Dr. Couch, what is the Postponement Theory?

I have written on this before, and in my Classical Evangelical Hermeneutics (Kregel), I have an entire chapter on the subject. The Postponement Theory says that because Israel rejected their Messiah, the kingdom has been postponed to another future time, and God is working now with the church age. Some have objected to this idea feeling that it represents the Lord somehow changing His mind, or being caught off guard as to His plans and purposes.

But this objection misses the point. God knows all things and He knew Israel would reject Christ. However it appears the Lord changed His mind and went to plan B by establishing the dispensation of the church. But this is not true. The church was always in the mind of God though it is not anywhere revealed in the OT. God is someday, and I believe soon, going to cease His work with the church. It will be raptured out of here with the seven year tribulation will follow. Then the kingdom will arrive, be established, and will then last for one thousand years!

The offer and presentation of the kingdom to the Jews was a real offer though God knew the nation in the larger sense would reject it. Because Christ was the promised King, the Lord could rightly say "Behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst" (Luke 17:21). Because the Jews were in the act of rejecting that earthly reign of the Messiah, Christ told them the day would come when they would look for it but it would not be here (v. 22). Then Jesus said to the Pharisees, "But first [the Messiah] must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation" (v. 25). The word first (proton) implies a second. In other words Christ must "first" go to the cross before the kingdom (the second thing) of heaven will arrive, the millennial reign! The writer of Hebrews picks this idea up and writes: So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him (Heb. 9:28).

This is a powerful premillennial verse. The church age comes in between Christ's first and second coming. The first coming was to deal with the issue of sin which the second coming will not have to deal with. His second coming has to do with His earthly reign!

The idea of the postponement seems certain in Acts 1:6-8. The disciples asked the risen Lord, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" (v. 6). He answered: "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you …" (vv. 7-8). In other words the kingdom is now postponed and the church age is inserted at this time into history!

John the Baptist had preached that the kingdom of heaven was near (Matt. 3:2).

Christ had preached the same message as He began His ministry (4:17), and during His ministry Jesus had offered Israel a kingdom that would be established if the nation would receive Him as Savior-Sovereign. But the nation had rejected Him and the kingdom had to be postponed. Christ had previously taught that the generation of His day would not see the kingdom (Luke 17:22), because the kingdom would be postponed indefinitely to some future time. The Lord's words did not nullify the genuine offer of the kingdom in Hid day, nor deny the concept of a literal kingdom in a future day. Rather, this parable was designed to teach the truth concerning postponement of the kingdom.

Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch