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 just want to note that he neither proposed nor answered the types of objections that are oftentimes levied against premillennialists. It matters to me. A Look at the Church of England, Sneak Peek Interview: Laura Wiflers New Childrens Book. And there are others who believe that that refers to heaven; that refers to the experience of the saints in heaven. 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. 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. Yet, Abraham did not receive it during all the time of his journey there. 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. 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.. When Frederick the Great called his chaplain in and he said, I want proof of the truthfulness of the Bible, and I want it briefly, the chaplain replied, Sir, I can give you proof of the truthfulness of the Bible in one word: Israel.. Please respond to confirm your registration. The Rise of Philo-Semitism and Premillennialism During the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. [2] This morning John MacArthur opened the 2007 Shepherd's Conference with a loud blast that will no doubt be heard around the Reformed world in the coming weeks. What passage is it in? 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. / ( .) And may I remind you that you have one very, very important reality to deal with in case you think theres no future in Israel: living Israelites. You can believe and be saved and then you can forfeit your salvation. 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. I have never moved away from my conviction about these two things. Not just the future of Israel, but our confidence in the Word of God. And by what authority? Some of the most formidable amillennialists - and Im talking about well-respected, very erudite influential theologians - say things like this, and Ill quote. Dispensational premillennialists hold that Christ will come before a seven-year period of intense tribulation to take His church (living and dead) into heaven. Worship - John F. MacArthur 2012-01-20 Nothing is more important than worship. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. Its a strange approach. But, you know, of all the people on the planet who should be premillennialists, it should be those who believe in divine sovereign election, of all people. This morning John MacArthur opened the 2007 Shepherds Conference with a loud blast that will no doubt be heard around the Reformed world in the coming weeks. And the longer I think about it and the more I study the Scripture, the clearer it becomes to me. And again, I say, His election is divine, unilateral, unconditional and irrevocable. It has to matter to us. I align myself to historical premillennialism, so I want to convey my own dismay with John MacArthur's sermon series from 2007. . John Piper Backs Professor's End Times Theory of Premillennialism. His mode of expositing those verses that supposedly counter Preterism really helped me to focus on those areas in the Bible. Erdman refers to the premillennialism of Asia Minor in the second century as "Asiatic millennialism.". So, I told the pastors at the conference, and the title of this talk is, Why every self-respecting Calvinist has to be a premillennialist. Because, if you believe in divine sovereign election, then you have to believe that as God will be faithful to His promises to His church, He will also be faithful to His promises to His elect nation Israel. 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. Select Bibliography. Reformed theologian John Piper affirmed his belief that the second coming of Christ is coming soon and indicated that he is a premillennialist. But we now have pure Israelites. Now, were going to dig a little more deeply into the whole idea of the millennial kingdom and what the Bible says about it, and as to its nature and the aspects of the kingdom that are revealed in Scripture - and by the way, they are many and they are wondrous to behold, and we will do that. If this is a future event, why arent premillennialists warning the Jews in Israel whats about to take place? 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. But some are holding on to what they have taught in the past; I guess self-preservation dominates their theology at that point. We know that, so our ambition is, when we get to that place, to be rewarded because we are pleasing to Him. I couldnt help but wonder what the other guest speakers might have been thinking as they sat in the front row. Israel sinned, promises cancelled. 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. The reasons are simple enough: this classic work is forthrightly Biblical. (Ridgeley, Commentary on the Larger Catechism, 1:563564.). The second, after the conversion of the Jews. (Quoted in Iain Murray, The Puritan Hope: Revival and the Interpretation of Prophecy (London: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1971), 72. This primer takes you on a Biblical study of questions surrounding prophecy, Israel, the rapture, and the different millennial . Relax; set all that aside. Scripture affirms the perpetuity of the elect church to salvation glory; that all whom the Lord has chosen He brings to glory. See, for example, Michael Vlach's article "How Does Historic Premillennialism Differ from Dispensational Premillennialism?", this "Eschatology Comparison" chart, and this article "An Historical . We are responsible for our sin, but in the end, we believe because He moves on us. See here and here. 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. Premillennialism Historic Premillennialism Postmillennialism Amillennialism view sees the re-establishment of temple worship and animal sacrifices as a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice. Dr. MacArthur picked this fight. 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). 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. 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. I have thought about these things, by the way, for a long time. 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. 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. He confronts the views of covenant theology, historical premillennialism, ultradispensationalism, and, in this revised edition, the increasingly popular progressive dispensationalism. Amillennialism really seems to fit them. Ligon Duncan and CJ Maheney (preaching tonight in the place of John Piper) both are Amil; Al Mohler and Mark Dever are both Historic Premil (I believe, correct me if I am wrong). Theological Method of Premillennialism" in A Case for Historic Premillennialism: An Alternative to "Left Behind" Eschatology, ed. Israel disobeyed the law, youre done. This is a positive book: positive about the future of the Church. Well see more about how that works. 4. And who made them? 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. Reformed theology has made a monumental comeback in this culture, and thankfully so, because it is biblical. Because they believed that the Jews would be converted, Puritan and Presbyterian churches earnestly prayed that Pauls prophecies would be fulfilled. All rights reserved. Mathewson, Dave L. And Im not in to newspaper exegesis, where you where everything that happens in the news fulfills some obscure Old Testament prophecy. Resting Not Vexing, Our Anchor in a Sea of Chaos and Consternation, Why I (Sometimes) Listen to Supreme Court Oral Arguments. Turn to 1 Corinthians 15; 1 Corinthians 15. 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. Do you know - are you watching this media? We know that Word about the future has that power. Christ returns before the Millennium, a literal thousand years 2. First John 3 verse 2: Beloved - 1 John 3:2 Now are we the children of God. And so, I think its a fair test to see whether eschatology holds up. Enter your email address and we will send you instructions on how to reset your password. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ - thats part of the coming eschatology. Weve been working our way through doctrinal emphases in Scripture, doctrinal themes, and we have covered a lot of ground. Would you agree? That is to say, while they understood that someone would come, they understood whatever it was that had been revealed to them, the timing was not clear, and the precise personages were not clear. 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. After thorough study I saw that his views on the topic were based on (among other things) circular reasoning and tradition. Do you understand the massive apologetic power of the existence of Israel as an ethnic people in their own land? Not true. 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. Whats that about? And I ask the question: are we supposed to be comfortable with the notion that the hard and fast and true principles of Bible interpretation have to be set aside in prophetic texts? 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. How do you explain that? But people are upset because MacArthur so badly misrepresented amillennialism, and because he defined "premillennialism" as though it were dispensationalism. So, if were going to change the rules of interpretation to inject into Scripture a preconceived idea or to avoid what is obvious, we better be sure that we have a word from God. God doesnt choose you, you choose Him. 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. We've been working our way through doctrinal emphases in Scripture, doctrinal themes, and we have covered a lot of ground. 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. So, we can set aside the idea that somehow this is rooted in wacky dispensationalism; it is not. 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. Continue reading How could He hold them responsible for not believing? First, the Antichrist would appear and a seven-year period of tribulation would commence. One says moving toward the coming of Christ there will be no kingdom. 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…. The completed registration allows us to send order and donation receipts to the email address you provided. 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. Pretribulational Rapture in 17th and 18th Century England. . As soon as you abandon that, then its fair game for anybodys craziness. 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. 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. There were 1600 pastors from central Asia - the first Central Asian pastors conference in history after the breakup of the Soviet Union. 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. Major proponents J. N. Darby, C. I. Scofield, John Walvoord, A. C. Gaebelein, Charles Ryrie, Lewis S. Chafer, J. Dwight Pentecost, Charles C. Ryrie, John MacArthur was one of the influences that helped turn me to Preterism. The preconception is that we cant allow this to happen. MacArthur and the seminary faculty know of Murrays work. That is a large part of evangelical Christianity, the Wesleyan movement, Charismatic movement, Methodists, etc., etc., many Baptists. Now, there are people who do this to Genesis 1, 2 and 3. Every promise God made to Abraham about his lineage inheriting the land of Palestine has been fulfilled! We also applaud his insistence that the Bible must be interpreted literally, according to its normal sense. I reject the wacky world of newspaper exegesis and cartoon eschatology, and crazy interpretation like the locusts of Revelation 9 being helicopters, et cetera. 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. He has also written or edited nearly four hundred books and study guides. Certainly, you have no idea what it means - neither does anybody else. Macarthur writes "Futuristic Premillennialism is the result of an understanding and application of the prophetic texts in a way that is consistent with the normal, literal approach to interpreting Scripture." This is how the authors come to their Futuristic Premillennial view. Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. You get the interpretation of Scripture right when youre faithful to valid rules of interpretation. 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. Over 200 times in the Bible God is called the God of Israel - over two hundred times, the God of Israel.. He comes pre, not post; He comes before. A Review of Dr. John MacArthur's "Why Every Calvinist Should be a Premillennialist" Sermon. Piper was responding to an "Ask Pastor John . It therefore teaches responsibility. 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? See more on the author's page Sung Wook Chung 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. 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. Yet in Sproul's lifetime, he and MacArthur were close friends. Receiving Not Achieving. ), Puritan Independent Thomas Goodwin, in his book, The Return of Prayers, encouraged people to pray for the calling of the Jews, the utter downfall of Gods enemies, the flourishing of the gospel. Goodwin assured his readers that all these prayers will have answers. (Quoted in Murray, The Puritan Hope, 102.). 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. 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. Why do we want to change the rules in interpretation to avoid that? 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. 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. In a really interesting illustration MacArthur envisioned an amillennialist evangelizing a Jew. And so, you have to change the rules of interpretation and once you say the Bible doesnt mean what it says, then we have no idea what it means. John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue, editors Moody Publishers 2012-02-21 Five faculty members of The Master's Seminary have written an excellent primer on what they call "futuristic premillennialism." This is a strong defense of pretribulational dispensational premillennialism. Whether you are a pessimistic amillennialist, or an optimistic amillennialist - thats a postmillennialist - you dont know what to do with prophetic truth, because if you interpret prophetic truth in the same normal, natural way you interpret all the rest of the passages of Scripture, youre going to end up a premillennialist; its inevitable.
