Dispensational Premillennialism

Dispensational premillennialism was first taught in Ireland the early 19th century as a reaction against the Church of England's view of Postmillennialim. Dispensationalists usually divide God's dealings with humanity into seven distinct "dispensations", or periods of time during which man's obedience is tested: 

1. Innocence (Gen. 1:28-3:6)
2. Conscience or Moral Responsibility (Gen.4:1-8:14)
3. Human Government (Gen. 8:15-11:32)
4. Promise (Gen. 12:1-Ex. 18:27)
5. The Law (Ex. 19:3-Acts 1:26)
6. The Church (Acts 2:1-Revelation 19)
7. The Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20)

It is said that God promised the Jews an earthly kingdom ruled by the Messiah. When Christ came, He offered this kingdom to the Jews, but they rejected him, so it was postponed. The current age will end with the will end with the "rapture" when all believers will go to heaven to celebrate with Christ "the marriage feast of the Lamb" for seven years. Then God's promised purpose for Israel resumes. During this seven-year period, a number of events will occur on earth (Revelation 6-19):

1. The "tribulation" begins, the latter half of which is called the "great tribulation."
2. The Antichrist begins his cruel reign and in the midst of the seven years he proscribes Jewish worship at the temple.
3. Terrible judgments fall on the earth.
4. A remnant of Israel (the 144,000 of Revelation 7) believes in Jesus as the
5. Messiah and preaches the "Gospel of the Kingdom."
6. Through their witness a multitude of Gentiles is saved (Rev. 7:9).
7. Toward the end, a number of military battles take place leading up to the Battle of Armageddon.

At the end of this seven-year period, dispensationalists teach, Christ (together with the church) returns in glory and destroys His enemies. The vast majority of Jews will be converted. Satan will be bound for 1000 years. Believers who die during the tribulation and Old Testament saints will be raised and join the church in heaven. Christ will judge the living Gentiles (Matt. 25:31-46). The "goats" will be cast into hell. The "sheep": and the believing Jews still living will enter the millennium in their natural bodies. They will marry, reproduce, and die. (The resurrected believers will live in the heavenly Jerusalem hovering above the earthly Jerusalem.) 

The millennium will be a golden age, a time of prosperity and peace, with worship centering around the rebuilt temple. Though at the beginning of the millennium only believers will live on earth, some of their children and grandchildren will not believe in Christ. These unbelievers Satan will gather in one last revolt (Rev. 20:7-9). Toward the end, all believers who die during the millennium will be raised. After Satan's "little season," all the unbelieving dead will then be raised and judged (Rev. 20:11-15). The final stage will now be ushered in, during which period there will remain a distinction between Jews and Gentiles.