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. Log In
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.. But, in any case - and by the way, postmillennialists and amillennialists differ as to the details of these kinds of things. Its the same God, same terminology. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, this mortal must put on immortality. And then he goes on to talk about the fact that in that moment, in that event, Death is swallowed up in victory. Why Every Calvinist Should Be a Premillennialist, Part 1. Receiving Not Achieving. And in line with that, I want to try, at least, in the next couple of Sunday nights to establish a foundation for our understanding. 4. 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. Please contact the publisher to obtain copies of this resource. , . 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. They dont want to accept that the entire universe was created in six nearly twenty-four-hour days. 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 . Not one reference anywhere in Scripture - and there are over two thousand, referring to Israel - means anything other than Israel. John MacArthur's Defense of Dispensationalism Monday, December 8, 2008 by Gary DeMar In 1988, John MacArthur wrote The Gospel According to Jesus, a controversial book in certain circles because he relied heavily on the views of Calvinistic writers to deal with the lordship salvation controversy. I was talking to one of our missionaries just this same week I gave this talk to the pastors, and he was coming back from China and he said, Theres only one view in the church in China and its the premillennial view. Of course, because they just take what Scripture says. You can figure it out. And Im not in to newspaper exegesis, where you where everything that happens in the news fulfills some obscure Old Testament prophecy. 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. Darby, that came out of that whole dispensational system no, it didnt. And whats at stake here? Hes getting better. "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. 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? Daylight and dark, daylight and dark - thats a 24-hour period - God creates everything. This year they upgraded some snacks and are handing out Zone protein bars, a major enhancementhowever, I am really missing my family. Its the whole point of the beginning and the middle. Father, we thank You for a great evening together; wonderful testimonies, great fellowship and how - how good it is to think deeply and broadly about the glory of Your Word.
And so, we stand steadfast, immovable. Now, they make perfect amillennialists; thats a perfect setup for them. Premillennialism Historic Premillennialism Postmillennialism Amillennialism view sees the re-establishment of temple worship and animal sacrifices as a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice. Now, Ive been telling you for a number of months that we were going to get into the subject of eschatology, the doctrine of last things. We are responsible for our sin, but in the end, we believe because He moves on us. Isaiah 65 - really, the whole chapter is about Israel, Gods elect - verse 22: My elect again shall enjoy long the work of their hands. Israel repeatedly called Gods elect; we know what that means. My professors were a Who's Who of dispensational premillennialism: John Walvoord (then president of DTS), Charles Ryrie (author of Dispensationalism Today and The Ryrie Study Bible ), and J. Dwight Pentecost (author of perhaps the most influential text on the subject at that time, Things to Come ), just to mention the more well-known. 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. 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. Reformed theology has made a monumental comeback in this culture, and thankfully so, because it is biblical. . John Piper Backs Professor's End Times Theory of Premillennialism. Contrary to MacArthur, the historical record demonstrates that postmillennial Calvinists had developed a prophetic role for the Jews hundreds of years before Scofield. 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. MacArthur insisted that we should be able to preach the whole Bible without changing the original meaning of the text or abrogating promises. 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. Death, where is your victory? 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. 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. Staggering. John MacArthur News Why TMS? The other says it is the kingdom. This is a positive book: positive about the future of the Church. He has also written or edited nearly four hundred books and study guides. Why do we want to change the rules in interpretation to avoid that? Its two ways to view human history. 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. All of these are benefits of getting it right. 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. I couldnt help but wonder what the other guest speakers might have been thinking as they sat in the front row. We shall all be changed, in a moment, the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed., Thats the rapture; were going to study the rapture. Now, if you want to get the future right, youve got to get Israel right, and youve got to get Gods sovereign electing purpose right. Turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4; 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. 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. The Rise of Philo-Semitism and Premillennialism During the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. Every promise God made to Abraham about his lineage inheriting the land of Palestine has been fulfilled! These are dicult words to pronounce and even harder concepts to understand. 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. Craig Blaising and . 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. Do not look down on others from your view of the end-times. One calls it a kingdom and says it will expand and expand and expand - thats the positive spin. His contention that unless you see Scripture through dispensational eyes, you cannot be a "self-respecting Calvinist" surprised many-Reformed amillennarians and historic premillennarians alike. So, it is really one of the strange ironies of Reformed theology, and therefore its a strange irony in the church today, that those who love the doctrine of sovereign election most - that would be Reformed theologians - those who love the doctrine of sovereign election most supremely, and who love that doctrine most sincerely and - this is going to be a long sentence - and who are most unwavering in their devotion to the glory of God, the honor of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration, the veracity and inerrancy of Scripture , Those who are usually the most fastidious in Bible interpretation - yes, those who are the most careful and intentionally biblical regarding all categories of doctrine, those who see themselves as guardians of biblical truth, those who are passionate to get it right, those who are not content to be wrong at all, and those who most heartily agree on the essential matters of Christian truth, so that they labor with all their powers to examine in a Berean fashion every relevant text to discern the true interpretation of all matters of divine revelation, are . Select Bibliography. 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. In 1 Peter chapter 1, you remember, Peter says that the prophets who wrote concerning Christ, concerning the things to come, wondered what person and what time. We had met a short time ago, and she had questions about . Over four decades of ministry, John has written dozens of bestselling books, including The . They didnt really get to the front of ecclesiology either, the study of the church, but those two kind of go together - as well see in this study - in some very fascinating ways. Did God do this but somehow mumble? Grace to You radio, video, audio, print, and website resources reach millions worldwide each day. Not true. The end is as divinely designed as the beginning, and God has given us massive amounts of revelation in the Scripture about the future. 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. And youve been great tonight; this is more like a theological lecture. He is currently the chancellor emeritus of The Master's University in . Scripture affirms the perpetuity of the elect church to salvation glory; that all whom the Lord has chosen He brings to glory. The church will become more influential, more impactful, more spiritually powerful. They explain, "As a refinement of dispensational premillennialism, futuristic millennialism affirms a futuristic view . An Excellent Defense of The Rapture by Dr. John MacArthur But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. And by what authority? May it be powerful in our lives we pray in Christs name. 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. Those who most celebrate the sovereign grace of election regarding the church and its inviolable place in Gods purpose, from predestination before the foundation of the world to glorification in the future, those who most celebrate the sovereign grace of election, those who most aggressively, most militantly, and most capably defend the truth of Scripture regarding this election being divine, unilateral, unconditional, irrevocable by nature, for the church - thats for us . First John 3 verse 2: Beloved - 1 John 3:2 Now are we the children of God. There are over two thousand references to Israel in Scripture; not one of them means anything but Israel. And by the way, dispensationalists - people say, Well, that whole premillennial view, that came out of C.I. There are a number of viewpoints of what the Bible means when it speaks of future events. And it is powerfully persuasive. Now, to affix our thinking to one great future event which seems to be the most controversial, I want you to think with me about the coming kingdom of Christ, known as the millennial kingdom, because in the twentieth chapter of Revelation, the opening of that chapter, there is reference to the reign and rule of Jesus Christ on the earth which lasts one thousand years; in fact, one thousand is repeated six times in that brief text. It is the single most inexplicable story in human history, that this small group of beleaguered people, attacked and assaulted by everybody around them for centuries, still exist as a pure ethnic race. 3. Even His promises may not be valid, because He made them with inadequate information. In fact, its an impossible effort since it doesnt mean what it says, and you have to sort of allegorize it or spiritualize it and therefore interpretations are myriad; they are as many as interpreters. 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. I said, Sure - Ill take all day Friday, Ill tell you the future. So, I just marched them through the order of the chronology of eschatology as its laid out clearly, both in the Old and the New Testament, and I finished. Instead, MacArthur systematically unpacked the biblical theology that leads one to an unabashed Calvinistic eschatology. Whether youre talking about the church as Gods elect, or Israel as Gods elect, both are Gods elect. [2] Amen. Thats for people who dont know this; that the way history ends, is with Jesus coming and taking us away. (1) That the old offcasten Israel for unbelief would never be forgotten, especially in these meetings, that the promised day of their ingrafting again by faith may be hastened; and that the dead weight of blood removed off them, that their fathers took upon them and upon their children, that have sunk them down to hell upwards of seventeen hundred years. It therefore teaches responsibility. You have nothing to fear, nothing to worry about. There isnt such a thing. Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. Fundamental The first phase of that eternal rule will be His reign on this earth, which will last - as Revelation 20 says six times - a thousand years, after which His rule will continue, because it is an everlasting rule, but it will continue in a new heaven and a new earth that replace this heaven and earth, which will melt in an atomic implosion and make way for the new creation. It is narrative history, and we fight - sometimes tooth and nail - to maintain the literal veracity of Genesis 1 through 3. 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. John MacArthur claims to be a Dispensationalist in both The Gospel According to Jesus (GAJ) and The Gospel According to the Apostles (GAA). Some people want to turn it into ages - theres nothing in there that does that; theres nothing in the text itself that does that. Yet, Abraham did not receive it during all the time of his journey there. We want the Word to bless, to make us pure, to stabilize us, to comfort us, to give us a passion for evangelism. He is known around the world for his verse-by-verse expository preaching and his pulpit ministry via his daily radio program, Grace to You. His message in General Session 1 was entitled "Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist is Premillennial". 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. Some people say, How in the world can you understand it? They understood it in China without anything but a Bible; they understood it in Central Asia without anything but a Bible; you take it at face value. 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. Arminians - not Armenians, thats different; those who follow Arminius - did not believe in election. 8.The Grammatical-Historical Hermeneutic: Its Defense and the Demand for Premillennialism -- by Abner Chou -- p.64 9.Will Israel Build a Temple in Jerusalem? Register. Why, then, if we are so committed to protecting the text of the beginning in its literal nature, are we so fast to give up the texts of the end and their literal nature? MacArthur pulled no punches in his messages saying things like Jesus, Peter, the writer of Hebrews, and James were all premillenial. Dispensationalism continues to provoke heated debate within the Christian world. And . 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 Now, the truth of the matter is, those are just two ways to look at the same thing; postmillennialism and amillennialism is really the same thing. 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. Prior to that I thought about it a lot. It matters to me to understand what God has said about the end. 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. Craig and his wife Fran have two daughters and reside in Centennial, Colorado. Why bother? 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. He never has. He wants us to get it right; thats why He put it in the Scripture and the Scripture is replete with it. Chicago: Moody, 2012. All this panic about global warming, and all this panic about the end of the world and asteroids crashing into the earth? Theres a rapture, and theres a bma seat judgment; we know that. If were going to change the rules, then, may I suggest this - and this is what I told the pastors - if were going to change the rules, then we better have a word from God. I like to call amillennialism negative, and postmillennialism positive. Murray notes that A number of years before [the Larger Catechism and Westminster Directory for Public Worship] were drawn up, the call for prayer for the conversion of the Jews and for the success of the gospel throughout the world was already a feature of Puritan congregations. (Murray, The Puritan Hope, 99.) Along that line, I went to Moody Press and I said, Look, Ive written two volumes on Revelation - I dont know, its 800 or 900 pages - and I realized not everybody is going to go through all of that. And there are others who believe that that refers to heaven; that refers to the experience of the saints in heaven. (Matt .25:31-46; John . Historic premillennialism is the view that Christ will return before the millennium. If you interpret Old Testament prophecies literally, they cannot be fulfilled in this present age. If you dont know what you believe about the future, you cant preach on it. 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? In fact, some say nearly one-fourth of Scripture is prophetic. It is the theme of Scripture, the theme of eternity, and the . Over 200 times in the Bible God is called the God of Israel - over two hundred times, the God of Israel.. Would you agree? You forfeit everything, and God gives it to somebody else - namely, the church - and we hope the church can do better than Israel or the church will forfeit it all as well. But in the Old Testament - for example, Isaiah 45:4: Israel, Mine elect.