Covenant and Kingdom / Greg L Bahnsen An Eschatology of Optimism Part 3 of 4

Chronology that says Jesus returns and then establishes a 1000 year reign on earth called the millennium. My first argument against this is theological in nature. If we understand what the Bible teaches us about the future resurrection of the saints, the rapture, and the judgment of all mankind, then it will become clear to us that there is no place to insert a 1000 year reign for Christ on earth after he comes back. And so my first argument against the chronology of premillennialism is that the Bible teaches, I'm going to call this something that you're going to have to get used to, teaches the unity of the eschatological complex. The unity of the eschatological complex means very simply that the complex of eschatological events that we are anticipating in the future, the complex of those events is unified in the Bible. They take place virtually simultaneously. Now, what are those events? They include the resurrection of the saints, their rapture, meeting Christ in the air, the resurrection of the wicked, the saints and the judgment of the wicked. Now, let me tell you the way the premillennialist has this falling out. According to premillennialism, sometime in the future, Christ will return. The saints will be resurrected and raptured and then judged by Christ. They will return with him to rule with him on earth in the millennial kingdom. Then after 1000 years, there will be another resurrection of the wicked and their judgment will take place. And so essentially, though there are variations in different premillennialists, essentially you have a 1000 year gap between the resurrection and judgment of the saints and the rapture and the resurrection and judgment of the wicked at the end of the millennium. And what I would like to demonstrate for you is the unity of the eschatological complex. I'd like to show you that as a matter of fact, the resurrection of the saints takes place at the same time as the resurrection of the wicked, and, and the judgment of the saints takes place at the same time as the judgment of the wicked, that you must bring all of these events together. So rapture, resurrection of the saints, resurrection of the wicked, judgment of the saints, judgment of the wicked, all take place at the same time. Now, if that is what the Bible teaches, then my conclusion is, theologically the premillennialist has no place to insert a 1000 year reign of Christ after he comes back, after the resurrection of the saints. And I'm going to have to hurry through this if we're going to stay close to being on time. So forgive me for that, but try to follow along my first Demonstration will be that the Bible teaches a general resurrection. That is, the Bible teaches that the saints and the wicked will be resurrected at the same time, not separated by a 1000 year gap. Turn to John 5, verses 28 and 29. There we read the words of Jesus, marvel not at this, for the hour comes in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth. They that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of judgment. Jesus tells us that the day is coming at a particular point where at the voice of the Son of God, everyone who is in the tombs will come forth. He says that quite explicitly at the end of verse 28, all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice and come forth. He does not say, a day is coming when the saints will come forth and be resurrected to a certain judgment. And then on another day I'll call forth the wicked to judgment as well. He says, the day is coming when all simultaneously will hear the voice of the Son of Man. And then they will come forth, some to the resurrection of life and some to the resurrection of judgment. Those who have done good, those who have done evil. And so the separation takes place at the resurrection, when all come forth. In Acts 24:15 we have a similar reference. The verse says, having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and the unjust, a resurrection bringing forth the just and the unjust at the same time. And so the Bible, first of all teaches us a general resurrection. The day of resurrection will be a day where men come forth to life or to judgment. Secondly, we need to see that the Bible teaches a general judgment, that on the day in which mankind is judged, both the saints and and the wicked will be judged at the same time. And this can be proven from Matthew 25, verses 32 and 46, Matthew 25, 32 and 46. Jesus tells us that when the Son of Man comes in his glory with all the angels, he shall sit on the throne of his glory. Then verse 32. And before him shall be gathered the nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats in verse 46. And these shall go away into punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. Jesus says, the day is coming where the Son of Man will have all mankind gathered before him, and he will separate on that day the sheep, or from the goats and the sheep will enter into eternal life, and the goats into eternal punishment. And so again you notice that the Bible does not allow a 1000 year gap between the judgment of the wicked and the judgments. It does not allow a 1000 year gap between the resurrection of the saints and the resurrection of the wicked. These events take place at the same time. All in the tombs will hear his voice. Some will come forth to a resurrection of blessing, some to a resurrection of cursing. And Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats at that very same time. And some will enter into life, and some will enter into everlasting punishment on that day. Moreover, the Bible teaches us that when Jesus comes, it will be simultaneously relief for the saints and judgment upon the wicked. Turn to 2 Thessalonians 1:7, 10 Thessalonians 1:7-10. Paul writes, and to you that are afflicted, rest with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven, with the angels of his power and flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus, who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at in all them that have believed. Paul says, you are afflicted. You suffer tribulation and persecution for your Christian faith. He says, rest in the Lord, rest in us. Because the day is coming where Jesus will return. And he says, when Jesus returns, it is not simply to snatch you out of the tribulation, to take you away from the affliction, but rather he comes to render vengeance upon those who afflict you. And at the time that he comes, you will be glorified in him, and your persecutors will be destroyed. Verse 8, rendering vengeance to them that know not God. Verse 10. When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, at the very same time that Jesus is glorifying his saints, he will render vengeance to those who persecute them. And so that the coming of Jesus Christ is simultaneously relief and judgment, it is not separated. You can't have Jesus coming to rapture the saints, relieve them, and let the wicked world go on for its time, and then later judge. So when he comes, it's a coming to judgment which will bring relief to his saints. In First Thessalonians 4, verses 13 to 17, we see that this time coincides with the resurrection of the saints. 1st Thessalonians 4, 13th verse but we would not have you, ignorant brethren, concerning them that fall asleep, that you sorrow not even as the rest, who have no hope. For if we Believe that Jesus died and rose again. Even so, them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you, by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel. Doesn't sound like a secret rapture to me. Sounds like a very loud day in human history when the archangel was will play the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Paul says when Jesus returns, that'll be the day that the saints are resurrected. Okay, so we can start adding things like a building block method of learning. Here Paul tells us, when Jesus returns, you'll be rescued from affliction and your persecutors will have the vengeance of God brought down upon them. Now we learn that that will be the day that the saints are resurrected. And those who are alive and know the Lord will be raptured. And so rapture, resurrection, rescuing from affliction, and judgment upon the wicked all take place at the same time. And when will this be? This will be the very last day of human history. The Bible says John 6, verses 39 and 40. John 6, 39, 40. And this is the will of him that sent me. That of all that which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone that beholds the Son and believes on him should have eternal life. And I will raise him up at the last day. Verse 44. No man can come to me except the Father that sent me. Draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day. We've learned that when Jesus comes back, we'll be rescued from affliction. When Jesus comes back, the saints will be resurrected. The living saints will be raptured. When Jesus comes back, vengeance will fall upon the persecutors, upon the wicked. We've learned that this day of resurrection, now is the the last day, over and over again, that is taught us in First Corinthians 15, verses 22 to 28. We will learn that this is what God calls the first Corinthians 15 at the 22nd verse. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. But each in his own order, Christ the first fruits, then they that are Christ at his coming. So this ties in with what we've learned so far. When Jesus comes, that will be the day of resurrection. Then comes the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom of God, even the Father, when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power. And so the Bible tells us that when Jesus comes and when the resurrection takes place, then comes the end. That's the last day. And so we put all this together. We have to conclude that the resurrection of the saints will take place at the same time as the resurrection of the wicked. That the rapture of the living saints will take place after the resurrection of the dead saints, and that will take place at the same time. And that the judgment upon the wicked will take place on that same day. And the sheep from the goats will be separated. So judgment for the saints will take place on that day. And. And that is the last day of human history. And then comes the end. And so, although I've had to hurry through this, I hope you catch the weight of this argument. Theologically there is no room for a thousand year reign of Christ after Jesus comes back. Because when Jesus comes back, the resurrection is going to take place. And when the resurrection takes place, the judgment will take place and that for all men. And then comes the end. You can't put in a 1000 year period in there. And so Dr. Ladd, as good a scholar as he is and as fervent a Christian as he may be, I think is mistaken. The return of Jesus Christ cannot be before the millennium. It must be after the millennium. Let me turn now to my second line of criticism of the premillennial position. And that is a theological line of criticism. I'm sorry I said theological. I'm thinking too many things at one time. I meant an exegetical criticism. We must turn to Revelation, the 20th chapter, and take a look at it and see if the premillennialist has adequately interpreted that chapter of God's Word. I think actually it falls woefully short of an adequate interpretation, though there are different interpretive schemes for the Book of Revelation as a whole, and I can't possibly get into that this afternoon with you. The fact of the matter is that everyone sees Revelation 20 verses 1 to 10 as chronological, okay? So whatever else you may say about the chapters leading up to Revelation 20, at least Revelation 20 verses 1 to 10 is seen as chronological by all schools of thought. Now, verses 1 to 6 of Revelation 20 describe the millennium. And in verses 7 to 9 we read of the final rebellion, which will be terminated. At the end of verse nine, we read, by fire from heaven in judgment. And so very simply, Revelation 20 says, There will be a millennial reign of Christ with his saints. Then there will be a short period of rebellion, and that period of rebellion will be terminated by fire from heaven in judgment. I wish to argue that by New Testament analogy, this judgmental fire from heaven must be identified with the second coming of Jesus Christ. And I think this can be proven by looking at three passages. Second Thessalonians 1, 7, 9. We've just read it, but I'll review it for you. Second Thessalonians 1, verses 7 to 9. And to you that are afflicted, rest with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And then Hebrews 10, verse 27, Hebrews 10:27. There we but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a faith fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. Referring to the final day and that fierceness of fire, the expectation of judgment that will take place then, and then finally. 2nd Peter 3, 7, 10, 12. 2nd Peter 3, seven, ten, twelve. But the heavens that now are, and the earth by the same word, have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction. Destruction of ungodly men. Verse 10. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief, in which the heavens shall pass away with great noise, and the element shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Verse 12. Looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Repeatedly in the New Testament. Judgment, the final day of human history, the day of judgment is seen as a day of fiery vengeance from God that will come forth from heaven and consume all wickedness. Coming forth with the angels in fire. Paul says in Revelation 20 we read that at the end of a period of rebellion, the millennium. Verse 10. The devil deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. I'm sorry, I began reading too far down. In verse 9. At the end, after the camp of the saints is compassed about in the beloved city, fire came down out of heaven and devoured them. It's the very same language we've been Reading elsewhere, devouring judgmental fire from heaven. Now, if the rest of the New Testament teaches us that that's an image for the return of Jesus Christ in judgment, I dare say that's the way we ought to interpret Revelation 20, verse 9. And if we do so, as we must, then Revelation 20 teaches us that Jesus will come forth in judgment after the millennium, not before. You have the millennial reign, you have the rebellion, and then fire from heaven, which is the return of Jesus Christ with his angels and flaming fire to devour the adversaries. Exactly what Revelation 20 teaches us. And therefore Revelation 20 cannot be interpreted in a pre millennial fashion. Moreover, Revelation 20 cannot pertain to a situation where Christ is already on earth. For you see, Revelation 20 speaks of Christ reigning, but in the New Testament, Christ does not rule from earthly Jerusalem. Read Acts 20, the second chapter, verses 30 and 31. Read Hebrews the first chapter, verses 3 and 13, or Hebrews 2, 8, 9. Or look at Ephesians 1, verses 20 to 22, where Paul says Christ is seated in the heavenlies, and from there reigns on his throne. Christ does not reign upon earth. Moreover, earthly localized Jerusalem, that city over there in Asia, earthly localized Jerusalem could not be compassed about by such a large army as we read of in verses 8 and 9. This tells us that all of the nations, the four corners of the earth, will gather together to war. But there's not enough room around Jerusalem for all of the nations. This cannot be interpreted in a literal and earthly fashion. Moreover, we read here that the camp of the saints in the beloved city are going to be surrounded that cannot be earthly Jerusalem, because Christians do not come to earthly Jerusalem. They do not have a camp that's located there. The Bible specifically says, and it is crucial, it's not a passing allusion in the Book of Hebrews, chapter 13, that we are to go outside that camp and outside that city unto Christ. The camp in the city of the saints is not Jerusalem. We are ordered not to go there, but to come out, to come out unto Christ. And for John, the city of God. If you read it in the Book of Revelation, the city of God is not earthly Jerusalem, but it's the new heavenly Jerusalem. Revelation 3, verse 12, Revelation 21, verse 20, we are told that we are citizens of that heavenly Jerusalem. In Hebrews the 12th chapter, verses 22 to 24, and in Philippians 3, verse 20. And so you see, the camp of the saints and the heavenly Jerusalem are not the earthly Jerusalem that the premillennialist is looking for anyway. And besides, and this is the devastating one, how is it that the glorified Savior could ever be repressed in the way that the Book of revelation, chapter 20 is talking about? How could the glorified Savior be surrounded by the nations of the earth? How could he be pinned up in the city of Jerusalem? How could he be so afflicted and pressed back that only fire from heaven will save the Lord Jesus Christ, who has all power and authority in heaven and on earth? The Bible tells us this kind of military battle could never take place, have Jesus in that situation. Besides that, the people who are with Jesus here are resurrected saints. I'd like to know how resurrected saints are ever going to be fought against by somebody else. What's the threat going to be? I'll kill you. You can't kill resurrected saints. They've already died. They now have glorified everlasting life. And so this battle cannot be the kind of battle premillennialism talks about. It makes absolutely no sense. Jesus cannot be pinned up in Jerusalem in this way. He's much too powerful for that. And his saints are resurrected. They can't be threatened with death. And so it seems to me this would amount to a second humiliation of Christ, which humiliation has passed. The Bible tells us in Philippians, the second chapter, that he did humble himself and went to the cross for our sins, but that having been humbled and gone to the cross for our sins, he is now raised from the dead in glory. And he now operates as the Messiah, not in a state of humiliation, but in a state of exaltation and a state of glory and a state of power. And he will never be pinned up in Jerusalem in this way to be saved by fire from heaven. The fire from heaven is the coming of Jesus Christ. Christ, as the rest of the New Testament tells us, the wicked. And so the chronology of premillennialism is not only theologically impossible, as we've seen from the unity of the eschatological complex, but it is also exegetically impossible. When you look at Revelation, the 20th chapter, I really wanted to go into some detail on this next point. Point. And I'm going to have to just touch it, barely touch it, and then pass to the next consideration. Dr. Ladd argues from Revelation 20 that premillennialism is correct because we have a first and a second resurrection. These resurrections, he says, must be of the same sort. If the second resurrection is a physical resurrection, then the first resurrection must be a physical resurrection. This is his argument. He tells us the whole Point comes down to what does it mean to live when we find it in Revelation 20, verse 5, the rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years should be finished. He said, if resurrection in the first case is physical, or in the second case it's physical, then in place, the first. First it must be physical as well. To live must mean to come back to life. That's not correct. In fact, the embarrassing thing is that Dr. Ladd himself in his writings points out places where the word live and where the concept of resurrection are used in two different ways in the same passage. And so it is not at all a reliable rule of interpretation to demand that they must be the same kind of resurrection. Now, the interesting thing to me is evangelicals debate over the book of Revelation continuously. You know that that's why some of you are here today. We like to dispute this chapter of the Bible. It's rather difficult. You get arguments, you know, pro and con, all sorts of different ideas. It's interesting to me that John, however, writes to people, and he doesn't seem to struggle with it at all. He expects his reader to understand it like that. Now, how could he do that? Why is it that John doesn't struggle to give us a little bit more understanding what these resurrections are all about? I want to suggest the reason is because he knew his readers understood the concept already. Where would they get such an idea? How would they know about these two resurrections? Well, so happens that it's in John's Gospel, the fifth chapter, that Jesus talks about two resurrections. I think John knew his readers would understand him from that. In John 5, Jesus tells us there are two types of resurrection. I'm going to resist turning to it, even though my style is to read it and to press God's word home to you. But you look it up. Basically, what we have there is Jesus saying there are people who at the present day hear the voice of the Son of Man. And those who hear and believe are raised from death to life spiritually. When we hear the preaching of the Gospel, when we hear the Son of Man, when we hear God's own Son's voice in the gospel, and we believe it, we pass from death unto life. Then Jesus says, however, a day is coming when all in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of Man. And on that day all will come forth, whether they believe it or not, some to a resurrection of life, some to a resurrection of judgment. And so you have a spiritual resurrection taking place in this day and age for those who believe and Then you'll have a physical resurrection of all mankind at the end, where the sheep from the goats are divided. And so John in Revelation 20 expects his readers to understand that the first resurrection is the millennial reign of the saints. The first resurrection is associated with our believing the gospel, Gospel being converted, born again, raised from death to life, spiritually speaking. And those who enjoy this, According to Revelation 20, are priests of God, priests of God and of Christ, and reign with him a thousand years. Now, in First Peter chapter two, we read that we are priests of God. Those who are in the church, those who are born again, are a nation of priests. And we reign with him, a kingdom of priests, reigning priests, 1st Peter 2. That's not a future experience. It's something that takes place now, when we are born again. In Ephesians, the second chapter, Paul tells us that those of us who know Jesus Christ have passed from death into life. We have been born again and raised to newness of life. And so I will argue very briefly then, as I've done here, that Revelation 20, the first, first and second resurrection, should be understood against the broader teaching of the New Testament, where it's quite clear that the first resurrection is spiritual and the second resurrection is physical. And having said that, we have absolutely no support for premillennial chronology in the Bible, then, because theologically it's been made impossible. The unity of the eschatological complex does not allow any room to insert a 1000 year reign of Christ into biblical chronology. And exegetically, Revelation 20 teaches that Jesus will come back after the millennium, not before it. The fire from heaven takes place after the rebellion which takes place after the millennium. Moreover, it is impossible for Christ to be humiliated in the way that the free millennialist talks about. And the saints cannot be threatened with death, and so this cannot be the kind of battle that they envision. And then finally, Dr. Ladd's argument, having to do with we have to understand the resurrections in the same way, is absolutely wrong. If we understand New Testament theology. And I would encourage you, as I have done in this study, that I can't read to you now, to do a study of how John uses the word lives or life in both his Gospel and his Epistles and the Book of Revelation, it's rather obvious that he does not usually have the idea of physical life in mind. Life in John is spiritual life, life that is right with God and blessed by God. I do have to add, I keep looking at my watch and saying, you better stop that, stop adding those things. You'll never get done. But I do want to add one more thing. It seems to me the pre millennialist is wrong in his chronology. And I would add this P.S. he's wrong in his understanding of the method Victory for the Kingdom for the Pre Millennialist. Praise God. The pre millennialist takes the prophecies of the Old Testament seriously that the kingdom of God's going to be victorious on earth. That's my problem with my all millennial brothers. They just don't read that seriously enough. Pre millennialist does. But I think he's got it all wrong as to how that's going to take place. The pre millennialist says those things will only take place when Jesus comes back with the bazookas and tanks. When Jesus comes back in military might and forces people at the threat of a gun, at the threat of physical death. When Jesus forces it down the throats if you will, of people, he imposes the kingdom on them by military might. And I think that method for the advance of the kingdom is not only unfitting for our Savior who can conquer the the world in the power of His Holy Spirit and unfitting for this age of the kingdom of God. But it's contrary to the very teaching of God's word. 2nd Corinthians chapter 10. Look at 2nd Corinthians 10 as we conclude premillennialism this afternoon and see how Paul tells us beginning at verse 3 for though we walk in the flesh, flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but but the very opposite. Rather than being carnal weapons, they are mighty before God for the casting down of strongholds. Paul says the kingdom does not go forth with military might. Jesus said all you who take the sword will perish by the sword. My kingdom is not of this world. My kingdom does not advance in worldly terms. My kingdom does not go forth with physical warfare and iron swords and the killing of people as though it was some kind of Islamic holy war by which people are converted at the threat of a sword or at the butt of a gun. Jesus says the kingdom goes forth in the power of the Spirit, the word of God being our sword, sharper than any two edged sword that pierces to the very heart of the matter and changes people's hearts. Paul says our warfare is not carnal warfare. And I think that's a very offensive part of premillennialism that they show us the victory of Jesus Christ on earth, but a victory that takes place by compulsion. The victory that takes place by warfare. Warfare and bloodshed. Physical weapons, the bazookas and the tanks. No thank you. That isn't what Paul teaches. Jesus tells us if that's what our expectation is, we too will perish by the sword. And so we now get to the place that I should have finished before we went to lunch. We have dealt with the Jewish question and we've dealt with the question chronological question. Dispensationalism is found defective because it holds to a literal interpretation of Scripture says that it does. But it's impossible to do that. It separates Israel from the church in a way that the Bible does not allow, indeed postpones the kingdom and makes the Church a parenthesis which is contrary to the teaching of God's word. Dispensationalism has a geopolitical future for Israel in line with the rebuilt temple, both items being refuted from God's Word. And it expects a pre tribulation rapture, when in fact there is no seven year period of tribulation in the Bible and there is no secret rapture that precedes it. No text of the Bible can be adduced to teach these things. The chronology of free millennialism has been criticized next because I've said the Bible teaches theologically the unity of the eschatological complex. The resurrects the rapture of the living saints and the judgment of the saints will take place on the very same day as the resurrection of the wicked and the judgment of the wicked. So there is no room for a 1000 year reign after Christ returns. We've looked at Revelation 20 and we found the interpretation of the premillennialist wanting there. Both because the fire from heaven comes after the millennium and because Dr. Ladd's understanding of the two resurrections is mistaken. One is a spiritual, the other is a physical resurrection. And then my last remark was the method of kingdom victory for the premillennialist is contrary to New Testament teaching that says it isn't in military might that the kingdom goes forth. I'll be very honest with you. If this all I had to say to you today, I think you might have for the most part wasted your time coming out. Because if all I have for you is to criticize other Christian brothers in the way I think they've misused the word of God, that's not a real profitable use of our time. And like you, I myself get a little bit tired of hearing Christians do nothing but carp at one another. I hope that you understand I've been forced to talk so fast and to hit, hit, hit, hit that you understand that. I really do love my dispensational and premillennial brothers, and I think they have a lot to show me and a lot to teach me. And I hope in return I have some of this to show and teach them, maybe. But I'm real tired, I know you are, too, of just seeing Christians bicker with one another over theology. And so I want to turn a corner here. Having cleared the air, hopefully having cleared the air of what so often gets in the way of our seeing what the Bible is trying to teach us, having cleared the air of the dispensational and premillennial errors, I'd like now to start a positive presentation of what I think the Bible does teach. And for the remainder of this session, what my goal will be is to lay out for you the biblical understanding of God's covenant and the biblical understanding of God's kingdom. For it turns out that it if we understand God's covenant and kingdom in a biblical sense, then the door will be wide open for us to make sense of everything the Bible says prophetically about the future. It falls into place in a way that is very gratifying to a frustrated student of eschatology. And so let's begin with God's covenant, and if I have time, God's kingdom in this session, if I could quote a definition that you'll find at the end of my book, by this standard having to do with the covenant, that will save us some time. The nature of the covenant is a question that theologians debate from time to time. And I would suggest to you that we should understand a covenant as a mutually binding compact between God and His people, one that is sovereignly transacted by the Lord, wherein a promised is is made by God, which calls for trust on the part of his people and entails obligations of submission which are sanctioned by blessings and cursings. That's a mouthful, isn't it? A covenant is a mutually binding compact. When God lays down a covenant, it binds us, but it binds him as well. It's a mutually binding compact between God and His people, not a negotiated compact sovereignly transacted by the Lord. And in this compact, he makes a promise, a promise that calls for us to trust him. And if we do so, entails obligations of submission, obligations that will be sanctioned by blessings and cursings. Now, when we understand this, we are given, it seems to me, a vehicle for understanding the unity of the Bible, because I believe all of the Bible is unified around the concept of God's covenant with his people. Now, those who hold this view that I'm going to be talking about for a few moments are said to hold to covenant theology. And again, at the end of the book, here you will find a definition of covenant theology. The position that all of the post, post fall covenants, all the covenants you find after man's fall into sin, all of the post fall covenants made by God are essentially one centering on God's gracious promise in Jesus Christ. Every one of those covenants points to Jesus Christ with each successive covenant, with each successive covenant express expanding on previous covenants rather than discarding them or running parallel to the others. The covenants prior to Christ were marked by anticipation, administered by foreshadows, while the fulfillment or substance was found in Christ's person and redemptive work establishing the new covenant. Today, what are we saying? We're saying that when we study the concept of a covenant in the Bible, we see that after the fall of man into sin, all of the covenants of God look forward to Jesus Christ. He is the center of every covenantal promise. However, these covenants successively one another, they do not run parallel. You don't have for instance a covenant Abrahamic covenant, and then parallel to that, competing with it, a Mosaic covenant, and then later a Davidic covenant. But rather you have an Abrahamic covenant, which the Mosaic covenant helps us to understand better, which the Davidic covenant help us to understand better. And all of these post fall covenants look forward to Jesus Christ and when he comes, the substance of what was foreshadowed in the old, then the new covenant has been established, which is the point of all of God's covenantal dealing. And so there are a variety of covenants in God's word. We have a covenant, I believe that you can see a covenant of creation. God deals with Adam in a covenantal way before he falls. But then after Adam falls into sin, God's covenantal dealings become redemptive. They must be because man as a sinner has to be redeemed if he's going to be in covenant with with God. And so we have the covenant of redemption beginning after the fall. And there is a basic division within this covenant of redemption. After the fall, we find the old covenant, or if you will, the old administration of the covenant. And then we find the new covenant. But both the old and the new are part of one redemptive promise of God. Now it's about this promise point, and I understand why it happens. But it's at this Point that my dispensational brothers will say, where is the Bible verse that supports that? Oh, that's very clever. That's very helpful. That organizes and looks so nice. But is it biblical? Yes, it is. I think it is biblical first of all, because if you inductively study the various covenants, you'll see those connections in a way which I had planned to lay out for you, but will not have a lot of time to do. But if you want one particular version that gives you this concept, look at Ephesians 2:12. Ephesians 2:12. Paul, speaking of the Gentiles here who are now saved, says that you were at that time previously you were, as Gentiles, separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Paul says, those of you who were not part of the commonwealth of Israel, those of you who were Gentiles were alienated from something called the covenants of the promise. Notice this. Plural covenants, the covenants. Many covenants of the singular promise. There is but one promise God has made centering on Jesus Christ and many covenants pertaining to it. And what are those covenants? Well, they're the ones that distinguished Israel from the Gentiles. So we know that this includes the Abrahamic covenant, the Mosaic covenant, and the Davidic covenant, all three of which distinguished Israel from the nations called out a separate people of God. Paul says, you were once aliens to the covenants of the promised. But what I want you to see is those covenants, Abrahamic, Mosaic and Davidic were all covenants of grace, were all promissory covenants, were not law covenants, were not kingdom covenants. They were first and foremost covenants of the promise. In Second Corinthians 1, verse 20, Paul tells us, howsoever many may be the promises of God, they are in Christ. Yes, and amen. It makes no difference how many promises of God you find in the old covenant. All of them are fulfilled in Christ. Not in the Jewish nation, not in the land of Palestine, not in some physical temple. Because all these things pertain to Christ. Every one of the promises of God is confirmed and affirmed in Jesus Christ himself. And so yes, there is biblical warrant for this idea of the covenant as I'm laying it out to you. However, the covenant is administered in two different fashions. There is an old covenant and a new covenant. And there is biblical basis for speaking that way. Hebrews 8, verses 7 and 13. Let's look at that real Quickly, I think we have time. Hebrews 8, verses 7 and 13. But if that first covenant had been faultless, then would no place have been sought for a second? There is a first or an old covenant, and a second, a new covenant, verse 13. In that he saith, a new covenant. He hath made the first old. And so Paul makes it very clear that though there is one promise administered in various ways, ways through the covenants of the Old Testament period, though there is one promise, it is administered differently. In the period of anticipation, in the period of the Old Testament, as we call it, from that of the New Covenant, the period of the New Testament, we have anticipation and consummation. Old covenant. New covenant. But both being, you see, different poles to the same promise of God, the same gracious redemption that God has promised all along. Now, in the notes that I had prepared for you, I wanted to go through each one of these covenants and point out how each and every one of them points to Jesus Christ. I don't have time to do that in detail, but let me tell you what the program was. Maybe you'll go home, do this like a theological coloring book. Do it yourself, you know, Fill in the lines for me. Now, if you will, study what God promised in the Adamic Covenant after the fall. What did he promise? That one would come who would crush the head of Satan. And then look in the New Testament and lo and behold, you'll find verses there that say Jesus did that. And then study what God promised in the Noah covenant. And then in the New Testament, you'll find, lo and behold, verses that show Jesus fulfilled that. As an example, part of the Noah covenant was the rainbow in the clouds, right? The sign of the covenant. In the Book of Revelation, Jesus sits upon a throne, and it says, around his throne is the rainbow. Jesus is the one who fulfills the Noah covenant. Read what the Bible says to Abraham and what is promised, you'll find it fulfilled in Jesus. A successive covenant does not supplant what went before, but carries it forward. Further, there's a progressive development of God's covenantal arrangement, and so this continuity should be stressed. John 10:35 tells us the word cannot be broken. Matthew 4:4 tells us we are to live by every word proceeding from God's mouth. In Matthew 5, we read that every jot and tittle of the law is still binding today. In fact, in First Corinthians 13, the tenth chapter, verses 6 and 11, Paul insists that whatsoever was written in the Old Covenant was written for us today. In first Peter chapter one, verses 10 to 12. Peter says the authors of the Old Testament often didn't understand what they were writing, but what they wrote was for our benefit, was written for us. And in Romans 15:4, Paul says the same thing that everything written previously was written for for our instruction and edification. And so we must see all of the covenants of God as building on one another and being fulfilled in the age of the new covenant. The second thing we must say about their relationship is that they are related progressively. There is a maturing of the covenant, there is a coming closer to the reality of what was foreshadowed every time a new covenant is given. And then with the New Testament, we finally have the substance, we finally have the reality that was looked forward to throughout the Old Testament period. Adam received the core promise of God that God would send one who would destroy Satan and redeem his people. Noah was given the framework of preservation in which that development of the covenant and redemption would take place. Abraham was elected to service and actualizes the promise to a greater degree. Moses is given a full and external form of God's will, the comprehensive law of God. The people of God organized into a nationalized group. God outlines the life that he expects of his people. He humbles men and prepares them for the riches of Christ's grace. David then shows us that the one who would come as the Savior will be a king to rule overtly. He will overcome the chaos of man's judgment in sinful rebellion within the world. He will permanently establish a kingly reign where God will no longer dwell in a mobile fashion, but from his own house. And then the new covenant is promised, made with the of house Israel and Judah. This covenant will be made, but not as it was done before at Mount Sinai. Jeremiah 31 says, the essence of righteousness will be the same, but the mode of administering that righteousness will be radically altered. There will be advance no longer animal sacrifices, but a once for all sacrifice that will put away sin. So it will be remembered. No longer, no longer an attempt to get the the law absorbed with a rebellious people who constantly throw it off, but rather the law will be written upon the heart so that all will keep it. No longer the struggle to see the kingdom established in the world with everyone you know rebelling against God's reign, but rather they all shall know me from the least to the greatest of them. And so the new covenant, you see, fulfills everything that was anticipated, that was maturing, that was developing previously. And as Paul says in Second Corinthians, chapter 3, verses 7 to 18. We are gifted. We are blessed and graced by God to be ministers of that new covenant which has now come so over against dispensationalism. I would suggest for you that the Bible gives its own scheme of structuring redemptive history, and it's a covenantal one, one that calls for maturation and growth, but an underlying unity to everything God is doing. The difference between old and new, therefore, is not a difference in principle. It's a difference between shadow and substance, a difference between anticipation and consummation, between promise and fulfillment. This brings me then to my next topic. Everyone catch the breath. Let's look now at the concept of God's kingdom as it's presented to us in the Bible. If we do an inductive and analytical study of the kingdom of God in Scripture, we're going to find a number of things that will help us understand the course of redemptive history. So I'm going to begin in the Old Testament, that period of anticipation that we talked about already, and point out that when the Old Testament speaks of God's kingdom, the point is universalism. When the Old Testament discusses the kingdom of God, the stress is upon its universal character. This Old Testament kingdom, this universal reign of God among men, is anticipated in the Abrahamic and Mosaic periods. It's given promise in the Davidic period. It's amplified in the Royal Psalms, and it's foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament. May I go through that very quickly? Let's look at the Abrahamic and mosaic periods. Deuteronomy 17, verses 18 and 19. Deuteronomy 17, 18, 19. And it shall be when he sits upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write them a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests, the Levites, and it shall be with him. And he shall read therein all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of this law, and these statutes to do them. There is going to be a king. Moses already spoke of such a king in Second Samuel, the seventh chapter, which I will resist reading. David is told that a promise is made to him that God will not go back on it, that of the fruit of his loins one will sit upon this throne forever. And then look what David says in the royal Psalms, Psalm 2. Look, let's just take that as an example, and then I'll let you read on your own Psalm 45 and Psalm 72 and Psalm 110 these are the leading royal psalms of the Psalter. But in Psalm 2 David says, why are the nations raging, and the peoples meditating a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves the rulers take counsel together against Jehovah, and against his anointed, against his Christ. And what do they say? Let us break their bonds asunder, cast away their cords from us. But he who sits in the heavens will laugh. The Lord will have them in derision, and he will speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sword as pleasure. Yet I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will tell of the decree Jehovah said unto me, Thou art my son this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. You will break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Therefore be wise, kings, be instructed. Judges of the earth, serve Jehovah with fear, rejoice with trembling, Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all they that take rest refuge in him. Here's this royal psalm. Moses spoke of the king that was coming. David was promised that this king would come, that would be his descendant. And what does David tell us in this psalm? And this one who will rule as the king overall, will simply ask God for the nations. And God will say, it is yours. And anyone who dares to resist he will break in pieces. And those who will not kiss the Son will perish in the way. That's the kind of kingdom that's coming, my friends, and there's no room for it after Jesus returns. That's taking place now. Jesus Christ is the king. He has asked the Father for the nations, and now God is giving him the nations. Look at Psalm 45. Look at Psalm 72, Psalm 110. Sit thou at my right hand till I make your enemies the footstool of your feet. Now the prophets foretold of this king and this kingdom, Hosea 3, 5 and Amos 9, 11. We can't look at all these. Let's look at Amos 9, 11. In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that has fallen, and close up the breaches and the thereof and I will raise up its ruins, and will build it as in the days of old. Well, we read this before, didn't we? We know what this is all about. He's going to restore the fallen tabernacle of David? Yes, he is. And how is he doing that? By the building up of the New Testament church and the calling in of the Gentiles. Ezekiel 37, verse 25, or Ezekiel the 48th chapter, we see the prophets foretelling about the land being distributed to the tribes and yet being fulfilled in Messiah, Jesus Christ. What we do know about this coming kingdom according to the Old Testament prophets is that it will transcend the nation of Israel and transcend the Mosaic pattern of kingship. In Jeremiah 3:16 the ark will be forgotten. How do you like that for the rebuilding of the temple in the days of the Messiah, the ark will be totally forgotten, we are told. And in Zechariah we are told that every pot will have holiness unto the Lord upon it. No longer will there be a sacred secular distinction to be observed. Every pot in Jerusalem will be like the pots before the Lord in the temple. Even the horses bells will have written upon them holiness unto Jehovah. And So in Isaiah 19, verse 19, we read that an altar will be established in Egypt, in Malachi 1 11, that incense will be offered in every place. And Indeed in Isaiah 66, the rebuilding of the temple is denounced by the prophet of God. Now you know, it helps to go to the New Testament and to understand these things, but I want to suggest that a good student of the Old Testament would have understood all along. These promises about a king and about a temple and about a land have nothing to do with Israel, have nothing to do with the physical architectural structure. They have to do with the king who will come and conquer the nations and call all men into his church. We see the universalism of this kingdom in Isaiah 19, verses 24 and 25, where there Israel will be in the position of third, that there will be other nations before Israel in God's care and protection. In Zechariah 9, verse 7, we have a Philistine remnant that will be likened to the chieftain of Judah. In Isaiah 49, 6 this king will come and bring a kingdom that is light to the gentiles. In Joel 2 it will mean the Spirit of God upon all flesh. I want you to notice you don't have to go to the New Testament than to understand this. The Old Testament alone, if studied in its completeness, if studied in detail, would tell us about a kingdom that is coming, that will be universal in its extent. And of course the New Testament tells us that that anticipation of the Old Testament has been fulfilled in the church of Jesus Christ, the church that is the hope of Israel, as Paul called it, and it is the kingdom of Jesus Christ. And I look at this study of the book of Acts that I had prepared for you. It breaks my heart not to go through it, but let me just tell you real quickly and then we'll take a break of some of the passages that you should study against their Old Testament background. Acts 1:8 that the gospel should be taken to the uttermost parts of the earth. An allusion to Isaiah 49:6 Acts 2, 16:40 saying that whosoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved, and the Holy Spirit will be poured upon all flesh. Fulfillment of Joel chapter 2, verses 28 to 32 look at Acts 3, verses 12 to 26 where we read that all of the prophets spoke of the church program in the days of Acts, the restoration of all things, and that all the Old Testament referred to these days. Acts the fourth chapter, verses 23 to 31 a fulfillment of Psalm 2 verses 1 and 2 Acts 7, verses 48 to 50 a fulfillment of Isaiah 66 verses 1 and 2 the church age without a temple will nevertheless fulfill God's promise. Acts 8, verses 4 to 25 the gospel going to the Samaritans fulfilling Ezekiel 16 verses 53 to 55 look at the comprehensive score scope of God's plan as it's being fulfilled. Acts 9, verse 15 paralleling Malachi 1:11 and Isaiah 49. 6. Look at the the conversion of Cornelius in Acts 10. Indeed, verse 43 tells us of that chapter that all the prophets bear witness to this Acts 13 verses 40 and 41 paralleling Habakkuk 1:5 a work will be done in your day, which is the gospel age whereby the Gentiles return unto God. Look at Acts 15 how there's an appeal to the prophets of old in verse 15 in particularly Amos 9 verses 11 and 12 the church being the rebuilding of David's booth. Acts 24 verses 14 the way which is called heresy by the Jews is the way that was written up by the prophets. Paul says Acts 26:6 verses and 22 and 27 the promise made to the fathers is nothing but what the Old Testament said and is proclaimed in this day. Acts 28:20 I've already told you about this. The gospel going to the Gentiles is the hope of Israel. Acts 28 verses 24 and 29 the fulfillment of Isaiah 6 verses 9 and 10 we could go on and on and I realize you can't keep up with all of that, but I do hope you See this, we go systematically, chapter, chapter after chapter, inductively studying the book of Acts. And repeatedly, it's whatever the prophets have said, it's the fulfillment of this prophetic passage. The New Testament kingdom is the fulfillment of that universal kingdom prophesied in the Old Testament. And so the kingdom is a present reality and the church is the focal manifestation of of that kingdom. The kingdom has come near. Even as John the Baptist preached the kingdom of God is near. And Jesus preached the kingdom of God is near. And his disciples preached the kingdom of God is near. Just look at Matthew's gospel, Matthew 3, verse 2. For John the Baptist, Matthew 4:17. For Jesus, Matthew 10, verse 7. For the disciples, the message is uniform. The kingdom has been brought in near. And Jesus tells us that the kingdom has been fulfilled in his day. In Luke 4, his preaching activity brings the acceptable year of the Lord. The gospel being preached fulfills Isaiah 41 and Isaiah 61. We've already referred to Matthew 12:28, the miracles of Jesus and the casting out of demons means the kingdom of God has come. And in Luke 17, verse 21, Jesus says, the kingdom of God is among you. He does not mean the kingdom of God is within you, a spiritual type of thing. He means that since he is the king and he is in their midst, he has brought the kingdom. Matthew 16:28 he says, Within the generation of my hearers, you'll see the kingdom come in power. And then we've already referred to the Acts and hearing Hebrews passages that show Jesus as enthroned as the king overall and how Paul preached the kingdom of God and spoke of the church as being within the kingdom of God. In Colossians 4:11, I'll just pick one little proof text out of the midst of the many here and we'll stop. In Colossians 4:11, Paul mentions three Jewish Christians and three Gentile Christians and he describes them as quote, quote, fellow workers for the kingdom.