There is an arrogance in your message tghat you're not picking up. You are assuming that dispensationalists have ignored the other views. That's an arrogant assumption. Most of us, who have studied the subject for years, have looked at each of the views for their biblical basis. I, and I'm sure Mr. MacArthur, have come to the conclusion based on Scripture that our "dispensational" view is correct. But, I can have equal respect for those who also having studied Scripture have come up with a view separate from my own. I dealt with that a lot a seminary. As long as Scripture was respected, I could respect that.
I did NOT assume that they hadn't studied Scripture.
Daniel's prophecy is future for one reason that you are ignoring - Israel. Israel had to become a nation again before the "time of the end" could even begin. From 70 AD until 1948, she wasn't a nation. Ponder these Scriptures and see how the Preterist view fails in this point. You may still disagree, but don't disdain us by suggesting we haven't studied the matter.
Amos 9:14-15 "Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit.
15 "I will also plant them on their land, And they will not again be rooted out from their land Which I have given them," Says the LORD your God.
Ezekiel 36:24-29 24 "'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you
Ezekiel 39:27-29 27 When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will show myself holy through them in the sight of many nations. 28 Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. 29 I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD Zechariah 10:8-12 8 "I will whistle for them to gather them together, For I have redeemed them; And they will be as numerous as they were before. 9 "When I scatter them among the peoples, They will remember Me in far countries, And they with their children will live and come back. 10 "I will bring them back from the land of Egypt And gather them from Assyria; And I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon Until no room can be found for them. 11 "And He will pass through the sea of distress And strike the waves in the sea, So that all the depths of the Nile will dry up; And the pride of Assyria will be brought down And the scepter of Egypt will depart. 12 "And I will strengthen them in the LORD, And in His name they will walk," declares the LORD
These Scriptures have not come to pass in full yet. God's prophecy for the end times is yet future. It does not involve the world getting better, but worse before He comes. Then the time of Jacob's trouble will see the ultimate fulfillment of these verses and others.
If I came from a literalist, futurist perspective, I would agree with you. But I do not.
The writers of the NT certainly did not take a literalist, futurist perspective when it came to OT prophecies, esp. regarding Israel. They generally applied those prophecies to their own days, and viewed Christ and His church as the fulfillment of the promises to Israel.
"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel." (Heb. 12:22-24)
"for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children -- but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all." (Gal. 4:25,26)
"He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name." (Rev. 3:12)
"Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ." (Gal. 3:16)
"And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Gal. 3:29)
"For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." (Rom. 4:13)