let's I started to say let's pray and fast before I give this. 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:54.079 Uh, but let's go ahead and pray. 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:56.479 Father in heaven, thank you for your word. 00:00:56.719 --> 00:01:10.319 Um, as we study these things together, Father, we ask that you will uh help us to um fully appreciate differences of opinion on this. 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:14.000 Um I'm not sure. 00:01:14.079 --> 00:01:25.599 I think if you were mainly concerned about everyone having the same view, we would uh more than likely have have it more uniform than it is. 00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:39.680 So uh we just pray that you'll help us as we consider your word together that we would uh get the plain things and the main things and and not get those mixed up with things that are not so plain and not so main. 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:44.719 So um we just ask for your help as we study in Jesus' name, amen. 00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:47.359 All right. 00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:52.159 I I think I indicated we would start this three-week study on prophecy. 00:01:52.239 --> 00:01:57.519 I think I'm probably gonna restrict it to two weeks, but um we'll we'll see. 00:01:57.680 --> 00:01:58.719 I'll I'll pray about it. 00:01:58.799 --> 00:02:00.799 You can let me know if you have an opinion. 00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:07.920 Uh, we're specifically considering Old Testament prophecies concerning Israel. 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:10.560 Now, I don't know if you're aware. 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:19.039 I wasn't aware till I started studying for this, really, but this issue is hotly debated in the evangelical sphere. 00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:23.680 And it gets heated, yes, even among Christians. 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:26.479 I trust there will be better things for us. 00:02:26.879 --> 00:02:35.439 And whether you appreciate my assessment on these passages ultimately, to me anyway, this is a secondary issue. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:40.000 Um, and that should be somewhat evident from the reality. 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:43.039 I've never covered it before in my whole time here. 00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:45.439 I've never addressed this issue. 00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:49.599 We've covered prophecy, of course, in general on numerous occasions. 00:02:50.159 --> 00:03:01.919 There have been times, and you may not remember it, but I have told you, I remember, frankly admitting, I have not studied the Old Testament prophecies concerning Israel, and so I don't want to speak to it. 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:17.840 Um so I mean, I for whatever reason it, you know, was on my heart to do it at some point, and so I, you know, probably about six months ago began looking into this more earnestly. 00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:22.400 I knew I was definitely lacking in that area, and I still feel like I'm lacking someone. 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:26.960 Um part of it, of course, is I wonder how it all tied together. 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:33.039 I don't know if you thought about it that much, and I don't know if you're as familiar with some of the passages I'm talking about in the Old Testament. 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:36.080 I'll I'll highlight a few of them today. 00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:44.879 Um, but um how did it all tie together together with the prophecies we see in the New Testament? 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:50.879 And so again, I've studied it quite a bit, uh, for better or worse. 00:03:52.240 --> 00:04:10.000 I I again I didn't I don't know if this issue has been in uh contention for a long time, or if I just noticed it because I'd started studying it, but there's definitely some friction among evangelicals about the ultimate fate of the nation of Israel. 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:19.519 Um so the only thing I'm introducing here is we don't need to get all hot and bothered over this. 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:26.399 There are, of course, things we should go to the mat for as far as upholding Christian doctrine. 00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:29.600 I feel confident this is not one of them. 00:04:29.839 --> 00:04:32.800 Now, clearly not everyone feels that way. 00:04:32.959 --> 00:04:40.639 Some people feel you should go to the mat over this, and herein lies the potential danger of embarking on said issue. 00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:45.920 Uh disrupting the harm harmony in our harmonious church. 00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:51.680 Um, I don't know where all of you stand about the fate of Israel and the Jewish people. 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:57.439 Perhaps a lot of you are like me, and quite frankly, hadn't given a ton of thought. 00:04:57.680 --> 00:05:12.240 Uh, just given where I know you some of you stand on certain issues like the rapture and the fact I know that some of you listened to 106.9 and to people like David Jeremiah. 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:17.439 I was trying to think of some others, but maybe Chip uh Ingram, what's his? 00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:19.600 I can't remember what his name is Yeah, Chip Ingram. 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:22.639 I think he's of of that persuasion. 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:26.160 Some of you may have a pretty aggressive stance on this. 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:38.079 If that be the case, I only ask you to extend grace as I'm presenting concepts and biblical interpretation that differs from your own. 00:05:38.319 --> 00:05:44.480 I don't think anyone's salvation depends on how they view this issue at all. 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:55.600 So let's remember the Christian mantra in essentials unity and non-essentials liberty, and all things charity. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:58.240 So this is a non non-essential. 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:03.839 Let's grant grace and be loving towards one another, especially towards your pastor. 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:13.360 Um, I hope at the end of it, you're not saying, I thought you were moving to the bench or something. 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:18.000 Um trying to bring a little levity there. 00:06:18.160 --> 00:06:22.000 Now, some of you may say, well, if this is non-essential, why are we even studying it? 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:27.040 Well, we study non-essential issues frequently in scripture, really. 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:28.480 We come across them. 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:34.959 Um there's not a ton of doctrine that's just core doctrine. 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:38.879 There's a lot of disagreement among Christians about a lot of different things. 00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:48.319 When we come across these things, it seems that God is inviting us to consider His word and the implications before us. 00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:57.040 Certainly, when it's a non-essential, I definitely want to be as charitable as I can myself and present other views fairly. 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:01.600 My own view of prophecy has changed a number of times over the years. 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:07.120 Um, and I'll be truthfully, I'm not completely settled on a view even as we speak. 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:13.920 So, given that there are various ways of trying to put the Bible together, and that's what people are doing. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:24.560 They're trying to see what's said in the Old Testament about certain things, and then they go to the New Testament and see what's said, and they're trying to bring it all together and understand it. 00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:35.519 And uh so with that in mind, there are good arguments for different views, there's limitations on every view, I can promise you that. 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:40.160 There's things you can point to and say, that doesn't make quite that doesn't quite make sense. 00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:50.160 Um I I I'm gonna add lib a little bit more today than I usually do, which is always a little bit dangerous. 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:58.800 But um I I I worked on the sermon all week, and yesterday I looked at it and I thought, I can't do that to those people. 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:00.480 It's just not fair to them. 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:03.519 They're gonna halfway through, they're gonna be passed out. 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:06.480 And it's just a lot of material, in other words, it was a lot. 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:10.879 So I ended up redoing the sermon, which that tells you I'm not working anymore. 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:13.199 I I would never have done that when I had a job. 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:17.120 So um, so I thought, well, I'll have time. 00:08:17.199 --> 00:08:20.800 So I honed it down, but I'll warn you it's still a lot. 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:28.480 Uh but I tell you that, so that whatever you think about today's message, just know it could have been worse. 00:08:29.040 --> 00:08:32.720 Uh okay, so there's our introduction. 00:08:34.399 --> 00:08:36.320 I'm I'm going to start out. 00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:40.960 I decided to start out with an idea I think you may be somewhat familiar with. 00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:44.159 And that is the idea of the millennium. 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:45.840 Are y'all familiar with that term? 00:08:45.919 --> 00:08:46.720 The millennium. 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:47.919 I'm looking around. 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:49.759 We studied that. 00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:53.039 Um, I thought it was just in the last year, how time flies. 00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:54.080 Last year or two, maybe. 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:56.960 It was 2023 when we actually looked at it. 00:08:57.279 --> 00:08:59.840 Um, so it's been a little while. 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:08.720 Uh I I had thought about going a little more in depth on the positions of the millennium, but I'm not gonna do that. 00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:11.519 I'm just going to describe them to you basically. 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:13.759 And that's what's going to happen a lot here today. 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:15.600 So I hope you don't get frustrated with that. 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:19.519 I'm not going to go into a lot of scriptures. 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:20.879 I'm going to go into some. 00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:23.919 I'm going to check the time and check your pulse occasionally. 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:26.480 I may stop earlier than I plan to. 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:31.039 Um, and if I do, we can pick it up then next next week. 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:34.720 But um we'll we'll just see how it goes. 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:38.639 Uh the term millennium comes from Revelation 20. 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:39.840 I do want to read that. 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:41.600 Revelation 20. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:46.879 There are four main views that come from this of the end times. 00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:55.919 Um, and so I'm going to go ahead and read Revelation 20, verse 1 through 3 initially. 00:09:56.159 --> 00:10:02.000 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:07.759 He sees the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:17.200 He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it so that no longer so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed. 00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:19.759 After that he must be released for a short time. 00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:24.080 Then it talks about the first resurrection and the second resurrection. 00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:31.919 And then in verse 7 it talks about when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison and go out and deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth. 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:44.720 Now, as I say, there's four main positions that come out of this, and actually there's two primary ones and two more minority ones or secondary ones. 00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:48.559 I'm only going to describe here the two primary ones. 00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:54.320 I will mention uh one of the minority ones toward the end of the sermon, assuming I make it that far. 00:10:58.960 --> 00:11:03.440 There's one view that's called a premillennial view. 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:07.360 And the words are big and I'm sorry, but that's just what they are. 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:10.720 One view is the dispensational premillennial view. 00:11:10.799 --> 00:11:13.120 There's actually two premillennial views. 00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:17.440 Premillennial means that Christ is returning before the millennium. 00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:17.919 Okay? 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:20.320 So that's what it means, premillennium. 00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:26.960 And this view comes about as reading from Revelation 19. 00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:30.799 Everyone's pretty much agreed that's describing Christ's return. 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:44.159 So if Revelation 20 is in chronological order, what we're seeing is Jesus comes and then Satan is bound, and then the millennium starts. 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:44.639 Okay. 00:11:45.440 --> 00:11:55.440 You probably understand that, that we've talked about that before, and this is the kind of view you would hear in most evangelical teaching if you're listening to it. 00:11:55.679 --> 00:11:59.679 Um the other primary view is called a millennial. 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:14.080 And the amillennial view is that the millennium began when Jesus first came and will last until his return. 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:25.840 It does not take Revelation 19 and Revelation 20 chronologically, but there is precedent for not doing that in Revelation, of course. 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:34.799 And uh the most obvious example that they will point to is in Revelation 11, it's definitely describing the return of Christ. 00:12:34.879 --> 00:12:38.480 And then when you get to Revelation 12, we're talking about the birth of Christ. 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:54.159 So what they indicate is their belief is that Revelation uh recapitulates, is what they call it, when you have it gives one situation in a chapter, and then you go to another chapter and it restates it in a different way. 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:59.840 Uh, and that definitely takes place some in Revelation as to whether it does here, that's debated, of course. 00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:23.919 So that's the amillennial view, and so in effect, then again, you have um the premillennial view, dispensational view, with Jesus coming, the millennial starts, and then the amillennial view, where um we are currently in the millennium. 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:29.200 And I'll talk a little bit more about them on millennialism, which you're probably not as familiar with. 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:31.200 You may say, well, that doesn't make any sense. 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:32.000 I understand. 00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:35.759 We'll we'll I'll try to explain a little bit as we go. 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:48.720 Uh again, the view most popular in the evangelical sphere is uh the dispensational, and I'm not gonna explain all that stuff right now. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:52.799 That's the name of it, dispensational premillennial view. 00:13:53.759 --> 00:14:00.720 You believe in that view if you believe in a pre-tribulation rapture, which I know a number of you do. 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:13.600 Um those folks believe that many of the Old Testament prophecies concerning Israel will be fulfilled in that millennium that we read about there in Revelation. 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:14.159 Okay. 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:31.840 So prophecies like I read, you may remember, I don't know if it was last week or on the Wednesday night service, but when I read Isaiah 11, we talked about this, the verse that supports us right here, the wolf and the lamb will lie down together, that sort of thing. 00:14:32.080 --> 00:14:34.879 Um, I'm gonna read a couple of other ones. 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:38.399 Micah 4 and verses 1 through 3. 00:14:38.639 --> 00:14:44.799 In the last days, the mountain of the Lord's house will be established at the top of the mountains and will be erased above the hills. 00:14:44.960 --> 00:14:46.799 People will stream to it. 00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:52.159 Many nations will come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:55.039 He will teach us about his ways, so we may walk in his path. 00:14:55.200 --> 00:15:00.000 For instruction will go out of Zion and the word from the Lord, word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:05.919 He will settle disputes among many peoples and provide arbitration for strong nations that are far away. 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:10.080 They will beat their swords into ploughs, and their spears into pruning knives. 00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:15.919 Nation will not take up sword against nation, for they will never again train for war. 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:22.720 Okay, so that's a verse they would look at that will be fulfilled in the millennium, they would say after Christ returns. 00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:30.159 Another passage would be in Zechariah, if I can find it. 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:33.200 I think they moved Zechariah on my Bible. 00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:34.720 Zechariah 14. 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:39.519 And I think it starts, let's start in verse 8. 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:48.080 On that day, living water will flow out of Jerusalem, half of it toward the eastern sea, the other half toward the western sea, and the summer and winter alike. 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:53.120 On that day the Lord will become king over the whole earth, the Lord alone, and his name alone. 00:15:53.360 --> 00:16:04.240 All the land from Giba to Remon, south of Jerusalem, will be changed into a plain, but Jerusalem will be raised up and will remain on its site from Benjamin Gate to the place of the first gate. 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:05.200 And then it goes on. 00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:10.080 People will live there, and never again will there be a curse of complete destruction. 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:12.639 So Jerusalem will dwell in security. 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:15.679 Again, they believe that's pointing to the millennium. 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:19.759 Another passage I wrote down, Isaiah 61, verse 7, 1 through 7. 00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:21.440 There's there's a number of them. 00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:24.080 We'll probably go over some more next week. 00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:41.279 Um, those of this view think believers will be raptured or resurrected before a seven-year great tribulation that will come upon the earth from an Antichrist figure or the Antichrist. 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:46.320 After the seven-year tribulation is over, Christ will return. 00:16:46.559 --> 00:16:48.320 He will destroy the Antichrist. 00:16:48.559 --> 00:17:03.120 Christ will then raise the martyrs of the tribulation, because in the tribulation there will be some people that are converted, some will be martyred, and then when Christ comes, the second part of his second coming, he will raise those up as well. 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:26.799 Um, those who came to believe in Christ during the tribulation, which will include most all of ethnic Israel, racial Israel, the Jews, and some Gentiles, those who believed during the tribulation, and all of those who are not killed, they will go into the millennial period in their mortal bodies. 00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:34.559 Okay, and the nation of Israel will be exalted then over all other nations, and those passages that we read, they would use in support of that. 00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:38.480 The Old Testament prophecies that would thus be fulfilled in that way. 00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:55.599 So the key tenant, and again, this is one that if if you're listening to uh evangelical pastors typically, although reformed teachers don't teach this, but if you're listening to evangelical pastors, they would be saying this. 00:17:55.759 --> 00:18:10.640 And the key tenet, as far as our study of Old Testament prophecies concerning Israel, is that dispensationalists teach that God has two distinct plans and peoples, ethnic Israel and the Christian church. 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:18.720 Now, to be clear, dispensationalists teach that Israel is saved by the new covenant, not the old covenant. 00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:24.480 All right, in other words, the Jews have to believe in Christ to be saved, not follow the old covenant. 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:28.720 Original or classical dispensationalism played with the idea. 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:33.839 Actually, some of them taught the idea that the Jews were saved separately through the old covenant. 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:37.839 And there's probably still a few that would say that sort of thing. 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:40.720 I know John Hagee, y'all probably heard his name. 00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:45.200 He said that a few years back, and boy, did he get hammered. 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:48.079 And so he backed off of that, which he should have. 00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:49.839 The Bible is very clear about this. 00:18:49.920 --> 00:18:50.960 We need to understand this. 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:53.279 The old covenant is defunct. 00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:54.799 Okay, it's it's over. 00:18:55.440 --> 00:18:56.559 And let's read that. 00:18:56.720 --> 00:19:00.079 Hebrews 8:13, the Bible's very plain about this. 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:09.519 Um Hebrews 8 and verse 13. 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:16.319 By saying a new covenant, he has declared the first is obsolete. 00:19:16.960 --> 00:19:22.400 And what is obsolete is growing old and is about to pass away. 00:19:23.599 --> 00:19:27.519 So this is something we can be and should be dogmatic about. 00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:29.599 The old covenant is obsolete. 00:19:29.839 --> 00:19:34.799 And the reason the writer is saying it's about to pass away here is because 70 A.D. 00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:39.119 was on the horizon at the time Hebrews was written. 00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:46.960 And 78 A.D., for those of you who are Wednesday, I mentioned that, was when Jerusalem was besieged and the temple was destroyed. 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:50.160 That was prophesied by Jesus on the Olivet discourse. 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:54.160 You can read about it, of course, in Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21. 00:19:54.240 --> 00:19:58.640 I mentioned detail, he tells this of the woman at the well in John 4. 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:05.440 Um, after AD 70, there was no temple to fulfill the old covenant requirements for worship. 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:09.920 Um, so that is the dispensational view. 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:20.400 Again, just before the Great Tribulation, which will be initiated by an antichrist covenant in some way with Israel, which they get that out of Daniel 9. 00:20:20.960 --> 00:20:26.000 Um, they believe the church will be raptured about the time that happens. 00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:34.640 And Israel, ethnic Jews in large numbers, will be converted to Christianity during the Great Tribulation. 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:36.799 Again, I'm not going through any of the passages. 00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:39.039 We've covered some of these in the past. 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:40.960 I'm not going through them now. 00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:42.720 Jesus will return. 00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:43.680 They have passages. 00:20:43.759 --> 00:20:46.400 The point is, though, they have passages to support all this. 00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:51.519 Jesus will return, raise the martyrs, destroy his enemies. 00:20:51.839 --> 00:21:01.680 The Old Testament prophecies for Israel will then be fulfilled in this future millennial reign of Christ with the nation of Israel leading other nations. 00:21:01.839 --> 00:21:09.200 Now, it is somewhat debated how mortals are going to interact with immortals because the Bible doesn't speak of that at all. 00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:14.160 Um think there won't be much of that at all. 00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:32.480 But in general, the idea is that Israel will be restored to national prominence as God's chosen people in the millennium, under King David, ultimately under Jesus, and after the millennium, Christ will give the new heavens and bring the new heavens and the new earth, and that will be the what's called the eternal state. 00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:33.039 Okay. 00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:34.640 Got that? 00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:37.119 You look like you're doing okay so far. 00:21:39.519 --> 00:21:39.839 Okay. 00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:46.720 The other primary view, the one you're probably least familiar with, another big name is Omillennialism. 00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:55.440 And it's the and its view of national Israel is often labeled as replacement theology. 00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:59.759 I I think it's more descriptive to call it remnant theology. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:02.799 But I understand why they call it replacement theology. 00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:13.680 A millennial teaches the millennium started again at the first coming of Christ and will continue until his second return. 00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:21.839 They also believe there will be a tribulation at the end, but for different reasons than dispensationalism. 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:28.480 It does not use the same scriptures at all to get to a tribulation, and it does not teach a seven-year tribulation. 00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:46.640 They tend to think that it will be more brief, perhaps more extreme, but their view is more optimistic in the sense that they believe the gospel will continually, the Christianity will continually spread. 00:22:58.079 --> 00:23:02.000 So their view is that it will continue to grow. 00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:14.319 And then at the end, when Satan is released, because that they're looking at Satan's release being right at the end time, that then there will be uh some tribulation, perhaps briefly. 00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:19.039 And as you might expect, they would think of the rapture as a post-trib rapture. 00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:22.079 Everything comes when Christ comes, it's one event. 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:24.160 There Christ comes, there's the rapture. 00:23:29.119 --> 00:23:37.839 Okay, it's the Omillennial Remnant Theology or replacement theology view of Israel where things really get heated. 00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:38.480 Okay. 00:23:39.519 --> 00:23:45.279 I thought the rapture debate ain't nothing compared to this after I was reading some of the stuff and looking at it. 00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:51.200 I think part of the fervor here is just stemming from what's going on with Israel in the moment. 00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:56.640 Um and what typically does, you know, Israel's always in the middle of stuff. 00:23:57.039 --> 00:24:02.000 Um, you know, but we're in a war with Iran right now. 00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:06.000 And part of the reason for that is arguably to help Israel. 00:24:06.160 --> 00:24:10.640 Um and of course, Israel and the United States are allies. 00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:14.319 Not everyone agrees that we should be, but we definitely are. 00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:25.759 And even many who are fine and encouraged, would encourage us to be allies with Israel, don't want us to be overly involved with our national issues. 00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:30.000 So, and look, I'm not here to take a stance either way. 00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:40.079 I mean, I'm I may make some comments about the political side of it, but you know, it's it's just my own meanderings, and you don't need to worry about that. 00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:45.200 Um so why is this replacement view of Israel so controversial? 00:24:45.359 --> 00:25:03.039 Well, as I indicated, when you hear it referred to as replacement theology, the idea is that the church has replaced Israel as far as being the recipients of the Old Testament prophetic blessings. 00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:03.759 Okay. 00:25:04.799 --> 00:25:12.880 So again, they will the people that teach this refer to this more as remnant theology or fulfillment theology. 00:25:13.039 --> 00:25:17.119 The actual technical term is supersessionism, if you're interested. 00:25:17.359 --> 00:25:19.680 Um so what does it teach? 00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:27.519 Well, it teaches that the promises given to Old Testament Israel fit into all fit into one of three categories. 00:25:27.839 --> 00:25:32.799 And they may fit into more than one of the three categories, but at least one of the three categories. 00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:37.119 Number one, the promises were fulfilled in the Old Testament, right? 00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:38.559 And there's situations of that. 00:25:38.799 --> 00:25:40.480 I'll probably point out some of those next week. 00:25:40.640 --> 00:25:44.319 So God gives a promise to Israel and then he fulfills. 00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:45.599 Good. 00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:49.039 Number two, and it becomes a little more controversial here. 00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:52.240 The nation of Israel, it's a conditional promise. 00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:55.920 The nation of Israel didn't meet the conditions, so God didn't give it to them. 00:25:56.160 --> 00:26:03.519 And there are examples of that that are clear examples, and I'll point out some of those where uh God says, if you do this, you can have this. 00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:04.960 If you don't do it, you can't. 00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:05.599 Okay. 00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:27.759 Um the third one is the most controversial, and that is that the remaining promises were fulfilled specifically in Christ, and then by application to the remnant, or what we would think of as the believing Jews, those who attempted to follow the old covenant. 00:26:27.839 --> 00:26:36.160 And then ultimately it was those first century Jews that became Christians because after all, the early church was all Jewish initially. 00:26:36.720 --> 00:26:39.599 So that's the idea. 00:26:39.759 --> 00:26:49.279 And then believing Gentiles, of course, can't become part of the remnant, and then so the promises would to extend to the church at large, because the church is in Christ. 00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:57.839 So what it's saying is that some promises made to national Israel were fulfilled in Christ, and those who in Christ received them by extension. 00:26:58.000 --> 00:27:07.039 I think what really upsets some people is that basically what it teaches is there's nothing else to fulfill as far as Israel is concerned as a nation. 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:09.359 There's nothing else to fulfill. 00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:22.160 Um the promises made to Israel were always only applicable to a remnant, namely to those who truly followed God in the old covenant, not the unbelieving Jews. 00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:29.599 So what that means for today is the Jewish people would no longer be chosen in any sense. 00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:33.039 They can only be saved in Christ. 00:27:33.279 --> 00:27:36.559 There is no special blessing that attends them any longer. 00:27:36.799 --> 00:27:46.720 After all, and they'll point to a passage like Galatians 3.28, which says, There is no Jew, no Greek, slave or free, male or female, since you are all one in Christ Jesus. 00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:52.079 So those of you familiar with this though, you'll see that's quite different. 00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:56.240 And even if you hear between the two, that's those are very different approaches. 00:27:56.720 --> 00:28:04.559 Israel as a nation, from the replacement or remnant perspective, will not be exalted in the way it was in the Old Testament. 00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:11.920 And further, there's no reason from this perspective that we apply any special attention to Israel for religious reasons. 00:28:12.079 --> 00:28:26.720 Now, that's not to, again, not talking about the political side of it, but on the religious side of it, there's no particular reason to look at them other than maybe we have a shared heritage in our Judeo-Christian ethic. 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:29.039 So, oh boy. 00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:34.000 That's the charges then begin to fly on both sides. 00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:41.599 Um dispensational side will say that's what leads to anti-Semitism. 00:28:41.839 --> 00:28:50.240 It's saying that Israel and the Jews, you know, that they are not God's people at all anymore. 00:28:50.319 --> 00:28:59.680 And then the remnant side will say, well, dispensational theology indicates that God favors one race over another, and that's definitely not uh right. 00:28:59.839 --> 00:29:02.480 So the insults begin to fly back and forth. 00:29:02.960 --> 00:29:08.079 And I thought I'd give you just a flavor of the intensity by quoting a couple on each side. 00:29:08.319 --> 00:29:16.240 Um here's a quote from David Hawking, who is a dispensationalist and wrote a book called Replacement Theology. 00:29:16.319 --> 00:29:22.880 He writes this quote It's amazing how much confusion there is among evangelicals with regard to Israel and the Jewish people. 00:29:23.039 --> 00:29:27.599 Much of it stems from a lack of solid biblical teaching about the covenants of God. 00:29:27.759 --> 00:29:33.920 It is alarming how many ancient errors are re-emerging in churches today with respect to Israel. 00:29:34.079 --> 00:29:39.119 Some Bible teachers and their followers are seeking to create confusion on this important subject. 00:29:39.359 --> 00:29:39.680 Okay. 00:29:40.480 --> 00:29:43.920 Okay, so here's a quote from a remnant teacher, Steve Gregg. 00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:51.759 He says, Apparently, some people think that Israel can still be God's people even while they are rejecting the Messiah. 00:29:51.920 --> 00:29:59.440 The church is generally taught throughout history that, and the Bible seems to teach, that the rejection of Jesus is the rejection of God. 00:29:59.599 --> 00:30:08.559 And therefore, not only Israel, but all Gentiles who reject Jesus simply cannot lay claim to being God's people so long as they're rejecting the Messiah. 00:30:08.799 --> 00:30:09.119 Okay. 00:30:09.920 --> 00:30:14.640 Quoting Hawking again, he says, quote, keep your eyes on Israel. 00:30:14.880 --> 00:30:18.319 Israel is the key to Bible prophecy and biblical understanding. 00:30:18.400 --> 00:30:20.960 It is the centerpiece of God's prophetic program. 00:30:21.279 --> 00:30:25.680 God has never forsaken Israel and will fill all his promises to her. 00:30:26.559 --> 00:30:38.720 Quoting Greg again, he says, God sent his son to redeem Israel, to save Israel, to present himself as the king of Israel, and for the most part, most of the people of Israel were not interested. 00:30:38.880 --> 00:30:43.119 Can they still be the people of God while rejecting the king that God sent them? 00:30:43.519 --> 00:30:45.359 And on and on we go. 00:30:46.319 --> 00:30:48.799 So how do we know which way to go here? 00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:50.400 And what does it matter? 00:30:50.640 --> 00:30:58.559 Well, as far as knowing which way to go, we'll have to go more in depth of scripture in the scriptures. 00:30:58.720 --> 00:31:07.039 We're going to take precious little time to do it today, although there is one I want to get to, and it's more just to give you a flavor of what we're dealing with. 00:31:07.599 --> 00:31:16.079 Um what we can say is this you have very devout Christians on both sides of this issue. 00:31:16.319 --> 00:31:22.400 You have Christians who understand the Bible very well and they believe dispensationalism is correct. 00:31:22.640 --> 00:31:28.640 You have Christians who understand the Bible very well and they believe remnant theology is correct. 00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:34.880 Um again, the majority evangelical view at the moment is dispensationalism. 00:31:35.039 --> 00:31:41.759 The majority main church view is omillenalism and has been through most of church history. 00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:48.079 So it stands to reason we're gonna have some difficulty determining what is correct. 00:31:48.319 --> 00:31:55.039 Okay, and it may, and we may not be able to fully say, yeah, I'm I can be dogmatic about that. 00:31:55.599 --> 00:31:57.519 Here's something else I would like to point out. 00:31:57.680 --> 00:31:59.039 Maybe this is just me. 00:31:59.839 --> 00:32:02.160 What does it really matter? 00:32:03.279 --> 00:32:08.480 I I mean, we're all agreed Christ is coming again, right? 00:32:08.720 --> 00:32:10.240 There's a second coming. 00:32:10.480 --> 00:32:23.519 So whether that means we rule with him in a millennial kingdom, or whether it means we go with him into the eternal state, either one is an indescribable upgrade, right? 00:32:23.680 --> 00:32:24.720 It's all better. 00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:29.599 So from that sound point, and I don't mean to sound crass, I don't care. 00:32:30.400 --> 00:32:36.240 I mean, I'm very happy if all the Jewish people come to Christ. 00:32:36.319 --> 00:32:37.839 Don't misunderstand me. 00:32:38.319 --> 00:32:42.720 But I'm just saying I will take either one of those scenarios, either one of them. 00:32:42.799 --> 00:32:43.599 Thank you very much. 00:32:43.920 --> 00:32:44.240 Okay. 00:32:45.119 --> 00:32:49.119 Um so that makes it send us back to the original question. 00:32:49.359 --> 00:32:51.359 Well, why are we studying this? 00:32:52.640 --> 00:33:06.319 Well, I I would dare say it appears to me that some people care too much, um, to the point they get really bent out of shape if you don't ascribe to their view of prophecy. 00:33:06.559 --> 00:33:24.000 So I I would just say, no matter where you land with this, ultimately I hope all of us will have an appreciation for the other side or an appreciation for both sides if you end up in one of the minority positions, because there's one of those that's pretty well, it's gained some traction as well. 00:33:24.240 --> 00:33:30.640 Um now, some of you may be asking, well, okay, you you are you tap dancing around this, what do you think? 00:33:31.920 --> 00:33:36.319 And I in the past, what I have taught you is this. 00:33:36.480 --> 00:33:40.960 I don't know if you'll remember it, but it's actually one of the other is one of the minority views. 00:33:41.039 --> 00:33:42.640 It wasn't either one of these. 00:33:43.119 --> 00:33:46.240 It's called historic premillennialism. 00:33:46.480 --> 00:33:54.559 Like it's like dispensationalism in that it teaches that Christ will return and set up a millennial kingdom. 00:33:55.440 --> 00:34:05.599 The version I shared with you was very similar to the dispensational view up to the point of Christ's return, with one glaring exception, and that's the rapture. 00:34:06.079 --> 00:34:14.079 Um you know, I taught the Great Tribulation, albeit I think I said I thought it would be three and a half years instead of seven. 00:34:14.320 --> 00:34:17.199 Um the Antichrist, and that was based on Revelation. 00:34:17.360 --> 00:34:22.400 The Antichrist scenario, I taught that the return of Christ set up a millennial kingdom. 00:34:22.480 --> 00:34:30.480 As far as the rapture, I don't believe the Bible teaches a pre-tribulational rapture, but I understand a lot of you do. 00:34:30.800 --> 00:34:33.920 And I've said, as I've said before, I hope you're right. 00:34:34.159 --> 00:34:35.920 I hope I'm wrong on this one. 00:34:36.159 --> 00:34:47.679 Um the reason that it's lost some steam is because there is no scripture in the Bible that directly states that Jesus' second coming will be in two stages. 00:34:47.920 --> 00:34:50.400 Even some pre-trib people admit that. 00:34:50.719 --> 00:35:00.159 But people in, and I understand this, people end up with a pre-trib rapture based on trying, again, to put the whole Bible together and pull certain passages together. 00:35:00.320 --> 00:35:11.039 And definitely, and I I'm gonna actually do that with uh one of the passages we're gonna go to in the Old Testament where I'm it's not directly stated, so I'm gonna have to try to figure out what's it talking about. 00:35:11.280 --> 00:35:22.880 Um so if you're of the belief that ethnic Israel is going to be leading the millennium, then it's understandable how you get to a pre-turb rapture, I think. 00:35:23.119 --> 00:35:25.039 And I was not of that belief. 00:35:25.199 --> 00:35:39.360 Now, what I did indicate, and there is a New Testament passage that's also hotly debated, that I think speaks to all this, and we're not going to cover it, but I've mentioned I really want to go through all of it next year, and that's Romans 9 through 11. 00:35:39.599 --> 00:35:45.519 I did teach Romans 11, I'm going to read it, that all Israel would be saved. 00:35:46.159 --> 00:35:50.320 And I just want to read that so you're aware of where it comes from. 00:35:50.719 --> 00:35:53.679 Paul takes a digression. 00:35:53.760 --> 00:35:54.719 We've been studying Romans. 00:35:54.800 --> 00:35:59.039 We've got it to Romans 8, it's a wonderful passage, and we've been going all through that. 00:35:59.119 --> 00:36:00.000 It's very theological. 00:36:00.239 --> 00:36:10.400 Romans 8 was a very encouraging chapter where Paul's talking about, you know, how we're saved, how the Holy Spirit leads us, and how we're uh chosen, and it's very encouraging. 00:36:10.639 --> 00:36:15.039 When he gets to Romans 9, he basically says, Well, okay, what about my people, Israel? 00:36:15.199 --> 00:36:19.280 Why have they, you know, the Messiah came to them, why are they not responding to him? 00:36:19.360 --> 00:36:25.840 And then he goes off on a discourse on Romans 9, 10, and 11 about all that and what it means. 00:36:26.079 --> 00:36:36.719 And it has, it's very controversial as well, and it really comes down again between those two camps, between the a millennial view of it and the premillennial view of it. 00:36:37.039 --> 00:36:48.400 So it says in Romans 11 and verse 25, I don't want you to be ignorant of this mysteries, brother and sisters, so that you will not be conceited. 00:36:48.559 --> 00:36:54.320 A personal hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 00:36:54.559 --> 00:36:58.400 And in this way all Israel will be saved. 00:36:59.519 --> 00:37:08.480 So I have taught that to you in what might be referred to as Zionist theology. 00:37:09.360 --> 00:37:10.960 And it's interesting to me. 00:37:11.039 --> 00:37:16.880 I realized I was teaching it to you when I didn't really hear it from anyone else, and now I'm hearing it more. 00:37:17.199 --> 00:37:18.960 Now I'm not sure I believe it. 00:37:20.559 --> 00:37:46.239 Um so um, anyway, um, the question there, I mean, it seems plain enough all Israel will be saved, but what prompts the debate is back over in Romans uh 9 and verse 6, because over there he says, now it is not as though the word of God has failed, because not who not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 00:37:46.480 --> 00:37:51.039 In other words, he's saying there, not all Israel is actually Israel. 00:37:51.280 --> 00:37:53.280 So then that's when you get in the debate. 00:37:53.360 --> 00:37:55.440 Well, what does what's he talking about? 00:37:55.599 --> 00:38:01.119 Is he talking about just specific people are going to be saved in Israel, or is he talking about the whole ethnic nation? 00:38:01.280 --> 00:38:05.920 So again, we'll try to look at that next year, at least that's my hope, Lord willing. 00:38:06.719 --> 00:38:15.840 Zionist theology that I had taught before uh really differs from dispensational theology only in a couple of things. 00:38:16.159 --> 00:38:34.079 One is the rapture again, and then for that reason, the other part is that the ethnic nation of Israel that I was saying would be saved, or what Zionist theology teaches there, they will go into the millennial kingdom as immortals, not mortal. 00:38:34.239 --> 00:38:35.599 That's the biggest difference. 00:38:35.760 --> 00:38:36.079 Okay. 00:38:36.880 --> 00:38:49.360 Um, as far as the millennium itself, I'd always held that hope that those who had never heard the gospel would be raised to live during the millennium. 00:38:49.920 --> 00:38:51.840 Uh, that came from worldwide. 00:38:52.000 --> 00:38:52.559 I don't know. 00:38:52.639 --> 00:39:04.400 Y'all remember they did the they had the holy days and they had the last great day, and the last great day basically was the idea that everybody had a chance to hear and understand about Christ. 00:39:04.480 --> 00:39:05.920 And I always thought that was great. 00:39:06.000 --> 00:39:08.880 They got it from Ezekiel 37 mainly. 00:39:09.119 --> 00:39:10.800 And so I've studied that. 00:39:11.039 --> 00:39:14.480 I I you you just can't do it. 00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:15.920 You can't get there. 00:39:16.079 --> 00:39:17.119 I wish you could. 00:39:17.440 --> 00:39:20.880 And I looked at Revelation as well, Revelation 20. 00:39:21.039 --> 00:39:26.639 You know, I I just can't get those people resurrected to be in the millennium, like I'd like. 00:39:26.800 --> 00:39:27.519 It just don't work. 00:39:27.679 --> 00:39:29.840 I mean, if we look at it, we look at it here. 00:39:30.079 --> 00:39:36.480