The Dispensational View of the Davidic Kingdom - The Master's ...
The Dispensational View of the Davidic Kingdom - The Master's ...
The Dispensational View of the Davidic Kingdom - The Master's ...
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>Dispensational</strong> <strong>View</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Davidic</strong> <strong>Kingdom</strong> 235This interpretation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> exaltation <strong>of</strong> Jesus to <strong>the</strong> right hand <strong>of</strong>God in fulfillment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Davidic</strong> messianic promise <strong>the</strong>reforeallows for <strong>the</strong> inaugural fulfillment <strong>of</strong> those promises indistinction from <strong>the</strong> total postponement <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Davidic</strong> promise intraditional dispensationalism. 86While <strong>the</strong> progressive dispensationalists are careful to express<strong>the</strong>ir commitment to a future for ethnic Israel and a future, literalfulfillment <strong>of</strong> Israel's covenant promise, <strong>the</strong>se views concerning <strong>the</strong>inaugural fulfillment <strong>of</strong> Old Testament promise, especially that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><strong>Davidic</strong> covenant, and <strong>the</strong> redefining <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> present form <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> churchmark an aberration from normative dispensationalism. 87 <strong>The</strong> consistentlyheld <strong>of</strong>fer, rejection, postponement, and fully future fulfillment<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Davidic</strong> kingdom is absent from <strong>the</strong>ir teaching. Also absent is<strong>the</strong> view that <strong>the</strong> church is distinct from that kingdom. Ryrie <strong>of</strong>fers<strong>the</strong> following summary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> progressive dispensational teaching on<strong>the</strong> <strong>Davidic</strong> covenant, underlining its departure from normativedispensationalism:Until now <strong>the</strong> <strong>Davidic</strong> covenant was understood bydispensationalists as related only to Israel, with its ultimatefulfillment in <strong>the</strong> reign <strong>of</strong> Christ on David's throne in <strong>the</strong>Millennium. Progressive dispensationalism, however, teaches that<strong>the</strong> Lord Jesus is now reigning as David's king in heaven at <strong>the</strong>right hand <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Fa<strong>the</strong>r in an `already' fulfillment aspect <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><strong>Davidic</strong> kingdom and that He will also reign on earth in <strong>the</strong>Millennium in <strong>the</strong> `not yet' aspect. <strong>The</strong>y also assert that at Christ'sascension He was inaugurated as <strong>Davidic</strong> king, that <strong>the</strong> right hand86Ibid., 76. It is also interesting to point out <strong>the</strong> synopsis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> book on its backcover: "Dr. Saucy departs from classic dispensationalism, however, in showing that(1) <strong>the</strong> fulfillment <strong>of</strong> Old Testament prophecy begins in <strong>the</strong> present church age, and(2) <strong>the</strong> church is not a paren<strong>the</strong>sis in God's program but represents a continuity with<strong>the</strong> Old Testament messianic program."87For <strong>the</strong> progressive dispensational perspective on future fulfillment, see R. Saucy,<strong>The</strong> Case for Progressive <strong>Dispensational</strong>ism 297-323; Blaising and Bock, Progressive<strong>Dispensational</strong>ism 262-77.
Change language