The Late Great Planet Church: The Rise of Dispensationalism [Dolby, NTSC, Color, Widescreen, DVD] [Unknown Binding]

Director: Tyler Johnson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2009

Many Christians today read their Bibles through the lens of pop-prophecy books like The Late Great Planet Earth and the Left Behind series. They naively believe the prophetic schemes and theological presuppositions expressed in these and other fictional writings represent the doctrinal positions that Christians down through the centuries have embraced. However, that is far from the truth. Volume One of The Late Great Planet Church: The Rise of Dispensationalism is the first documentary of its kind. It exposes this erroneous system of thought as breaking continuity with history --- and even the very Word of God. In this first volume we will examine the beginnings, beliefs, and motivations of this innovative movement by focusing on its relatively recent development, stormy history and its most influential proponents. Hosted by Jerry Johnson, President of The Nicene Council and The Apologetics Group, this documentary features pastors, theologians, and historians, who at one time were strongly committed dispensationalists. Several of these men even trained at dispensational academic institutions before abandoning the system. They have since rejected this system as thoroughly unbiblical, viewing it as a stumbling block to the Church and a distraction from the Great Commission.

Product Details

• Unknown Binding
• Publisher: The Apologetics Group (2009)
• ASIN: B0026HKCLW
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #915,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars "Music" & Poor Visuals Distract from O/wise Excellent Content, December 27, 2009

By 

a berean, s.d.g. (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Late Great Planet Church: The Rise of Dispensationalism

I just "watched" this DVD for the second time. I say "watched," but "listened to" would be more accurate. Why?? Because many of the extraneous, "special effects" visuals on this DVD are of such poor quality - blurry - dizzying - irrelevant - that it is painful to watch. (I am not referring to the sections of men speaking, or visuals of historic quotations, those are great & the information communicated is thorough and well-documented)

As for the auditory tracks, the speaking narration is fine. But what is with the second track of music? I use the term "music" advisedly. Grating, fingernails-on- the-blackboard noise would better describe it. At several places, it is so loud you can barely hear the narration. And some of the noise is so overpowering, it makes you want to scream and most definitely makes it hard, if not impossible at times, to focus on the excellent information that is being communicated.

I looked forward to this DVD with great anticipation after watching the Nicene Council's DVD - Amazing Grace - The History and Theology of Calvinism. I had hoped to share this as a springboard for discussion with several friends who are caught up in the dispensational system. The sad truth is that I will NOT be showing this to ANYONE because of the overriding distraction of the technically poor quality of the visual "special effects" and the incessant "background" music.

One other concern is the ad hominem attack on Scofield. I am fully aware from my own research that the information is accurate. However, it is possible to discredit his teaching, and show the many errors in his theology, WITHOUT dragging in all of the dirt about his personal life and relationships. The treatment of Scofield is NOT in accord with the opening statements about the tone and purpose and methods that would be used in challenging Dispensational Theology -

"[An] In-house discussion as we challenge many dear brothers and sisters regarding their dispensational teaching, ... may God preserve the bonds of love as we all strive to see the church come into the unity of the faith ... We are going to say some very direct and severe things about this system of theology and it's founders. Don't mistake this frankness for a harsh or unloving spirit. ... Our desire is to speak the truth in love, while being bold while speaking that truth. Our challenge, which we lay at the door of Dispensational Theology, will be from Scripture."

Sadly, the detailed recounting of Scofield's scandalous personal life could accurately be described as "harsh" and "unloving." Furthermore, by no stretch of the imagination is it consistent with a "challenge of Dispensational Theology FROM SCRIPTURE."

And, this is another reason why I will not be sharing this DVD with others. It provides a way for someone to derail a discussion about Dispensational Theology and dismiss the entire presentation as "unfair," "biased," "prejudicial," and/or "unloving".

It is sad to see such a much needed tool rendered virtually unusable because the focus was on being artistic or "hip" or whatever???? instead of concentrating on the excellent handling of the substance, with careful, God-glorifying thought given to not being a stumbling block or offense or distraction to the very audience the DVD seeks to reach.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Already looking forward to volume two, May 16, 2009

By 

Tim Brown (HomewardBooks.Com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Late Great Planet Church: The Rise of Dispensationalism

Well I took the time the other week to sit down for about 2 hours and review the long awaited video from NiceneCouncil.com, The Late Great Planet Church (The Rise of Dispensationalism). First and foremost, congratulations to Jerry Johnson and his son Tyler on the production finally being completed. It is very well down both quality wise and in it's content.
This is the first volume in a two volume set that which will be released sometime later. This volume however is an introduction to what dispensationalism is and is not and also discusses the major proponents of dispensationalism such as Charles Ryrie, C. I. Schofield, and John Darby. These are some of the men who made dispensationalism so popular from the 19th and 20th century. Others of late note include such men as Hal Lindsey (where his book Late Great Planet Earth is punned by the title), and those who established Dallas Theological Seminary have turned out millions of people who believe in dispensationalism, though the Bible knows nothing of it. The primary focus of dispensationalism is to somehow divide the people of God into two categories, the geo-political structure of the nation Israel (or those as dispensationalism puts it, who are "physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and those of the New Testament Church. Rather than see the continuity of both the Old and New Testaments in the people of God and those who are really the children of God as one people, they seek to destroy what Christ has established according to Ephesians 2 where he makes from the 2, Jew and Gentile, one new man. There is to be no more distinctions physically. Rather the distinction is purely spiritual. Thus the true Jew, Paul tells us, is the one that has been circumcised not of the flesh, but of the heart.
So this video seeks to attempt to deal with the birth of the thinking of dispensationalism and also those who promoted it. It primarily is not a theology but an eschatology that has then been read back into the Scriptures and thus the doctrines gained do impact one's thinking. At no time in church history was dispensationalism known until the 1800's. So it is relatively new. This does not make it wrong, but one should be careful in believing something that the church has not held to since the creation. Along with the primary distinction of the Church and Israel, there are also other doctrines such as a secret rapture and a 7 year Tribulation somewhere in our future followed by a 1000 year rule of Christ from Jerusalem. There are also disturbing doctrines regarding what takes place in the millenium that I'm sure will be discussed in volume 2.
However for volume one sit back and listen at least to the birth of dispensationalism, the character of it's earliest proponents and at least see if it isn't valid to ask, whether we should not take a serious look at dispensationalism if for no other reason than the character of those who first popularized it, such as John Darby and C. I. Schofield. In the end it is what the Bible says and teaches in its context that determines the truth, but we should be on guard against those who seek to draw sheep after themselves as these men did and then shut off any other believers from them. On top of that some of the disturbing things that were in these men's lives also reflect a lack of godliness and qualification for one to teach the Word of God, much less add notes in a study Bible.
I highly recommend this first installment of "The Late Great Planet Church" for personal viewing, as well as, for groups. Now, if you are a dispensationalist, don't discount what I write here and not view the dvd. Get it and take in the information and then respond to it. I am one that use to be dispensationalist many years ago, but when I was forced to study through books of the Bible an do so in their contexts there is no way one would ever come to the conclusion of dispensationalism apart from someone teaching it to them, because the concepts are foreign to the text itself. With that I will end on the note of encouragement to arm yourself with the facts contained in the video. Jerry is an excellent researcher and makes sure his facts are straight before publishing them. As a former contributer to Watchman Fellowship, a counter cult ministry in Texas, he is widely known and is the president of NiceneCouncil.com and writer for the Amazing Grace, The History and Theology of Calvinism DVD.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How Dispensationalism Started, May 15, 2009

By 

Anthony Fagerness (Aurora, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Late Great Planet Church: The Rise of Dispensationalism

This film explains how Dispensationalism got started in a respectful loving way. Every dispensationalist owes it to him or herself to find out how this system really got started and what it took to get it started. Film brings clarity to the differences between historical premillenialism and dispensationalism and how they are not to be confused. Also covers progressive dispensationalism which is the latest trend to this movement. I am looking forward to volume two where they will deal more with the dispensational approach to scripture versus the covenental approach to scripture.