RonJohnSilver
Well-known
This topic came up in another thread but I'd like to start its own thread because it's, I think, important to various end times discussions. For background, my SS teacher has been teaching on Revelation and it's become apparent that he sees the church as replacing Israel in some situations. For example, he said that the 2 witnesses in chapter 11 are not Moses, Elijah, Enoch, Elvis or anyone else but is the church. He sees the 42 months of the tribulation as not necessarily a literal 42 months but rather an "appropriate" period of time. I'd appreciate your insights, thoughts. So, with that, here's my last thought and then a short response from Adrian.
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I was just today reading why my SS teacher would have such, to me, wrong understandings of some of the events in Revelation and then, thanks to GotQuestions.org, I realized that he is likely coming at it from a Covenantal Theology viewpoint. I hadn't seen that clearly until he said that, as indicated, he thinks the two witnesses are not necessarily two but perhaps more. Not only that, but the "two or more" witnesses are not Jews but are, in fact, the church. Now I'm understanding his waffling on when the rapture is, that is, pre or post-tribulation. Yeah, makes more sense now. Well, it's not a salvation issue but it is concerning because I think his viewpoint really misses the mark regarding Israel. I would value other opinions because I just now learning about Covenant Theology.
(Adrian) Covenant theology sees one long progression of the relationship between God and man. It began with Israel and then morphed into the Church. Thus, in this school of thinking, the promises to Israel have now become promises to the Church. Consequently, as we go into the future, all that was given to Israel now belongs to the Church. It differs from replacement theology in that Covenant Theology believesthe covenant with Israel has not been nullified ... just that the beneficiaries have changed-- the Church instead of national Israel. But both wind up at the same place regarding eschatology: the Church now will inherit all God's promises and is destined to make the earth Christ's, subduing it for Him.
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I was just today reading why my SS teacher would have such, to me, wrong understandings of some of the events in Revelation and then, thanks to GotQuestions.org, I realized that he is likely coming at it from a Covenantal Theology viewpoint. I hadn't seen that clearly until he said that, as indicated, he thinks the two witnesses are not necessarily two but perhaps more. Not only that, but the "two or more" witnesses are not Jews but are, in fact, the church. Now I'm understanding his waffling on when the rapture is, that is, pre or post-tribulation. Yeah, makes more sense now. Well, it's not a salvation issue but it is concerning because I think his viewpoint really misses the mark regarding Israel. I would value other opinions because I just now learning about Covenant Theology.
(Adrian) Covenant theology sees one long progression of the relationship between God and man. It began with Israel and then morphed into the Church. Thus, in this school of thinking, the promises to Israel have now become promises to the Church. Consequently, as we go into the future, all that was given to Israel now belongs to the Church. It differs from replacement theology in that Covenant Theology believesthe covenant with Israel has not been nullified ... just that the beneficiaries have changed-- the Church instead of national Israel. But both wind up at the same place regarding eschatology: the Church now will inherit all God's promises and is destined to make the earth Christ's, subduing it for Him.
