The main problem with dispensationalism is not the timing of the second appearing of the Lord. The problem is one of faith and of identity.
However, at least three scriptures indicate that Christ will appear at the end of the age, not before the end. See John 6: 44, I Corinthians 15:52 and Matthew 24: 29-30.
The problem with what has been called dispensationalism, Christian Zionism, Postponement Theology or the Rapture Cult is faith as being the absolute truth of the word of God. Absolute truth cannot be compromised, added to, or slightly changed. When Christ in John 10: 16 says "there shall be one fold and one shepherd" he means there will be one people of God, one elect group, one Body of Christ.
Paul affirms this in more than once place, by strong implication. Galatians 6: 16 says there is THE Israel of God, to make it clear that this Israel is not physical Israel of Romans 9:6-8 "For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel...That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God."
There is one saved Israel, THE Israel of God. Not two saved groups, that is, group called the church and a second group who is going to all be saved, as a house, because of their race or DNA from Abraham. "Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance." Isaiah 19: 25
"...for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth." Deuteronomy 14: 2
"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:" Exodus 19: 5
"And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:" Deuteronomy 28: 1
"But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee." Deuteronomy 28: 15
We see that the Old Covenant was conditional upon physical Israel being obedient to God. They were not obedient and were judged for it.
Jeremiah 18: O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
"Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away." Isaiah 50: 1
"And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also." Jeremiah 3: 8
"And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:" Amos 7: 8
Physical Israel was changed and a remnant of it (Romans 11: 5) became the beginnings of that spiritual house of I Peter 2 5-9.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate."
"Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:" Romans 11: 20 "They" are physical Israel who rejected Christ.
"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.: Galatians 3: 16
"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28.There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29.And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Galatians 3: 27-29
Who is the seed of Abraham? It is Israel, but after the Cross not physical Israel. The identity of those in Christ is in that Israel, THE Israel of God. The ekklesia is just a meeting, assembly or congregation of that Israel reborn in Christ. Look at Ephesians 2: 11-20. The certain implication of the Gentiles drawing close by the blood of Christ in verse 13 is that they draw close to what they had previously been aliens from, in verse 12, the commonwealth of Israel.
To say God now has two peoples, implying two saved groups, is a serious falling away from sound doctrine - into another Gospel. To try to fix this problem by saying that all physical Israel will be saved in the future - sometime - is adding to the New Testament from doctrines made up by John Darby, C.I. Scofield and their followers.
But the majority of churches in the U.S. follow the doctrines of John Darby, C. I. Scofield and Lewis S. Chafer - although preachers who preach these doctrines often do not tell their congregations where the doctrines came from. It is easier to deceive the people into accepting the doctrines if the preachers imply this is all from scripture. And followers of dispensationalism do tend to think what they believe is from scripture. And thinking dispensationalism is from NT scripture will heighten the conflict in the last days threshing floor of Jeremiah 51: 33. "The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor, it is time to thresh her..."
WE ARE ALL EAGERLY WAITING FOR OUR ETERNAL RENDEZVOUS WITH JESUS AND THE HEAVENLY NEW JERUSALEM
I Peter 1:13: �Therefore, prepare your minds for ACTION, and set your hope *FULLY* on the grace to be given YOU when Jesus Christ is *REVEALED*.
I Cor 1:7: �YOU do not lack any spiritual gift as YOU eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be *REVEALED*.� Now the pre-tribbers claim that this glorious *REVEALING or *REVELATION* of Jesus will be *CONCEALED* BEFORE the beginning of the Great Tribulation. However, every other time the Word *REVEALED* {Greek-Apocalipsis} is used related to resurrection events it refers to the glorious REVEALING of Jesus on the *LAST DAY* of the Great Tribulation {See 2 Thess 1:7-10 & Luke 17:26-31}. And *CONCEALED* is the exact opposite of *REVEALED* and *APPEARED* according to every dictionary!
Titus 2:13: �*WE* wait for the *BLESSED HOPE*�the glorious *APPEARING* of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:28 �Jesus will *APPEAR* a 2nd time {And not a 3rd TIME!} to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him!�
Colossians 1:2; 3:4: �To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ.... When Christ, who is your life **APPEARS**, then you also will **APPEAR** with Him in glory.� I John 3:2,3: �When Jesus *APPEARS*, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure!!�
Matthew 24:29,30: Jesus says, �IMMEDIATELY AFTER the distress of those days {The 1260-day Great Tribulation} the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky. {Luke 21:27 adds "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redeemption is drawing near!"} At that time the sign of the Son of Man will *APPEAR in the sky and the nations will *SEE* the Son of Man COMING on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory! And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from one end of the heavens to the other." Mark 13:27 adds "From the ends of the earth {Saints alive} to the ends of the heavens."
I John 2:28: �Dear children, continue in Him, so that when He *APPEARS* WE may be confident and unashamed before Him at His COMING!� {See 2 Thess 1:7-10; I Tim 6:14; Heb 9:28 & Col 3:4} 2 Tim 4:8: Paul said, There is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on THAT DAY�and not only to me, but to *ALL who have longed for His *APPEARING*!!� I Peter 5:4: �When the Chief Shepherd **APPEARS**, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away!�
2 Thess 1:1,6-10: �To the *CHURCH* of the Thessalonians�God is just; He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen *WHEN* the Lord Jesus is *REVEALED* {See I Peter 1:13} from heaven in blazing fire�. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting *DESTRUCTION* and shut out from the presence of the Lord *ON THE DAY HE COMES* to be glorified in His holy people!!�
A meeting at an appointed place and time is called a RENDEZVOUS. We have a RENDEZVOUS with eternity at the glorious *APPEARING and *REVEALING of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ *IMMEDIATELY AFTER the Great Tribulation.
