Dispensational premillennial view

Strengths:    

• Strong interest in end-time prophecy.
• Emphasis on the dynamic role of Christ in the present and future affairs of humankind.
• Recognizes that eschatology is connected to Israel and pertains to the end of the Jewish age.
• Realization that, at least, one coming of Christ is not visible.

Weaknesses:            

• Positing the time of Christ’s “Second Coming” and “Return” as being very soon.
• Interrupting divine time frames without clear textual justification.
• Arbitrary use of gaps of time.
• Bifurcating passages of Scripture, including the book of Revelation.
• Interpreting by exception and specialized meanings—i.e., ignoring or changing the meaning of commonly used and normally understood words in the time statements.
• Postulating postponement of the kingdom of God.
• Postulating delay theory.
• Advocating a future 7-year period of tribulation.
• Inventing the “Rapture” idea in direct contradiction of Scripture.
• Identifying Daniel’s 70th week with Jesus’ Olivet Discourse.
• Advocating separate redemptive plans for Israel and the Church.
• Denigrating the Church as unforeseen and a parenthesis in God’s redemptive plan.
• Advocating a future restoration of the old and inferior Judaic order.
• A dichotomizing hermeneutic based upon a false paradigm—i.e., the Israel-Church distinctive.
• Incomplete salvation and resurrection reality.
• Positing a negative worldview and short-term outlook for our present time.