Question #1
"Recently I was listening to Every Man an Answer and one of the hosts responded to a question about Old Testament Saints and how they are saved. He said that Old Testament Saints, such as Abraham, Moses, David, and so on are not saved "in Jesus" and therefore are not part of the Bride of Christ, and will not be part of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, nor will they be part of the New Jerusalem. Is this true? How are O.T. saints saved, and what is there destiny in eternity if they are not part of Christ? The man on the radio also mentioned something about "dispensationalism". What is that? Are Calvary Chapels dispensational in their theology? And please, don't answer my question with, "Calvary Chapels are Scriptural in their theology." You know what I'm asking, since the guy on the radio seemed to suggest that Calvary Chapels are dispensational. Are they, and how does this relate to how Abraham, Moses, David and people like them are saved?"

Answer:
I can't comment on what you heard on TEMA, since I didn't get to listen to the program you're referring to. One of the things you need to remember is that the guys on the program are giving their opinions on the questions asked, and Calvary Pastors are by no means monolithic in their views and thinking on different issues. We have some distinctives that we all hold to, but there are plenty of "flavors" out there.

That said, keep in mind you're getting my take, here.

While the O.T. saints are part of Israel and are not part of the Church, they will be at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. They will not be a part of the Bride of Christ (the Church) but they will be "guests" at the feast. Jesus gave a parable specifically on this in Matt 22:1-14. Israel of Jesus' day had been invited and declined the invitation and that's what the judgment in the passage is about. Jesus called John the Baptist "the friend of the Bridegroom" in reference to this. That correlates to the best man in our culture. John was not part of the Bride because he was the last of the O.T. prophets and not a part of the Church, also according to Jesus.

The O.T. saints are definitely part of the New Jerusalem...the first mention, and promise, of the city is in Isaiah, an O.T. Prophet. If you look at the building materials of the city, they are a typical mixture of Church and Israel, Jew and Gentile; 12 foundation stones that correspond to the stones on the High Priest's breastplate, each with an Apostle's name on it. 12 gates made of pearl (a gentile jewel), each with a name of an Israeli tribe written on it. And the name is Jerusalem. And so on (Rev 21).

O.T. saints are saved by faith (Habakkuk 2:4); the Jews were saved like Abraham was, by believing God (Rom 4). Jesus is their Messiah and the fulfillment of the Law (Rom 10:4, Matt. 5:17, Col 2:13-17). They were never saved by the Law or sacrifices, the Law was always designed to drive people to the fulfillment of the sacrifices in Christ (Rom 3:19-20). People who died before Jesus came were looking forward, in faith, to God's provision for them.

Dispensationalism is a systematic theology based on the grammatical/historical method of interpretation. Grammatical meaning you must interpret words and concepts according to the rules of grammar of the language being used, including context grammatically and historically; words mean things. Historical meaning passages must be interpreted in the way the people would take them at the time they were given. That type of interpretation forces you to realize that God has a specific plan for Israel that is yet to be fully completed. God has another plan for the Church that is in the process of being fulfilled. Thus, "Dispensationalism", God working in different ways at different times with different groups, although all are saved by grace through faith. So Jews in the O.T. were under the Law, while Christians in the N.T. are not; two different dispensations.

Calvary's are dispensational in the strict sense of the term. The reason I make the caveat is because many "dispensational" Churches don't believe in the continuation of the gifts of the Spirit, Calvary's do.

Question #2
"My family attends your church and have learned a lot since coming there. My question for you is, while surfing the net I found a web site that stated the ideal of the rapture is a fairly new idea. This gentleman said no one in the church believed in the idea of rapture until about 100 years ago. Have you heard this? Do you know when the church started to believe in the pre-tribulation rapture?"

Answer:
I have heard this argument. Problem is, with the same argument you can get rid of the doctrine of the Trinity, salvation by grace, primacy of scripture, etc. For example the doctrine of the Trinity was finally nailed down and codified in the 300's AD. Reason being, it was never really assaulted till that time. When it was, they had a council in which they went through scripture and hammered home exactly what the Bible said on the subject to refute false teachers. That doesn't mean it was made up (they got it from the Bible) or that nobody believed Jesus was God (which they did) before that time. Salvation by grace alone was hammered home by the reformers in the 1500's. Doesn't mean that they made it up, the whole book of Romans is about it.

Since the teaching about the rapture is found in the Bible, it would be incorrect to say that it's a fairly new idea. It dates from the first century when Jesus spoke about it in Matt 24 & Jn. 14, and Paul taught on it in 1 Thess 4. Goes further back than that, Isaiah speaks about it (Is. 26:19-21 compare with Jn. 14:1-3), and Enoch (Gen. 5) and Lot (Gen. 19) are both types of believers taken out before judgment.

As to Church doctrine, the Church from the 400's (after Augustine) till the reformation was teaching that Western Europe was the Kingdom of God, that the Church had replaced Israel, and that there was no literal 1000 year reign of Christ. Their eschatology (teaching on the last days) was all messed up. All of this is contrary to the plain teaching of the Bible. And yet, throughout that time the one thing they did get right was that Jesus was coming soon. So, whatever time period you looked at, the believer's were trying to put themselves in the Great Tribulation.

This is important, because the Bible teaches that Jesus could come at any moment. To make that happen, scripturally, you either have to believe in a Pre-tribulational Rapture or that we are in the final days of the Great Tribulation. The only way you can put the church in the tribulation is to spiritualize scripture, which is what happened for the last 1500 years or so with part of the church. We know now that Israel was not replaced, that there will be a literal tribulation and Kingdom Age, etc.

Before the 400's the teaching on last days stuff is, for the most part, vague, except that the believer's thought Jesus could come at any time. There is, though, a sermon by Ephraem the Syrian (a highly respected pastor of the 300's) who very clearly teaches that believers will be removed before the Tribulation. This means the doctrine of the Rapture predates this guy's theology (which is derived from Augustine) by over 100 years. So, on every level the argument that the Rapture is a new doctrine and should be rejected doesn't hold water. I'll copy an article on Ephraem into this post.

*NOTE* To see this extra information Click Here.

Question #3
"When your statement of beliefs says you reject "positive confession", what do you mean? Are you referring to the Catholic Church practice of confession."

Answer:
No, the term "positive confession" refers to the false teaching that all Christians should be healthy and wealthy. Part of that teaching is that Christians should always speak positive things. For example, they teach that if a believer says, "I may be getting a cold," God will allow them to get one because of their lack of faith. On the other hand, they say if a believer is "manifesting" the "symptoms" of a cold, they should "positively confess" that they are well, and God must heal them. Or more correctly, they would never have actually been sick, they were only "manifesting the symptoms". They call this "faith". This obviously has nothing to do with true biblical faith.

They apply the same nonsense to finances.

Question #4
"Where in the New Testament can I found the passage that is used for the Apostles Creed prayed in Churches?"

Answer:
The Apostle's Creed is not found in the Bible, although what it affirms is based on biblical doctrines. It's a compilation of various doctrinal statements given by Church Fathers dating back to about 170 AD. The shorter form is dated about 340 AD and the longer form, CA 500 AD.

Question #5
"I am teaching on Rev 6 the antichrist and that 70th week. In the past I was confident about the numbers until I read Dan 12:12. I understand that he breaks the covenant in the middle of the week in fact according to Dan 12:11 he is 30 days early but what is this 1335 days that is stated in vs 12."

Answer:
When you line up the events, then the numbers get easier. Antichrist is shown in true colors (abomination of desolation) halfway thru the 70th week. He lasts 1260 more days and is destroyed at the 2nd coming (Rev:13:5 with 12:6, 12:14, 19:20 and Dan. 7:25). After Jesus' return there is a gathering of the living Gentiles to Jerusalem for a judgment as to whether they will enter the Millennial Kingdom or be destroyed, Matt 25:31-46. There is also a physical gathering of the Jews to Israel for the same type of judgment (Matt 24:31, Is. 66:20, Ezek. 20:34-38).

The gathering of the nations takes time, Isaiah says they come on horseback, in carts, on litters, etc. This, most likely accounts for the number 1290 in Dan. 12:11. 30 days to get to Israel for the judgment. But the blessing is on those who "wait" till the 1335th day. Most likely the judgment of the Gentiles and Israel will take a total of 45 days (Lot of people left over from Great Trib judgments & it looks like the lord does the judging in real time (Joel 3:1-2, 14)). 1260 (Great Tribulation) + 30 (Gathering of the Nations) = 1290 days + 45 (Period of judgment) = 1335 days. If tribulation saints make it to this date, they are blessed because they are counted worthy to enter the kingdom age.

Question #6
"Am I wrong to have others within the fellowship join with us in "laying on of hands" during times of prayer for the sick?"

Answer:
Mark 16:17-18 "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 "they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." (NKJV)

Answer:
The Bible says that Jesus is the one coming back: Acts 1:9-11 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This [same] Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." (NKJV)

And the Bible says that Jesus is God: Titus 2:13 while we wait for the blessed hope -- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, (NIV)

So, the answer is- a boy.

Question #8
"I have had a hard time finding the scripture about us ruling cities later on, and need to research it for a person that was a first timer at our church yesterday. It was the first time that they heard of it and it had Mormon overtones for them.

Answer:
Lk 19:11-27 (too long, look it up), Matthew 19:28 So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (NKJV)

Luke 22:29-30 "And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed [one] upon Me, 30 "that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (NKJV)

Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him,] that we may also be glorified together. (NKJV)

1 Corinthians 4:8 You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us -- and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you! (NKJV)

2 Timothy 2:12 If we endure, We shall also reign with [Him.] If we deny [Him,] He also will deny us. (NKJV)

Revelation 5:10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." (NKJV)

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy [is] he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (NKJV)

I'm also answering some stuff about who gets their new bodies when and all, if the dead will have to wait for the 2nd coming to go to heaven as it appears in 1 Thess 4.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive [and] remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (NKJV)

Notice that in vs. 14 Paul says that at the rapture God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. That means they are with God before the resurrection that happens at the rapture. So, a man dies, his spirit goes to heaven, the Lord brings the man with Him at the rapture to raise his body, then we all (those who've died and those who're alive at the rapture) return to heaven.

Seems like when Jesus says that "today you'll be with me in Paradise", that he infers that today
for the thief will be a different today on the time line for Jesus, cause Jesus wasn't going to Paradise that day.

Paradise at that time would be in Hades, in what Jesus called Abraham's bosom in Lk 16. So, Jesus actually did go to Paradise that day. And so did the thief.

So, I am about to go with a guess that when we die, we will immediately go to heaven to be with the Lord as the thief was, and since it seems to be outside of the restrictions of time (re. Jesus saying he'll be with the thief THAT DAY in Paradise) it will be in the manner of 1 Thess 4 coinciding with the return of Christ. Am I wet? Maybe Jesus was without the restriction of time while the thief is, and he'll just have to wait for the second coming to get his new body?

It would be at the Rapture.

Right now, the people in heaven just are souls with no glorified body yet? (ie, the bald guys are still just bald souls, waiting for their new hair?)

I don't know about us being outside of time in heaven, angels apparently aren't (it took one 3 weeks to get to Daniel at one point), the martyrs under the altar in Rev 6 apparently aren't; Revelation 6:9-10 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (NKJV) As you read thru Revelation 4-5 and Rev 21-22, it looks like events take time and follow each other, which may, admittedly, be a construct to show us events in a timeless place.

It does look like people in heaven are souls with no glorified body.