Originally posted by Marcia:
Old Regular, why do you assume all dispensationalists believe the same thing???
I never believed the rapture would occur when the EU reached 10 members, and I don't know anyone who did. My position is that we do not know when these things will take place because Jesus said no man knows.
Why do amills and posttribs think pre-mills or dispensationalists are all agreeing on these things?
Marcia
I would never confuse what those who hold the historic or covenant pre-millennial view of the Second Coming with the dispensational view of the Second Coming. Following is a very brief summary of these two doctrines as i understand them. I will appreciate those who hold to these doctrines pointing out my misunderstanding.
Covenant or Historic Pre-millennial Eschatology
Covenant premillennialism is, along with amillennialism, one of the oldest theologies of the events associated with the second-coming. In fact, people who hold this view will insist that it was the view of the early Church and predated amillennialism by several hundred years. [Some claim that Augustine {354-430 AD} was the first writer to present the amillennial view.] There is much in common between the covenant premillennial and amillennial viewpoints.
The major difference is the covenant premillennial belief in a separate resurrection of the believers followed by a literal 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ on earth with His Saints. This millennial kingdom, however, is a kingdom in which the Church, not the restored Jewish nation, rules with the glorified Saviour. Covenant premillennialists, like many amillennialists and postmillennialists, believe in a large scale conversion of the Jews prior to the second-coming. Covenant premillennialists also believe that prior to the return of Jesus Christ there will be a period of increased tribulation on the earth. and that the Church is present during this period. To bring this tribulation to an end Jesus Christ returns with the souls of the deceased Saints at which time the first resurrection would occur.
Upon His coming the Lord Jesus Christ will destroy the antichrist, bind and cast Satan into the bottomless pit, and establish the millennial kingdom, ruling with His Church. During this period people will be born and die, some saved and some not. [It is not clear how people are to be saved during this 'millennium’. Salvation by faith seems meaningless since Jesus Christ is physically on the earth. Also no explanation is ever given as to how mortal man can live in the presence of Jesus Christ who has returned to reign in the full glory of the Godhead Exodus 33: 18-23; Revelation 19; Matthew 16: 27; Mark 8: 38; Luke 9: 26; Revelation 1: 7].
At the end of the millennium Satan will be released for his “little season” and will suffer final defeat. At this time the resurrection of the all unbelievers and those believers who died during the millennium will occur followed by the Great White Throne judgment. Satan and his followers will then be cast into the lake of fire and the new heavens and new earth will be created [2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 21:1].
Dispensational Eschatology
Dispensationalism as a system of Biblical interpretation was formally promulgated about 1830 by John Nelson Darby, a member of the Plymouth [England] Brethren. This system of interpretation, with its emphasis on Old Testament prophecy, began at a time when many of the established churches ignored Biblical prophecy. Darby’s emphasis on prophecy, therefore, captured the interest and perhaps the imagination of many. Darby visited the United States six times between 1859 and 1874 [John Newport in
The Lion and the Lamb, page 100]. His teaching apparently exerted considerable influence on his contemporaries, particularly E. I. Scofield. The publication of the Scofield Reference Bible, which made the system of dispensational interpretation an integral part of the Bible notes, had a significant impact on the spread of dispensational thought in this country.
The major teachings of the dispensationalists on the return of Jesus Christ are as follows:
1. The dispensational approach to eschatology [the doctrine of last things] is founded principally on interpretation of the Old Testament [Hermon Hoyt in
The Millennium, Four Viewpoints by Clouse, page 67, quoting from John F. Walvoord, The Millennial Kingdom].
2. Dispensationalism teaches that the Church will be removed from the earth suddenly [by an ‘any-moment’ return of Jesus Christ] prior to the ‘so-called’ seven years of tribulation.
Therefore, the Dispensationalist insists that only the first three chapters of Revelation are applicable to the Church. Chapters 4-19 describe the events that occur during the seven years of tribulation and are thus of no concern to the Church but of primary concern to the nation Israel.
[It is also worth noting at this point that dispensationalist John F. Walvoord also writes in
Major Bible Prophecies that the time lapse between “the Rapture” and the “second-coming” will be more than seven years [pages 283, 293], certainly not a literal interpretation of Daniel’s seventh week.]
3. At the beginning of the seven year period the head of the revived Roman Empire will make a covenant with the Jews [based on the dispensational interpretation of Daniel 9:27]. In the midst of this period this leader will break the covenant and ban sacrifices in the rebuilt temple. Intense persecution of the Jews will follow. During this seven year period the majority of the Jewish people will embrace Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Also vast numbers of Gentiles will be saved under the preaching of 144,000 Jewish missionaries.
4. Dispensationalism teaches that at the end of the seven year tribulation period Jesus Christ will return to earth in power and great glory and reign for 1000 years with a ‘rod of iron’ from ‘David's throne’ in Jerusalem. During this period of time Satan will be bound and imprisoned in the bottomless pit. Those who enter the millennial kingdom will be believing Jews and Gentiles, all others will be put to death. Walvoord teaches in
Major Bible Prophecies that David will reign as coregent with Jesus Christ in the millennial kingdom. He writes [page 393] “Though many have tried to explain away this passage [Ezekiel 37:24-25], it obviously requires the second coming of Christ, the establishment of David’s kingdom on earth, the resurrection of David, and David’s sharing the throne of Israel as coregent with Christ.”
5. Dispensationalism teaches that during this 1000 year period the Gentile nations will be subservient to Israel and that all people will come to Jerusalem to worship in the rebuilt temple through burnt offerings which are supposedly only ‘memorial in nature’. During this period people will be born and die, some saved and some not. [It is not clear how people are to be saved during this ‘Jewish millennium’. Salvation by faith seems meaningless since Jesus Christ is physically occupying the throne of David. Also no explanation is ever given as to how mortal man can live in the presence of Jesus Christ who has returned to reign in the full glory of the Godhead Exodus 33: 18-23; Revelation 19; Matthew 16: 27; Mark 8: 38; Luke 9: 26; Revelation 1: 7].
6. During this 1000 year period the Church will apparently be suspended above the earth in the New Jerusalem described in Revelation 21. Some contend that the tribulation Saints and the Old Testament Saints will be resurrected and join the Church in the New Jerusalem.
7. At the end of the millennium Satan will be released from the pit, he and his followers will suffer final defeat. Included among his followers will be people who are unbelievers? that are born during the millennium.
