Tag Archives: Millennialism

God’s Kingdom Program in the New Testament: A Biblical Theological Overview Part 2

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Introduction The kingdom of God is a complex biblical theme that spans across the two testaments. This article continues a very brief biblical/theological overview of the kingdom theme. The former article considered precursors to the kingdom theme, the foundation of the kingdom of God theme in the Davidic Covenant, and selected predictions of the kingdom in the Prophetic Books. Specifically, the previous article concluded that the concept of the kingdom of God (which is different than His sovereign rule over all creation), takes on definite shape in the Davidic Covenant, which promises that David will have a descendant who will rule over an earthly and eternal kingdom (2 ‍Sam 7:16).

The Relationship of Resurrection to Judgment

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It is not my intention to discuss all of the judgments that I believe Scripture describes. Nor is it my purpose to defend premillennialism, which is the belief that Christ will return to resurrect and glorify His saints and then set up a one thousand-year reign upon the earth. This article assumes that the premillennial view is correct. Premillennialism necessarily teaches two future resurrections—the resurrection of believers before the one thousand-year kingdom, and the resurrection of unbelievers following that kingdom. In this article I will demonstrate the inconsistency of affirming premillennialism, with its two distinct resurrections, while also affirming that there will be only one general judgment during which all humanity will stand and be judged.

The Inhabitants of the Millennium and the Timing of the Rapture, Part 1

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Introduction Pretribulational theologians contend that the rapture of the church is the next event on the eschatological calendar and that it will occur before the tribulation (also known as Daniel’s seventieth week). Pretribulational theologians also assert that the rapture is imminent, since no prophetic event need take place before the rapture can occur. Additionally, they affirm that Christ’s return for the church at the rapture will be separated from His second coming to the earth by the tribulation period. The doctrinal statement of Faith Baptist Theological Seminary is pretribulational.1 Posttribulational theologians contend that the rapture will take place at the end of the tribulation in conjunction with Christ’s return to the earth.

The Inhabitants of the Millennium and the Timing of the Rapture, Part 2

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Summation of the previous article The previous issue of the Faith Pulpit established six points regarding the inhabitants of the millennium and the timing of the rapture. First, at the rapture every dead believer “in Christ” will be resurrected and every living believer will be “caught up” to the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Second, every participant in the rapture will receive a glorified, resurrection body. Third, those with glorified bodies cannot die, nor can they procreate. Fourth, people with unglorified bodies, bodies capable of death and procreation, will inhabit the millennium.

The Gift of Teaching and Local Church Ministry

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New Testament References: The gift of teaching is one of the continuing spiritual gifts given to the church. Three New Testament books specifically mention this gift. • 1 Romans 12:7—”He that teacheth, [let him teach].” • 1 Corinthians 12:28—””And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers.” • Ephesians 4:11—””And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.” Some people link the latter two gifts and understand them to be the gift of pastor-teacher.

The Coming Kingdom of Christ Our Lord

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When the Lord Jesus Christ commanded His disciples to pray, “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:19), they understood basically what kind of a Kingdom he was referring to. It was not the Church, for that body of believers, composed of Jews and Gentiles together without distinction, was explained for the first time through Paul and the other apostles after the Day of Pentecost (e.g., Ephesians 3:1–10). Instead, it was the Kingdom prophesied throughout the centuries of Old Testament history.

The Rise of the Bible School Movement and Its Implications for Today

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The Bible School movement began in the later 1800s as a part of American Fundamentalism and has greatly impacted Bible-believing Christians over these last one hundred or so years. Since there already were many Christian liberal arts colleges and theological seminaries in existence at that time, it is legitimate to ask why there would be a need for Bible schools. Their need, as understood by Bible school founders, is seen in the distinctive features which these schools had and ultimately in the characteristics of those early Bible school graduates.

The Problematic Development of Progressive Dispensationalism, Parts 1&2

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In recent years major changes have occurred within dispensationalism. A new system, known as progressive dispensationalism, has caused major concern among traditional dispensationalism I. The Periods of Dispensationalism Several periods of development within dispensationalism have been suggested. The foundational period: 1885–1920 (John Nelson Darby, 1800–1882). The classical period: 1920–1950 (C.I. Scofield, 1843–1921, Lewis Sperry Chafer, 187–1952). The defining period: 1950–1990 (Alva J. McClain, John F. Walvoord, J. Dwight Pentecost, Charles C. Ryrie). The progressive period: 1990 and on (Darrell L. Bock, Craig A.

Historic Marks of Fundamentalism

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Fundamentalism began in the later nineteenth century as a concerned response to the rise of higher criticism and doctrinal deviation and also as a response to the worldly drift among God’s people. How far back does the movement go? Surely not before the Believers’ Meeting held in Chicago, 1875, with their concerns about prophecy and German theology. Some have dated it from 1909, with the publication of The Fundamentals and the first edition of The Scofield Reference Bible. Surely it dates no later than the 1920 Northern Baptist Convention, when Curtis Lee Laws coined the term Fundamentalist.

“I Have Kept the Faith” — A Tribute to Dr. Gordon L. Shipp

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Faith Pulpit is issue-oriented. We planned it that way and intend to keep it that way! The sudden and unexpected death of our president has caused us to reflect on the direction in which he was leading the College and Seminary, to think about the issues he raised and considered important. We note these issues carefully because we, too, believe they are important, and because they serve as an occasion to remember and honor the godly legacy Dr. Shipp left us.