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Premillennial Dispensationalism Chapter 4: How a War started a Movement

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Benjamin Wells Newton and John Nelson Darby Both left the Anglican Church in England in early 1800s Established the Brethren Movement together John Nelson Darby became increasingly obsessed with dispensationalism Premillennial Dispensationalism

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3 primary dispensations: Epoch of Adam to Abraham. Epoch of Abraham to Christ. Epoch of the New Covenant after Christs finished work of the Cross. Darbys beliefs led him to separate Gods modern (post- Cross) dealing with Israel from His dealings with The Church Premillennial Dispensationalism

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Benjamin Wills Newton could no longer tolerate Darbys fanaticism and parted ways Neither could worlds most famous preacher at the time: Charles Spurgeon - published an entire article in response to what, in his eyes, had become a dangerous heresy. Premillennial Dispensationalism

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Darbys views on Israel gave birth to the rapture theory The Church (of gentiles) needed to be raptured away in order for God to fulfil His dealings with Israel Terrifying tribulation would occur on Earth as part of Gods plan to reposition Israel as a powerful nation and people on the Earth Then Christ would return to Earth with the Church after 7 years Premillennial Dispensationalism

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Glaring problem: God cannot deal with Israel any different than the way He deals with the Church Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Premillennial Dispensationalism

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Glaring problem: God cannot deal with Israel any different than the way He deals with the Church Acts 15:9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their (the gentiles) hearts by faith. Premillennial Dispensationalism

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Glaring problem: God cannot deal with Israel any different than the way He deals with the Church John 10:16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. Premillennial Dispensationalism

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Glaring problem: God cannot deal with Israel any different than the way He deals with the Church Romans 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. Premillennial Dispensationalism

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Like Paul does in Romans 9:4, we honour the Jews. Have a rich heritage! But one that we, as a gentile believers, have been included into thanks to the uniting work of Christ! Some kind of work in the land of Israel when Christ return How that will work out is not something I want to guess on. Premillennial Dispensationalism

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The Great Wars (1914 through to 1945 with respite between 1918 and 1939) began shift in churchs hope Humans were committing atrocities on scales never before experienced. Due to new film and print technologies, the masses were witnessing atrocities firsthand, entrenching the fear. Suddenly, Gospels HOPE was replaced with a fear of the future. The church no longer knew what it believed.

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Premillennial Dispensationalism As of August 1914, attitudes in most of Christendom were more receptive of postmillennialism than premillennialism. Most people in the West were satisfied to live in a society where the expectation of the end-time largely meant a time when the human race, led by science and technology, would become perfect. . The outbreak of WW1 would shatter that optimism and provide new opportunities for premillennialist prophets. In respect to millennialism, we are still living in the aftershocks of the guns of August. ( Longing for the End: A History of Millennialism in Western Civilization, Frederic J. Baumgartner, Professor of History at Virginia Polytechnic)

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Premillennial Dispensationalism Fear festered, fully gave birth in 1970 with Hal Lindseys Late, Great Planet Earth

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Premillennial Dispensationalism Took modern events & aligned them with ancient Scriptural prophecies seeming to make sense at first glance. Fact: these prophecies even more accurately align with historical calamities such as destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD Lindseys book confirmed the churchs worst fears: world was getting worse, and was on course for drastic destruction.

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Premillennial Dispensationalism Gave rise to hits like 1972s A Thief In The Night Spurned entire genre of End-Time media, culminating in its climax: Left Behind By this time: Western Christianity so enraptured with the Dispensational Premillennial viewpoint, it became the foundation of almost all charismatic churches Fortunately that is changing

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Premillennial Dispensationalism Within only a few decades, mankinds predisposition toward fear had taken the church down a road it should never have gone Completely shifted Churchs focus off The Kings saving work and onto how He might return and deal with humanitys depravity Which was the very thing He came to deal with at the Cross!

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