Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof - New Leaven

Premillenarians would have it), but for atonement, Ezek. 42:13; 43:18-27. And in
addition to all that, the altered situation would make it necessary for all the nations to
visit Jerusalem from year to year, in order to celebrate the feast of tabernacles, Zech.
14:16, and even from week to week, to worship before Jehovah, Isa. 66:23.
b. The so-called postponement theory, which is a necessary link in the premillennial
scheme, is devoid of all Scriptural basis. According to it John and Jesus proclaimed that
the Kingdom, that is, the Jewish theocracy, was at hand. But because the Jews did not
repent and believe, Jesus postponed its establishment until His second coming. The
pivotal point marking the change is placed by Scofield in Matt. 11:20, by others in Matt.
12, and by others still later. Before that turning point Jesus did not concern Himself with
the Gentiles, but preached the gospel of the kingdom to Israel; and after that He did not
preach the kingdom any more, but only predicted its future coming and offered rest to
the weary of both Israel and the Gentiles. But it cannot be maintained that Jesus did not
concern Himself with the Gentiles before the supposed turning point, cf. Matt. 8:5-13;
John 4:1-42, nor that after it He ceased to preach the kingdom, Matt. 13; Luke 10:1-11.
There is absolutely no proof that Jesus preached two different gospels, first the gospel of
the kingdom and then the gospel of the grace of God; in the light of Scripture this
distinction is untenable. Jesus never had in mind the re-establishment of the Old
Testament theocracy, but the introduction of the spiritual reality, of which the Old
Testament kingdom was but a type, Matt. 8:11,12; 13:31-33; 21:43; Luke 17:21; John 3:3;
18:36,37 (comp. Rom. 14:17). He did not postpone the task for which He had come into
the world, but actually established the Kingdom and referred to it more than once as a
present reality, Matt. 11:12; 12:28; Luke 17:21; John 18:36,37; (comp. Col. 1:13). This
whole postponement theory is a comparatively recent fiction, and is very objectionable,
because it breaks up the unity of Scripture and of the people of God in an unwarranted
way. The Bible represents the relation between the Old Testament and the New as that
of type and antitype, of prophecy and fulfilment; but this theory holds that, while the
New Testament was originally meant to be a fulfilment of the Old, it really became
something quite different. The kingdom, that is, the Old Testament theocracy, was
predicted and was not restored, and the Church was not predicted but was established.
Thus the two fall apart, and the one becomes the book of the kingdom, and the other,
with the exception of the Gospels, the book of the Church. Besides, we get two peoples
of God, the one natural and the other spiritual, the one earthly and the other heavenly,
as if Jesus did not speak of “one flock and one shepherd,” John 10:16, and as if Paul did
not say that the Gentiles were grafted into the old olive tree, Rom. 11:17.
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