AFTER

DISPENSATIONALISM

READING THE BIBLE FOR THE END OF THE WORLD

BRIAN P. IRWIN

WITH TIM PERRY

After Dispensationalism: Reading the Bible for the End of the World

Copyright 2023 Brian P. Irwin and Tim Perry

Lexham Press, 1313 Commercial St., Bellingham, WA 98225 LexhamPress.com

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are the author’s own translation or are from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Print ISBN 9781683596813

Digital ISBN 9781683596820

Library of Congress Control Number 2022947471

Lexham Editorial: Todd Hains, Claire Brubaker, Danielle Burlaga, Mandi Newell

Cover Design: Joshua Hunt, Brittany Schrock

To my parents, Paul and Eunice Irwin

To my wife, Elaine

Contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

Abbreviations

Acknowledgments

Prayer for Hearing the Holy Scripture

Introduction

PART 1: The World of End-Times Teaching

1 End-Times Prediction through the Ages

2 Who Are the End-Times Teachers?

3 The Dispensational End-Times Story

4 The Belief and Behavior of Dispensationalism

PART 2: The World of Prophecy and Apocalyptic

5 The World of Prophecy and Apocalyptic

PART 3: The Meaning of Biblical Apocalyptic

6 Ezekiel

7 Daniel

8 Revelation

Conclusion

Image Attributions

Bibliography

Subject Index

Scripture Index

Ancient Sources Index

List of Figures

Fig. 1.1. The days of creation and the lifespan of the earth

Fig. 1.2. Josephus on the end of the world

Fig. 1.3. Anno mundi I

Fig. 1.4. Anno mundi I and fifth-century concerns about the end

Fig. 1.5. Eusebius and the shift to anno mundi II

Fig. 1.6. Bede the Venerable and the shift to anno mundi III

Fig. 1.7. Bede the Venerable and the shift to anno domini

Fig. 1.8. William Miller’s prediction of the end of the world

Fig. 1.9. “The salamander safe. A millerite preparing for the 23rd of April.”

Fig. 2.1. Dispensations according to Darby

Fig. 2.2. Dispensational systems of Darby and Scofield compared

Fig. 3.1. The pretribulation rapture

Fig. 3.2. The seventieth week of Daniel and the tribulation

Fig. 3.3. The gap in Daniel’s seventy weeks

Fig. 3.4. Megiddo (“Armageddon”) in the Jezreel Valley

Fig. 5.1. Daniel as a second-century composition speaking of the near future

Fig. 7.1. Daniel’s seventy weeks and the gap of the church age

Fig. 7.2. Nebuchadnezzar’s statue (Daniel 2) and world history

Fig. 7.3. Outline of Daniel

Fig. 7.4. Daniel 2–6 and narratives of engagement

Fig. 7.5. Daniel 2

Fig. 7.6. Daniel 3

Fig. 7.7. Daniel 4

Fig. 7.8. Daniel 5

Fig. 7.9. Daniel 6

Fig. 7.10. Daniel 7

Fig. 7.11. Daniel 8

Fig. 7.12. Daniel

Fig. 7.13. Daniel 10–12

Fig. 8.1. Historicist approach to Revelation

Fig. 8.2. Historicist approach to the letters to the seven churches

Fig. 8.3. Futurist approach to Revelation

Fig. ...