Bernard Pyron

Followers of the various forms of Calvinism reject some

Biblical knowledge, or doctrine, just as do the classical dispensationalists. Though some Calvinists are

dispensationalists, many of them are not. As a result some

Calvinists who may not necessarily be 144,000 or emerging Multitude would not reject the knowledge that Christians

in the truth are spiritual Israel as much as do the

dispensationalists. The Calvinists tend not to have their eyes

on unsaved Jews as God's chosen people. But the Calvinists

do reject knowledge.

The many forms of Calvinism represent a different tradition of men than the more recent dispensationalism, and the two theologies have somewhat different problems with Scripture.

The Yahoo Group of Calvinists I am on are mostly amillennialists

which means they reject the millennium, and they use broad sweeping allegories to interpret some other events of end time Bible

prophecy. They tend not to deal with events of the Tribulation other than the actual appearing of Christ and his judgment at that time. However, sometimes they will make use of a verse in Matthew 24, Luke 21 or the Book of Revelation to make some point. For them the 144,000 are an allegory of all the saved people through the entire Church Age. It would take more than pointing out the problem of sealing the now mostly dead saints of all ages to protect them from what is coming in the Tribulation to get the Church Defenders to change on this issue.

Rigidity of doctrine is characteristic of the Calvinists as of the  dispensationaliss.

Yesterday a member on this Calvinist group posted a message

stressing Acts 17: 31, and Psalm 96: 13.

Acts 17: 31 is part of Paul's talk to the philosophers at Athens. There he says "Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."

Psalm 96: 13 says "Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth."

These two verses can be used to argue that Christ is to judge the world instead of the Church. Those defending the Church can say that the world is made up of people who are not believers, and "the world" does not include God's people.

The defenders of the Church might also use Revelation 19: 11 and 15. "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war...And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." The Church defenders could claim that Christ in smitting the nations is judging the world, not the Church. They don't want the Church to be judged.

Amos 7: 8 says "And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more" Here God is judging "my people Israel." The dispensationalists will say "my people Israel" are the Jews, though some of the Calvinists will agree that maybe its also the Christian Church.

The dispensationalist or Calvinist defenders of the Church might try to ignore Deuteronomy 32: 35-36, Hebrews 10: 30 and I Peter 4: 17 if you bring them up and point out that Acts 17: 31 and Psalm 96: 13 have to be interpreted with these Scriptures in mind.

Deuteronomy 32: 35-36: "To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left."

The dispensationalists will probably say that this Old Testament Scripture does not apply to the Christian Church. Calvinists might not make that objection, but might make some other objection, such as saying that we should not string together Scriptures from various books of the Bible, a sort of lame argument, it seems to me.

Hebrews 10: 30: "For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people."

Then I Peter 4: 17 says "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?"

What do you think? Bernard In Cool Damp Ol Misery (Missouri)