Dispensationalism - emasculating the book of Revelation

Definitions:

Dispensation, dispensationalism In the Scofield Reference Bible a dispensation is "a period of time during which man is tested in respect of obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God" Dispensationalism says that God uses different means of administering His will and grace to His people. These different means coincide with different periods of time. Scofield says there are seven dispensations: of innocence, of conscience, of civil government, of promise, of law, of grace, and of the kingdom. Dispensationalists interpret the scriptures in light of these (or other perceived) dispensations. Compare to Covenant. CARM

Dispensationalism may, therefore, be defined as that system of theology which sees a fundamental distinction between Israel and the church. This distinction is the cornerstone of dispensational theology. Other doctrines, which are often considered to be distinctly dispensational, rest upon this doctrine of the church. Mathison p 8

Introduction:

Firstly we must distinguish between classical dispensationalism and the new progressive dispensationalism. It is the former, with its distinction between Israel and the church, that I will be referring to. Two important errors follow from the dispensational distinction between Israel and the church.

• The pretribulation rapture of the church
• Resulting in a wrong interpretation of the book of Revelation

Mathison quotes Walvoord as saying:

If the term church includes saints of all ages, then it is self-evident that the church will go through the Tribulation, as all agree that there will be saints in this time of trouble. If, however, the term church applies only to a certain body of saints, namely, the saints of this present dispensation, then the possibility of the translation of the church before the Tribulation is possible [sic] and even probable.

It is interesting that Walvoord admits (correctly) that saints will go through the tribulation, Rev 13:7, 10 is proof of this.

The Pretribulation rapture of the church

I have already refuted this erroneous doctrine, see A rebuttal of the pretribulation rapture and I discuss the rapture and second coming in another article. This is yet another example where a doctrine can emasculate the book of Revelation making it irrelevant to its original hearers and to the church today. Since the majority of Revelation concerns the great tribulation, and if at the start of it (as dispensational doctrine states), the church has been raptured and is in heaven; then Revelation becomes an irrelevant side show as far as the church is concerned. Ryrie (p159) states

"The distinction between Israel and the Church leads to the belief that the Church will be taken from the earth before the beginning of the tribulation (which in one sense concerns Israel). Pretribulationalism has become a part of dispensational eschatology."

The Church raptured in Rev 4:1

In the dispensational interpretation of Revelation the church mysteriously disappears from view in Rev 3:22 (to be replaced by Israel) only to reappear in Rev 19, thus making most of the book irrelevant to the church today. Hence it weakens Revelation by cutting out (emasculating) a whole section which is meant to speak to, and strengthen, the church.

Strauss says "From 4:1 to the end of the book all the events follow the rapture of the church.." Although Walvoord does not say that 4:1 refers to the rapture of the church, he does say "From a practical standpoint, however, the rapture may be viewed as having already occurred in the scheme of God before the events of chapter 4 and following chapters of Revelation unfold". He claims that she is found in 19:7 as the wife of the Lamb. Referring to "a door was opened in heaven" (4:1) Newell says "It is indeed for John's entrance, and evidently, the whole Church is represented here! For "churches" are mentioned not once after chapter 3, till the apocalypse is over! 22:16."

LaHaye gives five reasons why Rev 4:1,2 refers to the rapture of the church:

• the call for John to 'come up here'
• the location of the passage occurring after chapters 2-3 which deal with the seven churches and before chapter six which introduces the seven seals
• the absence of any mention of the church in chapters 6-18
• the extensive use of old testament language and symbols in chapters 4 to 18 is an indication of Israel and not the church
• the similarity between the events of 4:1,2 and other scriptural teaching on the rapture such as 1 Thess 4:13-18.

He then goes on to comment:

None of the above four reasons is sufficient in itself to insist that Revelation 4:1, 2 refers to the Rapture of the Church. When, however, all of them are considered, we are inclined to believe that this inference could be rightly made.
The Rapture of the Church is not explicitly taught in Revelation 4 but definitely appears here chronologically at the end of the church age and before the tribulation. (italics mine)

The absence of the word 'Church' after Rev 3:22

It is sometimes said that because the word 'Church' is absent after Rev 3:22 that the church was raptured in 4:1 and therefore it is not present during seven seals, trumpets and bowls. LaHaye says:

The absence of any mention of the church indicates that it is not on earth during the Tribulation. There are sixteen references to the Church in the first three chapters of Revelation, whereas chapter 6 through 18, which cover the Tribulation, do not mention the Church once. The natural conclusion drawn from this is that the Church will be absent during the events of the Tribulation.

If this is the case then chapters 6 through 18 is irrelevant to the church today. The word church does not occur in 2 Tim, Titus, 2 Pet, 1 and 2 John and Jude but that does not mean that the church is not present.

The next occurrence of the word 'church' occurs in Rev 22:16 (pleural), however the word 'saints' occurs 12 times, and 'servants' occurs 11 times after Rev 3:22. There is also a rapture event in 11:12 when the two witnesses are told to 'come up here'. The majority of commentaries on Revelation do indeed find the church after Rev 3:22, apart from dispensational commentaries that is. As Mathison points out, Israel must be raptured at some point because the word Israel is not found between 7:5 and 21:12.

Saints in Revelation:

In the NT the word saints (hagios:G40) means holy ones and is used many times of Christians.

(2 Cor 1:1 KJV) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:

In Revelation the word 'saints' is used 12 times between Rev 5:8 and 19:8. The KJV also uses saints in 20:9, the NIV has God's people. In Rev 5:8, 8:3, 8:4, the word saints is always connected with prayer, as in 'prayers of the saints'. In 13:7, 13:10 it is used in connection to the beast who wages war against the saints who are clearly on earth and is used in a similar connection in 14:12. In 19:8 it is used in connection to the bride who is clearly the church (see Eph 5:25). In 18:4 God exhorts his people to come out of Babylon.

(Rev 18:4 NIV) Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;

Similarity between 4:1, 2 and other rapture passages:

(1 Th 4:16 NIV) For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

In Rev 4:1 it is clearly John who is told to 'Come up here' and not the church. Only John is told to 'come up here', and did not bodily go to heaven but was in the Spirit as the next verse indicates (Rev 4:2). The rapture will be a bodily rapture not a spiritual one. The dispensational commentator Walvoord has this to say:

"The invitation to John to "come up hither" is so similar to that which the church anticipates at the rapture that many have connected the two expressions. It is clear from the context that this is not an explicit reference to the rapture of the church, as John was not actually translated; in fact he was still in his natural body on the island of Patmos. He was translated into scenes of heaven only temporarily."

1 Thess 4:16 does have a trumpet call but it also has a bodily resurrection of the dead in Christ. There is no resurrection in Rev 4:1. The trumpet that John hears is that of a voice speaking like a trumpet and serves to identify the speaker as the same one as in Rev 1:10. There is a much better candidate for a Rapture event in the book of Revelation which can be found in Rev 11:11-12 when the two witnesses rise from the dead and go up to heaven in a cloud.

(Rev 11:11-12 NIV) But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. {12} Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.

The use of the Old Testament in Revelation

LaHaye says that the extensive use of old testament language and symbols in chapters 4 to 18 is an indication of Israel and not the church. In answer John uses the OT throughout Revelation and not just chapter 4 to 18.

"Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." (4:1b)

The phrase above is usually linked to Rev 1:19

(Rev 1:19 NIV) "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.

Which gives a three-fold division of Revelation with the future beginning at 4:1. Now this is quite reasonable. It is of course the future with respect to when John received the vision. This can be seen by the phrases 'what must soon take place' in Rev 1:1 and 'the time is near' in Rev 1:3, see also Rev 22:6.

(Rev 1:1 NIV) The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,

(Rev 1:3 NIV) Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

The blessing stated in Rev 1:3 is to the one who reads the prophecy and is because the time is near. It makes a nonsense of the whole book if it is just referring to events more than 2,000 years in the future. In John's day the church was about to go through two hundred years of persecution by Rome.

Rev 3:10 - Philadelphia kept from the hour of trial

Walvoord cites Rev 3:10 to support the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine.

(Rev 3:10 NIV) Since you have kept (tereo) my command to endure patiently, I will also keep (tereo) you from the hour of trial (peirasmos) that is going to come upon the whole world to test (peirazo) those who live on the earth.

We should first note that this is written to the church of Philadelphia which is the sixth church to be addressed (not the last church). Secondly we should note that it based on the fact that they kept Jesus command to endure patiently. Can we take a promise made to just one of the seven churches in the first century and apply it to the whole church in the 21st century? What about the elect in Mark 13:20 who come out of the tribulation. What about the great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language (Rev 7:9) these (clearly include Gentiles) all come out of the great tribulation (Rev 7:14).

The Greek word used for trial, as used in the phrase 'hour of trial', is peirasmos:G3986 which can mean trial, testing, temptation. The hour of trial is mentioned in Dan 12:1, Mark 13:19 and it is likely that it is depicted by the seven trumpets and Ch 7-19 later in Revelation. The phrase "those who live on the earth" refers to unbelievers (see 6:10, 8:13, 11:10, 13:8, 13:12, 13:14, 17:2). The hour of trial is for the world not for the church, which will be spiritually but not physically protected from it.

The word 'test' (peiarzo), as in "test those who live on the earth", means scrutinize, entice, discipline:--assay, examine, go about, prove, tempt (-er), try. The spiritual protection of the church is indicated in the sealing of the 144,000 (7:3), see also God's care of the woman in the desert (12:6, 14). The best example of this is the fifth trumpet in which the locusts are specifically told only to harm those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads (9:4 cf. Isa 18:3). The term 'the inhabitants of the earth', which is similar to 'those who live on the earth' (see 11:10, 14:6) always refers to the world not to the church (Rev 6:10, 8:13, 11:10, 13:8, 13:14, 17:8). Just as Satan tests the church in Smyrna through persecution (2:10), so God tests the world through trial or adversity.

The meaning of the word 'keep' (Gk. tereo) is to guard, to watch over, to protect so that the idea of this verse is preservation through the hour of trial. The same word is used in John 17:11, 12, 15 where the idea is protection (as used in NIV).

(John 17:11 KJV) And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep tereo through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
(John 17:12 KJV) While I was with them in the world, I kept tereo them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
(John 17:15 KJV) I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep tereo them from the evil.

Seven successive periods of church history:

LaHaye is an advocate for the popular theory that the letters to the seven churches represent seven successive periods of church history; Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. We should note that the last church in the series is the lukewarm Laodicea who Jesus is about to spit you out of his mouth. The church of Laodicea says 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing', but Jesus says 'But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.' Perhaps this is a fitting description of the church today. We should also note that the promise to be be kept from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world is given to the sixth church in the series, that is Philadelphia, and not to the last one Laodicea.

(Rev 3:10 NIV) Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.

Incredibly LaHaye gets around this by saying that the first three church ages are successive and they follow on from each other. But that the next four are also successive but either terminate with the rapture (Philadelphia) or the tribulation (Thyatira, Sardis and Laodicea). Only the faithful church gets raptured.

The 144,000

(Rev 7:3-8 NIV) "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." {4} Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. {5} From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, {6} from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, {7} from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, {8} from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

In dispensational commentaries the 144,000 (Rev 7:4) are always interpreted as literal Israel and never as spiritual Israel or the church. This is crucial to the dispensational understanding of Revelation, because if the 144,000 is indeed the church then the events of chapters 6 through 18 will affect the church.

If we look at this list of all the twelve tribes of Israel there are sufficient peculiarities to doubt that physical Israel is meant.

• Two tribes are missing, Dan and Ephraim
• This is a census and Levi is normally excluded from a census but is included here
• Instead of Reuben listed first as the firstborn, Judah is listed first
• Normally Joseph is excluded and his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh included instead, but here Joseph and only one of his sons is included
• The number 12,000 exactly for each tribe. This is clearly symbolic rather than an actual census.

This can be explained by the fact that Dan and Ephraim went off into idolatry, there are no idolaters in the church. Levi is included because it is the priestly tribe and in the church we are all priests (Rev 1:6). Jesus is the firstborn of the saints and is therefore listed here first (Rom 8:29). Joseph is listed because he is a type of Christ, there is nothing bad mentioned about him in scripture. Both Joseph and Christ were unjustly tried, Joseph was unjustly charged with trying to rape Potiphar's wife (Gen 39:1-20). Both suffered, Joseph in prison and Jesus on the cross. Both were later crowned with glory and honor (Gen 41:39-45, Heb 2:9). The fact that the list appears in the form of a census indicates that these are redeemed because in the OT those included in a census had to pay a redemption price (Exo 30:12). The 144,000 are found again in 14:1 where they have the name of the Lamb and the Father written on their foreheads. In the description of the new Jerusalem, 22:3-4, we also find God's servants with his name on their foreheads. The 144,000 in 14:1-5 are described as followers of the Lamb, they sing a new song, they are pure and blameless, they are redeemed from the earth. The number 12,000 also occurs in connection with the New Jerusalem in Rev 21:16 which consists ob both OT and NT saints.

It is interesting that LaHaye interprets the 144,000 in Rev 14:1 and 3 as elite Christians. However it is possible that the 144,000 in 7:4 are the same 144,000 in 14:1. Those sealed in 7:4 are also found safe and secure in heaven in 14:1 and none of the 144,000 have been lost. I also wonder how the 144,000 Jews get converted, if they are converted before the rapture then surely they will be raptured and after the rapture there will be no one to preach the gospel.

In most non-dispensational commentaries the 144,000 are usually interpreted as spiritual Israel or the church. See the table below which looks at seven dispensational and twenty one non-dispensational commentaries.

The Two witnesses:

In addition the two witnesses are always interpreted as two individuals and never as the church by dispensational commentaries. Again we find the the majority of non-dispensational commentaries interpret the two witnesses as the witnessing church.

Books linked to

One could well ask the the question, does it matter if the church is in heaven after Rev 3:22? It matters for a number of reasons.

• Rev 1:3 promises a blessing to all those who hear or read the book and take its message to heart. The dispensational interpretation make most of Revelation irrelevant to the church and therefore robs the church of most of the message and therefore of the blessing.
• The 144,000 are sealed prior to the trumpets and go through the trumpets (see fifth trumpet Rev 9:4). There is a big difference between the church being in heaven or on earth during this time. The teaching of dispensationalism leaves the church unprepared for difficult times.
• Much the same can be said for the great multitude of Rev 7:9 who are said to have come out of the great tribulation 7:14
• If the two witnesses are not the church witnessing in the power of the holy spirit but are two individuals as dispensationalism teaches, then who is to finish the great commission, is it the church or two two super apostles? Dispensationalism weakens the resolve of the church to finish the great commission because it will be finished by someone else.
• The church will be unprepared when the beast of Rev 13:7 attacks and overpowers it, see the warning of Rev 13:9-10. The church will be imprisoned and slaughtered.

The most persuasive evidence against the pretrib rapture is scripture itself, see 1 Thess 4:13-17. Here the rapture and second coming coincide.

(1 Thess 4:13-17) Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. {14} We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. {15} According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. {16} For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. {17} After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Wrath in Revelation.

The scripture is quite clear that believers will not experience wrath from God (Rom 5:9, 1 Th 1:10, 1 Th 5:9). God's wrath is reserved for the unrepentant sinners (John 3:36, Rom 1:18, 2:5, 2:8, Eph 5:6, Col 3:6). Christians should expect trouble, hardship, affliction and persecution though (Mat 13:21, John 16:33, Acts 14:22, Rom 5:3, 8:35, 12:12, Rev 1:9, 2:9-10). Judgement and discipline from God yes (1 Cor 11:32, Heb 12:7, 12:10), persecution from men yes (Mat 5:11 Mark 10:30 Luke 21:12 John 15:20 2 Tim 3:12 Rev 2:10 ), enmity of the devil yes 1 Pet 5:8, Rev 2:10, 2:13.

The following table shows references to God's wrath in Revelation and never once is it directed at believers.

The idea that God will not allow His people to go through tribulation is unbiblical. Church history clearly demonstrates this. Even in this century Christians are persecuted see Voice of the martyrs - a global perspective on persecution of God's children. Read Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand or The Story of Watchman Nee : Against the Tide by Angus Kinnear. Watchman Nee spent 20 years in a Chinese prison 1952-1972. In 1999 an Australian missionary in India was burnt alive in his car by Hindus.

(2 Tim 4:3-4 NIV) For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. {4} They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Links:

1. Dispensationalism A Return to Biblical Theology or Pseudo Christian Cult
2. A History of Dispensationalism in America By Ernest Reisinger
3. Dispensationalism and the church
4. The Rapture (pretrib)
5. Defending a Pre Trib, Pre Mil, Futurist Perspective
6. Progressive Dispensationalism by Mike Vlach, Assistant Pastor also Is Satan Bound Today?
7. Progressive Dispensationalism: A Traditional Dispensational Critique by Myron J. Houghton, Ph.D., Th.D.
8. Progressive Dispensationalism By: Malachi James and Daniel Bergquist
9. The Church & Israel Michael S. Horton
10. Eschatology 1: Covenantalism & Dispensationalism Xenos Christian Fellowship Christian Principles Unit 1

Books: linked to

Books quoted:

1. Tim LaHaye, Revelation illustrated and made plain, Zondervan, 1975 ed.
2. John F Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Moody Press, 1989 ed.
3. Keith A. Mathison, Dispensationalism : Rightly Dividing the People of God? Presbyterian & Reformed, 1995
4. William R Newall, Revelation chapter by chapter, Kregel, 1994 ed.
5. Lehman Strauss, The book of Revelation, Loizeaux brothers, 1964.

The Rapture

1. End Times Fiction : A Biblical Consideration of the Left Behind Theology by Gary Demar
2. A Basic Guide to Eschatology : Making Sense of the Millennium by Millard J. Erickson
3. Blessed Hope by George Eldon Ladd (rapture of the church and the Second Coming of Christ are the same)
4. The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church by Marvin J. Rosenthal
5. The last days according to Jesus - R C Sproul
6. The Rapture Question Answered : Plain and Simple by Robert D. Van Kampen, Robert Van Kampen
7. Three Views on the Rapture : Pre; Mid; Or Post-Tribulation? (Counterpoints) by Gleason L. Archer (Editor),
8. The Rapture: A question of timing - William R Kimball
9. Examination of dispensationalism - William E Cox
10. Biblical Studies in Final Things by William E. Cox
11. Amillennialism Today by William E. Cox

Dispensationalism

1. Dispensationalism by Charles Caldwell Ryrie
2. Dispensationalism : Rightly Dividing the People of God? Keith A. Mathison, Paperback - 160 pages (July 1995) Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Company. You don't have to have a PhD to understand his writing style. Mathison's treatment is complete and concise. Single-best layman's intro to Dispensational criticism.
3. Progressive Dispensationalism by Craig A. Blaising, Darrell L. Bock (Contributor)
4. Understanding Dispensationalists by Vern Sheridan Poythress
5. Primer on Dispensationalism by John H. Gerstner
6. Dispensationalism, Israel and the Church: The Search for Definition by Craig A. Blaising (Editor)
7. House Divided : The Break-Up of Dispensational Theology by Greg L. Bahnsen, Gentry, Kenneth, Kenneth L. Gentry
8. Three Central Issues in Contemporary Dispensationalism : A Comparison of Traditional and Progressive Views by Herbert W. Bateman (Editor)
9. Vital Prophetic Issues : Examining Promises and Problems in Eschatology (Vital Issues Series, Vol 5) by Roy B. Zuck (Editor)
10. An examination of DispensationalismWilliam E Cox, , 1992, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co, 61 pages. An antidote to dispensationalism. (This is probably superceeded by Mathison)
11. Dispensationalist Eschatology and Its Influence on American and British Religious Movements (Texts and Studies in Religion, V. 82) by Peter E. Prosser
12. Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth : A Critique of Dispensationalism by John H. Gerstner (Out of print)

Commentaries on Revelation

1. William Hendriksen, More than Conquerors, Baker Book House, 1962. Evangelical and scholarly, a classic of the idealist school (216 pp). He writes on a passage rather than a verse and therefore he is more useful to the layman than the student.Amazon
2. George E Ladd: A commentary on Revelation, Eerdmans, 1971. An excellent readable commentary suitable for the student and laymen. He combines the preterist approach with the futurist. Historical premillennial (308 pp). Amazon
3. Richard Brooks, The Lamb is all the Glory, 1986, Evangelical press. Pastors treatment, useful for the layman and leading a class. Idealist in the tradition of Hendriksen.Amazon