Thread: Review of New DVD Late Great Planet Church

Congratulations, Jerry Johnson, on producing a new DVD, “The Late Great Planet Church: The Rise of Dispensationalism”, Volume One. Jerry is my husband's son, incidentally.

This DVD, which is going like hot pancakes, can be ordered from NiceneCouncil.com. He sold 2000 in the first week.

According to this DVD, Dispensationalism:

--Has broken continuity with church history
--Wrongly interprets the Word of God with a flawed hermeneutic
--Has been a willing participant in the church’s trend toward anti-intellectualism and even Arminianism
--Embraces Greek philosophical dualism that comes dangerously close to the ancient heresy of Gnosticism
--Has embraced an unbiblical view of the Church and Israel with one method of Salvation for the Church and one for Israel
--Is not an eschatology build on theology, but a theology built on eschatology
--Inevitably leads to cultural withdrawal and surrender
--Often holds that the Sermon on the Mount is law not grace and that the doctrine of grace is in the Epistles and not the Gospels


Problems of Dispensationalism have been addressed by "Progressive Dispensationalists". Christians tend to leave Dispensationalism for Covenantal theology rather than vice versa.

Although the DVD is two hours, it can be accessed through scenes for study in adult classes. I recommend!

Looks good! I am thinking about picking it up. Thanks for the post. It served as a good reminder for me because i was looking at this before and forgot!

I look forward to seeing it.

My only (anticipated) concern is that the majority of modern dispensationalists (which includes the Progressives) tend to distance themselves from classic dispensationalism, seen in the older Scofield Bible notes, etc. I'm afraid their tendency will be to claim this DVD is an outdated assessment and/or a strawman.

But, I haven't seen the DVD yet. I'm just sayin' . . .

I viewed the video tonight.

A few of the production values and graphic effects appear better and more impressive than the "Amazing Grace" video. Some of the quotes, on the other hand, seemed to use too small of a font for the comfort of my old eyes.

On matters of substance, the treatments of Darby, Scofield, and Chafer were devastating. Scofield's abandonment of his wife and daughters, divorce and remarriage, and "forgetting" to list them in his official bio for Who's Who were damning details presented as emblematic of the kind of man who gave rise to dispensationalism in America.

* Brethren dispensationalism - short lived phase under John N. Darby
* Classical dispensationalism- Scofield, Chafer, and Larkin
* Modern dispensationalism - Ryrie, Walvoord, Lindsay, and LaHaye
* Progressive dispensationalism - Has "decimated the ranks of the modern dispensationalists, especially at the scholarly level" - Johnson, Bock, and Blaising (reworked "literalism," breaking down dispensational barriers, moving "toward" covenant theology)

However, the change in the scholarly ranks is not matched by losses in the popular embrace of dispensationalism due to prophecy conferences and Left Behind type popularizations. But, few people move from covenant to dispensational thinking. Rather, the shift tends to be from dispensationalism to covenant thought.

As to the interviews . . . some of the "Amazing Grace" folks are back in this documentary: Dr. Tom Ascol, Dr. Tom Nettles, and Dr. Ken Talbot. I missed several of the voices from the earlier piece but appeciated the excellent additional contributions by Dr. Demar and Dr. Gentry. My wife observed that the narration suffered from a tendency not to disguise contempt for the dispensatonalists in a way that did not help the documentary. That was not my reaction, however.

Well worth watching and using with believers who struggle with dispensationalism. The second DVD (yet to be completed) will be even more important as it promises to take the doctrinal assertions of dispensationalism and compare them with Scripture.

Originally Posted by Gomarus

I look forward to seeing it.

My only (anticipated) concern is that the majority of modern dispensationalists (which includes the Progressives) tend to distance themselves from classic dispensationalism, seen in the older Scofield Bible notes, etc. I'm afraid their tendency will be to claim this DVD is an outdated assessment and/or a strawman.

But, I haven't seen the DVD yet. I'm just sayin' . . .

brother I have watched this DVD and based on what you just said I will only tell you to watch it before you say anything else.

I wish one could download it at the same price.

For those who have watched the DVD, do you think it would be good to give this DVD as a gift to friends who happen to be dispensationalists?

Originally Posted by Chippy

For those who have watched the DVD, do you think it would be good to give this DVD as a gift to friends who happen to be dispensationalists?

I have seen it and like it but I would say no. It does not go into the meat of destroying dispensationalism from a biblical and theological perspective. It is great on the history and some of the personalities, but most dispies would not be convinced. There is a part II coming out, and it should be able to finish the job. My recommendation is to wait for part II and then give both parts to your dispensational friends.

CT

I haven't seen it Joel, but tend to doubt it, unless they don't know that they're dispensationalists. If they do know, and defend their position, it is possible that this will be understood as an attack. I've watched the clips available on YouTube and see that there is much to offer. But the focus on Scofield is obviously problematic. And if there are more statements like this then there are more issues that would have to be overcome. "The system has skewed all of its theology." That's a pretty tough absolute statement to overcome.
I'd like to see it, but am not ready to make the investment with these thoughts in mind.

I loaned it to a prison chaplain who showed it all week to captive dispensationalists! He reported it has effective, but of course, he had a captive audience!

Originally Posted by CNJ

I loaned it to a prison chaplain who showed it all week to captive dispensationalists! He reported it has effective, but of course, he had a captive audience!

I doubt that this would be effective, without the second DVD. Many of the folks who hold to dispensational views worship in churches that consider themselves "independent." "How does this purported pedigree effect me? I don't "worship" Darby or Scofield" etc.

The second DVD will deal with the hermeneutics and applications and should be far more helpful.

Anything more on the purpose, goals, etc.?

Not to discount the value of the work put in, but I'd be less inclined to use this as a means of helping the average member of a dispensational church.

Most of them are spiritually starving for a real understanding of how too walk by faith, how the gospel is good news which both announces regeneration and sanctification (Col 2:6-7, Gal 2:20.) Their problem,to be sure is a hermeneutical one, but that it not what they associates their disp-i-ness with. Rather, they associate it with their eschatology.

I liked it and it was interesting but it was mostly an ad hominem argument against the people who started dispensationalism, I imagine dirt could be found on most people. I was planning on showing it to my father-in-law but I think it would only make him mad since it just makes the founders look bad and he will shut it off. If it was more bible based he would at least have to deal with the arguments against Disp.

I hope part two goes more into why Disp. is not biblical and explains from the OT why what they believe about the NT is false. Why there are not two plans for Israel, how the OT teaches that Jesus did not come to set up his kingdom then switch to plan B when the Jews rejected him, etc.

It was however interesting to see how Scofield and Chafer did not even have degree's when they made a study bible and started a bible college. They come off as looking like bad modern day televangelists from TBN.

I did not know that Scofield spent so much time in KS. He was a district attorney and politician, interesting.

I would recommend it but hope part two goes more into how it is unbiblical.

Netflix has this now and it's next up on my queue.

Originally Posted by shackleton

..If it was more bible based he would at least have to deal with the arguments against Disp.

I hope part two goes more into why Disp. is not biblical and explains from the OT why what they believe about the NT is false. Why there are not two plans for Israel, how the OT teaches that Jesus did not come to set up his kingdom then switch to plan B when the Jews rejected him, etc.

I've been anticipating the release of this one for a good while, and wanted very much to like it, but after seeing it, am a bit let down. Mostly for the reason you gave above-- there isn't a lot of scriptural argument. Maybe that will come in the next release-- I certainly hope so. For now, I'm going to wait to see the next part before I hand it to my dispensational friends to watch.