Brentwood Church of Christ

Dispensational Premillennialism is the belief that in every “dispensation” God has desired to establish and earthly kingdom. The position is that God tried with Adam and Eve, with the patriarchs, and with Moses and Israel, each time failing to bring about a universal world kingdom of peace and service to God. God then prophesied that He would establish this kingdom with His Son. Even Christ, when He first began His ministry predicted the kingdom was at hand. However, as time passed Jesus realized that the Jews were going to reject Him so the kingdom promises were suspended as the hope of the kingdom faded. The rejection of Christ and His death was not really planned by God. Therefore, God substituted the “church age” for the establishment of the kingdom until the time was more favorable. According to this position, we are now coming to the end of the church age. Very soon, seven years before Christ’s return and the start of His 1000 year reign on earth, all Christians will suddenly be “raptured” up to heaven. During that seven years a great tribulation will take place on the earth. At the end of the tribulation, Satan will be bound, Christ will return and reign on a literal throne in Jerusalem after his enemies are destroyed, all the Jews will be converted and be given positions of authority, the Gentiles will serve the Jews, there will be 1000 years of peace and prosperity with no wicked on the earth, and the entire Jewish system with all its sacrifices will be instituted again. At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be loosed and allowed to deceive the nations again. Christ will gather His armies and destroy these sinners casting Satan and his following into the lake of fire. The righteous will then be taken to the new heaven and new earth (for some this is just a resurfaced earth, for others it is heaven itself).