SolidGround, I agree with most of what you said, but I would have phrased your comment on the Millennium a little differently. First of all, I would not have used the word CHURCH, because it is not in the Greek New Testament. The Greek actually uses the word Assembly, when Jesus said He would built His Assembly.
Matthew 16:18 (YLT)
[SUP]18 [/SUP] `And I also say to thee, that thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my assembly, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it;
Actually, it is "called-out assembly."
In the OT, Israel was a congregation (edah; qahal--assembly), translated into the Greek as sunagoge.
The NT church is ekklesia--called-out assembly.
Why do I think that is important over and above
the Word CHURCH? Because it
leaves out the first half of the Assembly He is building.
No, it does not. . .in Heb 12:23 the spirits of the OT saints are in the church.
Heb states that in the church are the spirits of the OT righteous men made perfect, along with thousands upon thousands of angels, and Jesus the mediator of a new covenant (Heb 12:18-24).
Psalm 40:10 (HCSB)
[SUP]10 [/SUP] I did not hide Your righteousness in my heart; I spoke about Your faithfulness and salvation; I did not conceal Your constant love and truth from the great assembly.
Psalm 111:1 (NASB)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart, In the company of the upright and in the assembly.
Psalm 40:10 (YLT)
[SUP]10 [/SUP] Thy righteousness I have not concealed In the midst of my heart, Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation I have told, I have not hidden Thy kindness and Thy truth, To the great assembly.
Ezekiel 13:9 (KJV)
[SUP]9 [/SUP] And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
I believe that the LORD has been building HIS Assembly starting with Adam. No not everyone sitting in a House of GOD is a member of the Assembly that He is building; but faith cometh by hearing the Word of GOD taught. That is why we leave the phonies there, because maybe they will eventually HEAR with spiritual understanding and become genuine believers.
My understanding is:
OT Saints believed that God would send the Messiah, and they were willing to submit to HIM as Lord.
NT Saints believe that God did send the Messiah, and they are willing to submit to HIM as Lord.
It is the SAME FAITH of the SAME Assembly that HE is building. It is the Faith of Abraham.
Yes, Abraham's faith was in the Promise (Christ), just as our faith is in Christ (the Promise).
It is one people of God (the olive tree) in a revelatory progressive plan of salvation,
where to the OT assembly the great and coming salvation was
pictured in ceremonies, types, copies, shadows and patterns,
and to the NT called-out assembly these are made a
reality, and no longer just ceremonies, types, copies, shadows and patterns.
God has only one people, the olive tree, on which are the branches of believing Israel and the believing Gentiles.