Dennis Edwards
Charles Spurgeon wrote on the “Israel of God.” Spurgeon was very critical of Darby and the Dispensationalist’s view that there were two peoples of God. C.I. Scofield incorporated Darby’s view into his Biblical concordance, which became the reference Bible for nearly all seminary schools in America in the beginning of the 20th century. Scofield’s theology therefore became one of the most influential in the USA and later through Protestantism in the world as foreign Protestants followed American theology. However, let us read what Spurgeon wrote.
“Distinctions have been drawn by certain exceeding wise men (measured by their own estimate of themselves), between the people of God who lived before the coming of Christ, and those who lived afterwards. We have even heard it asserted that those who lived before the coming of Christ [the Fathers of Faith of Hebrews 11] do not belong to the church of God!"
Spurgeon is referring to Darby, or others like Darby of that day, who were coming in with new eschatology teaching. Spurgeon was a good friend of Benjamin W. Newton and George Muller. Muller and Newton were also good friends. Newton had had a falling out with Darby and the Plymouth Brethren over Darby's incorporating Pre-Tribulation doctrine into his eschatology. Newton had read the Church Fathers diligently and believed the Pre-Tribulation idea was contrary to Scripture and the understanding of the Church Fathers. Darby later became friends with Scofield who incorporated the Pre-Tribulation doctrine into his Reference Bible. Scofield's work was financed by his Jewish friends in America. His interpretation of Scripture divided some reference for the church and some for the Jewish people. Scofield's Bible which after 1909 began to be used throughout American seminary schools is the reason why American Evangelicals vehemently support Israel and believe that Israel in rebellion are still the people of God.
Spurgeon went to say, “We never know what we shall hear next, and perhaps it is a mercy that these absurdities are revealed at one time, in order that we may be able to endure their stupidity without dying of amazement. Why, every child of God in every place stands on the same footing; the Lord has not some children best beloved, some second-rate offspring, and others whom he hardly cares about."
Spurgeon is saying that all shall be saved by faith in Christ. Some looked forward, others look back. All must believe on the only begotten Son of the Father. The Jewish people are not worthy of God's blessings while still denying Christ the Messiah.
Spurgeon continues, “These who saw Christ’s day before it came, had a great difference as to what they knew, and perhaps in the same measure a difference as to what they enjoyed while on earth meditating upon Christ; but they were all washed in the same blood, all redeemed with the same ransom price, and made members of the same body.
“Israel in the covenant of grace is not natural Israel [not the nation of flesh and blood Israel], but all believers in all ages. Before the first advent, all the types and shadows all pointed one way – they pointed to Christ, and to him all the saints looked with hope. Those who lived before Christ were not saved with a different salvation to that which shall come to us. They exercised faith as we must; that faith struggled as ours struggles, and that faith obtained its reward as ours shall.”[1]
[1] Charles Spurgeon, Devotional Classics of C.H. Spurgeon,p.122
Be careful of the Bible scholars that say that one prophecy is for the Jewish people and another one is for the Christians. Some prophecies may be specific to the flesh and blood nation of Israel, like those in Ezekiel 38-39 and Zechariah 12-14. Some prophecies are hard to decipher as some pertain to both believing Israel and the church. However, unrepented flesh and blood Israel have forfeited their right to the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant. They have broken their part of the agreement over and over again. God had said, "If you do such and such, I will do such and such." But they obeyed not.
Spiritual Israel, those who has come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah are the inheritors of God's promises through Jesus blood. A remnant of Jewish brethren will come to faith in Christ in the last days. Zechariah 13;8-9, 12:10-14. Until that time, Israel has lost her covenant position and can only gain it through repentance and turning to Jesus with all her heart and soul. Scriptures seem to indicate that Israel's repentance will not take place until the Rapture after the seven trumpet of tribulation and just prior to the vials or bowels of the Wrath of God.
A related article on Scofield can be found https://fightforyourfaith.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-little-history-cyrus-i-scofield-and.html
2 Comments:
Thanks for the information. I wonder where all the Protestant Zionists get they’re information. They claim Spurgeon was looking toward a physical restoration of the Jews in israel.
Spurgeon did believe that there would be a return of the Jewish people to Israel and a Jewish political state and nation. However, he did not agree with the Despensationalist of ?giving the Jewish people some special position millennium prophecy. He believed most of the Old Testament promises for millennium Israel would be fulfilled in the resurrected Church, a body of believers from Jewish and Gentile backgrounds saved by their faith in Christ. He believed the saved believers were the true Israel of God, not the physical state of Israel. Those of Israel who come to Christ would become part of the Church of God or of the Israel of God described by Apostle Paul in Galatians chapter 3. Spurgeon believed like the early Church Fathers that the church would go through the tribulation period. The resurrection or rapture (though he didn't use that term) would follow the tribulation and precede the millennium period. He was clearly a pre-millennialist with a post tribulation rapture theology.
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