Dr. Couch, I'm confused. I believe you advocate a "heavenly destiny" for
the church. However, both the church
and Israel will be on earth during the millennial reign.
Also, you advocate seven years in heaven followed by the same 1000 years
of earthly reign. Why do you consider your position a "heavenly
destiny" when the church will spend 993 more years on earth after such a
short stay in heaven?
Wouldn't that identify the church's destiny as "earthly"?
ANSWER: The order is: (1) the church is in heaven for the seven year tribulation
that takes place on earth, and (2)
the church comes back with Christ to be in His presence for the 1000
millennial reign. I don’t get the 993 year thing!
All of this seems so easy and so biblical! I must be missing something
in translation! Or, there is an agenda to avoid the obvious.
The agenda is to soften the truth of the doctrine of the rapture by the
Progressive Dispensationalists (PDs), and bring confusion on this issue.
I know for a fact that at the "big" seminary in the Dallas/Ft Worth area
the students are getting terribly confused and cannot defend biblically
some most clear and obvious doctrines of the Bible, much less the
simple facts of the rapture of the church.
To make it simple: (1) the church’s key destiny is heaven at the
rapture, and despite the poor reading ability of some PDs, heaven is
called glory! (2) the church will be in the kingdom but is certainly not
seen as the "key" people. That is Israel, and not the church!
The PDs try to get rid of the church’s heavenly-destiny and even try to
say that heaven is not called glory. While it is true that the word
"doxa" can be applied to several areas or issues, it still is used to
describe in many places, heaven! They are WRONG! And don’t forget, they
have "reasons" to change doctrine. Be aware!
- "I press toward the goal for the prize of the UPWARD CALLING of Christ" (Phil. 3:14).
- "Our CITIZENSHIP is IN heaven from which we wait for a Savior" (3:20).
- "God shall supply your needs according to His riches IN GLORY IN CHRIST" (4:19).
- "God made known the mystery [of salvation], which is Christ in you, the HOPE OF GLORY" (Col. 1:27). Christ is the Hope, of what? "Concerning glory!" The great John Eadie, one of the giant Greek scholars, says about this verse: "The Christian’s treasure is in heaven."
- "The hope laid up for you IN HEAVEN" (1:5).
- "Absent from the body, … to be at HOME (IN HEAVEN) with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8).
- "A house (new body), not made with hands, eternal IN THE HEAVENS" (5:1).
- "We shall be caught up (the rapture) together with them (the resurrected) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:17).
I just got through reading, once again, Progressive Dispensationalism by
Blaising and Bock, and I find dozens of verses that do not say what they
claim, like: "The eschatological Zion is said to be in heaven at the
present time (Gal. 4; Phil. 3:20)." (p. 266) These verses do not say
that!
Remember, they have an agenda! When PD began, one of the proponents said
that they as dispensationalists wanted to soften the dispensational
teaching and give a compromise view more compatible with covenant
theology. one of the proponents said that in eschatology, he puts the
doctrine of the rapture way down the list in importance. And remember
too, that PD is softening present love of, and support for, Israel. At
that "big" school the understanding of, and the teaching of
premillennial prophecy, has almost died. And more and more students
there, unknown to the leadership, are jumping ship to amillennialism.
Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch
