Featured Dispensation(s)

Well, as my name was dragged into the discussion I will offer my perspective. (A)gedman is correct in that I self-identify as a Chiliast. Or Historic Premillennialist. We believe the only time requirement is that a millennium (a visible kingdom of God upon the earth), for 1,000 years, will transpire after the second advent.

Some Chiliasts, then and now, allow for a catching away of the saints but most that do (and certainly all of the patristic Chiliasts) would be, today, described as Post Tribulationalists. Those who believe in a catching away also sometimes taught that the Antichrist first appears on earth and a period of Tribulation begins (again, sometimes taught to be 7 years).

The major differences between the two forms of dispensationalism is that Chiliasts believe the present age was predicted in the Old Testament while the Dispensationalists believe in what they usually refer to as a "parenthesis" or a “great parenthesis” introduced because the Jews rejected the kingdom.

We believe the "church age" was the focus of Old Testament prophecy while Dispensationalists believe this present age is seldom or never mentioned in the Old Testament.

I also recommend George Eldon Ladd's book, as well as J. Barton Payne's books. His "Theology of the Older Testament" was my Old Testament Theology textbook when I was in Seminary before most of you were born.

I also recommend Payne's "Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy: The Complete Guide to Scriptural Predictions and Their Fulfilment" and "New Perspectives on the Old Testament."

For those of you not familiar with Dr. Payne, he received his Ph.D. from Princeton and was on the faculty of Covenant Theological Seminary, having taught previously at Bob Jones University, the Wheaton Graduate School of Theology, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He was an active member of the Evangelical Theological Society, and an ardent student of Reformed Presbyterian history. He was, of course, not a Baptist, but a Presbyterian.

 

Acts 10:43 To him (Christ) give all the prophets (Old Testament Prophets) witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

 

This present church age as prophesied in the Old Testament.

Isaiah 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Micah 4:1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.
5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.

Please observe the following facts about these two prophecies:

1. The word "mountain" is to be understood in the sense of government; and this government of the Lord's House, his church, is to be exalted above all other institutions.

2. The Lord's House is "the Church of the living God," the church that Jesus built (1 Tim. 3:15).

3. All nations shall have an opportunity to be a part of the coming kingdom both Jews and Gentiles ("all nations shall flow to it").

4. That the church is to be established in the last days, the closing days of the Mosaic dispensation, the last dispensation of time, the days of Messiah (Heb. 1:1,2; Acts 2:16,17).

5. The place for the beginning of the Lord's House (church) was Zion or Jerusalem, "For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. " In connection with this prediction see Luke 24:47 and also Acts 2:1-4.

6. From verse 4 of the context we learn who is to be the "judge" or "ruler" in that coming kingdom. "And He will judge between the nations, and shall rebuke many people. " It is the same "he" of verse 3, "and He will teach us of his ways, And we shall walk in His paths."

7. In verse 4 we are told of the peaceful nature of those who become citizens of the kingdom, "they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. " This indicates the peaceful spirit of the men and women who make up the kingdom, its citizens (Matt. 5:9; Rom. 12:18).

Daniel also prophesied about the church of Christ in his age. Perhaps the best and most noted prophecy by Daniel concerning the church deals with the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2:31-35).

Dan 2:31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

Please notice the following facts about the passage;

1. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream in which he saw a great image with a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, and legs of iron and feet of part iron and clay.

2. He saw a stone, cut out without hands, strike the image upon its feet and destroy it; the stone went on to become a great mountain filling the earth.

3. The king was troubled about the dream, but was unable to recall it.

It was at this point that Daniel came upon the scene, the prophet was able to interpret the dream for the King.
Please notice the following facts in the interpretation by Daniel:

1. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that he, as king of Babylon, was the head of gold and after him would arise another kingdom inferior to his kingdom (cf. v. 39). Then a third kingdom would arise followed by a fourth (cf. v. 40).

2. Since the stone was to strike the image in his feet, and since the feet represent the fourth kingdom, it follows that the kingdom of God was to be set up during the existence of the fourth kingdom. Please observe verse 44 in this connection, "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed" (Dan. 2:44).

It is not too difficult to identify the kingdoms in the prophecy because we have a definite starting point, please observe the following facts in this regard:

1. Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar, king, app. 600 B.C. The kingdom fell about 536 B.C. "Represented by the head of gold."

2. Medo-Persia: Established by Cyrus, king of Persia, and Darius, king of Media, fell about 330 B.C. "Represented by the breast and arms of silver."

3. Macedonia (Greek Empire): Established by Alexander the Great. Divided among his generals about 323 B.C. "Represented by the belly and thighs of brass."

4. Roman Empire: Established as a world empire by Octavius Caesar about 30 B.C. "Represented by legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay."

"In the days of these kings, " therefore refers to a time when Rome ruled the world, "And smote the image upon its feet" signifies that the event would definitely occur during the reign of the fourth kingdom (i.e., Rome).

The New Testament begins its story while Caesar still ruled the world. "In those days came John the Baptist" (Matt. 3:1,2). In what days? "In the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Luke 3:1,2).

Summing up the prophecy of Daniel we notice the following five facts about the kingdom he foretold would come in the future:

1. It was to be established during the Roman Empire. And in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar John came saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Luke 3:1-6; Matt. 3:1-3).

2. This kingdom is to be established by the Lord. There is a sense in which all earthly kingdoms never were. This kingdom (the church) was established by the Lord, in person, present on the Earth, and is governed by him alone (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1:20-23).

3. The kingdom to be set up by the God of heaven was to supplant all other kingdoms in that it is to become the last and final world power. According to Daniel's prophecy there will never be another earthly kingdom with world-wide dominion; that distinction indeed belongs to the kingdom of God.

4. This kingdom will never be destroyed. The kingdom Jesus built (i.e., his church), is to continue to the end of the world. Jesus is king in his kingdom now, Head of his Church now, and will reign until the last enemy (i.e. death) is overthrown (1 Cor. 15:24-28; Heb. 12:28).

5. The kingdom described by Daniel was to have a small beginning and later fill all the earth. Jesus spoke of his Kingdom as having a small beginning like the mustard seed (Matt. 13:31,32); he also refers to it as leaven in Matthew 13:33.

Finally, Isaiah prophesied that the Lord's House or his Kingdom would begin in the last days and the law would go forth from the city of Jerusalem (Isa. 2:2-4; Lk. 24:47). The Law went forth from Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-38). This was the beginning of the Lord's Church, the establishment of Messiah's Kingdom, in the days of the Roman Kings as prophesied by Daniel (Acts 2:1-4; 11:15).