Richard D. Emmons
If we can see the big picture, we can understand our world better and live for Christ until He comes. The same holds true with theology. Trying to make sense of the Middle East conflict by following politics does not work because the conflict is not primarily political. It is religious, rooted in God’s prophecy of conflict between Ishmael and Isaac: “And the Angel of the LORD said to her [Hagar]: “Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your affliction. He shall be a wild man; His hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren” (Genesis 16:11–12).
Spiritual conflict fueled by the Evil One is why the road to peace is so difficult and the fight over the land of Israel so intense; and it is why the conflict will continue until Jesus steps in to bring a spiritual resolution.
Dispensational Premillennialism furnishes the theological big picture and gives us the clarity and understanding we need for reading the Scriptures and seeing God’s overall plan for the ages. Premillennialism is the belief that Jesus will return to Earth physically, establish His throne in Jerusalem, and reign over the entire earth for 1,000 years.
Premillennialism provides a better perspective and understanding of what God is doing by advocating the literal interpretation of God’s Word. It offers a better view of the book of Revelation; and it enables a literal interpretation of Jesus’ judgments of the earth, culminating in His establishing the Millennial Kingdom as indicated in Revelation 20, fulfilling His promise to set up His golden age.
This view also explains how God fulfills the first part of His ancient promises to give the Jewish people the land of their forefathers, ruled by their Davidic Messiah-King. The binding of Satan during this reign (Rev. 20:1–3) and then Satan’s final punishment at the end of the Kingdom (vv. 7–10) explain how God ultimately will deal with that great deceiver.
Premillennialism maintains the centrality of God’s Chosen People Israel in His program for the ages. It understands, as the apostle Paul said, that the covenants and promises belong to Israel (Rom. 9:3–5) and clarifies how God fulfills those covenants and promises.
At the same time, Premillennialism explains how the church, comprised largely of Gentiles, fits into God’s program. It shows how God intended all along to call a people to Himself from among the Gentiles.
This fact is important because it clarifies where we, as church saints, stand today in God’s prophetic program. The next prophesied event is the pretribulational Rapture of the church, when Jesus returns to resurrect and snatch His bride from Earth prior to pouring out the great judgments highlighted in Revelation.
The anticipation of Jesus’ imminent appearance exhorts us to live righteously (loving His appearing, 2 Tim. 4:8) and to evangelize consistently (Mt. 28:18–20), knowing the terrible fate that awaits those who reject Him.
Knowing the Lord someday will return visibly and physically gives us a better perspective on every aspect of our earthly lives and intensifies the urgency of Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:19–21 and Mark 10:29–31, encouraging us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Mt. 6:33) and to invest our time and resources wisely.
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