The Rapture: When Will It Take Place? Part 4c: Amillennialism

The Rapture: When Will It Take Place? Part 4c: Amillennialism
Monday, August 11, 2025 by Dr. James W. Walraven

Categories: Contemporary issues / Scripture discussion / The church / Thought for Today

Israel? Perhaps the biggest problem for amillennialism is what it does or does not do regarding Israel.

Writing in the 1930s Louis Berkhof, one of the best-known Dutch Reformed theologians, stated that if the nation of Israel ever came back into physical existence it would disprove amillennialism. Subsequent to 1948, he had to modify his view. Earlier, Herman Bavinck, another well-known Dutch Reformed theologian, had held a similar position.

When it comes to Israel, Reformed amillennialists are all over the place. I will be reviewing one particularly egregious book after this series concludes. For some, the church replaces Israel outright. Neither Jews in general nor the nation of Israel have any significance.

For others, taking into account Romans 9–11, just before Christ’s return there will be a major spiritual harvest among the Jews; many will come to Christ. At no point is it stated that all will do so. The “all Israel” in Romans 11:26, in keeping with Calvinist/Reformed theology about salvation and election is reinterpreted to mean all elect Jews who come to Christ. The nation of Israel has no importance; it is irrelevant. Calvin’s personal view is even more pronounced. He sees Old Testament Israel as a type of pre-church. In essence he folds Old Testament Israel in with the church.

All told, given that these events take place before the return of Jesus, some will come to Christ, some will not. That is not what Romans 11:26 states, nor does it agree with God’s promise in Jeremiah 31:31–34 that we looked at a few days ago.

The big danger is that the negation of Israel , and at least for some the displacing of Jews in general provides a wide open door to potential antisemitism. I’ve written about that before, and I’ll also deal with it as part of the forthcoming book review. For now, it suffices to note that anytime a form of replacement theology is embraced, antisemitism all too often follows. As mentioned in that previous series, the history of antisemitism within the church sadly attests to that correlation.

Another problem arises with the interpretation of Daniel 9, especially verse 27. Explanations I saw for the end of Daniel 9, even after several readings, made little sense.

Daniel 9:27 (ESV) “Desolations are decreed. And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

For the amillennialists, Daniel 9:27 refers to Jesus Christ. They link the “he” back to verses 24–25, while for dispensationalists Daniel 9:27 refers to the Antichrist, and ties in more to verse 26, the prince who is to come who will destroy the city.

Daniel 9:26 (ESV): “And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war.”

To me, the latter is by far the more straight forward reading. The amillennialists justify their position by referencing Hebrews, and the fact that through His death and resurrection, Jesus put an end to the sacrificial system. That is what they say is in view in Daniel 9:27. While it is true that Jesus is the final sacrifice and thereby brings the animal sacrificial system to an end, it does not fit the context of Daniel 9:24–27, and especially verse 27 itself. In view of what Jesus did, why would animal sacrifice stop for just half of that week, when the covenant—one supposedly made by Jesus—is made for one week? On this point, amillennialism makes no logical sense.

How can we summarize amillennialism? Support from Scripture can be found for many aspects of the view, but too many things still have to be explained away. Too much has to be viewed allegorically, symbolically. In addition, some of their positions and explanations of those positions do not make logical sense.

We will start our examination of the dispensational pretribulation rapture in the next post.

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