Did Christ at His first coming fulfill all that God promised regarding the establishment of His Kingdom, Israel and the church? At His first coming, Christ provided the means for us to receive the Holy Spirit and be reunited with our Heavenly Father but our “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time“ 1 Peter 1:4-5. Peter makes it clear that our inheritance is future. Therefore, many of the covenantal promises of God are still awaiting fulfillment at His second coming. Most of the O.T. prophets spoke of their Messiah ruling and reigning the nations from Jerusalem. The Scriptures are not just focused on redemption. Of course redemption is important, but so is the judgment of Satan and the demons; so is the Kingdom; and so is the glory of God. Even redemption does not always refer to His first coming, as the books of Hebrews and 1 Peter make clear (e.g. Hebrews 1:13-14; 5:9; 9:28; 1 Peter 1:3-9 ; cf. Romans 13:11).

The fast spreading Progressive Covenantalism does not see the church as directly extending or fulfilling Israel as did Replacement Theology. Rather, Christ is the antitype of Israel, who fulfills Israel’s identity, purpose, and mission such that in Christ the church inherits all the covenant blessings. It is Replacement theology with a twist and still fails to view Jesus second coming is when He fulfills all that God had promised. The driving assumption of fulfillment at the first advent endangers unfettered exegesis of “the texts in their context.”

Dr Paul Martin Henebury of Telos Ministries is the source for the information on Progressive Covenantalism. Paul is a Biblical Covenantalist (his description). I agree with his understanding of the Biblical covenants and of creation about 6000 years ago. Paul is a native of Manchester, England and a graduate of London Theological Seminary and Tyndale Theological Seminary (M.T.S., M.Div., Ph.D).