New Articles Coming Soon
Soon The Covenant Messenger will resume publishing new articles related to the topic of fulfilled Bible prophecy. During the decade of the 1990's many subscribers awaited anxiously to receive each edition of the magazine. This was in the days before the explosion of growth took place as thousands from around the world were coming into contact with Covenant Eschatology. These were exciting days as believers met together in conferences and in small group Bible studies. Entire churches were affected by the message as ministers, elders and Bible Class teachers were beginning to learn the truth.
Today, the electronic media is the best option to communicate will people immediately. We hope that our former readers will once again join with the next "generation" of Preterists raising their voices in praise and adoration of God.
Today, the electronic media is the best option to communicate will people immediately. We hope that our former readers will once again join with the next "generation" of Preterists raising their voices in praise and adoration of God.
Covenant Rationality
[EDITOR'S NOTE: This article first appeared in the August 15, 1992 edition of Living Presence magazine, then edited and published by Max R. King from Warren, OH. It was his gentle spirit and kind encouragement that provided the motivation for a young minister of the gospel to explore all aspects of Covenant Eschatology. One month later, following the appearance of this article, our family moved to California to begin working with a small congregation of believers who were convinced that all of God's promises have been fulfilled.--Larry Siegle]
Truth must be the firm foundation upon which genuine faith is built. To settle for anything less than absolute truth is to compromise. The admonition of the apostle Paul to the church in Thessalonica still rings true today: "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21 ASV). Therefore, any teaching that cannot be examined in the light of God's word and proven to be true must be rejected. "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (I John 4:1).
Jesus promised his followers, ". . . If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31,32). These verses teach that truth is objective, and can be "known" with absolute certainty. Moreover, obtaining a correct understanding of the truth is essential for one's salvation (John 17:3, 17; I Timothy 2:4). Faith, when produced in the hearts of people, comes only from the fountain of God's word and no place else (Romans 10:17).
When engaging in the pursuit of truth, the law of rationality must be applied. The law of rationality says that one should draw only those conclusions that are warranted by the evidence.' This means that the Bible must be understood within the context of its own historical framework before one seeks to make an application to the present time. It therefore follows that no verse can mean today what that verse never meant. The role of exegesis has always been to extract from the text, and not read into it, adding some concept foreign to the original meaning.
This principle is valid when applied to any subject about which the Bible teaches, including the study of biblical Eschatology. To abandon the law of rationality in favor of emotional arguments can only lead one down the pathway of spiritual darkness. "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is be cause there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20). Therefore, when one takes a subjective approach in his study of biblical Eschatology, the result is often the acceptance of error instead of truth.
HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE
It was during the early years of this century that premillennialism made its entrance into the churches of Christ. Great men of faith, such as Foy E. Wallace Jr., arose to the occasion and stood against this outbreak of "millennial madness." The subject was widely discussed and debated in various locations around the United States. It was the firm conviction of these brethren that truth could always stand the test of honest investigation. As a result, today there are only 76 churches of Christ that hold to the premillennial theory of prophetic interpretation.
The most common view held among churches of Christ today is that of amillennialism. This system of interpretation takes a semi-preterist approach to Bible prophecy. Most amillennialists hold that "some," but not "all" Bible prophecy has reached its consummation. Thus, a "gap" of thousands of years is left between the "already" and the "not yet" of prophecy. For many, this "gap" has produced a lack of understanding of what redemptive history is all about. In fact, most Christians have never studied Eschatology, and do not understand the basic elements of it.
Although most people are inclined toward a futurist view of the second coming, the final Judgment, and the resurrection of the dead, there is much uncertainty and speculation when they seek to explain what they believe about these end-time events, and how they are to take place. The false premise that end time events relate to the termination of the material universe is based, primarily, on incorrect reasoning.
The time has arrived for Bible students to examine the traditional view of Eschatology in the light of redemptive history. If the amillennial view is accurate, then those who espouse it must be willing to "prove" it from the Scriptures, setting aside all "emotional arguments" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The law of rationality demands such to be the case! On the other hand, if Covenant Eschatology, which sees the consummation of redemptive history as a present reality is accurate, then those who espouse such a view must be willing to "prove" it from the Scriptures (I Thessalonians 5:21).
PROBLEMS WITH PREMISES
Logically, when one begins with a wrong premise, the conclusion to which he arrives also will be wrong. For example, it is a common assertion that with the return of Christ comes the end of the material universe. To what false conclusion has such an assertion led?
Most liberal theologians have impugned the credibility of the New Testament simply because of this materialistic concept of fulfillment: "The problem of Eschatology grew out of the fact that the expected end of the world failed to arrive, that the `Son of Man' did not appear in the clouds of heaven, that history went on . . ." [2] Does the fact "that history went on" prove conclusively that the "end of the world failed to arrive," and that the "Son of Man" did not appear in the "clouds of heaven"? Or instead, could it be that such a conclusion is based upon mere assumption rather than sound biblical exegesis? The inherent danger of beginning with the wrong premise is that it often leads one to the wrong conclusion!
The false premise that end-time events relate to the termination of the material universe is based, primarily, on incorrect reasoning. Solomon wrote, "One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever" (Ecclesiastes 1:4). Was not Solomon seeking to contrast the unstable and transitory nature of man with the stable and everlasting nature of that which God creates? Even if the material universe were to end at some future time, what would such a passing have to do with the fulfillment of redemptive history?
Therefore, Covenantal salvation is related to the working out of spiritual realities that find their completeness in Christ (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8:5, 10:Iff; Ephesians 1:3).
The problem of sin relates not to rocks, trees, birds, and animals; but rather to man's spiritual nature and standing before God. To Old Testament Israel, the prophet Isaiah affirmed, "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you" (Isaiah 59:2). Since the problem of sin and separation from God relates to spiritual matters, would not one logically look for redemptive history to be concerned with spiritual things, rather then the physical elements of creation?
The Old Testament promises given to Abraham had both physical and spiritual aspects (Genesis 12:1-3). Within the physical realm of fulfillment, the fleshly "seed-line" would eventually lead to the arrival of Messiah. "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, `and to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, `and to your Seed,' who is Christ" (Galatians 3:16). The physical lineage of Abraham was necessary for the bringing of Christ into the world, "born of a woman, born under the law" (Galatians 4:4; Genesis 3:15).
However, it would be a mistake to conclude that the Abrahamic promises were limited only to those who were his fleshly descendants (Matthew 3:9; John 8:33). Through the nation of Israel and its law covenant were the physical aspects of the Abrahamic promises fulfilled (Joshua 21:43-45; 23:14). However, this aspect of fulfillment only served as the vehicle from which the spiritual fulfillment would proceed (Galatians 3:24-29).
Those who lived during the first century were seeing redemptive history unfold before their very eyes! With the death of Jesus on the Cross, and his subsequent resurrection and ascension, a course of events was set into motion, which would forever change the course of human history. The transition period between the Cross and A.D.70 saw the Old Covenant finally bow in total subjection before the New. The apostle Paul, writing of this covenantal change, observed, "For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious" (II Corinthians 3:11).
The promises made to Abraham were ... completely fulfilled, as those who lived under the Old Covenant were being "transformed" (1I Corinthians 3:18) or resurrected from that mode of existence and given New Covenant life in Christ (I1 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:3-5). The physical "elements" of Judaism were about to "pass away with a great noise and ... melt with fervent heat" (11 Peter 3:10), while spiritual Israel was about to enter into its fullness of everlasting glory and exaltation (I Thessalonians 4:17; John 14:3; 11 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21,22).
Therefore, Covenantal salvation is related to the working out of spiritual realities that find their completeness in Christ (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8:5; 10:1 ff, Ephesians 1:3). When one is able to see the true premise upon which salvation is built, everything else falls easily into place. It is not valid reasoning to reject A.D. 70 as the second coming of Christ simply because "history went on." A.D. 70 marked the end of the Jewish age (Matthew 24:3) and the complete fulfillment of all that had been prophesied in the Old Testament (Luke 21:22). The very heart of redemptive history involve the working out of mankind's salvation through the historic frame-Work of Old Testament Israel (Genesis 12:1-3; John 4:22).
CONCLUSION
The law of rationality demands an examination of all the evidence before drawing a conclusion. The mistake in failing too see the spiritual fulfillment of the promises might lead to the conclusion that such promises have not yet reached their consummation. This proves that a false premise can, and often does, lead to faulty conclusions. In addition, emotional attachment to the traditional views on Eschatology cannot serve as proof positive that such views are true. Only through careful application of sound principles of interpretation (hermeneutics) can one be sure one is fulfilling his responsibility to "prove all things" (I Thessalonians 5:21) and to "test the spirits" (I John 4:1).
While the brotherhood is full of men who would advocate logic and its manifold application to spiritual matters, it seems that few are willing to do so when dealing with the subject of Eschatology. If people only had a willingness to look at Covenant Eschatology with an open heart, along with an open Bible! Truth never has anything to fear from honest investigation, and only the truth has the ability to make one free (John 8:32). To understand Bible prophecy one must learn to practice Covenant Rationality!
Footnotes
1 Thomas B. Warren, Logic and the Bible. (Jonesboro, Ark: National Christian Press, 1982), p.14.
2 Rudolf Bultmann, History and Eschatology: The Presence of Eternity, (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1957), p.38.
Editor's note [written by Max King]: Larry Siegle was born in Hamilton, Ohio, and reared in Denver, Colorado. After attending Pikes Peak Community College, where he majored in Communications, he worked in radio and managed a station in West Texas. In 1986 he attended Bear Valley Bible School, after which he worked with the Church of Christ in Olathe and in Topeka, Kansas. In 1989 he enrolled in the Memphis School of Preaching, graduating in June 91. Since then he has preached for the Gregg Avenue Church of Christ in Florence, SC. Currently he is in the process of moving to Pinole, CA, to take up work with the church there the first of September. We welcome Larry to the staff of The Living Presence, and feel blessed to have a man of his talent and commitment to the Word of God communicating the Gospel of God's Covenant blessings to the world.
Truth must be the firm foundation upon which genuine faith is built. To settle for anything less than absolute truth is to compromise. The admonition of the apostle Paul to the church in Thessalonica still rings true today: "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21 ASV). Therefore, any teaching that cannot be examined in the light of God's word and proven to be true must be rejected. "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (I John 4:1).
Jesus promised his followers, ". . . If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31,32). These verses teach that truth is objective, and can be "known" with absolute certainty. Moreover, obtaining a correct understanding of the truth is essential for one's salvation (John 17:3, 17; I Timothy 2:4). Faith, when produced in the hearts of people, comes only from the fountain of God's word and no place else (Romans 10:17).
When engaging in the pursuit of truth, the law of rationality must be applied. The law of rationality says that one should draw only those conclusions that are warranted by the evidence.' This means that the Bible must be understood within the context of its own historical framework before one seeks to make an application to the present time. It therefore follows that no verse can mean today what that verse never meant. The role of exegesis has always been to extract from the text, and not read into it, adding some concept foreign to the original meaning.
This principle is valid when applied to any subject about which the Bible teaches, including the study of biblical Eschatology. To abandon the law of rationality in favor of emotional arguments can only lead one down the pathway of spiritual darkness. "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is be cause there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20). Therefore, when one takes a subjective approach in his study of biblical Eschatology, the result is often the acceptance of error instead of truth.
HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE
It was during the early years of this century that premillennialism made its entrance into the churches of Christ. Great men of faith, such as Foy E. Wallace Jr., arose to the occasion and stood against this outbreak of "millennial madness." The subject was widely discussed and debated in various locations around the United States. It was the firm conviction of these brethren that truth could always stand the test of honest investigation. As a result, today there are only 76 churches of Christ that hold to the premillennial theory of prophetic interpretation.
The most common view held among churches of Christ today is that of amillennialism. This system of interpretation takes a semi-preterist approach to Bible prophecy. Most amillennialists hold that "some," but not "all" Bible prophecy has reached its consummation. Thus, a "gap" of thousands of years is left between the "already" and the "not yet" of prophecy. For many, this "gap" has produced a lack of understanding of what redemptive history is all about. In fact, most Christians have never studied Eschatology, and do not understand the basic elements of it.
Although most people are inclined toward a futurist view of the second coming, the final Judgment, and the resurrection of the dead, there is much uncertainty and speculation when they seek to explain what they believe about these end-time events, and how they are to take place. The false premise that end time events relate to the termination of the material universe is based, primarily, on incorrect reasoning.
The time has arrived for Bible students to examine the traditional view of Eschatology in the light of redemptive history. If the amillennial view is accurate, then those who espouse it must be willing to "prove" it from the Scriptures, setting aside all "emotional arguments" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The law of rationality demands such to be the case! On the other hand, if Covenant Eschatology, which sees the consummation of redemptive history as a present reality is accurate, then those who espouse such a view must be willing to "prove" it from the Scriptures (I Thessalonians 5:21).
PROBLEMS WITH PREMISES
Logically, when one begins with a wrong premise, the conclusion to which he arrives also will be wrong. For example, it is a common assertion that with the return of Christ comes the end of the material universe. To what false conclusion has such an assertion led?
Most liberal theologians have impugned the credibility of the New Testament simply because of this materialistic concept of fulfillment: "The problem of Eschatology grew out of the fact that the expected end of the world failed to arrive, that the `Son of Man' did not appear in the clouds of heaven, that history went on . . ." [2] Does the fact "that history went on" prove conclusively that the "end of the world failed to arrive," and that the "Son of Man" did not appear in the "clouds of heaven"? Or instead, could it be that such a conclusion is based upon mere assumption rather than sound biblical exegesis? The inherent danger of beginning with the wrong premise is that it often leads one to the wrong conclusion!
The false premise that end-time events relate to the termination of the material universe is based, primarily, on incorrect reasoning. Solomon wrote, "One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever" (Ecclesiastes 1:4). Was not Solomon seeking to contrast the unstable and transitory nature of man with the stable and everlasting nature of that which God creates? Even if the material universe were to end at some future time, what would such a passing have to do with the fulfillment of redemptive history?
Therefore, Covenantal salvation is related to the working out of spiritual realities that find their completeness in Christ (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8:5, 10:Iff; Ephesians 1:3).
The problem of sin relates not to rocks, trees, birds, and animals; but rather to man's spiritual nature and standing before God. To Old Testament Israel, the prophet Isaiah affirmed, "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you" (Isaiah 59:2). Since the problem of sin and separation from God relates to spiritual matters, would not one logically look for redemptive history to be concerned with spiritual things, rather then the physical elements of creation?
The Old Testament promises given to Abraham had both physical and spiritual aspects (Genesis 12:1-3). Within the physical realm of fulfillment, the fleshly "seed-line" would eventually lead to the arrival of Messiah. "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, `and to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, `and to your Seed,' who is Christ" (Galatians 3:16). The physical lineage of Abraham was necessary for the bringing of Christ into the world, "born of a woman, born under the law" (Galatians 4:4; Genesis 3:15).
However, it would be a mistake to conclude that the Abrahamic promises were limited only to those who were his fleshly descendants (Matthew 3:9; John 8:33). Through the nation of Israel and its law covenant were the physical aspects of the Abrahamic promises fulfilled (Joshua 21:43-45; 23:14). However, this aspect of fulfillment only served as the vehicle from which the spiritual fulfillment would proceed (Galatians 3:24-29).
Those who lived during the first century were seeing redemptive history unfold before their very eyes! With the death of Jesus on the Cross, and his subsequent resurrection and ascension, a course of events was set into motion, which would forever change the course of human history. The transition period between the Cross and A.D.70 saw the Old Covenant finally bow in total subjection before the New. The apostle Paul, writing of this covenantal change, observed, "For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious" (II Corinthians 3:11).
The promises made to Abraham were ... completely fulfilled, as those who lived under the Old Covenant were being "transformed" (1I Corinthians 3:18) or resurrected from that mode of existence and given New Covenant life in Christ (I1 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:3-5). The physical "elements" of Judaism were about to "pass away with a great noise and ... melt with fervent heat" (11 Peter 3:10), while spiritual Israel was about to enter into its fullness of everlasting glory and exaltation (I Thessalonians 4:17; John 14:3; 11 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21,22).
Therefore, Covenantal salvation is related to the working out of spiritual realities that find their completeness in Christ (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8:5; 10:1 ff, Ephesians 1:3). When one is able to see the true premise upon which salvation is built, everything else falls easily into place. It is not valid reasoning to reject A.D. 70 as the second coming of Christ simply because "history went on." A.D. 70 marked the end of the Jewish age (Matthew 24:3) and the complete fulfillment of all that had been prophesied in the Old Testament (Luke 21:22). The very heart of redemptive history involve the working out of mankind's salvation through the historic frame-Work of Old Testament Israel (Genesis 12:1-3; John 4:22).
CONCLUSION
The law of rationality demands an examination of all the evidence before drawing a conclusion. The mistake in failing too see the spiritual fulfillment of the promises might lead to the conclusion that such promises have not yet reached their consummation. This proves that a false premise can, and often does, lead to faulty conclusions. In addition, emotional attachment to the traditional views on Eschatology cannot serve as proof positive that such views are true. Only through careful application of sound principles of interpretation (hermeneutics) can one be sure one is fulfilling his responsibility to "prove all things" (I Thessalonians 5:21) and to "test the spirits" (I John 4:1).
While the brotherhood is full of men who would advocate logic and its manifold application to spiritual matters, it seems that few are willing to do so when dealing with the subject of Eschatology. If people only had a willingness to look at Covenant Eschatology with an open heart, along with an open Bible! Truth never has anything to fear from honest investigation, and only the truth has the ability to make one free (John 8:32). To understand Bible prophecy one must learn to practice Covenant Rationality!
Footnotes
1 Thomas B. Warren, Logic and the Bible. (Jonesboro, Ark: National Christian Press, 1982), p.14.
2 Rudolf Bultmann, History and Eschatology: The Presence of Eternity, (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1957), p.38.
Editor's note [written by Max King]: Larry Siegle was born in Hamilton, Ohio, and reared in Denver, Colorado. After attending Pikes Peak Community College, where he majored in Communications, he worked in radio and managed a station in West Texas. In 1986 he attended Bear Valley Bible School, after which he worked with the Church of Christ in Olathe and in Topeka, Kansas. In 1989 he enrolled in the Memphis School of Preaching, graduating in June 91. Since then he has preached for the Gregg Avenue Church of Christ in Florence, SC. Currently he is in the process of moving to Pinole, CA, to take up work with the church there the first of September. We welcome Larry to the staff of The Living Presence, and feel blessed to have a man of his talent and commitment to the Word of God communicating the Gospel of God's Covenant blessings to the world.
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