Rapture Fever

Pessimism Produces Paralysis 75
Conclusion
Christianity is the religion of historic optimism. The power
of Christ in history is made manifest through the preaching of
the gospel of redemption. As the gospel takes root in society
after society, the covenantal blessings of God will begin to transform
the earth. This is a long-term process. It has already taken
almost 2,000 years, and it may take a thousand more. It may
take even longer. But the progressive sanctification of Christians
leads to the progressive sanctification of the institutional
Church. The “salt and light” gospel of comprehensive redemption
eventually serves as the leaven of righteousness that increasingly
limits the power of Satan’s human disciples. We
never will see perfection, for sin will be in the world until the
final judgment, but neither will we see the earthly triumph of
Satan. His victory over Adam was overcome by Christ’s victory
at Calvary. The resurrection is our model, not the Fall of man
in Eden.
Walvoord is the dean of dispensational theologians. He made
it clear in hk Christianity Today interview that he does not believe
in the possibility of comprehensive redemption in Church
history. He calls his view “realism.” I call it pessimism. It is this
pessimism that has justified the retreat of fundamentalists from
the preaching of Christ’s comprehensive gospel: the repkwnwnt
of w-l by good in eve~ area of lfe. It has led to the triumph of
humanism by default, with Christians’ tax money financing this
triumph. It has led to the paralysis of dispensationalism: emotional,
intellectual, and institutional. It has led to Rapture fever:
the “blessed hope” for a people without earthly hope.