PREFACE
At this point, I think it is important for me to say that I love my dispensational brothers and sisters. I’ve testified to others that although I disagreed with the late Dr. John F. MacArthur, Jr. on his dispensational theology, I am in no way suggesting that he was not saved and was not sincere in his faith, convictions, and love for Christ. Dispensational theology is what he learned from his father, “Jack” MacArthur (1914-2005), founder of Calvary Bible Church in Burbank, California. Jack MacArthur also founded the “Voice of Calvary” radio and television ministries.
Dispensational theology, especially dispensational eschatology, had become widely popular with the publication of C. I. Scofield’s Scofield Reference Bible in 1909. With his annotated reference Bible’s popularity, Cyrus Ingerson Scofield (1843-1921) had become a sought-after speaker for Bible conferences around the U.S., further propelling the Scofield Reference Bible to the forefront of purchased Bibles in the early twentieth century to mid-twentieth century.
Dispensational eschatology has become even more popular in America in the last half of the twentieth century, perhaps owing much of its popularity to Dr. John F. MacArthur, Jr., especially since the rebirth of Israel as a nation on May 14, 1948. This event is earmarked by proponents of dispensationalism as one of the most prominent modern signs preceding futurist premillennialism.
So prevalent is its teaching in many churches across America that few adherents to dispensational theology even know that other legitimate orthodox Protestant eschatological views exist. Sadly, I’ve encountered some adherents to dispensationalism who have become quite militant about anyone suggesting alternatives; and even a few who have resorted to literal red-faced anger, heated arguments, and emotional outbursts, displaying a momentary lapse in Christlike behavior. This should not be. If the Scriptures read, interpreted, understood, and applied to our lives do not humble us to the dust with a fearful, loving gratitude, we need to pause and examine ourselves lest we be rebuked by the Lord (Luke 9:53-55).
Some of the arguments used by the average Christian dispensationalist are typically something they heard from their dispensational pastor, usually something that wasn’t researched as thoroughly as it could have been. Hey, I get it. I ministered as a pastor and missionary-pastor to five churches for 25 years. Whether bi-vocational or living from the provision of the ministry, private prayer, public prayer, carving out time to study, preparing sermons and messages, counselling during the week, personal devotions, family devotions, sick and shut-in visitations, evangelism, etc., pastors have a lot going on.
If I asked the typical Christian, “What is dispensationalism?” most would probably not know how to answer. I may be wrong about that (because I haven’t spoken to every single dispensational-believing saint). But I’ve asked it of a minister or two over the years and they couldn’t even give me a definition off the top of their head except to tell me that God isn’t finished with the nation of Israel.
DISPENSATIONALISM
So, what is dispensationalism? Simply said, my definition is that dispensationalism is a theological framework that divides history into distinct periods, or dispensations, whereas God interacts with humanity in different ways. Today’s dispensational theology understands two distinct destinies for Israel and the Church.
Today, there are different forms of dispensationalism, i.e., classic, revised, and progressive; and within these there are also variations. This is why it is so difficult knowing where different people are coming from when they make a statement. Then, there are also other factors that influence their theology because they may be Arminian, Calvinistic, Charismatic, Fundamentalist, Evangelical, and even Liberal. It is a mishmash of diverse views when it comes to dispensational theology today.
And because many in America today have only heard of a dispensational end-times perspective, most are unaware that there are four views of how the end times would unfold that have been believed on in Christ’s church for the past two thousand years. This must be stated emphatically because I have encountered brothers, ministers of the gospel, both pastors and missionaries who have never heard of any end times view other than pre-tibulation, premillennial, dispensational eschatology.
FOUR HISTORICAL END TIMES VIEWS
Since the early 19th century, there have been four views considered as possibilities by Christ’s church. All of them have appealing attributes; however, none of them… I repeat NONE OF THEM, are free of scriptural difficulties. To me this makes sense, because Christ Jesus wants us to have our eyes upon Him, and not upon the signs of His coming. It continues to be what I have preached for years: “If you keep your eyes upon Jesus, you’ll see Him when He comes.” This scriptural truth, though written with regard to the gospel, is especially true when it comes to eschatology:
For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:22-24
Because of the corruption still remaining in our mortal flesh, sign-seekers will put great emphasis upon the signs, even to the diminishing of the testimony of Christ Jesus alone (Rev 19:10), according to Scripture alone (1 Cor 15:3-4). Because of the same corruptions remaining in mortal flesh, wisdom-seekers will put a great emphasis on being “right,” again, even to the diminishing of the glory of God alone through Christ Jesus alone (1 Cor 1:29-31).
I had written a number of articles in 2022 to explain these four historical end times views.
Dispensational Premillennialism is the most recent view adopted by Christ’s church, around the early 19th century, John Nelson Darby, being one of its primary proponents. You can see an overview of this eschatology and some its scriptural difficulties by going to the article on my website, Four Possible Scenarios, Part One: Dispensational Pre-millennialism.
Postmillennialism emerged in the mid-17th century, adopted in the Congregationalist’s statement of Faith, the Savoy Confession. John Owen was one of its chief advocates. You can see an overview of this eschatology and some its scriptural difficulties by going to the article on my website, Four Possible Scenarios, Part Two: Post-millennialism.
Amillennialism emerged around the late 4th to early 5th centuries. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, was one of its leading promoters, especially with the publication of his work, The City of God. You can see an overview of this eschatology and some its scriptural difficulties by going to the article on my website, Four Possible Scenarios, Part Three: Amillennialism.
Historical Premillennialism was the oldest view believed on in Christ’s church, emerging in the late 1st to early 2nd centuries. Adherents to this view were also known as chiliasts[1] or post-tribulational rapturists. Unlike the dispensational premillennialists, adherents to this view did not see two distinct and separate destines for Israel and Christ’s church. You can see an overview of this eschatology and some of its scriptural difficulties by going to the article on my website, Four Possible Scenarios, Part Four: Historic Pre-millennialism.
Preterism
The term preterism comes from a Latin word, praeter, which simply means “past” or “beyond.” In eschatology, the study of last things, it typically refers to events and prophetic Scripture being fulfilled.
Another view that emerged in the 16th century was a Counter-Reformation tactic produced by the Roman Catholic Church. We refer to it as the Full Preterist view. It suggests that everything was fulfilled in the first century, and the doctrine—a false one—simply opposes Scripture. You can see an overview of this eschatology and some its scriptural flaws by going to the article on my website, Heretical, Full-Preterist View.
One other element of eschatology that I had not had the chance to write about is for the term Partial Preterist. For three of the eschatological views above, postmillennial, amillennial, and historical premillennial, many adherents to these views also take a partial-preterist view. In other words, they believe that many of the events foretold in the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24), have been fulfilled in the destruction of temple in 70 AD and the destruction of Jerusalem in 135 AD.
One element of partial preterism that I believe has not been emphasized enough during arguments or debates is the topic of Christ fulfilling much of Scripture partially for the sake of His kingdom on earth now. The Puritans, both of Great Britain and the colonies of the “New World” (later to be called the Americas), had a term for this fulfillment in Christ’s kingdom. They called it “Already, not yet.” Christ Jesus, from His throne in heaven, rules and reigns in the hearts of His redeemed saints, His church; however, the fulness of His kingdom has not yet arrived.
The partial preterist view really deserves its own article, as there are many Scriptures that support Christ’s rule and reign now (1 Cor 6:19-20, e.g.), and when He returns, Jesus will continue to rule and reign forever. Jesus’ reign is, was, and evermore shall be a forever reign (Prov 8:23; Isa 57:15; Dan 7:9, 13-14; Mic 5:2; John 1:1-2; 17:5; et al), but was only made manifest in these last 2,000 years for you and me (Heb 1:2).
A CHRISTO-CENTRIC, PARTIAL PRETERIST VIEW OF SCRIPTURE
Sometimes when attempting to justify their futurist view of Scripture, especially as it pertains to Israel or Jerusalem, two passages of Scripture the dispensationalist may appeal to are from Daniel and Zechariah. In this part of the series we will look at Zechariah, leaving Daniel for next time. What I will attempt to do is present the Scripture verses, generally explain the argument, and then reveal a Christ-centered, partial preterist view of the passage. Christ willing, and the Holy Spirit helping me, I hope to make it as clear and Christ-exalting as possible. This will not be an exhaustive commentary on the verses. A comprehensive study of the verses will be much more extensive than this article has time for.
ZECHARIAH
Here are the primary verses that dispensationalists appeal to from Zechariah:
“Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it.” Zechariah 12:2-3
Of this second verse in chapter twelve, Dr. MacArthur’s Study Bible states:
“cup of drunkenness. Jerusalem is pictured as a large basin from which the nations will figuratively drink with eagerness, only to find themselves becoming intoxicated, disoriented, and thus easy prey for divine judgment at the end of Daniel’s seventieth week in the battle of Armageddon when nations gather to attack Jerusalem (cf. Ezk 38:1-6, Ezk 38:14-16; Dan 11:40-44; Rev 9:13-16; Rev 14:20; Rev 16:12-16).”[2]
The “cup of drunkenness” (NKJV) from the MacArthur Study Bible, or “cup of staggering” (ESV), or “cup of trembling” (KJV) is mentioned as being “figuratively” expressed. I don’t have any trouble with that. If you’ve read Part Two of this series, many dispensationalists pride themselves upon interpreting Scripture from a literal, grammatical, and historical hermeneutic. Some might jump on this a create a logical fallacy to strengthen their opposing position. Please don’t do that. There’s no way to take the “cup of drunkenness” literally.
Before we engage in the argument here, let us look at Dr. MacArthur’s dispensational commentary for the next verse:
“will surely be cut in pieces. Like lifting a heavy weight, Jerusalem will ‘seriously injure’ (lit.) any people who try to gain victory over it. This is due to divine intervention (cf. Zec 12:4-5).”[3]
I’ll address these two phrases in a moment, “cup of staggering” and “ will surely hurt themselves,” in a moment; but first, let’s look at the term, “On that day.”
On that Day
“On that day...” is one of the key phrases for the entire prophetic book of Zechariah. From his commentary for the second verse, Dr. MacArthur takes a futurist view of the verse, speaking of a time at the end of the last days, during “the battle of Armageddon when nations gather to attack Jerusalem.” Is that the fulfillment of this verse, for an event yet future? Now, I concede that it could be tied to something at the end of the last days; however, I would contend that it has at least a partial fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ. To miss this is to miss the gospel.
The term, translated in English as “On that day” (ESV, NASB), or “In that day” (KJV, NKJV), tells us that it is about the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel. The context of “On that day” began in Chapter 2, but you can also see it here in Chapter 12 if we read a few verses further:
“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.” Zechariah 12:10
While this verse does not have “on that day” in Zechariah 12:10 itself,[4] this is how Yehovah God will bring about this “basin” of staggering—through Christ’s gospel. We have the context of the gospel’s judgment,
And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. Zechariah 12:9
Before He went to the cross, the Lord Jesus Himself said that it was by the truth of His substitutionary atonement that the world would be judged, and then the beloved apostle also attached his inspired commentary to the Lord’s words,
“Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death He was going to die. John 12:31-33
One mistake we frail humans saved by God’s amazing grace often make is to fail to remember the unchangeable nature of God (Heb 13:8). There is a dichotomy in His holy Word that often expresses two truths simultaneously. God doesn’t turn off His mercy, love, and grace to demonstrate His wrath, justice, and judgment. Our God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:29). The same light that illuminates Scripture to you and me and warms our hearts to His love will be the same light that blinds the unbeliever to truth and burns the reprobate’s soul with painful torments.
Both God’s judgment and salvation are predicated upon the same truth, Christ and Him crucified (Zech 12:10; 1 Cor 2:2).
You see, Zechariah 12:9 may surely be about a day yet future at the Lord’s return, but it most certainly speaks of the Lord Jesus’ first coming (which was yet future in Zechariah’s day). Keep in mind, that John quoted Zechariah 12:10 as being at least partially fulfilled at the Lord Jesus’ first coming:
But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of His bones will be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They will look on Him whom they have pierced.” John 19:34-37
On that day, the Hebrew בֵיּוֹם־הַהוּא (vey-YŌM_ha-HOO), occurs 7 times in Chapter 12. We read it six times before v10, and one time afterward (12:3, 4, 6, 8 {2x}, 9, 13). Moreover, there are 21 total references to the term “on that day” in the whole book of Zechariah. A word of caution: I would not give much attention to the numerology of this occurrence because the surrounding verses that provide context are just as much a part of “on that day” as the verses that contain the phrase.
Before the twelfth chapter it appears in Zechariah 2:11; 3:9; 3:10; 9:16. You will notice that each of these four references relate to the gracious salvation of God to come. Besides the seven references in Zechariah 12 already mentioned, here are three more from Chapters 13, which speak of judgment: Zechariah 13:1, 2, 4. Then, in Chapter 14, there are 7 references to “on that day…” found in Zechariah 14:4, 6, 8, 9, 13, 20, 21.
We’ll just look at the first occurrence in chapter two, which contains the prophet’s commentary in the last verse:
“And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be My people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. And the LORD will inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.” Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling. Zechariah 2:11-13
This certainly speaks of salvation through Christ, consistent with Jeremiah’s prophecy of the New Covenant through faith in the Lord Jesus (cf. Heb 10:1-39).
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of hosts is His name: “If this fixed order departs from before Me, declares the LORD, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before Me forever.” Thus says the LORD: “If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 31:31-37
The latter portion of this New Covenant (Jer 31:35-37) speaks of the eternal goodness and unchangeableness of God’s grace through that covenant to come, as it was given by Christ’s broken body and His shed blood (Zech 12:10), being for you and me the pierced bread and the blood of the cup which is remembered by believers each time we partake of communion, instituted by the Lord Jesus as symbols of the New Covenant prior to His death (1 Cor 11:23-31).
The Cup of Staggering
This New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-37 is Christ’s gospel. A violation of the gospel of Christ is explained by the Holy Spirit as being something that should cause us to tremble, to stagger, to reel as if we were drunk because of the divine judgment associated with Christ’s dishonor and disobedience to His gospel:
Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:28-31
The same singular, once-and-for-all Sacrifice of Christ that brings salvation (Heb 10:1-25), brings God’s just judgment to unbelievers:
For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Hebrews 10:26-27
Yet this judgment must exist, because it is from that understanding which provokes us to keep leaning upon the Holy Spirit for wisdom to look upon Christ and exalt Him, to find strength in Christ to honor Him, and lavish love upon Christ to thank Him for His amazing grace, mercy, and love.
We see the same warning at the Lord’s Table when we partake of communion. The cup of joy and blessing becomes a cup of trembling, staggering, and drunkenness when we partake unworthily. It is written,
Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 1 Corinthians 11:28-31
Interestingly, one of the sins the Corinthians were guilty of was literal drunkenness at the communion table:
When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 1 Corinthians 11:20-21
In Zechariah 12:2, the “cup of staggering” is סַף־רַעַל (saf_RA-al), literally a “basin of reeling.” Yes, indeed, it does speak of YHVH God’s judgment for the wickedness in Jerusalem. Elsewhere another prophet writes,
Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of His wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering. Isaiah 51:17
Isaiah writes of two cups, “the cup of His wrath” and the cup of staggering” in this verse. The first is חֲמָתוֹ כּוֹס (khōs cha-ma-TŌ), which is literally “the cup of His fury” or “the cup of His wrath.” The second cup mentioned, הַתּרְעֵלָה כּוֹס (khōs hat-tar-ā-LAH), which is literally “the cup of astonishment.”
Two things are gloriously worth mentioning here. First, with our Christ-centered hermeneutic and partial preterist perspective, for the sins the inhabitants of Jerusalem have committed against YHVH God, deserving God’s wrath, Jesus drank down the cup of God’s fury when He hung upon Calvary’s tree. He drank down the wrath He didn’t deserve, suffering the torments of hell for the sins He did not commit, and Jesus drank down that wrath at full-potency, to the dregs, as it is written,
For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and He pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs. Psalm 75:8
Jesus indeed paid this debt He did not owe, for a debt we owe and cannot possibly pay. Nevertheless, before He went to the cross, though He knew this was His lot from the beginning of His ministry (John 2:19-21), it must be done rightly and in all holy order. In the garden, the night He was arrested, the Lord Jesus prayed three times,
“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Matthew 26:39
Jesus Messiah is the Lord of light and the Lord of life. If He had not prayed this prayer, it would have been a sin because if would have been tantamount to exactly what Adam did in the Garden of Eden when he disobeyed God—rushing headlong into death without first seeking the Father’s will and good pleasure.
The second cup is the “cup of astonishment.” Because Jesus drank down the cup of God’s wrath, we who believe on His righteous life, His holy death, His powerful resurrection, His glorious ascension, and His consummation of all things at His return, until He does come, are able to fill the cup at the Lord’s Table with the blood of the grape, symbolic of the blood Jesus shed for the forgiveness of sins. This is the staggering truth that we own and cherish each week we partake, the astonishing glory of fellowship with and nourishment from the Lord Jesus Christ because of His amazing grace to save us. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Second, in this we have the Lord Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of Jerusalem’s deliverance, therefore, as mentioned in Part Two of this series, as Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of Israel, He is also the ultimate fulfillment of Jerusalem.
Will Surely Hurt Themselves
Now, let’s look again at Zechariah 12:3…
On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it.
YHVH God “will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples.” Since Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of Jerusalem, as mentioned above, this makes sense to be about Jesus Messiah since He is often mentioned as the “Rock” in Scripture (Psa 31:3; 40:2; 42:9; 71:3; 78:16; 1 Cor 10:4; et al). But the word used in Zechariah 12:3 is the word “stone,” the Hebrew word אֶבֶן (E-ven), not the word “rock,” as in the Psalms just cited, which is the Hebrew word סֶלַע (SE-lah). Many of us are familiar with the Hebrew word, even, as we sing that hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” and its famous line, “Here I raise my ebenezer…” Ebenezer means “stone of help.”
Jesus is that heavy Stone. In the Lord’s final days before He went to the cross, Jesus told the religious leaders who challenged His authority a parable, and then…
…He looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” Luke 20:17-18
Our Lord Jesus was quoting Psalm 118:22, which uses the same Hebrew word, even. Notice the language that Jesus uses. Does it not resound a familiar tone from what is prophesied by Zechariah? Again, Jesus Messiah is that Stone, the One who has become the Cornerstone for the good news of salvation. Jesus is also that Stone that was cut from a mountain with no human hand, just as Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, as it is written:
“And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.” Daniel 2:44-45
While Daniel 2 is written in Chaldean, the Chaldean word for “stone” is the same word in Hebrew, even.
This third part of the series has already gone quite long so we will pick it up in another article as we briefly consider the historical and apocalyptic book of Daniel.
[1] The Chiliast’s name comes from the Greek word, χίλιοι (KHIL-ee-oi), which means “thousand.”
[2] MacArthur Study Bible; John F. MacArthur, Jr.; Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville; © 2005. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible, © 1979, 1980, 1982, 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.
[3] Ibid.
[4] This is seen in the same way Zech 12:2 does not have the term; yet it is understood as being “on that day” from Zech 12:3.