WHY I AM CONVINCED OF DISPENSATIONAL PREMILLENNIALISM

 

Dispensational premillennialism distinctly holds that God has a positive future for the nation of Israel, yet to be realized in the millennium, the 1000-year reign of Jesus Christ on earth.  The Church has not replaced Israel.  God’s promises to Abraham and David still hold; were not fulfilled in the Old Testament era, nor spiritually in the Church.  This view uses a consistent literal interpretive method, which allows for non-literal elements, but only when justifiable in the context.

REASON ONE

Using a consistent literal interpretation of Scripture demands the covenants made to Abraham and David, as well as the New Covenant to Israel, be fulfilled in their entirety for the nation of Israel.  The Abrahamic Covenant is unconditional with respect to Abraham’s or his descendants’ performance, being solely based on God’s performance (see Genesis 12 and 15).  In Genesis 12, this covenant includes the creation of a nation, blessing and a great name, with blessing for those who bless Abraham and cursing for those who curse Abraham, and blessing for all the families of the earth in Abraham.  In Genesis 15, the covenant specifically focuses on land, as well as including an innumerable progeny.

The Davidic Covenant is also unconditional (2 Samuel 7) and focuses on a royal dynasty, including a throne and kingdom.  The Lord promises that “your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.  Your throne shall be established forever.” (v. 16).

The New Covenant is specifically made with the houses of Israel and Judah (Jeremiah 31:31-37) and focuses on spiritual life in writing God’s law on the heart (cf. Ezekiel 36:22-29 – new heart, new spirit).  Jeremiah then adds God’s commitment to the nation of Israel as permanent, in the same way the “fixed order of the moon and the stars” is permanent (31:35-36).  He also compares casting off Israel with the possibility of measuring the heavens above or the earth below (31:37).

Jesus the Messiah is the agent who enables these covenants to be fulfilled.  He is the faithful servant that Israel failed to be, but He does not displace Israel, rather opens the way for Israel to be restored in God’s time, which is yet future.

Only the dispensational, premillennial view gives sufficient weight to these covenants and interprets them as they were understood by the Jewish people at the time of their initiation and subsequently.

REASON TWO

The prophecies of Daniel support a future for national Israel, especially the 70 weeks prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27.  This revelation to Daniel by Gabriel in response to Daniel’s prayer concerning the return of the exiles to Israel, focuses on the Jewish people and Jerusalem.  These 70 weeks, best understood as 70 lots of seven years, summarise Israel’s history from the physical restoration of Jerusalem to the spiritual restoration of the nation.  This unit of 490 years in duration will deal with Israel’s sin and bring in everlasting righteousness for the nation.  The final week, seven years, has not yet been fulfilled, despite attempts to fit its description into past history.  At a time when Israel is in captivity, the communication of a positive future involving restoration of relationship with God and an anointed holy place (the temple) provided hope for despairing exiles, including Daniel.

Only a dispensational, premillennial chronology makes sense of each aspect, including the 7-week, 62-week and 1-week segments.

REASON THREE

Despite Israel’s rejection and crucifixion of their Messiah, Jesus, through the Roman authority, the apostles and earliest followers of Jesus expected the kingdom to be inaugurated for Israel (Acts 1:1-7 cf. 3:19-26).  Jesus has taught his apostles about the kingdom of God for 40 days after His resurrection and before His ascension (Acts 1:3).  In response, they ask Him the timing of the restoration of the kingdom to Israel, to which He responds that the timing is not for them to know, rather receive the Spirit’s empowerment to proclaim the gospel (Acts 1:6-8).  Jesus did not correct the question and this was a perfect time to do so, if it was erroneous.  Peter’s sermon in Acts 3 continues a focus on the future of Israel, rather than dismissing the nation as rejected because of their treatment of Jesus.

The restoration of the kingdom for Israel is only held by dispensational premillennialism.

REASON FOUR

A correct understanding of Romans 9-11 demands a future for national Israel.  The first eight chapters provide teaching on the need of spiritual salvation for humanity and God’s provision of it in the work of Jesus Christ.  The eighth chapter emphasizes no condemnation for believers and concludes with no separation for them based on God’s faithfulness to His promises.

This raises a question for any Jewish person – What about the Jewish people and the promises God made to them.  Will God fulfill His promises to them?  This is a significant theological question, which if answered in the negative calls into question God’s character or capacity.  Paul answers this question in these three chapters before moving on to the application of the doctrinal teaching.

He opens with his personal anguish over the salvation of Jewish people and emphasizes their rightful possession of adoption, the glory, covenants, giving of the law, the worship and the promises (9:1-4).  Paul states that God’s word has not failed, because inclusion as God’s people is not based on human performance but rather divine choice (9:6-13).

In chapter ten, Paul reiterates his desire for his people to be saved and teaches that salvation is available to all, Jews and Gentiles.  Yet, the nation of Israel has not responded to this good news, which raises another question that Paul answers in chapter 11.  Has God rejected Jewish people?  The response is emphatic – “By no means!” (11:1).  Paul explains the presence of a remnant of Jewish people, chosen by grace, both in the past and present (11:5).

He goes even further in asking if they stumbled in order that they might fall, which is also answered emphatically with “By no means!” (11:11).  Paul is not limiting his teaching to individual Jews, but considering the Jewish people as a whole, the nation of Israel (11:7, 11, 25-26).  Jewish rejection of Jesus as their Messiah resulted in salvation opening up to Gentiles as equally included as God’s people (11:11).  Gentile salvation is purposed to make Israel jealous.

Paul then compares the benefit arising from their failure, being riches for the world/Gentiles, with their full inclusion, being even greater riches (11:12).  Now, the world enjoys the riches of salvation for all ethnicities, but when Israel is redeemed at the return of Jesus (11:25-27), His reign over the earth will bring greater riches.  Paul reminds his Gentile readers of the basis of their inclusion in God’s family (11:13-24) and then warns Gentiles not to be arrogant, “wise in your own conceits” (11:25).

Israel is subject to a partial hardening, which is why so few Jewish people are responding to the gospel, but it is limited in duration.  This mystery will end when “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (11:25).  When this Gentile era completes, that hardening will be removed, which will occur at the return of Jesus.  All Israel will be saved by “The Deliverer”, who “banish ungodliness from Jacob” (11:26).  God will by covenant take away their sins, because “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (11:27-29).

REASON FIVE

A correct understanding of the book of Revelation demands a future for national Israel and also the establishment of a one-thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ on the earth.  The books of Daniel and Revelation are complementary with regard to prophetic material, especially Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy.  The alignment of time frames and events reinforces the future fulfillment of the 70^th week in Daniel, which matches with the division into two halves (Rev. 11:2-3; 12:6, 14).

The focus on Jewish people is evident in the 144,000 sealed in 7:4-8, the two witnesses in the temple area in 11:1-14, and the reference to Israel in 12:1-6 and 12:13-17.  This is not to ignore the presence of Gentiles and salvation available to them during this period, but recognize that God is working with Jewish people.

Perhaps, the most telling teaching of this book for premillennialism is in chapter twenty with the repeated reference to a thousand years (20:1-7).  Taken at face value this describes a period of a thousand years when Satan is bound, Christ reigns with His resurrected saints over the earth having returned to the earth to defeat the anti-Christ and his army, rescuing the Jewish people at the same time (Rev. 19:11-21).  At the conclusion of the 1000 years, Satan is released, recruits an army and attacks Jerusalem, but is defeated and cast into the lake of fire (20:7-10).

Only dispensational premillennialism includes both a future for national Israel and the 1000-year reign of Christ over the earth prior to the eternal state, the new heavens and earth (Rev. 21-22).