My position on eschatology is Historic Premillennialist. Which Hagee is not. He is a Dispensational Premillennialist. Which is not historical. By that, I mean the earliest writings of church history until the times of Darby in the early 19th century were Post-tribulational and non-dispensational.
Not until John Darby, the “Father of Dispensationalism,” did the teaching of a pretribulational rapture arise. Darby shifted the emphasis away from the church to Judaism. The pretrib rapture is the mechanism that made his dispensationalism work.
Historic Premillennialists believe in the rapture, however, not a PRETRIB one. The rapture is post-trib, that is, the coming of Christ, the resurrection, rapture, and gathering together of the saints takes place at the end of the tribulation.
Most of what Hagee says that is premillennial in nature, I agree with as my position is premillennial also. It is his pretrib dispensationalism I disagree with.
Darby and the Plymouth Brethren were the first to reject all
the centuries of paganism and use literal historical exegesis.
Regarding Pre vs. Post Tribulation rapture. I must admit, I long to believe in the pre-trib rapture but as I read the Bible and see how the Lord’s chosen prophets and preachers were not spared from suffering (many of which had terrible deaths and martyrdom, including the Lord himself, Paul etc...) I figure with the condition of the “Church” today, much of it watered down gospel and full of sin, it might not escape a time of refining and trial. If there is a pre-tribulation rapture it will surely be God’s grace! However, the Church will not experience the Wrath of God which is reserved for those who reject His Son.
“By that, I mean the earliest writings of church history until the times of Darby in the early 19th century were Post-tribulational and non-dispensational.”
For the sake of discussion, what do you make of these verses:
Pe 1:10-12 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Heb. 1:1-2
God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son...
Eph 3:2-5
If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
Joh 1:17
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
1Th 4:16-17
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
All the books/letters date to the first century (1Peter approx. 64 or 65 AD., Hebrews approx. 63-65 AD, Ephesians approx. close to the same time [around 60 AD, John’s Gospel a little later {late 60’s AD} and 1Thes. written before any of these around 50-51 AD).
There seems to be some internal evidence that suggests the bible itself speaks to its dispensational quality. Add to that the verses in Thessalonians concerning the “catching up” of those in Christ—the Rapture (consider also in Revelation where John is told to “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;”: Rev. 1 - the things which thou hast seen, Rev. 2&3 - the things which are and Rev. 4-22 the things which shall be hereafter [paying careful attention to 4:1 “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.”—with no mention of “church” after 3:14) and I think a very strong case can be made for the pre-trib, dispensational view of the bible and the last days.