As with Sarai, the timing might make no sense. As with Hagar, the circumstances might be intolerable. As with Mary, the situation might be beyond possibility. We may not have a word from God telling us what’s going to happen in our case. The counsel is still “trust in the Lord.” We don’t have to change the world, just trust in Him. He is our Creator, He is working out His plan. And through us He will show the world Who He is – the great I AM!
Sunday, December 25, 2022
Friday, December 23, 2022
Chastisement
Some people claim they are NOT chastised by God because they
have been reconciled to Him, no longer needing correction by the rod. Is this
what the Bible teaches? If we restrict our research to New Covenant Scriptures,
we will find God’s teaching intended for His redeemed, without the need to
discern between shadow and fulfillment as would be needful if we brought up Old
Covenant Scriptures.
Acts 9:13-16 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from
many people about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in
Jerusalem. And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who
call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go! For this man is My chosen
instrument to take My name to Gentiles, kings, and the Israelites. I will show
him how much he must suffer for My name!”
YHWH had many things for Paul to suffer. These are not
punishments but teaching points from the One Who knows all things, taking good
care of His own.
Phil 1:29-30 For it has been given to you on Christ’s behalf
not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him, having the same
struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.
Paul understood that all who are in Christ will suffer.
Again, this is not punishment.
2 Thess 1:4-5 Therefore, we ourselves boast about you
among God’s churches — about your endurance and faith in all the persecutions
and afflictions you endure. It is a clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment
that you will be counted worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you also are suffering,
Here we see that suffering – which never happens outside the
will of God – shows that we are members of God’s Kingdom and not of this
present age.
Heb 12:3-11 For consider Him who endured such hostility
from sinners against Himself, so that you won’t grow weary and lose heart. In
struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your
blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: My
son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or faint when you are reproved
by Him, for the Lord disciplines the one He loves and punishes every son He
receives. Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For
what son is there that a father does not discipline? But if you are without
discipline — which all receive — then you are illegitimate children and not
sons. Furthermore, we had natural fathers discipline us, and we respected them.
Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? For they
disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but He does
it for our benefit, so that we can share His holiness. No discipline seems
enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of
peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Here we see a comparison between Jesus and His people. In
the most clear teaching possible we see that discipline (chastisement in the
KJV) is a sign of God’s love; punishment is what He metes out on His enemies.
The Scripture goes so far as to say that if anyone is without this
discipline/chastisement he has no basis for considering himself a child of God.
This discipline, which never seems pleasant at the time, yields the fruit of
peace and righteousness to those “trained by it”. Note that last phrase, showing
God’s intention: that we be trained by the things suffered so we yield peace
and righteousness; just as was the case with the Son of Man.
Peter gives us three more clear examples of what
chastisement by God is intended for.
1 Pet 2:18-20 Household slaves, submit with all fear to
your masters, not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel. For it
brings favor if, mindful of God’s will, someone endures grief from suffering
unjustly. For what credit is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure
it? But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings
favor with God.
1 Pet 4:12-19 Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the
fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening
to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah, so that
you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory. If you are
ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory
and of God rests on you. None of you, however, should suffer as a murderer, a
thief, an evildoer, or a meddler. But if anyone suffers as a “Christian,” he
should not be ashamed but should glorify God in having that name. For the time
has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us,
what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God? And if a
righteous person is saved with difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and
the sinner? So those who suffer according to God’s will should, while doing
what is good, entrust themselves to a faithful Creator.
1 Pet 5:6-10 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the
mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all
your care on Him, because He cares about you. Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary
the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can
devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings
are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. Now the
God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will
personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have
suffered a little.
And the final word is from the Lord Himself, to the
suffering people in Smyrna:
Rev 2:9-10 I know your affliction and poverty, yet you
are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but
are a synagogue of Satan. Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer.
Look, the Devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you
will have affliction for 10 days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you
the crown of life.
May the Word of God dwell richly in our souls and sink down deep into our minds, to keep us from thinking either that all suffering is a sign of God’s displeasure or neglect OR that we have no need of it.
Monday, December 19, 2022
Four Baptisms
In the gospel accounts we see three categories of baptism,
with different meanings and applications. On category has two types and meanings.
There are many examples in Scripture of each, but the following ones reveal
them clearly enough for the child of God to see.
Matthew 3:11 “I baptize you with water for repentance,
but the One who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to
remove His sandals. He Himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
a. Baptism
with water. This baptism has two types with different significance:
i.
John’s baptism unto repentance (Jewish practice)
ii.
Christian baptism, of professing believers (Acts
8:34-38)
b. Baptism
with the Holy Spirit
c. Baptism
with fire
Luke 12:50 “But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and
how it consumes Me until it is finished!”
d. Baptism
as a symbol for suffering
As with any word study, context reveals the meaning. There
is danger in assuming A definition is the THE definition for a given word. This
is true for Bible study and all reading of any literature.
There are many who have stumbled over “baptism” by failing
to see all four categories, thinking water baptism is all there is and
attaching merit to getting wet. John is quite clear that water baptism he
administered was preparatory for the baptisms Jesus would perform – one unto
salvation and the second unto judgment and damnation.
All four categories are critical as they show us the
symbolic, non-physical nature of baptism; even with both types of water baptism.
1.
John’s baptism is not Christian baptism. Scripture
provides clear evidence that John’s baptism is not Christian baptism.
Acts 18:24-25 “A Jew named
Apollos, a native Alexandrian, an eloquent man who was powerful in the use of
the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of
the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught the things about
Jesus accurately, although he knew only John’s baptism.”
Acts 19:1-5 “While Apollos was
in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came to Ephesus. He
found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you
believed?” “No,” they told him, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy
Spirit.” “Then what baptism were you baptized with?” he asked them. “With
John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of
repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the One who would
come after him, that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in
the name of the Lord Jesus.”
These passages show water baptism
is not sufficient, it cannot replace or supplement knowledge of the Messiah.
The symbolism of John’s baptism is, like all baptisms, that it shows the person’s
identification with the one into whom he is baptized, even when the baptism is
symbolic and not literal (1 Corinthians 10:1-2). Being baptized “into John” was
being identified with John, in preparation for the ministry of Jesus. This was
transition from the Mosaic Covenant to the New Covenant.
I know of nothing in Scripture
that implies John’s baptism was Christian baptism. I know many assert this and
assume things not found in Scripture. This is not the way to determine
doctrine.
2. Christian
baptism is not salvific. Jesus told His disciples (Acts 1:5) that “John
baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many
days from now.” Note that Jesus did not say that what people needed was a
different water baptism. What is needed is to be baptized with the Holy Spirit
– this baptizes us into Christ Jesus, being united with Him. Even being water
baptized in the name of Jesus does not save: Acts 8:16-17 “For He had not
yet come down on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the
Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the
Holy Spirit.” In this passage we see water baptism in the name of Jesus and
baptism with the Holy Spirit; the first cannot save, the second cannot help but
save.
When Saul was baptized by Ananias, that water baptism is not what saved him, as some assert. Paul’s own testimony of that event shows that his calling upon the name of Jesus saved him, not the baptism (Acts 22:16). Paul wrote in Romans 10 that savingly confessing Christ comes from believing on Him (Romans 10:6-13); for the bare confession apart from faith is sin (Hebrews 11:6).
3. Baptism with the Holy Spirit is salvific. Again, the emphasize the contrast in Scripture; baptism with the Holy Spirit is what is held up against John’s water baptism of repentance (Acts 11:16-17); we do not see Christian water baptism contrasted with John’s. This is because baptism with the Holy Spirit is the work of God alone, as Jesus taught in John 3 and the apostle taught in John 1. John wrote, “He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:10-13) This shows that those who become children of God are made such by the will of God and NOT by natural procreation or the will of man.
Where it is written not of the will of man, this refers not narrowly to those trying to save themselves but to mankind in general. Some who claim water baptism saves point out various passages wherein the one baptized is the one acted upon – he doesn’t baptize himself. Therefore, his will is not involved. Those who baptize are exercising their will, their flesh in the conduct of the water baptism. By no will of the flesh or will of man does anyone become a child of God!
In John 3, Jesus told a teacher of Israel that he must be born from above to even see the kingdom of God (vs 3). Nicodemus misunderstands (vs 4) and “Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”” (John 3:5-8)
Some teach that verse 5 refers to physical birth (water) and spiritual birth (Spirit). The birth in verse 5 is a singular birth, not two births. Water is used in many places to describe the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit: Ezekiel 36:25 “I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.” This is the work of God in cleansing His people from their sins, not washing dirt of their bodies. Eph 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.” This is another act of God cleansing His people of their sins, “washing of water by the Word” to make us holy and blameless. To be born of water and Spirit is to be made clean (freed from the power of sin) and indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
The balance of this short passage reinforces this new birth as something entirely directed by God in such a way man cannot even detect it until he sees evidence after the fact. Again, how does this comport with the idea that men can baptize in water another and have that act of man effect salvation? To claim this brings to mind the papist practice of “calling down Jesus” to “be the water and the bread” in the papist mass. Both posit man as being in command of the application of the saving grace of God. This is what makes both such an abomination.
Paul shows in 1 Corinthians 12 that this baptism with the Holy Spirit is what unites to Christ and one another. “But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills. For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body — so also is Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free — and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Cor 12:11-13) We were baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ. This is salvation, something water baptism cannot impart. This is the same message we read in Galatians 3:26-27 “for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ like a garment.”
4. Baptism with fire refers to judgment, not to special gifting to certain Christians by the Holy Spirit. Nowhere do we read that this type of gifting comes with fire. From old, when God reigned fire down on Sodom and Gomorrah to the end of the Bible where final judgment is portrayed as the lake of fire; fire is consistently used to portray judgment from God. In Matthew 3 and 7, every tree that does not bear fruit will be thrown into the fire. Weeds are thrown into fire (Matt 13), branches that do not abide in the vine are thrown into the fire (John 18),
The one place where a case can be made is Acts 2:1-4 “When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.” If Pentecost takes place again, then I would expect the apostles to gather in a house and the Spirit come upon them. This passage gives no refuge to those who think every Christian or “special” Christians can claim supernatural gifts because of this event. This is not characterized as a baptism; it was a demonstration of the Spirit’s gifting of known languages for the purpose of declaring the gospel to Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs. “When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were astounded.” If some claim to have visited by tongues of fire they better be able to speak foreign languages unknown to them in order to make the gospel known.
5. Baptism serves as a symbol of suffering. This is a two-fold symbol, wherein Scripture uses a cup and a baptism as examples of judgment that Christ suffered – both of which describing the wrath of God poured out on Christ Jesus during His crucifixion. This is explicitly stated by Jesus as He describes what will take place at the end of His ministry:
The Son of Man will be flogged and
condemned to death, being raised up after three days. This is described as the
cup He must drink and the baptism He must suffer. When Jesus was being arrested
and Peter cut off the ear of a slave, Jesus responded: “Sheathe your sword!
Am I not to drink the cup the Father has given Me?” (John 18:11) His trial
and death were the cup Jesus was given. This is also shown in Matthew 26:37-42,
where the wrath of God is in the cup.
Note also, in Mark’s passage
above, the suffering of Jesus and that of His disciples is portrayed as a
baptism. In this one passage, both metaphors are tied to the suffering of Jesus
as He stood in the place of elect sinners.
David and other Psalmists
described their deep sorrows as a kind of burial beneath the billows and waves
of the Almighty. In Psalm 42:5 & 7 we read, “Why are you cast down, O my
soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” In this sorrowful lament with
his soul, he describes his afflictions in terms that point to baptism – “Deep
calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves
have gone over me.” Three images of water: waterfalls, breakers, and waves;
all communicate the idea of a cascading waterfall pummeling the poet, with the
brutal breakers and waves of an angry ocean violently washing over his head.
These terrifying metaphors of his torment and anguish wash over him, drowning
him in his sorrows. Carried along by the Spirit of God to write these things,
perhaps the Psalmist knew not that he prophesied of the promised Messiah, but
his words were given to him by God's Spirit and anticipate the predestined
sufferings and death of Christ as a kind of baptism. The word for deep in the
psalm is used as a synonym for sheol, connecting to the death of Christ as a
submersion into the deepest waters of the place of the dead. And the water
metaphors in this psalm undoubtedly describe the suffering servant of God – “As
with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me
all the day long, “Where is your God?”” (Psalm 42:10) This is widely
recognized as prophecy of the Lord's sword-pierced side and the cruel mockery
of those who blasphemed while He hung on the cross. (this paragraph is taken
from chapter 2 of my first book, Captive to the Word of God)
Baptism is a hotly debated topic, but my experience is most do not even take the time to define what baptism they are discussing. Most assume water baptism is all there is; it is what natural man can see and touch. Christian baptism in water has a place in the ongoing life of the people of God, reflecting the baptism of Christ’s suffering for His people and the baptism with the Holy Spirit that brought new life to the one being baptized into water. Without the baptism of Christ’s suffering, without the baptism with the Holy Spirit, no amount of water can bring peace with God. All that remains is the baptism of fire, from which there is no hiding place.
Sunday, December 18, 2022
Faith and Righteousness, Genesis 15
A lesson from Genesis 15. The title is taken from verse 6, which I believe is a hinge-point in Scripture, showing the truth of the gospel.
Sunday, December 11, 2022
Shadows of Glory, Genesis 14:17-24
These events are actual, historical events engaging the lives of countless human beings. As Kyle mentioned Wednesday evening, real people struggling with the tedium of life (these having no air conditioning, no Internet!) and not knowing what the future held. But the spiritual significance these events point to is of far more importance to us, lest we be left to looking for morals instead of looking for Christ.
Sunday, December 4, 2022
The Great End Time Debate
The Great End Times Debate
A
review by Stuart Brogden
It’s easy, when writing
about a controversial topic, to tear down opposing views instead of explaining
why you think your position is best. Dean Davis has taken the high road in his The
Great End Times Debate, focusing most of his pages to explaining why amillennialism
fits best with Scripture. And he pursues this course with a biblical theology
perspective – not settling for simple proof-texting. This makes it more work to
follow Davis’ arguments, but the result is a very comprehensive explanation of
the biblical support for amillennialism.
In the Preface, Dean
tells us his book is “no cakewalk. That’s because my goal here is the same as
it was for the HKOH (High King of Heaven): to introduce you to every aspect of
the Great End Time Debate, and to help you discern the winner once and for all.”
This book is divided into six parts, with two or more chapters each. These six
parts are:
1.
Introducing the Great End Time Debate
2.
Understanding the Kingdom of God
3.
Understanding Old Testament Kingdom
Prophecy
4.
Understanding the Millennium
5.
Understanding the Consummation
6.
Resolving the Great End Time Debate
In part 1, our author
provides an overview of what is biblical eschatology and why we need it – and
to be Christ-focused therein. The Old Covenant prophets, he writes, “looked
forward to the last days: the days in which God would send the Redeemer, pour
out his Spirit, rescue and restore his people (Jews and Gentiles alike), roll
back the curse, and bring in a whole new world order marked by justice, health,
peace, prosperity, and the universal knowledge of the glory of God (Is. 2:2;
Jer. 48:47; 49:39; Dan. 2:28; Hos 3:5; Mic. 4:1–2).” We have a level of continuity as well as
progressive revelation, for when, “we step onto New Testament (NT) ground, we
find to our amazement that the disciples are no longer looking forward to these
things, or at least not in the same way their OT forefathers did. For even now—prior
to Christ’s return and the consummation of their redemption—they affirm that
they are living in the last days.” (page 23) This idea of progressive
revelation is critical, for many get trapped in thinking we must live under Old
Covenant laws without thinking of how the Lord and His apostles instructed us
to live. Davis is constant in his reminders of this truth.
Our author asks us why we
read the Old Testament, what do we hope to see there? We can all read about the
patriarchs and prophets, but YHWH has more for His people – we should go
seeking Christ! “With the truth of Christ in your mind, and with the Spirit of
Christ in your heart, you go in search of types: veiled revelations of the Lord
Jesus Christ and the several elements of the Eternal Covenant. And every time
you come upon one, you are thrilled. It’s like spotting gold nuggets in a mountain
stream, or finding chests full of treasure buried in a field. And yet there is
a note of sadness as well. For as you are walking on OT ground, it dawns on you
that your OT brothers and sisters continually dwelt in a land of shadow.”
(pages 56-57) These Old Testament saints responded to the light given them;
much more light has been given to all who live on this side of Calvary. Are we
thankful souls for God’s kindness in providing so bountifully for us? And Davis
wisely counsels that “progressive revelation will require us to use the NCH (New
Covenant Hermeneutic) to interpret OTKP (Old Testament Kingdom Prophecy). In
particular, we must interpret it typologically and figuratively, rather than
literally.” (page 60) This is critical for a proper view of eschatology – and
basic understanding of the whole Bible.
In his discussion of the
Old Testament’s promise of the Kingdom, Davis tells us, “In Eden we catch a
glimpse of the Kingdom in seed form; in the World to Come we will behold it in
full flower.” (page 67) And, “the idea of the Kingdom predates the Mosaic Law
by thousands of years; that it is separable from, prior to, and more
fundamental than the idea of a universal Mosaic theocracy. Yes, in the process
of time God would indeed be pleased to use a Mosaic theocracy to picture the
Kingdom. However, the Kingdom itself would be something other than a Mosaic
theocracy. It would simply be a direct rule of God over his (redeemed)
creation, with all the wholeness and blessing that such a rule entails.” Shadow
must give way to substance – Scripture teaches this from cover-to-cover. A
rigid literalism can trap brothers in a misguided understanding of national
Israel and use of Mosaic Law in the New Covenant.
Our author reviews the
Old Testament promises of the Kingdom in the lives of Noah, Abraham, and
national Israel. He observes, “If the Kingdom of God were an ideal Mosaic
theocracy, we could not see it in the life and times of father Abraham. But
according to Christ and the apostles it is not a Mosaic theocracy. It is a
direct spiritual reign of the God who calls a chosen family out of the Domain
of Darkness and brings them into the Kingdom of his beloved Son. It is the
Teacher alone who enables us to see this. And when we do, we rejoice, even as
our father Abraham rejoiced when he saw his day (John 8:56).” Abraham is the
father of all who believe on Christ Jesus (Romans 4:16); we ought to study his
life and beliefs as we do the apostles.
While reviewing the New
Testament on the Coming of the Kingdom, Davis shows us how the Lord Jesus “used
parables to hide Kingdom truth from the hardened and impenitent, but also to
excite curiosity about that truth in the hearts and minds of his sincere
followers. Accordingly, when the disciples earnestly inquired about such truth,
they received it in full (Matt. 13:10–16).” Wanting to know the meaning of
Scripture is a sign you belong to Him; the Spirit gives wisdom to the humble
soul who honestly desires to submit to YHWH. Davis posits that the Kingdom of
God has two stages: “A temporary Kingdom of the Son, which is spiritual only,
followed by an eternal Kingdom of the Father, which is both spiritual and
physical—the two being separated by a single Consummation at the end of the
present evil age.” He reminds us that “During the first stage of the Kingdom,
the Messianic Son of God reigns from Heaven above, and not on the earth below.”
This is a spiritual kingdom that is present in the lives of the saints during
this age and will be physically perfected in the age-to-come, when the Son
hands the kingdom over to the Father. Davis’ review of the parable in Luke 19
about the minas shines with the truth of God’s Word regarding the nature of the
Kingdom: the nobleman (Jesus) goes to a far country (heaven) to receive a
kingdom (His spiritual reign in this age). He will return after many days to
reward His servants, destroy the rebels, and welcome His servants into His
(glorified) kingdom. “Once again, the two-staged Kingdom of God is in view.”
(page 98)
In his discussion of this
general topic, Davis repeatedly asserts that Jesus offered the kingdom
to various people groups. Nowhere in Scripture does any member of the Trinity
offer the kingdom or salvation to anyone; everywhere the kingdom is ANNOUNCED
and gospel PROCLAIMED as people are COMMANDED to repent and believe. This is
not a minor point. If the gospel and the kingdom are offered to sinners, God is
put in the position of "the anxious seller," hoping people will
accept Him. The Bible does not give any hint of God in this light. He commands
the clouds where to go and drop rain, He gives life to that which was dead, He
calls into existence things that do not exist. While none of us is able to
describe God comprehensively, each of us who name Christ as Lord should seek to
never reduce Him in any of His attributes. God speaks and His sheep hear His
voice. He needs not offer His kingdom to anyone - He gives it to whom He
pleases.
The next part,
Interpreting Old Testament Kingdom Prophecy (OTKP), Davis explains why it is
contrary to Scripture to interpret these prophecies literally. “What
premillenarians call millennial conditions, the OT prophets call eternal
conditions. But since these conditions—understood literally—cannot possibly
last forever, we must interpret the prophecies that speak of them typologically
and figuratively, rather than literally.” (page 126) “All OTKP is “covenantally
conditioned.” That is, in all these prophecies the Holy Spirit was using OT
language and imagery to speak “mysteriously” about New Covenant realities.”
(page 131) He goes on to rightfully tell us we must use the didactic New
Covenant passages with a New Covenant Hermeneutic to determine the Author’s
intended meaning, and emphatically states, “Unless we are prepared to abandon the
divine inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible, we must interpret OTKP typologically
and figuratively, in terms of the New Covenant.” (page 133) “All OTKPs are
fulfilled in the twofold spiritual reign (Kingdom) of God instituted by Christ
under the New Covenant, and must be interpreted accordingly.” (page 134) This
dual fulfillment eliminates the conflict Darby’s system leaves us with,
providing a Christ-focused view which brings us ultimate victory rather than an
earth-focused system which leaves us looking in the wrong places, in the
shadows, instead of the glorious light of the Savior.
Our author goes on to
expound how these OTKPs are “covenantally conditioned” and must be interpreted
from that perspective and into the saints’ New Covenant status. OTKPs are
fulfilled in Christ and must be interpreted as shown by Him and the apostles,
of which Davis gives several examples. We also find chapters dealing with the
OTKPs found in Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah. From
these we are advised that Isaiah uses “covenantally conditioned imagery to
speak “mysteriously” of both stages of the eschatological Kingdom introduced by
the New Covenant in Christ. A closer look at our text abundantly vindicates his
approach and helps us to see how richly Isaiah speaks to the hearts of
Christians everywhere, whether Jew or Gentile.” (page 159) Also, of Ezekiel 37,
the Valley of Dry Bones, we are warned against the futurist view; “By pushing
this prophecy into a distant millennial future, and by limiting its fulfillment
to ethnic Israel, prophetic literalism turns it into a valley of dry bones. But
when the NCH breathes upon it, how the dry bones live!” (page 171) In Zechariah
we are instructed that the oracles pronounced in chapters 12 – 14 are not
chronologically connected but thematically connected, as the prophet pressed
“snapshots of key events that will take place in the Era of Fulfillment.” (page
185) Further we see this, in reference to “the world to come”:
Happily, the NT sheds
further light on this mysterious promise, teaching us that Christ himself, at
his Parousia, will “diminish” (i.e., extinguish) the luminaries (Matt. 24:29; 2
Peter 3:10; Rev. 6:13); that in the World to Come the glory of God and the Lamb
will illumine all things, both inwardly and outwardly (Rev. 21:11, 23; 22:5);
and that this “unique” eschatological Day will stand as a perpetual testimony
and reminder: The darkness of the Domain of Darkness has been dispersed forever
by the Light of the World (John 8:12; 9:5; Rom. 13:12). (page 197)
Not only does this perspective
encourage saints in all ages, it aligns with the progressive revelation we see
in Scripture.
Davis spends two chapters
reviewing Revelation 20; he presents a compelling case for seeing this as a
recapitulation of redemptive history, with application and warning for all. I
was disappointed he gave virtually no attention to sober arguments for dating
Revelation before AD 70 – a minority position but not held exclusively by
preterists. We next read through 63 pages which provide an excellent
explanation of “the purpose, structure, and unity consummation” …in which, “God
will fulfill his original plan for the universe, life, and man.” (page 253) The
unity of the consummation also reveals that “at Christ’s return God will create
new heavens and a new earth: an unshakable Kingdom that will never again be
cursed or destroyed (2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21:1). Thus, the writer to the Hebrews
clearly anticipates a single cosmic Restoration of all (redeemed) things, just
as the OT prophets had promised.” (page 266) There is no partial restoration
for a thousand year reign on this earth – it is nothing or everything. And
since Jesus promised to return and take us to where He is, we should rest on
everything being restored.
Davis then reviews the
Olivet Discourse, John 14:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:50-58, 1 Thessalonians
4:13-5:10, and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-14, of which he says:
We have completed our
survey of five crucial NT texts dealing with the Parousia and the Consummation.
We have heard from Christ, Peter, and Paul. If we had consulted James, John,
Jude, and the writer to the Hebrews we would have heard more of the same. None
of them speak of a pre-tribulation Rapture. None of them speak of a future
millennium. Rather, all of them consistently look for a single Momentous Event
at the end of the present evil age: a single Christ-centered consummation set
to occur at the Parousia of the High King of Heaven.
Our author states that
one sign of the consummation will be “the conversion of the great mass of
ethnic Jews” (page 305) without so much as a nod to the competing view in
amillennial circles that what Paul is teaching is the conversion of a remnant
of Jews in every generation just as the Gentile are converted. Jesus said the
kingdom was to be taken away from national Israel and given to a people/nation
bearing proper fruit (Matthew 24:43), Why would that nation still be considered
more favorably than others when all ethnic differences have been torn down in
Christ?
Our author finishes well,
emphasizing the unity and singleness of Christ’s return, the general
resurrection, the judgment, and the restoration of all things. Last of all,
Jesus hands over the kingdom to His Father. Referring to 1 Corinthians
15:22-28, Davis says:
Paul’s theme in this text
is the Resurrection. However, while discussing it, he is moved to survey the
entire course of the Messiah’s heavenly reign. At the beginning of that reign
God the Father gave his Son all authority in Heaven and on earth—and with that
authority, a commission. Here Paul states that the commission was to abolish
all hostile rule and authority, and to place all his enemies beneath his feet (Ps.
2; 8; 110; Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:15–22). Elsewhere, he defines it as the heading up
of all things in Christ, whether things in the heavens or things on the earth
(Eph. 1:10). At the Parousia, Christ will fully fulfill this commission. Every
enemy will be expelled, and all things will be headed up in and under him. The
glorious Kingdom that the Father commissioned him to create will stand complete
before him.
Accordingly, but one
thing remains: one final act of worship, one final acknowledgment of the great
trinitarian mystery that brought about Salvation History: The Son must hand the
Kingdom over to the Father. The High King must give the Kingdom up to the One
who gave it to him (John 17:6). In other words, the Son must now relinquish
this form of his cosmic sovereignty, and freshly submit himself, his people,
and his Kingdom to the Father. He must do this so that the Father may be
properly glorified as the supreme Sovereign of the universe. He must do it so
that the Father (together with his Son) may be all in all (Rev. 11:15). And because
the Son loves the Father, he will do so gladly (John 17:1).4 This handing over
of the Kingdom is “the consummation of the Consummation.”
Moreover, it is also the
crowning touch upon the Blessed Hope of the saints. (page 315)
Chapter 15 is a summary
review of the various end-times perspectives common among the saints. Of historic
premillennialism, Davis says this system looks “for a literal fulfillment of
some OTKPs in a future millennium” (pages 320), looking “for two distinct
comings of Christ: one at the end of the present evil age and another at the
end of the Millennium. Accordingly, they also look for two distinct
resurrections, judgments, and transformations of nature. Thus, HP’s actually
anticipate two separate consummations. However, in Part V of our study we saw
that the DNT anticipates only one.” (page 321). Davis observes that the
postmillennial view divides this present Kingdom of the Son into two stages –
gospel proclamation under conflict from the world, then Satan being bound and
allowing widespread success which, for some, includes wealth-building by the saints
to previously known levels. “We have seen, however, that Scripture does not
support this idea. Nowhere in the DNT do we find any suggestion that the
Kingdom of the Son is divided into two stages, or that it includes a future
Golden Era of Gospel prosperity.” (page 322) He further adds, “above all,
Postmillennialism distorts the believer’s Blessed Hope, focusing it upon an
illusory stage of Church history, rather than upon the true signs of the times
and the Consummation at Christ’s return (Titus 2:13; 1 Peter 1:13).” (page 327)
Davis finishes this
review with Dispensationalism and Preterism. Of the former, he says, “We
conclude, then, that the dispensational view of the Consummation seriously departs
from Scripture, robs Christ of his proper glory, and needlessly confuses the
saints by breaking up the one Consummation into multiple comings, resurrections,
judgments, and transformations of nature.” (page 336) I heartily agree! Our
author divides Preterism into Partial and Full. In eight pages of discussion
and critique of partial preterism, Davis cites no sources. Considering several
of his comments, I would like to have sources as I’ve known and read many
partial preterists who do not hold to much of what he attaches to them. He goes
on to say full preterism is the logical outcome of the partial view. Full
preterism sees all of Revelation as having been fulfilled prior to AD 70,
robbing that book from its role to inform and comfort the saints in every
generation. Full preterism “seeks to focus our hope on the world above rather
than on the world up ahead; on the day of our death rather than on the day of
the Lord’s return in glory, when he will raise the dead, judge the world in
righteousness, and create the new heavens and the new earth, the eternal home
of the redeemed. Beloveds, it is not a fair trade. Indeed, it’s a very bad
trade, since, as we have seen, it leaves the Bride of Christ ill-equipped,
unprepared, and bereft of her one true Blessed Hope.” (page 346) He also
writes, “Concerning FP, I cannot help but describe it as eschatological heresy.”
(page 346) On this I also heartily agree – although I would not attach
“eschatological” as an adjective.
Dean sent me his book on
the condition I review it. I am grateful to God for Dean’s work – though I have
a few minor reservations here and there. This book is well written and provides
countless Scripture references to support and explain each position he takes. I
have a copy of the book this one is based on, Davis’ High King of Heaven.
That one is more than twice the page count of this one and digs into several
topics much deeper. I have not read all of the larger volume. All things
considered, The Great End Tome Debate may just be my favorite book on
eschatology. It is not polemic, and it shines with a focus on rightly
glorifying the High King of Heaven. What child of God can argue with that?
Monday, November 28, 2022
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