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

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uncertainty about the spiritual state of the people who live dur ing this time. This literal approach brings the ultimate conclusion that "the basic premise of Dispensationalism is two purposes of God ex pressed in the formation of two peoples [Israel and the Church] who maintain their distinction throughout eternity." 15 The Church is not prophesied about or even mentioned in the Old Testament. Since Israel rejected the Kingdom, which Jesus offered her, God then offered the Kingdom to the Church. The Church was a sub stitute for Israel, but the Kingdom will again be offered to Israel after the time of the Gentiles is complete. The Church is consid ered a set of parentheses, appearing momentarily in history be tween the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks of Daniel's prophecy. The Old Testament prophetic clock has not ticked since Pentecost, and no prophecy has been fulfilled since the time of Christ. 16 Zola Levitt, well-known messianic Jewish teacher, says: ...The Premillennial/Dispensational view is that, while the Church is the new creation of the Lord that proclaims the Gospel in this age, the Church does not replace Israel in its national covenant relationship with God.The covenant with Israeldoes not guarantee personal salvation for all Jews.It does, though, guar antee personal salvation for the "remnant" of Jewish people in all ages, including the Church Age.Also, it guarantees the preserva tion and restoration of Israel to the Land in preparation for the Tribulation and the second Coming of Christ. 17 The late Dr. M. R. DeHaan, the famous voice of the Radio Bible Class in the 1950s and 60s, was a strong dispensationalist. He said of the Second Coming: ...When everything is black and dark for the world, the "Lord himself shall descend from heaven ..." (1 Thess.4:16-17).This we call the "Rapture" of the Church, which is the secret sudden coming of Christ for His own.Immediately after the Church is rap tured, the Antichrist will be revealed, the time of the world's great est sorrow and anguish will begin and for seven years the Tribula tion will last, when the world will experience the greatest period of sorrow, warfare, bloodshed and destruction in its history....

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