God And His Word - A Question And Answer Approach To Understanding The Bible

- ------ What Do the Interpreters Say? --------

Gospel proclamation between the first and second advents of Jesus Christ. 10

Dispensational Premillennialism

1,000 years

Before

Church Age

Christ Notations: FC=First Coming; FJ=Final Judgment; FR=First Resurrection; R=Rapture; SC=Second Coming; SR=Second Resurrection; T=Tribulation; M=Millennium

Comments. Those who advocate this approach prefer to be known as premillennialists, for the literal Millennium is a major component of their belief. The Second Coming of Christ will in troduce the Millennium. John F. Walvoord made this strong (and controversial) statement about the importance of this belief sys tem: "It is not too much to say that millennialism is a determin ing factor in Biblical interpretation of comparable importance to the doctrines of verbal inspiration, the deity of Christ, substitu tionary atonement, and bodily resurrection." 11 For the dispensationalist the Millennium is a literal thousand year period in which the historic Davidic kingdom is revived and continued with a real king sitting on a material throne. 12 This lit eral fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about Kingdom and land is an important feature of dispensationalism. "Into the mil lennium is placed the fulfillment of virtually all Old Testament prophecies not fulfilled by the time of Christ, or at least by Pen tecost. " 1 3 There is a strong Jewishness connected with this con cept of a millennial Kingdom: The Temple is rebuilt and the en tire Old Testament sacrificial system is restored. 14 There is

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