Originally published in "The Lord's Coming Herald & Wesleyan Bible Prophecy Advocate," Summer Edition 2004
Dispensationalism's Fictional Jesus
In Galatians 1:6 Paul refers to "another
gospel" being proclaimed by the Judaizers that was designed to subvert the true
Christian message.
The problem came from certain Jews who did not understand the
true meaning of Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ. They still clung to Jewish
misconceptions of messianism that would, in effect, strip Jesus of his present
reign and kingdom, bind Gentile converts to the requirements of an obsolete old
covenant economy, and deny the liberty of the new age of redemption.
Modern dispensationalism, likewise, promotes "another gospel"
of messianic misconception. Here are the central pillars of it:
1. Dispensationalism teaches "another Jesus" who is coming
for the any-moment, secret pretribulation rapture of the church; the true Jesus
of the Bible, by contrast, said that he would resurrect his followers only on
"the last day," and at "the last trump" sounding.
2. Dispensationalism teaches "another Jesus" who postponed
his kingdom to the Jews at the end of Daniel's prophecy of the sixty-nine weeks;
the true Messiah of Scripture, by contrast, fully established his kingdom of
redemption for all mankind during the seventieth week of Daniel 9:27
two-thousand years ago.
3. Dispensationalism teaches "another Jesus" who is coming
back to politically reign over the Jews—in ancient oriental-monarchy-style—for a
thousand years; the glorified Savior of the New Testament, by contrast, already
reigns in the fullness of his everlasting kingdom now. When he returns it will
be to resurrect and judge all men on the basis of the one standard of true
righteousness fully revealed in the Christian gospel.
Now what Jesus do you serve: the Judaizers' Jesus who is not
the Christ, or the Messiah revealed in the New Testament?
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