No other study Bible does such a thorough job of explaining the historical context, unfolding the meaning of the text, and placing it within a theological Now, next time Im going to take you through a series of about five questions that were going to ask and see how this plays out on the pages of Scripture, okay? The books and articles that make this case are not obscure or difficult to find. Premillennialism: The millennium is the long period (perhaps a literal 1,000 years) when King Jesus will rule on earth. 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. In other words, Piper believes Jesus Christ will come on earth and reign for 1,000 years. Would you agree? 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. The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics helps Christians show unbelievers the truth, goodness, and beauty of the gospel as the only hope that fulfills our deepest longings. 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. Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. Or another way to say it would be this: how many of you have attended an amillennial prophecy conference? Moreover, John, as again stated by Papias, ascribed the origin of millenarianism to Christ . Premillennialism Historic Premillennialism Postmillennialism Amillennialism view sees the re-establishment of temple worship and animal sacrifices as a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice. 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. It has to matter to us. 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 . 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.) That's a complete misreading. This article is also available and sold as a booklet. I think it matters to God. (Quoted in Murray, The Puritan Hope, 101102. 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. No kingdom on earth ruled by Christ before He gets here, and no kingdom on earth ruled by Christ after He gets here. Now, against those two is the view called premillennialism; that means there will be a millennium and prior to that millennium, Jesus will come. And so, we stand steadfast, immovable. 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. Why bother? 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. [1] He has been the pastor of Grace Community Church, a non-denominational church in Sun Valley, California since February 9, 1969. But, for certain, according to amillennialists, there will be no thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth. Because, you see, if it doesnt mean what it says it means, then any suggestion is as bad as any other suggestion. And then the effect of it is in verse 58: Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, and you can stop right there. Oh sure, it helps to know some history and some background, but this is a pronounced blessing. 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. The following is a partial response to the subject since it is integral to premillennialism while postmillennialism is often ignored on the subject. 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. Now, Im going to save the good stuff till next time, but I want to just end by giving you a little list of benefits of getting your eschatology right, okay? 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. 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. His presentation was not an attempt to harmonize Calvinism with a premillennial view but rather to show the inconsistency of the contrary. We sent you an email. 13:79). Arminians - not Armenians, thats different; those who follow Arminius - did not believe in election. God doesnt choose you, you choose Him. His message in General Session 1 was entitled Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist is Premillennial. There is no doubt that he does hold to the fundamental distinction between the Church and Israel, though he does not always apply this distinction consistently. Please contact the publisher to obtain copies of this resource. Its not nearly as difficult as some people make it if you just take Scripture at face value. Amillennialism, dispensational premillennialism, historic premillennialism, postmillennialism, preterism. Please be aware that these items are sent out from our office in the UK. 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 is the author, co-author or co-editor of fifteen books and more than eighty articles in journals or multi-author works. Where is the divine mandate to do that? 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). 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 some are holding on to what they have taught in the past; I guess self-preservation dominates their theology at that point. ), 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…. That is called historical premillennialism: Christ will come, set up the kingdom, but it won't have the Jewish character that we anticipate from Old Testament promises it would have, because those promises were cancelled to Israel and given to the church. Most of the Reformers and the Puritans were postmils. 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. Another way to see this would be to ask this question: what other category of theology - what other category of theology except atheism - starts with the alpha privative and labels itself as believing in something that doesnt exist? He made an interesting connection between Genesis and Revelation. 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. One calls it a kingdom and says it will expand and expand and expand - thats the positive spin. Every promise God made to Abraham about his lineage inheriting the land of Palestine has been fulfilled! They dont want to accept that the entire universe was created in six nearly twenty-four-hour days. John McArthur John MacArthur was born on 19 June, 1939. We understand that when you have a prophecy in the Bible that has not yet come to pass, not everything will be clear. Israel and the church, and advocate for futuristic millennialism. Christ returns before the Millennium, a literal thousand years 2. Its just a lot of material. So, I said, Would you do me a favor? His mode of expositing those verses that supposedly counter Preterism really helped me to focus on those areas in the Bible. Historical Records of New South Wales, vols 1-7; Historical Records of Australia, series 1, vols 1-17, series 3, vols 2-3, series 4, vol 1; S. Macarthur Onslow, Early Records of the Macarthurs of Camden (Syd 1914) S. J. Butlin, Foundations of the Australian Monetary System, 1788-1851 (Melb, 1953) M. H. Ellis, John Macarthur (Syd, 1955) and for bibliography The reasons are simple enough: this classic work is forthrightly Biblical. Yet, Abraham did not receive it during all the time of his journey there. So, this is a classic perfect fit for Arminian theology. [2] 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. Preachers Should Measure Twice and Cut Once, Why Our Church Cancelled Christmas Eve Service. CLASSIC DISPENSATIONALISM. He told me he would study the issue and get back to me. But there is a growing influence of amillennialism, because amillennialism has been a part of reformed theology. When it was first published three and a half decades ago, Paradise Restored helped to precipitate a massive paradigm shift in the Evangelical and Reformed world from abject pessimism to unabashed optimism. John Piper Backs Professor's End Times Theory of Premillennialism. Highly acclaimed theologian Dr. Charles C. Ryrie addresses this crucial issue from the perspective of classic dispensationalism. And so, I think its a fair test to see whether eschatology holds up. 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.
You get your eschatology right when you get Israel right. In similar language, Scripture affirms the perpetuity of ethnic Israel to a future salvation and a future kingdom as a race of people, and that in that salvation and in that kingdom will be the fulfillment of all divine promises given to them in the Old Testament, repeated in the New Testament, and through them to the world. You have nothing to fear, nothing to worry about. . A Review of Dr. John MacArthur's "Why Every Calvinist Should be a Premillennialist" Sermon. All right, thats the introduction. He is currently the chancellor emeritus of The Master's University in . Postmillennialists think things are going to get better. Hes getting better. 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. We can take prophetic Scripture at face value. Scripture affirms the perpetuity of the elect church to salvation glory; that all whom the Lord has chosen He brings to glory. 2. 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. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), which, along with the appearance of the Antichrist, marks the beginning of the seven-year great tribulation on earth. It matters to me. This is a positive book: positive about the future of the Church. 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. There isnt such a thing. They dont faze me. 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. Whats that about? We know that Word about the future has that power. How could He hold any of us, in one sense, responsible for not believing? So, my words to you are really very simple foundational words, I say this. Interestingly, some of this same languagethe phrase double conversion of the Gentiles in particularwas used by Johann Heinrich Alsted, whose premillennial The Beloved City or, The Saints Reign on Earth a Thousand Yeares (1627; English edition 1643) exercised great influence in England. And Im really grateful that the Spirit of God is moving the way He is these days, and moving in the church to reestablish the glorious high ground of the sovereignty of God in salvation. So, I say, leave amillennialism to those kinds of people who do not believe in the sovereign, unilateral, irrevocable, divine electing power of God. 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 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. The world, as they see it, is in an ongoing golden process of progress. 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. I have never moved away from my conviction about these two things. 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. Thats for people who dont know this; that the way history ends, is with Jesus coming and taking us away. There were 1600 pastors from central Asia - the first Central Asian pastors conference in history after the breakup of the Soviet Union. 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.