So, we can set aside the idea that somehow this is rooted in wacky dispensationalism; it is not. You get your eschatology right when you get Israel right. If you look at Acts 3:19, Peter says, Repent therefore, and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing - thats the millennium - may come from the presence of the Lord; that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive till the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. So, having your eschatology in place may lead you to repentance. Dispensational premillennialists hold that Christ will come before a seven-year period of intense tribulation to take His church (living and dead) into heaven. Log In One says moving toward the coming of Christ there will be no kingdom. It was developed in mid-19 th century England by John Darby, a leader of the small but influential Plymouth Brethren Movement. John MacArthur laid down the gauntlet on the issue of prophecy in his opening talk at the 2007 Shepherds Conference that was titled Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist Is a Premillennialist. He was emphatic that only premillennialism takes the prophecies concerning the future of Israel seriously. Pretribulational Rapture in 17th and 18th Century England. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure., Getting your eschatology right will bless you and getting your eschatology right will purify you. May we be faithful to take it, to interpret it as you intended for us to, so that it can yield to us the wonderful rich blessings that You have promised. For details about this sermon and for related resources, click here: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-339 To receive John MacArthur's monthly l. Now, I told you a few weeks ago why people believe that, because they want to get God off the hook so Hes not responsible for evil; but Hes happy to take the responsibility for allowing evil for His own glory. 2023 Grace to You. So, if you say the promises of the Old Testament that refer to Israel really meant the church, you have no precedent for such an interpretation. They dont faze me. In 1652, a group of eighteen Puritan ministers and theologians, including both Presbyterians and Independents, affirmed that the Scripture speaks of a double conversion of the Gentiles, the first before the conversion of the Jews, they being Branches wild by nature grafted into the True Olive Tree instead of the natural Branches which are broken off…. A Case for . Edwards believed that the overthrow of Satans kingdom involved several elements: the abolition of heresies and infidelity, the overthrow of the kingdom of the Antichrist (the Pope), the overthrow of the Muslim nations, and the overthrow of Jewish infidelity: However obstinate [the Jews] have been now for above seventeen hundred years in their rejection of Christ, and however rare have been the instances of individual conversions, ever since the destruction of Jerusalem … yet, when this day comes, the thick vail that blinds their eyes shall be removed, 2 Cor. And it is powerfully persuasive. It is pungently clear. He will return to an increasingly wicked earth, He will come in fiery judgment, He will judge all the ungodly of all the earth, and then establish His rule and His kingdom forever. Let me give you a theology lesson here a little bit. Some of the most formidable amillennialists - and Im talking about well-respected, very erudite influential theologians - say things like this, and Ill quote. There were 1600 pastors from central Asia - the first Central Asian pastors conference in history after the breakup of the Soviet Union. When He comes, everything ends immediately. Short Response to Dr. MacArthur's statement. -- by John Walvoord -- p.98 10.The Early Witness to Premillennialism -- by Michael Vlach -- p.104 11.Premillennialism in the Old Testament Series -- by Arnold Fruchtenbaum -- p.107 He is the author, co-author or co-editor of fifteen books and more than eighty articles in journals or multi-author works. I dont know about you, but I really cant get too worked up about greenhouse gases. So check out Tim Challies summary on this once it is posted and if you are able to get your mitts on the audio for this it is highly recommended. Dispensationalism is perhaps a key reason why evangelicals have such a concern with what happens to the nation of Israel. An article by John MacArthur: "The common question of which Bible translation to use is very important--it concerns the most important words ever spoken, the words of God the Creator. Reformed theologian John Piper affirmed his belief that the second coming of Christ is coming soon and indicated that he is a premillennialist. This book teaches that Christians will exercise dominion in history. ), We have, hence, sufficient ground to conclude, that, when these prophecies shall have their accomplishment, the interest of Christ shall be the prevailing interest in the world, which it has never yet been in all respects; so that godliness shall be as much and as universally valued and esteemed, as it has hitherto been decried, and it shall be reckoned as great an honour to be a Christian, as it has, in the most degenerate age of the church, been matter of reproach…. S. Lewis Johnson, Curt Daniel "The History and Theology of Calvinism" by Curt Daniel) and others affirm full soteriological Calvinism without adopting postmil or amil eschatology. Hes improving; Hes definitely on the upward curve. Ive written about this in several places. In fact, I understand sovereign electing grace much more clearly than I ever have in the past, and I also understand Gods sovereign electing purpose for Israel more clearly than Ive ever understood it. His mode of expositing those verses that supposedly counter Preterism really helped me to focus on those areas in the Bible. . I dont do this to you very often, but I hope you feel like it was helpful, and anchored you in this great and important truth. That in itself is an indication of Gods preservation for their future. Most of the Reformers and the Puritans were postmils. This is a positive book: positive about the future of the Church. John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue, editors Moody Publishers 2012-02-21 Five faculty members of The Master's Seminary have written an excellent primer on what they call "futuristic premillennialism." This is a strong defense of pretribulational dispensational premillennialism. Ive been putting an outline together in preparation for two talks I did for the December 1819 online A Purchased Victory: A Conference on the Bright Hope of Postmillennialism. My two talks deal with biblical and cultural impediments that are often raised against postmillennialism. Ridgeleys original work was titled A Body of Divinity: Wherein the Doctrines of the Christian Religion are Explained and Defended, Being the Substance of Several Lectures on the Assemblys Larger Catechism and was published in 1731.)) There should be a footnote in the chapter saying, Please note: here comes a prophetic text; change the rules. We really need a divine mandate, because I think God cares that we get it right. . This up to now has been more like a lecture, but turn to Revelation chapter 1, and just look at verse 3 for a moment. That leaves me with the impression that God wants us not to question the length of its duration. One topic I did not mention is the place of Israel in prophecy at it relates to postmillennialism. But, for certain, according to amillennialists, there will be no thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth. He confronts the views of covenant theology, historical premillennialism, ultradispensationalism, and, in this revised edition, the increasingly popular progressive dispensationalism. Israel sinned, promises cancelled. / ( .) 1897 (Western Theological Seminary) (James Orr) .. Ridgeley knew his history well enough to know that the majority of theologians in the seventeenth century held to an advancing kingdom through the proclamation of the gospel which includes the future conversion of the Jews. [1] He has been the pastor of Grace Community Church, a non-denominational church in Sun Valley, California since February 9, 1969. Its a strange approach. Whats that about? The books and articles that make this case are not obscure or difficult to find. Israel disobeyed the law, youre done. And youve been great tonight; this is more like a theological lecture. They explain, "As a refinement of dispensational premillennialism, futuristic millennialism affirms a futuristic view . Historic premillennialism is one system of eschatology that has support in the Protestant community. Premillennialism: The millennium is the long period (perhaps a literal 1,000 years) when King Jesus will rule on earth. Now, when they came here, Im very much aware that many of them are amillennialists. And . The alpha privative in the Greek language means a negative, so there is the view that there is no millennium; that what John is writing about in Revelation 20 is very vague, may refer to nothing other than a long time in which the church flourishes on earth, simply referring to that kingdom which is spiritual - that is, the rule of Christ over those who belong to Him while on earth. (Ridgeley, Commentary on the Larger Catechism, 1:563564.). Yet it is inconsistent with. From the material available online today, many would conclude that "historic premillennialism" refers to the teaching of 20th century theologian George Elton Laddand no other view. As soon as you abandon that, then its fair game for anybodys craziness. Like all divine truth, getting the future truth right is beneficial. The Millennium is the reign on earth of Jews who accept Christ John MacArthur, Because the Time is Near: John MacArthur Explains the Book of Revelation (Moody, 2007). And the longer I think about it and the more I study the Scripture, the clearer it becomes to me. Also, among Scottish Presbyterian churches during this period, special days of prayer were set aside partly in order that the promised conversion of [Gods] ancient people of the Jews may be hastened. (Quoted in Murray, The Puritan Hope, 100.) But we distributed that, and I arranged - and I dont know when its going to happen for you - I arranged to get a copy for every family at Grace Church as a gift. You can figure it out. Basically he said that when people spiritualize or allegorize the first three chapters of Genesis we call them Liberals, but when they do the same with the prophetic Scriptures we call them amillennialists. The church will have an increasing influence in the world. See, for example, Michael Vlach's article "How Does Historic Premillennialism Differ from Dispensational Premillennialism?", this "Eschatology Comparison" chart, and this article "An Historical . Loraine Boettner wrote a book called The Meaning of the Millennium; this is what he said: It is generally agreed that if the prophecies are taken literally, they do foretell a restoration of the nation of Israel in the land of Palestine, with the Jews having a prominent place in that kingdom and ruling over the other nations.. We know that, so our ambition is, when we get to that place, to be rewarded because we are pleasing to Him. Show more Friends Following So, you interpret it right, and that will allow you to understand the meaning of the Covenants and the future of Israel; and Gods integrity is at stake. John MacArthur's ministries, including Grace to You and Masters University, also employ a grammatical historical method of interpretation, and they come to a dispensational view of eschatology. After thorough study I saw that his views on the topic were based on (among other things) circular reasoning and tradition. With appearances by. And Im confident that God didnt reveal prophetic truth in so much detail to hide anything, to obscure the truth, but to reveal it for our blessing, our motivation and His glory. The Savoy Declaration, drawn up in October 1658 by English Congregationalists meeting at the Savoy Palace, London, included the conversion of the Jews in its summary of the Churchs future hope: We expect that in the latter days, Antichrist being destroyed, the Jews called, and the adversaries of the kingdom of his dear Son broken, the churches of Christ being enlarged and edified through a free and plentiful communication of light and grace, shall enjoy in this world a more quiet, peaceful, and glorious condition than they have enjoyed. He has been the pastor of Grace Community Church, a non-denominational church in Sun Valley, California since February 9, 1969. Fundamental Through the work of Ladd, historic premillennialism gained scholarly respect and popularity among Evangelical and Reformed theologians since he had the right appreciation of the redemptive- historical significance of the first coming of Christ and of the NT age. After clicking 'Register', you will receive an email with a link to verify your account and to complete your registration. So, I say, leave amillennialism to those kinds of people who do not believe in the sovereign, unilateral, irrevocable, divine electing power of God. Ridgeley spends several pages refuting ancient and modern Chiliasts, or Millennarians ((Ridgeley, Commentary on the Larger Catechism, 1:558562.)) And so, we stand steadfast, immovable. So, if were going to change the rules of interpretation to inject into Scripture a preconceived idea or to avoid what is obvious, we better be sure that we have a word from God. In fact, the worst evil thats ever been done on the history of the world was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and by that - the worst evil - He gained the greatest glory. This is process theology. We still have Mark to go, but there are only a couple of discourses and a couple of miracles in Mark that arent in the other three gospels, so not a lot of new material. It has not appeared as yet what we shall be. The following is a partial response to the subject since it is integral to premillennialism while postmillennialism is often ignored on the subject. Grace to You radio, video, audio, print, and website resources reach millions worldwide each day. You get Israel right when you get the Old Testament covenants and promises with Israel right. They believe God elects nobody to salvation. Historic premillennialism is the view that Christ will return before the millennium. I think He cares that we get it right, thats why He wrote it, and I think He understands that His glory is at stake, and our hope and comfort is at stake and the evidence of Gods massive moving in history is at stake with regard to the future. Arminius did not believe in election; those who follow him do not believe in election. Continue reading Theological Method of Premillennialism" in A Case for Historic Premillennialism: An Alternative to "Left Behind" Eschatology, ed. Who will establish it? Ligon Duncan and CJ Maheney (preaching tonight in the place of John Piper) both are Amil; Al Mohler and Mark Dever are both Historic Premil (I believe, correct me if I am wrong). Turn to 1 Corinthians 15; 1 Corinthians 15. iii.16. I have even called thee by thy name Isaiah 65:9: Mine elect shall inherit it - the promises of God. . We also applaud his insistence that the Bible must be interpreted literally, according to its normal sense. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 9; 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 9: We have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, - that is, whether in heaven or here - to be pleasing to Him - to be pleasing to Him. by Craig L. Blomberg and Sung Wook Chung [Grand Rapids: . There isnt such a thing. I think it matters to God. God doesnt choose you, you choose Him. He has also written or edited nearly four hundred books and study guides. The assembly and the circumstances of the assembly must be distinguished. Prior to that I thought about it a lot. Some people try to call it poetry, but its clearly not poetry - it has none of the earmarks of poetry, none of the characteristics of Hebrew poetry. But they want to get God off the hook, so they say Hes really not responsible, Hes really not in charge of anything; Hes just trying to figure it out. Would you agree? [2] There are two great elect people in the Bible: Israel and the church; and Israel is elect, as the church is elect - the New Testament is full of comments about the church being the elect. All rights reserved. The second, after the conversion of the Jews. (Quoted in Iain Murray, The Puritan Hope: Revival and the Interpretation of Prophecy (London: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1971), 72. So, I said, Would you do me a favor? Historically, church fathers favored historic premillennialism, including Ireneaus, Papias, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and Hippolytus. He made an interesting connection between Genesis and Revelation. Its the whole point of the beginning and the middle. I reject the wacky world of newspaper exegesis and cartoon eschatology, and crazy interpretation like the locusts of Revelation 9 being helicopters, et cetera. "MacArthur calls himself a "leaky dispensationalist"--meaning he rejects any and all "dispensational" soteriological innovations, holding to classic Reformed (i.e., Protestant, not "covenantal") soteriology. And there are a lot of people who get the first one right - they get election right - and they dont get Israel right, and they are lost when it comes to eschatology. Major proponents J. N. Darby, C. I. Scofield, John Walvoord, A. C. Gaebelein, Charles Ryrie, Lewis S. Chafer, J. Dwight Pentecost, Charles C. Ryrie, Its two ways to view human history. Some of them are postmillennialists, although there are fewer and fewer of those. Because, you see, if it doesnt mean what it says it means, then any suggestion is as bad as any other suggestion. How could they believe unless He caused them to believe? I just want to note that he neither proposed nor answered the types of objections that are oftentimes levied against premillennialists. But some are holding on to what they have taught in the past; I guess self-preservation dominates their theology at that point.