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Did Joshua 21 Fulfill the Land Promise to Israel?
Should we expect God to bring Israel back to the promised land someday? Some Christians argue that Joshua 21:43–45 settles the question. God gave Israel all the land He promised, everything was fulfilled, and there is no reason to expect a future fulfillment of the land promise. I’ve seen this argument frequently in discussions online. And I understand why the passage might initially seem convincing. Joshua uses comprehensive language about God’s faithfulness. But does that mean every aspect of the land promise was exhausted during the conquest? We need to look carefully at both the promise itself and the context of Joshua. What Did God Promise Abraham? The land promise begins in Genesis 12:7, where God tells Abram, “To your offspring I will give this land.” Genesis 13:15 adds an important detail: the land would belong to Abraham and his offspring “forever.” Genesis 15:18 specifies the boundaries, extending from the…
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Ezekiel 40–48: Will There Be Millennial Sacrifices?
How could anyone believe that animal sacrifices will return after Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin? Isn’t that a denial of the sufficiency of the cross? This objection frequently comes up in discussions of the millennial kingdom. Some Christians regard the idea of future sacrifices as so obviously wrong that they dismiss it without much discussion. But the question deserves careful attention. We need to understand what Scripture says about future worship and what the sacrificial system actually accomplished. I believe there are too many passages that discuss a future temple to simply dismiss it out of hand. Furthermore, I believe when we understand the sacrificial system, future sacrifices are completely compatible with Christ’s finished work. Which Temple Are We Talking About? First, we need to distinguish a temple rebuilt in unbelief from the temple associated with the Messiah’s kingdom. Sometimes people miss that 2 Thessalonians 2…
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Does Galatians 3 Teach That the Church Is Israel?
Does Galatians 3 teach that the church is the true spiritual Israel? This is one of the passages people most frequently bring up when I discuss Israel’s future. It doesn’t matter where in the Bible we are exploring. People will immediately appeal to Galatians 3, saying that Israel cannot have a distinct future because Paul’s language is too clear to allow for an ongoing distinction between Israel and the church. I understand why people find this convincing. It is a simple argument, and many respected commentators and theologians make it. But I think we need to slow down and examine what the text actually says, along with the assumptions we bring to it. In Galatians 3:7–9, Paul identifies those who exercise faith as sons of Abraham. Verse 29 similarly says, “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” There is no disagreement here: Gentile believers…
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3 Reasons Why Physical Church Attendance is Necessary
Attending church has been a long-held tradition for many people. But in a world filled with secularism and the availability of alternative forms of entertainment and community, many people are questioning the relevance and necessity of going to church. Sadly, I have even met many confessed Christians who do not go to church. Not long ago, I had a friend genuinely ask about why it was important to go to church, so I thought this would be a good motivation to give a concise biblical perspective on why going to church is not an optional exercise for the Christian. The idea of actually going to church has become more contested, in part, due to the whole COVID situation years ago in 2020 and 2021. Churches shut down in-person gatherings and livestreamed their services. People began questioning whether there was a benefit to going to church or not. Wouldn’t watching a…
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God Is Good to All: A Biblical Look at Common Grace
It’s easy to fall into a “believers-only” view of God’s goodness, meaning that the Lord reserves every kindness for His people and treats unbelievers only with judgment. But Scripture tells a different story. Again and again, God shows real, tangible kindness to people who do not love Him, honor Him, or even acknowledge Him. Theologians have often called this overflow of divine kindness common grace. Wayne Grudem defines common grace as “the grace of God by which he gives people innumerable blessings that are not part of salvation. Common refers to something that is common to all people and is not restricted to believers or the elect only” (Grudem, 657). This definition is helpful because it keeps two truths together: (1) these blessings are genuinely from God, and (2) they are distinct from saving grace. Common grace does not forgive sin or regenerate the heart, but it does display God’s…
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What is the Priestly Covenant and Why Does it Matter?
One of the most oft-neglected covenants in Scripture is the priestly covenant. The priestly covenant is so named because it is made with a family that is of priestly lineage. In Numbers 25, Israel had tragically “yoked himself to Baal of Peor,” engaging in vile idolatry (cf. Num 25:3). In response to Israel’s unfaithfulness, the Lord brought a plague upon the people of Israel to punish them. The plague ravaged Israel until Phinehas, Aaron’s grandson, stopped the plague by killing a man of Israel and his seductress (vv. 7–8). Because of his actions, Phinehas received special commendation and a promise from the Lord. The Details of the Priestly Covenant God’s words to Moses about Phinehas are as follows (Num 25:10–13): And the Lord said to Moses, “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was…
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How Can God be Loving, Yet Allow Evil?
Is it possible that a loving God would allow evil? This is a perennial question for both believers and unbelievers. Think about the evil we see all around the world. Rape, murder, death, accidents, suffering—all evidence of evil. If God is in complete control (i.e., sovereign), how can we justify His love when He allows such evil? This is a common argument brought forward by unbelievers, and it is something believers need to think about from an apologetic standpoint. However, perhaps even more important, this is also a question that believers ask in the midst of their own personal suffering and experience with evil. How should believers think about the love and power of God? There are three things to remember that help us reconcile this apparent problem of evil, as well as provide a proper answer to an unbeliever. 1. God defines love, love does not define God This…
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The Fascinating Link between Eschatology and Spiritual Gifts
Although it might surprise you, there is an essential link between eschatology and the spiritual gifts. However, this connection is often downplayed in the discussion. To be honest, I’ve only seen it acknowledged a handful of times. But the truth remains: what one believes about eschatology, specifically the kingdom of God, has a logical impact on his understanding of the spiritual gifts. The Connection between the Miraculous and the Kingdom of God Now, before we talk about eschatology, we need to review the Bible storyline and note that there are specific times in history when there are major displays of miracles. Notably, these miraculous exhibitions are linked to time periods associated with the Kingdom of God. To show this in summary form, I have adapted a chart from Mike Vlach: Kingdom Situation Time Period Kingdom Mediator(s) Result Signs and wonders to deliver Hebrews from Egypt The period of the Exodus…
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How do Good Works Relate to Salvation?
Many people do not connect good works with salvation at all. As a case in point, I remember a time when I had the opportunity to speak with a man from Texas at a hotel. As we talked about Jesus and the church, he mentioned that everyone went to church in the South and that it was a way of life. When I pressed him further, he admitted that there were many in the South who would verbally identify as Christians but live just as pagan as anybody else. When I asked this man how someone goes to heaven, he articulated a very clean and precise presentation of the gospel. He told me that going to heaven was only possible through Christ’s sacrifice and that good works play no part in earning salvation. At that moment, I was kind of stunned because he was articulating a better-than-average knowledge of the…
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A Simple Explanation of Covenant Theology
What is covenant theology? This is a question I get periodically, so that it would be helpful to write a brief introduction on it. In the past I have defined the beliefs of dispensationalism (as well as the things that do NOT define dispensationalism). Thus, it is only fair now that I spent some time defining covenant theology. Introduction to Covenant Theology Adherents of covenant theology claim that covenant theology is the natural outworking of God’s covenantal relationship with humanity.[1] Although that general statement would find very few detractors, the details of covenant theology are often debated, even among proponents. Although Ulrich Zwingli is referred to as the initiator of covenant theology,[2] it developed into a full-fledged system through the contributions of Zwingli’s successors.[3] Within this system there is broad agreement as to how the system is constituted. Covenant theologian, Michael Horton, notes, A broad consensus emerged in this Reformed…