Dr. George Eldon Ladd (1911-1982)Why does George Ladd, foremost Historical Premillennialist of the last century, dismiss Dispensationalism? In "The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views" he says that Dispensationalists expect the millennium to be all about the Davidic kingdom with all its sacrifices; then he notes that this is impossible because of Hebrews 8 which notes that the old covenant is obsolete—we have a new covenant.
Ladd maintains that Dispensational Premillennialism was an idea that was hatched N. J. Darby and others in the 19th century. Meetings and Bible conferences were held in the early 1800s and at one of these C. I. Scofield hatched the idea for his reference Bible. The Rapture was added before the tribulation—hence pretribulationalism.
Historical Premillennialist Ladd then states in "The Blessed Hope": “We can find no trace of pretribulationism in the early church; and no modern pretribulationist has successfully proved that this particular doctrine was held by any of the church fathers or students of the Word before the nineteenth century.” (p. 31) Christ is to come after the tribulation according to Ladd who uses Scripture to prove his case. A pretribulation rapture is “not supported by any affirmations in the Word of God” (p. 88) Ladd notes that by defining the blessed hope “in terms of escape from suffering rather than union with Christ [one] may be guilty of the positive danger of leaving the Church unprepared for tribulation when Antichrist appears. . . . Questions of theology are not decided by our desires or dislikes; they are decided by appeal to the Word of God. ” (p. 164)
Historical Premillennialist Ladd then states in "The Blessed Hope": “We can find no trace of pretribulationism in the early church; and no modern pretribulationist has successfully proved that this particular doctrine was held by any of the church fathers or students of the Word before the nineteenth century.” (p. 31) Christ is to come after the tribulation according to Ladd who uses Scripture to prove his case. A pretribulation rapture is “not supported by any affirmations in the Word of God” (p. 88) Ladd notes that by defining the blessed hope “in terms of escape from suffering rather than union with Christ [one] may be guilty of the positive danger of leaving the Church unprepared for tribulation when Antichrist appears. . . . Questions of theology are not decided by our desires or dislikes; they are decided by appeal to the Word of God. ” (p. 164)
