Hummel locates dispensationalism’s origin in the writings of the nineteenth-century Protestant John Nelson Darby, who established many of the hallmarks of the movement, such as premillennialism and belief in the rapture. Though it consistently faced criticism, dispensationalism held populist, and briefly scholarly, appeal—visible in everything from turn-of-the-century revivalism to apocalyptic bestsellers of the 1970s to current internet conspiracy theories.
Measured and irenic, Hummel objectively evaluates evangelicalism’s most resilient and contentious popular theology. As the first comprehensive intellectual-cultural history of its kind, The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism is a must-read for students and scholars of American religion.
The modern evangelical idea of the “rapture” was invented by some Scottish pastor in the late 18th/early 19th century (I forgot his name at the moment)
Before him no major church whether catholic, protestant or orthodox had anything even close to this idea.
The sad thing is this rapture stuff really picked up in the 60’s and 70’s, and people who really bought into this idea were so obsessed it would happen soon that now you see them in older age suffering from a semi-schizo state because they cannot let go of the idea that they might have been wrong about this idea and they cannot allow themselves to admit they were swindled
Dispy's would have us believe that the church is just a parenthetical period in God's plan, everything depends on that, when in reality God's plan is a continuous covenant by faith in him. The "rapture" concept is defeatist in it's nature in that it doesn't require the believer to persevere because of the belief God won't let believers suffer persecution, when in fact it is during persecution that the church is purified and grows.
“...the premillennial hermeneutic that became dispensationalism...”
Oh, snap!
Odd. Clarence Larkin died in 1924. He must have ascribed to unpopular dispensationalism.
The problem with some dispensationalists is no different than the problem displayed on FR. If a person becomes hyper-fixated on nonessential doctrine instead of on Jesus Christ they are misguided. It becomes far too easy to develop pride in being an "expert" in whatever that chosen doctrine is and in the crusades that can follow.
Bed, Bath, Rapture and Beyond.
First question:
At the fifth seal, the souls under the alter cry out,
"When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Rev 6:9-10
If the Great Tribulation began at the First Seal, why would the souls at the Fifth Seal ask, “How long until you judge?” The impression is that the first four seals occur over a long period of time, and that the souls don’t see them as the wrath of God. If the Tribulation Period began at First Seal, they would known the answer. Since they didn’t know the answer, they asked, “How long”. God answered, saying,
“. . . it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. Rev 6:11
Notice they are not told, “You are in luck, it’s already begun.” Instead, they are told, “not yet”, and that it won’t happen until the full number of Christians are put to death. In other words, the judgment hasn’t started. The persecution presented here, is still occurring. The 20th Century has seen millions of Christians killed.
Second question:
At the Sixth Seal, a great earthquake occurs. This passage gives mankind’s response:
And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Rev 6:12-17
Again, if the Great Tribulation and the wrath of God had begun at the First Seal, why didn’t the world recognize it. You don't see people at the First Seal crying out about God's judgment. It’s not until the Sixth Seal that they recognize God’s judgment has begun.
As these passages show, neither believers in heaven, or unbelievers on earth, see the Great Tribulation as having already begun. It’s not until the great earthquake of the Sixth Seal hits, that people first realize what is happening.
Ok, I guess I’ll add my 2 cents.
I think II These. 2:1 - 6, makes clear that the ‘gathering together’, that is the rapture of the saints with Christ, on the Day of the Lord needs a few things to precede it. 1st the rebellion or some translations say falling away or apostasy, then the man of sin is revealed with all false signs and lying wonders. Rev. 13:18, states let those who have wisdom count the number of the name of beast. Paul seems to indicate that believers will know who this guy is while the rest of the world thinks he’s Mr. Wonderful.
Who has wisdom to count the number of his name during this time? The lost of the world, unbelieving Israel who will be deceived by this guy or believers who have not been martyred yet but are still looking for the coming of their Lord?
The Tribulation, in some sense, isn’t 7 years and this isn’t God’s wrath on the nations - that’s coming but not yet. I think it’s in Isaiah where it states that the Lord ALONE will be exalted in that day (Day of the Lord). The first 3.5 yrs are called the Beginning of Sorrows. The second half is called the Great Tribulation but… it is cut short (so not the full 3.5 yrs) Matt 24:21 - 22. When it is cut short is when I believe the rapture takes place. It is also at that time that Jerusalem is under siege and only Christ’s return would save her. I believe that these events start the Day of the Lord’s wrath. Before that it is Satan’s wrath as he seeks the worship of the entire world and persecutes believers.
Jesus told us that in this world we would have tribulation. We all know that Christians are being killed every day around the world for their stand for ChrIst. That hasn’t been the case (at least in large measure) in America. It just seems to me that some American Christians think they are ‘special’ and won’t have to suffer like believers the world over and centuries over have had to. Remember the passages that say the antichrist will make war with the saints and overcome them. Do you think that just means he’ll close their church. I don’t think so. The pretribulation position claims that after they are gone a big revival will take place and there will be Christians saved after Christ gathers his bride. That, to me, is naive at best. The work of the Holy Spirit to restrain evil in the world will be decreasing and ending, the Church Age or the Age of Grace, is ending and God’s focus is turning back to Israel. The Holy Spirit won’t be taken out of the world but he will only be residing in remaining believers. The remnant church will be in hiding warned not to come out if people are saying ‘he’s in the inner room’ or ‘he’s in the wilderness’, etc., otherwise they would be killed. So if ANY come to faith during this time it will be an extremely small number. The Jews don’t recognize their Messiah until he comes to intervene to save Jerusalem and the 144 thousand from every tribe are sealed after the mourn him. So they won’t be evangelizing. I know this is a confusing subject with many views. I think as we get closer to this time things will clear up and more will become apparent. John Haller always says that that 30 minute silence in heaven is for all the prophecy teachers to have time to be able to update their charts.