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. He has also written or edited nearly four hundred books and study guides. It is masterfully written. Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. Why? 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. Revelation 1:3: Blessed is he who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it: for the time is near.. There have been premillennial (traditionally known as "chiliastic) movements, including some Reformed theologians, since the early church but most . All right, thats the introduction. For example, the book is well-organized. Erik Raymond is the senior pastor at Redeemer Fellowship Church in Metro Boston. No kingdom on earth ruled by Christ before He gets here, and no kingdom on earth ruled by Christ after He gets here. This is simply a way to understand Scripture in its normal sense. Moreover, John, as again stated by Papias, ascribed the origin of millenarianism to Christ . But, for certain, according to amillennialists, there will be no thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth. 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. 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. Yet it is inconsistent with. John MacArthur has compiled more than 20,000 study notes, a 200-page topical index, and numerous charts, maps, outlines, and articles to create The MacArthur Study Bible. In 1679, Scottish minister Walter Smith drew up some guidelines for prayer meetings: As it is the undoubted duty of all to pray for the coming of Christs kingdom, so all that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and know what it is to bow a knee in good earnest, will long and pray for the out-making of the gospel-promises to his Church in the latter days, that King Christ would go out upon the white horse of the gospel, conquering and to conquer, and make a conquest of the travail of his soul, that it may be sounded that the kingdoms of the world are become his, and his name called upon from the rising of the sun to its going down. Its there. Allis - well-known - says, The Old Testament prophecies if literally interpreted cannot be regarded as having been yet fulfilled or being capable of fulfillment in the present age. Thats true. The church. 13:79). But some are holding on to what they have taught in the past; I guess self-preservation dominates their theology at that point. 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. First John 3 verse 2: Beloved - 1 John 3:2 Now are we the children of God. - comfort one another. We are responsible for our sin, but in the end, we believe because He moves on us. "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. DP also believes that God has a place for both national Israel (cf. We know that Word about the future has that power. Worship - John F. MacArthur 2012-01-20 Nothing is more important than worship. (Ridgeley, Commentary on the Larger Catechism, 1:563564.). 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. 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. 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. It is narrative history, and we fight - sometimes tooth and nail - to maintain the literal veracity of Genesis 1 through 3. 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. . MacArthur--who is an ardent dispensationalist--stated and defended his position. Ive dragged myself through all these years of the discipline of study. 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. 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. Register. But, in any case - and by the way, postmillennialists and amillennialists differ as to the details of these kinds of things. He confronts the views of covenant theology, historical premillennialism, ultradispensationalism, and, in this revised edition, the increasingly popular progressive dispensationalism. Registered User Arminians - not Armenians, thats different; those who follow Arminius - did not believe in election. Premillennialism: This view sees a chronological sequence as Satan is bound in the future when Christ returns and before Christians receive their reward, and then the millennium commences, hence the name, "pre". Ive been here at Grace Church well, what - thirty-some years. And at that judgment, well be recompensed for the deeds done in the body, whether they are good or phaulos, meaning useless. There isnt such a thing. Craig and his wife Fran have two daughters and reside in Centennial, Colorado. 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. Where is the divine mandate to do that? He made them in the past, when He didnt know what He now knows, because what was going to happen hadnt happened. 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. And theres the main verb in the sentence are in varying degrees of disinterest in applying their skills to the end of the story, and rather, content to be in happy if not playful disagreement in regard to the vast biblical data on eschatology, as if the end doesnt matter much - period. 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. Ive preached through many of the books of the Old Testament, the first eleven chapters of Genesis through Daniel, Zechariah, the minor prophets, and pieces and bits of Isaiah and others in the Old Testament. 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. Not that they were the end, but they were the means to the end. A Purchased Victory: A Conference on the Bright Hope of Postmillennialism, Website made by Chittam Technology Solutions, LLC. In his commentary on John 3:33, John Calvin wrote: "To believe the Gospel is nothing else than to assent to the truths that God has revealed." The sort faith that MacArthur rejects is what the Bible requires. 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. The English noun/verb "rapture" comes from the Latin noun raptura/verb rapio that is used 14 times in the NT.The basic idea of the word is "to remove suddenly or snatch away." It is used in the NT in reference to stealing/plundering (Matt. Israel sinned, promises cancelled. But that is essentially what theyre asking us to do. Dispensational premillennialism (DP) offers the most complex chronology of the end times.It argues that the current church age will end with the rapture of the church (cf. 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.) 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. MacArthur insisted that we should be able to preach the whole Bible without changing the original meaning of the text or abrogating promises. Since the UK is now no longer a member of the EU, you may be charged an import tax on this item by the customs authorities in your country of residence, which is beyond our control. How do you explain that? The books and articles that make this case are not obscure or difficult to find. Its the same God, same terminology. In the modern theological world, I say leave amillennialism to the process theologians. John McArthur John MacArthur was born on 19 June, 1939. It has not appeared as yet what we shall be. When He comes, everything ends immediately. Well see more about how that works. This message clears up any questions as to where MacArthur stands on the eschatology issue. I couldnt help but wonder what the other guest speakers might have been thinking as they sat in the front row. Regarding this Dr. Timothy Jones writes, "Dispensationalism emphasizes the differences and discontinuity between the physical descendants of Abraham and followers of Jesus [2]. And by the way, dispensationalists - people say, Well, that whole premillennial view, that came out of C.I. 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. 2. In a really interesting illustration MacArthur envisioned an amillennialist evangelizing a Jew. 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. In short, there shall be, as it were, a universal spread of religion and holiness to the Lord, throughout the world. Seventy percent - by the way - of Scripture is the story of Israel, start to finish. Short Response to Dr. MacArthur's statement. Chicago: Moody, 2012. 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. 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. But I want to approach this whole thing with you, as my congregation, the way I did with three thousand five hundred pastors a couple of weeks ago. 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. Amen. That in itself is an indication of Gods preservation for their future. 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. How could He hold them responsible for not believing? Hes not predicting the future because you cant predict what hasnt happened - it doesnt exist. As soon as you abandon that, then its fair game for anybodys craziness. Enter your email address and we will send you instructions on how to reset your password. 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. We can take prophetic Scripture at face value. If you interpret Old Testament prophecies literally, they cannot be fulfilled in this present age. He has been the pastor of Grace Community Church, a non-denominational church in Sun Valley, California since February 9, 1969. Leave it to the semi-Pelagians and Pelagians, who go in and out of salvation; it makes sense for their theology. 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. Thats a hard sell, frankly. He and his wife, Christie, have six children. Death, where is your sting? Contrary to MacArthur, the historical record demonstrates that postmillennial Calvinists had developed a prophetic role for the Jews hundreds of years before Scofield. Continue reading They dont faze me. I am not going to try to quote him here, because frankly I did not take notes, I just sat there and listened. They were fighting the massive Roman system, and being occupied on those fronts, they never really got to the front of eschatology. Why TMS? Thats called process theology. Dispensational Premillennialism is a recent, complex, and increasingly controversial form of modern Historic Premillennialism (HP). Show it to me. Instead, MacArthur systematically unpacked the biblical theology that leads one to an unabashed Calvinistic eschatology. Now, I've been telling you for a number of months that we were going to get into the subject of eschatology, the doctrine of last things. If you get that right, your eschatology will come crystal clear. God doesnt choose you, you choose Him. Out of their own mouth - whats wrong with that? 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. 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. You never met a Hittite, an Amorite, a Hivite, a Jebusite, or any other ite. They have long since morphed into the melee and the mix of the races. Premillennialists believe that two-thirds of the Jews living in Israel during the time of the great tribulation will be slaughtered (Zech. a.Dispensationalist Premillennialism 1. But let me tell you something: normal, natural, literal interpretation is the only way to stop abuse of Scripture. Every promise God made to Abraham about his lineage inheriting the land of Palestine has been fulfilled! It was developed in mid-19 th century England by John Darby, a leader of the small but influential Plymouth Brethren Movement. A Case for . 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. Like all divine truth, getting the future truth right is beneficial. Those are the views. 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. 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.)) It is one thing to omit them for a time, and another to do it ordinarily. We sent you an email. In fact, some say nearly one-fourth of Scripture is prophetic. Premillennialism Historic Premillennialism Postmillennialism Amillennialism view sees the re-establishment of temple worship and animal sacrifices as a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice. So, heres how to get the foundation for a good sound eschatology: get election right, get Israel right, you got it. The church will become more influential, more impactful, more spiritually powerful. How could they believe unless He caused them to believe? Process theology: they are the theologians, liberal theologians, who believe that God is in process of becoming what He will be. 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.. 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 pungently clear. The other says it is the kingdom. I think it matters. The "millennium" refers to the period of 1,000 years mentioned in Revelation 20:3, "He threw Satan into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were ended. But even more interesting, in England in 1827, there was a publication affirming premillennialism, the coming of Christ and the establishment of His millennial kingdom, written by a Jesuit priest - reading his Bible - by the name of Manuel de Lacunza y Diaz. Piper was responding to an "Ask Pastor John . Romans 11:28 . 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? If you dont know what you believe about the future, you cant preach on it. 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. I know where history is going. Most of the Reformers and the Puritans were postmils. 1897 (Western Theological Seminary) (James Orr) .. Did He do it and somehow muddle it so hopelessly that the high ground for Bible students and the high ground for theologians is to recognize the muddle and abandon the perspicuity or the clarity of Scripture on that subject? There are a number of viewpoints of what the Bible means when it speaks of future events. We've been working our way through doctrinal emphases in Scripture, doctrinal themes, and we have covered a lot of ground. Part of what we pray for in the second petition, Thy kingdom come, is that the gospel [be] propagated throughout the world, the Jews called, the fullness of the Gentiles brought in. In his commentary on the Larger Catechism, Thomas Ridgeley (16671734) wrote, Hence, we cannot but suppose that those prophecies which respect [to the conversion of the Jews], in the latter day, together with the fullness of the Gentiles being brought in, shall be more eminently accomplished than they have hitherto been. ((Thomas Ridgeley, Commentary on the Larger Catechism, 2 vols. And . 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. There are over two thousand references to Israel in Scripture; not one of them means anything but Israel. 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.. Therefore, Israel has been permanently set aside, so that the only kingdom will be that kingdom that we call the church, ruled by Christ, either expanding to take over the world, or existing in the world, and finally in heaven. Fundamental Help Grace to You bring important resources like this to people in your community and beyond, free of charge.

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