The church is not Israel - did not exist in the Old Testament - for another reason. The church was a mystery not seen in the Old Testament.     . . . by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel (NASB) Ephesians 3:3-6   This passage tells us that Paul was given a revelation about something not known before - that Gentiles would be added to the body of Christ and become fellow partakers of the promise of the gospel. The church is made up of Jews and Christians (Gal. 3:28). The church did not exist before Pentecost. The church - the body of Jesus - contains both Gentiles and Jews, but this was not true in the Old Testament. The body of Christ is a new event in the New Testament. Men and women in the Old Testament who looked to the future and put their trust in Jesus are called saints (Eph. 2:19).       When we talk about the future, it is important to know that there are many varieties of Covenant theologians. Some are amillennial and others are dispensational. Some may be postmillennial. Both amillennialists and postmillennialists are now waiting for Jesus' second coming. That is the next event in God's plan for the future from their perspective. Since some Covenant Theologians are also dispensational, it is reasonable to believe the two views are not in opposition.             Dispensational Theology. Dispensational theology sees God working out His purposes in unique ways in different periods of time. There are many varieties of dispensational theologians. Some believe that God worked with man in seven different ways over time. Others believe in only two dispensations - Law and Grace. How many dispensations exist is not important. What is important is one's view of Israel and the church. Dispensationalists do not believe the church inherits the promises given to Israel. They do not believe the church existed in the Old Testament. They do believe that saints existed in the Old Testament by faith. They believe the church shares the promise of salvation - righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ.             Most dispensationalists believe the rapture is the next event in the future, followed by the tribulation, Jesus' second coming, and then a literal, physical 1,000 year kingdom on earth. Those Covenant theologians who are also dispensational usually have a slightly different view of the church and Israel. This occurs because the church is raptured and does not go through the tribulation period, but Israel does. The church and Israel are not the same.   Conclusion: Covenant and dispensational theology are not completely in opposition. One can be a covenant dispensational theologian. The major differences is their view in how God works with men and women over time and the relationship between Israel and the church. Covenant theology believes the church started in the Old Testament when the promise of a savior was given to Abraham. One can be a dispensationalist who believes that anyone at any time who puts their faith in Jesus Christ is a saint, and believe that God has a different future for the physical nation of Israel and the church - the spiritual body of Jesus.         < Back
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