Dr. Joseph Parle author of Dispensational Development and Departure, beginning at timestamp 10:03, makes the excellent observation why covenant theology is averse to viewing a future physical, millennial kingdom. I’ll quote some of what he says on this point:
[There] is a tendency to see this kind of more how the covenant theologians do, more focusing on salvation. More drawing things back to soteriology. Where as I think Ryrie tended to see it in much more larger terms, and God has multiple purposes for his glory. It’s not just, the ultimate end is not for salvation which is why covenant theologians really struggle with the kingdom. Because if the whole purpose is getting to heaven, why would you have this 1,000 year waiting period, where you’re not quite in heaven but you are under the reign of Jesus. You are [on] earth. Well, what Ryrie would say to that, and what I would say, to that is because God still has to fulfill his covenant purposes to Israel. He has made a Davidic covenant. He has made a Palestinian covenant. There are land promises. He’s made Abrahamic covenant. There is the land-seed blessing. He still has to fulfill those. He also has some other purposes outside of that for the earth itself. He has purposes for man to rule, which were given to Adam in Genesis 1. The point of all this is if your view is primarily soteriological that God is most glorified in his election purposes for salvation you will not understand the kingdom. But if you see the fact that there are multiple purposes in which God glorifies himself by fulfilling each of his purposes for each of these individual items, whether that be angels, Israel, the church, the land, mankind—all of those things. Then you will see a reason for the kingdom and many of these aspects.
