You have nothing to fear, nothing to worry about. In other words, Piper believes Jesus Christ will come on earth and reign for 1,000 years. We are responsible for our sin, but in the end, we believe because He moves on us. He is currently the chancellor emeritus of The Master's University in . We know that when He appears, - second coming we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. MacArthur pulled no punches in his messages saying things like Jesus, Peter, the writer of Hebrews, and James were all premillenial. 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 . Today's Christians have been taught that they must flee responsibility, for Jesus' sake. There are a number of viewpoints of what the Bible means when it speaks of future events. But that is essentially what theyre asking us to do. 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, talking about eschatology is not without controversy. The books and articles that make this case are not obscure or difficult to find. He is the author, co-author or co-editor of fifteen books and more than eighty articles in journals or multi-author works. But, for certain, according to amillennialists, there will be no thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth. Its there. 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. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ - thats part of the coming eschatology. The other looks at it as a spiritual kingdom also but says it will decline and decline and decline until Jesus finally comes. The following is a partial response to the subject since it is integral to premillennialism while postmillennialism is often ignored on the subject. Now, frankly, its too late for John Calvin to fix his work, although he is now a premillennialist in heaven. There have been premillennial (traditionally known as "chiliastic) movements, including some Reformed theologians, since the early church but most . Resting Not Vexing, Our Anchor in a Sea of Chaos and Consternation, Why I (Sometimes) Listen to Supreme Court Oral Arguments. I asked Dr. Michael Brown, who is premil, in our debate about Replacement Theology how he reconciles his claim that God is not finished with Israel with Zechariah 13:79. 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. They taught that the kingdom of God would be visibly manifest on earth after the second coming of Jesus. The completed registration allows us to send order and donation receipts to the email address you provided. It makes no sense. The church. 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. Israel and the church, and advocate for futuristic millennialism. Not true. How could they believe unless He caused them to believe? May it be powerful in our lives we pray in Christs name. 13:79). 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. A Look at the Church of England, Sneak Peek Interview: Laura Wiflers New Childrens Book. 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. I have never moved away from my conviction about these two things. Preachers Should Measure Twice and Cut Once, Why Our Church Cancelled Christmas Eve Service. He made an interesting connection between Genesis and Revelation. So, my words to you are really very simple foundational words, I say this. MacArthur, John, and Richard Mayhue, eds. The reasons are simple enough: this classic work is forthrightly Biblical. Amillennialism really seems to fit them. But we now have pure Israelites. . His presentation was not an attempt to harmonize Calvinism with a premillennial view but rather to show the inconsistency of the contrary. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), which, along with the appearance of the Antichrist, marks the beginning of the seven-year great tribulation on earth. 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 Why TMS? Yet, Abraham did not receive it during all the time of his journey there. 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. 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. - comfort one another. 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. 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. 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. And Im not in to newspaper exegesis, where you where everything that happens in the news fulfills some obscure Old Testament prophecy. 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. Not that they were the only ones to be saved, but they were the ones through whom God will eventually reach, and even set up His Son to rule over the nations. Murray notes that A number of years before [the Larger Catechism and Westminster Directory for Public Worship] were drawn up, the call for prayer for the conversion of the Jews and for the success of the gospel throughout the world was already a feature of Puritan congregations. (Murray, The Puritan Hope, 99.) How do you explain that? As soon as you abandon that, then its fair game for anybodys craziness. Process theology: they are the theologians, liberal theologians, who believe that God is in process of becoming what He will be. But let me tell you something: normal, natural, literal interpretation is the only way to stop abuse of Scripture. Dispensationalism is a kind of framework for history that is organized around seven dispensationsseven orders or administrations. Because we dont want you to incur expenditure for which you are not prepared, could you please confirm whether you are willing to pay this charge, if necessary? So, I said, Would you do me a favor? 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. Israel sinned, promises cancelled. 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. Yet in Sproul's lifetime, he and MacArthur were close friends. His message in General Session 1 was entitled "Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist is Premillennial". I couldnt help but wonder what the other guest speakers might have been thinking as they sat in the front row. 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. The assembly and the circumstances of the assembly must be distinguished. But they never got around to eschatology; they never got around to applying their formidable skills. Oct 27, 2007. The Rise of Philo-Semitism and Premillennialism During the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. Hes improving; Hes definitely on the upward curve. Reformed theologian John Piper affirmed his belief that the second coming of Christ is coming soon and indicated that he is a premillennialist. Its two ways to view human history. But if you read Genesis 1 to 3, its pretty clear the evening and the morning were the first day, the evening and the morning were the second day, the evening and the morning were the third day. It is one thing to omit them for a time, and another to do it ordinarily. All right, thats the introduction. This is why its message is hated. This message clears up any questions as to where MacArthur stands on the eschatology issue. 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 . 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. 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.. We know that Word about the future has that power. So, heres how to get the foundation for a good sound eschatology: get election right, get Israel right, you got it. And . So that whatever God chose to do He will do, that whatever He began to do He will complete, those who will defend that to their last breath - Gods irrevocable, unconditional, unilateral, sovereign election will bring those He has chosen to the fulfillment of all that He has promised them. All rights reserved. Its a strange approach. (Ridgeley, Commentary on the Larger Catechism, 1:562. Over four decades of ministry, John has written dozens of bestselling books, including The . Highly acclaimed theologian Dr. Charles C. Ryrie addresses this crucial issue from the perspective of classic dispensationalism. Now, with regard to the coming kingdom of Christ, in which Christ rules as supreme and sovereign ruler, there are a number of views, but let me boil them down to three views - and these are good, and Ill give you a simple explanation so that you understand where we are going. He wants us to get it right; thats why He put it in the Scripture and the Scripture is replete with it. A recurring topic of interest in his writings is the historical reliability of the Scriptures. They dont faze me. Over 200 times in the Bible God is called the God of Israel - over two hundred times, the God of Israel.. If you dont know what you believe about the future, you cant preach on it. 1897 (Western Theological Seminary) (James Orr) .. 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. . Register. Its the whole point of the beginning and the middle. So, we can set aside the idea that somehow this is rooted in wacky dispensationalism; it is not. 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. 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. (Quoted in DeJong, As the Waters Cover the Sea, 38.). Moreover, John, as again stated by Papias, ascribed the origin of millenarianism to Christ . It has to matter to us. John Piper Backs Professor's End Times Theory of Premillennialism. John MacArthur News Why TMS? 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. 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. 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. Its the same God, same terminology. 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. 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. In the world, things will get better and better and better as the church becomes more powerful and more influential. We can take prophetic Scripture at face value. He will return to an increasingly wicked earth, He will come in fiery judgment, He will judge all the ungodly of all the earth, and then establish His rule and His kingdom forever. I have even called thee by thy name Isaiah 65:9: Mine elect shall inherit it - the promises of God. If you get that right, your eschatology will come crystal clear. Those who most celebrate the sovereign grace of election - thats the Reformed - they are typically amillennial. Craig and his wife Fran have two daughters and reside in Centennial, Colorado. 2023 Grace to You. Anything to avoid premillennialism, even if you change the rules of interpretation. It is the single most inexplicable story in human history, that this small group of beleaguered people, attacked and assaulted by everybody around them for centuries, still exist as a pure ethnic race. He concluded that Nothing is more certainly foretold than this national conversion of the Jews in Romans 11. (Jonathan Edwards, History of Redemption, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, 2 vols. In a shocking conclusion to the illustration, MacArthur said, if this is the kingdom, then Jesus is not the messiah. I think it matters to God. In a really interesting illustration MacArthur envisioned an amillennialist evangelizing a Jew. 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. Show more Friends Following The preconception is that we cant allow this to happen. 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? Worship - John F. MacArthur 2012-01-20 Nothing is more important than worship. 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. Jonathan Edwards, a noted postmillennialist and someone MacArthur quotes unfavorably in his Shepherds talk, outlined the future of the Christian Church in his 1774 History of Redemption. No kingdom on earth ruled by Christ before He gets here, and no kingdom on earth ruled by Christ after He gets here. Out of their own mouth - whats wrong with that? A Review of Dr. John MacArthur's "Why Every Calvinist Should be a Premillennialist" Sermon. He made them in the past, when He didnt know what He now knows, because what was going to happen hadnt happened. 2. This is simply a way to understand Scripture in its normal sense. They believe that salvation can be gained and lost. MacArthur insisted that we should be able to preach the whole Bible without changing the original meaning of the text or abrogating promises. He also said that it is too late for Calvin but it is not too late for you [to join the Reformed Premillennial movement]! . Would you agree? Fundamental 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. 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. You get Israel right when you get the Old Testament covenants and promises with Israel right. I dont know about you, but I really cant get too worked up about greenhouse gases. (Ridgeley, Commentary on the Larger Catechism, 1:563564.). If this is a future event, why arent premillennialists warning the Jews in Israel whats about to take place? And so, we stand steadfast, immovable. He never has. His contention that unless you see Scripture through dispensational eyes, you cannot be a "self-respecting Calvinist" surprised many-Reformed amillennarians and historic premillennarians alike. Let me give you a theology lesson here a little bit. 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. 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 There are 73 references to Israel in the New Testament; each of them refers to Israel. In fact, the worst evil thats ever been done on the history of the world was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and by that - the worst evil - He gained the greatest glory. Daylight and dark, daylight and dark - thats a 24-hour period - God creates everything. Erik Raymond is the senior pastor at Redeemer Fellowship Church in Metro Boston. This is why the Church is so weak in our day. I saw it in Scripture when I was young; I saw it in Scripture because it was so crystal clear. And whats at stake here? It is the theme of Scripture, the theme of eternity, and the . This makes two distinct judgmentsone for Christians and one for non-Christians after the millennium. But people are upset because MacArthur so badly misrepresented amillennialism, and because he defined "premillennialism" as though it were dispensationalism. It therefore teaches responsibility. 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. 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 He comes, everything ends immediately. What he is saying is, a literal interpretation of the Old Testament is going to lead you to a premillennial view, and since we dont want to get there, we cant use a literal approach. As more and more information comes to Him, and as He has more and more experience in dealing with the issues of His universe, Hes getting better at being God. Select Bibliography. Israel sinned, youre out. I know where history is going. After clicking 'Register', you will receive an email with a link to verify your account and to complete your registration. But we distributed that, and I arranged - and I dont know when its going to happen for you - I arranged to get a copy for every family at Grace Church as a gift. 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. This primer takes you on a Biblical study of questions surrounding prophecy, Israel, the rapture, and the different millennial . Yet it is inconsistent with. 11:12; 12:29; 13:19; John 10:12, 28, 29) and removing (John 6:15; Acts 8:39; 23:10; Jude 23).There is a third use, which focuses on being caught up . And by the way, dispensationalists - people say, Well, that whole premillennial view, that came out of C.I. Now, why am I making a case for this? Forfeited all its privileges, forfeited all those things that God declared in covenant that He would give to them in the future; and they forfeit it by their disobedience to the Mosaic Covenant, by their apostasy from true religion and by their rejection of their Messiah. 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. This up to now has been more like a lecture, but turn to Revelation chapter 1, and just look at verse 3 for a moment. MacArthur--who is an ardent dispensationalist--stated and defended his position. See here and here. Premillennialism (3) Pretribulationism (1) Pride (3) Priests (4) Princeton Theological Review (1) . Not that they were the end, but they were the means to the end. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. Now, when they came here, Im very much aware that many of them are amillennialists. 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. There are over two thousand references to Israel in Scripture; not one of them means anything but Israel. Christ's Prophetic Plans: A Futuristic Premillennial Primer. Because they believed that the Jews would be converted, Puritan and Presbyterian churches earnestly prayed that Pauls prophecies would be fulfilled. 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. 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. Whether youre an amillennialist or a postmillennialist, you basically say Israel forfeited all its promises. . 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. 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. Because when you understand Gods purpose for Israel, you now have the foundation for all eschatology; all eschatology. Premillennialism Historic Premillennialism Postmillennialism Amillennialism view sees the re-establishment of temple worship and animal sacrifices as a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice. Staggering. For details about this sermon and for related resources, click here: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-339 To receive John MacArthur's monthly l. Relax; set all that aside. He notes that "the decisive authority of Asiatic millennialism is John, from whom the elders claimed to have obtained their information. One topic I did not mention is the place of Israel in prophecy at it relates to postmillennialism. It is masterfully written. 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? 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". And there are others who believe that that refers to heaven; that refers to the experience of the saints in heaven. 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.. 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. 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. Premillennialism: The millennium is the long period (perhaps a literal 1,000 years) when King Jesus will rule on earth. 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. And Im not into all kinds of complex charts, and Im not into all that is traditionally known as dispensationalism - seven dispensations, two kingdoms, two New Covenants, two ways of salvation, discontinuity between the Old Testament and the New - Im not talking about that. 8.The Grammatical-Historical Hermeneutic: Its Defense and the Demand for Premillennialism -- by Abner Chou -- p.64 9.Will Israel Build a Temple in Jerusalem? 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? And it is powerfully persuasive. Primer, ed. We want the Word to bless, to make us pure, to stabilize us, to comfort us, to give us a passion for evangelism. The reformers had it right on most issues. I. Dr. MacArthur on Premillennialism and Calvinism: "Now that leads to my title: `Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist Is a Premillennialist' [laughter and applause] Now it's too late for Calvin, but it's not too late for the rest of you. 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.