I believe it is important that we affirm that the Jews, despite their current disobedience, are “the chosen people”. The age ends by a great international conflict called, “the controversy of Zion” (Isa 34:8; Zech 12:2-3; see the paper on my website recently found and posted, called, “The Significance of […]
Dominionism
I do not exaggerate when I say that I’ve never seen the prophetic portions of scripture handled more irresponsibly. This writer distorts and goes beyond the most extreme forms of non-millennial and anti-futurist viewpoints of preterism and / or amillennialism. At least those schools recognize a great tribulation and some form of Antichrist. Even if they interpret this to be Nero, or the 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem, still, they understand that any “dominion” that Christ secured at the cross did not mean that the early church would not face a future falling away and Antichrist persecution. Even on amillennial terms, Satan’s “little season” is still future, as this is where many amillennialists locate a future Antichrist, just prior to what they see as a general resurrection, with no millennium to follow.
Even in the view of preterists and amillennialists, the early church is not so completely ‘done with the devil’, as to be exempt from what was certainly to them a future tribulation and Antichrist (2Thes 2:3-4). The “dominion” of the fourth beast was not so completely broken, as to exempt the early church from its expectation of a future tribulation of unequaled severity (Dan 12:1; Mt 24:21; Rev 7:14).
The God Who Hides Himself
Thank you (and thank God!) for the piece I just re-read on “The Mystery of the Gospel”. The matter of the gem and its setting explains so succinctly the transition that my wife and I have undergone, as I have tried to express before, in this regard. But, once the […]
The Near-Far Interpretation of Prophecy
[…] In every context where the eschatological day of the Lord is in view, there is usually a near and a far fulfillment. This is seen most clearly by the simple fact that the messianic salvation, everywhere identified with a climactic post tribulational day of the Lord, simply did not happen. A view of the inerrancy of the inspired scripture, will, of course, demand that a gap be recognized between the past, near and partial fulfillment, and a future fulfillment that is complete and exhaustive.
Even if you happen to deny a distinct future for natural Israel, and even if you are prone to interpret scripture allegorically, one is still obliged to recognize that the promised messianic salvation did not come until much later with the advent of Jesus. Beyond the earnest and first fruits (the “already”) of Israel’s promised salvation, there remains the “not yet” of a yet future day of the Lord that will accomplish “the restoration of all things spoken by the prophets” (Acts 3:21; Ro 11:25-29).
[Note: The difference between pre-mill and a-mill eschatology is simply the question of how much of Israel’s promised salvation came in with the revelation of the gospel? All or part? […] […]
The Prince of the Covenant
Reggie, I heard you mention once that “the prince of the covenant” was someone other than Antichrist. Can you give me your thoughts on this? Watson [i.e. P.S.G. Watson] seems to have taught they are one and the same. See attached. Bro. Phil I have to differ with Watson on […]
Antiochus IV Epiphanes
Dear Reggie, As we seek to understand the prophecy in Daniel regarding the career of Antichrist and where it begins, I continue to get questions about the transition between Ch. 11:21 and 23 and why we are not giving any of this to fulfillment by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. We speak […]
Basic Outline of the Last “Seven”
Reggie, Rather than a final work could you at least send a rough outline. What starts the 3.5 years, what happens in the middle, then at the end of 7 years. You can refine later, but I need something to start with. I am traditional futurist in the basic outline […]
Does the Church Bring in the Kingdom?
Do you believe, as is being taught in many charismatic circles, that the Church is going to bring about the kingdom reign with Jesus’ return? There are many that think that it is the church that is going to bring in the Kingdom on this earth, so that God’s glory […]
The Mystery of the Gospel
[…] Before its revelation, the mystery of an anonymous suffering servant (let alone two distinct comings) would only raise such questions as those put by the Ethiopian eunuch, “Of whom does the prophet speak? Of himself or some other man?” Therefore, the church is foolish and perverse to exalt itself over Israel, imputing to the Jew a special stubbornness for not seeing what was plainer than the nose on their face. This is a self righteous presumption that understands nothing of what confronted Israel. It is the same perverse superficiality that prevails in the church’s facile comparison of itself with the stereotype of the Pharisee. When it is seen what the Pharisee actually represented in the context of that generation, a discerning believer would not exalt or glory over them, but cry out, “who is sufficient?!”, But that’s another subject, though not unrelated.
Since Pentecost, the mystery has been openly revealed and made universally available, albeit only in the sense of its outward form. It still takes a miracle of mercy and grace to truly apprehend it in terms of its glorious implications. In this sense, it remains, by its very nature, elusive to pride, even in its revealed form. It was hidden for a twofold purpose: 1). It is hidden so that when it is seen, we may know that it is mercy indeed, and nothing of ourselves that has made us to differ from Israel, or anyone for that matter. […]
Recommended Reading: Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening
[…] I would like to commend to you the somewhat less famed, but equally valuable devotional by C.H. Spurgeon, “Morning and Evening,” as also his magisterial “The Treasury of David,” a devotional commentary on the Psalms.
Chambers was saved under Spurgeon’s preaching. For years, I used to tell Art, “Chambers ought ye to have done, but not to leave Spurgeon undone.” When once he was introduced to Spurgeon’s writings, it was love at first bite. After that, at many a morning prayer time, something from Spurgeon had stirred a new exhortation. He used to always speak of his envy of Spurgeon’s unique grasp and ability to communicate the “sweetness” of Jesus. […]
