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Q - Are the views on this blog your own views?
A1 - In one sense, YES. The words are almost exclusively my own, and if and when the words depend heavily upon someone else, their name is credited in the blogpost. Still, I'm the writer, the author, the proclaimer of what is written in this blog, whether good or bad.
A2 - But in a more important sense, these are NOT my own views.
The prophetic world view expressed in the blog is not my own, and was begun two millennia ago. It is called Premillennialism which means that I believe that Jesus will come back before the Millennium (and that there actually IS a thousand-year period called the Millennium). And, within premillennialism, it belongs to a subset called pretribulationalism, which means that I believe that Jesus is coming back before the 7-year tribulation period for His church, his saints, his saved-ones (and that there actually IS a 7-year period of tribulation, terror, and chaos).
Q - Who holds this view besides yourself?
A- This is the view that is held by such pastors, authors, speakers, and theologians as John MacArthur, David Jeremiah, Tim Lahaye, Mark Hitchcock, Joel Rosenberg, Joel Richardson, Adrian Rogers (deceased), Chuck Swindoll, John Walvoord (deceased), John Hagee, Charles Ryrie, David Reagan, Jack Van Impe, Hal Lindsay, and (in general) the Southern Baptist Convention, almost all Bible churches, and MANY others.
Q - Do you agree with everything that they believe?
A- Concerning the end time events and views, almost so, because 35 years of study have convinced me that the Biblical facts and events fit together best in this framework. I would say that the above named people probably agree with each other on 90-95% of the important features and beliefs of the pre-mill pre-trib position, and that I agree with that same 90-95%. Still, I may point out from time to time a difference, or what I consider a weak point in the pre-mill pre-trib prophetic view. And some of those listed may hold views in areas other than Biblical prophecy with which I do not agree.
Q - Are you a Southern Baptist?
A - No, I am a conservative Presbyterian who happens to be pre-mill and pre-trib, which is admittedly unusual (but not heretical). I am an elder and teacher in the PCA (an evangelical, fully Bible-believing Christ-honoring denomination). In my early Christian years, I was a member and teacher in a Bible church (non-denominational), and was operations manager for a publisher of Christian Bible study books, both of which had a pre-mill pre-trib orientation.
Q - How would you answer those who say that the pre-mill pre-trib view is actually a recent position dating from the 1830's?
A - I would be the first to admit that it got a kick-start under the study and teaching of John Nelson Darby in the 1830's but can be found in almost every century before that, in the songs of Isaac Watts, very much written about in the writings of the early church fathers (90 - 200 AD), and most of all, in the Bible!
Q - Finally, what is the purpose of this blogsite, compared to other end-times blogsites?
A - The goals and purposes of this site are more modest than most end-time sites, in that other sites are more comprehensive, more all-inclusive, and (in my view) new posts come from them so quickly and often that it is almost impossible to keep up with all of it. Many other sites (some of which I have recommended in the left hand column of this blogpage) are excellent informational sites.
The Future History blogsite tends to have one or two posts a day, as opposed to 10-30, and tends to be a teaching blogsite, as opposed to an informational blogsite -- and will also tend to be scripturally oriented, as opposed to being event oriented. Finally, I hope it will continue to allow and foster a dialogue, where I can respond to the comments and questions that are posted.
That's it for now, friends, feel free to ask any more questions or comment on any post.
For much more information on the millennial views and tribulational views, see posts such as #27, 29, 39, 40, 45, 49, 51, & 52, and parts of other posts. Oh, why not just start at post #1. See post #46 for the reasons why. Click here.
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John MacArthur & Pretrib Rapture
ReplyDeleteWho knows, maybe John (Reformedispy) MacArthur is right and the greatest Greek scholars (Google "Famous Rapture Watchers"), who uniformly said that Rev. 3:10 means PRESERVATION THROUGH, were wrong. But John has a conflict. On the one hand, since he knows that all Christian theology and organized churches before 1830 believed the church would be on earth during the tribulation, he would like to be seen as one who stands with the great Reformers. On the other hand, if John has a warehouse of unsold pretrib rapture material, and if he wants to have "security" for his retirement years and hopes that the big California quake won't louse up his plans, he has a decided conflict of interest. Maybe the Lord will have to help strip off the layers of his seared conscience which have grown for years in order to please his parents and his supporters - who knows? One thing is for sure: pretrib is truly a house of cards and is so fragile that if a person removes just one card from the TOP of the pile, the whole thing can collapse. Which is why pretrib teachers don't dare to even suggest they could be wrong on even one little subpoint! Don't you feel sorry for the straitjacket they are in? While you're mulling all this over, Google "Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty" for a rare behind-the-scenes look at the same 180-year-old fantasy.
Hi, Marylee. You have certainly spent some time and thought into your comments to my blogpost #56.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm going to want to do the same in response to your comments. But a question: Did you read all the posts up until #56?? That must have been bruising! And no comments up until #56??
Am I correct in guessing that you do not hold to either the pretrib or premill position? (Just joking of course, the answer is quite apparent!)
Tell me what position you hold, and it will help me better formulate an answer. Let's keep up the dialogue, AND, do you have a blog where you also post about your view of biblical prophecy?
(I would add that I am still in my sabbatical period -- see posts #85 & #89 -- so I am only looking here every few days. AND, I may wait to respond until I'm back here fulltime)
Regards,
Larry
Hi again, Marylee, still trying to contact you. Tell me what position you hold (as I told you mine clearly), and I can better answer you. AND, you have a connection to Google blogger, but I cannot find a blogspot website for you. Do you have one?
ReplyDeleteTrying again,
Larry