Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas
Jeremy approaches Bible teaching with a passion for getting the basic doctrines explained so that the individual can understand them and then apply them to circumstances in their life. These basic and important lessons are nestled in a framework of history and progression of revelation from the Bible so the whole of Scripture can be applied to your physical and spiritual life.
Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas
NT Framework - Distinct from but not Divorced from
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Just because a people is set aside for a time, and a new group of people becomes the focus in history, does not mean that the first group is completely useless and done.
More information about Beyond the Walls, including additional resources can be found at www.beyondthewalls-ministry.com
This series included graphics to illustrate what is being taught, if you would like to watch the teachings you can do so on Rumble (https://rumble.com/user/SpokaneBibleChurch) or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV_KhFVZ_waBcnuywiRKIyEcDkiujRqP).
Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner.
Welcome And The Big Question
SPEAKER_00Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and our series on the New Testament framework. Today, a smaller, bite-sized piece from the larger lesson. We hope you enjoy it.
SPEAKER_02In
Two Dispensational Views Explained
SPEAKER_02dispensational theology, there's a couple views. One view is the church is completely distinct from Israel. That's view one. The second view, the church is distinct but not divorced from Israel. The second one's my view, but let's go through this first one.
Why Total Separation Fails
SPEAKER_02The church is completely distinct from Israel. That means the church has no relationship to Israel. Question. Does the church have a relationship to Jesus Christ? Yes or no? There's no maybes, no in between. Yes. Is Jesus Christ a Jew? Yes. Do we have a relationship to Israel? Well, I sure hope so. Because if we don't, we don't have salvation. Because there's salvation in no other name under heaven by which men call. And that is the name of Jesus Christ, the Jew. Jesus was a Jew. So this view is patently false without going into all sorts of other reasons, but they claim that the church is not partaking of spiritual blessings from the new covenant. Now, what did Jesus Christ ratify on the cross in his blood? The new covenant. When we take communion, first Sunday, we say, it says, this cup is the new covenant in my blood, right? Do this as often as you do it in remembrance of me. So this view says, well, the church is related to the blood of Christ, but not the blood of the new covenant. So they kind of split the blood. And so you've got the blood of Christ, yeah, the church is related to that, but the blood of the new covenant, no, we're not related to that. Why? Because they'll say, well, there's a complete distinction between Israel and the church. And the new covenant was to be made with Israel. And so we can't have any relationship to it at all. They go further then and say in Hebrews 7 through 12 that Christ is not functioning in the Melchizedekian priesthood. So we have no great high priest right now who's functioning on our behalf in the heavenly tabernacle.
SPEAKER_01This is their claim. Read it last week in several papers.
SPEAKER_02So that, but that's a theological premise. That very first sentence, the church is completely distinct from Israel. That's a theological premise. That has to be proven from the text, right? But you shouldn't start with the premise. You should start with the text. And let the text tell you what the position should be.
Distinct But Not Divorced
SPEAKER_02The last view in dispensational theology, which is what I hold, is that the church is distinct from Israel but not divorced. Distinct but not divorced. Here's an example. The church began on what day?
SPEAKER_01Pentecost. Is Pentecost a Gentile feast?
SPEAKER_02Is that a Gentile get-together? No, it's super Jewish. The whole day of Pentecost is a Jewish feast day that was fulfilled in Acts chapter 2. It was actually the fourth feast that was fulfilled of the spring calendar of Israel's feast. First of all, you had Passover, right? Is Christ our Passover? 1 Corinthians 5? Yes, absolutely. So is that for does that's also a very Jewish feast? What grew out of the Passover that we keep once a month? The Lord's table, the Lord's communion, the Lord's Supper, right? In other words, is it totally compl is the Lord's Supper something totally completely different than and separate from uh Passover? Or did it grow out of it? See? It grew out of it. So we're distinct, but not divorced, see? Who is gonna sit on twelve thrones in the millennial kingdom and rule over the house of Israel? Who? Matthew 19, 28. The twelve apostles will sit on twelve thrones and rule rule over the house of Israel. But wait, don't these twelve apostles become the foundation of the church? Ephesians 2.20.
SPEAKER_01Peter, James, John, you know, these people. And Paul says, hey, the apostles and prophets of the foundation of the church, Christ Jesus is the cornerstone, right?
SPEAKER_02So wait a minute. They're Jews, and they're gonna reign, they're part of the church, they became part of the church, and they're the foundation of the church, and yet in the future kingdom, they're gonna reign over Israel. So again, distinct, but not divorced, because they're gonna reign over Israel. Um there are a number of these, let's just say, uh, connections that show we're not divorced from Israel, but we are definitely distinct. The church in this case is partaking of spiritual blessings from the new covenant. I mean, every time we take communion, I mean, we are remembering what Christ did for us on the cross. And those blessings are coming from the new covenant. This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Um, so the church is related to the blood of Christ, but that's the same as the blood of the new covenant. You can't separate it.
New Covenant And Our High Priest
SPEAKER_02And Christ now in Hebrews 7 through 12 is functioning in the Melchizedekian priesthood. And as a Melchizedekian priest, he's administering the new covenant. It's chiefly related to our sanctification. Like, what is Jesus Christ doing right now in heaven? He's functioning as our priest, our high priest. So when you confess, we have an opportunity, 1 John 1 9, every Sunday, we say confess. Right? What does he do when you confess?
SPEAKER_01What does he do with that sin? He forgives it. That's a that's a function of the priest. And that's what he's doing.
SPEAKER_02Um Hebrews also says we can draw near to God through our high priest. What were the people in the Old Testament doing when they would come to the tabernacle and they would bring their sacrifice? They were looking for forgiveness, and they wanted to draw near to God, whose presence was in the tabernacle, right? What are we doing now under a Melchizedekian priest? We confess and we are able to draw near to God because our high priest is functioning in that tabernacle right now. So, yeah, we're partaking of that. We're enjoying his priesthood under the new covenant.
Israel’s Future And Kingdom Debates
SPEAKER_02Covenant, no, so that's all stuff about our relationship of Israel to the church. So what are we gonna, both of these views would say about Israel? Are they gonna say, well, what is the future for Israel? Well, all of them, no, neither, either view here is both gonna say that God has made covenants with Israel and He's gonna keep his word. Why? Because the details matter. And some people say, Well, I can't keep up with all the details. Yeah, but guess what? Doesn't matter. God can.
SPEAKER_01So we just go with his view. We don't say, well, God's done with Israel.
SPEAKER_02Um how about the view of the millennial kingdom already discussing? Well, there are a lot of views in covenant theology. Aw-mill, post-mil, and they have a pre-mill called historic pre-mill. Our millennialism says on the day of Pentecost, the kingdom began. This is it. Okay, they think Pentecost is the beginning of the kingdom.
SPEAKER_01And this is all the kingdom there will ever be. Okay?
SPEAKER_02The church is it. Things are going to get worse and worse, they say, and then Christ will come back, the second coming. There will be a general judgment and resurrection of the dead, and then the eternal state will begin. No millennial kingdom on earth. Okay? This is it now. That means that all the Old Testament promises of what the kingdom will be like. Like the the hills would drip with wine, and everybody would sit and have peace and security, and there'd be blessing and righteousness and justice in the world. That's not going to happen. That those are just descriptions of, I guess, now, because this is the kingdom. But that ain't now.
Where To Watch And How To Help
SPEAKER_00Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas. If you would like to see the visuals that went along with today's sermon, you can find those on Rumble and on YouTube under Spokane Bible Church. That is where Jeremy is the pastor and teacher. We hope you found today's lesson productive and useful in growing closer to God and walking more obediently with Him. If you found this podcast to be useful and helpful, then please consider rating us in your favorite podcast app. And until next time, we hope you have a blessed and wonderful day.