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. May it be powerful in our lives we pray in Christs name. Copyright 2023 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. There are over two thousand references to Israel in Scripture; not one of them means anything but Israel. Over four decades of ministry, John has written dozens of bestselling books, including The . Israel crucifies the Messiah, thats it. and defends what can only be described as postmillennialism over against premillennialism. Contrary to MacArthur, the historical record demonstrates that postmillennial Calvinists had developed a prophetic role for the Jews hundreds of years before Scofield. Well see more about how that works. 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.. And the longer I think about it and the more I study the Scripture, the clearer it becomes to me. There are 73 references to Israel in the New Testament; each of them refers to Israel. Those who most celebrate the sovereign grace of election - thats the Reformed - they are typically amillennial. 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 I went there and I spoke for a week, and they finally said to me, When are you going to tell us the good part? and I said, Well, whats the good part? They said, We want to know about the future; we want to know about the future. This is postmillennialism at its best. But, for certain, according to amillennialists, there will be no thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth. 2. Ridgeley spends several pages refuting ancient and modern Chiliasts, or Millennarians ((Ridgeley, Commentary on the Larger Catechism, 1:558562.)) A Purchased Victory: A Conference on the Bright Hope of Postmillennialism, Website made by Chittam Technology Solutions, LLC. Historic premillennialism is the view that Christ will return before the millennium. 7 Reasons Why the Gospel of John is So Special 3 days ago 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. Pretribulational Rapture in 17th and 18th Century England. For example, the book is well-organized. MacArthur's "dispensationalism" is eschatological and ecclesiological only. Because when you understand Gods purpose for Israel, you now have the foundation for all eschatology; all eschatology. You have this hope as a purifying hope. All this panic about global warming, and all this panic about the end of the world and asteroids crashing into the earth? 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. Whether youre an amillennialist or a postmillennialist, you basically say Israel forfeited all its promises. 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. One calls it a kingdom and says it will expand and expand and expand - thats the positive spin. (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. The assembly and the circumstances of the assembly must be distinguished. Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. The preconception is that we cant allow this to happen. Tell us about the future. They were in a very hopeless situation, having very little in life. How could He hold any of us, in one sense, responsible for not believing? 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. Doctrinal Statement Student Testimonies TMS for your Family Academics Academics Overview Master of Divinity Master of Theology Doctor of Ministry Doctor of Philosophy Bachelor of Theology Diploma of Theology Center for Israeli Studies Distance Education Academic Calendar Tyndale Center for Bible Translation They are certainly available (or they should be) in the library at MacArthurs Masters Seminary. Arminius did not believe in election; those who follow him do not believe in election. We freely own, as what we think agreeable to scripture, that as Christ has, in all ages, displayed his glory as King of the Church, so we have ground to conclude, from scripture, that the administration of his government in this world, before his coming to judgment, will be attended with greater magnificence, more visible marks of glory, and various occurrences of providence, which shall tend to the welfare and happiness of his church, in a greater degree than has been beheld or experienced by it, since it was planted by the ministry of the apostles after his ascension into heaven. 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. We also applaud his insistence that the Bible must be interpreted literally, according to its normal sense. . Weve been working our way through doctrinal emphases in Scripture, doctrinal themes, and we have covered a lot of ground. Return the sovereignty of God in election to its rightful place, return the nation Israel to its rightful place, and your eschatology will unfold in beautiful clarity. It is the theme of Scripture, the theme of eternity, and the . The other says it is the kingdom. This is a positive book: positive about the future of the Church. 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. Do you understand the massive apologetic power of the existence of Israel as an ethnic people in their own land? He made an interesting connection between Genesis and Revelation. He made them in the past, when He didnt know what He now knows, because what was going to happen hadnt happened. Why bother? So, I say, leave amillennialism to those kinds of people who do not believe in the sovereign, unilateral, irrevocable, divine electing power of God. 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. by Craig L. Blomberg and Sung Wook Chung [Grand Rapids: . This we think to be the sense, in general, of those scriptures, both in the Old and New Testament, which speak of the latterday glory. And by the way, dispensationalists - people say, Well, that whole premillennial view, that came out of C.I. 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). 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. Historic premillennialism is one system of eschatology that has support in the Protestant community. 315K views 1 year ago Significant video editing was used to create a unique storyline that teaches about the end times, specifically premillennialism and amillennialism. Log In Theres a recovery of premillennialism in the modern era, and the recovery of premillennialism in the modern era came from two very unlikely sources. All right, thats the introduction. 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. 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. And . 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. I saw it in Scripture when I was young; I saw it in Scripture because it was so crystal clear. John MacArthur claims to be a Dispensationalist in both The Gospel According to Jesus (GAJ) and The Gospel According to the Apostles (GAA). This primer takes you on a Biblical study of questions surrounding prophecy, Israel, the rapture, and the different millennial . You get the interpretation of Scripture right when youre faithful to valid rules of interpretation. A. DeJong, As the Waters Cover the Sea: Millennial Expectations in the Rise of Anglo-America Missions, 16401810 (Kampen: J. H. Kok, 1970), 3738.) Christ's Prophetic Plans offers the reader John MacArthur's most explicit writing on eschatology and is perfect for pastors, bible professors, teachers, and students with a heart and mind for discovering Biblical truth. The following is a partial response to the subject since it is integral to premillennialism while postmillennialism is often ignored on the subject. When He comes, everything ends immediately. Would you agree? 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 I couldnt help but wonder what the other guest speakers might have been thinking as they sat in the front row. 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? Did God do this but somehow mumble? We had met a short time ago, and she had questions about . The reason why it's called "historic premillennialism" is that, historically, this was the allegedly commonly-held view by many of the church fathers like Iraenus, Pappias, and Justin Martyr. He doesnt know the future because it hasnt happened. by R. Scott Clark on April 8, 2020 | Dispensationalism describes a way of reading the Bible and a system of theology the nearest roots of which are in the 19th century. Out of their own mouth - whats wrong with that? But people are upset because MacArthur so badly misrepresented amillennialism, and because he defined "premillennialism" as though it were dispensationalism. See De Jong, As the Waters Cover the Sea, 12.). And for most evangelicals, for most people who hold to a sound, biblical view and Reformed theology, they would live and die that the text of Genesis 1 through 3 means exactly what it says it means, because thats the only way to interpret Scripture. In fact, some say nearly one-fourth of Scripture is prophetic. Does the end matter? Im unwaveringly committed to that. (Matt .25:31-46; John . 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.. Register. 4. What some postmil critics fail to recognize is that postmillennialists have always had a significant role for the future conversion of Jews while premillennialists do not. Now, frankly, its too late for John Calvin to fix his work, although he is now a premillennialist in heaven. You can choose Him and then not choose Him, and then choose Him again and then not choose Him, and you make the decision; and so, all of the promises of God are conditional on you. 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. 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. 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. We are responsible for our sin, but in the end, we believe because He moves on us. 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. The world, as they see it, is in an ongoing golden process of progress. But in the Old Testament - for example, Isaiah 45:4: Israel, Mine elect. A Look at the Church of England, Sneak Peek Interview: Laura Wiflers New Childrens Book. Now, here comes the real irony; this is the real irony. 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. 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. 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. 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. He even went so far as to say that the Amillennial position is more consistent with Arminianism 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. Well, this is such a great chapter - verse 51: I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep. Some people want to turn it into ages - theres nothing in there that does that; theres nothing in the text itself that does that. Help Grace to You bring important resources like this to people in your community and beyond, free of charge. 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. Amillennialism, dispensational premillennialism, historic premillennialism, postmillennialism, preterism. 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. Or another way to say it would be this: how many of you have attended an amillennial prophecy conference? He wants us to get it right; thats why He put it in the Scripture and the Scripture is replete with it. And who made them? 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. They dont want to accept that the entire universe was created in six nearly twenty-four-hour days. You cannot fight the war on every front, and at the great time of the Reformation, they were fighting the war where the battle raged the hottest. The other says there will be a kingdom. It is narrative history, and we fight - sometimes tooth and nail - to maintain the literal veracity of Genesis 1 through 3. Theres no sense in going in to all of that, except to say in both cases, they say there is no actual earthly reign of Christ fulfilling all Old Testament covenant promises. 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? And then the effect of it is in verse 58: Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, and you can stop right there. Thats just two ways to look at the same thing. Help train Christians to boldly share the good news of Jesus Christ in a way that clearly communicates to this secular age. And I can only tell you I am unwaveringly committed to the sovereign election of a future generation of Jews to salvation, and the full inheritance of all the promises and covenants of God given to them in the Old Testament. 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. A History of Christian Zionism: Philo-Semitism and the Expectation of Israel's Restoration. Amen. And so, we stand steadfast, immovable. See, for example, Michael Vlach's article "How Does Historic Premillennialism Differ from Dispensational Premillennialism?", this "Eschatology Comparison" chart, and this article "An Historical . Articles Baptist Theology Calvinism Charles Spurgeon Christology Classic Premillennialism Covenant Theology e-Articles e-Books Eschatology Historic . Please respond to confirm your registration. Israel disobeyed the law, youre done. That in itself is an indication of Gods preservation for their future. But that is essentially what theyre asking us to do. 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. Because they believed that the Jews would be converted, Puritan and Presbyterian churches earnestly prayed that Pauls prophecies would be fulfilled. I remember when I flew to Kazakhstan in about a 35 or 38-hour flight; got off the plane at 7:00 in the morning to speak at a conference. Do not look down on others from your view of the end-times. The bottom line is were in charge. Staggering. Amillennialism is consistent with Arminianism. 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…. Theres a rapture, and theres a bma seat judgment; we know that. Here at Grace to You Europe we take our data protection responsibilities very seriously and, as you would expect, have undertaken a significant programme of work to ensure that we are ready for this important legislative change. [2] 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. Yet, Abraham did not receive it during all the time of his journey there. Major proponents J. N. Darby, C. I. Scofield, John Walvoord, A. C. Gaebelein, Charles Ryrie, Lewis S. Chafer, J. Dwight Pentecost, Charles C. Ryrie, It matters to me to understand what God has said about the end. 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. 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? Erdman refers to the premillennialism of Asia Minor in the second century as "Asiatic millennialism.". God is just trying to find His way through the melee of choices and decisions, through the endless vicissitudes and choices that everything and everyone makes, through all of the numberless issues in this massive universe that are going on; Hes sorting it all out as He goes. 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 have even called thee by thy name Isaiah 65:9: Mine elect shall inherit it - the promises of God. Not one reference anywhere in Scripture - and there are over two thousand, referring to Israel - means anything other than Israel. Show it to me. Why? 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. 13:79). MacArthur pulled no punches in his messages saying things like Jesus, Peter, the writer of Hebrews, and James were all premillenial. 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. The Lords coming back: blessing, purity, stability, comfort. So to interpret Matthew 24 the way John MacArthur does as all about the tribulation period, and then all of a sudden you get to verse thirteen and you read into that a whole soteriological concept that I've got to make it to the end of my life in good works to prove I'm a Christian so I can get to heaven. . They would rather believe that God has predestined His Church to failure than believe that they are personally responsible for transforming society. 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. That is a large part of evangelical Christianity, the Wesleyan movement, Charismatic movement, Methodists, etc., etc., many Baptists. 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. (Edmonton, AB Canada: Still Waters Revival Books, [1855] 1993), 2:621. Fundamental 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. 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.