The Pretribulation Rapture Doctrine and the Progressive Dispensational System: Are They Compatible?Universal-Publishers, 2004 - 144 pages Since its inception in the early nineteenth century, the basic tenet of dispensationalism (a school of Protestant theology which holds that God deals with humankind in different ways in different periods of time called dispensations) has been that the church and Israel are two sharply distinct peoples of God. The distinction is theological in nature; specifically, anthropological (pertaining to humanity), soteriological (pertaining to salvation), and eschatological (pertaining to last things). The tenet of theological distinctiveness has always been the cornerstone for the dispensationalist's belief in the pretribulation rapture of the church: the belief that at the first stage of Christ's two-stage second advent he will endue all who comprise the true church with a resurrected body like his own, and transport; i.e., rapture, all to heaven before the seven year period of turmoil known as the Tribulation begins on earth. The rapture marks the end of one dispensation when God focused his attention primarily on the church, and the start of another when God will focus his attention primarily on Israel. Today, almost two centuries later, progressive dispensationalists have rejected the view of a sharp theological distinction. From their study of Scripture they observe a soft non-theological distinction. They describe the church and Israel as different redemptive dimensions of the same humanity that share in a holistic and unified eternal salvation. An already and not yet eschatological framework is the cornerstone of their system. This thesis will argue that progressive dispensationalism cannot integrate the pretribulation rapture doctrine into its reconstructed dispensational system on any basis of theological distinctiveness between the church and Israel. This will be accomplished by first setting forth the theological systems of the three major forms of dispensationalism that have existed during its history, namely, classical, revised, and progressive dispensationalism, and second, by showing that each of three kinds of theological distinctiveness, namely, anthropological, soteriological, and eschatological distinctiveness, are present in the classical and revised systems and therefore these systems can support the rapture's integration, but are not present in the progressive system and therefore this system cannot support the rapture's integration. The thesis closes with an explanation as to why progressive dispensationalism is more compatible with amillennialism than with premillennialism. |
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Page iii
... stage of his second coming . The second stage of his second coming occurs seven years later when he returns to the earth with the church to establish the Davidic kingdom in accordance with his purpose and program for Israel . The ...
... stage of his second coming . The second stage of his second coming occurs seven years later when he returns to the earth with the church to establish the Davidic kingdom in accordance with his purpose and program for Israel . The ...
Page 1
... stages. In the first stage he returns to “catch up”, or rapture, his true church from the earth. Those who are alive at that time and experience the event shall receive a new glorified body in an instant. They shall not experience death ...
... stages. In the first stage he returns to “catch up”, or rapture, his true church from the earth. Those who are alive at that time and experience the event shall receive a new glorified body in an instant. They shall not experience death ...
Page 2
... stage of the Lord's return occurs . He and his church shall return from heaven to the earth to establish his kingdom ... stage , at the end of the Tribulation . It is believed that this is what 1 Thessalonians 4:17 teaches . There is no ...
... stage of the Lord's return occurs . He and his church shall return from heaven to the earth to establish his kingdom ... stage , at the end of the Tribulation . It is believed that this is what 1 Thessalonians 4:17 teaches . There is no ...
Page 3
... stage It return of Christ has likewise been was not until December 1826 through January truth.6 The 1827 idea that of John imminency Nelson Darby came began to his to Thide recover he whis was recovering from a horse-riding accident. He ...
... stage It return of Christ has likewise been was not until December 1826 through January truth.6 The 1827 idea that of John imminency Nelson Darby came began to his to Thide recover he whis was recovering from a horse-riding accident. He ...
Page 5
... stage . He says the idea of a rapture occurring at the beginning of the seven year Tribulation is not conclusively seen in Darby's writings until 1870 ! MacPherson says of Darby : In 1870 he sees the “ church ” not not " in the world ...
... stage . He says the idea of a rapture occurring at the beginning of the seven year Tribulation is not conclusively seen in Darby's writings until 1870 ! MacPherson says of Darby : In 1870 he sees the “ church ” not not " in the world ...
Contents
Progressive Dispensationalism | 33 |
CHAPTER III | 105 |
THE FULFILLMENT OF THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT | 124 |
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Abrahamic covenant anthropological basis of theological Bible Truth Publishers Biblical Blaising and Darrell Bock Grand Rapids body of Christ Bruce Waltke Chafer Charles Ryrie Christ's return church and Israel church dispensation classical and revised classical dispensationalism Collected Writings Craig Darby's Darrell L Davidic covenant Davidic kingdom destiny dispensational system earth eschatological eschatological distinctiveness eschatological kingdom Extent and Varieties fulfilled glorified Gordon Fee Grand Rapids heavenly and earthly hermeneutics holistic Holy Spirit Ibid integrate the pretribulation J. N. Darby Jews and Gentiles John Nelson Darby kind of eternal kingdom program Kregel literal interpretation Mal Couch meaning millennial mystery nations Old Testament people-group plan of redemption plan of salvation Poythress presupposition progressive dispensational Progressive Dispensationalism progressive dispensationalists Prophetic purpose reign rejected reprint resurrection glory Revelation revised dispensationalism revised dispensationalists saints Saucy Scofield Reference Bible Scripture seed soteriological soteriological distinctiveness stage theological distinctiveness understanding Varieties of Dispensationalism Vern Poythress Walvoord Zondervan