Lion Crest Inn

L.S. Chafer on Fundamentalism

2011-12-17T11:46:00.001-05:00

“The emergence in 1919 of the World Christian Fundamentalism Association (WCFA) provided the first agency for the coordination of efforts outside of traditional denominational boundaries to resist religious liberalism. However, the response of those organizing the college suggests that all was not received with congeniality, though the WCFA broadly embraced Bible conference distinctives. When the WCFA was launched in a flurry of euphuistic rhetoric by William Bell Riley, the Minnesota Baptist warrior, the secondary speakers at the convening conference included four later founders of the college; Chafer was the keynote speaker for the 1922 conference in Los Angeles, California, and several others served on various committees through the years. Part of the agenda of the WCFA was the creation of “A Great Evangelical, PREMILENIAL [sic] SEMINARY,” with several that later would be prominent in the college’s founding. Why Chafer did not seek to combine his dream with that of the WCFA is instructive; the evidence suggests that Chafer, and others, were increasingly discouraged by the Fundamentalist leadership of the WCFA. Writing to A.C. Gaebelein, a WCFA board member, Chafer stated, “The Fundamentalist Movement has been reduced to the influence of four men: Dr. Riley, Dr. Munhall, Tom Horton, and J. Frank Norris…. It certainly is a great embarrassment to the rest of us…”

In a later correspondence to Gaebelein, he wrote, “It would be too bad if the new school was linked in any way with Fundamentalism” and on another occasion he stated, “I believe the days of the Fundamentalism movement are gone.” Chafer made it clear to Robert Dick Wilson of Princeton Seminary that the college would be “quite independent of the Fundamentalist Movement.” To J. Oliver Buswell, Jr., the president of Wheaton College, he noted, “While we stand for all of the fundamentals of the Word of God, we are not identified with the Fundamentalist Movement as such. I have not been in sympathy with the movement from its beginning.”

The above is taken from a paper presented at the ETS by Dr. Hannah of Dallas Seminary.

Day of the Lord Part IX

2011-11-05T23:25:00.003-05:00

REVELATION 16:17-20
Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is done." And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

This passage is an account of the seventh bowl judgment. Several specifics about this must be noted without comparison to everything previously mentioned. First, a voice from the throne announced that this judgment brought about a conclusion. Second, John said that a great earthquake was unlike any other earthquake in history. The earthquake was so massive that Babylon was destroyed. The earthquake was so far reaching that every island and mountain was done away with. Only an earthquake that could shake the entire earth could affect all the islands and mountains. The Lord promised to shake the earth once more. The seventh bowl is that final earthquake.

John did not specify everything else that happened on the day of the Lord. He did not have to though. He gave a reference point that ties together the Old Testament prophets, the Olivet Discourse, the Hebrew’s passage, and the concluding judgment upon the earth.

The day of the Lord is a major theme in prophesy. The person who desires to have a better understanding of God’s unfolding plan must take into account this theme. This study was only able to examine a limited number of passages. So many passages remain.

One thing that this study has demonstrated is that the day of the Lord is a specific time that many of the prophets anticipated. When comparing the expectation of the event in the Old Testament with the final revelation of the New Testament, one can rightly understand who it is directed at, when it happens, and what it is.

The study of prophesy should not simply be to acquire head knowledge. The Apostle Paul expected knowledge of this day to inspire holiness, alertness, and godliness in the presence of an evil time and people. He said, “But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”

Day of the Lord Part VIII

2011-11-05T23:25:00.001-05:00

HEBREWS 12:26
And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN."

George H. Guthrie rightly says, “This cosmic shaking speaks of the eschatological judgment brought on the earth at the end of the age, when the material universe will pass from the scene.” This passage is a quote from Haggai 2:6. As already noted, the prophets foretold a time when the earth and heavens would be shaken. Jesus put this cataclysmic shaking after the great tribulation. The passage adds a very interesting timing quality that is that this shaking would only happen once more. From the timing of the author, the day of the Lord was still future and there would not be a partial fulfillment as perhaps Isaiah 13:6-16 was. The Lord will shake heaven and earth once more.

Day of the Lord Part VII

2011-11-05T23:24:00.000-05:00

MATTHEW 24:29
"But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

“Jesus’ message in Matthew 24-25 is commonly known as the Olivet Discourse, so named because it was delivered to the disciples on the Mount of Olives.” Jesus was asked about the end of the age and the sign of His coming. He described a time that would be the worst in human history by the time it was finished. Then Jesus referred to a time after the great tribulation when cataclysmic events would happen. The sun would be darkened, the moon would not give its light, and the stars would fall from the sky. Further, Jesus mentioned that the powers of the heavens would be shaken. These events were prophesied by both Isaiah and Joel as previously seen.

The parallel passage found in Luke 21 records that men would be fainting from fear of what was about to happen to the earth. The attitude of fear in men was also foretold in association with the day of the Lord. This also confirms that the target audience of this day is the wicked. Malachi 4:2 reveals that those who will be glad are those who fear the Lord.

The person who wishes to organize events in a chronological manner would already see that according to Jesus, part of if not all of the day of the Lord occurs after the great tribulation. He would have to study other passages to know exactly whether it is just part of or all of that day. Jesus did not mention everything associated with that day in his answer. He did not have to. The disciples would have been familiar with the Old Testament concept enough to understand the reference point Jesus gave. Prior to the Olivet Discourse, the disciples knew that day was coming. Now they knew that day could be completed after the worst time in human experience.

Day of the Lord Part VI

2011-11-05T23:21:00.002-05:00

The examples examined at this point were simply representative of what one would find throughout the Old Testament. The person who sought to study this further could use the examples given as a starting point and would see that many of the same themes appear time and again in the other passages. As previously mentioned, the day of the Lord theme is found throughout the New Testament as well. Believers in Thessalonica were expected to know certain things associated with that day. Those who desire to understand God’s unfolding plan must have knowledge of this major theme. Based on the four passages examined, one could arrange the themes together to see something like the following chart.

The student of prophecy who arranges these passages together in this manner would be equipped with significant knowledge of this major theme. As he works his way through the New Testament, he would find not only explicit reference to the day of the Lord, but also events that are described that must also be the day of the Lord. Some of those passages will be examined to demonstrate this point.

Day of the Lord Part V

2011-11-05T23:18:00.003-05:00

MALACHI 4:1-5
" For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze," says the LORD of hosts, "so that it will leave them neither root nor branch." "But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. "You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing," says the LORD of hosts. “Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.

This passage repeats some descriptions previously mentioned. The day is burning like a furnace. God will tread down the wicked. The arrogant and evildoers will be like chaff. Chaff serves no purpose but to be burned. However, there is hope for those who fear the Lord. They will receive healing and skip like calves. One can rightly conclude that the righteous are spared from God’s wrath. A previously unknown identification with the day of the Lord is that Elijah will be sent first. This is significant. God did not reveal how soon the day of the Lord would follow Elijah, just that it would. Further, this also proves that a future fulfillment would still come.

Day of the Lord Part IV

2011-11-05T23:14:00.002-05:00

ZEPHANIAH 1:14-18
Near is the great day of the LORD, near and coming very quickly; listen, the day of the LORD! In it the warrior cries out bitterly. A day of wrath is that day, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and the high corner towers. I will bring distress on men So that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD; and their blood will be poured out like dust And their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the day of the LORD'S wrath; and all the earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy, For He will make a complete end, indeed a terrifying one, of all the inhabitants of the earth.

This passage adds more specific description to the day itself as a time of gloom, darkness, and distress. The imagery of despair is thorough. Man is described as walking as though blind and the warrior cries out bitterly. Any wealth that man has accumulated will not purchase deliverance on this day. The affects upon the earth are that it will be devoured.

Day of the Lord Part III

2011-11-05T23:12:00.002-05:00

JOEL 3:9-16
Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men! Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come up! Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, "I am a mighty man." Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, And gather yourselves there. Bring down, O LORD, Your mighty ones. Let the nations be aroused and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full; the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon grow dark and the stars lose their brightness. The LORD roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth tremble. But the LORD is a refuge for His people and a stronghold to the sons of Israel.

In this passage, God is seen as angry toward those he will judge. However, he is a refuge for His people. Mankind will gather together for war only to receive the judgment of God. The affects upon the cosmos will shake the earth and the heavens. The sun, moon, and stars will all be darkened. Commenting on the Lord roaring from Zion, John Phillips said, “No longer the Lamb, Jesus is now the Lion.” A brief comparison of these two passages demonstrates many similarities. Even if the Isaiah passage was fulfilled in the Persian destruction of Babylon, the repetition of some of the same specific events in the future allow one to rightly understand the day of the Lord.

Day of the Lord Part II

2011-11-05T23:02:00.005-05:00

ISAIAH 13:6-16

Wail, for the day of the LORD is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man's heart will melt. They will be terrified, Pains and anguish will take hold of them; they will writhe like a woman in labor, they will look at one another in astonishment, their faces aflame. Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land desolation; And He will exterminate its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash forth their light; the sun will be dark when it rises and the moon will not shed its light. Thus I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud and abase the haughtiness of the ruthless. I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold and mankind than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place at the fury of the LORD of hosts in the day of His burning anger. And it will be that like a hunted gazelle, Or like sheep with none to gather them, they will each turn to his own people, And each one flee to his own land. Anyone who is found will be thrust through, and anyone who is captured will fall by the sword. Their little ones also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished.

This passage reveals several events and descriptions of the day of the Lord. The day itself is near and coming with great fury. God is very angry at the wickedness of man, the arrogance of the ruthless, and will exterminate sinners. Man on the other hand is terrified and will experience tremendous anguish. The earth will be left desolate and be shaken. The heavens will be shaken and the sun, moon, and stars will not give their light. While it is possible this passage was a near fulfillment for Babylon, the personal nature in which the Lord will execute judgment to argues for a future time of Babylon’s destruction. William MacDonald said, “Some of these verses look beyond the Medo-Persian triumph to the day of the Lord, which will affect the whole world and which will actually involve cataclysms in the heavens.”

Day of the Lord Part I

2011-11-05T23:00:00.000-05:00

“Eschatology means the theology of last things.” It is both fascinating and frightening. It is fascinating and captures the minds of many who are hopeful. At the same time though, knowledge of the end times can produce fear. Whether one is hopeful or fearful of the future though, too many people lack a firm grasp of the subject. Even many Christians approach the topic from an agnostic attitude that the truth regarding the future cannot be known. The scriptures were revealed by God to man so that we may know him and his plan. One way for a person to better understand the end times is for him to identify common themes and events specifically said to occur in the future. One such theme is the day of the Lord.

The day of the Lord is a phrase found throughout the scriptures. The phrase is used to describe different elements of a coming time of “darkness, torment, anguish, turmoil, confusion, death, and massive destruction, especially by fire.” One example is found in Isaiah 13:6, which reads, “Wail, for the day of the Lord is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.”

Sometimes the prophets simply use the phrase “in that day” to refer to the day of the Lord. However, for one to be certain that “in that day” actually does refer to the day of the Lord, one would have to consider the events and circumstances that surround what is being described. Based on this, one must take note of the events associated with the explicit day of the Lord passages.

The day of the Lord phrase is not exclusive to the Old Testament. Several New Testament authors refer to the day of the Lord. Jesus referenced it in the Olivet Discourse, Peter quoted it in his sermon on Pentecost and in his second epistle, Paul explained some events surrounding it to the Thessalonians, and John saw a vision of it in Revelation.

The day of the Lord is a very important theme with regards to eschatology. The New Testament authors did not dismiss the thematic language as hyperbole for judgment. The contrary is found. The authors built upon and even expanded the description. For example, Paul told the Thessalonian church, “For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.” The expectation was that they had knowledge of the event, that the event was still future and that the event was to come unexpectedly.

The purpose of this study is to understand what the day of the Lord is. This will be accomplished by examination of several Old Testament passages and then a comparison with the New Testament usage. At the conclusion, the question of timing and who the day is directed toward will be answered. It is beyond the scope of this paper to examine every single reference to the day of the Lord. Some representative texts were chosen instead.

The method in which these passages will be analyzed is by comparing what the day of the Lord is in each passage, along with what God is doing or going to do, what happens to man whether good or evil, what happens to the earth, what happens to the heavens, and possibly something else if the passage calls for it. A chart will be provided after each passage to demonstrate this method.

Why research when slander is so easy?

2011-10-31T23:46:00.003-05:00

Research does not require all that much effort. Good research with the intent to inform and correctly teach does though. Don't take the easy way out. Work hard to not only formulate your ideas, but also to accurately represent others. You can tell when people do not do their research. Don't be that guy.

Why post after so long?

2010-07-17T22:19:00.002-05:00

I thought I was done with my own blog. My desire is to preach, not so much to type. At any point, I had seen one particular person appear in numerous blogs I frequent. I looked over this person's site and was greatly disappointed. His name is Lou Martuneac. His site is found here:

Here

I post this more as a warning than anything else I think. I tried to engage Lou and the other people who read his site. Lou wanted no part of that. He twisted my posts (the ones he bothered to post) so that those who read what I said would not get the right idea. I tried to be courteous about it, but that was just too much.

As I looked over his site, I found the following in no particular emphasis:

1. He loves to remind you he wrote a book. There is a big picture of it when you open his page. He mentions it in almost every post and response to each comment. See for yourself. Typical Lou response to someone is something like: I wrote about that very thing in chapter 4 of my book.

2. He does not have any concept of what Lordship salvation is. If this were not so tragic, I think I would laugh at how bad it is. I have read so many of his articles and those from guests (i.e., equally clueless but well meaning people). They will offer Eph 2:8-9 as proof that Lordship salvation is false. Um, thanks for that.

3. He repeats the errors of others, despite being instructed in the truth. For example, in this article:

Here

he perpetuates this whopper:

2. The Ephesian believers:

The saints at Ephesus were unyielding at the time of salvation. As Christians they continued their pagan practices for at least one and a half years before they were willing to submit to the Lordship of Christ and burn their books of magic (Acts 18:19).

To Lou, this is proof of "carnal" christians. A non prejudiced reading of Acts 19 (what Lou obviously meant) will reveal this though:

8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.

10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

What continued for two years? Paul speaking, reasoning, and persuading. Let us see if we can understand Lou here:

18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices.

19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.

Okay, so Lou has determined to repeat the theory that verse 10 is actually referring to verses 18 and 19 instead of verses 8 and 9. That is just one example. This blind, ignorant hatred toward something he doesn't understand (Lordship salvation) has colored his readings on other passages and issues.

So back to why posting again. This is because anyone with a computer can post a blog. You don't have to know anything about anything. That isn't a big deal so much to me except that Scripture and truth are not like politics and sports. Truth matters. When ignorant and malicious people perpetuate error, they need to be called on it every time. So to anyone who might actually ever read this, be warned, Lou lacks understanding on this issue. He is a poster boy of why the role of teacher is not to be taken lightly. There is great responsibility, and he has scoffed at it.

1st Century Rome

2007-09-07T18:05:00.000-05:00

This site gives you the change to see a 3-D graphic model of Rome in the first century. It is worth a few minutes of your time to check it out.

1st Century Rome

12 reasons why supersessionism is wrong

2007-07-14T21:08:00.000-05:00

Dr. Michael Vlach has put together a great list on why supersession is wrong.

12 reasons

Who said it?

2007-06-29T19:12:00.001-05:00

Check out this list of quotes regarding the future times. Who said what might just surprise you.

Quotes

Infant baptism

2007-05-17T12:37:00.000-05:00

CONFUSED

2007-05-15T12:25:00.001-05:00

Why is Revelation 20 so important?

2007-05-04T18:49:00.000-05:00

Revelation 20 is so important to theology. This chapter is as important as any other in the entire Bible. Read it. Read it again. Then read it again. Think on all that is said in this chapter. Think on all that is said in this chapter and compare it to the events of our world. Consider all the chaos that is going on in the world. Just look at some of these stories:

Kansas City Mall shooting

Virginia Tech shooting

Iran sponsors terrorism

The above stories do not scratch the surface. Our world appears to be in complete chaos and turmoil.

This is not the end of the story though. God did not create the world and allow it to simply exist until we annihilate ourselves. God created the world, and ever since Adam's sin, God has been in the business of recreating the world. Jesus died and rose again conquering satan, sin, and death. He is presently populating his kingdom. He will return in power and glory to establish his kingdom upon the earth. Terrorism and madness will be a thing of the past. Do not lose heart in light of the circumstances in the world, because righteousness and peace will be the result of Christ's kingdom.

This chapter will be my next enterprise. I have taken some time to examine the biblical description of the New Covenant and what is involved with it. Christ started the New Covenant with his death. In Revelation 20, we will see the material results of his work on the cross.

Why study the fathers, again?

2007-04-15T19:50:00.001-05:00

Michael Haykin has put together three reasons why the christian today ought to study the fathers.

I would encourage everyone to visit his site. He has a wealth of information.

Michael Haykin here

Revelation 20 and "the rest of the dead"

2007-03-25T08:58:00.000-05:00

When dealing with amillennialists, I have eventually taken them to Revelation 20:4-5.

Revelation 20
4. And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

This text presents a problem for amillennialists, but they do not seem to grasp why. Each time I engage them on this point, the conversation takes a different turn. Basically, they stop the conversation.

Let me explain the significance of this text.

According to amillennialism, when a person becomes saved he immediately starts reigning with Christ is this kingdom. Further, they assert that the coming to life in verse 4 is a spiritual resurrection.

Verse 5 says that another group of people will not live again until after the thousand years. If the second group (the rest of the dead) is supposed to be believers, then you have a group of believers who DO NOT immediately start reigning with Christ. If they are unbelievers, you have them given life at the end of the thousand years, thus teaching universalism.

There is nothing within the context to say that the coming to life in verse 4 is spiritual. Further, there is nothing within the context to say that verse 4 is spiritual and verse 5 is a physical resurrection.

The fact is, the resurrection in verse 4 is described as happening when Christ returns. To make that into a spiritual resurrection does much harm on the status of believers between their death and physical resurrection.

In 20:4, we are told that a certain group of people "lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years", specifically, those who were faithful to Christ. This same group had been killed. So they were already regenerate or spiritually raised. They are then spoken of as living and reigning because of a resurrection. They were not spiritually raised twice.

Another group of people are spoken of in verse 5. They are called "the rest of the dead". The identity of "the rest of the dead" can only be unbelievers. Believers are already reigning with Christ. There is NO OTHER group. Verse 5 says that they will not "live again" until after the 1000 years. If "live again" in verse 4 is a reference to spiritual regeneration, then you must also have unbelievers being spiritually raised after the 1000 years. This is precisely why Origen taught universalism and might be why catholics believe in a purgatory. Hell only becomes a temporary (albeit long) punishment.

Spurgeon, sovereign grace, and premillennialism.

2007-03-11T19:24:00.000-05:00

Phil Johnson at Pyromaniacs has posted some thoughts by Charles Spurgeon on the issue of calvinism and premillennialism. This was a timely post by Phil. It seems as though amills across the blogosphere all developed a nervous tick after John MacArthur called them out because of their inconsistent and reckless manner in which they treat eschatology.

You can read it here.

Amillennialism = Jesus reigning with a wiffle bat?

2007-03-10T19:41:00.000-05:00

Do you remember growing up and playing wiffle ball in your front lawn? Those were some great times. You have that ball with the holes all through it so that anyone could throw a curve ball. You also had that bat that was so incredibly light. That bat made it easy to play ball with, but it makes a terrible enforcer.

The felluz at fide-o are at it again.

fide-o on amill theology

While they claim to be zealous for the truth, they are in reality more zealous for their system. The attempt to legitimize amillennialism has failed time and time again. What is the seductive lure that platonic duelism and gnosticism has over these people?

I will number my points after Jason's list to follow it better:

1. Paul was not offering an allegorical interpretation at all. The people and events in Genesis actually lived and took place. They could not be allegorical then. There is a difference in drawing up spiritual lessons and spiritualizing the text. Amills are guilty of the second.

Somehow Jason managed to make this text mean that Israel was unbelievers. That cannot be determined from either the Genesis texts or the Galatians text. Paul is not trying to prove that Israel was a type of unbelievers. He was saying that one must not be in bondage. Christ has set us free. We are now part of the heavenly Jerusalem, etc.

2. The ability to create a system to make sure it does not have contradictions means nothing. The issue is not about whether the system has contradictions. The issue is about whether or not the system is an accurate representation of Scripture. On this count, amill is found wanting. Consider the gymnastics one needs to use when trying to interpret "the rest of the dead" in Revelation 20:5 as an amill.

3. This is patently false as well. Jason says, "It believes there is no “gap” in Daniel’s prophecy of Seventy Weeks, but that it was fulfilled with the desolation of the Temple and destruction of Jerusalem by Titus and the Roman army in 70 A.D." No gap in Daniel 9 huh? We will see right now.

Daniel 9
25. Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.
26. "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.

If you add up those weeks, you get 69. 62 plus 7 still equals 69. If you note verse 26, you see that after Messiah is cut off, the prince will come to destroy the city and the sanctuary. Do the felluz at fide-o really believe that the destruction of Jerusalem happened at exactly the same time as Jesus died on the cross? Surely they cannot believe this. If you read further, you find out they say the do NOT believe this. Yet, Jason says that amill does not believe in a "gap" in Daniel 9.

So which is it Jason? Is there a gap in Daniel 9 of approximately 40 years (even though it does not say that in the text) or did Jerusalem get destroyed when Jesus died?

I have often said that a good class on basic math would help amills out of their system.

4. The length of the millennium is not known only to God. That is why God told us how long it is. In fact, he spoke of 1,000 years 5 times in that passage. In case you missed the first 4, there was another reference to it for you.

When does 1,000 not mean 1,000? When you are an amill.

Revelation 20
4. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Okay, so let us follow Jason for a moment. One group of people immediately becomes saved and start reigning with Christ is this kingdom. Verse 5 says that another group of people will not live again until after the thousand years. If the second group is supposed to be believers, then you have a group of believers who DO NOT immediately start reigning with Christ. If they are unbelievers, you have them given life at the end of the thousand years, thus teaching universalism. Is it any wonder why heretics like Origen (an amill) taught universalism and why the catholic church teaches purgatory?

5. Jason said, "It believes that although he cannot prevail against the Church, Satan still goes about as a roaring lion tempting, defying, deceiving, until Christ shall put him down finally at His Second Coming." While that is interesting, it is again false. Once again, let us examine the Scripture instead of a system.

Revelation 20
3. and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he [satan] should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished.

The binding of satan was specifically so that he could NOT deceive anymore. The NT makes it clear though that satan does presently deceive, lie, have ministers, seek to destroy, etc.

Next.

6. This would actually have been a good outline as to the overall aspects of the second coming. Alas, it left out so much. I knew it would be disappointing.

Just to name a few more famous amills through church history:

Origen
Augustine
and a few more

What all this has reminded me of is the vast famine of God's word in our day. I am truly saddened at the slight of hand tactics Jason and all other amills use to deny premillennialism.

Should we respect false teachings?

2007-03-08T18:49:00.000-05:00

Absolutely not. Consider the words of the apostle Paul.

I Tim. 1:3

3. As I urged you when I went into Macedonia--remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine

I Tim. 1:18-20

18. This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,

19. having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck,

20. of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

It is a theological warfare when dealing with theology. Amillenialists (our theological little brother) would like premillenialists to accept their view as though it is legitimate.

Here is the needed question though: If Timothy had allowed amillenial theology, would he have failed the charge Paul gave him? The answer is a resounding YES!

Those who do not deny the reality of God's promises, we must stand firm against the pressure to conform to amillenialism.

John MacArthur with a preemptive strike

2007-03-08T17:52:00.000-05:00

How great is this? John MacArthur helps to start the Shepherd's conference with excellent thoughts on eschatology. Amillenialists should be ashamed of themselves for the reckless manner in which they treat so many biblical texts.

MacArthur's comments were right on the money. People have no excuse for not being premillenial. Amills may not intentionally be trying to pervert the scripture or be reckless about their interpretation, but they are nonetheless. People who sincerely believe amill theology are simply sincerely wrong. Alot of people are misguided in their theology. As long as amill is accepted, that will serve as proof.

As far as the tone goes, why must you believe other views are acceptable or be charitable toward those other views? There is no biblical mandate to pat bad theology on the back. In fact, the mandate is just the opposite. Paul charged Timothy that NO OTHER doctrine be taught than that which Timothy learned.

There will always be those who prefer to hold onto a weak view of God's promises. Consider the gloominess found at these sites:

http://fide-o.blogspot.com/2007/03/life-of-unregistered-and-mocked.html

http://fide-o.blogspot.com/2007/03/was-jesus-amil.html

http://kimriddlebarger.squarespace.com/the-latest-post/2007/3/7/with-all-due-respect-to-dr-macarthur-.html#comment714968

If premillenialism is right, then there is no place for amillenialism. The next good argument for amillenialism will actually be the first. Too bad the reformers (and their offspring) could not leave all of catholicism behind. We should press the issue and stop treating eschatology with contemt or apathy.

The Masters Seminary and NCT

2007-02-14T19:31:00.000-05:00

The Masters Seminary (Pres. John MacArthur) has taken up the topic of New Covenant Theology this lecture series. You can download and listen to several of the lectures already. Here is the link:

http://www.tms.edu/fcls.asp

It seems as though they are giving alot of credibility to Steve Lehrer over at Indepth Studies (http://idsblog.org/). There is no doubt that Steve gets alot of attention. This probably has to do with a high profile blog.

Steve's best work is when he is targeting Covenant theology (an easy target I know). However, Steve has taken several odd views on some issues because of his particular take on NCT. For example, his treatment of the land promises, incest, and imputation of righteousness are just odd. His belief on imputed righteousness is especially bizarre.

He also reads alot of ideas into the text of Scripture. For example, he states that Israel is a type of unbelievers. Where is this in scripture? I don't find that anywhere. Really Israel could be seen as a type of unbeliever, believer, redemption, adoption, and Christ. Why randomly choose only one of those?

I hope the lecture series truly covers the whole NCT thought and not just a couple.