Dispensationalism Before Darby


Book Description

For years, critics of premillennialism have argued that John Nelson Darby was the source for the doctrine of the rapture and dispensationalism. Building upon years of research in seventeenthcentury and eighteenth-century English theological writings, William Watson argues that dispensationalism and the ideas associated with it were long part of British theological discourse. Drawing upon hundreds of early printed English books and years of archival study in primary sources and British libraries, Watson demonstrates that Darby's thought was neither aberrant nor original. To the contrary, he was following a long line of British clergy who anticipated the restoration of Jews to a national homeland and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.




Dispensationalism Before Darby


Book Description

In Christian theological circles discussion, critics of dispensationalism have argued that John Darby was the originator of the pretribulational rapture and dispensationalism. William Watson has spent over twenty years working through little known theological works of the 17th and 18th century. Drawing from primary sources he has demonstrated that Darby's perspectives were not aberrant nor did they originate with him. Instead, he followed a long list of individuals centuries before who anticipated the restoration of the Jews to their national homeland and believed in the imminent return of Christ. Now with the claim proved wrong that pretribulationalism and dispensationalism are new perspectives, hopefully the concentration in eschatological questions will be on exegesis of the Bible itself.




Dispensationalism Before Darby


Book Description

Building upon years of research in seventeenth-century and eighteenth-century English theological writings, William Watson argues that dispensationalism and the ideas associated with it were long part of British theological discourse. Drawing upon hundreds of early printed English books and years of archival study in primary sources and British libraries, Watson demonstrates that Darby's thought was neither aberrant nor original.




The Origins of Dispensationalism


Book Description

This book sets forth the structure and content of John Nelson Darby's (1880-1882) dispensational theology and its place in the history of dispensational thought. Special attention is given to the relationship--real and supposed--between Darby's dispensational system and that of C.I. Scofield, author of the Scofield Reference Bible.










Backgrounds to Dispensationalism


Book Description

The purpose of this book is to describe the historical setting out of which dispensationalism has grown, to establish what dispensationalism is, and to point out its implications for contemporary church life. Beginning with a survey of the major features of dispensationalism in relation to the historic beliefs of the church, the book then examines the origins of dispensationalism in the thinking of John Nelson Darby.What kind of man was Darby? What were the circumstances in which his theology was fashioned? What were the practical consequences of his theology of the church for his own day? Dr. Bass offers well-founded answers to these questions, helping readers make their own evaluations about dispensationalism.Dr. Bass traces the development of Darby's thought and practice through the Plymouth Brethren movement. He clearly demonstrates how Darby not only introduced new theological concepts, but new principles of interpretation. This emerging system of interpretation, with its particular chronology of future events, has largely informed the popular Left BehindÓ eschatology. In this light, it is clear that Bass's discussion of Darbyite dispensationalism is just as relevant as when his book first came out in 1960.This study is the result of an intensive and exhaustive search for accuracy of detail with a fair, non-argumentative style. Those wishing to do further research will appreciate his classified bibliography regarding dispensational literature.




The Apocalypse Code


Book Description

Hank Hanegraaff reveals the code to Revelation. Breaking the code of the book of Revelation has become an international obsession. The result, according to Hank Hanegraaff, has been rampant misreading of Scripture, bad theology, and even bad politics and foreign policy. Hanegraaff argues that the key to understanding the last book of the Bible is the other sixty-five books of the Bible — not current events or recent history and certainly not any complicated charts. The Apocalypse Code offers sane answers to some very controversial questions: What does it mean to take the book of Revelation (and the rest of the Bible) literally? Who are the “Antichrist” and the “Great Whore of Babylon,” and what is the real meaning of “666”? How does our view of the end times change the way we think about the crisis in the Middle East? Are two-thirds of all Jews really headed for an apocalyptic holocaust? The Apocalypse Code is a call to understand what the Bible really says about the end times and why how we understand it matters so much in today’s world. “Provocative and passionate, this fascinating book is a must-read for everyone who’s interested in end-times controversies.” — Lee Strobel, Author, The Case for the Real Jesus “ This book is a withering and unrelenting critique of the positions of apocalyptic enthusiasts — Tim LaHaye. Every fan of the Left Behind series should read this book. The fog will clear, and common sense will return to our reading of the Bible.” — Gary M. Burge, Professor of New Testament, Wheaton College and Graduate School.




The Blessed Hope


Book Description

Jesus Christ is coming again! That is the Blessed Hope which has since the earliest days of the Church energized Biblical Christians looking for the full revelation of God's redemption. The author sketches the history of interpretations of Christ's second coming and then carefully and lucidly examines the Biblical passages on which this doctrine is based. His conclusion is that the Blessed Hope is the second coming of Jesus Christ, not a pretribulation rapture that believers in a secret coming of Jesus. Yet he concludes that there should be liberty and charity within the Christian community for all who hold to the expectation of "the blessed hope and appearing in glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ."




Who Is an Evangelical?


Book Description

A leading historian of evangelicalism offers a concise history of evangelicals and how they became who they are today Evangelicalism is arguably America’s most controversial religious movement. Nonevangelical people who follow the news may have a variety of impressions about what “evangelical” means. But one certain association they make with evangelicals is white Republicans. Many may recall that 81 percent of self†‘described white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump, and they may well wonder at the seeming hypocrisy of doing so. In this illuminating book, Thomas Kidd draws on his expertise in American religious history to retrace the arc of this spiritual movement, illustrating just how historically peculiar that political and ethnic definition (white Republican) of evangelicals is. He examines distortions in the public understanding of evangelicals, and shows how a group of “Republican insider evangelicals” aided the politicization of the movement. This book will be a must†‘read for those trying to better understand the shifting religious and political landscape of America today.