A Covenant People

Who are God’s covenant people? A covenant is something that God makes with mankind and it is a love agreement that both man and God are committed to. Some people think that there are two covenant people, the nation of Israel and the church. However, the Bible does not reveal two covenants but of one. There is the old understanding of the covenant in the Old Testament and a complete and fully revealed understanding of the covenant and in the New Testament. There is the old dispensation and the new dispensation. (Ephesians 1:7-12) A dispensation is a different ways of revealing of God’s Covenant.

The Covenant people are those who enter and live in the kingdom of God. To enter you must be born again (John 3:3) and than it about living fully in the kingdom and to do this, you must live in the Spirit. (Romans 8) As Dallas Willard says in his book, The Spirit of the Disciplines, “Salvation is not just forgiveness, but a new order of life.” The kingdom of God includes the church and the kingdom of God and it includes both Jews and Gentiles in one covenant. As God’s word says, “But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are no all Israel who of Israel” (Romans 9:6) In other words Israel or the people of God is a spiritual Israel and includes those who have enter the kingdom of God by new birth both Jews and Gentiles. There is one people of God and one Covenant. There is one covenant people.

Some people who have an end time’s view are called dispensationalist and are usually Premillennialist and believe that there are two covenants one with the nation of Israel and one with Gentiles who become Christians. This seems quite odd Theologically to me. The also take prophecies in the Old Testament as for instance Ezekiel 38, etc. etc. and many others that have been fulfilled in the past. They state that these prophecies fulfilled in the past are to be applied to today. The call this double prophesy, but it seems more like presumption to me. God in his word tells us when there is a double prophecy is to applied. Double prophecies at a whim, is not good practise of interpretating the Bible. They say these prophecies and how they interpret them affirm present day events and therefore validate the Bible. Many of these prophecies they read back into them from their Premillennial view of the book of Revelation. However, they may do harm if their interpretation of double prophecies is wrong. For instance, one of the leading proponents even to this day is Hal Lindsay, although he went to glory in 2024, in his book, The Late Great Planet Earth, which I read the first edition many years ago, predicted the end of the world in 1984, stating that all the Bible prophecies have been fulfilled.

As well the Premillennial view takes some of the book of Revelation literally and believes there will be a literal thousand-year reign of Christ who will reign with a very authoritative hand after Christ comes and raptures up those who are in Christ. The third coming of Jesus in judgement comes after the millennial is over. They say they take the Bible literally not figuratively like the Amillennial. However, they don’t believe there is literally a seven headed dragon. They believe this symbolizes something else related close to the time it was written. (Romans 12:3)

The Premillennialist and dispensationalist also state that they take the Bible as a whole literally rather than at times figurative, symbolically or metaphorically. However, context is very critically important. Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to ]sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell” (Matthew 5:27-30) Jesus was using a hyperbole to make a very important point. I don’t see the Premillennialist actually practising this. Haven’t seen many of them, or none without eyes.

On top of this the Dispensational Premillennialist believe that anyone that doesn’t believe like them is close to being a heretic or at least uninformed and not taking the Bible as it states literally.

The various interpretation of Revelation and end times prophecies both believe Jesus is coming back to judge the quick and dead and take his covenant people to heaven and those who refuse his remedy and love to hell. On non-essentials there can be diversity among Christians and how the end comes will occur is a non-essential and there is room for diversity, that he is coming is essential. Jesus said speaking of the end times, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36). It seems odd to me that some spend so much time trying to figure it out and often speculating about it in current events. Speculation is not authoritative like the Bible.

How many Covenants does God have? Is there one of two? Are there two covenant people or one? Biblically, you will need to decide. That is the value of Theology which puts it all together and also interpretating God’s word in context. We need to be students of God’s word, as the Bible states, “Rightly dividing” or interpretating the word of God. (1 Timothy 2:15) As the chorus states, “Soon and very soon we re going to see the King.”

Just to let you know my view is a Partial Preterist and a Positive Amillennial view of Revelation and the end times. I know that is a lot of theological terms, but to do justice in explaining this view I would need to write a book. Not that I am planning too anytime soon.

Resource Books

The Time is at Hand, Jay E. Adams

The Last Days According to Jesus, R.C. Sproul

The Beast of Revelation, Kenneth Gentry.