Dispensational premillennial view

Dispensational premillennial view

Strengths:    

  • Strong interest in end-time prophecy.
  • Emphasis on the dynamic role of Christ in the present and future affairs of humankind.
  • Recognizes that eschatology is connected to Israel and pertains to the end of the Jewish age.
  • Realization that, at least, one coming of Christ is not visible.

Weaknesses:            

  • Positing the time of Christ’s “Second Coming” and “Return” as being very soon.
  • Interrupting divine time frames without clear textual justification.
  • Arbitrary use of gaps of time.
  • Bifurcating passages of Scripture, including the book of Revelation.
  • Interpreting by exception and specialized meanings—i.e., ignoring or changing the meaning of commonly used and normally understood words in the time statements.
  • Postulating postponement of the kingdom of God.
  • Postulating delay theory.
  • Advocating a future 7-year period of tribulation.
  • Inventing the “Rapture” idea in direct contradiction of Scripture.
  • Identifying Daniel’s 70th week with Jesus’ Olivet Discourse.
  • Advocating separate redemptive plans for Israel and the Church.
  • Denigrating the Church as unforeseen and a parenthesis in God’s redemptive plan.
  • Advocating a future restoration of the old and inferior Judaic order.
  • A dichotomizing hermeneutic based upon a false paradigm—i.e., the Israel-Church distinctive.
  • Incomplete salvation and resurrection reality.
  • Positing a negative worldview and short-term outlook for our present time.