Blogs of Division vs Restorative Christian Living by Ward Fenley

Manyare aware that I used to frequent the numerous forums and blogs where the truths of grace and the kingdom of God are defended and often defended well. It was usually the case, however, that I would take upon me the spirit of abrasiveness and depend upon my tone rather than simply presenting truth to communicate my own persuasion. I can also say that it was when the antagonists would attack and throw the stones of “anathema” that I usually got the most incensed, as if this were surprising. Anymore it’s not surprising. But I believe when this happens, we are called to move on rather than banter and partake in stone throwing. When we partake in the stone throwing, we then show our dependency on ourselves rather than on truth. When we take it upon ourselves to twist a man’s arm publicly to show our intellectual superiority, the very sovereign God and sovereign truth we proclaim is actually eclipsed. This isn’t to say that blogging and disputing shouldn’t happen. I believe it is an effective ministry. But when it deviates into schism, that’s probably the time to quit. The accusations only hurt and bring out vengeance in the majority of us. Yes, it is true that many who attend those sites may believe the accusations after they have left, because they are gullible and do not test all things. I was recently questioned by an observer about some accusations made toward me at an “anti-preterist” site. Those accusations are:Read more.

In the Days of These Kings by Brian Maxwell

Some might be asking “why the history lesson?” It is important to recognize that something very significant happened during the tenth king’s (Emperor’s) reign. In chapter 2 Daniel describes this fourth kingdom (Rome) as having ten toes.  Chapter 7 is a parallel passage which tells us explicitly that the ten horns of the fourth “beast” (or kingdom) are ten kings (Dan 7:24). We are told in both Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 that during the days of these ten kings the God of Heaven would set up a Kingdom that would not be destroyed!  Is there any biblical doubt that this Kingdom of God is none other than the Kingdom of Jesus Christ?  What other kingdom was established during the reign of these ten kings that would not be destroyed?  There is only one.  Some may argue that this Kingdom of Christ established 2000 years ago is simply the spiritual part of the kingdom, and that sometime in our future the physical part will be fulfilled; that is, when God turns back to physical Israel and establishes them in their physical land.  But the Scripture simply does not support dividing the Kingdom into phases, some fulfilled now, and some fulfilled later.  It does not wash with the word of God.  Jesus gave no hint of a duel fulfillment of His kingdom.  He spoke plainly about His kingdom:  that it was not of this world (the old world, or Hebrew world) but that it was “within you” (within the believer, a spiritual Kingdom of conscience). That is why Daniel was able to prophesy concerning Christ (the stone) that His Kingdom was made without hands, and that it broke the other four kingdoms into pieces.  Jesus Christ’s kingdom was made through the gospel (without hands, through changed hearts). Read more.

The Language of Creation from Genesis to Revelation by Tami Jelinek

There is much disagreement within fulfilled eschatology regarding the Genesis creation story. What is it about?  Those who are futurist in their eschatology, and take a literal, cosmological view of “the end,” understandably view Genesis as the beginning of the same. In other words, if Revelation and other   “last days” prophecies describe the end of the physical universe, then Genesis describes the beginning of that same universe. This is logical, and a consistent approach to the Bible as a whole. But what about preterists, who hold to a fulfilled view of eschatology? We see Revelation and other “last days” prophecies as pointing to the end of the Old Covenant age, and not the end of the physical universe. We recognize the language of the prophets, appreciate its metaphorical and symbolic elements and understand the covenant context of this language as it is employed consistently throughout the Bible. Furthermore, we submit our interpretation of this language to Jesus and the apostles, who quote extensively from those prophetic contexts.  And if we are to be consistent, as consistent as those who are futurist in their eschatology and view the beginning and the end as the beginning and the end of the same universe; then we will likewise view the beginning and the end as the beginning and the end of the same covenant world. Or, we might say that they are covenantal counterparts. In other words, we will understand that Genesis’ creation is the same in nature as Revelation’s new creation. We will naturally conclude that it is a covenantal, rather than a cosmological creation. 

But some preterists make an exception to their otherwise consistent approach to Scripture when it comes to Genesis. They contend that while the Bible tells the story of God’s covenant relationship with His people, a story which culminates with the ultimate and final redemption of His covenant creation; Genesis (the first book of the Bible and literally, “beginning”) is not the beginning of the Bible’s story, but rather the beginning of the physical universe. Even though “the rest of the story” and specifically the end of that story, in no way references universal, cosmological history. Read more.

In this Mountain (an exposition of Isaiah 25:6-9) by Tami Jelinek

Recently I observed someone quoting a portion of Isaiah 25:8, isolated from even its immediate context, and implying that it was a promise which had yet to be fulfilled. The section quoted was this:

“…and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth.”

Now, I am not sure what the person envisions to be a future (not accomplished by the cross) fulfillment of the removal of the “rebuke” of God’s people from “all the earth.” I could only speculate. But perhaps he envisions a time when anti-Semitism will be eradicated from the world (as though anyone calling himself a “Jew” today is using the term in any Biblically correct sense). Or, maybe he dreams of a time when Christians, and Christianity, won’t be mocked on Saturday Night Live; or when monuments to the Ten Commandments (the ordinances which were blotted out and nailed to the cross according to Colossians 2:14) will be erected in secular courthouses across America. As is the case any time we attempt to interpret Bible prophecy according to the lead story on Fox News, the speculation could go on indefinitely. In fact, when we separate these prophecies from their contexts, and ignore the analogy of Scripture, they could, and do, end up meaning all things to all people. Or, as John Owen put it, they “have no meaning at all.”

What does the prophet mean when he foretells, “the rebuke of His people shall He take away from all the earth?” Let’s examine the immediate context of this statement, verses 6-9: Read more.

The Heavens: Conscience or Cosmos? by Tami Jelinek

But some will say in response (and this is a charge which has actually been voiced): “In your view, the Bible has nothing to say to Chinese people, so why would we preach the gospel to them?” Another distortion has been expressed this way: “If Genesis is about covenant creation, and not the creation of the world, then the god of the Bible is not the God of the universe, but merely a tribal god.” I hope the reader will see clearly that what has happened in both of these cases is that what we have expressed as a “covenant creation” has been arbitrarily redefined as a “local creation.” A spiritual creation has been given geographical boundaries. Furthermore, a spiritual new creation, in which there is neither Jew nor gentile according to the scriptures, has been erroneously defined not just spatially, but also racially.  We reject both of these adulterations of God’s covenant creation. And as we shall see, they lead to some rather problematic theological ramifications.

At the beginning of the Bible, the creation of “the heaven and the earth” refers to the beginning of God’s covenant relationship with His people. At the end of the Bible, the creation of “the new heavens and the new earth” refers to the restoration and renewal—the recreation or regeneration--of that covenant relationship. Neither the beginning of the Bible nor the end of the Bible refers to the creation of a geographic location or a biological race. It’s about a covenant people, not a cosmological race or place.
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Evil vs. Evil and the Fatherhood of God by Ward Fenley

Recently I had the privilege of spending some great time with a musician in a traveling rock and roll band. He is a Christian who, like so many of us, has had many struggles with guilt and the pain of poor choices. In our several conversations he communicated to me in the saddest and most self-deprecating way the agony of his spiritual experience as a result of the many vices which gripped him. Of course, as I listened to his list of many wanderings, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of refreshing, not that I was exulting in his weaknesses, but rather that he had laid wide open the door to real humanity and revived the all but lost art of “confessing our faults one to another.” Here was a man who had nothing to lose in his confession. He had no ministries of concern, no financial loss to incur, no reputation to tarnish; he was simply sharing with me those things which were driving him to despair. Through all his confessing he continually made reference to the cross with statements like, “How could I possibly have done all these things when my Savior would give Himself for me?” It was beautiful, yet sobering. For, accompanying every breath of “why” and “what have I done?” was the common perception that the things he had done were so much worse than the things other Christians had done, as if his evil deeds somehow weighed heavier in the balances than those of more upstanding Christians. And surely most of Christendom would agree. Yet then, somehow, the conversation turned to his daughter’s best friend who had been murdered the previous month. The incident made national news. At first the conversation was linked to the age-old question, “Why would God allow that?” We proceeded to briefly discuss God and His mysterious sovereignty and control of all things. But then my friend began to wax intense about how awful this murderer was and how Christ could die for such a horrible deed. It struck me as contradictory that this man, not fifteen minutes earlier, had abased himself to such a low degree as to say, “How could Christ accept me for all the wickedness I have done?”;  and yet immediately be in shock and awe over the brutality of this murderer. Read more.