I would see the eschatology of the NT as being Historical premil, so like a Spurgeon, do still see at end of this age going into the Messianic Age that God still has Israel proper plans moving forward
Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892) believed in a literal, future restoration of national Israel to their land and their subsequent conversion to faith in Christ, holding that they would have a prominent place in the millennial kingdom. He taught that Israel would be reorganized as a nation, possibly with a monarchy, and that their national conversion would lead to worldwide blessing.
The Spurgeon Archive +2
Key aspects of Spurgeon's view included:
- Literal Restoration: He believed prophecies in the Old Testament pointed to a physical return of the Jewish people to the Promised Land.
- National Conversion: Spurgeon taught that Israel would eventually recognize Jesus as their Messiah, saying, "the nation of Israel never can [apostatize]... she shall be effectually and permanently converted".
- Role in the Millennium: He expected a "political restoration" where Israel would be a nation again, followed by a time when "the King Messiah shall sit, and reign among his people gloriously".
- Distinction from Dispensationalism: While holding to these views, this Reddit post indicates that Spurgeon was generally opposed to modern dispensationalist theology, instead holding a view more aligned with Historic Premillennialism.
The Spurgeon Archive +4
Spurgeon often emphasized that although Israel had been scattered and blinded, God had not abandoned them. He viewed their restoration as a key event in the fulfillment of God's promises.
No doubt we pick and choose what view we prefer and do so according to how we are reading Scripture. And it is very difficult to be reading the promises and prophecies given to Israel and interpret through a rigidly literal hermeneutic. Especially when we are surrounded by teaching and books and videos that place the presuppositions in our mind from the start.
The question is, does that produce consistent truth within the full counsel of God or does it present contradictions and break the flow of redemption according to Scripture? I began my walk with Christ as premil, pre trib dispensationalism though I did not know that is what it was. And something within me recoiled at a literal thousand-year reign of Christ on earth working with the Jews and national Israel, while the raptured church waited---doing what?---for the fullness of our redemption. I never settled the issue until I was presented first with Reformed theology doctrinally and then eschatalogically.
And what I discovered that was true about myself and the dispensational/Arminianist (and Charismatic!) churches I attended is that not even the preachers knew
how to read and interpret the Bible so all things remain consistent. Naturally then, those sitting trustingly in the pews do not learn how to do so from their pastors.
If a person begins at the very beginning interpreting through a lens of redemptive history, as though the Bible were one story with many parts---which it is--- the story of redemption with Jesus as the constant focus and protagonist (the "main character" who is righting a wrong and winning a war), as was announced in Gen 3:15; and if it is recognized that God forms a relationship with humans and acts in our history through covenant instead of viewing it as different times in which God tests and judges mankind; and with the end game which we have both in OT prophecy and at the end of this story in Rev 21-22; then national Israel never becomes a separate focus of redemption instead of Jesus, or an entity that God returns to deal with land and ethnicity wise after he has secured the church and removed them from the earth.
Instead, Israel becomes what it always was spiritually speaking---and that is not spiritualizing the scriptures but agreeing with Paul when he refers to spiritual Israel, and the spiritual descendants of Abraham. Israel---the holy people of God that he has given to the Son and for whom the Son died to redeem. Hebrews tells us that the OC has become
obsolete. Completely and faithfully fulfilled in Christ, bringing in the NC. The covenant community---the people of God---the church (and the word translated church is the word meaning "the called out ones".
That does not mean that he has abandoned Jews. He calls ethnic Jews on a daily basis, I am sure, the same way he calls men and women from all nations. But land and the nation have already served its purpose as land and nation. Scripture, correctly interpreted from a Christ central perspective never says God is going to go backwards and reinstate the OC. Never.
