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 will be selected and the views of leading scholars on this topic will be gathered to provide a foundation for the primary research. After the collection of sufficient background data, an unstructured interview survey will be collected from 100 participants including church ministers and pastors. The data will be 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 will be an effective addition into the theological research work.

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTii

DECLARATIONiii

ABSTRACTiv

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

1.1 Background1

1.2 Research Problem1

1.3 Assumptions2

1.5 Research Purpose6

1.6 Significance of the Research7

1.6.1 Facilitating the current scholarly wok8

1.6.2 The research as a blessing to the church and Christians8

1.7 Rationale of the Research Based on the Theoretical Account9

1.8 Research Questions11

1.9 General Research Plan11

1.10 Anticipated Difficulties12

1.11 Anticipated Benefits13

1.12 Limitations14

1.13 Delimitations14

1.14 Key Concepts15

1.14.1 Postponement Theory15

1.14.2 Dispensationalism16

1.14.3 Covenant theology17

1.14.4 Premillennial Eschatology17

1.15 Structure18

2.1 Literature Search Criteria20

2.2 Discussion of the Rationale for the Organization and Content of the Literature Review21

2.3Dispensationalism22

2.4 The Seventieth Week of Daniel28

2.5 Classical Dispensationalism (ca. 1850-1940s)29

2.6 Revised or Modified Dispensationalism30

2.7 Progressive Dispensationalism30

2.8 The Number of Dispensations34

2.9 Basic assumptions fundamental to dispensationalism36

2.10 Postponement Theory37

2.11 Refutation of Postponement Theory38

2.11.1 Church and Israel38

2.11.2 The Throne of David38

2.11.3 The New Covenant39

2.12 Criticism on Dispensationalism and Postponement Theory39

2.13 Views of leading representatives of Dispensationalist and Postponement Theory40

2.13.1 Clarence Larkin42

2.13.2 John Nelson Darby42

2.13.3 Cyrus I Scofield43

2.13.4 Hal Lindsey45

2.13.5 Dr. Van der Waal45

2.13.6 John MacArthur and the dispensationalism of John Nelson Darby46

2.14 An Account of Old and New Testament56

2.15 Commentaries on the Special Verses61

2.15.1 O.T.: Daniel- Ch. 9:24-27 61

2.15.2 N.T.” Matt.Ch.16:16-2061

2.16 Significance of Matthew 3:2 and 4:17 to the discussions64

2.17 Importance of Acts 8:12 and 28:30-31 to the transitional passages in NT Biblical Theology66

2.17.1 Acts 8:1266

2.17.2 Acts 28:30-3166

2.18 Postponement Theory and Bible69

2.19 Dispensationalism versus Covenant Ideology77

2.20 The Millennial Kingdom78

2.21 The Kingdom of Heaven in Matthews79

2.22 Jewish Understanding of the Kingdom of God80

2.23 Concept of Kingdom in the Synoptic Gospels84

2.24 Modern Dispensationalism and the Doctrine of the Unity of Scripture86

2.25 Summary89

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY99

3.1 Overview99

3.2 Study Design100

3.3 Justification of Choosing the Research Design101

3.4 Research Dimensions102

3.4.1 Exploratory Research102

3.4.2 Deduction of the Research Problem105

3.5 Setting and Sample107

3.6 Data Collection108

3.7 Data Collection Procedure109

3.7.1 Designing Instrument to Collect Data109

3.7.2 Ensuring the Validity and Reliability of the Instrument110

3.7.3 Recording Data110

3.7.4 Developing Transcripts111

3.7.5 Coding Interview Responses111

3.8 Data Analysis and Interpretations112

3.9 Validity and Reliability113

3.10 Research limitations113

3.11 Ethical Considerations114

REFERENCES115

Appendix122

Interview Questionnaire122

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

The classic dispensationalism has been analyzed for ...