If it doesnt mean what it says and everybodys got a different view, then nobody has the authority to say, This is true. Lets just stick with things that we know are true and things that all the good theologians agree on. Theological Method of Premillennialism" in A Case for Historic Premillennialism: An Alternative to "Left Behind" Eschatology, ed. Let me condense that down, just squeeze it down to about 350 pages, because if people read this and understand it, theyre going to be blessed by God. And they said, Sure.. 2. Floyd Hamilton in his book, The Basis of the Millennial Faith, says - and I quote: Now we must frankly admit the literal interpretation of the Old Testament prophecies gives us just such a picture of an earthly reign of the Messiah as the premillennialist pictures., Now, thats a fate worse than death. The church will become more influential, more impactful, more spiritually powerful. Whether youre talking about the church as Gods elect, or Israel as Gods elect, both are Gods elect. I'm two thirds in to the series; however, one of my complaints so far is that MacArthur doesn't characterize the amillennial camp with accuracy. See more on the author's page Sung Wook Chung With appearances by. After this period of fulfillment of divine wrath, He shall then return to rule from a holy city ( i.e., the New Jerusalem) over the earthly nations for one thousand years. Arminians - not Armenians, thats different; those who follow Arminius - did not believe in election. Yet, Abraham did not receive it during all the time of his journey there. He also spoke briefly about dispensationalism, but I am not going to cover that here, I got to run. Iain Murray, the author of The Puritan Hope, a book that Im using to make my historical case against MacArthurs claims, spoke at the Shepherds Conference in 2001. Now, against those two is the view called premillennialism; that means there will be a millennium and prior to that millennium, Jesus will come. Most of the Reformers and the Puritans were postmils. Fundamental We understand that when you have a prophecy in the Bible that has not yet come to pass, not everything will be clear. I like to call amillennialism negative, and postmillennialism positive. We who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus shall we always be with the Lord. Heres the application: Therefore - do what? Help Grace to You bring important resources like this to people in your community and beyond, free of charge. iii.16. Thats for people who dont know this; that the way history ends, is with Jesus coming and taking us away. Historically, church fathers favored historic premillennialism, including Ireneaus, Papias, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and Hippolytus. Amillennialism is consistent with Arminianism. That leaves me with the impression that God wants us not to question the length of its duration. Why Every Calvinist Should Be a Premillennialist, Part 1 - Grace To You 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. A Look at the Church of England, Sneak Peek Interview: Laura Wiflers New Childrens Book. Christ will return, He will come in a glorious second coming to earth - but not to establish His kingdom, but rather after His kingdom has been established. 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. A Preface First: One of the reasons I am doing this review of Dr. MacArthur's sermon Why Every Calvinist Should Be a Premillennialist is due to a good friend and sister in Christ who wished to challenge me on the subject of eschatology. John Piper Backs Professor's End Times Theory of Premillennialism. Show more Friends Following John MacArthur is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, president of The Master's College and Seminary, and featured teacher with the Grace to You media ministry. - Good4Joy A Case for . He is best known for his internationally syndicated Christian teaching radio programme Grace to You and has been the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California since February, 1969.He is also currently is the President of The Master's University in Newhall, California and The Master's Seminary in Los Angeles . Amillennialism is ideal for Arminians because, according to their theology, God elects nobody and preserves nobody. CLASSIC DISPENSATIONALISM. His presentation was not an attempt to harmonize Calvinism with a premillennial view but rather to show the inconsistency of the contrary. Amillennialism really seems to fit them. Dispensational Premillennialism is a recent, complex, and increasingly controversial form of modern Historic Premillennialism (HP). Ive been here at Grace Church well, what - thirty-some years. Dispensational Premillennialism: Exposition and Critique After clicking 'Register', you will receive an email with a link to verify your account and to complete your registration. His point being that Jesus literally fulfilled promises of God just as they would have been literally taken, how in the world can we now redefine the kingdom in a different way than it was described in and through the prophets? John MacArthur on the Rapture - LifeCoach4God One topic I did not mention is the place of Israel in prophecy at it relates to postmillennialism. (Quoted in DeJong, As the Waters Cover the Sea, 38.). They explain, "As a refinement of dispensational premillennialism, futuristic millennialism affirms a futuristic view . Reformed theologian John Piper affirmed his belief that the second coming of Christ is coming soon and indicated that he is a premillennialist. When I was in seminary I thought about it, and I guess for about 50 years Ive been thinking about eschatology, the time of the end. I asked Dr. Michael Brown, who is premil, in our debate about Replacement Theology how he reconciles his claim that God is not finished with Israel with Zechariah 13:79. The sting of death is sin, the power of sin is the law, thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.. In the meantime, Ive continued to study the Old Testament to write all the footnotes for the MacArthur Study Bible through the entire Old Testament. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ - thats part of the coming eschatology. First of all, we commend Dr. MacArthur for his solid Biblical position on Israel, and that Israel has a glorious future in the plan and purpose of God. by John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue (Chicago: Moody, 2012), 24. After that he must be loosed for a little while." Craig and his wife Fran have two daughters and reside in Centennial, Colorado. God promised him the inheritance of the land. Short Response to Dr. MacArthur's Comment on Amillennialism Dispensationalism, Revised and Expanded: Charles C. Ryrie So here, we are living in the view of our eschatological triumph in Christ: the glory of the Rapture, the last trump, rising from the grave, made imperishable and immortal. Amen. Hes getting better. The Three Prevailing Millennium Views, Amillennial, Premillennial, and Process theology: they are the theologians, liberal theologians, who believe that God is in process of becoming what He will be. Continue reading 7 Reasons Why the Gospel of John is So Special 3 days ago Popular proponents of dispensational premillennialism have been John F. MacArthur, Phil Johnson, Ray Comfort, Jerry Falwell, Todd Friel, Dwight Pentecost, John Walvoord (d. 2002), Tim Lahaye, Charles Caldwell Ryrie (in the notes for the Ryrie Study Bible), the theological-folk poetry of Jack Royerton, and Charles L. Feinberg. . Now, I know at this point somebody out there is going to say, Oh boy, hes into the Left Behind series. No, Im not in to Rapture fiction, and Im not in to wacky charts - you dont see me up here with a big chart and a stick. This is simply a way to understand Scripture in its normal sense. We want the Word to cause us to live lives pleasing to You. Would you agree? Does the end matter? So, my words to you are really very simple foundational words, I say this. Its there. Amillennialism, dispensational premillennialism, historic premillennialism, postmillennialism, preterism. Historic premillennialism is one system of eschatology that has support in the Protestant community. And again, I say, His election is divine, unilateral, unconditional and irrevocable. You get the interpretation of Scripture right when youre faithful to valid rules of interpretation. Theres a recovery of premillennialism in the modern era, and the recovery of premillennialism in the modern era came from two very unlikely sources. It is the theme of Scripture, the theme of eternity, and the . Who will establish it? His message in General Session 1 was entitled Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist is Premillennial. They dont want to accept the fact that Adam and Eve were created full grown, male and female, not the result of an evolutionary process. John MacArthur, Israel, and Postmillennialism - American Vision This article is also available and sold as a booklet. The Gospel Coalition supports the church by providing resources that are trusted and timely, winsome and wise, and centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. You get Israel right when you get the Old Testament covenants and promises with Israel right. Not that they were the end, but they were the means to the end. MacArthur's Leaky Dispensationalism - Grace Evangelical Society Premillennialism Historic Premillennialism Postmillennialism Amillennialism view sees the re-establishment of temple worship and animal sacrifices as a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice. Another Rapture passage - great one - verse 16: the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, the trumpet of God, the dead in Christ shall rise first. And Ive gone back after I preach, and Ive written commentaries - now I think 26 or 27 volumes on the New Testament - back through the same material again and again and again and again and again, so that this understanding of eschatology has had to stand the acid test of every text. But in both cases, they would deny the actual thousand-year reign of Christ, and they would deny that Christ will reign and rule on earth and literally fulfill all His promises to the nation Israel given in the Old Testament covenants. Daylight and dark, daylight and dark - thats a 24-hour period - God creates everything. Calvin, though, was an amil, and DutchCalvinism, after a postmil start, has tended to be amil. So, heres how to get the foundation for a good sound eschatology: get election right, get Israel right, you got it. Dr. MacArthur picked this fight. Its two ways to view human history. Relax; set all that aside. And he is suggesting, therefore, that we cant interpret them literally, because somehow, weve got to make them fulfilled in this age, because there is no future age. We are responsible for our sin, but in the end, we believe because He moves on us. In fact, some say nearly one-fourth of Scripture is prophetic. Its the whole point of everything else. Is that what God wanted us to do, to look at it and say, Aw, I cant figure this out; lets forget it? There are whole denominations that are instructed not to teach on the end times. You have this hope as a purifying hope. 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. In the modern theological world, I say leave amillennialism to the process theologians. I have thought about these things, by the way, for a long time. It is one thing to omit them in formal obedience to the law; and another thing to omit them in prudence, or for necessity, because we cannot keep them. We cant have those prophecies come to pass with regard to Israel in an earthly, literal kingdom the way the Old Testament seems to be saying it, so set aside normal, natural, literal interpretation. But for those who get it, for those who understand it, for those who embrace Gods sovereignty - that He is the only one who can determine who will be saved and blessed, and He is the only one who can save and bless - then saying that He cancelled promises to Israel because they didnt believe is completely inconsistent. "Are You Becoming a Post-Millennialist?" - Desiring God Anything to avoid premillennialism, even if you change the rules of interpretation. I recently read this great article and would recommend every professing Calvinist to give it a read, I believe John MacArthur's arguments for Pre-Millennialism are biblically irrefutable, mainly because the traditional Reformed view (Amillennialism) does away (Replacement Theology) with future Israel (God's Elect) and that is far from the truth MacArthur insisted that we should be able to preach the whole Bible without changing the original meaning of the text or abrogating promises. 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. Some people want to turn it into ages - theres nothing in there that does that; theres nothing in the text itself that does that. And there are others who believe that that refers to heaven; that refers to the experience of the saints in heaven. All this panic about global warming, and all this panic about the end of the world and asteroids crashing into the earth? John MacArthur is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, where he has served since 1969. The Rise of Philo-Semitism and Premillennialism During the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. And Im not in to newspaper exegesis, where you where everything that happens in the news fulfills some obscure Old Testament prophecy. If only he could just send down one message, that might be it. Only now has it happened, and so His promises may not be trustworthy, since they were given in the past, before so many things happened that He didnt know were coming to pass. In the mid-seventeenth century, the Westminster Larger Catechism, in the answer to Question 191, displayed the hope for the future conversion of the Jews. 3 reasons John MacArthur is wrong about religious liberty 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. John Piper Backs Professor's End Times Theory of Premillennialism Im unwaveringly committed to that. In a really interesting illustration MacArthur envisioned an amillennialist evangelizing a Jew. You can follow him on Twitter. Hes improving; Hes definitely on the upward curve. We sent you an email. We can interpret it the way we interpret any other passage of Scripture, with the same use of the normal, natural means of interpreting language, and we should; and it will yield for us as clear an understanding of the future as the Lord wants us to have. As you may be aware, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into full effect on 25th May 2018. Help train Christians to boldly share the good news of Jesus Christ in a way that clearly communicates to this secular age. One says moving toward the coming of Christ there will be no kingdom. If you get that right, your eschatology will come crystal clear. Did God do this but somehow mumble? Four Views on the Millennium - Study Resources - Blue Letter Bible When He comes, everything ends immediately. Why? Christ's Prophetic Plans - DTS Voice Hes not predicting the future because you cant predict what hasnt happened - it doesnt exist. The church will move out of its own environs to capture nations, leaders, ideologies, philosophies, theories, religions, and bring them all into captivity to Christ. GDPR is the new European privacy regulation, which will replace the Data Protection Act 1998 in the UK and the equivalent legislation across the EU Member States. 2023 Grace to You. And at that judgment, well be recompensed for the deeds done in the body, whether they are good or phaulos, meaning useless. Well, we now come to the doctrines that relate to the end times. And Im not into all kinds of complex charts, and Im not into all that is traditionally known as dispensationalism - seven dispensations, two kingdoms, two New Covenants, two ways of salvation, discontinuity between the Old Testament and the New - Im not talking about that. In one passage he defends premillennialism by arguing that a future earthly kingdom is necessary because of God's promise to Abraham, he wrote "The promise remains steadfast. Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts Workbook for Women Updated: Seven Questions to Ask Before---and After---You Marry 9780310875475 and divine grace shall melt and renew their hard hearts … And then shall the house of Israel be saved: the Jews in all their dispersions shall cast away their old infidelity, and shall have their hearts wonderfully changed, and abhor themselves for their past unbelief and obstinacy. And it is powerfully persuasive. 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. Why I Changed My Mind About the Millennium - The Gospel Coalition Not one reference anywhere in Scripture - and there are over two thousand, referring to Israel - means anything other than Israel. And that was over the gospel, and over the nature of Christ, and over salvation by grace through faith and over the authority of Scripture. The amil guy, MacArthur said, would have to say that things have changed, those promises no longer apply to you, we have them now and this is the kingdom. He asked what the amillennialist would say if the Jew asked about the kingdom and the blessings. But that is essentially what theyre asking us to do. How Leaky Dispensationalism Leads to Inaccurate Scriptural The reasons are simple enough: this classic work is forthrightly Biblical. Let me give you a theology lesson here a little bit. 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. BibleX: Greek in Sermons Highly acclaimed theologian Dr. Charles C. Ryrie addresses this crucial issue from the perspective of classic dispensationalism. John MacArthur | The Road Less Traveled First John 3 verse 2: Beloved - 1 John 3:2 Now are we the children of God. Ive dragged myself through all these years of the discipline of study. Sermons | Educational Resources | The Master's Seminary John Fullerton MacArthur Jr. (born June 19, 1939) is an American Protestant pastor and author known for his internationally syndicated Christian teaching radio and television program Grace to You. Should We Cancel Karl Barth, Martin Luther, and Jonathan Edwards? If you read the paper and have your eyes open, and youre breathing, and your body has any temperature at all, you know things arent getting better. So that whatever God chose to do He will do, that whatever He began to do He will complete, those who will defend that to their last breath - Gods irrevocable, unconditional, unilateral, sovereign election will bring those He has chosen to the fulfillment of all that He has promised them. MacArthur pulled no punches in his messages saying things like Jesus, Peter, the writer of Hebrews, and James were all premillenial. John MacArthur was one of the influences that helped turn me to Preterism. a.Dispensationalist Premillennialism 1. "Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist is a Pre-Millennialist." For those of you who don't know, this was a statement, among others, that John MacArthur was recorded as making at the recent Shepherd's Conference 2007 at Grace Community Church, Sun Valley California. The first view well call the postmillennial view; that is to say, that Christ will come after the millennium; that the return of Christ is post, it is after the millennial kingdom.