The Postponement Theory: A Help or a Hindrance to Dispensationalism?

By

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am most grateful to my family, friends, colleagues and my instructor without the help of whom; this research would not have been conducted.

DECLARATION

This study has not been published previously and represents my own work based on the secondary and the primary research analysis.

ABSTRACT

The study examines if the Postponement Theory is a help or a hindrance to dispensationalism. The research will help in understanding the key features of the Postponement Theory and how it is associated with the dispensationalism belief. The secondary data was selected and the views of leading scholars on this topic was gathered to provide a foundation for the primary research. After the collection of sufficient background data, an unstructured interview survey was conducted from 100 participants including church ministers and pastors. The data was analyzed through interpretations and coding. This research is significant because the aspect of dispensationalism and postponement theory has been controversial and there have been diverse thoughts about the theological scholarly view of this concept. For this reason, this research was an effective addition into the theological research work. It was found the dispensationalists believe in the church and Israel to be distinct bodies and the postponement theory is a required part of the thought of dispensationalism to validate the separation of the church from the Israel. However there are few dispensationalists who do not entirely believe in the postponement theory and for them there is more to the kingdom of heaven than the millennial reign of Christ. Overall, the main idea behind Dispensationalism is to see the aim of God in the world to be not just salvation but to show the glory of God.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND ANALYSIS115

4.1 Reviews of the Questionnaire Responses120

4.1.1 Necessity of Postponement Theory to Dispensationalism120

4.1.2 Calling Postponement a Theory121

4.1.3 The Postponement or Transfer of the Kingdom?122

4.1.4 Fellowship of leading Dispensationalists and Unawareness of the Teachings of Postponement Theory123

4.1.5 Distinction between the Church and Israel123

4.1.6 Church and the Literal Israel124

4.1.7 God's Plan for the Church125

4.1.8 Church as the Parenthesis of God126

4.1.9 Mediator of the Covenant of Grace130

4.1.10 Challenge to the Critical Thinking of Scholars131

4.1.11 Biblical Considerations134

4.1.12 A Move towards Evangelical Kingdom Theology134

4.1.13 Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God137

4.1.14 Christ as the Object of Faith in the Old Testament139

4.1.15 Genesis 15:6: Various Views141

4.1.16 the "Faith Principle" As an Another Alternative Object of Faith143

CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION149

5.1 Theological Considerations Regarding Christ's Rule150

5.2 The Need for a Closer Understanding of Dispensationalism and Postponement Theory159

5.3 The Dispensational Order in the Divine Design of the Times164

5.4 Considering Dispensational Truth166

5.5 The Significance of Dispensationalism171

5.6 The Current Premillennialism Dispensationalism175

5.7 Recommendation for Future Research177

5.8 Conclusion178

5.8.1 Consequences of Radical Literalism178

5.8.2 The Kingdom, Social Ethics, and Soteriology180

5.8.3 Concurrent Factors186

5.8.4 Modern Premillennialism Dispensational187

5.8.5 The Parenthesis of the Church189

5.8.6 The Millennium as a Dispensationalist Jewish Kingdom190

5.9 Reflection191

WORKS CITED197

Interview Questionnaire205

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

The analysis is based on the following main research questions that were studied through a survey research:

Is the Postponement Theory a Help or a ...