Examining One of the Greatest Heresies to Attack the Church

There might not be anything more awkward, than being in a room of people watching a sport that they know very little about… and you know everything about. Or, choose any topic you want. We’ve all been there. And we have one of two choices in that situation… either sit and be quiet and grit your teeth, or school them on where they are wrong. The problem with the latter, is that even if you do know more… you come across very pompous. There is just no way around it.

I have tried to share the information in this article, so many different ways, that all I can ask for is for the reader to not take offense… if indeed I come off offensive. At the same time, I feel that strongly about the content, that I am willing to offend… but there is just no other way around it. This, my friends, is an article about a topic that just needs to be shared. And so, I pray you are along for the ride.

Before I begin, let me give you some foundation,

Generally, when most Christians hear the term “doctrine” they do not know what to do with it. Doctrine simply means a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a Church. If a Christian truly is committed to their faith, they should yearn to know more about God. Since Doctrinal Theology means studying God, the word “doctrine” would most definitely be of utmost importance.

When it comes to doctrine, there are two categories: Essential and Non-Essential. “Essential doctrine” means they are essential for Salvation. So, a true believer must hold to truths like the virgin birth, the crucifixion, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Deity of Jesus, the sinless life, etc. These are unwavering pillars to our faith. These are - essential. “Non-essential doctrine” is not essential to our salvation. However, that does not render them unimportant. In fact, a basic understanding of what these doctrines are is vital. Human beings who like the challenge of thinking, investigating and so forth, need the banter of discussion to keep our thought-lands (minds) provoked and engaged. We don’t even have to agree on the different interpretations of these non-essentials, but it remains key that we are made aware of them.  

With that said, there is a non-essential doctrine that has birthed a debate within the New Testament Church. The non-essential doctrine that I am referring to is Eschatology, or the study of end times. This doctrine covers sub-topics that range from how the Lord will return, where we go when we die and the answer to the question about eternity.

Over the previous eight years of my life or so, I have loved studying and discussing eschatology. The previous 44 years of my life, however, I cared nothing about it. I believed certain things I had heard taught by certain pastors over the years - elements that I figured were true because they came from the lips of other believers. But, truthfully, I did not “care” about the details. I can honestly say I was a staunch “Pan-millennialist” - it will all “pan out” in the end.

My focus changed when I was in college working on my Pastoral Degree. Eschatology is required by any institution for deeper ministry studies. However, it’s generally biased toward a particular leaning, depending on the professor and/or the institution. Not unlike our public universities today when it comes to liberal rhetoric. Bias runs amok in both instances.

Now, I had already lived a lifetime before being called into ministry, but I was learning from a focused institution and, therefore, I went through the motions in some instances. However, at that time, certain topics piqued my interest more than others. I also was beyond blessed to have a professor who taught Eschatology from a very biblical viewpoint, not a liberal bias. In hindsight, this was paramount because he taught Biblical Theology, which is entirely based on what the Bible says rather than just deducing from what someone regurgitated with no real biblical foundation. Trust me when I say – this happens often. Anyway, this professor challenged all his students on their understanding of the end times, which set me on a course of study I would not have picture myself venturing into. What I would gained over the next eight years of my life – and beyond as I continue to study the topic – is an understanding that only could have revealed to me by God. This level of peace with what He showed me is only from He who also saved me.

   What’s all the fuss about this Eschatology?  

When we talk about end times (the eschaton), the point of debate is how Christ will return and the prophecies that are interpreted to explain what occurs around His return (aka: the second advent). Before we discuss the interpretive argument, you must understand this topic is more important to you than you realize. Where are you going when you die? Is Jesus returning? These questions are found IN THE STUDY OF Eschatology. See, you DO have an interest!

Since we know Jesus is returning, as it is an “Essential Doctrine,” the question is then, “How will it happen?” That’s a fair question and one that deserves an answer. People have discussed and debated this topic over the better part of 2,000 years.

Three primary understandings, or interpretations, have arisen from one particular passage of Scripture that has caused all this hubbub. A fourth one surfaced about 175 years ago and was born out of, or extended from, one of the initial three interpretations. Again, these three (plus the fourth) agree Christ will return, as that is an essential doctrine. The argument is over how it occurs, which is not essential. But, as you will see, some of this is so clouded by the interpretation of one particular group that it affects more than you think.

The three main interpretations of how the end will occur are called: Premillennialism, Postmillennialism and Amillennialism. If you are keeping track, then you have noticed all three contain the same word, “millennial.” This references a “millennia,” or “1,000 years,” which is referred to once…yes, once…in Revelation 20.

The fourth interpretation, Dispensationalism, is an extension of the “Premillennial” camp. Again, all are based on the interpreted placement of the 1,000-year period discussed in Revelation 20 – ONCE! Here’s the passage:

Revelation 20:1-6 - Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also, I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

 Why would one passage of Scripture cause so much fuss? That, my friends, is an excellent question. One I intend to answer as best I can.

This 1,000 Years…

Let’s back up a chapter to Revelation 19. Here, we discover the Lord returning to crush all unrighteousness. He defeats His enemy. The entire chapter shows us that Jesus returns as King, and the end is described in the pages of Scripture. There is a finality to this chapter.  

However, it is the chapter that follows that causes much deliberation—and not just deliberation but argument. It has even split churches. So, it’s far more than a disagreement. Let’s explore why these interpretations came about and what they mean, including why Revelation 19 is not seen as a conclusion.

Here’s where the “millennial” groups come in. The Postmillennialists believe most of humanity will become believers, and then Christ will return. It’s what most critics call, “optimistic eschatology.” I can’t entirely disagree with them if we look at it as a “rear-view” statement, because I can believe there were more Bible-believing Christians per capita in the past than there are now. So, although I do not presently hold this view, I respect it.

The Premillennialists believe the Lord will return “before” the 1,000 years. They believe this based solely on reading Revelation 20 from a chronological standpoint, not figurative or allegorical. Premillennialists believe Jesus literally will reign for 1,000 years on earth upon His return. I used to believe this, but, eventually, changed my understanding, if you will. This hasn’t always been the reigning view, but has been held by many noteworthy theologians and preachers over the years.

Amillennialists believe the 1,000-year reign is a symbolic number for the entire time between Christ’s first and second coming. Basically, their perspective is that we are in the millennium now. The “A” doesn’t negate the millennium, it just refers to those who hold this view as “not a literal 1,000 years.” Amillennialists believe the entire time between Christ’s first and second coming is summarized with the reference in Revelation 20 to “1,000 years.”

All three of these views are debatable, but also acceptable. I once held the Premillennialists’ view, but now I am firmly an Amillennialist. I have friends in both the Post and Pre camps, and we have fun and spirited conversations even though they sometimes end with us being flustered. We literally can agree to disagree. Why is this? Because we all agree the return of Christ is imminent. We can debate a non-essential doctrine because we agree on the essential doctrine. In fact, when one holds firmly to an interpretation based on what they read in the text, I believe it is wonderful! I can argue with anyone as to why I believe I am correct with my held interpretation, but it’s because I stand firmly on this mantra: I could be wrong. And that, my friends, is a lesson that many people are just unwilling to admit.

“In essentials UNITY, in non-essentials LIBERTY, and in all things CHARITY.” This statement is a wonderful way to view the disagreement between Christians. Learn it, adopt it and live it!

This 1,000-year period has always been a sticking point when the topic of end times is discussed. What finally led me to question why I held to a literal 1,000 years instead of a figurative 1,000 years was that the number always has represented “many” or “a lot,” with no specificity. Did Samson kill 1,000 men or was it 987 or 1,012? I’m not going to question that he killed a lot, but would we even question it if the author rounded the number to represent a lot? Not in the least, because 1,000 always represents a great number of its components. So, why would we take this moment, in the final book of the Bible, to literalize it?

Much like the rest of the Book of Revelation, there is a common theme throughout, and it is known as recapitulation. The Apostle John recaps things that he “saw and heard.” Not in chronological order, but from different vantage points. For example, when we watch a football game and see a spectacular play of a wide receiver catching a pass as he goes out of bounds, what happens next? We see three or more replays from different camera angles. We want to know if the receiver had control of the ball, if both of his feet were inbound, if he had possession of the ball, etc. The only way to fully know is to look at the same play from different vantage points.  

If you use this analogy when you read Revelation, it begins to make more sense. It seems less like a fairy tale or a mind trip from the Apostle John and more like a beautiful vision of the existence of mankind and the changes we will face, both now and in the future.

When we look at chapter 19, we see it is very explicit in detailing our Lord’s return and the decimation of everything that doesn’t belong to Him. As I have studied Revelation (and even taught it in 2023, which took six months), it doesn’t take long to understand there are literal points and themes painted within a framework of allegory–much like the Song of Solomon. If we were to take the Song of Solomon and paint a woman from the description we are given, we would have a very ugly woman. Instead, because of the hyperbole and allegory with which Solomon wrote the account, the picture he “paints” is actually beautiful.

Revelation is very similar. There are points where John is direct and there are points of allegory. It’s not a matter of our “picking and choosing,” but seeing the truth in what God gives us. Think of Revelation like a painted picture. If it is a piece of art, it is subjective to the critic, but if it is considered a rendering from the greatest artist ever, then we find it majestic and beautiful and should admire it with awe.

Yes, I’m talking about the book you avoid reading because you cannot wrap your mind around it or the book you read in a chronological fashion that just kept you wondering where you were in the storyline. Either of those approaches, my friend, will keep you from seeing the beauty of the book. Because, much like the Song of Solomon, allegory paints the picture within the framework, so we can see the big picture.

Back to the three main viewpoints of Eschatology

As previously mentioned, how Jesus returns is not essential doctrine, but the fact that He promises to return is. So, this begs the question, “Why does this discussion even matter?”  

I will answer that by stating something obvious, but paramount–how you approach reading the Word of God matters. If you read it with an open mind and understanding of the context of each book, then you will not read it with a presupposition, or a pre-conceived notion. Meaning, your heart will be open to allowing the Holy Spirit to teach you. Couple this with solid biblical exegesis (proper method of interpretation) and you can better understand what God is saying because you’re letting the interpretation come from following context and the Holy Spirit. This is opposed to reading it with your sole focus being to “look for these things…” I pray that resonates.

Dispensationalism – What is it?

The interpretation of Eschatology I am calling into question is Dispensational Premillennialism. Yeah, I know… big words. However, you may have heard and even believe many insights this interpretation offers without knowing it. That is how sneaky it is. Although it was born out of the Premillennialism interpretation–it has beyond problematic beginnings. While it remains an area of non-essential doctrine, it is essential that you understand how it affects you.

Dispensationalism is a popular and widespread interpretation of the end of all things. It originated in the 19th century in the teachings of John Nelson Darby. It was popularized in the United States through the Bible Conference movement that took off in the late 19th century into the turn of the 20th century. Dispensationalism’s growth was spurred on even more through the publication of the Scofield Reference Bible, which was published in 1909. This was the first study bible to hit the printing press in mass form and contributed to the spread of Dispensationalism because it included study notes written from this interpretational perspective. Add to this, the founding of the Dallas Theological Seminary in 1924 by Lewis Sperry Chafer, who fully bought into this interpretation. This seminary was the most recognized American academic institution for the training of pastors and missionaries in the dispensationalist tradition. No other method of interpretation of the end times was taught through these avenues, so anyone who attended the university or read the Scofield bible was not privy to any other method of interpretation. It’s indoctrination without prejudice or investigation.    

Dispensationalism introduced the doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture of the church. According to this doctrine, the present church age will end when believers are suddenly “removed” from life on this earth. This event will be followed by a 3 ½ or 7-year period of tribulation for those left behind. It varies depending on who you ask. Dispys (which I will affectionately call them from time to time) believe this has to happen in order for unbelieving Jews around the world to come to Christ. Once the church is removed, they will return with Christ after either 3 ½ years or 7 years of Hell on earth and He will conquer His enemies. He then will set up His “not-so-permanent” Kingdom in Jerusalem. (This is why many Dispys believe we must build a new temple in Jerusalem. Jesus has to have a place to reign on this physical earth.) Dispensationalists are thus also premillennialists (before the 1,000 years) and are all about building a new, third temple.

This brings forth a litany of issues. So, I shall do my best to capture and enforce what Paul stated against heresy in his second letter to the church in Corinth.

2 Corinthians 10:5 - We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ…

I shall do my utmost for His Highest on this one…

Problem #1: Secret rapture of the Church (not the one on the Last Day)

It is so clear in the teaching of Scripture that we will be “Raptured” or “Caught up” to the Lord in the air. Don’t think for a moment that I don’t believe this will occur, because it’s absolutely found on the pages of Scripture. However, I believe it is quite clear it happens on the “Last Day.” Let’s look at the words of our Savior to gain clarity.

Matthew 24:31 - And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

John 14:3 - And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

We must examine where this “rapture” thing even occurs in the Word because it does. Paul goes into explicit detail in his first letter to the church in Thessalonica. But, there is so much more about it, we must examine the fullness of this passage. Let me set this up a little bit, so that you can appreciate the purpose of this moment.

Paul is encouraging people to live a life for Christ. And he knows, as we all do, that patient endurance during suffering is a common practice for anyone, let alone Christians. But, as Christians, we are being exhorted by Paul not to forget the “big picture.” We are living and enduring for something much greater than this life. We have hope in what’s to come. Not just when we die (if Christ has not yet returned), but especially those left in the “last days.” Because after all, we understand that life as a believer, as a follower of Christ, will get very scary near the end. So, Paul is doing his best to encourage. Be sure to read the full chapter. But, for the sake of the argument at hand, I’m going to focus on just a few verses.

*Note: Remember that those who are “asleep” or have “fallen asleep,” are those who have died in Christ and await the “Last Day,” for the General Resurrection of all those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life; or, all those who are part of God’s elect.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 - 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Verses 13 & 14: 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 

First, let us focus on the Hope in Christ. When a believer dies, we believe their soul goes to be with the Lord. They are waiting, just as every believer is waiting and hoping with a promise from God, for the Last Day when everyone in Christ gets their resurrected bodies–their eternal, resurrected bodies. We hold to this, based on what we believe is the overarching and very clear view of ALL Scripture. This is the essential doctrine of the 2nd advent. The return of Christ.

Verse 15: For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 

The Lord gave Paul this word, just as all Scripture is breathed out by God. Pay close attention to this verse–that anyone who is left at the coming of the Lord WILL NOT precede those who died before the last ones on earth. This is huge. There is nothing here that can be misconstrued as a formidable argument FOR a secret removal of the church.

Verse 16: For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 

The return of our Lord will be the greatest event witnessed by any human being – living or dead. Since there will be a resurrection of all dead humans since the first one created by God until the return, we will be standing shoulder to shoulder with every person. Now, a reminder here, this verse ends with a repeat about the dead being raised before the living. It adds a punctuation mark to what was already stated. Then, those who are alive at the time of the return will be raised as well. We are told elsewhere in Scripture the angels will be quite active on this last day as they are dispatched by the Lord to retrieve the elect.

Matthew 24:31 – “And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Again, we see the moment in the future when the return of our Lord will be loud, proud and sociably unacceptable. It will be something that will be heard by every human alive. In fact, the sound will awaken the dead from the grave. This point of emphasis in 1 Thessalonians, corroborated by Jesus in Matthew 24, should leave us in a state of unwavering question about the proclamation of the Lord upon His return.

Nowhere is this return silent nor secret. Nowhere.

As per the “rapture” being silent…

Verse 17: “Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

We will always be with our Lord because, after this “rapture” on the Last Day, we will always be with our Lord. There will be no second chances. There will be no post-return tribulation. There is NOTHING in Scripture that indicates anything different. Anything that goes against what the Lord has said, is what we call a presupposition. It is supposed. Sort of like the Big Bang or creation by evolution. Anyone who reads Genesis knows how the Lord created all things. There is no “evolving” from fish, monkeys or amoeba. We are “created” beings made in the image of our God. We are the pinnacle of Creation. The argument for evolution is a presupposition from a starting point of “there is no God.”

Finally, I want to point out the last verse again from 1 Thessalonians:

Verse 18: “Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Satan loves to disguise himself and I believe he did this very thing by moving Darby to make up an unrelated translation or interpretation of a text that had been left undisturbed for almost 1,900 years until he got ahold of it. This is why we must study the Word of God and the originations of Theology.

Problem #2: If the Church Was Secretly Raptured, Who Would Witness to those Left Behind?

Let’s suppose for a moment the church was secretly raptured. If that were the case, there would be a problem for those left behind. Unless people would somehow come to faithful repentance on their own? According to some Dispensationalists, only Jews will come to repentant faith during this time. How in the world will they know the truth about Christ the Messiah?

Romans 10:17 - So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

For anyone to have the ability to be given the opportunity of salvation, they must hear the preached Good News. This is why Jesus asked us to “Go therefore into the World…” To negate the ability to have the preached word means?? No one will have the opportunity to reach salvation. Whether Jew or Gentile, who is going to share the gospel with them? People don’t “save” themselves. There is nothing in Scripture that will allow Problem #2 to be reconciled. None. Not in the New Covenant in Christ. This is why we church today. We are evangelizing and disciple-making. It takes believers to teach others the ways of the Lord. Always has… always will.

Oh, and if you were thinking somehow those left in a future, unchristianized period of tribulation would somehow figure this out on their own… let’s go to the next problem.

Problem #3 – Where is the Holy Spirit during the Tribulation?

Many Dispensationalists believe the Holy Spirit will not be present during this Great Tribulation. Salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit of God. So, if He is gone, then who will bring people to faithful repentance? Well, we must first remember that work of the Holy Spirit of God, and not ignore what the Word says about it.

John 14:26 - But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Romans 8:26 - Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Acts 2:38 - And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The notion of “self-finding Jesus” and “disciple-making oneself” that comes from this interpretation has so many flaws it’s almost unbearable. It slaps our Lord in the face when you really think about it. Because, after all, His closest friends, the disciples, each lost their lives in their quest to spread the gospel. The only one not martyred was John, and it wasn’t like they didn’t try. He was set in a vat of boiling oil… and survived.

And then he had prison to look forward to.

Problem #4: We Will Escape Tribulation

This is a point of contention for so many who were indoctrinated with Dispensationalism. Anyone who sat under a teacher who held to this interpretation had to hear it time and time again. This interpretation of the Premil view took out the parts of suffering from the Word of God and cast this shadow upon the church in a relentless dispelling of Biblical truth. To believe we would not have to suffer for the sake of righteousness is the biggest deception Satan has ever pulled on the church because it made us lazy.

I’m going to share some Scripture here. Please read through every one of them and notice who it is attributed to. If it’s in Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, it’s Jesus. If it is anywhere else… well, it’s still from Jesus. Don’t forget that He is the author and perfector of our faith. All Scripture is breathed by God, and since Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit are one with God, then you can see who inspired the human authors to write it.

John 16:33 – “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Matthew 24:21 – “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.”

Daniel 12:1 – “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.”

Romans 12:12 – “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

Acts 14:22 – “Strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

Over and over we are encouraged to stay strong during tribulations in our life. This includes the end times, where Saints will only have to endure for a little while. In fact, Jesus promises the time will be cut short for the sake of His elect.

Praise be to God for that promise.

Problem #5: Darby was Inspired by the Mormon Cult

Joseph Smith was the founder of the cult of Mormonism, otherwise known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (Notice here that in the name of Smith’s cult, is a focus on eschatology–Latter-Day Saints.) Within his heretical teachings was the foundation of “dispensations,” which were marks of time that he imposed on the Scripture to glorify himself as the new prophet of God. It is widely rumored that Smith and Darby met and that Darby enjoyed breaking down the Bible through timelines or “dispensations.”

While Darby was enamored with this model, he did conclude that Smith wasn’t anything like Jesus. Other teachings by the man probably freaked him out a bit… or a lot. We don’t know for sure. We can’t ask Darby since he’s dead. I digress.

The moral here is… how are we even entertaining ANYTHING that was inspired by a cult? A well-known cult at that? It’s mind boggling to think that we just don’t teach people the simple understanding of the origin of dispensationalism in order to allow them to ask and answer this question.

Problem #6: Two Separate People

Dispensationalism is best known for its teaching of the distinction between Israel and the church. Every other distinctively dispensationalist doctrine rests on this idea. What this distinction means for dispensationalists is that there are two peoples of God. Israel is one of these and consists of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The church is the other, and it consists of all those and only those (whether Jew or gentile) who are saved between the Day of Pentecost and the rapture. Again, part of the reason for the pre-tribulation rapture is to remove the church from the earth so that God can begin dealing with the nation of Israel again.

Dispensationalism differs from what is known as Covenant Theology in several ways, but the most significant is this idea of two peoples of God. Covenant theology affirms there is one people of God and thus continuity between the people of God in the Old Testament and the people of God in the New Testament. Covenant theology is not, as some dispensationalists assert, “replacement theology.” In covenant theology, the church is not technically replacing Israel. The church is the organic continuation of the Old Testament people of God. Therefore, the church is now also “Israel.” The oneness of the people of God is evident by an examination of several New Testament texts.

On a personal note, I adhere, unwaveringly, to Covenant Theology. Again, not because I was taught Covenant Theology initially, but more because I had become disenchanted with not being able to rectify dispensationalism with my studies. Hence, finding that I wasn’t the only one, and finding that those who were struggling like I was, were members of the biblical-theological “other people” group known as Covenant Theologians. Okay, moving on to the problems with the separate people thing…

Consider first the olive tree analogy in Romans 11. In this passage, Paul (a Jew), is addressing gentile believers and urging them not to be arrogant toward Jewish believers. This comes on the heels of his explanation that we are one church–that’s right, Jews in the Old Testament who followed the Abrahamic Covenant (the Old Covenant) and those who are brought into the Christ Covenant (the New Covenant), of both Jew and Gentile. For better understanding, read Romans 8 and 9.

Paul uses the illustration to explain that we are all now, one good olive tree. The branches of the old tree (unbelieving Jews) were broken off and gentile “wild shoots” were grafted in. The one olive tree represents the people of God that has long existed. Unbelieving Jewish branches (Pharisees) have been broken off by God leaving only believing branches (Jesus’ Apostles). Gentiles (or non-Jews), who repent and believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, have been grafted in so it now consists of believing Jews and gentiles. This tree is the church. If Paul were illustrating the dispensationalist doctrine, we would have numerous gentile trees and one Jewish tree (Israel). God would then plant a new tree (the church). He would take believing Jews from the Israel tree and believing gentiles from the gentile trees and graft them into this one new tree. Paul says nothing like this. The one tree that existed in the Old Testament continues, but now God has removed unbelieving Jews and grafted believing gentiles into it.

Again… One Tree!

In this light, consider what Paul says to gentile believers in Ephesians 2:11–22. In verse 12, Paul first tells these gentile believers what they used to be: “separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” If that is what they once were, the implication is that the opposite of each is true of these gentile believers now. They are now part of the commonwealth of Israel and partakers of the covenants precisely because they have been grafted into the one tree representing the one people of God. But there’s more than implication. Paul goes on to say explicitly in verses 19 that these gentiles are: “no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

If we remove the “two separate people” model from this dispensational theology, then we find a house of cards. Meaning, once you remove one card, it all falls in on itself. All sound theology must be built on solid, fundamental teachings from the gospel. If we are circumventing any portion of Scripture, then we must wonder what the motive was in the beginning. Since Darby died over 100 years ago, we can never know where he was coming up with this stuff. Or, can we?

Dispensationalists have a difficult time grasping the concept of two separate people, because of their idea that the seed of Abraham is only the physical offspring of Abraham. Again, Paul begs to differ. In Galatians 3:16 he explains that “the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring.” He then explicitly identifies the offspring as Jesus Christ. But note that he then adds a few sentences later in verse 29: “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” Paul defines Abraham’s seed in terms of Jesus Christ. Christ is a literal physical descendant of Abraham. However, because believers, whether Jew or gentile, are united to Christ, we too are Abraham’s offspring if we belong to Christ.

Does Paul continue to use the terms Israel, church and gentile in the New Testament? Of course. But not in the way that dispensationalists use these terms. Paul continues to speak of ethnic Jews and ethnic gentiles, both inside and outside the church. But he does not do so in a way that results in two peoples of God. There is one tree in the Old Testament that consists primarily of ethnic Jews, although some gentiles (e.g., Ruth) are brought in. This is the one tree that exists when Christ comes. He doesn’t chop it down and He doesn’t plant a new tree. He prunes the unbelieving Jewish branches off, leaving only the believing Jewish branches. He then begins to graft believing gentiles into this one tree. This tree with ingrafted gentile branches does not “replace” the old tree. These gentiles are now part of the old tree by faith in Jesus Christ.

If the biblical teaching regarding the one people of God is allowed to stand, all the distinctive dispensationalist doctrines that rest on the doctrine of two peoples of God are left without any foundation.

Problem #7 – The Purpose of the Literal 1,000-year Millennial Reign

Let me summarize the heretical dispensationalism view by loftily shooting cannonballs into the framework of this false ship at sea.

While I do not believe the 1,000-year period is literal, but a figurative picture of the entire time between Christ’s first and second advent, I can agree to disagree with the Premil model. However, I believe when Christ returns, it will be on the “Last Day.” The end of all things. There is no need for Jesus to set up shop in Jerusalem for a period, nor for another upheaval at the end of that time. I firmly believe the Apostle John is painting a picture of the way the world will completely turn against Christ. This will be one swift hatred against Yeshuah before He returns. When we read Revelation 19 and 20 with this understanding, it paints a different and much less complicated picture than the one that requires jumping through hoops to interpret.

Another point against the literal 1,000-year period can be made based on verses in Matthew that speak to the inability to live for 1,000 years on this earth the way that it will be…

Matthew 22:23-32 - 23 The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, 24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. 26 So too the second and third, down to the seventh. 27 After them all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”

29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” 

The resurrection unto life has to be in the eternal kingdom, not an earthly one. Also, how are we going to live as humans for 1,000 years if we cannot procreate?

………. Waiting……..

Problem #8: The Upheaval at the End of the 1,000 Years

There is another glaring problem with the notion of the literal 1,000 years that I cannot shed, and it dawned on me as I was investigating the Premil position one day. I want to preface this issue by making a proclamation: I can live with someone holding the Premil view. Although I do not hold this view, I can listen to people argue it and recognize it’s not the hill for me to die on. Dispensationalism, on the other hand, is not something I can accept, which leads me to the next issue I want to address.  

If we do not see John doing anything but recapitulating the return of Christ in Revelation 20, then we can rationally settle on the notion that he is just going into more detail about the church age and the end of the age. I don’t think it’s difficult to arrive at such a conclusion when we consider the graphic depiction of humanity and especially the enemies of God at the end of Revelation 19. Let’s look at a couple of highlights before I explain my point about the 1,000-year issue.

Revelation 19:11-16 - Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

This lays out a definitive return of our Lord. This is the imagery that John is given, as the Revelation of our Lord. He returns with a vast angel army and there is no doubt as to who He is as the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

Now, let’s look at the conclusion of this chapter.

Revelation 19:19-21 - 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

I could show these three verses to any unbeliever and they would draw an immediate conclusion–that this was the conclusion of the Bible. They wouldn’t be able to consider differently, because there is nothing but finality to these three verses. All that we need to know about the enemy at the end of time is found right here in this chapter.

Now, here is the interesting part and where you must use what is called “Biblical Hermeneutics” to understand what you are reading. “Hermeneutics” means, the study of interpretation, and the theory and methodology behind it. It’s a word that is not only used in Theology, but Philosophy, Social Science, Humanities, Medicine and many other subjects. It refers to the “method” in which you think of something.

If you were to apply this to making dinner, you could easily figure that a basic meal would take 30 to 40 minutes to prep and cook. However, a person who had never cooked in their life would take much longer.

This application also can be used in Theology. Suppose you aren’t used to applying a Christ-centered methodology due to the lack of reading the scripture or never pursuing an area of theology. In that case, you’re going to be as lost as the worst cook in America who has been asked to make fresh Chicken Parm and Alfredo Linguini.

Biblical Hermeneutics tells us if something has already occurred, then any retelling of the same story doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to happen again. It just means the story or a different take on the same story is the focus at that time. Just like I shared before about recapitulation and the whole football replay analogy.

Keep this in mind as we discuss Revelation 20.

Chapter 20:2-3 - And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

Question, why would an angel be binding Satan and throwing him into a pit if he was already cast into it in the first place? He wouldn’t. Unless it’s a recapitulation of the same story that took place in Revelation 19, which is exactly what we have here.

So, to button up this point of contention, when you read Revelation 19 and 20, read the chapters with this in mind. If you do, you will not struggle with the interpretation that says the 1,000 years is a metaphor for the entire time between the two advents of Christ. We are now almost 2,000 years removed from the ascension of our Savior. In due time, He will return for the Last Day.

Since Jesus already said the time near the end would be a time of great tribulation for the elect of God (both Jew and Gentile), we can rationally consider the upheaval of evil near the end of the “1,000-year binding of Satan–where he is bound from deceiving the nations.” Subsequently, he is then released for a “little while” to go back to?? You guessed it, deception. And THEN, the Lord will return.

Look at the landscape of the church today and tell me we do not have horrible doctrine running rampant along with great deception. Not just evil… but deception. The evil that is the great upheaval against the Saints in the final days is yet to happen. This would clearly summarize the meaning of Revelation 20 as more of a “peek behind the curtain” than is found in Revelation 19.

John understood this. So should we.

Problem #9: A Third Temple

While I do not hold to the literal 1,000-year millennial reign of Christ, I definitely do not agree with what the dispensationalists believe is the purpose for the 1,000 years–a third temple.

Whenever you hear someone clamoring for this third temple, they have to use Old Testament Scripture to explain the need, thereby ignoring the fact that most of the passages they use discuss the call to build the second temple, otherwise known as Herod’s Temple. Other passages refer to the first temple, known as Solomon’s temple. Either way, there is no call for the building of a third temple found in the New Testament. Since the New Testament is written for those of us who come to faith in Christ in this new covenant, don’t you think there would be mention and a distinct call to do so within the pages?

Instead, we have Jesus saying things like:

Matthew 23:38 – “See, your house is left to you desolate. ‘You’re house I leave to you desolate.’”

Or,

John 2:19 - Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Oh wait, or this one…

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 – “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.”

Or my favorite…

Acts 17:24 – “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man…”

I think you get the picture. Jesus replaced the temple building and we are now His temple representation after His ascension. This does not mean we forsake the gathering of the elect in assembly, as we do today with the New Testament Church. I am simply making the point that we do not need an actual, Old Testament temple.

In fact, I so vehemently disagree with the dispensationalist's view on a third temple built in Israel that I wrote a more in-depth article about it some time back. Please see my article about this topic (posted link at the bottom of this article).

A building of a third temple will be an abomination unto Christ. He is the temple and the church is His bride. A new temple with reinstituted sacrifices undermines the once-for-all sacrifice that Christ made for the atonement of sins.

Could you even imagine the thought of Jesus sitting in the Temple and people sacrificing animals unto Him? This is utter blasphemy. Temple sacrifices are unnecessary and will raise a smoke that will be a stench into the nostrils of God.

                                                Summarization

Look, Darby had it wrong. He sold a bill of goods to people who were not reading the Word.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, one of the greatest preachers to ever live, was a contemporary of Darby’s. Spurgeon himself was a Premillennialist. However, he saw many issues with Darby’s model. I will close with one of the best quotes regarding Darby’s teaching, from Spurgeon himself. It is regarding the “two separate people” model.

“Distinctions have been drawn by certain exceedingly wise men (measured by their own estimate of themselves), between the people of God who lived before the coming of Christ and those who lived afterward. We have even heard it asserted that those who lived before the coming of Christ do not belong to the Church of God! We never know what we shall hear next, and perhaps it is a mercy that these absurdities are revealed one at a time in order that we may be able to endure their stupidity without dying of amazement! ...” – CH Spurgeon.

To repeat, the fact that Darby’s dispensational timeline model was adapted from a Cult founder should cause concern for anyone who adopts it as biblical. Joseph Smith was a delusional heretic. For Darby to take anything away from that man’s teaching, no matter what you liked about it, is just a basis for a false foundation.

I believe these conversations should be held. I believe people can be wrong about a non-essential doctrine and still be in Gloryland. But, I yearn to get as much right about the gospel as I can and it starts by sniffing out false doctrine. Not only is dispensationalism false, it’s heretical. It leads to so many problems with our ability to read the Word of God without a shadow of presupposition, that it makes taking in the Word as food problematic at times.

I pray this article has given you either more questions or some assistance in taking a deeper look into the doctrine of eschatology.  

Blessings my friends. Thank you for reading this extensive article, as it only took me about a year to complete. But, anything worth working on this hard in my spare time (which is limited), is worth it if I can get one person to question what they have believed and it leads them to a closer relationship with Christ Jesus.

Sincerely,

Pastor Patrick D. Garlock

Additional Resources:

The 7 heretical Dispensations of the LDS church

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/dispensations?lang=eng

Why We Don’t Need a Third Temple:

https://www.highlandheightscc.com/pastors-corner/musa65xflq7heb1kypdre4gwi5bm0l