A Look at the Church of England, Sneak Peek Interview: Laura Wiflers New Childrens Book. They dont faze me. Contrary to MacArthur, the historical record demonstrates that postmillennial Calvinists had developed a prophetic role for the Jews hundreds of years before Scofield. Christ's Prophetic Plans: A Futuristic Premillennial Primer. He asked what the amillennialist would say if the Jew asked about the kingdom and the blessings. I am not going to try to quote him here, because frankly I did not take notes, I just sat there and listened. Help Grace to You bring important resources like this to people in your community and beyond, free of charge. Amillennialism really seems to fit them. Do not look down on others from your view of the end-times. There isnt such a thing. How could He hold them responsible for not believing? MacArthur is a fifth-generation pastor, a popular author and conference speaker and has served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California since 1969, and as President of The Master's College (and the related Master's Seminary) in Santa Clarita, California. 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. 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. This is process theology. But in both cases, they would deny the actual thousand-year reign of Christ, and they would deny that Christ will reign and rule on earth and literally fulfill all His promises to the nation Israel given in the Old Testament covenants. He has also written or edited nearly four hundred books and study guides. That in itself is an indication of Gods preservation for their future. Premillennialists believe that two-thirds of the Jews living in Israel during the time of the great tribulation will be slaughtered (Zech. You have this hope as a purifying hope. He is the author, co-author or co-editor of fifteen books and more than eighty articles in journals or multi-author works. Why do we want to change the rules in interpretation to avoid that? This is why the Church is so weak in our day. This year they upgraded some snacks and are handing out Zone protein bars, a major enhancementhowever, I am really missing my family. We've been working our way through doctrinal emphases in Scripture, doctrinal themes, and we have covered a lot of ground. John McArthur John MacArthur was born on 19 June, 1939. And by the way, dispensationalists - people say, Well, that whole premillennial view, that came out of C.I. 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. They also think that there is not to be a literal thousand-year kingdom as such, but thats just metaphoric for a long time; and it simply indicates whatever the duration of that period where the influence of the church dominates the world, after which Christ returns. 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. 3. 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. 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. Well, this is such a great chapter - verse 51: I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep. His mode of expositing those verses that supposedly counter Preterism really helped me to focus on those areas in the Bible. He blogs at Ordinary Pastor. His message in General Session 1 was entitled Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist is Premillennial. 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. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 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. Christ returns before the Millennium, a literal thousand years 2. Death, where is your sting? ), 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.). All rights reserved. What you have here is a benediction from God: blessed is he who reads and understands the book of Revelation. In fact, some say nearly one-fourth of Scripture is prophetic. After clicking 'Register', you will receive an email with a link to verify your account and to complete your registration. 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. And Im not in to newspaper exegesis, where you where everything that happens in the news fulfills some obscure Old Testament prophecy. 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. If you get that right, your eschatology will come crystal clear. It matters to me to understand what God has said about the end. 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.)) May it be powerful in our lives we pray in Christs name. Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. ), 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…. Instead, MacArthur systematically unpacked the biblical theology that leads one to an unabashed Calvinistic eschatology. Dispensationalism is perhaps a key reason why evangelicals have such a concern with what happens to the nation of Israel. It matters to me. Relax; set all that aside. 4. Where is the divine mandate to do that? You get the interpretation of Scripture right when youre faithful to valid rules of interpretation. And so, we stand steadfast, immovable. 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. 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 Historically, church fathers favored historic premillennialism, including Ireneaus, Papias, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and Hippolytus. But there is a growing influence of amillennialism, because amillennialism has been a part of reformed theology. 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. A Purchased Victory: A Conference on the Bright Hope of Postmillennialism, Website made by Chittam Technology Solutions, LLC. What did MacArthur fail to tell the attendees at the Shepherds Conference? A History of Christian Zionism: Philo-Semitism and the Expectation of Israel's Restoration. Who Are the Real Schismatics? Whats that about? But they never got around to eschatology; they never got around to applying their formidable skills. Ridgeley knew his history well enough to know that the majority of theologians in the seventeenth century held to an advancing kingdom through the proclamation of the gospel which includes the future conversion of the Jews. (Quoted in Murray, The Puritan Hope, 101102. I had no idea what they believed - 1600 pastors and leaders from central Asia - Id never have even been there; and the group that led the conference came to me afterwards with smiles on their faces and said, You believe exactly what we believe. This isnt something for people who have been highly educated; this is something for people who havent been corrupted by education. Over four decades of ministry, John has written dozens of bestselling books, including The . 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. In short, there shall be, as it were, a universal spread of religion and holiness to the Lord, throughout the world. Today's Christians have been taught that they must flee responsibility, for Jesus' sake. DMcFadden said: The mixture of dispensational eschatology and Calvinist soteriology is not unique to MacArthur. Particular to this framework is the eschatological position known as "premillennial dispensationalism" which holds that Christ will return prior to a literal one-thousand-year reign on earth. MacArthur and the seminary faculty know of Murrays work. But some are holding on to what they have taught in the past; I guess self-preservation dominates their theology at that point. Not one reference anywhere in Scripture - and there are over two thousand, referring to Israel - means anything other than Israel. 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. 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. The Lords coming back: blessing, purity, stability, comfort. This is why its message is hated. Oh sure, it helps to know some history and some background, but this is a pronounced blessing. 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. 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. There are 73 references to Israel in the New Testament; each of them refers to Israel. 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. 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. 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 . All right. 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. The church will become more influential, more impactful, more spiritually powerful. Iain Murray, the author of The Puritan Hope, a book that Im using to make my historical case against MacArthurs claims, spoke at the Shepherds Conference in 2001. Daylight and dark, daylight and dark - thats a 24-hour period - God creates everything. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure., Getting your eschatology right will bless you and getting your eschatology right will purify you. 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 following is a partial response to the subject since it is integral to premillennialism while postmillennialism is often ignored on the subject. Enter your email address and we will send you instructions on how to reset your password. So, heres how to get the foundation for a good sound eschatology: get election right, get Israel right, you got it. 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. 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). 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. I have even called thee by thy name Isaiah 65:9: Mine elect shall inherit it - the promises of God. Well, we now come to the doctrines that relate to the end times. 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. 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. Similarly, the Westminster Directory for Public Worship instructed ministers to pray for the Propagation of the Gospel and Kingdom of Christ to all nations, for the conversion of the Jews, the fullness of the Gentiles, the fall of Antichrist, and the hastening of the second coming of the Lord. (Quoted in J. Arminius did not believe in election; those who follow him do not believe in election. And whats at stake here? John MacArthur's first message at the Shepherds' Conference set off shock waves throughout the reformed evangelical church by upholding Premillennialism as being the only consistent position for any person who holds to the doctrine of sovereign electing grace. 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. 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. 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. Registered User If this is a future event, why arent premillennialists warning the Jews in Israel whats about to take place? He comes pre, not post; He comes before. 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. 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. Now, when they came here, Im very much aware that many of them are amillennialists. 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. Since Scripture speaks of the Millennium as a time of great prosperity for the kingdom of God, post-mills are inherently optimistic. We know that when He appears, - second coming we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. I reject the wacky world of newspaper exegesis and cartoon eschatology, and crazy interpretation like the locusts of Revelation 9 being helicopters, et cetera. Look, I reject all of those really abusive and bizarre kinds of interpretation; but frankly, theyre no more wacky then the interpretations of the amillennialists, who want to take the entire book of Revelation and stuff it into the events of 70 A.D. and a few years afterwards and come up with things that are just as ridiculous. Out of their own mouth - whats wrong with that? 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. It is the theme of Scripture, the theme of eternity, and the . 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 . Historic premillennialism is the view that Christ will return before the millennium. Why do we want to run from that? Israel sinned, promises cancelled. Ive been here at Grace Church well, what - thirty-some years. 2023 Grace to You. It was developed in mid-19 th century England by John Darby, a leader of the small but influential Plymouth Brethren Movement. Now, understanding the future is you know, thats a general statement that you would be blessed - but look at just a couple of other things quickly. All of these are benefits of getting it right. 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. The world, as they see it, is in an ongoing golden process of progress. Craig Blaising and . 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. 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 are over two thousand references to Israel in Scripture; not one of them means anything but Israel.
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