Non-dispensational Premillennialism

[StefanM]

I'm interested in the tenets of non-dispensational (Or "historic" or "classical") premillennialism. Does anyone here hold to this view?

 

[Van]

Care to define your terms?

 

[StefanM]

Care to define your terms?

Basically any form of premillennialism that doesn't depend on a dispensational understanding of the Bible. I expect there would be some diversity.

 

[Van]

Which understanding of the Bible does not depend on God dealing with humanity under differing dispensations?

 

[taisto]

Premillennialism would mean before the cross and the Binding of Satan according to an Amillennial perspective.

I am not aware of anyone outside the camp of dispensationalism who would hold a premillennial view, however, I don't doubt there are some. They would seem to me to be a nuanced group that are very close to post-trib rapture advocates.

 

[Martin Marprelate]

Historic Premillennialism sees Christ returning and setting up a 1,000 year reign followed by 'Satan's little Season' which is crushed and leads to the Eternal State. It is not dispensational and is consistent with Covenant theology. It doesn't appear to be opposed to the WCF or the 1689.
If I were not a contented amillennialist, it would probably be my second choice

 

[Van]

Which understanding of the Bible does not depend on God dealing with humanity under differing dispensations?

With this question unanswered, we come to defining "non-dispensational pre-millenialism.". No definition has been suggested, let alone offered. If we take non-dispensational to mean no literal 1000 year reign on earth, we have an oxymoron.

From an internet article, Historic Pre-millennialism is defined as :

Historic Premillennialism (HP) is post-tribulation in that they believe the rapture of the church will occur after the 7-year tribulation. It maintains that the church will be caught up to meet Christ in the air and then escort him to the earth in order to share in his literal thousand-year rule.​

The HP view is post trib but Dispensational premillennialism (DP) is pre-trib. In the HP view, there is no significant delay between the rapture and when Christ sets foot on earth. In the DP view, the rapture is pre-trib, and the tribulation occurs over several years before Christ sets foot on earth.

 

[Mikey]

With this question unanswered, we come to defining "non-dispensational pre-millenialism.". No definition has been suggested, let alone offered. If we take non-dispensational to mean no literal 1000 year reign on earth, we have an oxymoron.

From an internet article, Historic Pre-millennialism is defined as :

Historic Premillennialism (HP) is post-tribulation in that they believe the rapture of the church will occur after the 7-year tribulation. It maintains that the church will be caught up to meet Christ in the air and then escort him to the earth in order to share in his literal thousand-year rule.​

The HP view is post trib but Dispensational premillennialism (DP) is pre-trib. In the HP view, there is no significant delay between the rapture and when Christ sets foot on earth. In the DP view, the rapture is pre-trib, and the tribulation occurs over several years before Christ sets foot on earth.

Historic premillennialism and dispensational premillennialism are two different systems of eschatology.

The premillennial view of the end times is thus advanced in two different ways: historic premillennialism and dispensational premillennialism. The Bible contains many prophecies about the future, with the New Testament speaking extensively about the return of Jesus to earth. Matthew 24, much of the book of Revelation, and 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 are the more salient references to the second coming.

Historic premillennialism was held by a large majority of Christians during the first three centuries of the Christian era. Many of the church fathers such as Ireneaus, Papias, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Hippolytus, and others taught that there would be a visible kingdom of God upon the earth after the return of Christ. Historic premillennialism taught that the Antichrist would appear on earth and the seven-year tribulation would begin. Next would be the rapture, and then Jesus and His church would return to earth to rule for a thousand years. The faithful spend eternity in the New Jerusalem.

One of the most influential historic premillennialists was George Eldon Ladd, an evangelical New Testament scholar and professor of New Testament exegesis and theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. It was through Ladd’s work that historic premillennialism gained scholarly respect and popularity among evangelical and Reformed theologians of the twentieth century. Other well-known historic premillennialists include Walter Martin; John Warwick Montgomery; J. Barton Payne; Henry Alford, a noted Greek scholar; and Theodor Zahn, a German New Testament scholar.

Historic premillennialism is one system of eschatology that has support in the Protestant community. Generally, all of the premillennialist beliefs teach that the tribulation is followed by 1,000 years of peace when all live under the authority of Christ. Afterwards, in a brief, final battle, Satan is permanently conquered. The placement of the rapture in relation to the other events is one of the main differences between historic premillennialism and premillennial dispensationalism.

Full Article:What is historic premillennialism? | GotQuestions.org

 

[John of Japan]

Premillennialism would mean before the cross and the Binding of Satan according to an Amillennial perspective.

I am not aware of anyone outside the camp of dispensationalism who would hold a premillennial view, however, I don't doubt there are some. They would seem to me to be a nuanced group that are very close to post-trib rapture advocates.

My family held to historical premillennialism, and were not dispensationalists. I'm may be the first in my extended family to go the dispensational route, and I wasn't convinced about it until my 30s.

It's called "historical premillennialism" because it was the position of almost all of the church fathers of the first 3 centuries. They were hazy on the rapture and the tribulation, but were solidly chiliasts. Some Internet sites such as Wikipedia and Gotquestions claim that historical premil must be post-trib, but that's an error.

My grandfather was famous evangelist John R. Rice, and he was not a dispensationalist. In fact, he directly opposed some parts of the theology, and in particular included the OT saints in the Church.

 

[taisto]

My family held to historical premillennialism, and were not dispensationalists. I'm may be the first in my extended family to go the dispensational route, and I wasn't convinced about it until my 30s.

It's called "historical premillennialism" because it was the position of almost all of the church fathers of the first 3 centuries. They were hazy on the rapture and the tribulation, but were solidly chiliasts. Some Internet sites such as Wikipedia and Gotquestions claim that historical premil must be post-trib, but that's an error.

My grandfather was famous evangelist John R. Rice, and he was not a dispensationalist. In fact, he directly opposed some parts of the theology, and in particular included the OT saints in the Church.

You make the assertion that it was the primary view of the early church father's, yet we have a very small amount of extant writing from the early church so it cannot be stated emphatically that historic premillennialism was the only view of the vast amount of believers. It can be argued that amillenialism is also seen in the early church.

The Millennial Maze by Keith Mathison

What is Amillennialism? Definition and History