Well, Im a classic dispensationalist. Yes, I know, we aren't popular, but being popular doesn't matter to me. Although I am a dispensationalist, I am not in the prophecy camp because it doesn't matter what happens in current events, Christ will come to take his bride when God the Father is ready for Him to. But after the rapture does occur, Scripture is very clear on what will follow. That being said I do believe the next great event in human history is the rapture of the church. When that happens is none of my business. After the rapture ofcourse is the 7 years of tribulation (horrific judgement on all of mankind, but especially Israel for its disobedience), then the physical return of Christ to destroy the armies of the world who are threatening a repentant Israel, and the 1000 year physical reign of Christ. As a classic dispensationalist, my system of plain interpretation leads me to this conclusion.
Your views on eschatology are determined by your hermeneutic (science of interpretation). I will not try to convince a confirmed covenant theologian or progressive dispensationalist to become a classic dispensationalist. What I will do is ask him how he interprets Scripture to arrive at his conclusions. If you stick to a plain interpretation (this term really needs some explanation), taking all prophetical statements into account, it is my conviction you would become a dispensationalist. Wouldn't be one if I didn't believe that. Covenant theologians do not, and cannot interpret Scritpure the same way consistently. There system does not allow it. A Godly covenant theologian will interpret it plainly in most areas, but will spiritualize the prophetic areas.
Your eschatological position doesn't determine your salvation, or your personal walk with the Lord, but it does affect your ministry focus and worldview.
Many amillenialist are convinced that somehow America is God's gift to humanity and therefore, its Christian heritage must be preserved at all cost. While I am thankful to be an American, and thankful for the freedoms that we have, I am convinced that we are not, nor have been, a "Christian" nation and therefore, there isn't a heritage to save. We cannot expect to retain our freedoms because of our apathy toward and open rebellion against God. I enjoy listening to what a lot of pastors like James Kennedy and Gary DeMar have to preach and teach, but it drives me up the wall when they say that one of their goals is "to restore American civilization." There is no mention of American civilization in Biblical prophecy. DeMar's dream of America being a "city on a hill" is a gross misinterpretation of Scripture. Demars website states that their vision is:
An America that recognizes the sovereignty of God over all of life and where Christians apply a Biblical worldview to every facet of society. This future America will be a “city on a hill” drawing all nations to the Lord Jesus Christ and teaching them to subdue the earth for the advancement of His Kingdom.
http://www.americanvision.org/aboutus.asp
There is only one national group that has any claim to that vision, and that is Israel. As a nation, they are in rebellion, and have been since they rejected the Messianic Kingdom when it was offered to them by Christ. He is not done with them, and will begin to renew His work with them after the church is raptured. For now the church, not America, is God's way of revealing Himself to the world. The Christian population of China is larger than the entire population of the United States. We elect corrupt, ungodly men into office, murder the unborn at a horrifying rate, coddle the wicked, punish the innocent, and dare to call ourselves a Christian nation. Instead of focusing on preaching to the lost, they will try to save the sinking ship that is the United States. This is why men like Jerry Falwell never really lived up to their potential because they took their focus off of the eternal and put it on the temporal.
Yes, I do hold to a very pessimistic eschatology. DeMar's vision will never come to pass. You cannot legislate morality, which is what the "Christian right" would love to do. It must come from the heart. That will only happen when a person has a relationship with God, which only comes through Christ. They (the Christian right) keep warning us that if we are not vigilant, we will lose our right to worship as we please. Well, I think their are plenty of examples in the NT that tell us we can never really lose that. Paul and Silas were able to worship in a dark and dirty jail cell after they had been beaten.
For more information on dispensational theology, read Charles Ryrie's Dispensationalism, Dwight Pentecost Things to Come, and Renald Showers There Really is a Difference. Oh, and don't forget your Bible. Its all in there.