Prophecies of Israel’s Future: The Hermeneutics of Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism
Keywords:
Prophecies of Israel’s Future, The Hermeneutics of Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism, dispensationalist school, hermeneutical approach of PaulAbstract
The theme of this article touches on the interpretation of the future of Israel most widely held by Evangelical Christian-Baptist churches in post-Soviet countries. This position was shaped largely by the dispensationalist school of interpretation which was spread through the use of the Bible with the Scofield commentary.A comparative analysis is given of two opposing schools of interpretation of prophecies concerning the future of Israel: dispensationalism and covenant theology. On the one hand, the dispensationalist school is inclined to a literal interpretation of OT prophecy, which is regarded as having to do with a certain temporary dispensation. Covenant theology, on the other hand, accents the unity between the Old and New Testaments, interpreting prophecy concerning Israel as figurative, and relating it to the future of the whole people of God, including both national Israel and the non-Israelite church. The two interpretive approaches use different hermeneutical methodologies. The article compares the hermeneutics of the two schools with the hermeneutical approach of Paul, based on his interpretation of the future of Israel in Romans 9-11.
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