Can Christians Join a Premillennial Church?

[Scotty]

OK, I have a new topic for consideration. From reading the threads on this forum I will assume that most of you are not Premillennial in your theology. My question is, can a Christian join a premillennial church for fellowship, even if he doesn't believe the premillennial view is correct? Say there is no other good churches in the area, my Christian friends use this quote, "In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity." They say eschatology is not a essential and shouldn't preclude joining a church. Can I get some feedback on this?

[George]

Scotty, there is your first mistake. Reading this forum and thinking that what is written is truth. I would say that the friend of yours with the quote "In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity" is someone who you should probably listen to.

You really should learn the system from those who hold to it, not from the Amillennialists here. Once you get a good honest understanding of it, you will see that there is a lot of meat on the bone. I would recommend reading a good teacher like Dr. John Walvoord. A good place to start is here.

http://walvoord.com/article/150

He will guide you to the truth of this doctrine so you can make your own decision.

[Sojourner]

Premillennialism is a false teaching. So you have to ask yourself, do you want to sit under rule of a congregation that is fundamentally flawed on timing, type and nature of the millennial reign of Christ?

[Peng Bao]

If Premillennialism was just a erroneous belief or rule or two, I would say yes a Christian might join such a church. But Premillennialism is a fatally flawed system of bad methodology and interpretation. To join such a church would be like walking into quicksand.

[SavedByGrace]

Scotty,
Welcome to MR and I sincerely thank you for your very good question.  This has been a question that has been on my mind for years. 

IMHO Premillennialism is NOT a simple mistake but a major error in hermeneutics, which can lead to serious errors in many other doctrines. I will list a few of the errors:

1.   Your understanding of National Israel.
2.   Your understanding of the Bema and White Throne judgment.
3.   Your understanding of the Anti-Christ
4.   Your understanding of Rewards in heaven
5.   Your understanding of the resurrection (2 or 3)
6.   Your understanding of the 1000 year reign.
7.   Your understanding of Heaven and the life hereafter
8.   Your understanding of the way of Salvation (1. 2 or 3 ways)
9.   Your understanding of the age of accountability
10.   Your understanding of all Jews eventually being saved
11.   Your understanding of the Carnal Christian
12.   Your understanding of the secret return of Christ
13.   Your understanding of Second Chance Theology
14.   Your understanding of the spiritualized Scriptures of the Bible.

Perhaps there are more and you can add to this list.  We can see that it affects more than a one simple misunderstanding of God and His Word.

Historical Premillennialism avoids many of these mistakes which might make it a non-essential but Dispensational Premillennialism which directly affects God’s Salvation Plan, puts it into the heretical category.  Many, otherwise good, Premillennialism Pastors, cannot help but let this doctrine leak into their sermons. Therefore, I will not listen to or attend one of these churches, no more than I would listen to a Mormon, JW or other cult.  Mountain Retreat is a good place to study, if you can avoid those with non-biblical or political comments and opinions.

Bill

[Philly Dawg]

Premillennialism is basically a political eschatology that thinks Christ will come before a 1000 year reign on earth to sit and rule in the political city of Jerusalem. I'm sure the evangelical horde think Trump recently recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is a sign of this premillennial coming    There's no accounting for spiritual insanity.

[Stan Pat]

I quote Wayne Jackson from his excellent article, "Examining Premillennialism."

There is no support for the theory of premillennialism. There is no actual sound support in the book of Revelation, nor elsewhere else in the Bible. It certainly is difficult to abandon a theory that has been entertained by so many, but when one discovers that a religious view is false, he should reject it in deference to truth.

I think you, I, and every other faithful Christian would agree.

[Dan]

I think you, I, and every other faithful Christian would agree.

So what you are saying is, if I believe in Premillennialism, then I am not a faithful Christian? How dare you!

[David Knoles]

OK, I have a new topic for consideration. From reading the threads on this forum I will assume that most of you are not Premillennial in your theology. My question is, can a Christian join a premillennial church for fellowship, even if he doesn't believe the premillennial view is correct?

 Can I get some feedback on this?

Scotty, I'm assuming you don't just want one side of the story.

https://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/2014/12/4-reasons-premillennialism-must-be-true.html

4 Reasons Premillennialism Must Be True

by Dr. Michael J. Vlach

[David Knoles]

I would recommend reading a good teacher like Dr. John Walvoord. A good place to start is here.

http://walvoord.com/article/150

He will guide you to the truth of this doctrine so you can make your own decision.

  I second that.

[Rick Reeves]

Read Minister Sam Storm's article. He is a man that went to the dreaded Dallas Theological Seminary and who studied under its President at the time, John F. Walvoord, and who's eyes were opened so that he had to come out of that religion of Premillennialism based on what he read versus what John and his people were preaching.

Why I Changed My Mind About the Millennium

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-i-changed-my-mind-about-the-millennium/

[Bunyan]

He is a man that went to the dreaded Dallas Theological Seminary and who studied under its President at the time, John F. Walvoord, and who's eyes were opened so that he had to come out of that religion of Premillennialism based on what he read versus what John and his people were preaching.

  And that is the difference between people in that house of pain whom God calls out, and those in it who are left to their own devices. The spirit of truth made him leave, and the lack of that same spirit keeps those others snared in that house. Moral of the story, listen to your Bible, not those privately interpreting what it means 

[Joe Johnson]

My question is, can a Christian join a premillennial church for fellowship,

He can and he should because it's the only sound understanding of the end times and the hope of Israel.

[SavedByGrace]

I find it amazing that so many so-called-Christians can not be satisfied with God’s Salvation Plan.
God’s Marvelous Salvation plan for Israel is Jesus Christ and His Salvation Plan for those under 12 is Jesus Christ.  There are NOT three Salvation Plans but just one.  You have the right to design your own Salvation Plan and your own God, but that is just evidence that you don’t understand God and His Word the Bible.  Wake up sleeping Pre-mils, read your Bibles and smell the roses.  The only valid way to study God's word is through EXEGESIS (Critical analysis, of a text.). ISOGESIS (an interpretation, of Scripture, that expresses the interpreter's own ideas, bias, or the like), which inevitably leads to heresy.

Bill

[Reformer]

My question is, can a Christian join a premillennial church for fellowship,

He can and he should because it's the only sound understanding of the end times and the hope of Israel.

The Only Hope of Israel

http://www.mountainretreatorg.net/eschatology/the-hope-of-israel.html