Dispensationalists begin by clearing the board of all opinions except their own; they dismiss as useless and false all historic interpretations. Next they divide the human race and the Bible into three distinct groups (this is convenient since any scripture which would otherwise refute their interpretation can be relegated to another ‘division’ of Scripture). They [...]
C. I. Scofield by William E. Cox
The father of dispensationalism, Darby, as well as his teachings, probably would be unheard of today were it not for his devoted follower, Scofield. The writer became increasingly aware of this fact as he did research for this book. Darby’s books are gathering dust on the shelves of the comparatively few libraries stocking them. Information [...]
But Is It In The Bible? by Gary DeMar
‘Buck was stunned when he read Ezekiel 38 and 39 about a great enemy from the north invading Israel with the help of Persia, Libya, and Ethiopia. More stark was that the Scriptures foretold of weapons of war used as fire fuel and enemy soldiers eaten by birds or buried in a common grave.’1 According [...]
Amillennialism: Part I – Introduction by Anthony Hoekema
My discussion of the amillennial understanding of the millennium will include the following topics: the interpretation of the book of Revelation, the interpretation of Revelation 20:1-6, a look at two Old Testament passages commonly viewed as predicting an earthly millennial kingdom, a brief sketch of amillennial eschatology and a summarizing statement of some of the [...]
Amillennialism: Part II – The Interpretation of Old Testament Prophecy by Anthony Hoekema
There is a basic difference in the method of biblical interpretation employed by premillennialists and amillennialists. Premillennialists, particularly those of dispensationalist persuasion, are committed to what is commonly called the “literal’ interpretation of Old Testament prophecy. John F. Walvoord, a prominent spokesman for the dispensational premillennial viewpoint, defines the hermeneutical method of this school of [...]
Amillennialism: Part III – A Brief Sketch of Amillennial Eschatology by Anthony Hoekema
A common criticism of amillennial eschatology is that it is too negative, spending its strength primarily in opposing and refuting eschatological systems with which it does not agree. Leaving aside the question of whether this criticism is true or false, I would like at this point to counteract the negativism of some amillennial eschatologies by [...]
Revelation 20: Part I – The Premillennialist Case by Cornelis P. Venema
NO BIBLICAL TREATMENT of the subject of the millennium can avoid directly addressing the teaching of Revelation 20:1-11, and especially of verses 1-6. This is the one passage in the Bible that explicitly speaks of the millennium, using an expression which literally means a ‘thousand years‘, and it does so no less than six times.1 [...]
Revelation 20: Part II – The Millennium is Now by Cornelis P. Venema
We have observed that a key issue in the interpretation of this passage is that of the relation between Revelation 19:11-21 and Revelation 20:1-11. If Revelation 19 is a vision of the second coming of Christ at the end of the present age, and if Revelation 20 describes events which occur after this event, then [...]
Revelation 20: Part III – The Binding of Satan by Cornelis P. Venema
The vision of Revelation 20:1-6 is divided into two sections. The first, in verses 1-3, describes the binding of Satan for a period of one thousand years. The second, in verses 4-6, describes the reign of the saints with Christ during this millennial period and includes a reference to the saints who participate in the [...]
Revelation 20: Part IV – The Believer’s Reign with Christ by Cornelis P. Venema
We move on now to take up the second part of the vision in Revelation 20:4-6. This focuses on the reign of the saints with Christ during the millennium. In particular their participation in the first resurrection, so that they are not liable to the second death, is portrayed. Though it may be unsettling to [...]
Revelation Twenty – Introduction by William E. Cox
Without agreement on some basic premises, there can never be a proper exegesis of any passage of Scripture. Therefore, before beginning the actual exegesis of Revelation 20, we make the following observations. The passage itself gives no explanation of John’s meaning. Therefore, one must interpret this scripture by other scriptures. There is a definite rule [...]
Revelation Twenty – The Binding of Satan by William E. Cox
‘And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and cast him into the abyss, and shut it [...]
Revelation Twenty – The Millenial Reign by William E. Cox
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead [...]
Revelation Twenty – The Loosing of Satan by William E. Cox
‘And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they [...]
Revelation Twenty – The General Judgment by William E. Cox
‘And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, [...]
Revelation Twenty – Conclusion by William E. Cox
Far from being a key, Revelation 20 is a recapitulation of many clear teachings of the Bible. While its language is apocalyptic, it does not contradict the clear passages. It reiterates those teachings. In studying the Revelation one needs constantly to keep in mind Paul’s admonition that the letter kills while the spirit gives life. [...]
Thy Kingdom Come by Kim Riddlebarger
The second petition of our Lord’s Prayer is a simple and yet dramatic one: ‘Thy Kingdom come.’ Our Lord tells us that we are to pray that God’s kingdom (literally, God’s rule, or reign) come in some sense in which God’s kingdom is not already present. Here we catch a glimpse of one of the [...]
Is the Pretribulation Rapture Biblical? by Brian Schwertley
One of the most popular teachings today in Evangelical and Charismatic churches is the doctrine of the pretribulation rapture. The pretribulation rapture teaching is that there are two separate comings of Christ. The first coming is secret and occurs before the future seven year tribulation. At this coming Jesus comes for the saints (i.e., all [...]
The Application of the Scriptures: A Biblical Refutation of Dispensationalism by Arthur W. Pink
Having written so much upon both the inspiration and the interpretation of Holy Writ, it is necessary, in order to give completeness unto the same, to supply one or two articles upon the application thereof. First, because this is very closely related to exegesis itself: if a wrong application or use be made of a [...]
