ESSAYS
ON
PREMILLENNIALISM
EDITED BY
K. NEILL FOSTER & DAVID E.
FESSENDEN
-------
[Back
Cover Writing]
Essays on
Premillennialism is a collection of writings from leading theologians on a
long-standing yet developing tradition. The essays consider thee historical
background of premillennialism, its hermeneutical underpinnings, and its
biblical theological coherence. The interpretation of apocalyptic literature,
from which premillennialism emerges, is a challenging task for both scholarly
and lay Bible readers. Essays on Premillennialism is sure to provide great help
in this endeavour and lead readers to a closer understanding of the second
coming of Christ and His everlasting kingdom.
The essays in this book are divided
into three sections:
* Historical
Considerations
* Current Considerations
* Future Considerations
Each of the contributors have but one aim
that this work may serve all the fellowship and the larger Christian Church as
a much-needed voice in the current eschatological debate.
*
* *
A Modern Affirmation on Ancient
Doctrine
Essays
On
Premillennialism
K. Neill Foster
David E. Fessender
- Editors -
*
* *
Contents
Editors’ Preface/ K. Neill Foster,
David E. Fessenden [Page vii]
Historical Considerations
1. Premillennialism and the Early
Church/ Paul L. King [Page 1]
2. Premillennialism in the Medieval
and Reformation Times/ Harold Shelly [Page 13]
3. Premillennialism and the Holiness
Movement in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries/
Steven L. Ware
[Page
33]
4. Premillennialism, A. B. Simpson,
Sanctification and the C&MA/ Samuel J. Stoesz [Page 47]
Current Considerations
5. Premillennialism, the Scriptures
and Convergent Issues/ K. Neill Foster [Page 59]
6. Premillennialism, Jesus Christ and
the Church/ Keith M. Bailey [Page 75]
7. Premillennialism and the
8. Premillennialism and the
Future Considerations
9. Premillennialism, Imminence, the
Tribulation and Prophetic Preaching/ William R. Goetz [Page 141]
10. Premillennialism, Armageddon and
Judgment/ Robert Werytmre [Page 153]
11. Premillennialism, the Tribulation
and the Millennium/ Donal A. Wiggins [Page 167]
12. Premillennialism and Worship in
the Millennium/ Matthew A. Cook. [Page 181]
About the Authors …[Page 197]
*
* *
Editors’ Preface
[Page vi]
The unprecedented popularity of the Left Behind series of
novels has brought the issues of eschatology and the return of Christ to the
forefront of popular thinking. Many in the pew and the pulpit are asking if
these novels are an accurate portrayal of biblical prophecy or a tragic
misunderstanding of the teachings of Scripture. Ironically, some today are
coming to the latter conclusion. These novels have come on the scene at a time
when premillennialism, the theological position upon which the Left Behind
series is based, is under attack.
Some of the questions we find ourselves asking involve the
historical roots of this doctrine. Is premillennialism merely a recent and
unprecedented innovation, as some amillennialists claim, or are its roots
deeper in church history than is commonly supposed? What led to its more recent
rise to prominence?
We are concerned about how the premillennial position
influences our belief and practice today. Does the rejection of the
premillennial view necessarily lead to the erosion of other traditionally
evangelical doctrines?
One issue of current praxis which appears to be affected by
one’s eschatological paradigm is the question of whether evangelism should take
priority over social ethics. Amillennialists and postmillennialists tend to
approach social work with much the same fervour that premillennialists approach
evangelism, and for much the same reason: they believe they are ushering in the
millennial kingdom. Are postmillennialists neglecting the Great Commission in a
misguided attempt to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth? Are
premillennialists neglecting the responsibility to show love to their neighbour
by their strong missionary focus? Michael
Tymchak has pointed out admirably that we may have created a false
dichotomy.1The Great Commission tells us not merely to evangelize, but to “make disciples” - people who will live out all that
Christ has commanded, including “a cup of water in Jesus’ name.”
And finally, our re-examination of premillennialism naturally leads
to questions about the days to come. What is the believer’s role in the such [Page viii] events as the Rapture, the Tribulation and the
Millennium? How does belief in these events impact such things as our focus on
world missions?
This collection of essays seeks to answer these and other
inquiries surrounding this important doctrine (note the
Historical/Current/Future division in the table of contents). These authors
seek to establish premillennialism’s venerable historical foundations, its
current viability and its hope for the future. In the process, they address the
implications of the amillennial and postmillennial positions. For example,
premillennialists have historically been, and currently are, leaders in
worldwide evangelism - does the rejection of this belief lead to a flagging of
missionary passion?
It must be admitted that there is one kind of premillennialism
that militates somewhat against the missionary mandate. Dispensational
premillennialism, which is traced back to Darbyism in the current era, suggests
that
These essays, for the most part - though not all - are written
by historical premillennialists; you will find that as a group thee authors
believe that the King is coming and that the missionary mandate must be
relentlessly pursued.
It is our hope that this volume may serve all our fellowship
and the larger Christian Church as a much-needed voice in the current
eschatological debate.
K. Neill Foster
David E. Fessenden
Endnote
1. Michael
Tynichak, “Ethics and the Coming King,”
available online at http:/online.cbects.ca/alliancestudies/ahtreadings/ahtr_s1423,html.
-------
Historical Considerations
[Page
1]
CHAPTER 1
- Premillennialism
-
* Paul L. King *
Many
great Christians have taken varying views of the place of the millennium in the
second coming of Christ. Augustine
espoused an amillennial viewpoint. Jonathan
Edwards was a postmillennialist. A.
B. Simpson became a premillennialist. These are all interpretations from
godly men. How are we to know what is right?
It is the thesis of this writer that the beliefs of earliest
church fathers, though not infallible, are closest to the beliefs of the
first-century apostolic church. The farther one becomes removed historically
from the original church, the greater the likelihood that the message has been
watered-down, faded, distorted, readjusted. This is the phenomenon of
historical drift. If the earliest fathers were amillennial or postmillennial,
that is most likely the understanding of the primitive church. If the earliest
fathers were premillennial, the strongest likelihood is that the apostolic
church was premillennial (or chiliastic) in eschatology. If there
was a variety of millennial viewpoints in the first centuries, one may conclude
that there was no consensus in the earliest church. This paper traces the
millennial beliefs of the early centuries of the church.
First Century Jewish and Christian
Eschatology
Arthur Cushman MeGiffert, translator and commentator of Eusebius’ Church
History, avows that the earliest church was premillennial: “Jewish chiliasm was very common at about the beginning of
the Christian era, and is represented in the voluminous apocalyptic literature
of that day. Christian chiliasm was an outgrowth of the Jewish, but
spiritualized it, and fixed it upon the second, instead of the first, coming of
Christ.” Arthur Wainwright
also affirms,
The notion of a blessed
time that precedes the last judgment is found in Jewish writings of the New
Testament period. The Ethiopic Enoch
[Page 2] affirmed that it would last for three weeks, and the Apocalypse of Ezra prophesied a
messianic kingdom of 400 years (Enoch 91:12-17; 4 Ezra 7: 28-29). It is also
possible that the Apostle Paul
expected a millennium when he said that Christ’s reign would begin with the
resurrection of those who “belong to Christ” and continue until “the end” (1 Corinthians 15: 20-28). But Paul never indicated the length of that reign. It is
the Apocalypse that specifically
says that the period will be a thousand years. and it is the Apocalypse that
has influenced the Chiliasts in their discussion of the millennium. 2
In The Theology of Jewish Christianity Jean
Danielou concurs:
The conception of a Messianic reign preceding the
Last Judgment and the New Creation is to be found as early as Ezekiel, and this
made it possible to attach the two types of eschatological prophecy in
Scripture, maybe that relating to an earthly triumph of the Messiah, and that
speaking of a New Creation to two successive stages in Time. This conception
took on a more precise form in the non-canonical apocalypses. It appears in I
Enoch and II (4) Esdras 6: 20-28,
and II Baruch describes the Messianic reign in the imagery of
In addition, an early Jewish Christian document The Ascension of Isaiah, drawing upon and
incorporating earlier Jewish material, describes a premillennial scenario. 4
Millenarianism in the Apostolic
Fathers
Of the Apostolic Church Fathers, The
Epistle of Barnabus is dated by scholars in the late first
or early second century, very close to the earliest church. Though it was probably
pseudonymous and not written by Barnabas, it nevertheless demonstrates
primitive church thinking. Some church fathers such as Origen (though himself not a chiliast) regarded The Epistle of Barnabas as sacred Scripture. The author writes in relationship to the week
of creation and the “true and false sabbath”:
Attend, my children, to the meaning of this
expression, “He
finished in six days.” This implieth that the Lord will [Page 3] finish all things in six thousand
years, for a day is with Him a thousand years. ... Therefore, my children, in
six days, that is, six thousand years, all things will be finished. ... when His Son, coming [again],
shall destroy the time of the wicked man, and judge the ungodly; and change the
sun, and the moon and the stars; then He shall truly rest on the seventh day
[millennium]. 5
This is clearly an early, literal premillennial
interpretation. Belief in a seventh glorious millennium following 6,000 years
of human history was a common viewpoint among church fathers.
Papias (ca. 60-130), early second century
bishop and a disciple of the Apostle
John, is credited by church historian Eusebius
with a premillennial viewpoint that he claims comes from the apostles and
their associates. Eusebius records of Papias:
Papias, who is now mentioned by us, affirms that he
received the sayings of the apostles from those who accompanied them, and he
moreover asserts that he heard in person Aristion
and the presbyter John. Accordingly
he mentions them frequently by name, and in his writings gives their
traditions. ... Amongst these he says that there will be a millennium after
the resurrection from the dead, when the personal reign of Christ will be
established on this earth. 6
While these traditions were recorded centuries later and do
not have the authority or accuracy of firsthand writings or original
manuscripts, nevertheless, they do demonstrate very ancient belief in a
premillennial coming of Christ, portrayed as passed on to Papias by the
apostles.
Justin Martyr (ca. 100-ca. 165) also expressed a
similar millennial concept, claiming that the teaching came from the apostles:
There was a certain man with us, whose name was
John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied, by a revelation that was
made to him, that those who believed in our Christ would dwell a thousand years
in Jerusalem; and that thereafter the general, and in short, the eternal
resurrection and judgment of all men would take place. 7
Again he writes, “I and others who
are right-minded Christians on all points, are assured that there will be a
resurrection of the dead and a thousand years in
Although some amillennialists claim that Justin Martyr is in their camp because of some ambiguous language
which could be interpreted in [Page 4] different ways, 9 it
is significant that most scholars, even anti-chiliasts such as
postmillennialist founder Whitby
recognized and admitted Justin’s teaching to be premillennial. 10 Robert
Gundry also affirms, “Justin Martyr places the resurrection and gathering
of Christians at the beginning of the millennium and equates their hope with
Christ’s return to earth as prophesied in the OT (Trypho lxxx, Iii).11
Accorchng to
Irenaeus, as George Eldon Ladd explains, presented the “first
detailed outline of prophetic events after the New Testament,” 15 and he “was
a thoroughgoing premillenarian, the first, in fact, to give us a premillennial
system of interpretation.” 16 Irenaeus was a disciple of Polycarp who was a disciple of John. It seems most likely that John’s
understanding of the millennium was transmitted faithfully to his spiritual
grandchild. Further, Robert Gundry
notes, “It is inferred that Polycarp, was
premillenarian because Irenaeus, his pupil, was so, and that Pothinus was premillenarian from the
chiliasm of the churches of Vienne and
Tertullian, whose ministry spanned from the late
second century to the early third century, advanced a clear premillennial
viewpoint: “But we do confess that a kingdom is
promised to us upon the earth, although before heaven, only in another state of
existence; inasmuch as it will be after the resurrection for a thousand years
in the divinely built city of Jerusalem.” 18
Again Tertullian writes:
When, therefore, the boundary and limit, that
millennial interspace, has been passed, when even the outward fashion of the
world itself - which has been spread like a veil over the eternal economy,
equally a thing of time - passes away, then the whole human race shall be
raised again, to have its dues meted out according as it has merited in the
period of good or evil, and thereafter to have these paid out through the immeasurable [Page 5] ages of eternity. Therefore after this there is neither death
nor repeated resurrections, but we shall be the same that we are now, and still
unchanged - the servants of God, ever with God, clothed upon with the proper
substance of eternity; but the profane, and all who are not true worshippers of
God, in like manner shall he consigned to the punishment of everlasting fire -
that fire which, from its very nature
indeed, directly ministers to their incorruptibility.” 19
Tertullian writes extensively of the millennial
period of time in his defence against the heretic Marcion. It is significant that he uses the premillennial
conception as a part of his defence against heresy.
Like The Epistle of Barnabus, early church historian Sextus Julius Africanus (ca. 200-ca.
241/245) also held to the characteristic apocalyptic expectation of a glorious
millennium following 6,000 years of world history. 20 Commodianus, a North African bishop
writing about A.D. 240, presents a millennial scenario following the end of
6,000 years, similar to that of Barnabas, Julius Africanus and Lactantius. 21 Robert
Ernest Wallis, a translator of his work, comments, “His Millenarianism reflects the views of a very primitive age, and that
without the corrupt Chiliasm of a later period, which brought about a practical
repudiation of the whole system.” 22 Hippolytus (170-236), a disciple of
Irenaeus, likewise places the resurrection and the kingdom of the saints after
the return of Christ in literal premillennial fashion following 6,000 years of
history. 23
The excesses of Montanists,
who were also chiliasts, brought disfavour to millenarian belief. “The
teachings of the Montanists brought such disrepute upon chiliasm that the
fathers of the third and following centuries did not show much fondness for
those who held or had held these views. 24 Nepos, a third-century Egyptian bishop
(230-280) defended chiliasm in the face of rising support for allegorical
interpretation. Church historian Eusebius
writes that Nepos
taught that the promise to the holy men in the
Divine Scriptures should be understood in a more Jewish manner, and that there
would be a certain millennium of bodily luxury upon this earth. As he thought that
he could establish his private opinion by the Revelation of John, he wrote a
book on this subject, entitled Refutation of
Allegorist. 25
[Page
6]
Third-century father Methodius
(d. 311) “makes the resurrection of Christians coincident
with the millennial renewal of nature after the tribulation (Discourse
on the Resurrection i, 8).”
26 He calls it a “millennium of rest.” 27 Methodius
wrote further,-
Just as the Jews, after the repose of the Feast of
Tabernacles, arrived at the Promised Land, so 1 too, following Jesus who has
passed into the heavens, shall attain to Heaven, no longer living in
tabernacles, or rather my own tabernacle no longer remaining as it was, but
being transformed after the millennium from a human and corruptible form into
angelic greatness and beauty. 28
Methodius wrote strongly against Origen’s allegorical
interpretation, defending the traditional millennial viewpoint. 29 Victorinus
(d. 304), a Latin-speaking bishop who was martyred during Diocletian’s persecution, according to Daley, was “formed in the same millenarian
milieu in which Papias, Irenaeus, and most recently Methodius had absorbed the
Church’s eschatological hope.” 30
Although he had moderated and adopted some of Origen’s allegorical interpretation
of Revelation, he still maintained a
premillennial view of the Apocalypse, particularly Revelation
20 and 2l. 31
Lactantius (d. 317) was a pupil of African orator
and apologist Arnobitis, and a tutor
in the court of Diocletian and
The Rise of Allegorical Interpretation
and Amillennial Thought
Origen introduced the allegorical method of
interpretation in the third century and became one of the early forerunners of
amillennialism. 35 His philosophy
and hermeneutic swept the church of the third and fourth [Page
7] centuries. Leaders
such as Ambrose and church historian
Eusebius of Caesarea championed
Origen’s cause. Augustine,
influenced by Greek thought and Origen’s allegorical hermeneutics, understood
the idea of a millennium symbolically:
We can measure the response to Origen’s methods in
the example of Augustine. In his Confessions, Augustine tells us that
he had been embarrassed in his earlier years by what he thought was a literal reading
of the Bible (actually a caricature formed by childhood impressions and
Manichean polemics). He was developing an interest in Neo-Platonism as an
alternative to Manichean Gnosticism when he heard the Origenistic preaching of
Ambrose. It helped him to see Christianity in a completely new light, and soon
he became a Christian. The spiritual vision model of eternal life he
contemplated through spiritual interpretation was, he believed, confirmed by in
his own typically Neo-Platonic mystical visions. After he became a bishop, his
writings affirmed the spiritual vision model, and his homilies and commentaries
promoted the practice of allegorical interpretation. 36
When Augustine adopted Origen’s viewpoint and developed his
own amillennial theology, chiliasm lost favour. Soon chiliasm began to become
considered aberrant and schismatic, while allegorical interpretation was
becoming dominant and considered orthodox. Arthur
Cushman McGiffert, translator and commentator on Eusebius’ work, comments,
Although chiliasm had long lost its hold wherever
the philosophical theology of the third century had made itself felt, it still
continued to maintain its sway in other parts of the Church, especially in
outlying districts in the East, which were largely isolated from the great
centers of thought, and in the greater part of the West. By such Christians, it
was looked upon, in fact, as the very kernel of Christianity - they lived as
most Christians of the second century had, in the constant hope of a speedy return
of Christ to reign in power upon the earth .37
Dionysius, bishop
of
Remnants of chiliastic belief could he found in other
locations as well. Jerome mentions Apollinarius
(probably the fourth century bishop of
It is significant that during the third century in some
circles in
Conclusions
This brief survey demonstrates that the earliest church
overwhelmingly maintained a premillennial viewpoint of the Second Coming of
Christ, and later, in the third century, moved toward an allegorical
amillennial interpretation due to the influence of Greek philosophy. Some
Amillennialists even admit that biblical writers wrote of a literal
millennium:
[Page 9]
Undoubtedly the ancient Hebrew prophets announced the
advent of a terrible day of Jehovah when the old order of things would pass
away. Later prophets foretold a day of restoration for the exiles when all
nature would be miraculously changed and an ideal
The evidence of the premillennial viewpoint among the early church fathers is so
overwhelming that anti-chiliasts are compelled to admit it even while clinging
to their own doctrine. William E. Cox,
an amillennialist, acknowledges that the earliest post-apostolic church
maintained premillennial beliefs: “The historic
premillennial belief originated in early post-apostolic times and flourished
until the time of Augustine (A.D. 400).” 48
Further, postmillennialist originator
The doctrine of the Millennium, or the reign of
saints on earth for a thousand years, is now rejected by all Roman Catholics,
and by the greatest part of Protestants, - and yet it passed among the best
Christians, for two hundred and fifty years, for a tradition apostolical; and,
as such, is delivered by many Fathers of the second and third century, who
speak of it as the tradition of our Lord and His apostles, and of all the
ancients who lived before them; who tell us the very words in which it was
delivered, the Scriptures which were then so interpreted; and say that it was
held by all Christians that were exactly orthodox. 49
Church historian Philip
Schaff agrees: “The most striking point in the
eschatology of the ante-Nicene age is the prominent chiliasm, or
millenarianism, that is the belief of a visible reign of Christ in glory on the
earth with the risen saints for a thousand years, before the general
resurrection and judgment.” 50
The issue, then, in the mind of Amillennialists and
Postmillennialists, is not whether or not the Jews and early Christians
believed in and expected a literal millennium, but whether they were right in
understanding the imagery literally. While Augustine was a great theologian [Page
10] in many respects,
his latent Neo-Platonism coloured his theology, worldview and, in particular,
his eschatology.
It must be acknowledged that not all chiliasts agreed on the
details of the millennial scenario. Wainwright
explains: “Chiliasts, were divided in their
opinion about the place of the New Jerusalem (Rev.
21: 1 - 22: 5) in the sequence of events. ... Although they expected a future millennium, Chiliasts had
differing views about its proximity.” Dispensationalists like Walvoord admit that a pre tribulation
rapture scenario is not apparent in the church fathers: 1t must be conceded
that the advanced and detailed theology of pre-tribulationism is not found in
the Fathers, but neither is any other detailed and ‘established’ exposition of
premillennialism.” 51
Nevertheless, the overwhelming evidence is that the earliest
church was premillennial. Non-chiliasts try to blunt that fact by claiming that
“premillennialism finds slightly earlier
development (italics mine),” thus trying
to downplay the plethora of chiliast substantiation. However, with few
exceptions, the vast majority of scholars, even from non-chiliast camps,
acknowledge that the primitive church and the earliest fathers maintained
chiliast views. It is virtually certain that the apostolic church
and the apostles understood the coming of Christ to be before the millennial
age. If we have unmistakable testimony that the apostles and their
disciples and spiritual grandchildren held a chiliastic eschatology, can one’s
interpretation be better than those who were closest to Jesus and closest to
the original apostles? If the earliest church believed that the Second Coining
of Christ would take place before a literal millennial age, then we need to
return to the historical eschatological roots of the New Testament church.
*
* *
Endnotes
1 .Arthur Cushman McGiffert, Nicne, and
Post-Nicent, Fathers (NPNF), eds, Philip Schaff and Henry Wace (Grand Ripids: Eerdmans, 1979),
2: 1: 172, note 19.
2. Arthur W. Wainwright, Mysterious Apocalypse (Nashville:
Abingdon, 1993), 22.
3. Jean Danielou, The Theology of
Jewish Christianity (London: Darton, Longman & Todd;
Chicago: Henry Regnery, 1964), 377.
4. Ibid., 378.
5.The Epistle of Barnabas, Chapter 15, Ante
Nicene Fathers (ANF), eds. Alexander Roberts and Jamen
Donaldson (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979),1:146.
6. “Fragments of Papias,” 6, ANF, 1: 154.
7. Irenaeus, “Dialogue
with Trypho the Jew,” Iiii, ANF, 1:240
8. Ibid., 1:239.
9. William E. Cox,
Biblical
Studies in Final Things (Nutley,
N. J: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1966,1974), 197-8.
10. Dwight Pentecost,
Things to Come (
11. Robert H. Gundry,
The Church and the Tribulation (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1973), 174.
12. Brian E. Daley, The Hope of the
Church: A Handbook of
Patristic Eschatology (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1991), 24; see Theophilus of Antioch, “Theophilus to Autolycus,” 2:24; ANF, 2:104.
13. McGiffert, NPNF,
2:1:203, note 4; Pentecost, 375; see “Remains of the
Second and Third Centuries: Melito the Philosopher,” Chapter I, ANF, 8:755.
14. Pentecost, 375;
see “Remains of the Second and Third Centuries: Hegesippus,”
ANF, 8:763.
15. George E. Ladd, The Blessed Hope (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), 26.
16. Ibid., 25.
17. Gundry, 178.
18. Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem, Book 3, p. 25, cited in Ladd, 27.
19. Tertullian, “Part
First: The Apology,” Chapter 48, ANF,
3: see also Part 2, Book 3, Chapter 24.
20. Daley, 61; Joel Van Hoogen, “Premillennialism and the Alliance Distinctives,” Alliance
Academic Review (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, 1998), 48
(reprinted in this volume as Chapter 8); see “The
Extant Writings of Julius Africanus,” 3:18:4; ANF, 6:137-8.
21. “Instructions
of Commodianus,” Chapter 35, ANF, 4:209; see also Chapters 43, 44, 80, ANF, 4:211, 212, 218.
22. Robert Ernest Wallis, “Introductory Note to the Instructions of Commodianus,”
ANF, 4:201.
23. Ladd, 30-31; Van Hoogen, 48; see
Hippolytus, “Treatise on Christ and Antichrist,”
2:50,60, 61, 64, 65; ANF, 5: 214-9;
Hippolytus, “On Daniel,” 2: 4; ANF, 5:179.
24. McGiffert, NPNF,
21:203, note 4.
25. Eusebius, The
Church History of Eusebius, 7:24, NPNF, 2:1308.
26. Gundry, 176; see also Methodius, “The Banquet of the Ten Virgins,” Discourse 9, Chapter
1, Chapter 5, ANF, 6:344, 347
27. Ibid.
28. Methodius, “The Banquet of the Ten Virgins,” Discourse 9, Chapter 5,ANF,6:347.
29. Daley, 61-64; Methodius, “Discourse on the Resurrection,” Part 3, ANF, 6: 369-377. For more on Methodius’
refutation of Origen’s interpretation see “Extracts
from the Work on Things Created,” Chapter 9, ANF, 6:379-81.
30. Daley, 65
31. Ibid., 65-6.
32. Ladd, 28; see also Daley, 66-8; see Lactantius,
“The Divine Institutes,” 7: 25,.ANF, 7:220 (according to his
calculations there were about 200 years left before Christ would return). See
also 7:14, ANF, 7:211 - “at the end of the
six thousandth year all wickedness must be abolished from the earth, and
righteousness reign for a thousand years; and there must be tranquillity and
rest from the labours which the world now has [Page 11] long endured” (see also “The Epitome of the
Divine Institutes,” Chapters 71-72, ANF,
7:253-5).
33. Pentecost, 373-4.
34. Ibid., 375.
35. Van Hoogen, 49,
Craig A. Blaising, “Premillennialism,” Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond,
gen. ed. Darrell L. Bock (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999). 166-7.
36. Blaising, 167-8, see also Pentecost. 20-5; see
also Van Hoogen, 49-52. for more on Origen’s and Augustine’s beliefs.
37. Eusebius’ Church History, 7:24: 1; NPNF, 2:1308,
note 1.
38.
39. Eusebius, Church History, 7: 24:1.; NPNF, 2:1:308,
note 1.
40. APNF, 2:1206, note 1; see also Wainwright,
34; Pentecost, 373-4.
41. Wainwright, 34.
42. Ibid.
43. Daley, 18.
44. Wainwright, 33.
45. Daley, 93.
46. Ibid., 94-5.
47. Shirley Jackson Case, cited in
Pentecost, 18.
48. Cox, 177.
49. Cited in Pentecost, 373.
50. Philip Schaff, History of the
Christion Church, 2:614;
cited in Pentecost, 374.
51. Wainwright, 24.
52. John F. Walvoord, quoted by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., “Postmillennialism,”
Three Verses on the Millennium, 15.
53. Gentry, 15.
* *
*
[Page
13]
CHAPTER 2
- Premillennialism
-
in the Medieval and Reformation Times
* Harold Shelly *
For
many, Y2K fatigue is a thing of the past, almost medieval, like something out
of the Dark Ages. Yet the idea of a New Age of peace and justice, which existed
in those times, lives on, or at least did until 9/11. During tough times people
yearn for the parousia of peace and justice. Whenever political and social
conditions become unbearable, people look for deliverance, for a messiah who
will come and set the captives free. This was certainly true during medieval
and reformation times. 1
Two outlooks toward a millennium dominated medieval and
reformation thinking. The first of these, articulated by Augustine of Hippo, is usually called amillennialism. The second is
millennialism or chiliasm. The most significant exponent of the latter was Joachim of Fiore in the twelfth
century. Immediately one is struck with an incongruity. Augustine wrote on the
subject in the early fifth century, much earlier than Joachim. Augustine
himself was not ignorant of a chiliastic strain, but he was determined to
eradicate it. Still, it lived on. This strain was maintained throughout the
early medieval period by many who cherished the Apocalypse of John and embraced
the so-called Sibylline Oracles.
Whereas Augustine’s viewpoint became the prevailing viewpoint of the organized
church, the Chiliasts tended to be the outsiders.
Medieval millennialism often became part and parcel of protest
movements, whose adherents were usually the downtrodden masses. While the institutional Church preached Apostolic Poverty in theory, in practice it accumulated great wealth. Too often its prelates lived in luxury while they taxed the poor to
support their extravagant lifestyle. Thus millennialism had an
anti-institutional impulse. Crop failures, famine, death from plagues,
conflicts between church and state, and warfare between noble families haunted
the populace. Feudal laws made to protect the peasant population were gradually
altered to the injury of the poor. It was as if the [Page 14] Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse -
conquest, famine, wars and death - incessantly rode roughshod over medieval
Aurelius Augustine of Hippo and Millennialism
Augustine of
Hippo (354-430), an African, was born in Tagaste and later served the
Church in Hippo, located in modem-day
The same year the Goths entered the Empire, Augustine entered
the Church; he was then thirty-two years of age. Doubtless a genius, his
thinking touches almost all of the doctrines of Western Christianity. In
influence he ranks only in back of Paul and Jesus. At the time of the
Protestant Reformation, Calvin, Luther and the Catholics all referred to him
more than anyone else. Thus, his views on the millennium are of great
significance for all of Christendom.
Barbarian intrusion into the
[Page 15]
1. History has its beginning in the
creation, its centre in Christ and its consummation in the judgment and
transformation of all things.
2. Because God has foreknowledge, He
knew that man would be misdirected and evil would come into the world; but He
also knew that His grace would bring good from evil.
3. History is divided into two cities
formed by alternative loves: the earthly city by the love of self and the
heavenly city by the love of God.”
Augustine was aware of millennialism, to which many still
adhered in spite of repudiation by theologians like Origen. 3 In fact, he admits that he once was a
millennialist. Some, he asserts, are enthralled with the idea of a thousand
years. In reference to Peter’s words (2 Peter 3: 8), “one day is with the
Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day,” they imagine that “there should follow on the completion of six thousand years,
as of six days, a kind of seventh-day Sabbath in the succeeding thou-sand years.”
He notes, “for I myself, too, once held this opinion.”
He continues, “they assert that those who then rise
again shall enjoy the leisure of immoderate carnal banquets. ... They who do believe them are called by the spiritual
[those who reject the notions of a “carnal”
millennium] Chiliasts, which we may literally
reproduce by the name Millenarians.” To refute this is “a tedious process” he adds. So he proceeds to show
how Revelation
20: 1-6 should be understood rather than
refuting the Millenarians. 4
So then, how does Augustine explain the thousand-year
reference in Revelation? Quite easily, he
thinks. John simply “used the thousand years as an
equivalent for the whole duration of this world, employing the number of
perfection to mark the fullness of time.” 5 He
continues, “a thousand is the cube of ten. For ten
times ten makes a hundred, that is, the square on a plane. But to give this
height, and make it a cube, the
hundred is again multiplied by ten, which gives a thousand.” 6 How clever!
That which [the Apostle] John speaks of is the interval
between the first and second coming, “which goes by
the name of a thousand years.” At the end of this indefinite period the
devil is loosed for three years and six months and the saints are sheltered,
although “the Almighty does not absolutely seclude the
saints from his temptation, but shelters only their inner man, where faith
resides, that by outward temptation they may grow in grace.” 7 [Page
16] Clearly he does
not accept the notion of an earthly 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth
following His return to earth after the period of [the Great] tribulation. But while the Church is expanding, the devil is bound.
At the end of this thousand years, the devil seduces the
nations to battle against the “camp of the saints
... and the beloved city” (Revelation 20: 7-10, KJV). This, says Augustine, is when the devil unleashes savage
persecution against the church: “the whole city of
Thus, Augustine set the stage for medieval doctrine in his
denial of a literal 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth after the [Messiah’] second coming. Rather, the 1,000 years
is a figurative number for the period between the resurrection of Christ and
the second coming of Christ. This period he also calls the
The Sibylline Oracles
Circulating throughout the medieval period was a collection of prophetic writings known as the Sibylline Oracles. In ancient
The fourth century Christian apologist, Lactantius, used the Erythraean sibyl, which is favourably quoted by
Augustine in his The City of God. 12 The prophecy is arranged in such a way that the initial
letters - twenty-seven (3x3x3) letters - of each line spell out in Greek, Jesus
Christ of God Son Saviour. Augustine
seems to use this sibyl uncritically. So it was that the Sibylline Oracles
could be used by the medieval church with the implicit approval of the great
Church Father Augustine.
For many these oracles substantiated the Apocalypse of John.
The conquering Christ of the Book of Revelation was the hero. In the sibylline literature the hero was an
emperor-type allegedly predicted by Greek prophets. 13 Cohn contends, “Throughout the Middle Ages the Sibylline eschatology persisted alongside
the eschatologies derived from the Book of Revelation, influencing them and
being influenced by them but generally surpassing them in popularity.” 14
These were widely studied and interpreted to reflect contemporary situations.
Bad times were foretold; enemies were described as Antichrist and the heros
were Christ figures or persons immediately preparing the way for Christ’s
return in judgment. And the oracles and the Apocalypse allegedly predicted them all. Thus, for many centuries,
primitive premillennialism, based on the Apocalypse and the Sibylline Oracles,
continued to bolster millennial expectations. A more fully developed
millennialism would wait for Joachim
of Fiore.
Joachim of Fiore
The major exponent of millennialism in
the latter Middle Ages was Joachim of
Fiore (ca. 1132-1202). 15 In his system he
developed the idea of three ages or dispensations. These are the successive
ages of: (1) the Father, (2) the Son and (3) the Holy Spirit, or (1)
Law, (2) Grace and (3) “Ecclesia
Spiritualis,” the age of the
Joachim “identified the resulting new vision with that ‘everlasting gospel’
which, according to the Book of Revelation, is to be preached to all peoples in
the Last Days. ... Half a century after
Joachim’s death, ‘evangelium acternum’
had become the slogan of a widespread messianic movement.” 17 This evengelium aeternum referred to in Revelation 14: 6 contains the only use of the word
gospel (euaggelion) in the
Apocalypse. In Revelation 14 John
speaks of 144,000 who stand before the throne in constant praise. They are said
to be unmarried or virgins (parthenoi). Joachim seems to picture
them as a vast monastery of celibate monks singing in ecstasy until the
judgment day. 18
This new paradigm of Joachim gained the ascendancy among
millennialists in the latter part of the Middle Ages. Franciscan Spirituals saw themselves as the fulfilment of the
prophecy. It is even possible that the Franciscan and Dominican Orders were originally approved to keep the fervour of
Joachimites under the control of the Church hierarchy. Later Franciscan
Spirituals became a thorn in the side of the papacy. 19 Moreover, the new paradigm ran
counter to the officially accepted Augustinian view of the millennium.
Joachim’s idea of the third age was of course
wholly unreconcilable with the Augustinian view that the Kingdom of God had
been realized, so far as it ever could be realized on this earth, at that
moment when the Church came into being and that there never would be any
Millennium but this. In sponsoring Joachim the Papacy was therefore - quite
unwittingly - sanctioning a new form of that chiliasm which for centuries it
had been condemning as heretical. 20
Joachim’s new order would supersede the papacy. In the Age of
the Spirit, the Church of the Spirit would no longer need the clergy; even
written Scriptures would be unnecessary.
Though the papacy, by approving the new mendicant orders and
disciplining the Spirituals, may have been able to contain the millennial fever
of the thirteenth century, the situation in the late fourteenth and fifteenth [Page
19] centuries proved
to be more difficult.
All of these developments would be declared heretical. Joan of
Arc and John Huss would be burned at the stake. In the case of Huss, his
followers resisted and the Hussite wars ensued. Again, many saw imminent
judgment and the millennium on the horizon.
Taborite Millennialism
Among the followers of Huss were the so-called Utraquists, who desired both bread and
wine in Holy Communion. A more moderate group, they returned to the Catholic
Church when their demand for “communion in both (utraque) kinds” was granted. The more radical of the Hussites continued
the struggle against their adversaries, gaining more and more adherents.
Members of the movement, which began among the common people and was led by
members of the trade guilds, were called Taborites,
because they had named their fortified garrison south of Prague Mount Tabor.
This designation for their centre of operations was not insignificant.21 Many believed that
The Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund,
who after 1420 was also King of Bohemia, gathered a large army to suppress the
Taborite movement. The Taborites fought back. “The
afflictions now descending on
Alas, fanaticism followed and not the parousia. Although the
Taborite movement was wiped out in the battle of Lipany in 1434, Taborite
propaganda continued to circulate throughout
Though many peasant crusades sprang up in various parts of
And meanwhile in a different part of
The close of the fifteenth century had seen considerable
discontent among the peasants, whose lot in life was degenerating as they fell
deeper into serfdom.
Thomas Muntzer and the
Thomas Muntzer became a follower of Luther shortly after
Luther published his Ninety-five Theses. In
1519 Luther recommended Muntzer to be pastor of the church in
Without employing explicit millennial wording, Muntzer was
forecasting the kingdom of the elect that the Taborites had fought to bring to
their land. The millennium was near “to be preceded by
the ascendancy of the Turk as Antichrist.” 26
Muntzer also admitted indebtedness to the tradition of Joachim of Fiore. 27
If Luther preferred the Psalms and the Epistles, Muntzer
preferred Daniel and the Apocalypse. In them he found a radical social program;
the earthly
In Allstedt Muntzer clearly threw his lot in with the
oppressed peasants. He would lead the saints into the new age of peace, justice
and equality. In the terrible Peasants’ Wars which ravaged
This should have ended peasant attempts to establish the kingdom
of heaven on earth, but it did not; eschatological hopes, ignited by
apocalyptic texts and fiery preaching, cannot easily be extinguished. Other
Chiliasts kept the promise alive in the volatile days in which they were
living. In 1529 the plague again hit central
[Page 22]
Both Luther and Muntzer believed that they were living in the
last days and that the kingdom was imminent.
Just as much as Muntzer, Luther performed all his
deeds in the conviction that the Last Days were at hand. But in his view the
sole enemy was the Papacy, in which he saw Antichrist, the false prophet. It
was by the dissemination of the true Gospel that the papacy would be overcome.
When the task had been accomplished, Christ would return to pass sentence of
eternal damnation upon the pope and his followers and to found a Kingdom - but
a Kingdom which would not be of this world. 30
Muntzer believed the Elect needed to war against the evil of
the Church and of the State; Luther saw their rebellion as utterly evil. For
Luther the preaching of the eternal gospel would bring in the kingdom, but not
an earthly kingdom.
The Diet of Speier
A frustrated Catholic emperor attempting to enforce conformity
on all his subjects called the Imperial Diet to meet at Speier in the spring of
1529. The princes who followed Luther resisted his pressure and issued a protestation. Henceforth these protesters and their
followers would be known as “Protestants.” 31
At that same session all the princes, both Catholic and
Protestant, agreed together to revive an ancient Justinian law against
rebaptism. Henceforth in the
Melchior Hoffmann and the New
Jerusalem
Meanwhile, as peaceful Swiss Anabaptists were fleeing
persecution in Ulrich Zwingli’s
The followers of Melchior Hoffmann multiplied rapidly in the
The Minster Fiasco
Many followers of Melchior now concluded that the promised
kingdom was to be in another location, the episcopal city of
[Page 24]
Presuming that
When the prince-bishop and his Protestant allies tightened the
siege, John of Leyden proclaimed
himself messiah and initiated a Davidic kingdom which would spread over the
whole world. As conditions further deteriorated and more men were killed in
skirmishes around the city, polygamy was sanctioned in the city. The imagined
For generations the tragic fiasco of
At this point the observation of Robert G. Clouse, is worth quoting at length:
Perhaps the
This explains the Amillennialism of the three main Protestant
traditions, but not the eschatology of Menno
Simons and the Mennonites, the heirs of the Anabaptist-Melchiorite
movement.
Menno Simons and Millennialism
Menno Simons resigned the Catholic priesthood and aligned
himself with the so-called Anabaptist movement in 1536. This was the same year
the authorities executed the surviving leaders of the
The year after he joined the peaceful wing of the
Melchiorites, Menno was ordained an elder and began to exercise leadership. The
irenic Menno encouraged the dispirited flock to look for a spiritual kingdom.
Others who wished to establish an earthly
Thus Menno complains in his Foundation of Christian Doctrine, “At this
point I know right well that we have to hear of
[Page 26]
The idea of an earthly millennium, Menno believed, came from
the heretic Cerinthus, who “maintained that the world was created by angels, that Christ
was no more than a mere man and had not yet risen, but should rise with us in
the future, and thereafter reign one thousand years in the flesh with His
saints.” 38 Munsterites
were in the line of heretics like Cerinthus, not in his camp. Apparently Menno
rejected premillennialism as heretical. For Menno, like Augustine, Christ’s
kingdom was spiritual and eternal, not physical and earthly. Addressing the “corrupt sects” he remonstrates,
O miserable, erring sheep ... I have pointed out to
the magistrates that the kingdom of Christ is not of this visible, tangible,
transitory world, but that it is an eternal, spiritual, and abiding kingdom
which is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy
Ghost. 39
Moreover, he argued, the “corrupt
sects” have a perverted eschatology. In words that sound like an
explicit critique of Joachimite eschatology, Menno declares, “You contend that another dispensation is beginning.”
He saw this as a denial of the Son of God and the Scriptures. 40 Echoing Augustine he insists, “The Scripture teach that there are two opposing princes and
two opposing kingdoms: the one is the Prince of Peace; the other is the prince
of strife. Each of these princes had his particular kingdom and as the prince
is so is also the kingdom.” 41
The Elect do not bring the kingdom with the sword, but Christ
Himself brings punishment on evil when He returns and then the eternal dominion
begins. “The Scriptures clearly testify that the Lord
Christ must first come again before all His enemies are punished”
maintains Menno in The Blasphemy of John of Leiden.
He continues by quoting a series of New Testament Scriptures to affirm that the
coming of Christ is visible. He then goes to Daniel
to affirm that Christ is given an everlasting dominion. 42 To counter his critics Menno wrote
his Brief and Clear Confession. In this concise document he gave a
simple creedal statement which includes the following:
This same man, Christ Jesus, preached, was
crucified, died, and was buried. He rose and ascended to heaven and is seated
at the right hand of the Almighty father, according to the testimony of all
Scripture. From thence He will come to judge the sheep and the goats, the good
and the evil, the living and the dead. II Cor. 5: 10; II Tim. 4: 1.
[Page 27]
Menno seems not to exceed this in his eschatology. The
Calvin and the Millennium
In 1536, the same year Menno left the priesthood to become a
member of a persecuted sect, John Calvin published the first edition of his Institutes of the Christian Religion, in which he maintained that French
Protestants were neither Anabaptists nor anarchists; they intended neither to
destroy the French monarchy nor attempt to establish an earthly kingdom of the saints.
What they professed was simply the historic Christian faith. Calvin was a
disciple of Augustine, not Joachim.
Calvin was on his way to Strassburg in 1536 to pursue his
studies in peace when he stopped off in
[Page 28]
In his Institutes, Calvin has a quick and easy answer to
the question of the millennium. For him there is no such thing as an earthly
1,000-year reign of Christ in any form. Those who hold to such a doctrine are
like those who deny the resurrection of the body. The whole notion is passed
off as another work of Satan that has “befuddled men’s
senses.” Paul had to defend the resurrection and overthrow those who
denied it (1 Corinthians
15: 12 ff). The subsequent dangerous
error, in Calvin’s mind, was the doctrine of the millennium held by chiliasts:
But a little later there followed the Chiliasts,
who limited the reign of Christ to a thousand years. Now their fiction is too
childish either to need or to be worth a refutation. And the Apocalypse, from
which they undoubtedly drew a pretext for their error, does not support them.
For the number “one thousand” [Revelation 20: 4] does not apply to the eternal
blessedness of the church but only to various disturbances that awaited the
church, while still toiling on earth. 46
Note the expressions fiction, childish, pretext
and error. Apparently Calvin was not impressed with those who understood
John to be expounding a literal 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth after His
parousia. Moreover, Calvin repudiated all the teachings of those commonly
branded Anabaptist, finding them not “to be worth a
refutation.”
Worse than this, he contended, they bring dishonour to Christ:
“Those who assign the children of God to a thousand
years in which to enjoy the inheritance of the life to come do not realize how
much reproach they are casting upon Christ and his
Kingdom.” 47 In fact, he
claimed they are guilty of making Christ’s kingdom a temporary realm and
denying the power and grace of God:
In short, either such persons are utterly ignorant of everything divine or they
are trying by devious malice to bring to nought all the grace of God and
power of Christ, the fulfilment of which is realized only when sin is blotted
out, death swallowed up, and everlasting life fully restored. 48
Thus this “dishonourable”
teaching is comparable to a repudiation of the resurrection, an essential
teaching of Scripture. Undeniably Calvin set the standard for Reformed
theology; his stinging phrases, such as devious malice, utterly ignorant, cast
reproach, help one understand
why not a few of his followers easily dismiss premillennialism.
[Page
29]
It would be in the seventeenth century that premillennialism
entered the magisterial denominations. In 1527 two books were published, The Beloved City by the Reformed theologian
Johann Heinrich Alsted, and Clavis Apocalyptica
by the Anglican Joseph Mede. 49 Both advocated premillennialism;
nevertheless, premillennialism remained a minority view until the nineteenth
century. Augustine had prevailed.
*
* *
Endnotes
1. Principal works drawn upon include the
following: John Bailie, ed., Library of
Christian Classics, 26
vols. (London: SCM, 1953-69). Norman Cohn, The Pursuit of the
Millennium: Revolutionary Messianism in Medieval and Reformation
2. Frank N. Magill, Masterpieces of World Philosophy in Summary Form
(New York: Harper & Row, 1961), 258-63.
3. Robert G. Clouse,
“Views of the Millennium,” Evangelical
Dictionary of Theology, Walter
A. Elwell, ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984), 716, hereafter cited as “Views.”
4. Augustine, The City of
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid., 519.
7. Ibid., 20, 8, 521.
8. Ibid., 20, 11, 527.
9. Ibid., 528.
10. J. Clouse, Meaning,
9.
11. “The
Sibylline Oracles,”
12. The City of
13.
14. Cohn, 18.
15. His major works are Liber Concordiae
Novi ac l’etris Testamenti, Expositio in Apocalysium and Psaltarium
Decem Cordarum. See “Joachim of Fiore,” The
16. Note also the use of “1260” in
the Apocalypse (l1:3,
12: 6, 14: 20). The
only other use of the phrase “one thousand” (chilion) is in Second Peter
3: 8 where Peter reminds us that one
day and a thousands years are alike to God. Forty-two months are spoken of [Page 30] in the Apocalypse (11: 2, 13: 5). If the
forty-two months equal 1,260 days and if the days are transitioned into years,
the system works. Commenting on the reign of the first beast of Revelation 13, A. B. Simpson uses the 1,260 as the
years of his political power, which he surmises begins in 610 with “the decree of [the Eastern Roman Emperor] Phocas establishing the supremacy of the Pope.” This brings him to 1870, the year “when the death blow was finally struck at the temporal power
of the papacy” (A. B. Simpson, Heaven Opened:
or Exposition of the book of Revelation [Nyack,
NY: Christian Alliance Publishing, 1899], 131-2). Apparently Simpson reckoned
that much of Revelation was actually history
by his times, possibly the indirect influence of Joachimite eschatology.
17. Cohn, 99-100.
18. Simpson disagrees. “The
word ‘virgins’
is used in the masculine here to denote a life severed and separated from all
illicit and unholy things. ... The Bible nowhere casts a slur on lawful marriage
as a less holy state than celibacy” (Simpson, 144). Simpson considers Revelation 14 to he concerned with holiness and
missions. “It is very significant that the Holy Spirit
has here grouped together two movements which are the peculiar spiritual features
of our days. One is the movement for Scriptural holiness and the other the
great missionary movement to give the Gospel as a witness immediately to the
nations” (Ibid., 146). The words of John are contemporary. The message
of judgment is also important. “Is this not a marked
feature of the missionary movement of
this Age?” asks Simpson (Ibid., 148).
19. Franciscan Spirituals may have influenced some sixteenth
century Anabaptists.
20. Cohn, 100-1.
21.
22. Ibid., 225.
23. Ibid., 226.
24. Ibid., 252.
25. In Hans J. Hillerbrand, The Reformation: A
Narrative History Related by Contemporary Observers and Participants (New York: Harper and Row, 1964), 224.
26. Williams, 46. “Characteristic of the Prague Manifesto) is the open espousal of the Storchite-Tabotite chiliasm
which justifies the violence of the elect” (Ibid., 49).
27. Muntzer does this
in his Von dem gedicheten Gluben (Ibid., 51).
28. Williams, 54.
[Page 31]
29. “The elect
friends of God will learn to prophesy. ... God will do marvellous things with
his elect,” wrote Muntzer in his Prague Manifesto
(Hillerbrand, 223-4). Williams observes,
“Luther with his argumentation from the written Word
and Muntzer with his argumentation out of the compulsion of the Spirit could
never have debated from the same platform” (Williams, 57).
30. Cohn, 261.
31. See “Resolution
of the Minority,” B. J. Kidd, Documents
Illustrative of the Continental Reformation (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1911), 243-4.
32. Cohn, 279.
33. In his Exposition
of the XII Chapter of Daniel he
predicted the end of the world in 1533 (Williams, 261).
34. Ibid., 288.
35. It seems even some Protestants preferred a Catholic
prince-bishop over an Anabaptist peasant kingdom. Luther’s prince might turn
his territory into a Protestant state; Zwingli might convince the Town Council
to change the religion of the canton; Calvin might agree to overthrow the
authority of the bishop and establish a Reformed clerocracy, but peasants must
endure affliction from both Catholic and Protestant rulers.
36. Clouse, “Views,” 716-7.
37. The Complete Writings of Moino Simons, c. 1496-1561, tr. and ed. Lconard Verduin (Scottdale, PA: Herald
Press, 1956), 197.
38. Ibid., 199.
39. Ibid., 217. The “corrupt sects”
included the mob at
40. Ibid., 219.
41. Ibid., 554.
42. Ibid., 47- 8
43. Confession of Faith and Minister’s Manual, comp. J. F.
Funk (Scottdale, PA: Mennonite life Publishing, 1942), 31.
44. In
45. Ibid., 596. This may be a factor which later induced many
former Dutch Melchiorites to espouse the Reformed faith.
46. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, ed.
John T. McNeill, tr. Ford L. Battles (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1960), 3. 25.
5, II, 995. Calvin made numerous editions of his Institutes.
All quotations come from the 1559 Latin edition, not the first in 1536, thus
reflecting his mature estimation of Anabaptism. Williams (598), however, argues
that Calvin called a diverse group of his critics “Anabaptists”
and “did not clearly distinguish between his opponents.”
47. Calvin, 11, 995.
48. Ibid., 11, 996 (italics mine).
49. Clouse, Meaning,
10-1, 213 (fn. 4).
* *
*
[Page
32 blank/Page 33]
CHAPTER 3
- Premillennialism
-
and the Holiness Movement in the Late
Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries
* Steven L. Ware *
In their
1891 song “When He Comes,” A. P. Cobb and J. H. Fillmore expressed their excitement
which flowed from an expectation of Jesus’ imminent return to earth:
Are you ready for your Lord should He
come;
Are you ready for your summons home?
Does your anxious spirit burn,
His appearing to discern;
Are you ready if your Lord should
come?
Oh, be ready for Him when He comes,
when He comes,
Oh, be ready for Him when He comes;
Be it midnight, be it morning, when He
gives the solemn warning,
Oh, be ready, he ready when He comes. 1
In a similar vein, in his 1896 work entitled The Holy Spirit, A. B. Simpson exulted in
what he perceived as the increasing clarity of understanding of God’s
eschatological plan for all creation when he stated,
The most remarkable sign that we are in the last
days and that the mystery of the ages is about to he finished, is the wondrous
light which the Holy Ghost has shed on the interpretation of prophecy in our
time. ... The brightest and soundest scholarship of the age is on the side of
premillennial truth. The wonderful events of our time are the beginning of
those overturnings which are to bring in the
Nearly a decade earlier, in the first chapter of his first
significant work dealing with eschatology - The
Gospel of the Kingdom (1887)
- Simpson compared and contrasted postmillennialism and premillennialism. And
in the second and third chapters he made it clear that he viewed
premillennialism as more solidly based in Scripture. 3
[Page
34]
We should be aware of the fact, however, that Simpson was
certainly not alone in his preference for premillennial eschatology. In the
larger holiness movement in which he participated, 4
premillennialism enjoyed increasing popularity in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries - the decades of the movement’s primary theological and
ecclesiastical formation. This chapter will explore that popularity, the
reasons for its rise in this time period and its place in their understanding
of church history.
The Shift Toward Premillennialism
In his Lectures on
Prophecy, Methodist revivalist Henry Clay Morrison derided postmillennialists for promising the
The postmillennial teaching of the Lord’s coming no
more harmonizes with the teachings of the New Testament than the Jewish notion
of the Messiah appearing as King of kings and Lord of lords at His first coming
into the world harmonizes with the Old Testament teaching. ... What are we to
think of men who, in the light of these words of Jesus will persist in telling
us that our Lord delays His coming for ten, fifty, one hundred thousand, or
perhaps one million years; and that the ecclesiastical forces of this world
will bring all men into a state of perfect peace and righteousness before the
Lord comes? Meanwhile, an apostate church is tearing up the Bible denying the
deity of Christ, defending and excusing sin, and ridiculing the idea of Christian
holiness. 5
Morrison was joined in his judgment and in his leanings toward
premillennial eschatology by numerous other holiness leaders of the era. In
fact, Kenneth Brown contends that
with the deaths of Phineas Bresee in
1915 and Charles Fowler in 1919, the
holiness movement had no leaders capable of mediation between premillennial and
postmillennial views. So with the rise of C.
W. Butler to the presidency of the National Holiness Association in 1928,
the transformation to premillennialism was complete. 6
Morrison and Simpson were just two of numerous well-known
preachers and writers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries [Page
35] associated with
what became known as the holiness movement. Most of these leaders and their
followers had spiritual roots in one of the predominant Protestant church
bodies, most often Methodism. The holiness movement began after the Civil War
with the largely postmillennialist vision it had received from its Methodist
forebears - the conviction that a pure church can convert the entire world and
therefore initiate the millennium - a 1,000-year period of peace and prosperity
which would end with the return of Christ. By the beginning of the twentieth
century, however, a premillennialist vision had begun to become predominant
among holiness leaders - a vision which retained hope for changing the world
through the conversion of individuals to the lifestyle of Christian holiness,
but which largely avoided political involvement and shifted ultimate responsibility
for changing the world to Christ Himself at His return. 7
The most popular strain of premillennialism which arose in
this period became known as dispensational premillennialism.
Largely attributed to the teachings of John Nelson Darby and the Plymouth
Brethren in
Reasons for the Shift
Why the change in eschatological orientation? Several factors
are readily identifiable. Because of the rise of new and threatening issues
such as Darwinian evolution (and its applications to society which became [Page 36] known as “Social
Darwinism”), biblical criticism and the comparative study of religions,
and social developments such as the change from agrarian and rural to
industrial and urban society, American churches seem to have encountered a
general crisis of faith, whether consciously or unconsciously. The millennium many had anticipated as the result of
evangelical revivals in the early and mid-nineteenth century, the abolition of
slavery and the Northern victory in the American Civil War failed to
materialize. Consequently, religious matters in the late nineteenth century
have been described by historians in terms of conflict and creativity,
realignment and reorganization, and as the “spiritual
crisis of the Gilded Age.” 10
The most stubborn resistance to the rise of premillennialism in
the holiness movement seems to have come from those who attempted to maintain
their connections to Methodism and other established church bodies, and who
were therefore more reluctant to leave and form their own organizational
structures. As Charles Jones
demonstrates, members of the first generation of leaders of the National
Holiness Association such as John Inskip
strove to maintain that relationship, and were therefore more resistant to new
doctrines such as premillennialism. 11 And
Brown has demonstrated that many
Methodists, some of whom became leaders in the holiness movement, were heavily
involved in the Bible Conference movement - more traditionally associated with
Reformed evangelicals. While the evidence is inconclusive, this could be a
major source for premillennialism in the holiness movement. So while Phineas Bresee retained his commitment
to a postmillennial vision, even while allowing the contributions of
premillennial writers to Nazarene Messenger - which he edited - he was in an increasingly shrinking camp of holiness
leaders by the early twentieth century. 13
On the other hand, it could be argued that the internal
theological dynamics of the holiness movement naturally lent themselves to the
development and growth of premillennialism. 14
Using the long life and [Page 37] experiences of his grandfather (John Lakin Brasher, 1868-1971) as an example, Lawrence Brasher records that at the end of the nineteenth century
southern Methodism “looked with increasing dismay upon
the recent, dynamic wedding of the second blessing and premillennialism, a
combination that not only gave doctrinal offence to the church but that also
seemed to give the holiness movement extraordinary new power.” 15 By being linked to premillennialism,
sanctification “... quickly acquired new meaning as
the required initiation preparing believers to meet the coming Lord. In the
cleansing, sometimes ecstatic, moment of the second blessing, the sanctified
proleptically experienced the glory of the awaited second coming.” 16
Sanctified believers therefore viewed themselves as
participating in a great worldwide revival which was to produce a purified
church immediately preceding Christ’s return to earth. Furthermore, sanctified
believers were hastening Christ’s return by proclaiming the gospel message to
all people, which was a necessary prerequisite to His return.
The connection between premillennialism and evangelism,
however, is seen nowhere more clearly than in the writings and activities of Albert Benjamin Simpson, founding
personality of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. Like many of his colleagues
in the holiness movement, Simpson adopted premillennialism early on, as
evidenced in the aforementioned comments in The
Gospel of the Kingdom (1887).
In addition, in the same work he stated that the simultaneous revival of the
doctrines of holiness and the second coming of Christ were not a mistake, but
part of God’s plan to prepare His people for the end. In agreement with many
other premillennialists, he argued that true Christians would be “raptured,” or removed from earth before the beginning
of the seven-year-long Great Tribulation, 17
and would therefore not be present during the period of God’s judgment upon
sinful humanity. That judgment was then to be followed by a literal 1,000-year
reign of Christ on earth. 18
The connection between premillennialism and world missions is
seen as well in the hymnody of the
They are dying in the dark Soudan,
that lies by the
Let us save them while alone we can, [Page38]
’ere for them the harvest time is
o’er.
Every day a thousand lost ones die,
ninety missions in darkness lie;
Let us listen to their pleading cry,
as it echoes from that heathen shore. 19
Like many leaders in the Bible Conference movement in the late
nineteenth century, Simpson was intensely interested in the place of the Jews
in biblical prophecy. The growing popularity of Zionism had given him the expectation that the millennium was
near, since he viewed the return of Christ as intimately connected with the
re-establishment of the political state of
Simpson’s eschatological awareness was not based solely on
political events, however. He bemoaned the rise and influence of Darwinism,
biblical criticism, naturalistic philosophy, worldliness in the church and
wide-spread skepticism in the established churches regarding Christ’s return.
Yet even these negative signs he viewed as unmistakable signs of Christ’s
imminent return, because alongside these negative developments were the
widespread evangelistic successes occurring around the world. Like many of his
contemporaries, he viewed these successes as the beginning of the “latter rain,” a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit
upon all humanity just before the “harvest” to
take place at Christ’s return. 21
Restoring the New Testament Church
Part and parcel with the eschatological significance of the
experience of entire sanctification was the perception by holiness adherents
that they were participating in the restoration of the Christian church to the
power, polity and piety with which it had begun in the apostolic era. Nearly
universal among Protestants through the nineteenth century was an understanding
of Church history which interpreted the late ancient and medieval eras as
periods of decline and apostasy from the true Christian faith taught by Jesus
and the apostles, followed by a gradual restoration of New Testament
Christianity since the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. 22
[Page
39]
This interpretive scheme of Church history is clearly seen in
Simpson’s introduction to The Gospel of the
Kingdom, where he
describes the premillennial return of Jesus to earth as
... the supreme hope of the primitive Church for nearly three
centuries. Only when a proud empire and a formal Church began to look for their
inheritance in this world, and talk of the Pope as the Lord, and the emperor’s
dining-room as the “New Jerusalem,” did they abandon the reality of this “blessed hope” for the vague spiritualizing
interpretation which has since taken possession of so many minds.
But then he began to detail the good news of the restoration
of true Christianity:
When Luther awoke the sixteenth century from the
unhallowed dreams of the night of ages, to prepare for the day of the Son of
Man, he did not at once restore the whole Gospel from the fetters of darkness
and error. It was a good deal that he should give us back the doctrine of
justification and Christ’s free and saving grace. It has been reserved for
others in the succeeding generations to unfold the fullness of the Gospel of
the grace of God, the healing life and power of Christ, and the Gospel of the
kingdom. 23
With minor variations, one finds in the writings of numerous
holiness and pentecostal leaders of the late nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries a kind of litany of the restoration of true Christianity which began with the
Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century. It was stated perhaps most
succinctly by pentecostal writer H. S.
Maltby in 1913:
During the Reformation God used Martin Luther and
others to restore to the world the doctrine of justification by faith. Rom. 5: 1. Later on the Lord used
the Wesleys and others in the great
holiness movement to restore the gospel of sanctification by faith. Acts 26:
18. Later still he used various ones to restore the gospel of divine healing by
faith (Jas. 5: 14, 15), and the gospel of Jesus’
second coming. Acts 1: 11. Now the Lord is using
many witnesses in the great Pentecostal movement to restore the gospel of the
baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire (Luke 3: 16; Acts
1: 5) with signs following. Mark 16: 17, 18; Acts 2: 4, 10: 44-46, 19: 6, 1: 1-28: 31. Thank God, we now have
preachers of the whole gospel. 24
[Page
40]
While one can certainly detect pentecostal biases or
scriptural interpretations in Maltby’s statement, he was reflecting an
understanding of Church history which Pentecostals had adopted from their roots
in the holiness movement, with minor variations concerning the role of speaking
in tongues as evidence of baptism in the Holy Spirit. The common perception among
participants in both holiness and pentecostal revivals was that they were
witnessing the church’s full restoration to apostolic norms in their
generation. Eschatological awareness, perhaps especially among
premillennialists, was therefore supported by the perception that they were
witnessing God’s final acts in preparation for Christ’s return.
Following a long-standing Protestant tradition with such
examples as Luther, Calvin, Baxter and Wesley, holiness leaders viewed Roman
Catholicism as an illegitimate institution which had, in the name of Christ, in
fact driven people away from Christ. 25
Moreover, they interpreted numerous eschatological portions of Scripture as
prophetic of a period of spiritual decline and corruption, which they viewed as
having begun in the second century with the development of formal liturgies,
the use of Greek philosophical concepts in Christian theology and the patronage
of the wealthy after the legalization of Christianity under
God did not allow the church to languish forever in
corruption, however, and began the process of restoring the church to New
Testament standards with the Protestant Reformation, as noted above. Again
standing in a long Protestant tradition, both images and numbers in Scripture
were interpreted in historicist fashion by holiness leaders in understanding
their place in God’ eschatological plan. For instance, Simpson interpreted the
seven parables of Jesus in Matthew 13 as
descriptive of successive ages of church history. 26
Likewise, the letters to the seven churches in Revelation
chapters 2 and 3 were interpreted as
descriptive of the Church’s progress through history. Furthermore, the numbers
in Revelation were interpreted in the “day-year” method. For instance, the 1,260 days of the
woman's protection in the wilderness (Revelation 12:6) were interpreted by
Simpson as a period of 1,260 years beginning with the declaration of Byzantine Emperor Phocas in A.D. 610
concerning the right of the bishop of Rome to rule Western Europe, [Page
41] which is also
seen as the beginning of the reign of the Beast (Antichrist). Twelve hundred
and sixty years past 610 brings us to 1870 - the date when the
Back to Eschatology
Given the privilege of seeing such earth-shaking events - the
dissolution of the Papal States, the destruction of World War I, increased
Jewish immigration to Palestine under British occupation, the increasing
sinfulness of modern society and the widespread successes of evangelical
revivals - many leaders in both holiness and pentecostal circles concluded that
the return of Christ was nothing less than imminent. The revivals in which they
participated were seen as the “latter rain,”
which would bring on the spiritual harvest just before Jesus’ return. Their
critical mission was to proclaim the gospel message to all peoples. Beyond the
accomplishment of that goal and the unfolding of worldly events prophesied in
Scripture, they could simply look forward to the blessed hope of Jesus’ return
and the consequent beginning of the millennium of peace and righteousness. With
that consciousness, they were certainly ready for His coming.
*
* *
Endnotes
1. A. P. Cobb and J. H. Fillmore, “When He Comes,” R. Kelso Carter and A. B. Simpson, eds., Hymns of the Christian Life: New and Standard Songs for the Sanctuary,
Sunday Schools, Prayer Meetings, Mission Work and Revival Services (New York: Christian Alliance
Publishing Company, 1891), No. 378.
2. A. B. Simpson, The Holy Spirit, or
Power from on High: An Unfolding of the
Doctrine of the Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments
(Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1975 [1896]), 279,283.
3. A. B. Simpson, The Gospel of the
Kingdom: A Series of Discourses on the Lord’s Coming (New York: Christian Alliance, 1887),
13ff, 24. The introduction to this work contains one of Simpson’s earliest
mentions of the “Fourfold Gospel” of Christ as
Saviour, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King (9), which became the doctrinal
backbone of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. The full explanation of his
fourfold scheme is found in another book published a few years later - The Fourfold Gospel (New York: Christian
Alliance, 1890). Pentecostal evangelist Aimee
Semple McPherson, born in the same year in which The
Fourfold Gospel was published, seems to have largely borrowed
from it, whether consciously or unconsciously, to outline the theological
distinctives of her
4. Oddly enough, pentecostal author Edith L. Blumhofer
separates Simpson from the holiness movement by consistently associating him
with other non-holiness [Page 42] evangelical leaders of the same period who disagreed
with holiness soteriological categories (Restoring the Faith: The
Assemblies, Pentecostalism, and American Culture [Urbana, IL: University of Illinois
Press, 1993], 25, 29-30), but makes no mention of him with regard to the
holiness movement. Likewise, in her doctoral dissertation Blumhofer identifies
Simpson with non-holiness evangelicals such as Dwight L. Moody Adoniram Judson
Gordon and Reuben Archer Torrey, contrasting “these
evangelicals,” with their emphasis on the ministry of the Holy Spirit,
over against holiness leaders who stressed only inward purity (Edith L. Waldvogel, “The Overcoming Life: A Study in the Reformed Evangelical
Origin of Pentecostalism” [Ph. D. Dissertation, Harvard University,
1977], 24-5), thus ignoring the groundswell of Pentecostal language which had
been building in holiness circles since before the Civil War. See Donald W.
Dayton, “From ‘Christian Perfection’ to the ‘Baptism
of the Holy Ghost’,” Vinson Synan,
ed., “Aspects of Pentecostal Chrismatic Origins (Plainfield, NJ: Logos, 1975),
39K, D. William Faupel, The Everlasting Gospel: The Significance, of Eschatology in
the Development of Pentecostal Thought (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1996). An
association of Simpson with non-holiness evangelicals is somewhat
understandable, given his Presbyterian heritage and affinities for Keswick in
teachings on the Holy Spirit. It ignores, however, his writings which make his
affinities for holiness soteriological categories unmistakably clear, such as The Fourfold Gospel.
5. Henry Clay Morrison, Lectures on
Prophecy, (Louisville: Pentecostal Publishing House, 1915), 80,
83.
6. Kenneth O. Brown, “Leadership
in the National Holiness Association, with Specific Reference to Eschatology,
1867-1919” (Ph.D. Dissertation, Drew University, 1988), 282-1
7. Brown, 288, 297. For a discussion of
Protestant social reform before the American Civil War see Timothy L. Smith, Revivalism and Social Reform; American Protestantism on the
Eve of the Civil War (Baltimore:
Johns Hopkins University Press, 1957).
8. Scofield Reference Bible:
Holy Bible, Authorised King James Version (New York: Oxford, 1909).
9. The theology and historical rise of premillennialism are
discussed thoroughly in Clarence Base,
Backgrounds to Dispensationalism (Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1960); Ernest R.
Sandeen, The Roots of Fundamentalism: British and
American Millennarianism 180-1930
(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1970); and Timothy P. Weber Living in the Shadow of the Second Coming: American
Premillennialism 1875-1982 (Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 1983). Donald Dayton sounds a
note of caution in associating dispensational premillennialism with
Pentecostalism, noting that Pentecostals have usually adopted periodizations of
human history and applied to the church certain biblical texts which
non-pentecostal dispensationalists have relegated to the millennial kingdom. He
also notes that dispensational thought is less prevalent in the
holiness-oriented branches of Pentecostalism. See
10. See Weber, chapter
I; Paul A. Carter, The Spiritual Crisis of the Gilded Age, (DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois
University Press, 1971), Weber includes a convenient diagram of the varieties
of Christian millennialism on page 10.
[Page
43]
11. Charles Edwin Jones, Perfectionist Persuasion: The Holiness Movement and Methodism, American Mothodism,
1867-1936 (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 1974), chapter 6, “The Come-Outers.”
12.
13. Brown, 110ff, 279.
14. See
15. John Lawrence Brasher, The Sanctified South: John Lakin Brasher and
the Holiness Movement (Urbana,
IL: University of Illinois Press, 1994), 37-8. Brasher explains that his grandfather held postmillennial views
until the event of his sanctification, at which time he turned radically toward
premillennialism, feeling that it provided a much greater impetus for his
evangelistic ministry (62-3). This was in line with the perception of many southern
holiness premillennialist church members that the special power with which
their preachers delivered their sermons was a sign of the close of the age. See
Brasher, 221 n9.
16. Brasher, 62.
17. The concept of a Pre-tribulation rapture seems to have been
the limit of Simpson’s agreement with dispensational theology. As Franklin Arthur Pyles asserts, Simpson
otherwise disagreed with the futurist orientation of dispensationalism and
instead was an historicist in his eschatological interpretation of the biblical
book of Revelation. See Pyles, “The Missionary Eschatology of A.B. Simpson,” David F. Harmfeld and Charles Nienkirchen, eds., The Birth of a Vision: Essays on the Ministry and Thought of Albert B. Simpson (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications,
1986), 30-5.
18. A. B. Simpson, The Gospel of fhe
Kingdom, 13ff, 24, 292f, 300. George D. Watson
went a step further in a rather controversial direction when he claimed that
only sanctified Christians would be “raptured”
from the earth before the Great Tribulation, and that
unsanctified believers would be left to suffer its horrors: “The bride of
Christ does not comprise all of those who are saved, but a select
company out from that body who have been conformed to Christ in His life and
sufferings and ministry in a special degree” (The
Bridehood Saints [Cincinnati:
God’s Revivalist Office, 1913],4). In an
earlier work he stated that “only those who are really saints, and who have made a
covenant by the complete sacrifice of themselves to God, shall be gathered up” (Steps to the Throne [Dallas: Holiness Echoes 1898], 109).
19. A. B. Simpson, “The Dark Soudan,” Hymns of
the Christian Life (South
20 Simpson, The Gospel of the
Kingdom, 165ff, 221ff;
Simpson, “
[Page
44]
21. Simpson, The Gospel of the
Kingdom, 187ff, 214; Simpson, The
Coming One (New York: Christian Alliance, 1912), 190-1. A
thorough explanation of the early rain/latter rain interpretation of church
history was written by an early pentecostal author, David Wesley Myland, in The Latter Rain
Covenant and Pentecostal Power (Chicago: Evangel Press, 1910).
22 A most succinct explanation of this understanding of church
history is a 1917 sermon by pentecostal evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, “Lost and Restored.”
See Lost and Restored, and Other Sermons (Los
Angeles: Foursquare Publications~, 1999), 7ff.
23. Simpson, The Gospel of the
Kingdom, 10-11.
24 H. S. Maltby, The Reasonableness
of Hell (Santa Cruz, CA: privately printed, 1913), 82, 3. Cited
from
25. See Martin Luther,
“Against the Roman Papacy, an Institution of the Devil”
(1545), Eric W. Gritsch, ed., Luther’s Works (American Edition,
Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1966), Vol. 41, 263-4, 376, John Calvin, The Necessity of
the Reformation (New York: S. W. Benediet, 1844 [(1544)]), 11; Richard
Baxter, “The Protestant Religion Truly Stated and
Justified,” William Orme,
ed., The Practical Works of the Reverend Richard Baxter
(London: James Duncan, 1830), 1,
658; John Wesley, “A Short Method of Converting all the Roman Catholics in the
Kingdom of Ireland,” “The Works of John
Wesley,” (London: Wesleyan Conference Office, 1872), X, 130-1.
26. Simpson, The Gospel of the
Kingdom, 91-4.
27. Simpson, The Coming One
(1912), 83-84. For a fuller explanation, see Steven L. Ware, “Restoring the
Bibliography
Primary Sources
Baxter, Richard. The Practical Works of the Reverend Richard Baxter.
Orme, William, ed.
Calvin John. The Necessity of the Reformation, to which is Appended the Articles of Agreement on the Sacramentarian
Question Between the Churches of
Hills, A. M. Fundamental Christian Theology 2 vols.
Luther, Martin. Luther’s Works.
American Edition. Pelikan, Jaroslav, and Lehmann, Helmut T., eds.
[Page
45]
McPherson, Aimee Semple. Lost and Restored,
and Other Sermons.
Morrison, Henry Clay. Lectures
on Prophecy.
The Scofield Reference
Bible: Holy
Bible, Authorised King James Version,
Simpson, Albert Benjamin. The Coming One.
Watson, George Douglas. The Bridehood
Saints.
Wesley, John.
The Works of John Wesley.
Secondary Sources
Aspects of Pentecostal Origins. Synan, Harold Vinson, ed.
The Birth of a Vlison: Essays on the
Ministry and Thought of Albert B. Simpson. Hartzfeld, David F., and Nienkirchen, Charles W.,
eds. Camp Hill, P.A: Christian Publications, 1986.
Blumhofer, Edith
L. Restoring the Faith: The Assemblies of God, Pentecostalism, and American Culture.
Basher,
John Lawrence. The Sanctified South: John Lakin Brasher and
the Holiness Movement.
Brown, Kenneth O. “Leadership
in the National Holiness Association, with Special Reference to Eschatology,
1867-1919.” Ph.D. Dissertation,
Conn, Charles
W. Like a Mighty Army, Moves the
Faupel,
David William. The Everlasting Gospel: The Significance of Eschatology in the Development of
Pentecostal Thought.
Jones,
Charles Edwin. Perfectionist Persuasion: The Holiness Movement and American Methodism, 1867-1936.
Niklaus, Robert L., Sawin, John S., and Stoesz, Samuel J. All for Jesus: God at
Work in the Christian and Missionary
[Page
46]
Waldvogel,
Edith L. “The Overcoming Life: A Study of the
Reformed Evangelical Origins of Pentecostalism.” Ph. D. Dissertation,
Ware, Steven L. “Restoring
the New
Weber, Timothy P. Living
in the Shadow of the Second Coming:
American Premillennialism,
1875-1982.
Wesche, Percival A. Henry Clay Morrison: Crusader Saint.
* *
*
[Page
47]
CHAPTER 4
- Premillennialism
-
A. B. Simpson, Sanctification and the C&MA
* Samuel J. Stoesz *
“And this gospel of the
kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and
then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14)
are the words of Jesus that have challenged the
I.
A
During the forty days between His resurrection and ascension,
Jesus instructed His disciples regarding the
Dr. A. B. Simpson, founder of The Christian and Missionary
Alliance, believed that this globalization task was essential to the Church’s
very nature and function; that obedience to the Great Commission would speed
Christ’s return to establish God’s [millennial] kingdom (2 Peter 3: 11-13). Jesus clearly said, “All authority in heaven and
on earth has been given to me. Therefore go. ... And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of
the age” (Matthew 28: 18-20). The command with promise motivated
Simpson to publish an evangelical missionary magazine - The
Gospel in All Lands - the first of its kind.1 He held a missionary convention in
his pastorate, the New York Gospel Tabernacle in 1884, and described it in his
magazine. This resulted in numerous invitations from various denominational
churches for similar events, each lasting eight to ten days with emphasis on
the deeper life and missions. Five were sponsored in large urban centers in
1885 and in 1900 Simpson noted that the calls for conventions far exceeded the
possibility to engage them.2 Auxiliaries
called “branches” [Page 48] originated to sustain the message and
challenge between annual conventions wherever they were regularly established.
Contrary to the initial intentions of the founder, the
branches eventually became churches. In 1974 a public announcement was made at
annual council that the Alliance was no longer an interdenominational
missionary society, as formerly identified, but had become a denomination of
churches.3 The Alliance movement has now spread
not only throughout North America but is also currently in sixty-two countries
of the world.4
To Simpson, the premillennial coming again of Jesus to set up
His [messianic and millennial] kingdom
was the preparatory message Jesus preached: “Repent, for the kingdom of
heaven is near” (Matthew 3: 2). It was the warp and woof of all scriptural revelation. The
vision and faith of the
Simpson viewed the millennial kingdom as a triumphant fulfilment of the Great
Commission. He
understood uniquely how strongly creation is tied to divine redemption in
Scripture. Biblically, creation and redemption are interdependent in Jesus’
gospel of the kingdom. Man, the vice-regent of creation, is commissioned to
conquer and to exercise dominion over all creation (Genesis 1: 28). This mandate was not rescinded (see
Psalms 8: 1-8; 115: 16), though the human race fell through disobedience and allegiance to Satan.
The redeemed and glorified church is to rule over creation in the kingdom to
come (2
Timothy 2: 12; Revelation 5: 10; 20: 4, 6). The Great Commission, therefore, is
to fulfil man’s original mandate. Globalization of the gospel, Simpson
believed, will speed Christ’s return and restore dominion to redeemed man.
The premillennial consummation is in anticipation of Christ’s
personal and physical appearing in triumphal glory to reign with His - [elect (see Matt.
5: 20)
and “accounted worthy” (see Lk. 20: 35)] - Church. Meanwhile, the Church is promised Christ’s presence and power to
overcome Satan’s domain which He has usurped through man’s allegiance to Him.
Christ’s kingdom, now present in mystery form, will become manifest
triumphantly when Jesus returns to earth. The kingdom cannot be [Page
49] etherealized by
spiritualization. The earth will be regenerated (paliggenesia, Matthew 19: 28, KJV) after Christ’s coming and
believers, as priests of God and of Christ, will reign with Him on earth for
1,000 years (Revelation 20: 6).
The many promises in the Old Testament of an earthly restored
order when the Messiah comes will be fulfilled. The Old and the New Testaments
are simply components of one revelation that promises a redemption of earth as well as of [regenerate] believers.* The Old describes man in paradise lost, the New
concludes with a vision of man in a new heaven and a new earth. The book of Revelation provides greater detail of a
transitional period of 1,000 years. Satan will be bound for that period, after
which he will be loosed for a short time and then cast into a ‘lake of fire’
(Revelation 20: 10). Mortal inhabitants of earth and
glorified saints of heaven will worship God and every knee will bow and every
tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Isaiah 45: 23-24; Philippians 2: 10;
Romans 14: 11).
[*
That is, after the time of their resurrection ‘out from the dead’ (Matt. 16: 18;
2 Tim. 2:
17, 18. Cf.
Phil. 3: 11; Heb. 11: 35; Rev. 20: 4-6, R.V.)]
The added detail of a millennial period is no doubt given to
establish the realism of completing the universal redemptive process predicted
in both Testaments. Simpson objected strenuously to A-millennial and
Post-millennial positions, saying that the rejection of a restored earthly
kingdom “takes out of God’s Book all reality and makes
everything merely a dream as vague as the fooleries of Christian Science.”5 The millennium begins with the
restored kingdom and ends when the transition is
complete, followed by a new heaven and [a new]
earth.* The
realism of a physical and personal return of Christ and a physical resurrection
of the saints in which heaven and earth are spiritually and physically
reconciled (Colossians 1: 19-20) is in essence the burden of Simpson
in The Gospel of
the Kingdom.
[* Rev. 21: 1: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven
and first earth are passed away.” Cf. 2 Pet. 3: 10.R.V.]
To Simpson the power of the gospel includes a transforming power
in the present world. The challenge of saints to overcome the world (Revelation 3: 21) is not only to save souls - [from ‘Sheol’
/ ‘Hades’ (see Gen.
37: 35; Psa. 139: 8b, R.V. Cf. Lk.
16: 23; Acts 2: 27
R.V.)] - but
also to exercise Christ’s power and authority by fulfilling God’s purpose in
creation-history. The Church is God’s divine agency, now being trained and
educated to rule with Christ in His coming kingdom. The Scriptures boldly
assert that the kingdom of the world under Satan will become the kingdom of our
Lord and of His Christ and that He will reign forever and ever (11: 15).
[Page
50]
True Christian spirituality has a commonality with creation
that concretizes faith. The natural and the divine are blended in Jesus Christ,
who is fully man as well as fully God. Christ Himself is the hope of the world
of creation as well as man’s salvation.
There are many phenomenal questions for which human answers
are impossible. How will every eye see Jesus Christ when He comes (1: 7)? Who and by what manner do the
mortal inhabitants of earth come into existence during the millennium? How can
the glorified [and immortal] saints who accompany Jesus on thrones judge mortals on earth (20: 4)? What kind of roles will various
saints have to rule and judge, or be in charge of many things (Matthew 25: 21)? The Apostle Paul called such
unsolved questions a wisdom for the mature but conversely a conundrum to the
unregenerate mind. He associated Isaiah 64: 4 with the [regenerate] believer’s hope and said, “No eye has
seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who
love him” (1 Corinthians 2: 9). Again the Scriptures say, “The secret things belong to the Lord
our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever”
(Deuteronomy 29: 29).
Jesus took a resurrected physical body to glory and He will
come again to earth in a like manner as He was seen going into heaven (Acts 1: 10-11). Pentecost came about when Jesus was glorified (John 7: 39). It was Jesus who with the Father
sent the Holy Spirit to impart His own nature to His children and to share with
them the purpose of creation. Scripture asserts that all of creation
waits in eager expectation for the glory to be revealed in believers and to
receive with them a liberation from decay. Creation
will be brought into the glorious freedom experienced by the children of God
when they are glorified (Romans 8: 18-22).
Surely it is true that man’s redemption is paramount as
expressed in John 3: 16-17. The redeemed Church is to reach
every human creature in the world with the gospel, but this is not exclusive of
its relationship to the world of creation. Jesus was specific when He said that
repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached to all nations (Luke 24: 47) and that believers will be witnesses
in
The
While engaged in research for the centennial history All for Jesus, I was amazed how Simpson projected
the need of the gospel in various countries in his early publication of the
missionary magazine. In detail he described countries not only geographically
and demographically, but also their language, climate, history, culture and
pagan worship. He described the devastation sin made on their economy, family
relationships, the bondage of women, the tyranny of rulers, the plight of
physical maladies, the cruelty caused by superstition and the oppression of
pagan idolatry.7 The hope of
these countries Simpson recognized as the gospel.
An incident is frequently told of a close associate of
Simpson’s who awakened in the night to hear groaning intercession. He dared to
investigate by peering through a crack in Simpson’s study door and saw him
kneeling with his arms embracing a large world globe with tears moistening its
surface.
The royal priesthood of believers (1 Peter 2: 9) is presently given a global stance
of authority by being led in triumphal procession despite fierce opposition (2 Corinthians 2: 14). Faith need not shrink though pressed
by every foe. Satan is not only a personal foe but also one who with his
minions seeks to hold territories under his sway (see Daniel 10: 12-13). Royal priests, however, believe that the gospel can defeat him and will
challenge him on his own ground of devastating influence. The church planted in
Satan’s territorial domain is a stake of claim over which the gates of hell
will not prevail (Matthew 16: 18).
Simpson viewed sanctification of believers as essential to the
premillennial mission of the church. Holiness of life to Simpson was not
Sinlessness, perfectionism or the filling of the [Holy] Spirit with an evidence sign, but an
identification and union with Christ Himself that imparts by the Holy [Page
52] Spirit Christ’s
own nature and life (Colossians 1: 27). The Christ who in His earthly ministry said that the works
He did were not of Himself but of the Father who dwelt within Him, also
promised, “If” - [clearly a divine
condition] “a man remains
in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15: 5). Pentecost demonstrated that the power
and authority of Christ’s gospel was for all people and languages because
Christ Himself was glorified (Acts 2: 5-39).
Perhaps the greatest weakness of the Church is in its search
for a personal possession of [divine] power and worthiness. Instead, all that is accomplished for eternity is
what Jesus Christ Himself does for us, in us and through us as His saints. Abiding in union with Him to fulfil His purpose and will makes servanthood fruitful - not our
worthiness, sinlessness, or personal power. If by faith believers abide in
union with Him, He will abide in them and they are sheltered by His blood and
promised to bear much fruit. Sin - [done ‘wilfully’ (Heb. 10: 26-30)] - is an obstruction to faith and
obedience, but to walk in the light
volitionally is to be blameless and free with continuous cleansing (1 John 1: 7).
Satan exercises all his expertise to defeat the Church by
accusing saints day and night (Revelation 12: 10). He accuses them of weakness, unworthiness and sins of
omission and commission. He only needs to distract them from Christ’s
sufficiency for power and authority to do God’s will. The human self-nature
desires to earn its own right for authority and power, whereas a transformed
Christ-like nature relinquishes all such rights and looks only to Him.
Simpson believed that as members of the Church volitionally
set themselves apart for Christ and His kingdom, they were holy for the indwelling power of His Spirit. Obedience to Christ’s commission was an obedience of
life in every vocational calling.*
This would gift the Church as a whole for its global task. The Church is
called, Simpson believed, to position itself in message anti vision on the
fullness and sufficiency of Christ Himself to fulfil its high calling.
[* See Acts 5: 32; cf. 1
John 3: 24, R.V.]
IV.
A Coming Kingdom - A Call to the Church as God’s Agency
Simpson viewed The Christian
Missionary
[Page
53]
The impact of initial beginnings on the present is too much
overlooked. The Fourfold Gospel was an identity slogan of a core faith. Though
initially the
Today, we smile at this but it was not a deception. The policy
remained as long as Simpson lived and beyond. He explained frequently that the
New York Gospel Tabernacle, his pastorate, was a church affiliated with the
Too often we fail to consider the historical context in which
bold venture becomes necessary, especially when on an uncharted and untried
course. The Church at large was failing in its obedience to the Great
Commission - that was too obvious. The risk of sending missionaries without
adequate support of intercessory involvement, proper training, an organic faith
dynamic that would unite the church at home with the missionary on the front
lines - these were essential issues. Financial support was to Simpson a side
issue. The physical risks missionaries would encounter was a reality that could
not be avoided. A missionary church at home should be as responsible and
committed as the missionary it sends.
Dr. Simpson’s close friend and confidante, Dr. A. J. Gordon of
No doubt Simpson and Gordon were aware of Paul’s sufferings
depicted in Second Corinthians 11, and of his healing ministry. They knew of the intense suffering of William Carey, the father of modern
missions, and of Adoniram Judson and
David Brainerd. Did not the promised
presence and authority of Jesus include healing of physical suffering? Did not
Jesus and His apostles have such ministry?
The Fourfold Gospel represented a scope, a configuration and
an integrated focus involving the whole twentieth-century evangelical church.
The
Perhaps the biggest influence toward a church-like operation
of the branches came in the early 1920s when the fundamentalist movement
against liberalism caused many trained ministers in the denominations to resign
their churches and accept leadership in
Today, church planting at home and in missionary service has
become a major priority of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. Training
national pastors for churches planted by missionaries is recognized as highly
important. If indigenous churches are to become missionary in the context of
their culture, they must be adequately trained to meet the challenge. Not only
Bible training institutes but graduate theological schools are also increasing.
The turnabout is more revolutionary than has yet been estimated.
V. A
The globalized call of the Church as given in Matthew 28: 18-20 demands an holistic perspective regarding the nature and function of the [Page
55] Church. The
rendering of this passage in the King James Version may suggest that “Go ye into
all the world” is
an imperative. A more literal rendering may be, “All power is given unto me in
heaven and on earth; as you go into all the
world. ...” Globalization
is a lifestyle for every believer and for the corporate Church. The Church’s
nature and function includes world missions - not as an extra piece of baggage,
but as its very being. The local church, as a home base for missionary
outreach, models its nature by evangelism and baptizes converts to teach them
to observe all that Jesus has commanded, which is discipleship formation.
This extends to the formation of the corporate nature and
function of the Church. Evangelism and missions, with a grounded faith in the
power and authority of Jesus, will extend evangelism at home to missions
world-wide. New converts will be identified as “in Christ” and “in the Church” by baptism, and be taught to observe
all that Jesus commanded.
The holistic nature of the Church is to experience Christ’s
own power and presence by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the
To bring into alignment what the
*
* *
Endnotes
1. Robert Nikiaus, John
Sawin and Samuel Stoesz All for Jesus
(Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, Inc., 1986), 37. By the time Simpson's
first missionary convention [Page 56] was held, The Gospel in All
Lands had ceased
publication and was replaced by The Word, the Work and
the World, a predecessor of the current magazine, Alliance Life.
2. The Story of the C&M4, (New York: Alliance Press, 1900), 6
3. “The C&M Alliance Converts to
Denominational Status,” Eternity
August 1974. 8.
4. Due to the active missions program of the
5. A. B. Simpson, The Coming One.(New
York: Christian Alliance Publishing, 1912) -16.
6. A. B. Simpson, The Gospel of the
Kingdom (New York: Alliance Press, 1890).19-20.
7. See early editions of Simpson’s missionary magazine, The Gospel in All Lands.
8. The Story of the, C&M4, 3.
*
* *
[Page
57]
Current Considerations
* *
*
[Page
58 blank /Page 59]
CHAPTER 5
- Premillennialism
-
the Scriptures and Convergent Issues
* K. Neill Foster *
A well-known
seminary president has said that within ten years few evangelical organizations
will retain their premillennial stance. That trend among evangelicals creates a
powerful concern that in the abandonment of premillennialism much more may be
surrendered than is immediately apparent. This essay reflects that concern.
To speak of premillennialism is to immediately identify
oneself with traditional evangelicalism and with a fervent belief in the return
of Jesus Christ. It also implies a certain view of Scripture, particularly of
the book of Revelation, in that
the six biblical references to 1,000 years are all contained in Revelation chapter 20. (There are other biblical passages
which support the concept of a 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ, but the twentieth
chapter of Revelation is the
key.)
Related issues to be addressed in this paper include
definitions, history, hermeneutics and biblical authority as it interfaces with
a number of biblical concerns. Some attention will also be paid to the positions
of the Reformers and the era in which premillennialism emerged anew in the
evangelical context. Strategic biblical arguments for the premillennial belief
will be brought forward. Finally, the potential impact of amillennialism on the
missionary mandate will be examined, and the propensity of A-millennialism
toward liberalism and evolution will be explored.
I.
Definitions
A.
Millennialism can be described
as the belief that there will be a righteous rule of 1,000 years on this earth:
“
[Page
60]
B. Premillennialism can therefore be described as the
express belief that Jesus Christ will indeed return before the millennium
described in Revelation 20 and
that He will rule and reign for 1,000 years.
C. Postmillennialism may he described as fellows: “Those who believe Christ will not return until after the
millennium are called post-millenarians.” 2
The practical anticipation is that the Church through its activity and
influence will so permeate society that the
D. Amillennialism is the disbelief in the literal
meaning of the millennial passages in Revelation 20; this view ultimately can be traced to Origen.
II. History and Premillennialism
Historical patterns on any given subject have profound
significance. Nowhere is this more true than in Church history. And in the case
of premillennialism, the facts of history are of special impact.
The earliest church fathers were premillennial, as Paul L. King well illustrates elsewhere
in this book of essays. Thiessen
flatly says that “the early church was premillennial”4 and Fisher (in a comment of interest to me since I have come to this
conclusion on my own) blames the Montanistic heresy of the second century with
its prophetic eccentricities for the overthrow of chiliasm in the early Church.
5 Unfortunately, in the early Church, millennialism
(i.e., chiliasm) was thought by some to be both sensual and “grossly materialistic.” 6
After Origen, it is nearly
impossible to overestimate Augustine’s formidable contribution in the
intervening centuries. Through his influence and writings (including The City of God), amillennialism became the de facto theology of the Church. With the Reformation and the
historic return of the Church to the Bible, belief in the soon coming of Christ
re-emerged. Luther, Melanethon, Calvin and Knox may all
be cited as fervent believers in [Page 61] the return of Jesus Christ. 7 Belief in the imminent return of Jesus Christ unfortunately
did not extend to premillennialism among the Reformers. Their view of
Scripture, however, made the re-emergence of premillennialism likely, if not
inevitable.
Indeed, there was a tremendous surge in premillennial belief
in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. And, predictably, the surge was
built upon the sturdy view of Scripture embraced earlier by the Reformers.
Evangelical leaders crowded the premillennial platform. A. B. Simpson was among them. 8 Thiessen says, “... there has been a return to the position of the early Church.
Charles Wesley, Isaac Watts, Bengel, Lange, Godet, Ellicott, Trench, Alford, the Bonar
brothers and most of the outstanding evangelists of the past and present
generations have espoused the premillennial position.” 9 From Thiessen’s perspective in the
mid-twentieth century, he remained optimistic: “During
the last sixty years there has been a renewed emphasis upon this blessed hope.”10
However, as indicated earlier, premillennialism is currently
under assault and is being repudiated on many sides. 11 One possible factor in the decline of
premillennialism is weariness in regard to the ongoing controversies over pre -
and post-tribulational views of the second coming of Jesus Christ. These
controversies among dispensational premillennialists, along with present
eccentricities in the charismatic/prophecy movements, may have combined to
erode belief in premillennialism.
Premillennialism is under attack by academics and theologians,
but the common people seem to hear it gladly, as evidenced by the incredible
sales of the Left Behind series, which is both premillennial and
pretribulational.
Finally, a new interest in Reformed theology sometimes also
carries with it a casual disdain for the tenets of premillennialism. In seeking
to be Calvin-like and Luther-like, the new “reformers”
have not extended their passion for the full authority of Scripture to
eschatology. And the long shadow of Augustine’s amillennialism has lingered
too. These caveats notwithstanding, the biblical arguments for premillennialism
are several and strong.
III.
Scripture and Premillennialism
Many sections of the Bible can be summoned to advance
premillennialism. I include six of these passages here:
[Page 62]
1. Revelation 20: 1-6 affirms
the concept of 1,000 years six times, and it also affirms the rule and reign of
a king, specifically Christ’s rule. To overthrow or abandon premillennialism, Revelation 20 must be attacked.
2. First Corinthians15: 23-28 references the coming of Jesus Christ and associates it with His rule and reign.
This is a strong premillennial passage in that Jesus Christ is portrayed as the
conquering monarch, clearly ruling and reigning. Amillennialism and
Postmillennialism do not fit this passage.
3. Daniel 7: 13-14 describes the coming of the Son of Man in the clouds and His subsequent
rule. All people, nations and languages will serve Him. It sounds very much
like Revelation
20: 1-7. Premillennialism fits like a glove.
4. Isaiah 11: 2-10
describes the wolf and the lamb dwelling together and a ruler’s ensign which “the Gentiles
[shall] seek.” The ruler here is from “the root of Jesse” and again this scene from the prophet
synchronizes with the New Testament passages on the millennium, Revelation 20 and First Corinthians 15.
5. Psalm 2: 6-9 gives
the description of a king on the holy hill of Zion. The uttermost parts are
included, along with the heathen. He rules with a rod of iron. Again, a king
ruling in a millennium-like ambiance is in view.
6. Other Scriptures which could be
summoned to the premillennialist cause but upon which I will not comment
include Isaiah
65: 20, 25; Psalm 45: 4; Ezekiel 37: 27-28; Ezekiel chapters
40-48 (especially 43: 19-27, 45: 20-21); and Zechariah 14: 16-21.
These and yet other Scriptures describe the rule and reign of
the Lord Jesus Christ in terms that best fit the premillennial view.
IV. Systematic Theology and Premillennialism
The biblical text is carefully ordered, anti God’s workmen are
to go about correctly dissecting and dividing the sacred Word. Moreover, it can
be done rightly (2 Timothy 2: 15).
Biblical truth is linear in nature. History is directional. It
is going somewhere. It is finally eschatological and apocalyptic: “In the beginning,
God ...” (Genesis 1: 1). And a grand climax is coming: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22: 20). The ordering of biblical [Page
64] doctrines is
essential to biblical understanding. Paul’s admonition to Timothy was to divide
the Word of God rightly (2 Timothy 2: 15).
Premillennialism is part of a serious systematic theology
which Professor John Frame has
described as follows: “... any study that answers the
question, ‘What does the whole Bible teach us today?’ about any given topic.”
12 If one takes both the Old Testament
anticipation of the kingdom, the inauguration of the kingdom in the life of
Jesus Christ, along with the New Testament’s description of the millennial
kingdom rule of Jesus Christ, one tends to become both millennial, i.e.,
believing in the millennium, and premillennial, i.e., believing that Jesus
Christ will set up His kingdom before the millennium and will rule for 1,000
years. Systematic theology frames the path to premillennialism. The doctrine of
last things is inevitably a part of systematic theology. 13
V. Biblical Interpretation and Premillennialism
The interpretation of Scripture is a significant issue when
dealing with the Bible. The application of hermeneutics is an honourable
occupation for all who wish to understand what the Bible says. It has been
called “the science which teaches the principles of
interpretation. Biblical hermeneutics in particular is the science which
determines the principles of the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures.”
14 An emphasis on the clarity or
perspicuity of Scripture re-emerged at the time of the Reformation, and we have
the Reformers to thank for the contemporary encouragement to read and seek to
understand Scripture and to be ruled by it. Plain people should be able to read
plain Scripture and plainly understand.
However, hermeneutics has been abused. Chiliasm, or as we
prefer, premillennialism, took a jolt early in Church history when Origen, a universalist of sorts, came
up with a new hypothesis, suggesting that the biblical “promises of the kingdom should be taken in a spiritual and allegorical
sense.” 15 That was a
hermeneutical shift from the way the early Church believed. Indeed, Thiessen calls Origen “the father of modern postmillennialism.” 16
The spiritualization of the millennial passages continued
under Augustine, though he himself hints that at one time he had been a
millennialist. 17 As history
moved toward the modern era, the Church became [Page 64]
creasingly less attached to government, less ready to believe that secular
power along with the Christian message would usher in the millennial kingdom.
Augustine, though tempted with the millennial view, persisted also in
allegorical hermeneutics. The Reformers basically rescued the Church from Augustine’s
hermeneutical prison, restored the authority and clarity of Scripture and
endorsed the priesthood of all believers. In such an atmosphere, millennialism
in its “pre” form could once again emerge. Not
surprisingly, two centuries after Luther, premillennialism was back. Believing Revelation 20 literally was back in style.
Agenda Hermeneutics
Today’s hermeneutical adventurers have not exactly returned to
the allegorical method, which tossed out premillennialism, but have established
new ways, modern ways, to circumvent the plain statements of Scripture. A
sometimes appropriate cultural hermeneutic, for example, can be a Corban-like
way to get around Scriptures one may not like (Mark 7: 11). Casuistry, it is called. Evangelicals are tempted in the
twenty-first century by agenda hermeneutics, from the twentieth century.
* Homosexuals who wish to be Christian
ministers must first invent a permissive hermeneutic for the Bible before they
can convince themselves or others of their legitimacy.
* Egalitarian/feminist views of the
Bible require Scripture-twisting which even Clark Pinnock, no biblicist himself these days, called “hermeneutical ventriloquism.” 18
* Those who wish to advance universalism (or its little sister,
inclusivism) must have an agenda hermeneutic to negate John
14: 6 in which Jesus claims that He
is the way, the truth and life and that no one comes to the Father except
through Him.
* Dampening down hell’s eternal fire
also requires a certain agenda hermeneutic. If one begins with the a priori
argument that hell simply could not be eternal, one must then get around texts
like Matthew 25: 46,
where eternal life and eternal fire are locked together with the same Greek
words in the same verse.
Modern examples of agenda hermeneutics could be enlarged far
beyond this section, but time and space do not allow. My estimation is that [Page
65] evangelicals are
presently being tempted with about 100 kinds of interpretation, nearly all of
them suspect and agenda-driven.
What kind of hermeneutic, then, overturns premillennialism?
The “problem” passage - if one is interested in
abandoning premillennialism - is Revelation 20. John, by the Holy Spirit, had the audacity to mention 1,000
years six times. Further, Revelation 21 describes heaven, which no one wants to abandon or explain away. What is
needed for the abandonment of premillennialism is a judicious application of
the “spiritualize-all-prophecy” hermeneutic to Revelation 20, taking care not to disturb Revelation 21 (and the reality of heaven) with the
interpretation. The evidence is clear: In current evangelicalism this
hermeneutical dance is underway, the elimination of premillennialism pending in
some parts.
It would be possible to reserve the arguments just made for
millennialism alone. However, Revelation 20 has Jesus Christ the King on the scene. Believers are to rule and reign
with a present, ruling, reigning Christ. That is a premillennial implication.
VI. Inerrancy and Premillennialism
The very words of Scripture are important. “inerrancy” and “plenary”
are words which describe a view of Scripture which focuses on the actual words
of the ancient text. Jesus talked about “jots” and “tittles” never passing away (Matthew 5: 18). Paul made profound arguments on the
singular and plural forms of a single word in the Old Testament (Galatians 3: 16). Is the Bible to be trusted when it
says, “they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with
him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20: 6)? Some of the newer translations shy
away from John’s declaration that believers will be “kings and
priests” (1: 6).
The Greek word is plainly
“kings.” Reigning with Christ in a literal
way during the millennium requires a perspective of Christ as the ruling King
of kings. Plain statements of Scripture have to be overturned or set aside in
order to avoid belief in Christ as King in the millennium.
“It could not be said that all Amillennialists deny the
verbal, plenary inspiration of the Scriptures ... [yet] it seems to be the
first step in that direction. The system of spiritualizing Scripture is a tacit
erosion of the doctrine of the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Scriptures….”
19
[Page 66]
Some Amillennialists do tend toward eroded views of Scripture.
This is an exceptionally worrisome tendency, but it is not a rule, some
Amillennialists are anything but weak on Scripture.
Our Error
From the amillennial view, the fundamental error of
premillennialism is the view of Scripture that tends to be embraced by us as
chiliasts.20 If that “fundamental
error” is the verbal and plenary view of inspiration, we plead joyfully
guilty! In formal terms, premillennialism is a natural outgrowth of the
grammatical/historical pattern of interpretation.
Loraine Boettner makes a remarkable admission,
speaking to a premillennialist as an amillennialist, when he flatly says, “It
is generally agreed that if prophecies are taken literally, they do foretell a
restoration of the nation
VII. Christology and Premillennialism
Christ is the King in the premillennial view of eschatology. Indeed,
He is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19: 16). His kingdom has been anticipated (Psalm 2: 6-12; Matthew 3: 2), has arrived (Zechariah 9: 9-10;
Luke 4: 18) and is still coming (Matthew 24: 14). And we are to pray for it as the
Lord’s prayer makes clear (6: 10). All of those statements amplify the broadly based biblical anti
Christological teaching about the King and the
To abandon the concept of a literal millennium presents the
necessity of belief in a King without a literal kingdom. If there is no
millennium, one has to wonder about the plain statements of Scripture and the
hundreds of biblical references about the
[Page 67]
Christological Reality
Ultimately the kingship of Jesus Christ is an unalterable,
nonnegotiable Christological reality. Ladd
sums it up: “... the millennial reign of Christ will
be the [Christological] manifestation in
history of the lordship and sovereignty which is his already.” 23
VIII. Biblical Holiness and Premillennialism
Two Scriptures are very emphatic here: “And every man
that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even
as he is pure” (1 John 3: 3, KJV); “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved
blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5: 23, KJV). If the millennium is not real,
then is the Lord really coming, and is there anything to get ready for and be
pure about? Or if the millennial dawn arrives after the whole world abandons
sin and gradually converts to Christianity, how does present-tense holiness
connect to an event that may be a thousand years hence? (An important caveat
here: It is a stretch to blame amillennial thought for the pervasive carnality
of weak believers.)
A. B. Simpson saw premillennialism as a great and
powerful instrument in the life of a believer. “This
is an intensely practical truth - a great lever that will uplift the world into
a fitness to receive Him. It is intimately associated with holiness. ‘He that hath this hope
purifieth himself even as He is pure’ (1 John 3: 3).” 25
The Apostle Paul
yearned for his coming crown, but also believed there would be a crown for
those that “love his appearing” (2
Timothy 4: 8, KJV). The author of Hebrews wrote, “Follow peace
with all men, and holiness, without which no man
shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12: 14, KJV).
This is not the place to present a thorough exposition of the
doctrine of holiness in the New Testament, but simply to say that this soundly [Page
68] biblical doctrine
is there, and it is unavoidable. It is part of the authentic Christian message and
is biblically linked to the return of Jesus Christ. Premillennialism is a
theological option which stimulates a vibrant personal faith and encourages, even demands, an ardent pursuit of holiness.
(I admit, however, that some Reformed Amillennialists do take injunctions to
holiness very seriously.)
IX. Imminence and Premillennialism
“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24: 42, KJV). There is a thread of imminence
about Christ’s return winding all the way through the New Testament. “Strange it is,” says A. J. Gordon, “that we have reached an age
where it is counted an eccentricity to love His appearance and a theological
error to cry with the best-loved apostle, ‘Even
so come, Lord
Jesus!” 26
For A. B. Simpson, a strong factor
in his turn to premillennialism was the element of watchfulness admonished in
Scripture. “Another reason firmly impressed on my mind
was the use of the word watch. If a thing is not imminent, why watch for it? If the
millennium was to come first, that and not His coming, would be the event to
watch for. If that word [watch] means anything, it means that He might come anytime.”
27
X. The Missiological Mandate and Premillennialism
The “end” was
connected to the Great Commission by the Lord Jesus Christ. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached
in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come”
(24: 14, KJV). A. B. Simpson was focused resolutely on this biblical mandate.
Simpson preached “that our Lord’s return was imminent;
it awaited no future event, and was dependent only on the completion of world
evangelism.” 28
For a more current view of the connection between the
missionary mandate and Premillennialism, Keith
Bailey once summarized the views of The Christian and Missionary Alliance
as follows:
The return of Jesus Christ
is premillennial. The literal manifestation of Christ’s rule over the nations
of the world and His reign over
Dispensational Premillennialism, which is traced back to Darbyism 30
in the current era, suggests that
Now back to Simpson. In an essay entitled, “The Missionary Eschatology of A. B. Simpson,” Franklin Pyles says of Simpson, “Every single point of his end-time thinking had a definite
impact on his plan to preach the gospel across the world. And, at the same
time, his missionary theology guided his eschatology, for if a point of
prophecy had no impact on missionary strategy, he had little concern for it.”
30 At the end of his essay, Pyles observes, “The current divorce between our missionary practice and our
eschatology can be overcome by again asserting the strengths of
Premillennialism: A real kingdom will soon be inaugurated in this earth by the personal
presence of Jesus Christ.” 33
XI Conclusion
The authority of the Scriptures is integrally related to
Premillennialism. An eroded view of Scripture may facilitate both
Amillennialism and Postmillennialism while not necessarily being unique to them.
The debate should never rest on the varieties of eschatological
interpretations. It should rest rather and always on the full authority of Scripture
and the hermeneutic to be applied to prophecy. Donald Wiggins
cautions, - “I believe the fundamental problem
[with the amillennial view] is a blindness to a
literal approach to prophecy carried over in the historical Reformed tradition.”
34
A. B. Simpson seems to have “muddled through” with many of his changing views on
prophecy, but there never was any doubt about his resolute view of Scripture.
For many years, until 1992, his “Christ in the Bible
Series” commentary on the book of Revelation
was not kept in print by [Page 70] Christian Publications, the publishing house he
founded. In that same year, the series was renamed The Christ
in the Bible Commentary and
reissued with these comments placed at the beginning of Revelation:
As you read
this final volume of the series you may understand why it was not kept current.
It was not simply that Simpson’s view of a partial rapture ran counter to the
prevailing evangelical opinion in the first half of the century. ... Simpson
was unashamedly in love with Jesus Christ, and he longed for His return.
Simpson was concerned for a lost world of people, and he worked night and day
for their evangelization. He was persuaded [biblically] that world
evangelization must precede the end‑time events portrayed in Revelation? 35
A church historian might further observe that the first three
centuries of the Church, along with the last two centuries, have been the most
predominantly missionary centuries in the entire history of the Church. Is it
coincidental that premillennialism is connected with the grand expansion of the
Christian Church? I think not. Do theological dalliances with amillennialism
and postmillennialism have a frightful missiological cost? Do they tend to
impede obedience to the missionary mandate? If so, they must be resisted - for
the sake of the still-lost world. Groups like The Christian and Missionary
Alliance play with amillennialism or postmillennialism at their profound peril.
For the
Warnings from the Elders
Wendell Grout, long-time pastor of the
To abandon premillennialism as some have done, “leans.” Does it “lean”
finally toward the denial of inerrancy and authority of Scripture? Possibly. It
would be better in my view never to have been premillennial than to have been
premillennial and then to have abandoned it.
*
* *
[Page 71]
Endnotes
1. Henry C. Thiessen, Lectures in Systematic Theology
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1952), 282-3.
2. Jesse Forrest Silver, The Lord’s Return (New York: Revell, 1914), 37.
3. M. I. Haldernan, History of the
Doctrine of Our Lord’s Return
(Philadelphia: Philadelphia School of the Bible, 1914), 26.
4. Thiessen, 470.
5.George P. Fisher,
History of the Christian Church (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons,
1902),84ff.
6. Charles L. Feinburg, Millennialism
(Chicago, IL: Moody, 1982),42.
7. Haldeman, 23ff.
8. A. B. Simpson, “How I Was
Led to Believe in Premillennialism,” Communicate, June 2000.
9. Thiessen, 471.
10. Ibid.
11. K. Neill Foster,
“
12. Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 21.
13. Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1983), 23. Cf.
also George Eldon Ladd, The Gospel of the Kingdom (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959).
14. Charles C. Ryrie, The Premillennial
Faith (New York:
Loizeau Brothers, 1953), 34.
15. Haldeman, 26.
16. Thiessen, 471.
17. T Harold P. Shelley, “Premillennialism
in the Medieval and Reformation Times,” Essays
on Premillennialism (
18. Clark H. Pinnock,
“Biblical Authority and the Issues in Question”
in Woman, Authority and the Bible (Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1986), 57-8.
19. Ryrie, 34-5.
20. Ibid., 36.
21. Robert G. Clouse,
The Meaning of the Millennium (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity,
1977),95,
22. Gerhard Kittel
and Gerhard Freidrich, eds., Thelogical Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1949), 579.
23. Clouse, 32.
24. Joel Van Hoogen
(2000,www.christianpublications.com/periodicals/communicate/
no lpage2.htm).
25. A. B. Simpson, “How I Was Led to Believe in Premillennialism,” The Christian and Missionary
26. William Bell Riley, “The
Historical Ministry of Premillenarianism,” The
Biblical Evangelist, November-December
2000.
27. Simpson, 298-9.
28. Lindsay Reynolds, rebirth, the
Redevelopment of Thee Christian and Missionary
29. Keith M. Bailey, Bringing Back the
King (Colorado
Springs, CO: The Christian and Missionary Alliance, 1992), 84.
30. Millard J. Erickson, Contemporary Options in Eschatology (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1977), 132.
[Page 72]
31. William R. Goetz, Apocalypse Next (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications,
1996), 362.
32. Franklin Pyles, “The
Missionary Eschatology of A. B. Simpson,” Birth of
a Vision (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, 1994), 32.
33. Pyles, 44.
34. Donald Wiggins,
written comments on an early manuscript of this paper, March 2002.
35. K. Neill Foster, editorial comments in The Christ in the Bible Commentary (Camp
Hill~ PA: Christian Publications, 1992), vol. 6,407.
36. Telephone conversation with Wendell
Grout, March 2001.
37. Conversation with Harold O. J. Brown, Fall 2001.
Bibliography
Bailey, Keith
M. Bringing Back the King.
Boettner, Loraine. “Postmillennialism,”
The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views
Brown, H.
O. J. Conversation with the author, Fall 2001.
Clouse, Robert G., ed. The Meaning of the Millennium.
Draper, Kenneth
L. “Simpson and
Erickson, Millard
J. Christian Theology.
Feinburg, Charles
L. Millennialism.
Fisher, George
P. History of the Christian Church.
NewYork: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1889.
Foster,
K. Neill. “Discernment, the Powers and Spirit-speaking.” Pasadcna, C. A: Fuller Seminary
unpublished dissertation, 1988. - “Publishers Foreword.”
Christ in the Bible Commentary, vol. 6.
Goetz, William
R. Apolaypse Next.
Grenz, Stanley
J. The Millennial Maze.
Grout, Wendell.
Conversation with the author, March 2001.
Grudem, Wayne.
Systematic Theology.
Haldeman, M.
I. History of the Doctrine of Our Lord’s Return.
Hartzfeld, David
F. and Charles Nienkirchen, eds.
Birth of a Vision.
Kaiser, Walter
C., Jr. and Moises Silva. An Introduction to
Bible Hermeneutics.
[Page
73]
Pinnock, Clark H. “Biblical
Authority and the Issues in Question,” Women,
Authority and the Bible.
Pyles,
Reynolds, Lindsay.
Rebirth, The Redevelopment of the Christian and Missionary
Riley, William
Bell. “The Historical Ministry of
Premillenarianism.” The Bible
Evangelist. November-December
2000.
Ryric, Charles
C. The Premillennial Faith.
Silver, Jesse
Forrest. The Lord’s Return.
Simpson, A. B. “How I Was
Led to Believe in Premillennialism.” The
Christian and Missionary
Thiessen, Henry
C. Lectures in Systematic Theology.
Walvoord, John
F. The Millennial Kingdom.
* *
*
[Page 75]
CHAPTER 6
- Premillennialism -
Jesus Christ and the Church
* Keith M. Bailey *
A
sequence of events lies at the very heart of premillennialism. Jesus Christ must
return before the millennial kingdom can be openly manifested to the world.
Christ stands at the centre of this awesome eschatological event. The genius of
Christianity is the incarnation of the eternal Christ followed by His sinless
life, His death on the cross, His resurrection from the dead, His ascension
into heaven and His position at the right hand of the Father. These great
redemptive events form the backbone of New Testament Christology but they do
not exhaust the subject. A full understanding of Christology takes in the
offices, reign, glory and judgment entailed in His literal 1,000-year reign
over all the earth and its peoples. The full display of Christ’s glory awaits
His return to set up the kingdom.
The Ruler of the Kings of the Earth
One of the great Christological passages in the New Testament
is found in the book of Revelation:
John, to the seven churches which are in
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was
and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from
Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead,
and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To
Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him,
even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of
the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so,
Amen.
“I Am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says
the Lord, “Who is and who was and who is to come,
the Almighty.” (1:
4-8,
NKJV)
[Page 76]
The Apostle John brings together in this doxology a
magnificent display of the powers, perfections, glory, offices and attributes of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is strong evidence that the teaching of
premillennialism has its own contribution to the New Testament doctrine of
Christ. John ranges in his treatment of the eternal Christ from His
pre-existence, His days in the flesh, to His coming [messianic] kingdom. The work of Christ cannot be
complete without His literal reign over the nations of the earth. The Greek
expositor H.C.H. Lenski calls this
passage the signature of Christ’s deity.1 It
is plain that the glory of His second coming is part of the signature of
Christ’s deity. The return of Christ has deeper implications than the proper
close of history. It will be the long-awaited vindication of His glory and His
right to reign, won at
What are the precise aspects of Christology related to
eschatology and premillennialism in particular? There are five that we will
consider in this study. The first of these is found in Revelation 1: 5, where Christ is called “the ruler
over the kings of the earth” (NKJV). At no time while Christ was upon earth did He rule over the
nations and at no time since His ascension to heaven has He literally exercised
rule over the nations on earth. Christ’s use of His kingly right over the earth
is part of the eschaton.
While prophets portray the
The second Psalm brings this doctrine into clearer focus. It is evident from the use of
this passage in the New Testament that it refers to Christ. The Psalmist describes
a rebellion of the nations against God and His Son Jesus Christ. The Father has
predetermined that the nations will be subjugated to Christ. God affirms the
placement of Christ as King. God says to His Son,
“Ask of Me, and I will give You
the
nations for Your inheritance,
[Page 77]
And the ends of the earth
for Your possession.
You shall break them with a
rod of iron;
You shall dash them to
pieces like a potter’s vessel.” (2: 8-9, NKJV)
Some want to interpret this verse as a promise for world
evangelism but that is not its meaning. Christ does not propagate the gospel
with an iron sceptre. This divine word has application to the coming [millennial] day when Christ returns as King of
kings. Biblical prophecy shows Christ returning to the earth in great power and
glory to take immediate and full control of the chaotic international situation
described in Revelation 19: 17-21. After subjugating the nations,
Christ will judge them from His throne of glory (Matthew 25: 31-45). Revelation
19: 15 says, “Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule
them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress
of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (NKJV).
Add to the above Scripture the prediction of Zechariah, which details the events of
Christ’s second coming in relation to His governmental rule over the world.
Zechariah presents the return of Christ to the earth at a time of international
war. With great victory Christ puts down every enemy and in the words of the
prophet He becomes “King over all the earth” (Zechariah
14: 9, NKJV). The multiple testimony of the
Scriptures leaves no doubt as to the literal and earthly reign of our Lord over
the nations immediately following His second advent. Any effort to
spiritualize these passages falls short of sound hermeneutics. A
whole Christology calls for Christ to rule as King of kings, and no such reign
has yet occurred. The church is still waiting for the Coming King. The
prophetic expectations can only be satisfied by the literal, visible, personal
and bodily return of Jesus Christ, followed by the public establishment of His
kingdom over all terrestrial affairs.
The King of the Jews
Deeply instilled in the Old Testament prophets lies the hope
that when Messiah comes, He will take up His throne as a descendant of David
and [Page 78] be king over
When the kingship of Christ is considered christologically it
must be pointed out that Christ will be King over
Near the close of David’s reign over
For the children of
In a few words the prophet bridges the history of
It was always God’s intention that His covenant people should
be under a theocratic kingdom. It was for this reason God was offended with
“Behold, the days are coming,”
says
the LORD,
“That I will raise to David a
Branch
of righteousness;
A
King shall reign and prosper,
And
execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
In
His days
And
Now
this is His name by which He will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
(Jeremiah 23: 5-6, NKJV)
Jeremiah shows the theocratic kingdom over
Lifting the Curse from Creation
The premillennial coming of Jesus Christ will benefit the natural
creation. After the fall of man God told Adam, He would curse the earth and man
would continue to deal with the adverse effects of the curse (Genesis 3:
17). The curse on the natural earth has some astounding
theological implications. The Apostle Paul
relates the release of creation from the curse to the events of final
redemption:
For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly
waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to
futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself
also will he delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty
of the children of God. For we know that the
whole creation groans and labours with birth pangs together until now.
(Romans 8: 19-22, NKJV
[Page 80]
Nothing in the earthly ministry of Jesus, nor the long
centuries of the church’s history, even comes close to this expectation. It
waits for the blessed hope of Christ’s second advent followed by the
manifestation of the
Darrell Bock, professor of New Testament studies
at Dallas Theological Seminary, says of the gospel of Christ, “Its power will extend into the complete unending redemption
for us and the creation.”2
The Romans passage associates the liberation of creation with
the glorification of God’s people. Paul specifies
the creation's deliverance to be from corruption. Christ as the Redeemer will
be the immediate agent of this great work. He subjected the natural world to
the curse and He alone can lift it. The outworking of this truth will take
place when Christ returns and begins His reign over the earth. The creation
earnestly awaits this redemptive work of Messiah.
This doctrine has its roots in the Old Testament. The prophets spoke of radical
changes in the natural order at the time of Messiah’s rule. Isaiah said, -
The wolf also shall dwell
with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down
with the young goat,
The calf and the young lion
and the fatting together;
And a little child shall lead
them.
The cow and the bear shall graze;
Their young ones shall lie
down together;
And the lion shall cat straw
like the ox.
The nursing child shall play
by the cobra’s hole,
And the weaned child shall
put his hand in the viper’s den.
They shall not hurt nor
destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall he full
of the knowledge of the LORD
As the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah
11: 6-9,
NKJV)
Irrespective of the efforts to spiritualize this passage and
others like it, the plain sense of the Word of God is unavoidable: The
It is the Romans 8 passage which relates the restitution of the natural world to the
glorification of God’s people. H. P.
Liddon, renowned Anglican scholar of the Greek New Testament, brings this
truth into focus:
[Page 81]
... on account of God and in order to
satisfy His will, without the will of nature itself, but with the appended
condition of a hope that not merely the children of God, but irrational nature
as well, would be delivered from the bondage which consists in corruption, into
the freedom which consists in the glory of the children of God.3
What incredible glory will characterize the Second Advent of
the Lord Jesus Christ! The release of His redemptive power will exceed all that
has ever transpired in ages past. Christ’s appearing and His
kingdom will introduce planet Earth to the glad day for which it has been longing.
Isaiah and Amos both prophesy of great productivity from the land during millennial days:
The wilderness and the
wasteland shall be glad for them,
And the desert shall rejoice
and blossom as the rose;
It shall blossom abundantly
and rejoice,
Even with joy and singing.
The glory of
The excellence of
They shall see the glory of
the LORD,
The excellency of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands,
And make firm the feeble
knees.
Say to those who are fearful-hearted,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Behold, your God will conic
with vengeance,
With the recompense of God;
He will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind
shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf
shall he unstopped.
Then the lame shall leap
like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb
sing.
For waters shall burst forth
in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert.
The parched ground shall
become a pool,
And the thirsty land springs
of water;
In the habitation of jackals, where each
lay,
There shall be grass with
reeds and rushes.
[Page 82]
A highway shall be there, and a road,
And it shall be called the
Highway of Holiness.
The unclean shall not pass
over it,
But it shall be for others.
Whoever walks the road, although a
fool,
Shall not go astray.
No lion shall be there,
Nor shall any ravenous beast
go up on it.
It shall not be found there.
But the redeemed shall walk
there,
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
And come to
With everlasting joy on
their heads.
They shall obtain joy anti
gladness,
And sorrow and sighing shall
flee away. (35: 1-10, NKJV)
“Behold, the days are coming,” says
the LORD,
“When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
And
the treader of grapes him who sows seed;
The
mountains shall drip with sweet wine,
And
all the hills shall flow with it.
I will bring back the
captives of My people Israe1;
They shall build the waste
cities and inhabit them.
They shall plant vineyards
and drink wine from them;
They shall also make gardens
and eat fruit from them.
I will plant them in their
land,
And no longer shall they be
pulled up
From the land I have given
them,”
Says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:
13-15,
NKJV)
The prospect of renewed fertility takes on a new significance
for modern Christians. They are well aware of the pollution of the air, land
and water by man. Even the secular world sees the seriousness of this problem.
At - [the establishment of] - His
kingdom, the Lord Jesus Christ will not only lift the curse from the earth, but
will also restore it to its optimum
productivity. This implies the cleansing and restoration of all of the systems
of nature. The weather, rainfall, plant life, insects and other forces and
creatures of nature will work in harmony to bring abundant fruitfulness to the
earth. It [Page 83] will be normal for the first time since the Garden of Eden.
What a testimony of the unlimited power of Jesus Christ!
The Judge
Not much is said in theological literature or in modern preaching
about our Lord’s holy office of judge. Perhaps it is because the reality of His
judgment role awaits His premillennial coming. In the Old Testament at the
placing of the ark of the covenant into the tabernacle David composed a
wonderful Psalm.
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the
earth be glad;
And let them say among the
nations, “The LORD reigns.”
Let the sea roar, and all its
fullness;
Let the field rejoice, and all that
is in it.
Then the trees of the woods
shall rejoice before the LORD,
For He is coming to judge
the earth. (1 Chronicles 16: 31-33, NKJV)
David, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, looked to the
time of Messiah’s reign when the theocratic kingdom would enjoy its ultimate
triumph in human history. The crowned Christ comes not only to rule but also to
judge. J. A. Seiss, a Lutheran
theologian well known for his works on premillennialism, saw a strong
correlation between the kingdom and judgment. He said, “In a general sense, then, and as presenting a key to this whole subject,
we might say that the judgment of God is the administration of the government
of God.” 4
Premillennialism sees the judgment as a progression in events
rather than a general judgment as advocated by Reformed theology and other
A-millennialists. It would be difficult to
reconcile the judgments of the nations, the judgment seat of Christ and the
great white throne judgment with the concept of a general judgment. These
judgments occur in vastly different contexts - [and at different times]. His judgment of the Church will take
place after the [Pre-tribulation] rapture of the - [“accounted
worthy” (see Lk. 21: 35 (KJV) Cf.
Rev. 3: 10, KJV & R.V.), to escape members of the ekklesia] - Church. As a function of His kingly office, the Lord Jesus Christ,
at His second advent, will judge the nations - [and also “…we
that are alive, that are left
unto the coming of the Lord” (1 Thess. 4: 15, R.V. Cf. K.J.V.)] - over which He is taking authority. The judgment of the
wicked - [dead and those “that are left”
at] - (the great
white throne judgment) will come after
the 1,000-year reign, described
as follows:
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on
it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place [Page 84] for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing
before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in
them. And they were judged, each one according
to his works. Then Death and Hades were
cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of
Life was cast into the lake of fire.
(Revelation 20: 11-15, NKJV)
The Conqueror
The literal reign of Christ for a thousand years is essential
to the final subjugation of Satan and the forces of darkness. When Christ died
on the cross, He spoiled principalities and powers and made a show of them
openly, triumphing over them on the cross. Alongside that great victory lies
the fact that Satan continues his diabolical activities to the present hour and
dares to make war on the saints.
The seeming paradox is answered by the truth that God permits
the continued activity of the evil one to test the Church and to strengthen the
loyalty of believers. But this arrangement is not eternal. There must come a
time in history when the devil and his demons no longer have access to mankind
and the world.
Satan is called the god of this world. His claim to Christ at
the temptation was not an empty boast. This fallen world has been under his
rulership for all the centuries. During this time, the victory of Christ may be
claimed by faith as final, and may defeat the devil in individual situations.
At the coming of Christ’s millennial kingdom all of this will be changed.
Christ the King will take up His rightful authority over the world. One of the
first acts of Christ’s second advent will be the total subjugation of the power
of hell - [lit. trans. ‘Sheol’ O.T. / ‘Hades’ N.T.] - and their confinement - [of the disembodied ‘souls’ of the dead (Gen.
37: 35; Ps. 16: 10, R.V. Cf. Lk.
16: 23; Acts 2:
27, R.V.)] in the pit.
The
[Page 85]
The conquest of
Revelation 20: 1 describes the manner of Satan’s defeat. Christ is so
in control, He dispatches an ordinary angel to bind and dispose of our ancient
foe. At the close of this millennium, Satan will be released briefly. In true
character, he masses an army of rebellious souls to attack the city of
The Church
As premillennialism shows Christ in all His glory, so it
displays the bridal Church in its ultimate destiny. The last mention of the
Church in the New Testament refers to her as the Bride (Revelation 21: 9). Before Christ comes out of heaven
with the saints, an event called the marriage supper of the Lamb will take
place in heaven (19: 9). The raptured believers, clothed in the fine linen of
saints, will eat at that glorious supper in the immediate presence of the
Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is toward this event that every Lord’s
Supper has pointed since the first supper in the Upper Room.
The New Testament passage that most completely details the
rapture of the Church is First Thessalonians 4: 13-18. That Scripture says the Church is to he caught away to be with her Christ
and “shall
always be with the Lord”
(NKJV). Where the
Bridegroom is, there will be the Bride. When the Bridegroom comes in
glory to this earth, His Bride will be with Him. The fine linen representing righteousness - [i.e., the righteous acts of His saints] - will be the clothing of the
bridal Church coming out of the heavens with Christ (19: 14).
What are the implications of this scene? Where will the Church
be when Christ rules this world? Does the Church have a role in the coming
kingdom? Does this truth have a bearing on the present earthly life of a
[regenerate] believer? The Bible does give us some clear answers to these
questions. Unfortunately, this is an aspect of Christian doctrine largely
unknown to modern evangelical Christians. A solid study of biblical
premillennialism [Page 86] can make this truth real to - [humble,
obedient and ‘Holy Spirit’ filled (see Acts 5: 32; cf.
Acts 6: 5,
and 1 John 3: 24,
R.V.)] - Christians today. When rightly understood, it is a strong incentive to selfless service
and practical holiness.
The starting place to understand the role of the Church in the
millennial kingdom is the Garden of Eden. God told Adam he was to have dominion
over every living thing on earth. Man’s fall in sin brought an end to his
kingship that can only be restored in the redemptive work of Christ. It has
always been the divine intention that man in right relationship to his Creator
would be a king. The blood-bought, [Holy]
The Scriptures in more than one way open up to us the nature
of the Church’s role in the [soon-coming] manifest
The Apocalypse beginning in the first chapter describes the
Church as kings and priests unto God:
... and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the
firsthorn from the dead, and the ruler over the
kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and
washed us from our sins in His own blood, and
has made its kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:
5-6,
NKJV)
To the church at Thyatira, Christ promised, “And he who
overcomes, and keeps My works unto the end,
to him I will give power over the nations” (2: 26, NKJV). To the lukewarm Laodicean church,
Jesus said, “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne,
as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on His
throne” (3: 21,
NKJV). The head of the
Church intends for the true saints to share His rule in this kingdom age.
The Apostle John records a song he heard when elevated to
heaven during his
You
are worthy to take the scroll,
And
to open its seals;
[Page
87]
For you were slain,
And have redeemed us to God
by Your blood
Out of every tribe and
tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and
priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the
earth. (Rev. 5: 9-10, NKJV)
Some translations that follow this Wescott-Hort-style manuscript of the Greek text translate “us” and “our”
as “they” and “their.” While this difference is construed by some scholars to mean
that the twenty-four elders were not in the redeemed company (the Church), it
has no bearing on the fact that the blood-bought Church shall reign on earth.
Regardless of the position one takes on the Greek text, this passage is
consistent with the previous references to the Church’s rule with Christ.
The Church without question is a heavenly people and to be
distinguished from
The next mention of the reigning Church comes in Revelation 20: 4-6:
And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for
their witness to Jesus and for the word of God,
who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and
had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the
dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first
resurrection. Over such the second death has no
power, but they shall be priests of God and of
Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (NKJV)
The reign of the Church, about which the elders sang in Chapter 5, is here explained as a reign with
Christ for a thousand years. Verse 4
makes it clear that more than martyrs are to reign with Christ. The revelator
saw thrones occupied by those with judicial power prior to any mention of the
martyrs. It is the whole Church [resurrected from the dead at this
time] - that
is to reign with Christ on earth for 1,000 years.
The saints are depicted as seated on thrones. Thrones were
promised to the overcomers. The twenty-four elders sat upon thrones - [prior to this
time!]. The word “throne” is used widely in Revelation and always speaks of power, authority
and dominion. The bridal Church will
reign with Christ.
[Page 88]
When the reign of the Church is discussed, the question of how
it relates to
Those who make up the bridal
Church will be priests and kings unto God. We cannot safely go beyond
Scripture in determining what the reign of the Church will be like. It is not
yet fully revealed, but we do know that the rule of the Church will include - [a future
and selective] - judgment (1 Corinthians 6; Revelation 20: 4) and a priestly function. The heavenly Church will rule with Christ on
earth.
The moral, spiritual and governmental affairs, of all the
nations of the earth will be the jurisdiction of Jesus Christ, the King of
kings. He has indicated clearly that His Bride,
the Church, will share this reign with Him. Jesus said to the church at
Thyatira that those who overcome
will have power over the nations. Such all amazing prospect is meant to be more
than a curiosity. It is an incentive to so walk
with Christ now in order to be fitted for whatever assignment He may he pleased
to give us in that day.
The Christian worships, serves, witnesses and trains for the
future responsibility of being a priest and king unto God in the age to come.
We are deciding now whether our rule will be over five cities or over ten
cities (Luke
19: 12-27). Taking all the New Testament says
on this subject, it can be said that obedience, fruitfulness and victory over the world, the flesh and the devil will determine our level of rule in the coming
kingdom. The Apostle
Paul, in one brief theological statement, confirms this truth: “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him” (2 Timothy 2: 12,
NKJV). It [Page 89] comes as a shock to many (perhaps most) Christians that they
are destined to be kings.
In the British royal family tradition, the Prince of Wales
knows from the beginning that he is to be king some day. From early childhood,
the prince is taught and shaped for his regal responsibility in the future. The
Scripture advises us that we are to be kings and it is just as necessary for us
as for the Prince of Wales to be fitted for our roles as royal priests in the
Premillennialism is not meaningless speculation about the
future. It is revelation from God Himself as to the close of history. Man sees
history as going out with a whimper. God sees history going out in 1,000 years
of glory with Christ and His Bride
in the centre of things on planet Earth. The 1,000-year reign will be the
ultimate expression of Christ the Redeemer in human history.
Without the millennial reign of Christ on earth, the prophets
do not make sense. The doctrine of premillennialism gives Christianity a
forward look and a perspective of hope. Premillennialism, more than any other
theological system of eschatology, provides the stage for the full realization
and public display of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ in accordance with
the Scripture. It is the glorious unveiling of all Christ’s redemptive offices.
The millennium is not a carnal utopia, but ultimate spirituality made possible
by the presence of the King of eternity. To the enlightened Christian there is
a personal aspect to this doctrine. Being a true child of God through Christ is
going to eventuate in each believer being a participant in this holy reign.
Conclusion
Among the great doxologies is the one found in Paul's first
letter to Timothy, which reaches a high watermark in the exaltation of Christ:
I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all
things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession
before Pontius Pilate, that you keep
this commandment without spot, blameless until
our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and
only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of
lords, who
alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable [Page 90] light, whom no man
has seen or can see, to whom be honour and
everlasting power. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:
13-16,
NKJV)
The apostle has in mind as he takes up this subject the second
advent of Christ: “He will manifest in
His own time, He who is the blessed and only
Potentate.” This
is the only place in the New Testament where this title of Christ is found. It
is superior to all other titles, greater than King of kings and Lord of lords.
It is evident that Paul believed the manifestation of this office by Christ
awaits His second coming. It has a season and it will be shown at that time.
The season for the blessed and only Potentate will be the millennial kingdom
established by Christ at His return.
Christ will rule for eternity over all things. But this divine
plan calls for a final age in time-and-space history prior to the eternal age
when Christ will exercise all of His offices, authority and dignity before men
on earth. Not one of His perfections will be overlooked in that day. The lowly,
battered, crucified Nazarene will stand triumphant on
*
* *
Endnotes
1. H. C. R. Lenski, Interpretation of Revelation (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1961), 53.
2. Darrell Bock, Christianity Today,
February 7, 2000), a7.
3. H. P. Liddon, Explanatory
Analysts of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (Minneapolis: James and Klock,
1977 reprint), 135.
4. J. A. Seiss, The Last Times (Louisville, KY: Pentecostal
Publishing W.111se, 1878),141.
* *
*
[Page
91
CHAPTER 7
- Premillennialism
-
and the
* Eldon Woodcock *
The
I The Key Concepts
The Greek word, basileia, means kingship, royal
power, royal rule, kingdom. 2 In the
Septuagint it was often used to translate the Hebrew word, malkut. 3
The
Biblical references to the
II The
God’s universal eternal kingdom extends continuously
throughout the entire realm of His creation from eternity past to eternity
future. David referred to this kingdom when he described Yahweh as “enthroned as
King forever” (Psalm 29: 10) and designated Yahweh’s kingdom as “an everlasting kingdom” (145:
13). 5
David also stated, “The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all” (103: 19). Since
God has authority over both nature and people, His purposes will inevitably be
[Page 92] accomplished. 6 Those who
reject or rebel against Him have no effect upon the reality and effectiveness
of His rule.
III. The Mediatorial
Within God’s universal eternal kingdom are limited realms in
which God has delegated (or will delegate) His authority to selected human
individuals or groups to rule over certain areas during certain intervals of
time. This has been designated God’s mediatorial kingdom which is temporal,
local and mediate.7 Since it occurs
within human history, God’s mediatorial kingdom, in its various forms, is the
portion of His universal kingdom that has received the most attention in
Scripture. Biblical data concerning God’s mediatorial kingdom are especially
significant with regard to a premillennial eschatology.
God’s mediatorial kingdom has three elements.8 (1) God ruled through His
chosen instruments, who represented Him to the people and the people to Him.
This involved the functions of king, prophet and priest. Usually the ruler
exercised only one of these functions, but occasionally would exercise two
(e.g., Ezekiel) or even all three
(e.g., the Messiah). (2) God’s mediatorial rule involved the
earth or some part of it. (3) His
representative was human.
A.
God’s
1.
The Prepatriachal Period
References to the mediatorial
2.
The Patriarchal Period (Genesis 12-50)
Although retaining His sovereign authority over the entire
world, God rejuvenated His mediatorial kingdom by focusing upon a people that
He would bring into existence, i.e.,
[Page
93]
God revealed Himself and made promises to Abraham concerning
his physical descendants through Isaac, Jacob and Jacob’s sons (12: 1-3; 13: 14-17; 15: 18-21; 26: 2-6; 28: 13-15). Although not functioning as kings, each of these Hebrew patriarchs was
evidently a leader of his clan. From his twelve sons, Jacob designated
3. The Abrahamic Covenant
From the patriarchal period on, there was a close relationship
between the mediatorial
God formalized His promises to Abraham in the foundational
covenant known as the Abrahamic Covenant. These promises stipulated that (1) Abraham’s descendants were to be
numerous and become a great nation (12: 2; 13: 16) and (2)
Abraham’s specified descendants were officially granted the land from the
The ritual by which the Abrahamic Covenant was established
made it clear that it was unconditional (15: 7-21) 12 Later God confirmed His covenant
promises to Abraham when He swore by Himself that He would fulfil them (22: 15-18). By doing this, God used the ultimate supreme authority as the basis for
His oath (Hebrews
6: 13-20). As a result, God guaranteed His
unconditional covenant with Abraham concerning selected physical descendants as
unchangeable and irrevocable. 13
4.The Mosaic Period (Exodus-Deuteronomy)
During the Mosaic period God moved the focus of His
mediatorial kingdom from the clans descended from Abraham through Isaac to the
Hebrew nation emerging from those clans. God’s deliverance of the Hebrews from
Although never designated a king, Moses nevertheless exercised
his God-given authority as a ruler (Acts 7: 35). He was prophet and priest, [Page
94] both representing
God and His will to the Hebrews and representing them before God, especially in
intercessory prayer (Deuteronomy 18: 15; 9, 25-29). He anticipated the kings that would
later reign over
5. The Mosaic Covenant (Exodus-Deuteronomy)
A function of the Mosaic Covenant was to operate as
The political structure of the mediatorial kingdom of God
during and after the Mosaic period was to involve a leader (centuries later, a
king) whose primary responsibility was to learn and to enforce the Mosaic
Covenant (Deuteronomy
17: 18-20). 15
That leader was not to intrude upon the responsibilities of religious leaders
who conformed to Mosaic laws.
The Mosaic form of the mediated
This covenant was clearly conditional,
as indicated by the “if” clause (Exodus 19: 5). It stated clearly
that obedience would bring blessing and success while disobedience would
produce punishment and disaster (Deuteronomy 28). God would make an obedient Hebrew
nation “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19: 6). This is the first biblical
association of the term “kingdom” with God's rule.
6. The Charismatic Period 17 (Joshua, Judges, 1
Samuel 1-7)
Charismatic leaders were those whom God had raised up, gifted
and empowered to perform the tasks that He had prepared them to do. During this
period these people were mostly military leaders. Victory in battle
demonstrated the presence of their charismatic endowment. As a result, they
were often given Judicial and political authority.
During this period these charismatic leaders functioned as
God’s intermittent representative rulers in His mediatorial kingdom. 18 On occasion, [Page
95] they acknowledged
Yahweh as
7.
The Hebrew Monarchy (1 Samuel 8-30; 2 Samuel; 1-2 Kings; 1-2 Chronicles)
Reacting against the inadequacies of charismatic leadership
and no longer aware of God’s beneficial providence, the Hebrews sought to solve
their problems by means of a monarchy. This foolish and futile approach
involved their replacing God with government.19 As a result of this change, the
Hebrews experienced intolerable oppression, including compulsory governmental
service (military, agricultural, industrial), burdensome taxation, property
confiscation and political corruption (1 Samuel 8: 7-20).20
God intended for His kingdom program to move through a line of
kings descended from
The failure of
8. The Davidic Covenant
The key eschatological promise made in the Davidic Covenant is
summarized in this statement by God through Nathan to David: “Your house
and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your
throne will be established forever” (2
Samuel 7: 16, cf Psalm 89: 34-37). David’s house (or dynasty) referred
to the royal line of Hebrew kings who would be physically descended from David.25 David's throne indicated his right to
rule that God had given to him and his royal descendants. 26 David’s kingdom meant the political
entity over which David and his royal descendants would reign. 27
[Page
96]
The Davidic Covenant was unconditional. God’s promise to
establish David’s kingdom forever precludes any conditions which, if not met,
would lead to its termination. God reaffirmed His promises made in this
covenant even after many failures by the Hebrew nation to follow Him (e.g.,
Jeremiah 23: 5-6). 28 This could hardly have been the case had the covenant depended upon Hebrew
obedience. The Davidic Covenant was as secure as the sun and the moon (Psalm 89: 37). Since it was unconditional and has
not yet been fulfilled, the Davidic Covenant must be fulfilled in a yet future
time. 29
The Davidic Covenant did not require a continuous occupation
of the Davidic throne by a Davidic king. 30 In fact, as Allen stated:
But even with the defeat of
For after Jehoiachin,
no royal Davidic descendant occupied the Davidic throne to rule until the Lord
Jesus Christ in whom the Davidic line ended. When Jesus died, He had no son.
Yet His resurrection enabled Him to succeed Himself. As Allen stated: “He who is the eternal Son of God ... is the adopted
royal Son of God [in
fulfilment of the Davidic Covenant].” 32
The future fulfilment of the Davidic Covenant suggests at
least three eschatological developments: 33
B. God’s
The mediatorial
[Page
97]
1. Its Coming
Although often predicting future events, the OT prophets did
not always indicate the chronological relationships of these events to each
other. They specified no precise date for establishing the predicted Messianic
kingdom.
The coming of the future Messianic kingdom will be sudden and
catastrophic. 34 The Lord of
the kingdom will come suddenly to judge and punish the wicked (Malachi 3: 1-5), who will be rapidly destroyed like burning stubble (4: 1). He will pour out His wrath upon the
Gentile nations (Isaiah 13: 9-11; 26: 21).
2. Its Government
a. Its Form
The future kingdom envisioned by the OT prophets will be a
monarchy, ruled by the Davidic Messianic King. On this occasion, the promises
made in the OT covenants, especially the Davidic Covenant, will be fulfilled (Jeremiah 33: 20-22).
b. Its King
The Lord will raise up a Davidic King who will bring His
people to follow God’s laws (Ezekiel 34: 23-24; 37: 24-25). The Hebrews will seek the Lord their God and their Davidic Messianic
King under whom they will live in the last days (Hosea 3: 5).
The future Messianic King will be designated “the Holy One
of Israel among you” (Isaiah 12: 6). With righteousness, wisdom and power perfectly balanced in
His government, He will judge justly and equitably (11:
13; Jeremiah 23:
5-6).
The future Davidic Messianic King will shoulder the full
responsibilities of His government (Isaiah 9: 6-7). He
will administer all functions of government - judicial, legislative and
executive (33: 22). This is much too formidable a project for a mere man. In order to
achieve this objective, the future Ruler will need to be both divine and human.
Thus He is called both “Prince of Peace” and “Mighty God” (9: 6). For He is the only One who can handle these responsibilities
efficiently and justly.
In His administration the Messianic King will exercise His
threefold function as Prophet, Priest and King. He will thus possess both
supreme religious authority and supreme political authority.
[Page 98]
c. Its External
Organization 35
The levels of authority in the future governmental structure
will be, in descending order: (1)
the Messianic King who is the Lord (Zechariah 14: 9); (2) the resurrected saints of the Most High (Daniel 7: 18,
27); (3) the living
people from the nation of
d. Its Extent and
Duration
It will be worldwide, including all nations on the entire
earth (Isaiah
2: 24; Zechariah 14:
9). These texts focus on the earthly setting of the kingdom. It
will be everlasting (Isaiah 9: 6-7;
Daniel 7: 13-14). This fits the idea of the postmillennial merging of the mediatorial
kingdom with the universal
3. Its Blessings
a. Spiritual Benefits
The future Messianic mediatorial kingdom will be characterized
by widespread salvation. People will drink from the waters of salvation and be
clothed with the garments of salvation (Isaiah 12: 3; 61: 10). God will remove believers’ sins (Micah 7: 19). He will convey many redemptive
blessings upon believing Israelites including cleansing from sin, regeneration,
providing new hearts and placing His Spirit within them (Ezekiel 36: 24-38). 37 He will bring healing
to His people’s incurable wounds (Jeremiah 30: 12, 17). The redeemed will respond with everlasting joy (Isaiah 51: 11).
b. Ethical Benefits
During the future mediatorial Messianic kingdom people will
live by high moral standards, for many will come to
c. Social Benefits
The complete abolition of war will be very beneficial. Nations
will neither fight nor train their people for war (Micah 4: 3). This will eliminate the massive
destruction of life and property that war brings, for [Page
99] God’s abolishing
of war and weapons will enable people to live securely, safely and without fear
(Isaiah 2: 4;
Micah 4: 4;
Hosea 2: 18).
In the future mediatorial Messianic kingdom there will be
complete social justice. People will benefit from their labour, whether
construction or agriculture (Isaiah 65: 21-23). They will experience the delights
of marriage (Jeremiah 33: 10-11). These conditions will only be possible
during the reign of the divine Messianic King.
d. Political Benefits
The most desirable social reforms are unlikely to be
implemented without effective governmental administration. 38 The OT prophets anticipated some
aspects of future political structures.
The future mediatorial Messianic kingdom will have
international authority. A new world order consisting of one world government
by sinful men would be very dangerous to desirable lifestyles and to genuine
governmental justice. The OT prophets saw the solution to this problem in the
Messianic King whose reign will be characterized by righteousness in all of His
judgments and policies (Isaiah 2: 4; 9: 6-7). With Messianic judgments resolving
disputes, military actions will become unnecessary, irrelevant and no longer
used.
The future Messianic kingdom will be on the earth with
God will regather the dispersed Hebrews from all over the
world and restore them to the land He had promised them (Jeremiah 31: 10-11; 32: 37; Ezekiel 37:
21-22). From here,
e. Physical Benefits
In the future mediatorial Messianic kingdom there will be
substantial and beneficial changes in earth climates. Abundant rainfall will
eliminate famines and produce bountiful crops (Isaiah 30: 23-25; Ezekiel 34: 29).
There will be substantial geological changes, especially from
violent earthquakes that will cause splits in the earth’s crust (Isaiah 24: 19), [Page 100] overturn mountains (Ezekiel 38: 19-20) and split the Mount of Olives, causing water to flow out of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14: 4, 8). These changes will cause waters and rivers to flow from the mountains and
in the desert, enriching the soil (Isaiah 30: 25; 35: 6-7; 41: 18-20). Even the
Aided by God’s miraculous provisions of water, the barren
wastelands, useless for agriculture and incapable of supporting life, will be
transformed into rich, productive soil (Joel 2: 21-24. Ezekiel 34:
26-27). The desert will become fruitful and
yield bountiful crops (Isaiah 32: 13-15; 35: 1-2). The fields will be so productive that the processes of plowing, reaping
and treading grapes will overlap each other (Amos 9: 13). God will accomplish these things by
pouring out His Holy Spirit (Isaiah 32: 15).
In that day God will make drastic changes in the nature of
wild animals. No longer predators, they will live peacefully with each other
and will not even threaten or harm small children (11: 6-8). This will involve substantially changed eating patterns for both people
and animals.
In that day there will be neither physical diseases nor
deformities. For God will heal the blind, deaf, lame and mute (35: 5-6). No one living in
In that day there will be no ordinary disasters that will
injure people, hamper their capabilities or prematurely terminate their lives.
People will be free from attacks by wild animals, violent storms, famine and
armies (Ezekiel
34: 23-31). God will protect His people from
misfortune and futile toil (Isaiah 65: 23).
f. Religious Benefits
Under their King-Priest (Zechariah 6: 12-13), the nation
As in the political realm,
g. The Role of the
Messianic King
The characteristics of the future Messianic kingdom will
result from the policies of the Messianic King, for He will reign in
righteousness (Isaiah 32: 1), thereby producing the benefits described in the preceding section.
Thorough examination of the OT prophetic data makes it clear
that the future mediatorial Messianic kingdom will be a literal, earthly,
political kingdom with many physical features. Its Ruler will be the divine
Messian ic King‑Priest. His government will be a monarchy extending over
the entire earth. These observations make it evident that this Messianic Ruler
will arrive before His setting up His kingdom, i.e., that the Messiah's second
coming must precede His governing His millennial kingdom.
C.
The Mediatorial
1. Announcement of the
Mediatorial
The Gospels identify Jesus as the King of this kingdom. Before
Jesus’ birth an angel informed Mary that God would give her Son the throne of
David from which He will reign forever (Luke 1: 32-33). John the Baptist, Jesus and Jesus’ disciples all announced the
Jesus supported His announcement of His kingdom by doing
numerous impressive miracles, especially healings and exorcisms (4: 23-24; 9: 35). His miracles were so clearly authentic that even His enemies could not
deny or ignore them (John 11: 47-48).
Jesus’ miracles made it clear that “the
2. The Identity of the Mediatorial
Although much debated, the most plausible conclusion is that
the kingdom announced by the Lord Jesus Christ was identical to that presented [Page
102] by the OT
prophets. 42 The Gospels often refer to some
aspect of the kingdom that fulfils an OT prophecy concerning it. For example,
Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry into
The kingdom proclaimed by Jesus Christ had characteristics
similar to that anticipated by the OT prophets. Jesus presented its most basic
moral standards as rooted in the Law and Prophets. These included His teachings
on personal ethics (Matthew 19: 17-19), social relationships (Matthew 5: 21-48), condemning social injustice (23: 23-24) and
3. The Rejection of the King and His
Kingdom
In the Gospels the mediatorial
Jewish rejections of Jesus as the Messiah occurred often and
became increasingly vehement throughout His ministry on earth. These rejections
included His being driven out of His home synagogue at
4. Christ’s Preparation of His
Disciples for the Interregnum
Rejected by the Jews who had had Him crucified, Jesus departed
by means of His resurrection and ascension. Thus both the Messianic King and
the Messianic kingdom departed together. Anticipating these developments, Jesus
instructed His disciples concerning His mediatorial kingdom that would exist
from His death to His second coining, when He establishes His prophesied
Messianic kingdom. This period is what McClain
designated the interregnum. 46
[Page 103]
Jesus began His instruction with a series of parables
depicting His mediatorial kingdom (Matthew 13). The parable of the sower pictures a sowing of seed with
varied responses represented by different types of soil (13: 1-9, 18-23). The parable of the wheat and weeds portrays a sowing of weeds by an
enemy (13: 24-30). It pictures the infiltration of the kingdom by followers of the evil one
(13: 36-43). The parables of the mustard seed and the yeast depict a gigantic
expansion of the kingdom which includes both good and evil elements (13: 31-33). 47 The parable of the catch of good and
bad fish in the fishing net also pictures the inclusion of both righteous and
wicked within the kingdom (13: 47-50). At the end of the age, God will gather
the righteous and remove the wicked from His kingdom by means of His judgment (13: 40-43, 49-50).
Later the Lord Jesus Christ announced that He would create a
new entity: His Church (16: 15-18). From His perspective at that time,
this was to be a future development. He used the Greek word, ekklesia,
to designate this entity. An ekklesia is an
assembly or congregation, usually with some sort of ruling function.48 Jesus gave to Peter and to His other
disciples authority in His kingdom (16: 19; 18: 18). 49
This implies that [not] all who
proclaim Jesus as the Messianic King have this authority.
Although consistently rejected, Jesus went to
In His eschatological discourse given on the Mount of Olives
that overlooks
D. The Mediatorial
For forty days the risen Christ instructed His disciples
concerning the kingdom of God (Acts 1: 3). When they asked Him if He planned to restore the
On the day of Pentecost, Peter reminded his Jewish audience of
Jesus’ authenticating ministry (2: 22). Even though He had been crucified,
Jesus Christ’s [select] resurrection and ascension had
qualified Him to sit on the throne of David (2: 24-32). Nevertheless, most Jews rejected the Messianic King and His servants who
proclaimed Him. 50
In Acts, the term “
The statement that one needs to “go through many hardships to
enter the
E.
The Mediatorial
Most epistolary kingdom texts point to the future mediatorial
Messianic
Paul connected the future kingdom with Christ’s appearing,
i.e., His second coming (2 Timothy 4: 1). He described the future resurrection of believers as occurring
at the second coming of Christ after which will come the end when He will turn
His kingdom over to God the Father (1 Corinthians 15: 23-24). That future Messianic kingdom will begin at Christ’s second coming and
will continue until He gives it to His Father. 56
These two texts provide yet another indication that Christ’s second coming will
be premillennial. When Christ will give His kingdom to His Father, that kingdom
will merge into God’s eternal, universal kingdom.
F. The Present Mediatorial Kingdom
and the Church
It is important to recognize the
Yet the Church is integrally related to the mediatorial
The functioning of Church people in relation to the kingdom
has been well stated:
As to their persons, they are citizens of the
kingdom: as to their existence they are the fruit of the message of the
kingdom: as to their nature they are the organism of the kingdom: as to their
task they are the ambassadors of the kingdom. 60
The present mediatorial
G.
The Mediatorial Kingdom as Revealed in the Apocalypse
1. Introduction
The Book of Revelation begins with an introductory vision and several exhortations to the seven
churches of
A new song stated, “You have made them to be a kingdom
and priests to serve our God, and they will
reign on the earth” (5: 10). 63 This text
pictures the redeemed [overcomers] as sharing God’s rule in the future Messianic kingdom which is explicitly
stated to be an earthly kingdom. God’s program is steadily moving toward this
kingdom as its goal. 64
The seventh angel announced, “The kingdom of the world has
become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever
and ever” (11: 15). Thomas’ perceptive
comments on this text are significant:
Jesus will return and assume the throne of His
father David in this future crisis, at which time He will replace the
satanically energized sovereignty of the world rulers that has prevailed for so
long. The whole theme of Revelation is the purging of evil from the world so that it can become
the domain of the King of kings (cf. 19: 16). Only a physical kingdom on earth will satisfy this. 65
2.
The Millennial Kingdom (19: 11-20: 6)
This section of the Apocalypse pictures the final stage of the
mediatorial
Shortly after His arrival, the Lord Jesus Christ will attack,
judge and punish His enemies. He will throw the beast and false prophet into
the lake of fire and destroy the armies of the world arrayed against Him [Page
107] (19: 17-21). Then Satan will be bound in the Abyss which will be locked and sealed,
making escape impossible (20: 1-3). Satan’s incarceration will prevent
his deceiving the nations any more for 1,000 years, thereby terminating satanic
opposition. 67
These actions against His enemies will set the stage for the
Lord Jesus Christ’s millennial reign. Although the Bible as a whole contains
much evidence supporting a Messianic kingdom preceded by the second coming of
the Messianic King who will set it up, it is only in Revelation 20 that the duration of that kingdom is
specified as 1,000 years. 68
At the beginning of the millennial kingdom certain people,
seated on thrones, will be given the authority to judge and will reign with
Christ for 1,000 years (20: 4, 6). 69
These people will evidently be participants of the first resurrection,
consisting of all the just 70 - [i.e., being judged as personally righteous]. Although including members of the body of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4: 16), the people specifically mentioned
here are [devoted and tested] believers who will be strongly committed to Jesus Christ and the Word of
God during the tribulation preceding the millennium (Revelation 20: 4). Many of these people will be
martyred when they refuse to worship the beast or receive his mark (20: 4).71
Blessed and holy, these believers will have both a priestly and governing role
with Christ during the millennial kingdom.
3. The
After the millennium the following events will occur: (1) God will terminate a massive
Satan-led revolt (20: 7-9); (2) there will be the final judgment of the resurrected wicked on
the basis of their works, which will occur before the Great White Throne (20: 11-15); (3)
God will throw Satan and the wicked into the lake of fire, where they will
suffer eternal torment (20: 10, 15).
Then the Lord will destroy the old heavens and earth and create
a new heaven and new earth (21: 1). He will also create the new Jerusalem that will descend from heaven (21: 2). These events will cause the
mediatorial
[Page 108]
IV. Conclusion
The issue of premillennialism involves the relationship of the
future Messianic King to His future Messianic kingdom.
The theme of the mediatorial
The Gospels record Jesus’ statement that at His second coming
He will sit on His throne and exercise His sovereign authority of judgment at
the beginning of His prophesied Messianic kingdom. In Acts Peter described God as restoring
everything (including His kingdom) at Christ’s second coming. Epistolary
references to the future Messianic
The theological view that best fits the biblical data
concerning Christ’s second coming in relation to His future Messianic
millennial kingdom is that it will be premillennial.
*
* *
Endnotes
1. Alva J. McClain, The Greatness of
the Kingdom (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1959), 6. McClain’s excellent book traces the theme of the
2. William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English
Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature
(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957), 134.
3. Francis Brown, S. R. Driver and Charles A. Briggs, A Hebrew
and English Lexocon of the Old Tstament (Clarendon Press, 1957 reprint
[1907]), 574-5, stated the meanings of malkut as “royal
power, dominion, reign. kingdom.” B.
Klappert, “King,” The New
International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, ed. Colin Brown (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976), IL, 376, described its
focus as on power rather than on location. In the OT it refers mostly to
earthly political kingdoms. Although the term “
4. J. D. Pentecost, Thy Kingdom Come (Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1990), 15.
5. Anthony Tomasino.
“olam,” Nett, International
Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis (hereafter
referred to as NIDOTTE), ed. Willem A. Van Gemeren (
6. Pentecost, 18.
7. McClain, 21.
8. Ibid., 41.
9. Exceptions include righteous Abel (Genesis
4: 4; Hebrews
11: 4), Enoch (Genesis 5: 24; Hebrews 11: 5-6) and righteous Noah (Genesis
6: 8-9;
Hebrews 11: 7).
Yet none of these men was described as a ruler.
10. Robert B. Chisholm. Jr., “Evidence
from Genesis,” The Coming Millennial
Kingdom: A Case for Premillennial Interpretation, ed. Donald K. Campbell and Jeffrey
L. Townsend (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1997), 40-2.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid., 40. That only God, represented by the lights, moved
between the pieces of the animals (while Abram slept), meant that only God was obligated
to grant the promised land to Abraham’s descendants.
13. Ibid., 46-50.
14. This discussion reflects some of
McClain’s treatment on pp. 52-94.
15. To do this, he was aided by judges and
other officials who were to be men of integrity (Deuteronomy
16: 19). He was not authorized to
produce any legislation. Apart from God’s strong influence upon the policies of
a government and the character of its leaders, there will inevitably be tension
between personal liberty and governmental policies designed to increase
governmental authority in ways that restrict or eliminate that freedom.
16. This included the Levitical priesthood, priestly rituals and
the tabernacle (later the temple).
17. There were charismatic leaders in
18. McClain, 91-4. Since the leadership was charismatic,
there was no provision for succession that would have provided continuous
leadership. Thus there were gaps between charismatic leaders.
19. Ibid., 100.
20. Ibid., 110-3.
21. Ibid., 107.
22. Ibid., 126 (cf. Ezekiel 8: 3-4; 10: 4, 18; 11: 22-23).
23. Ibid., 125.
24. Jeremiah
prophesied that no descendant of Jehoiachin (the last Davidic king of
25.
Pentecost, 142; Ronald B. Alien, “Evidence from Psalm 89,” The
Coming Millennial Kingdom,
70; Gerald H. Wilson. bayith, NIDOTTE, vol. 1, 656.
26. Pentecost, 142; Allen, “Evidence
from Psalm 89,” 70-1; 1. Cornelius, kissay,, NIDOTTE, vol.
11, 672-4.
27. Pentecost, 142.
28. Ibid., 143-4 (see also Isaiah 9:
6-7; Ezekiel 37: 24-25; Hosea 3: 4-5).
29. Ibid., 146-7.
30. Ibid., 147 (see Amos 9: 11).
31. Allen, “Evidence
from Psalm 89,” 72.
32. Ibid. (This entire paragraph follows Allen’s helpful
discussion.)
33. Ibid., 76; Pentecost,
148.
34. McClain, 174.
35. Ibid., 209-13.
36. Ibid., 216.
37. Some of these blessings will fulfil
God’s promises made in the New Covenant (Jeremiah
31: 31-34;
Ezekiel 36: 24-38).
38. McClain, 228.
39. For the difficult problems of the future temple and its animal
sacrifices, see McClain. 247-51; Mark F. Rooker, “Evidence from Ezekiel,” The
Millennial Kingdom, 128-34.
40. The Gospel of Matthew
refers almost exclusively to the kingdom (of heaven. Since in the Jewish usage
of that period, “heaven” was a circumlocution
for God (Yahweh), the terms “kingdom of heaven”
and “
41. McClain, 272, points out that the Greek adverb
entios is best rendered “among” in the sense if “in the
midst of” It does not mean “within.” It
was clearly not “within” the Pharisees whom He
was addressing. See Klappert, 382-3.
42. McClain, 275.
43. Ibid., 304-5.
44. Jesus rebuked the Jewish leaders for
this explanation of His miracles, calling it “blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit,” which
was unforgivable.
45. It is worth noting that Jesus’ disciples at this time were
Jews.
46. McClain, 321.
47. The tree described greatly exceeds the
normal height of a mustard plant which grows to about twelve feet. The birds
pictured the evil one in an earlier parable (Matthew
13: 4, 19)
and probably have the same significance here. The yeast often refers figuratively to something
evil (e.g., Luke 12: 1).
48. L. Coenen, “Church,” The New
International Dictionary of the New
Testament Theology,
vol. I, 291-305; McClain, 327.
49. Craig S. Keener, A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999), 429-30.
McClain (329-30) suggests that this
authority applied to the future eschatological Messianic kingdom and not to the
kingdom during the interregnum.
50. They expressed their rejection in
several ways, including their arrest and attempted suppression of certain
apostles (Acts 4:
1-3, 18; 5: 17-40), the martyrdoms of Stephen and the Apostle
James (Acts 7: 57-59; 12: 1-3), the persecution of and efforts to kill Paul [Page 111] (Acts 13-28). King Agrippa I initiated the action against James, but his
motive was primarily to please the Jews.
51. McClain, 424-5.
52. Stanley D. Toussaint, “Acts,”
The Bible Knowledge Commentary, ed. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (Wheaton, IL: Victor,
1983), vol. II, 372-3; 410; 413-4; 430-1.
53. McClain, 425.
54. In four texts Paul described the present aspect of the
mediatorial
55. In contrast, the [regenerate] wicked will not inherit it (1
Corinthians 6: 9-10; Galatians 5: 19-21; Ephesians 5: 5).
56. McClain, 435; W. Howard Mare, “I Corinthians,”
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary,
ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, et al.
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976), vol. X, 285.
57. Earl Radmacher, What the Church is
all About: A Biblical and
Historical Study (Chicago: Moody. 1972), 168-74, provides
several reasons for supporting this conclusion.
58. Coenen, 291.
59. Radmacher, 174-6; McClain, 439-41.
60.
Erich Sauer, From Eternity to Eternity,
92-3, cited by Radmacher, 176.
61. Elliott E. Johnson, “Premillennialism Introduced: Hermeneutics,”
The Coming Millennial Kingdom, 33.
62. In the NT Asia was a Roman province
located in the western part of what is now
63. The phrase “kingdom and priests”
may be a hendiadys, i.e., two words joined by and to convey one idea;
if so, this phrase would essentially mean “priestly kingdom.” See NET Bible (Dallas, TX: Biblical Studies Press,
1998), 777, footnote 7.
64.
Robert Thomas, Revelation 1-7, an Exegeticial
Commentary (Moody, 1992), 402.
65. Robert Thomas, Revelation 8-22, an Exegetical
Commentary (Moody, 1995), 106.
66. That this passage describes Jesus Christ is clear from the
distinctive titles ascribed to Him: the Word of God (Revelation
19: 13); King of kings and Lord of
lords (Revelation 19:16).
67 Thomas, Revelation 8-22, 410.
68. For effective arguments that the 1.000
years in Revelation 20 is to he understood
literally, see Walvoord, Revelation, 2943; Thomas, 8-22, 407-9.
69. Thomas, Revelation 8-22, 413-4.
70. Ibid., 420-1.
71. Ibid., 415-7.
72. The conditions and qualities of that
kingdom are vividly portrayed in Revelation 21: 1-22: 5.
* *
*
[Page
113]
CHAPTER 8
- Premillennialism
-
and the
* Joel Van Hoogen *
What relevancy
does premillennialism hold for modern evangelicalism? In particular, how
relevant is it in giving focus and direction to The Christian and Missionary
Alliance? What bearing does premillennialism have on
First, The Christian
and Missionary Alliance is a missionary denomination. It exists as a
denomination primarily to reach the world for Christ. It is foremost an
alliance of Christian and missionary churches. It was such an alliance long
before it was ever a denomination.
Second, the
Third, the
Fourth, the
Fifth, the
As the premillennial position of the
1. Summary of the
three basic positions on the millennium.
2. The Statement of Faith of The Christian and
Missionary Alliance and the corresponding
views of Dr. A. B. Simpson, its founder.
3. The historical
development of millennialism.
4.
Interpretations of Revelation 20: 1-6.
5. The relevance of premillennialism for the future of
The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
1. Summary of the Three Basic Millennial Positions
It is not possible without some significant generalizing to
discuss the various eschatological positions on the millennium. There is a wide
range of interpretive variance in each of the three positions outlined.
Postmillennialism
Postmillennialism is a theological position that affirms the
second coming of Jesus Christ at the end of the millennial period.
The millennium is to be a literal period of 1,000 years of
peace and righteousness in the age preceding the return of Jesus Christ. During
this time the gospel will be universally preached and broadly received.
postmillennialists generally hold to a spiritual interpretation which states, “the [Page
115]
Amillennialism
Amillennialism is a theological position which affirms the
second coming of Christ after a millennial period. Amillennialists are not
truly “a” (no) “millennial,”
since they do believe in a spiritualized millennium. The 1,000 years are to be
understood as figurative of the completed present period from the resurrection
of Christ to His second coming. Christ’s reign in this millennium is spiritual
in the lives of those newborn and occurs simultaneously as this evil age
progresses, becoming worse and worse. At the same time it is acknowledged that
Satan is, in this time, uniquely bound so that he may not deceive the nations,
guaranteeing that some from every tribe and tongue will believe in Christ. This
age will end in the climax of a great tribulation, after which Christ shall
return and usher in the eternal state with a new heaven and earth.
Premillennialism
Premillennialism is the belief that Christ’s second coming
precedes His earthly rule and the visible implementation of His kingdom of
peace and righteousness. He shall personally reign upon the earth with His
saints.
The 1,000 years will be literal. Christ’s reign upon the earth
will be literal. Satan will be bound so that he cannot promote evil in man’s
fallen nature and in the social order. During this time God will bring into one
both the natural and the spiritual
[Page
116]
2. The Statement of faith of the
Corresponding Views of Dr. A. B. Simpson
Article 11 of the Statement of Faith of the
As the
Any casual reading of the poetry of Dr. Simpson will reveal a common theme celebrating the
premillennial return of Christ. In A. B.
Simpson’s book, The Goming One, his view of the
millennium and his perspective on the importance of the doctrine in the life of
the Church are stated. Dr. Simpson states the belief that Christ is yet to come
to earth to complete His glorious redemptive plan. He rejected any notion that
the promises regarding Christ’s millennial coming were fulfilled in the death
of the saints, the destruction of
The rejection of a material, terrestrial millennium for a
higher spiritual one of heart or heaven (such as, amillennialism may design)
was to Dr. Simpson compatible with spiritualizing the creation account or the
liberalizing of Jesus into an idea with no historical reality. “Such a rejection,” [Page 117] he wrote, “takes
out of God’s Book all reality and makes everything merely a dream as vague as
the fooleries of Christian Science. Thank God He is real and we are real and
Christ is real and the coming glory
is real.” 3
With similar vibrato, Dr. Simpson reacted against the more commonly
held postmillennial views of the day, calling them counterfeit millenniums:-
Man has tried to make his own millennium. Poetry
has dreamed of it, and degraded it into a sensuous paradise. Patriots and
optimists have drawn the vision of a golden age of liberty, equality, peace,
and plenty, and have seen only anarchy, license, and misery arise at the touch
of their deceptive wand. Moralists have toiled for purity, temperance, and
virtue, and dreamed of a day when social reform will have blotted out the last
plague spot from our cities, only to see wickedness, crime, and the curse of
alcohol, and woman’s shame increase with increasing civilization. And Christian
reformers have expected a spiritual millennium, in which the Gospel shall cover
the myriad populations of earth, and make every land a holy, happy paradise of
love and purity; but alas! the lands that are the most evangelized are
sometimes the farthest from millennial piety or purity; and were all the world
to reach tomorrow the condition to which Christian lands have attained in the
three centuries since the Reformation, earth would still be a sight to break
the heart of Him who died for us. Nay, God has something better for His weary,
hungry children than any of man’s counterfeit millenniums.” 4
3. The Historical
Development of Millennialism
It should be noted that the doctrinal thought of Dr. A. B.
Simpson - and The Christian and Missionary Alliance, for that matter - are
products of their times. The
The Premillennial Early Church
The observation shared by the vast majority of historians is
that the early Church was premillennial. George
N. H. Peters chronicles in proposition 72 of his voluminous work, The Theocratic Kingdom, a [Page 118]
compelling historical argument demonstrating that the premillennial doctrine of
the kingdom, as preached by the apostles, was taught by the early churches. 5
The following is a sampling of a few of the church and secular
historians whose studies have concurred with George N. H. Peters’ basic
proposition: Edward Gibbon, author
of the classic work, The History of
the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire; J.C.I.
Gieseler, Professor of Theology and highly acclaimed church historian in his
day, who himself was not a premillennialist; Henry Sheldon, Professor of Historical Theology at Boston
University; Philip Schaff, prominent
German Reformed theologian, church historian and author of the monumental
eight-volume, History of the Christian Church; Adolf
Harnack, Lutheran theologian and church historian; Will Durant, author of the multi-volume work, The
Story of Civilization; Paul Boyer, Professor of History at the
University of Wisconsin, Madison, and author of When
Time Shall Be No More: Prophecy Belief in Modern American Culture.
Many of the early Church Fathers revealed a premillennial
indoctrination. The Epistle of Barnabus (ca. A.D. 70) was written only a little
after the martyrdom of the Apostle Paul. On the creation week, it says:
Consider what this signifies, He finished them in six days. The meaning of it is this;
that in six thousand years, the Lord God will bring all things to an end. For with Him one day is as a thousand
years. ... [T]herefore ... in six days
(i.e., 6,000 years) shall all things be accomplished. ... [W]hen His Son shall come and
abolish the wicked one, and judge the ungodly; and shall change the sun, and
moon and stars; then He shall gloriously rest on that ‘seventh day,’ i.e.,
millennium. 6
Papias (ca. A.D. 60-130) was reputed to have
been taught by John the apostle. Fanciful images of a millennial period are
attributed to him.
Justin Martyr (A.D. 100-165) wrote, “I and others who are right-minded Christians on all points,
are assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead and a thousand years
in
Irenaeus (A.D. 140-203) was the disciple of Polycarp, the disciple of John the apostle. He affirmed the
millennium and two distinct resurrections.
Tertullian (A.D. 170-220) believed in the primacy
of the literal sense of Scripture and that a literal millennium would follow
the resurrection of the dead. He went deeply into the book of Daniel and taught
that Daniel
9: 24-27 predicted both the time of Christ’s
birth and death. He saw the millennium as an interim kingdom before the final
translation of the saints into heaven. Tertullian
fascinatingly observed, “At His last coming He will favour with His acceptance
and blessing the circumcision also, even the race of Abraham, which by and by
is to acknowledge Him.” 9
Hippolytus (A.D. 170-236) was a presbyter of the
church of Rome. He set out the most complete source of the customs of the
ante-Nicene church in his Commentary on the
Book of Daniel, a
premillennial eschatology.
Nephos of
Sextus Julitis Africanus (died A.D. 240) was a friend of the
anti-millennialist Origen; in spite
of this, he “… adopted the familiar apocalyptic notion
of a ‘world week’ of seven thousand years. ... According
to the usual form of this scheme, history will come to an end six thousand
years after creation and will usher in a ‘Sabbath’ of a thousand years.’” 11
Methodius (died A.D. 311) spoke of two
resurrections and the seventh millennium of the creation.
Victorinus (died A.D. 304) held to two distinct
resurrections as taken from Revelation 20, separated by 1,000 years. He expresses the seventh day as an
eschatological image of the millennium.
Lactantius (died after A.D. 317) was a confessor
to
Peters concluded that the premillennial
return of Christ and subsequent kingdom rule were taught by the early disciples
and received by the young Church and that amillennial teaching was not clearly
evidenced in Church history until the time of Augustine.
Development of Amillennialism
Amillennialism first appeared in the negative sense with no
positive proposition regarding the millennium. Thus, the first expressions of
amillennialism were a reaction against the gross sensual extremes that
characterized some expressions of the dominant literal view of the millennium.
It was also trying to put distance between the Christian doctrine of the end
times and what was considered Jewish sensualism.
Origen (A.D. 185-253) was the most prominent
of the negative Amillennialists. It was he who popularized the allegorical
method of biblical interpretation which provided a means by which Greek
philosophical thought could be wed to Old and New Testament passages. With this
view he maintained that there were three levels of interpretation for every
passage of Scripture: the literal, the moral and the allegorical. He affirmed
that the literal interpretation was not essentially the correct one. Such a
hermeneutic enabled him to distance himself from the literal and “sensual” sense found in much of the prophetic
passages of Scripture.
A positive amillennialism did not appear until the writings of
Augustine (A.D. 354-430). Augustine was the chief architect of Catholic
theology up to the time of Thomas
Aquinas. His amillennial scheme is still the foundational thought behind
Catholic and Reformed eschatology and millenarianism to this day. So strongly
were his views adopted that church authorities went so far as to expurgate from
the works of Irenaeus and Victorinus all millennial taint. 13
Augustine was highly influenced by the Neoplatonism of Plotinus (A.D. 205-270) and the
allegorical method of Philo, which
Origen developed for Christian thought. This influence was profoundly
dualistic. “Plato believed that the ultimate goal of a human being was to
arrive at a [page 121] disembodied state of pure
spirit. ... The material, and especially the
body ... was looked upon as evil and to be
loathed.” 14
This dualism is seen in Augustine’s writings on the afterlife
and influenced his development of purgatory as a place to “ … cleanse them from the remnants that are owing to this cement
of flesh.” 15
The influence of Platonic thought is also revealed in the
expressive monastic forms of Augustine’s day, forms that he, in some degree,
followed. Refusing to marry his common-law wife and the mother of his son, he became
a celibate monk, with a monastic order following after his example.
This dualism ultimately resulted in Augustine’s development of
a new concept of the kingdom and the millennium. It is important when
considering the history of this doctrine to note that Augustine’s belief in a
spiritual millennium was not the recovering of an old truth neglected, but the
establishment of a new scheme, not advanced by anyone before him. Historian Christopher Dawson well observes that
Augustine is “entirely alienated from the realistic
literalism of the old apocalyptic tradition.” 16
As A. E. Pinell
lucidly demonstrated, Augustine never attempted to refute millennialism but
simply ignored it on the grounds that its materialism was unseemly. Augustine
states:
This opinion would not be objectionable, if it were
believed that the joys of the saints in that Sabbath should he spiritual only,
and consequent on the presence of God. But as he asserts that those who then
rise again shall enjoy the leisure of immoderate carnal banquets, famished with
an amount of meat and drink such as not only to shock the feeling of the
temperate, but even to surpass the measure of credulity itself, such assertions
can be believed only by the carnal. They who do believe them are called by the
spiritual “Chiliasts” which literally may be millenarians. 17
Pinell gives further light on this prejudice
Augustine had against millennialism by noting:
As Platonistically conditioned as he was and given his
monastic mentality, it was understandable that Augustine should have reacted as
he did to the millennialism of his day. His basic aversion to thinking of any
future rest for the saints, as including any kind of material enjoyments,
showed heavily in the reason he gave for rejecting millennialism. He said he
could believe in millennialism, if it only stated that “the joys of [Page 122] saints in the Sabbath shall be
spiritual.” Otherwise, he said, “this opinion
would not be objectionable.” That is,
to please him, an eschatological system had to be free of references to
future material enjoyments. Not finding in millennialism the pure spiritual
system he sought from the Christian writings of past history or from anything
else, the only recourse he had left was his
large and resourceful intellect. 18
It should be noted that with the rise of
It can be said in review that Origin’s attempts to allegorize,
Augustine’s dualistic Platonism 20 and
Constantine’s Christianization of human government effectively killed a
vigilant spirit of defence for and development of premillennial theology.
Amillennialism was not the primary historical testimony of the Church; rather,
it was premillennialism that expressed the hopes of the early Church.
Amillennialism did not rise out of a rediscovery of biblical truth, but out of
reaction to a “Jewish sensualism” that was
incompatible with the “Hellenistic dualism” of
the day. Amillennialism was born out of the convergence of spiritualizing
interpretation, dualistic philosophy that disparaged the physical, and realized
social triumphalism. These three are generally recognized in evangelical
thought as negative developments in the Church.
Yet, in spite of this suspicious genesis, today’s
Amiliennialists are satisfied to identify their position and, in particular,
their reading of Revelation 20: 1-6, as defensible through their
allegiance to the teaching of Augustine. Anthony
Hockema, for example, states in defence of an [Page 123] amillennial interpretation, “The amillennial understanding of Revelation 20: 1‑6 as
describing the reigning souls of deceased believers with Christ in heaven has
had good standing in the church since the days of Augustine.” 21
Development of Postmillennialism
Postmillennialism appeared on the historical scene in the
seventeenth century with the Age of Enlightenment. Augustine’s antimaterialism
was increasingly incompatible with a budding age of science and a focus upon a
material universe. Literal measurements and calculations conflicted with the
allegorical method of interpreting nature and God’s Word.
With Daniel Whitby
(1683-1726), a Unitarian, postmillennialism was introduced. Eventually there
came about two kinds of postmillennialism. One was liberal and secular, with
adherents like John Locke and Thomas Paine, and later liberals such
as Shirley Jackson Case, author of Christianizing the Social Order. Over time there appeared many other
books trumpeting the social triumph of Christianity. The other was a
conservative postmillennialism represented in a chain of succession by Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge, B.B. Warfield
and Loraine Boettner. The succession
of two world wars dealt a deathblow to the optimism of postmillennialism. Today
the new Reconstructionism has arisen, which makes a curious blend of the two,
at times militantly combining a conservative view of Scripture and the gospel
with the law and its social demands and political mandates.
The Renewal of the Premillennial Doctrine
One should be aware that there is not a century from the time
of the early Church where there is not some record of premillennial teaching
and thought. Paul Boyer’s book, When Time Shall Be No More, demonstrates that even during the
Middle Ages the religion of the populace had strong material, premillennial
hopes. 22 The Evangelical
Dictionary of Theology confirms this point, stating that the
allegorical interpretation of Augustine became the official doctrine of the
Church during the medieval period. In defiance of the main teaching of the
Church, however, the earlier apocalyptic premillennialism continued to be held
by certain counterculture groups.23
[Page
124]
Long before John Darby
(1800-1882) was sketching his first dispensational charts, Joachim of Fiore (1135-1202) had sketched his three ages of law,
grace and the Spirit, and was publishing his Book of Figures charting out these ages. Out of an
inductive study of the book of Revelation he concluded that the chiliasts were right. 24
John Wycliffe and John Hus, morning stars of the Reformation, were avowed
millennialists. Premillennialists in the Reformation period also existed with
more and more frequency, e.g., Joseph
Mede, Isaac Watts, Hugh Latimer and Puritan John Bunyan, all argued for the literal
interpretation of all the prophetic passages of Scripture. Bunyan, for example,
wrote on Zechariah
14: 4: “His feet shall stand
in that day upon the mount of Olives” (KJV), arguing against the spiritualizers of God’s Word. He
says, “This is the day of His second coming,”
and then asks, “Where is the
God’s blessing the Sabbath day, and resting on it
from all His works, was a type of that glorious rest that saints shall have
when the six days of this world are totally ended. ... This day is called a
great day ... which shall end in the eternal judgment of the world. God hath
held this forth by several other shadows, such as the Sabbath of weeks, the
Sabbath of years, and the great jubilee. ... In the seventh thousand years of
the world will be that Sabbath when Christ shall set up His kingdom on earth:
according to that which is written, “They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” 25
David Larsen in his book Jews,
Gentiles and the Church makes
note that Martin Bucer, successor to
Zwingli, and Theodore Beza, Calvin’s
successor, started a small but growing trend returning to chiliasm. 26 Robert Baillie in
1645 claimed that most of the divines in
Owen wrote, “The
Jews shall be gathered from all parts of the
earth where they are now scattered, and brought home into their ‘homeland’ before the ‘end of all things’ prophesied by
The new rise of premillennial thought, though strongly
initiated by John Darby, was not the
sole domain of one version of dispensational thought. There were those like
Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, John
Charles Ryle, who wrote the Premillennial Creed, and those who would now likely be
called progressive dispensationalists, such as George N. H. Peters, author of the three-volume The Theocratic Kingdom; Nathaniel West, author of One Thousand Years
in Both Testaments; and
W. C. Stevens, a teacher at Nyack
College and author of Revelation, the
Crown Jewel of Biblical Prophecy.
According to secular historian Boyer, -
Dispensationalism arrived at a time of mounting
evangelical concern over challenges to the Bible’s divinely inspired status by
liberal theologians in the
The dispensational premillennial movement corresponded to, and
further encouraged, a growing confidence among the everyday Christian that he
or she could readily understand the clear teaching of Scripture. Thus
premillennial teaching and thought was a strong influence in the rise of Bible
institutes throughout
[Page 126]
This new movement also gave strength to a strong missions
movement and evangelical thrust which ran counter to the progressive or
postmillennial hopes for an advancing humanity. Premillennialism gave an answer
to the false evolutionary hopes of Darwinism for the human race. “Far from paralyzing ... missionary
effort,” wrote Nathaniel West
in 1879, “premillennial belief was ... one of the mightiest incentives to
earnestness in preaching the Gospel to every creature, until He comes, not to
make the world better, but to save people out of the world. 30 Dr.
A. B. Simpson saw a twofold incentive arising from what he called the
blessed hope: encouraging a missionary message of warning, and also awakening
and issuing a call to the practice of holiness in preparation for Christs
coming. 31 It was this renewed premillennialism,
with its inclination for the clear, literal teaching of the Bible and a
refocused mission to the world, that swept up new church movements in the late
1800s - including that movement which would become The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
4. Interpretations of Revelation 20: 1-6
And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the
key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that
ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a
thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from
deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set
free for a short time.
I saw thrones on which were seated those who had
been given authority to judge. And I saw
the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their
testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or
their hands. They came to life and reigned with
Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand
years were ended.) This is the first
resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who
have part in the first resurrection. The second
death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and
will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20: 1-6.)
[Page 127]
Dr. Simpson’s and the Alliance’s belief in the millennium does
not rest on Revelation 20 alone,
but on the numerous prophecies of the Old Testament that herald the coming
Messiah who will reign on David’s throne and rule over a peaceful kingdom. The
truth of the Messianic age rests on the literal interpretation of these many
Old Testament passages. The primary contribution that Revelation 20: 1-6 makes regarding the Messianic Kingdom is to disclose its duration of 1,000
years. It should be considered significant that this duration is mentioned six
times within this brief passage.
However, because the amillennial / postmillennial advocates
deny the relevance of Old Testament passages and promises (conceiving all these
promises either to be spiritually transferred to the Church where possible, or
made null and void on account of Israel’s unbelief), the scriptural ground for
the debate between them and premillennialists has been generally narrowed down
to Revelation
20: 1-6. Therefore, a brief overview of the
respective competing interpretations of this passage is in order. This will be
followed by a framing of the historic expectation for a millennium that
qualifies how the audience was likely to read the author’s intent.
Premillennial View
Chapter 19 is the key passage in Revelation
describing the second coming of Christ to earth. This second coming is a key
theme of the book according to Revelation 1: 7, “Look, he is coming. ...” Chapter 20 follows in clear chronological order and describes two
bodily resurrections separated by a period of 1,000 years. In between them,
Satan shall be bound, and those first raised shall reign with Christ upon the
earth. At the end of this time there shall be a brief release of Satan followed
by his being cast into the lake of fire, the second resurrection and the final
judgment. Then the eternal state shall be established.
Amillennial / Postmillennial View
As has already been observed, this interpretation of Revelation 20: 1-6 finds its historical roots in the novel thinking of Augustine on the
passage. The interpretation is figurative and not literal.
Page
128
Chapter 20 is not viewed chronologically by the amillennialist nor by
the postmillennialist as following chapter 19, but rather as a return to the time of the present period of
the Church.
This would not be the natural rendering when considering the
succession of kai eidon (“And I saw”) in Revelation 19: 11, 17; 20: 1, 4, 11; 21: 1. This repeated phrase seems to introduce an unfolding series of
interrelated visions which moves progressively forward, not retrogressively. With
this understanding, the progressive sequence would then be obvious: the second
coming, the judgment of the armies, the judgment of the Beast and the False
Prophet in the lake of fire, the binding of Satan in the Abyss for 1,000 years,
the reign of those participating in the first resurrection, the final judgment
and the new heavens and new earth.
The 1,000 years are taken symbolically to mean the complete
and full present state of the Church. Verses 1-3 would then refer to the present age here on
earth with Satan bound from deceiving the nations and stopping the spread of
the gospel. Verses 4-6 would refer to this same period in heaven with the departed souls of the
redeemed with God.
The first resurrection is said to be a spiritual resurrection
of souls into the presence of God. (Augustine
added to this the spiritual resurrection of the redeemed on earth according
to Ephesians 2: 1)
The second resurrection is the one general physical resurrection at the end of
the age.
In response to this interpretation Henry Alford gave the well‑known quote:-
If, in a passage where two resurrections are
mentioned, where certain psychai ezaesan,
at the first, and the rest of the nekoi
ezesan only at the end of a specified period after the first; if in such a
passage the first resurrection may be understood to mean spiritual rising with
Christ, while the second means literal rising from the grave, then there is an
end of all significance in language, and Scripture is wiped out as a definite
testimony to anything. 32
Millennial Expectation and John’s
Intent in Revelation 20
There was a well established belief in the ancient world that
there was to be a literal 1,000-year millennium of peace and righteousness upon
the earth.
Bishop Russell of
With respect to the millennium it must he
acknowledged that the doctrine concerning it stretches back into antiquity so
remote and obscure, that it is impossible to fix its origin. The tradition that
the earth, as well as the moral and religious state of its inhabitants, were to
undergo a great change at the end of 6,000 years, has been detected in the
writing of Pagans, Jews and Christians. It is found in the most ancient of
those commentaries of the Old Testament, which we owe to the learning of the
Rabbinical school. 33
Zoroaster, an ancient Persian philosopher,
taught, - “in the end Sosioch [a name
resembling in sound the Hebrew Messiah] makes his
appearance, under whose reign the dead are raised, the judgment takes place,
and the earth is renovated and glorified. ...
He also taught the six-millennial duration of the world. 34
Theopompus, who flourished in 340 B.G., relates
that the Persian Magi taught the present state of things would continue 6,000
years, after which Hades, or death, would be destroyed, and men would live
happily. Bishop Russell, from whom
we extract, adds that the opinion of the ancient Jews on this point may be
gathered from the statement of a Rabbi who said, “The
world endures 6000 years, and in the 1000, or millennium that follows, the
enemies of God will be destroyed.” 35
The ancient Etruscans taught,
“The world was formed in the course of six periods;
each period comprehending a millenary; while 6000 years are allotted for a
seventh period, viz, that of its duration.” 36
Rabbi Elias, a Jewish doctor of high antiquity,
lived, says Bishop Russell, about
200 years before Christ. His opinion is called by the Jews, “A tradition of the house of Elias.” He taught that
the world would be “2,000 years void of the law; 2,000
years under the law, and 2,000 years under the Messiah.” He limited the
duration of the world to 6,000 years and held that in the seventh millenary, “The earth would be renewed and the righteous dead raised;
that these should not again be turned to dust, and that the just then alive
should mount up with wings as the eagle: so that in that day they would not
fear though the mountains be cast into the midst of the sea. Psalms 46: 3.” 37
There was also a contemporary
millennial expectation in John’s day. Rabbi
Gamaliel, the teacher of Paul, used the phrase “in the land that the [Page 130] LORD swore to give your
forefathers” from Deuteronomy 11: 21, to demonstrate the resurrection of
the dead to silence the Sadducees. He said, “as
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had it not; and God cannot lie; therefore, they must
be raised from the dead to inherit it.” The importance of this quotation
proves that there was a real, literal - not figurative - anticipation of an
earthly millennial reign in John’s day.
Acts 1: 6 is the last of many dialogues of
expectation that the disciples had with Jesus on the subject. In each case
Jesus never speaks to correct their core conviction of an expected physical
kingdom but by implication or limited qualification seems to encourage it.
The Sibylline Oracles are frequently quoted by the early
Church Fathers. They are a rare and ancient writing of Greek verse comprising
fourteen books by various authors, some written before Christ and some after.
These oracles, as well, taught of a coming millennium. This millennium with
surrounding judgments is one of the strong themes of the oracles. (Paul quoted
from these writings in Acts 17: 28 and Titus 1:
12)
Finally, it is well known that John’s nemesis and Gnostic
contemporary, Cerinthus (A.D. 100),
taught of the coming of Jesus before 1,000 years, of sensuous pleasure, after
which there would be a consummation of this age.
In John’s day there is little or no evidence that this period
of 1,000 years of bliss was ever understood in any other way than the literal.
The evidence abounds that such an interpretation and expectation was strongly
set in the minds of his contemporaries. The weight of both the ancient
expectation and the contemporary expectations makes it highly unlikely that
John would have chosen to use such a culturally overloaded language unless he
had intended not a figurative understanding, but a literal one. In the same way
the audience that heard and read John would have been so primed by the
contemporary expectation that they certainly would have received the millennial
language in the framework of the popular literal expectation.
5. The Relevance of Premillennialism for the Future
of The Christian and Missionary
A final consideration must he given to the value of this
doctrine as it applies to The Christian and Missionary Alliance. Many of the
views of [Page 131] Dr. A. B. Simpson on this topic
and its relationship to the early
Dr. Simpson was not so pessimistic that he saw the earth
passing away without a golden age of historical peace and a reign of
righteousness. He was not so optimistic that he saw that age coming by any
other means than the intervention of the Son of God as King of the earth. In
all this he looked beyond to the great and final glory of the eternal state,
where God, having brought in the ultimate expression of glory in history, would
climax His display of glory throughout all eternity.
The
Now consider again the five distinctives introduced at the
beginning of this paper in order to help answer the question, “How relevant is this [Page 132] doctrine in giving focus
and direction to The Christian and Missionary Alliance?” Consider the following questions.
Is it possible to be motivated for missions and be either
amillennial or postmillennial? Is it possible to issue a call for holiness
through the abiding life of Christ
and be either amillennial or postmillennial? Is it possible to develop a
Christocentric view of history and be either amillennial or postmillennial? Is
it possible to believe in the inerrant Word of God and be either amillennial or
postmillennial? Is it possible to affirm the integrity of God and be either
amillennial or postmillennial?
To all of these questions, in deference to both the
amillennialist and the postmillennialist, we must give a resounding “Yes.”
The Transcendent Integrity of God
One should remember, however, that the early conviction of the
This same premillennial sentiment for God’s glory and
integrity is expressed by Marv Rosenthal
when he writes,
If God does
not keep His word to
The Infallible Word of God
It must be recognized again that it was the belief of the
founders of the
Although Dr. Simpson was committed to the study of types
within the Scripture, he held to the literal and historical nature of the
Bible. 43 The great danger introduced by the
combination of Darwinism, liberal theology, the Social Gospel and liberal
biased critical Bible scholarship in Dr. Simpson’s day was the erosion of
long-held beliefs. Along with this erosion, modernism effectively removed the
Word from the rank and file of Christianity and placed it in the hands of an
elite “scholarship.” Against this tide,
premillennialism supported a countermovement of growing confidence in Scripture
expressed in the belief that every part of the Bible could be understood in its
literal and normal sense; that, excepting the cases of resulting absurdities,
it should be taken literally. This confidence turned common people boldly back
to the Word, and as they applied this principle of understanding the Scripture
to both Old and New Testament prophecy, they saw written there the secrets of a
coming millennial kingdom over which Christ would reign as King upon the earth.
Loraine Boettner, postmillennialist, recognizes this
point of a literal, not letteral, interpretation of prophecy when he admits
that, “It is generally agreed that if the prophecies are taken literally, they
do foretell a [Page 134] restoration of the nation of Israel in the land of
Palestine with the Jews having a prominent place in that kingdom and ruling
over the other nations. 44 This was a
part of what the early
The Centrality of Christ
The centrality of Christ was seen in His progressive goal for
history climaxing in a reign of glory in which all the nations are subject to
His rule of peace for 1,000 years. Today Christ’s rule in history is the
invisible reign within the hearts of God’s children. This rule is hidden from
the world’s view. The rule of the eternal state shall be outside of history.
But in history there shall be the final phase of time in which Christ shall
rule from an earthly throne and display His glory over time, in time. Thus,
nothing of the created order shall escape the full manifestation and reign of
Christ’s glory in it, not even time.
The millennium, ending in a final rebellion, will also serve
to commend the justice of God on that last day of judgment. Man will have
demonstrated, in that day, that his sin is due to nothing else than the
depravity of his own heart. This fixed and progressive goal of history, that
Christ shall be glorified and demonstrated as triumphant in time and place, was
the hope of the early Church and the source of their encouragement in the face
of a corrupt age. It was a hope renewed in the movement of the early
The Christ Life
It is not the threat of judgment alone but the hopeful
prospect of a historical holiness, a Christ-in-us-ness that should ultimately
inspire God’s children. Holiness in Jesus is not only a taste of finding heaven
today, of living in the glory; it is the foreshadowing of a real and earthly reign
of glory that we shall enjoy with Christ in time, on earth. Dr. Simpson wrote, “Because we are going to be like Him, then, we wear His image
now. We anticipate our coming glory ... so we
try on even here the robes of our approaching coronation.” 45
[Page
135]
Dr. Simpson pushed this application home strongly
in his exposition of Isaiah 11: “We have no right to be looking for the
millennium unless we have the millennium in our own hearts. We have no business
to expect an eternity of peace if we are living in strife and envy now. Let us
begin the millennial life here if we expect to enjoy it by and by.” 46
A Missionary
It is true that premillennialism teaches that the only hope for the future of the [sinful] world is Christ, not
Christianization.
Therefore, people need to be saved out of the world. Yet there is as well the
hopeful incentive that one day Christ will rule the nations and gather from
them the fruit of worship from upon this earth, in time and as a goal of
history. For the early
It is possible to hold to these five passions for the
integrity of God, the inerrancy of His Word, the centrality of His Son, the
prospects of His sanctification and the supremacy of His mission apart from one’s
view of the millennium. Still, for the
O Christ, my Lord and King, This is
the prayer I bring,
This is the song I sing: Thy Kingdom
come.
Help me to work and pray, help me to
live each day,
That all I do may say, Thy kingdom
come, Thy kingdom come.
[Page 136]
Upon my
heart’s high throne, Rule Thou, and Thou alone;
Let me be
all Thine own! Thy kingdom come, Thy kingdom come.
Through all the earth abroad, Wherever
man has trod,
Send forth Thy Word, O God - Thy
kingdom come, Thy kingdom come.
Soon may
our King appear! Haste bright
millennial year!
We live to bring it near. Thy kingdom come, Thy kingdom come.`
*
* *
Endnotes
1. Raymond Ludwigson, A Survey of Bible
Prophecy (,
2. A. B. Simpson, The Coming One.
(New York: Christian Alliance Publishing, 1912), 7-18.
3. Ibid., 16.
4. Ibid., 152-3.
5. George N. H. Peters, The Theocratic Kingdom, 3 vols. (Grand
Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1988), 449.
6. D. T. Taylor, The Voice of the
Church on the Coming and Kingdom of the Redeemer or A History of the Doctrine of the Reign of Christ on the
Earth (Boston: H.L.
Hastings, 1861), 52.
7. Ludwigson, A Suvey of Bible
Prophecy, 127.
8. Dr. Renald Showers, “A
Description and Early History of Millennial Views,”
9. David Larsen, Jews, Gentiles and
the Church (Grand Rapids: Discovery House Publishing.
1995), 120, citing Tertullian, Against Marcion, 7.5.9.
10. Brian E. Daley, The Hope of the
Early Church: A Handbook of Patristic Eschatology (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1992), 61.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid., 68.
13. Paul Boyer, When Time Shall Be No More (Cambridge, MA:
The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1992), 49.
14. E. A. Pinell, Christian League
Newspaper on the Millennial vs: Anti-millennial Debate, 1980, 9.
15. Ibid.
16. Larsen, Jews, Gentiles and
the Church, 122.
17. Augustine, The City of God, in The Nicene
and Post-Nicene Fathers, Philip Schaff, ed. (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1979), series I, vol. II. ed., 426.
18. E. A. Pinell, Christian League
Newspaper, 10.
19. Waiter Elwell, The Concise
Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 314.
20. A revelling study of Augustine’s Neoplatonism is found in Robert J. O’ Connell,
21. Anthony Hockema, The Bible and the
Future (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979), 183.
22. Boyer, When Time Shall Be
No More, 50.
23.
Elwell, The Concise Evangelical Dictionary of Theology,
314.
24. Larsen, Jews, Gentiles and the Church, 123.
25.
26. Larsen, Jews, Gentiles and
the Church, 124.
[Page 137]
27. Ibid., 127.
28. Ibid., 126.
29. Boyer, When Time Shall Be No More, 89.
30. Ibid., 97, quoting Premillennial Essays by West.
31. Simpson, The Coming One, 201.
32. Robert G. Clouse,
The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity,
1977), 37-8. The quote of Henry Atford
is cited by George Eldon Ladd.
33. D. T. Taylor, The Voice of the
Church on the Coming and Kingdom of the Redeemer, 25, citing Bishop Russell from Discourse on the
Millennium, 39.
34. Ibid., 28, citing Dr. Hengstenberg
in Christology, vol. 1, 16. Dr. Hengstenberg thinks
Zoroaster stole and adulterated the
truths of Revelation.
35. Ibid., 27.
36. Ibid., 28.
37. bid., 25-6.
38. Keith Bailey, Christ’s Coming and
His Kingdom (Camp
Hill, PA: Christian Publications, 1981). Chapter 6, entitled “The Rich Root of the Olive Tree,” is a wonderfully
sweet discussion on this matter and resounds with a feel of the central glory
of Alliance Christology applied to eschatology.
39. Abba Eban, Heritage: Civilization and the Jews (New York: Summit Books, 1984), 256.
40. Simpson, The Coming One, 192.
41. Mary Rosenthal, “The Importance of a Premillennial Theology,”
42. The hermeneutical assessment of the basis of premillennialism is bound up in an understanding that
the 1,000 years referenced in Revelation 20:
1-7 is a
literal period of 1,000 years. For a thorough presentation of the literal
interpretation of these passages see Robert
L. Thomas, Revelation An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), vol.
2,403-23 and also Excursus 4 at the end of volume 2. The author states -
“Chronological sequence is the
natural understanding of the visions. Also the Old Testament framework that
supplies the foundation for this book requires a future period on earth to
fulfil the promises of a Messianic age. It is a structural necessity of
Revelation that this 1000 years lies in the future too...
… If the writer (John) wanted a
symbolic number why did he not use 144,000 (cf 7: 1; 14: 1), 200,000,000 (9:16), “ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” (5: 11) or an incalculably large number (7: 9)? The fact is that no
number in Revelation is verifiably a symbolic number. On the other hand,
non-symbolic usage of numbers is the rule.”
For a concise summary of the genre and hermeneutic of Revelation and further study for the compelling
case of a literal interpretation see Revelation, An
Exegetical Commentary, vol.
1, 23-39.
43. A. B. Simpson, Divine Emblems (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications,
1995), 9.
44. Clouse, The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views, 95.
45. Simpson, The Coming One, 203.
46. A. B. Simpson, Christ in the Bible Series - Isaiah (
47. A. B. Simpson, Hymns of the Christian Life (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications,
1978), 472.
*
* *
[Page 140]
Future Considerations
[Page 141]
CHAPTER 9
- Premillennialism
-
Imminence, the Tribulation
and Prophetic Preaching
* William R. Goetz *
It was a
bright Sunday morning in
As I greeted people at the door, an attractive middle-aged
woman said to me, “I can’t remember the last time that
I heard a message on prophecy. Thank you so much. We need to be reminded of
such truths!” Hers was the first of several similar comments that
morning.
I have found that sort of response from congregations to be
typical - all over
As a non-itinerant minister I was surprised to realize, upon
reflection, that I have preached in nearly a dozen states, every Canadian
province west of
If my experience is any indicator, prophetic preaching is not
currently in vogue, even in circles that claim to hold to the doctrine of the
return of Christ.
To me this is little short of tragic. For one thing, it
represents a failure to declare the whole counsel of God, since almost
twenty-five percent of Scripture is prophetic. And equally unfortunate is the
loss of the [Page 142] spiritual impact, both evangelistic and edifying, which
the “blessed hope” (Titus 2:
11-14) affords. Believing that the Rapture
could occur at any moment can have a wonderfully positive effect on a
believer’s lifestyle and certainly provides powerful motivation for evangelism.
Why the Dearth?
There are several
possible reasons for the apparent widespread failure to preach prophecy.
The recent proliferation of highly publicized false dates for the
Rapture and other unfulfilled predictions from prophetic writers may be one.
People become weary and wary of such ill-advised and unscriptural
pronouncements and so tune out all prophetic topics. Such skepticism or even
opposition from his people may well impact a pastor’s choice of sermon
subjects.
A second possible reason for the neglect of prophetic
preaching may be the affluence of our
age. Christians have it so good, here and now, that going to heaven doesn’t
have too great an appeal. A cartoon I saw recently summarized such an attitude:
a woman says to her husband, “Now that the kids are
through college and we have the mortgage paid off, wouldn’t it just be our luck
for the Lord to return?”
The shift away from expository to topical - especially “felt needs” - preaching, which has affected many
pulpits, is another possible explanation for the lack of preaching on prophecy.
In light of the current affluence, desiring or preparing to leave it all is not
a widespread “felt need” of our generation.
Perhaps a major reason for the dearth, however, is that many pastors are not certain of what they
believe on eschatological issues. I have had more than one young pastor
confide that he was not sure where he stood on the subject of the millennium,
the tribulation, imminence and so on. Some have indicated that in their
theological training they were given little or no direction - at best a cursory
smorgasbord of positions, with the choice of what to believe left to the
individual. The revival of amillennialism, as promoted by the reconstructionist
movement, may also have a role in the ambivalence on prophecy which many feel.
[Page
143]
Thus, unsure of their position and consequently lacking
passion for the truth of the “blessed hope,” many pastors choose not to preach on the subject. Or, sensing that - for
a variety of reasons - the return of Christ is not a popular topic, some
pragmatic preachers leave it unaddressed. Yet others, aware that differing
viewpoints are held by segments of their church family, decide not to raise a
matter which has the potential of polarizing the congregation.
And there may be other reasons, as well, to explain the lack
of prophecy proclamation. None, however, compare in weight or importance with
the reasons for such preaching.
Reasons to Preach on Prophecy
As the first of several reasons to preach on prophecy, I want
to express - by way of personal testimony - the great joy of seeing people’s
lives touched by the message of the return of Christ. It has been my
unspeakable privilege to know of well over 3,000 salvation decisions which have
come through the spoken and printed proclamation of this truth - all praise to
the Lord!
The imminence of Christ’s coming for His Bride (which we’ll consider shortly) adds great impetus for
people to respond to the evangelistic message, particularly when it is pointed
out that they may not have another chance. According to Second Thessalonians 2: 10-11, those who have heard the gospel and refused it will not have opportunity
to repent after the - [pre-tribulation (see Lk. 21: 34-36 and Rev. 3: 10)] - Rapture,
but will be confirmed in their unbelief by God Himself.
A second reason to preach the prophetic Scriptures relates to
the edification of [regenerate] believers. The appeal to the child of God to live a self-controlled,
upright and godly life in the light of the “blessed
hope” is a powerful message to all believers, since it covers every
possible relationship of life: to one’s self, all others and God. Thus it
illustrates how the anticipation of being caught up at any moment to be with
the Lord, as described in First Thessalonians 4: 13-18, is a marvellously motivating force for godliness in every area of life.
First John
3: 3 underscores
this by pointing out that the hope of seeing Christ and being like Him will
cause everyone who possesses such a hope to purify himself, even as He is pure.
A third major reason for prophecy preaching, which has great
bearing on the reasons listed above, is one to which we have already alluded: Failure to do so is failure to proclaim the whole counsel of God,
since prophecy comprises such a large part of God’s Word, with such potent application
for evangelism and edification.
To declare the full counsel of the Lord in these matters is, I
believe, to preach the premillennial appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, which,
as I understand the prophetic Scriptures, is preceded by the imminent
Rapture of His Bride, [taken out of]* the Church, and by the resultant Great
Tribulation, in which
God pours out His wrath upon a world controlled by the counterfeit trinity:
Satan, the Antichrist and the False Prophet.
[* NOTE: If all regenerate members
are within
the “Church” - and they are by Christ’s
imputed
righteousness - part of the redeemed ‘Body’
of His ‘Church’; then Christ’s ‘Bride’ must be taken out of that ‘holy’ and select “Body.”
(see Rev. 20:
4, 6; cf.
Lk. 20: 35; Phil. 3: 11).That is,
selected
from amongst regenerate members of His redeemed family - ‘the Church’ - His ‘ekklesia’. (See Gen.
2: 22; cf.
Gen. 24: 37, 38; Ruth 3: 3, 10; 4: 10; Rev. 19: 8, R.V.).
Those judged ‘worthy’ by the
Lord because of their undisclosed standard of personal righteousness!
(see Matt. 5:
20; cf. Rev.
19: 8),
will be taken out of the world to escape
Antichrist’s persecutions before His return to resurrect
the ‘holy’ dead (Rev.
20: 6,
R.V.), and rapture those “that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord”
(1 Thess. 4:
15, 16,
R.V.) to earth at that time.
Therefore, we now see there will be a select number of ‘alive’ and resurrected ‘holy’
saints - chosen by ‘the Lamb of God’ - our Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Christ - out
from amongst a previous selection of redeemed souls (by the Holy Spirit
at the time of regeneration), and by the blood God.]
The Imminence of the Rapture
So far as the Rapture is concerned, imminence (“ready to take
place” - Merriani Webster)
means simply that there is no need for intervening events prior to the return
of Christ to take the Church in the Rapture. The promise of the Lord in John 14: 3, 28 quite apparently does not require that there be
any signs or prerequisite events in order for it to be fulfilled, for clearly
the Lord indicated none.
A number of Scripture portions unmistakably indicate that the
early Church held the view that Christ could return at any moment, and that no signs had to precede the [Pre-tribulation] Rapture.
In Philippians 3: 20 Paul declares, “we eagerly
await a Saviour from [heaven], the Lord Jesus Christ.” The Thessalonian
believers, are described in First Thessalonians 1: 10 as those who “wait for his Son from heaven.” Timothy is
charged to keep “this command ... until the appearing
of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Timothy 6: 14). James
assures his readers that “the Lord’s coming is near” (James 5: 8), while in Second Peter 3: 34
the apostle plainly
indicates, in his reference to scoffers, who were mocking because the Coming
had not occurred, that the Lord’s return was expected by the Church at any
moment. There is no reference to preliminary signs in any of
these passages cited above.
Further, Scriptures such as First Thessalonians
5: 6, Titus
2: 13 and Revelation
3: 3 all encourage the [regenerate]
believer to be watching for the Lord [Page 145] Himself, not for any signs
which would precede His coming for His Bride.
In the light of the above it is difficult to understand how
the charge can be made that the doctrine of imminence is of recent origin. Henry C. Thiessen writes:
[The early church fathers as well as the writers of the New
Testament] held
not only the premillennial view of Christ’s coming, but also regarded that
coming as imminent. The Lord had taught them to expect His return at any
moment, and so they looked for Him to come in their day. Not only so, but they
also taught His personal return as being immediately. Only the Alexandrians
opposed this truth; but these Fathers also rejected other fundamental doctrines.
We may say, therefore, that the early Church lived in the constant expectation
of their Lord, and hence was not interested in the possibility of a Tribulation
period in the future.1
Lewis Sperry Chafer quotes a number of reformers - Luther, Calvin, Knox, Latimer - to show that they, too,
believed in the imminency of the return of Christ. 2 J. Barton Payne states, “[The Church] expected that the Lord could appear in the clouds in
immediate connection with any day of contemporary life. The ante-Nicene
fathers, in other words, were committed to the concept of the imminence of
their Lord’s return.” 3
Indeed, the scriptural exhortations indicated above are
realistic and sensible only if the imminent premillennial coming of the Lord
for His Church is understood. “Eagerly waiting,” “being
alert and self-controlled,” “purifying oneself” and directives to the believer make
sense only in view of the possibility of an imminent [and selective] translation.
The Rapture and the Appearing are Different
But while there are no signs indicated as preceding the
translation of the [whole] Church in the Rapture, the opposite is
true concerning those living before the appearing of Christ when He comes to
establish His millennial kingdom. The exhortation to those living in the
Tribulation period is to look for [the divine] signs, and after the signs, to look for
Christ to appear.
[Page
146]
This is the force of our Lord’s Olivet discourse, recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. In Mark
13: 8 Jesus called the signs, which He indicated would precede His coming in
power and great glory, “birth pangs” or “the
beginning of birth pains.”
Birth pangs begin at a point in time and then increase in both frequency and
intensity up to the moment of birth. In this case, the “birth” represents the appearing of Christ
as He comes with His saints to deal with the false trinity and their followers,
and to establish His millennial reign.
Thus the list of signs which Christ gave, as recorded in the
Gospels, correspond very definitely in many instances with the judgments
detailed in Revelation. In these,
the “birth pang” concept of a steady increase in the
intensity and frequency of the signs is also clearly present. It is very
instructive to compare the signs which Christ listed - war, pestilence, famine,
great earthquakes, persecution of Israel, false Christs, global proclamation of
the gospel, 4 fearful signs
in the heavens, great fear - with the description of the three intensifying
phases of God’s wrath poured out on the earth during the seal, trumpet and bowl
judgments, as recorded in Revelation 6-16. It is very apparent that Christ, in the Olivet discourse, and John, in Revelation, are
describing the same signs.
And even though the imminence of the [pre-tribulation] Rapture
requires no signs, the relationship between the Olivet discourse signs and
those in Revelation, along with the “birth pang” factor, gives validity to prophetic preaching which
considers the presence of such signs in the world today. The appearance of what
are believed to he either similar signs or the beginning of the actual
indicators which precede Christ’s return - in steadily increasing frequency and
intensity - surely suggests that the Rapture must be that much nearer.
Prophetic preaching which is truly evangelistic and edifying
must address not only the difference between an imminent Rapture and the
appearing of Christ, but also the difference between
The first is that Daniel’s prophecy concerning Israel’s
future, outlined in Daniel 9: 24-27 as seventy weeks, or “sevens,” of years, has seen [Page 147] the fulfilment of events predicted for sixty-nine of
the “sevens,” leaving one
seven-year period of prophetic fulfilment for [the nation of] Israel still to come. Solid documentation for the sixty-nine-week precise
fulfilment and the fact of a gap between the sixty-ninth and the seventieth
week is beyond the scope of this writing, but has been painstakingly
accomplished by Sir Robert Anderson
in his classic volume, The Corning Prince. 5 Thus, God’s dealing with the world in relationship to
His chosen people, the nation of
The Church, the Body and Bride of Christ, is a unique entity
in God’s dealings with the world, completely distinct from
Because this is so, many (though certainly not all) students
of prophecy believe that the Holy Spirit is the restrainer referred to in Second Thessalonians 2: 1-11. In this portion the Apostle Paul writes that the lawless one, the
Antichrist, is held back from taking control in the world until the One who
restrains is taken out of the way. The Holy Spirit, in the sense of His
indwelling a Body, the Church, is seen as that Restraining One who is taken
away when the Church is raptured. John
F. Walvoord, acknowledging numerous differing interpretations of the
restrainer’s identity, writes,
The ultimate decision on [the identity of] the restrainer goes back to the larger question of who,
after all, is capable of restraining sin to such an extent that the man of sin
cannot be revealed until the restraint is removed. The doctrine of divine
providence, the evidence of Scripture that the Spirit characteristically
restrains and strives against sin (Gen. 6: 3, John 18: 8), and the teaching of Scripture that the Spirit is resident
in the world and indwelling the church in a special sense in [Page 148] this age combine to point to the Spirit of God as
the only adequate answer to the
problem of the identification of the restrainer. ... It should be evident that [since] the Spirit of God characteristically indwells the church as
well as the individual - [obedient (Acts 5: 32; 1 John 3: 24, R.V.] - saint in
this age, the removal of the Spirit would involve ... the removal of the
church as well. 6
Of course, this does not mean that the Holy Spirit will be
absent from the earth following the Rapture. As the omnipresent Spirit of God,
He will be here and will be active as He was prior to Pentecost, but in His
ministry of indwelling and empowering the Church, His work will be completed.
For all who are committed to the literal interpretation of
Scripture, there can be no question: the nation of
In particular an understanding of the difference between the
two entities is essential to an understanding of the Tribulation. Walvoord’s comment on this is interesting:
While it is difficult to make an accurate
generalization, usually those who sharply distinguish Israel and the church are
both premillennial and pretribulational, while those who consider Israel and
the church more or less the same concept, even if premillennial, tend to be
posttribulational, The concept of the church as a distinct entity, peculiar to
the present age since the day of Pentecost, usually goes along with the idea
that the church will be translated
before the Tribulation. 7
Certainly the extensive description of the Tribulation period
in Revelation
4-18
frequently mentions “
The Olivet discourse descriptions, parallel to the Revelation prophecy as suggested earlier, clearly
have reference to
It is my conviction that an understanding of the above
distinction is a vital aspect in the degree of motivation one will have to
preach on prophecy. To be able to proclaim the “blessed hope” of being translated, of
seeing and being like Christ our Redeemer (1 John 3: 3), is far more motivational than announcing the fearful prospect of
enduring God’s awesome Tribulation judgments.
While some who believe that the Church experiences the
Tribulation hold that believers will be protected from the judgments, many of
these predicted events, by their very nature, could not distinguish the saved
from the ungodly. Famine, earthquakes, stars failing from heaven, darkness for
a third of the days, water turned to blood - such judgments
would necessarily fall on the just and unjust alike.
Tribulation and the
Great Tribulation are Different
The Word of God makes it clear that the Church should not
expect to be free of trial and tribulation (Note Matthew
13: 21;
John 16: 33; Acts 14: 22;
Romans 2:
9;
Revelation 2:
10).
Our Lord plainly said, - [to His disciples] - in John 16: 33, “In this world you will have trouble” (“tribulation,” KJV). But there is a vast difference between
tribulation which is the result of the hatred and opposition of ungodly and
wicked men 8 toward all who confess
Jesus as Lord, and
the Tribulation wrath of God, which
is poured out on a godless world during the period immediately preceding the
appearing of Christ. This
distinction is a vital one to understand.
Dwight Pentecost, in Things
to Come, shows that the Old and New Testament description of the
Tribulation period (Daniel’s seventieth week) uses the words “wrath,” “judgment,” “indignation,” “punishment,”
“hour of trial,” “hour
of trouble,” “destruction” and “darkness” - all of which proceed from God.9 He quotes author Norman Harrison:
[Page 150]
Let us get clearly in mind the nature of the [Great]
Tribulation, that it is divine “wrath” (Revelation 11: 18;
14: 8, 10, 19; 15: 1, 7; 16: 1: 19) and divine “judgment” (14: 7; 15: 4; 16: 7; 17: 1; 18: 10; 19: 2). We know that our blessed Lord bore for us
the wrath of Got and His judgment; therefore we who are in Him “shall not come into judgment.”
The antithesis of 1 Thessalonians 5: 9 is conclusive
evidence: “For God appointed us not unto wrath, but unto the obtaining of
salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Walvoord questions the belief that “saints of the present age who are perfectly justified by
faith, given a perfect position of sanctification, and declared to be in
Christ, have to suffer the great day of [God’s]
‘wrath’ in the
Tribulation.” He concludes that while “Christians
can be disciplined and chastened, they cannot justly be exposed to the wrath of
God.” 11
Even post-tribulationist Harold
J. Ockenga distinguished between the two kinds of wrath:
The church will
endure the wrath of men, but will not
suffer the wrath of God. ... If [the identification of the tribulation with the wrath of God] can be proved, we must believe that the church will be
taken out of the world before the tribulation, for there is no condemnation to
them which are in Christ Jesus. 12
Motivation for Proclamation
In summary, I believe that being convinced of the imminent
Rapture of the Church - an entity distinct from [the nation of]
While I do not deny that overt persecution may well be the
future lot of the North American church, as it already is in many parts of the
world, I believe that it will come from the enemies of Christ, not as part of
God’s judgment. And in any case, the best preparation for whatever [Page
151] difficult days
may come is to focus on the kind of a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ
that longs for Him as a prospective bride
longs for her bridegroom.
Perhaps a failure to hold such a perspective is another reason
for the decline in the frequency of preaching on prophecy.
*
* *
Endnotes
1. Henry C. Thiessen, Will the
2. Lewis
Sperry Chafer, Systematic
Theology IV
(Dallas: Dallas Seminary, Press, 1947), 278-9.
3. Robert Anderson, The Coming Prince, (London:
Hodder and Stoughton, 1909).
4. The concept that the gospel must be preached in all the world for a witness
before the Lord will come for His Church has been, during the past century and
more, a powerful motivation for missionary ministry - particularly to
un-reached people groups. It unquestionably has validity. The complete
fulfilment of this sign will come, however, during the Tribulation through the
activity of the 144,000 sealed servants of God (Revelation
7: 3-8),
the Two Witnesses (Revelation 11) and the
preaching of the angel described in Revelation 14:
6, who will “proclaim
[the everlasting gospel] to those who live on the earth
- to every nation, tribe, language and people.” Obviously, people who have never
heard the gospel before will be born again throughout the Tribulation, for
though many will be martyred (13: 5-7), only
through conversions which occur after the Rapture will there be righteous human
beings left upon the earth capable of repopulating the planet during the
Millennium, since those who have been translated - [and
resurrected] - will be as the angels of heaven, who, as our Lord declared in Mark 12: 25, “will neither marry nor be given in marriage.”
5. J. Barton Payne, The Imminent
Appearing of Christ (
6. John F. Walvoord, The
Rapture Question, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979), 78-81.
7. Ibid., 62-3.
8. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and On This Day are but two of many volumes which
describe in graphic detail some of this extreme hatred and persecution
throughout history, which continues today.
9. Pentecost, Things to Come,
194.
10. Norman B.
Harrison, The End (Minneapolis: Harrison
Service, 1941),120, as quoted in Pentecost, Things
to Conte, 195.
11. Walvoord, 159.
12. Harold J. Ockenga,
“Will the Church Go Through the Tribulation? Yes.”
Bibliotheca Sacra 92 (April-June 1935), 22,
as quoted in Walvoord, The Rapture Question, 159.
* *
*
[Page 153]
CHAPTER 10
- Premillennialism
-
Armageddon and judgment
* Robert Wetmore *
Premillennialism’s greatest strength is its hermeneutic.
Premillennialists insist that we must interpret the Scriptures according to
their most natural sense within their grammatical, literary and historical
context. By “natural” sense, we mean what the
original author intended his original audience to understand naturally as they
read the passage, without any “secret”
meanings.
When Genesis 15 tells us that God spoke to Abraham, we accept this as a true event because
the grammatical, literary and historical context most naturally point to this.
When God tells Abraham that his descendants will be numerous as the stars of
heaven, we recognize that the most natural way to understand the comparison is
to see God’s statement as hyperbole. The original readers of Genesis would know that God was using
hyperbole when He said, “ ‘Look up at the heavens,
and count the stars - if indeed
you can count them.’ Then he said to him,
‘So shall your offspring be’” (15: 5, emphasis
added). The original readers would have known that there were simply too many
stars for anyone to count and in the same way, if all of Abraham’s descendants
stood before him, he would likewise be unable to count them.
The interpreter’s task is to determine what would have been
the most natural way for the original readers to understand the statement.
Because premillennialists are committed to this hermeneutical principle, they
interpret Old Testament prophecies according to their most natural sense within
their historical, literary and grammatical contexts. This is the real reason
that premillennialists believe in the 1,000-year reign of Christ. The most
natural interpretations of dozens of Old Testament prophecies undeniably
describe a Davidic king who is divine and reigns in
[Page
153]
On occasion, New Testament writers seem to undermine this rule
by interpreting Old Testament prophecies according to a different principle.
Sometimes they apparently ignore the most natural single meaning of a prophecy
and apply it instead to several very different fulfilments. For example, the
Old Testament generally describes the “Day of the LORD” as a time of judgment, doom and destruction for Israel and
the nations (Ezekiel 13: 5; 30: 3; Joel 1: 15; 2: 1, 11, 31; 3: 14; Amos 5: 18-20; Obadiah 1: 15; Zephaniah 1: 7, 17; Malachi 4: 5, etc.). But in the New Testament, Acts sees the “Day of the Lord” fulfilled in the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 2: 16-21). Paul describes it as the return of Christ (1 Corinthians 1: 8). John describes the battle of Armageddon as “the battle on
the great day of God Almighty” (Revelation
16: 14). Peter
places it as that time when the elements will be destroyed by fire (2 Peter 3: 10). From a casual reading, anyway, the
New Testament does not always seem to agree with the Pre-millennialists’
conviction that we should always look for the natural single sense of a
prophecy. It is small wonder that A-millennialists would prefer to interpret
Old Testament prophecy spiritually. For them, the battle of Armageddon, for
example, refers to the battle which Christ and His Church wage against Satan
and his demonic hordes. They do not look for this battle to take place in a
particular time and place in the future. What is the correct way to interpret
end-time prophecies about the “Day of the Lord”?
This essay approaches the “Day of the Lord,” the battle of Armageddon and the coming judgment as literal
events, and argues that the single natural sense of the passages describing
these events includes prophetic progression. This article will show that often
the Old Testament prophecies about Armageddon, Gog and Magog, and the final
judgment describe stages of fulfilment, leading up to the final culmination in
the destruction of the earth and heavens and re-creation of the new heavens and
new earth.
Progressive Prophetic Fulfilment
God often fulfils both His promises and warnings
progressively. In other words, He brings about the completion of His promises
in stages, where the early phases prepare the way for those which follow. [Page 155] Willis J. Beecher
describes the way God fulfils His promises as cumulative. “Throughout the Old Testament, as we have seen, the prophets
give us the conception of a promise that is eternally operative. This
necessarily implies a cumulative fulfilment, and certain culminating periods of
fulfilment.” 1 Each fulfilment
builds upon the previous one, bringing us closer and closer to the ultimate
fulfilment. One of many examples would be Isaiah 9: 6-7: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. …” God fulfilled some of Isaiah’s
prophecy at Christ’s birth, but Christ’s
rule as the Prince of Peace was impossible until He reconciled us to God
through His cross and resurrection. In addition, Christ’s ascension paved
the way to a further stage of prophetic fulfilment, Jesus Christ’s present
reign at God’s right hand. Christ’s future millennial reign also necessarily
fulfils the prophetic word, for Isaiah
promises that He will reign on the
throne of David and his kingdom. Thus God has been progressively fulfilling
Isaiah 9: 6-7 over the past 2,000 years and will
continue to fulfil it until He has accomplished all of His purposes in Christ.
This is a natural way for humans to communicate and we do so
on a daily basis. When a mother tells her child that soon they are going to buy
sundaes at the ice cream parlour, the child knows that this “prophecy” will be fulfilled in stages. At a
particular point in time, the mother may say, “OK,
dear, clean up your room so we can leave.” If the little girl keeps on
playing with her toys, the mother will warn her, “If
you do not clean up your room, we will not be going anywhere.” Cleaning
the room is a necessary stage in fulfilling the prophecy. Getting into the car,
fastening the seat belt, stopping at the gas station and ATM are all necessary
steps toward buying ice cream sundaes. Even
a child understands that many statements concerning the future take successive
steps to fulfil. The big difference with biblical prophecies is that the
steps take place over centuries and the scope of biblical prophecy is often “biblical” in proportion.
It would be irresponsible to argue that Isaiah had only one prophetic fulfilment in mind when he wrote his
prophecy about the birth of a child. 2
just as the mother’s promise of an ice cream sundae carries in it implicit
stages, so also Isaiah’s prophecy condenses those stages into a few key
elements. Jesus had to be born to a mother and in the future He will reign - [upon this restored (see Gen. 3:
17, 18; cf.
Rom. 8: 19-22) earth] - as
King. The fact that
the prophecy comes in stages does not force us [Page 156] to treat the prophecy as if it were
five different prophecies squeezed into two verses. Rather, the natural way to
understand statements about the future would recognize that this message
describes the progression which the Lord fulfilled at Christ’s birth, life,
death, resurrection and ascension, is fulfilling now through His reign [from a heavenly realm], will continue to fulfil in the millennium and - [‘when the thousand years are finished’ (Rev. 20: 7] - will finish completely at the [‘a great white
throne’ (Rev. 20: 11, R.V.)] - judgment and - [consequently
the] - creation of the new heavens and new
earth.
What is true for Christ’s [first] advent is true as well for many other prophecies in
Scripture, including those which deal with the great battles at the end of
history. God accomplishes many of these [future] prophecies through a progression of events, often separated
by hundreds and even thousands of years. Nevertheless, each progressive
fulfilment builds upon those previous realizations, paving the way for future
stages.
The Progress of the Great End-Time Battles
This approach to premillennialism and the battles of
Armageddon and Gog and Magog solves several problems which cause
non-premillennialists to stumble along the way. Rather than attempting to limit
the passages to a single stage of fulfilment, we should see if the passages
actually describe several stages which culminate in the climax at the
destruction and re-creation of the heavens and earth.
The three most familiar descriptions of end-time battles are
Armageddon (Revelation 16: 16), Gog/Magog (Ezekiel
38; Revelation 20: 8) and the “Day of the
LORD” (Ezekiel 30; Joel 3: 14; Zephaniah 1). What do the Scriptures mean by these
descriptions?
Armageddon. The book of Revelation presents Armageddon as God’s judgment upon sinful humanity. The battle
flows immediately out of the sixth bowl of judgment in Revelation 16 and demonic spirits inspire the
encounter, going out to assemble the nations for the battle. “Then I saw
three evil spirits that looked like
frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon,
out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of
the false prophet. They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings
of the whole world, to gather them for the
battle on the great day of God Almighty” (Revelation
16: 13-14). The battle is worldwide in scope and
is related to the “great day of God.” [Page
157] John’s divine viewpoint shows us that
the battle is initiated as God’s bowl of
judgment and is energized by demonic
inspiration.
From the viewpoint of those who are [being deceived
and] participating, it will seem like the “great day of mankind” rather than the “great day of God.” Humans will feel as if they are at
the pinnacle of their power. Their hearts will overflow with confidence and
rebellion and will lead them to attack the city of
The focal point of the judgment itself concentrates on unbridled human depravity in rebellion
against God’s rule. This becomes clear when one observes the way John
introduces Armageddon and then immediately turns to God’s judgment of the city
of
Ironically, the nations’ rebellious act becomes their
destruction, for it drives them into a hopeless direct confrontation with the
Lamb of God. God uses their malice against Him to bring them to destroy
themselves. The wrath of mankind against God becomes the wrath of God against
human rebellion as He turns the battle of Armageddon into a judgment every bit
as poignant as the devastation He pours upon
When he describes the actual battle, John never focuses on strategies or heroism, almost as if the
battle’s events themselves hold little importance in the overall scale of
history. Instead he draws our attention to the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ (19: 19-20). If the battle of Armageddon is a battle of judgment, then it is even
more so the battle of the Lamb who judges those who challenge Him.
[Page
158]
God Judges
Many Old Testament prophecies make it clear that God will
cleanse
How awful that day will be!
None will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble
for Jacoh,
but he will be saved out of it.
“In that day,” declares the LORD
Almighty,
“I will break the yoke off their necks
and will tear off their bonds;
no longer will foreigners
enslave them.
Instead, they will serve the LORD their God
and David their king,
whom I will raise up for them.”
(Jeremiah
30: 7-9)
God will judge
As we study these Old Testament prophecies, we might wonder
why they should be applied to the
battle of Armageddon. After all, God has [Page 159] progressively fulfilled the
prophecies that He will judge Israel, first in 587 B.C., then at Christ’s
cross, at Pentecost (Acts 2: 14-21) and A.D. 70. Even the horrors of the
dispersion over the past two millennia are in some manner a form of judgment.
Thus many Old Testament prophecies can easily be applied to other events which
have already occurred.
Nevertheless, many of these prophecies have not come to their
final culminations. All of
In those days and at that
time,
when I restore the fortunes
of
I will gather all nations
and bring them down to the
There I will enter into judgment against them
concerning my inheritance, my people
for they scattered my people
among the nations
and divided up my land. (Joel 3:
1-2)
Paul tells us that “all
Where will this battle of Armageddon take place? Revelation 16: 16 tells us: “Then they
gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.”
We cannot be sure what
the word “Armageddon” means. The most common description
is the mountain or hill (“liar”) of Meggido,
which is a geographical location where many battles have occurred. 4 Alan
Johnson’s commentary on Revelation argues that the word is built out of
the Hebrew gadad, whose secondary meaning is “to
gather troops.” 5 It is very
difficult to discern whether the word itself describes a location or has a
symbolic meaning. 6 In some ways,
it really matters little. With the complexities of modern warfare, we hardly
need to pin down the [Page 160] exact meaning of the word or its geographical location
in the
The Last
Of course, A-millennialists simply deny that such a battle
will ever take place in time and space history. Kuyper states categorically, “Thus also
here an actual period of time is not to be thought of.” 8 Alan
Johnson wonders how such a massive host could be found after the disastrous
destruction of earth’s forces at Armageddon, but admits the possibility that
these simply could be marshalled from “other people
who during the millennial reign defected in their hearts from the Messiah.”
9 One can only imagine that these two
passages describe the same battle by ignoring the clear differences between the
two. Gog and Magog do not appear to fit the context of those terrifying days of
God’s wrath in the book of Revelation. 10 Of course, the actual context clearly
places the battle after the millennium (20: 7-8).
Even the Ezekiel 38-39 description of Gog and Magog sounds much different from
Armageddon. Gog and Magog happen during a time of peace and prosperity.11 Armageddon happens in the midst of a
war which is destructive to the forces of Israel, assuming that Zechariah 13: 8-9 was written to describe that day:
“In the whole
land,” declares the LORD,
“two-thirds
will he struck down and perish; [Page 161]
yet one-third will be left
in it.
This third I will bring into
the fire;
I will refine them like
silver
and test them like gold.
They will call on my name
and I will answer them;
I will say, ‘They are my
people,’
and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”
This destruction contrasts significantly from the battles
described by both Ezekiel and Revelation, which do not even hint that the saints
suffer any loss at all at the hands of Gog and Magog. Indeed, Ezekiel tells us that
Yet there are definite similarities between the two battles.
Both battles are on the surface fought against
The Day of the Lord. We cannot resolve the apparent overlap
of Armageddon with Gog and Magog until we examine what Old Testament prophets and
New Testament writers often describe as the “Day of the Lord.” These prophecies sometimes seem to refer to much
more than [Page 162] simply the battles of Armageddon and Gog/Magog. 14 They can depict
With such “looseness” in the “Day of the Lord” prophecies, perhaps we can
understand why A-millennialists simply give up trying to interpret them
according to their natural meaning within their historical context. It is much
easier just to spiritualize their meaning and apply them to the cross or the
church age as Christ’s victory over Satan or the church’s victory over the
powers of darkness. 15
There is, however, a better approach. We find our answers to
our problems concerning the prophetic overlaps of these end-time judgment
prophecies by realizing that all are a part of the much larger “Day of the Lord.” The “Day of
the LORD” is a time of
destruction (Isaiah 13: 6-9);
When we attempt to pin down the timing of this “Day of the Lord,” we discover that God fulfilled it
throughout
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his
voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and
all of you who live in
In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on
all people. ...” (Acts 2: 14-17)
Yet the “Day of the Lord”
prophecies are not so loose that we can apply them to anything we please.
Instead, we must recognize that God fulfils these “Day of the Lord” prophecies progressively, starting
with 597 B.C. and ending with Gog and Magog. Just as God fulfilled the
prophecies concerning Christ’s coming in progressive stages, so also is He
bringing about His final judgment and vindication in progressive stages. There
are overlaps within many prophecies concerning Christ’s first and second coming
so that events separated by at least 2,000 years stand side by side in the same
paragraph.
These examples remind us that we should expect overlaps as
well concerning God’s wrath upon sin. God has been bringing the Day of the Lord
to this planet since Jesus Christ judged the ruler of the world through His
cross (John
12: 31-32). At Pentecost, Peter told the crowds
that the out-pouring of God’s Spirit fulfilled Joel’s prophecy concerning the
Day of the Lord, because God’s judgment of the world includes the outpouring of
the Holy Spirit upon all of those who are redeemed. Peter was not
spiritualizing Joel at all, but recognized
that the Day of the Lord would come to the earth in progressive stages. Thus
Old Testament prophecies which seem to mix up the two
There will be a consummation, however,
to this progressive Day of the Lord. The last battle, finally once and for all,
will reveal the heart of human rebellion. The millennium will be a marvellous
physical environment, [Page 164], with an absolutely perfect Ruler, with the help of
hundreds of millions of [converted people; together with all
Christian Martyrs and Overcomers (see Rev. 6: 9-11; cf.
Rev. chapters 2.
and 3.)] - resurrected saints, and with prosperity and safety on all
sides. Nevertheless, human beings will end up rebelling against God. When given an opportunity,
humans will still defy, their
Creator.
Because the various “Day of the Lord” prophecies contain progressive stages
of fulfilment, we can far too easily confuse or mistake various prophetic
elements. Thus for the past 2,000 years Christians have fallen prey to various
last-days schemes and panics. There is nothing wrong with the prophecies. The
problem lies with missing the fact that many prophecies unfold over hundreds
and even thousands of years. Thus, in the end, all of the prophecies will be
fulfilled according to their most natural sense within their grammatical,
literary and historical context. As long as we recognize that progressive
stages are a part of that natural sense, we will much more be able to interpret
their true meaning.
The Final Judgment
Prophetically, the final judgment of humanity in Revelation 20: 11-15 is simply the culmination of God’s work of judgment going on since the
fall of
There are no surprises in the terrifying Great White Throne judgment. God’s mercy, which He has richly
expressed in a variety of ways, has been satisfied in the cross of His Son, the
Lamb of God (Romans 5: 17; Hebrews 2: 9; 2 Timothy 1: 9-10). Now, one must come to the Lamb to
find God’s mercy. Thus only those who reject the Lamb miss out on the rich and
infinite mercy which God offers to every human. “The Spirit and the bride say,
‘Come!’ And let him who
hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him
take the free gift of the water of life” (Revelation
22: 17). The judgment is the last stage. Unless their names
are written in the Lamb’s book of life (21: 27), humans now will eternally experience the incomprehensible
horrors of unending [Page 165] punishment. God’s process will be complete on that
day, that final “Day of the Lord.”
*
* *
Endnotes
1. Willis J. Beecher, The Prophets and the Promise (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1975
reprint [1907]), 376.
2. Keil and Delitzsch list several Jewish commentators who interpret it this
way, as well as Grotius and Gesenius. F. Delitzech, “Isaiah,” Commentary on the Old Testament in Ten Volumes
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975), vol. 7, 251.
3. J. A. Sheriffs, “Armageddon,”
New Bible Dictionary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1962), 83.
4. bid.
5. Alan Johnson, “Revelation,” The Expositor’s Bible
Commentary (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1981), vol. 12, 552.
6. This does not suggest that the battle
itself is symbolic, but only that the name God chose for the battle gives us no
clues concerning its geographical reference. The battle of
7. Michael Wilcock, The Message of
Revelation, The Bible
Speaks Today Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1975), 193.
8. Abraham Kuyper, The Revelation of
9. Alan Johnson,
Revelation, 587.
10. Daniel Block
describes Ezekiel’s approach to Israel’s last days as “(1) a change in disposition of the
deity; (2) the appointment of a new
ruler; (3) the reconstruction of the
temple; (4) the return of the deity;
(5) the regathering of the scattered
population; (6) the establishment of
peace and prosperity” (p. 90). I would suggest that the battle of Gog
and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39 requires that all of these have already
occurred, which could be possible only after the millennial period.
11. For example,
12. Daniel I. Block, “Gog and
Magog in Ezekiel’s Eschatological Vision,” Eschatology
in Bible and Theology: Evangelical Essays at the Dawn of a New Millennium (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity,
1997), 115-6.
13. The most obvious is Ezekiel’s reference
to the clean up from the great battle, which will last seven months (Ezekiel 39: 9-10).
14. See, for example, Isaiah 13: 6-9; Ezekiel 13: 5; Joel 1: 15; Amos 15: 18, 20; Obadiah 1: 15; Zephaniah 1: 7,
14; Malachi 4:
5.
15. There is certainly some validity to this approach. Peter himself applies Joel’s “Day of the LORD”
(Joel 2) prophecies to the day of Pentecost
(Acts 2: 17-21). That sounds much like an A-millennial interpretation
of Old Testament prophecy. Does that suggest that: (a) we are to spiritualize all of these “Day
of the LORD” prophecies; (b) apply them solely to previous
historical events; or (c) apply them to the last judgment?
* *
*
[Page
167]
CHAPTER 11
- Premillennialism
-
the Tribulation and the Millennium
* Donald A.
Wiggins *
The
distinctive feature of the premillennial position is its expectation that Jesus
Christ will return personally and visibly to the earth, defeat the Antichrist
and his forces, bind Satan and establish the 1,000-year reign referred to in Revelation 20. This “earthly
kingdom will not come into reality through a gradual process of progressive
growth or development. Rather it will be dramatically and cataclysmically
inaugurated by [His] second coming.” 1
Premillennialists agree that immediately prior to Christ’s
return the earth will experience unparalleled anguish. That time period is referred
to as the tribulation. This chapter summarizes the biblical teaching on the
tribulation and explains the major premillennial positions on its relationship
to the millennium. Such a subject is of interest largely to Pre-millennialists.
Though other millennial viewpoints might develop an emphasis on the
tribulation, premillennialism is the only one that devotes significant
attention to it. 2 Not
surprisingly, proponents engage from time to time in vigorous intramural debate
regarding the particulars of their views. This chapter acknowledges the
divergent positions, but it shows that premillennialists have more positions of
agreement than differences.
Defining Tribulation
The Greek word for tribulation is thlipsis. In its few occurrences outside of the Septuagint and the New Testament, thlipsis meant literal pressure upon an object. However, almost all of
its forty-five occurrences within the New Testament connote the more figurative
sense of “opposition,” “affliction” or “tribulation.” At
least eight times in the New Testament its cognate verb form, thlibo, takes the same sense. 3 Most frequently, the term refers to the tribulation that the followers of
Christ may encounter. Jesus [Page
168] warned His disciples, “In this
world you will have trouble [thlipsis]”
(John 16: 33). His Olivet discourse specifically alerts the Twelve to expect
severe opposition and persecution, even
to the point of death (Matthew 24: 9; cf. Mark 13: 9). Intense tribulation weeds out the
pseudo*-disciple from the true. Jesus
warned that “when trouble [thlipsis]
or persecution comes” upon the follower who sinks no
permanent root into His Word “he quickly falls away” (Matthew 13: 21; cf., Mark
4: 17).
[* That is, the ‘false,’
‘pretended,’ and unwilling
to ‘suffer’ for the truth of His word disciple. (See 2 Tim. 2: 10, 12, KJV. cf.
Rev. 3: 10.) Where do those who disregard conditional
promises and accountability truths stand? Will they be included in the
Pre-tribulation rapture? Not according to His future Judgment!]
Other than the Lord
Himself, no one encountered more personal tribulation than the Apostle Paul did. On account of the
gospel and for the sake of the churches he planted, Paul passed through severe
suffering and persecution (Ephesians 3: 13; 1
Thessalonians 3: 7). Yet he gloried in such things
because they produced within him godly character (Romans 5: 3) and enhanced his ministry to those
who were similarly troubled (1 Corinthians 1: 4). Paul’s experiences more than fulfilled what Jesus predicted
would come upon His true followers. The apostle went so far as to say, “I fill up in
my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions [thlipsis],
for the sake of his body, which is the church” (Colossians
1: 24).
Is this a wildly boastful statement or a denial of the
sufficiency of Christ’s atonement? Not at all, for Paul boasted only in the
cross as the basis of redemption (Galatians 6: 14). It is more accurately understood as
a statement of his unique call to extend the gospel with great sufferings to
the Gentiles. In that sense, he completed in Christ’s stead what the Lord
suffered on behalf of the church. The role of suffering was not his alone,
however. The young congregations he planted also endured much tribulation at
the hands of their persecutors for the name of Christ (Romans 12: 12; 2 Thessalonians 1: 4, 6).
Taking into account the cluster of closely allied nouns
(persecution, suffering, affliction, trouble), the New Testament contains more
than 100 references to what might be called general tribulation. This kind of anguish does not appear limited to
one period of time, or to one segment of the church. The sobering reality
presented by the Lord Himself and affirmed by the Apostle Paul is that through
this age Christians should expect tribulation (John 16: 33; Romans 5: 3; 1 Thessalonians 3: 3-4). In fact, as the church’s history reveals, the absence of tribulation is
unusual for the saints of God. General suffering and persecution is the norm.
That the [Page 169] modern Western church has been spared much tribulation up to this point
should be considered an exception to the rule.
Identifying and Understanding the Great Tribulation
However severe general tribulation might be, it pales in comparison
to that which is yet to come. Scripture prophesies a great and final
tribulation at the end of the age that will exceed anything before it, both in
the Old Testament and the New Testament. This is what premillennialists
typically call the “Great Tribulation.”
The Old Testament shows glimpses of this great tribulation, while the New
Testament provides additional revelation of this period.
The Great Tribulation in the Old Testament
The primary Old Testament evidence for the Great Tribulation is
in the Book of Daniel.
Premillennialists commonly see four passages “that
must refer to the Great Tribulation”: 4
7: 7-8, 23-25 “another king” arises, opposes God, oppresses the saints
8: 9-12, 23-25 little horn arises to oppose the
Prince of princes
9: 26-27 ruler to come sets up abomination of
desolation
11: 26
- 12: 1
great king (Antichrist) conquers many nations,
sets up the abomination of desolation
Daniel’s “seventieth seven” (9:
27) is frequently interpreted as a seven-year period
corresponding to the great tribulation. 5
The significance of the midpoint in the seventieth week is impossible to
overlook. Daniel referred to it in 9: 27, 7: 25, and 12: 7, 11. In the middle of the week, the three-and-one-half year mark, the “ruler to come” breaks his covenant [with the Jews] and sets up an abomination of
desolation that lasts until he meets his end (9: 27). The Book of Daniel provides sufficient evidence to
explain the further specifics given by our Lord Himself and by John in the Revelation. Some premillennialists turn to
passages such as Isaiah 26, Jeremiah 30 and Joel 2
as further evidence for the great tribulation. Since none of them can be connected
with absolute certainty, they are better taken as related descriptions of the
kind of distress that will befall the earth during the great tribulation. 7
[Page
170]
The Great Tribulation in the New Testament
In Matthew 24: 21-29 Jesus
told His followers about a future period of “great distress [thilipsis], unequalled from the
beginning of the world until now - and never to he equalled again.” He gives, few particulars, but the
warning is foreboding enough. Mounce
comments on Jesus’ words: “Persecution has always been
the lot of those who follow the Lamb (Jn. 16: 33; II Tim. 3: 12). The intensity of the
final conflict of righteousness and evil will rise to such a pitch as to become
the
great tribulation [emphasis his].” 8 Jesus Himself referred to the
abomination of desolation of Daniel in Matthew 24: 15. That is the signal for those living
in
The Apostle John in
Revelation
7: 9-17 received further revelation of this “Great Tribulation.” In his vision he surveyed a vast,
uncountable multitude from all the peoples of the earth, dressed in white robes
and gathered around the throne of God to worship Him and the Lamb. One of the
elders nearest the throne inquired of John, “who are they, and where did they come from?” (7: 13), perhaps anticipating the apostle’s
very question. John asserted that the elder himself knew the answer, and indeed,
he answered his own question: “These are they, who
have come out of the great tribulation; they have
washed their robes, and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb” (7: 14, emphasis added). This is the same Greek phrase, ililipsl'.~ megalee, as Jesus used in Matthew 24: 21.
The elder spoke of “the
great tribulation.” Mounce points out that the
definite article in front of thlipsis denotes with emphasis “that final series of woes which will immediately precede the
end.” 9 When the elder uses
this term, it appears as though he expects John to understand its meaning,
recalling the words of Jesus in Matthew 24 and making the connection.
The preceding parts of the vision provided John with a fuller
understanding of the elder’s use of thlipsis. In Revelation 5: 1, God held a sealed scroll in his
right hand. After a search, only the Lamb was found worthy to take a scroll
from God’s hand, break the seven seals and unroll it (5: 1-5). From the centre of heaven’s throne he successively opened the first five
seals (6: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12), unleashing a series of powerful judgments upon [Page
171] the earth. The
sixth seal (6: 12) released a great earthquake and falling stars that darkened the sun and
moon. Earth’s inhabitants, aware finally of God’s judgment in these
intensifying phenomena, called for the rocks and mountains to fall and hide
them from His wrath (6: 15-17).
In a dramatic interlude before the Lamb opened the seventh and
final seal, John witnessed the protective sealing of 144,000 from the tribes of
Israel (7: 1-8) and saw before him an even greater multitude of
worshipers surrounding the throne (7: 9-12). In distinction
from the 144, 000, some “from every nation, tribe, [tongue], people and
language” made up this latter
group whose number “no one could count.” They had either escaped catastrophic judgment at some previous point or, more likely, had just been [rapt alive or] rescued. 10 The most
natural understanding within the context is that “the great tribulation” in 7: 14
finds its reference point in the catastrophes culminating in the sixth seal.
John also foresaw the significance of Daniel’s midpoint in the
seventieth week. The Gentiles trample the holy city for forty-two months, and
two empowered witnesses prophesy for 1,260 days (Revelation 11: 2-3). In 12: 14
he observed a woman who
is taken care of in the desert for “a time, times and half a time, out of
the serpent’s reach” (cf. Daniel 7: 25). John later saw a beast from the sea that gains authority
over earth’s inhabitants and wages war
against the saints for forty-two
months (Revelation
13: 1-8).
Revelation 6-18 presents John’s entire vision of the
tribulation. He saw three series of sevens - opened seals, blowing trumpets and
outpoured bowls - which describe the progress of divine world judgment. The
precise relationship of each seven to the others is difficult. Merrill Tenney describes the problem:
Are the series of sevens ... successive in the
sense that each is an enlargement of the seventh item in the preceding series?
Are they partially concurrent, each having a narrower scope than the one
preceding? Are they simultaneous, being different aspects of the same judgments
or of the same period? 11
Tenney himself prefers to see them as “three differing but partly synchronous periods.” 12 However, given the apocalyptic
language, he wisely urges interpreters to avoid dogmatic conclusions as to the
chronology.13
Interpretative Approaches
Students of this section have taken widely different
approaches. Futurist premillennialists conclude that the judgments describe the
horrors of an end-time tribulation. 14 This point of
view, usually connected with dispensationalism, has predominated among many
conservative, evangelical Christians since the late nineteenth century. At the
other end of the spectrum, historicists see this section as a series of symbols
presenting the entire history of the Church from the close of the first century
until the return of Christ. One survey lists as advocates of this view Luther, Zwingli, Isaac Newton
and the nineteen-century leaders A. J.
Gordon and A. B. Simpson. 15
Still another group of premillennial interpreters draws
together elements of the futurist and praeterist viewpoints. Praeterists assert
that the Revelation has no future prophetic aspect, but
was composed as a tract to encourage early Christians to expect divine
deliverance from their Roman persecutors. 16
The combination point of view put forth by Ladd
and Mounce applies the book both to John’s first
readers as well as to later believers through the centuries who would long for
the blessed hope. 17 They conclude
that John envisioned an impending tribulation in the near future that
foreshadowed an intense and climactic tribulation at the end of the age. A
growing number of advocates contend that this viewpoint is truly “classical” or “historic”
premillennialism. 18
If in his early days Simpson
adhered to the historicist approach, he later considerably modified his
views. For example, he rejected the dispensational interpretation of Matthew 24, which locates the rapture of the
Church sometime before verse 14. Instead, Simpson taught that Jesus lays out the details of both an
earlier Roman persecution and an end-time distress. In this his view bears greater
resemblance to historic premillennialism than to the strictly futurist position
so popular in the prophecy conferences of the late nineteenth century. Simpson
held that a Gentile parenthesis (24: 14) punctuates the interim before the
final tribulation, during which the gospel of the kingdom must be preached to
the whole world. When that mission is accomplished, then the end will come. 19 Not surprisingly, Ladd commends Simpson for his interpretation of Matthew 24: 14 in
regard to its implications for world missions. 20
Areas of Disagreement
Premillennialism asserts that in fulfilment of His promise (John 14: 1-6), Jesus Christ will return bodily to earth before His reign as King for
1,000 years (Revelation 20: 1-6). By now it should be clear that
premillennialism is anything but monolithic. The most obvious indication is in the
names attributed to the major premillennial views. The pretribulationist
position holds that the Church will be taken off the earth, or raptured, before
the tribulation begins. The posttribulationist view locates the church’s
deliverance at the end of the tribulation. In addition, several mediating
positions locate the rapture halfway through the tribulation
(midtribulationist) or immediately before the final outpouring of divine wrath
(pre-wrath). 21 In addition,
some evangelical writers such as Hudson
Taylor, Watchman Nee and, for a
time, A. B. Simpson and other
leaders of The Christian and Missionary Alliance, held to a partial
rapture position in which those spiritually prepared and holy are raptured
earlier, while those less mature are raptured later after
refinement. 22 While these
views capture the significance of the biblical emphasis on the midpoint and
resolve some of the knottier interpretive issues, none of them has elicited
enough support to mount a convincing challenge to the two prevailing viewpoints.
The fundamental divergence between pre- and
post-tribulationists is their theological/hermeneutical approaches to
scriptural teaching on
Post-tribulationists find such a distinction dubious at best,
finding instead a fundamental continuity between God’s Old Testament people and
[Page 274] New Testament people. The Church is not a parenthesis in His program for
Though it is argued that one’s conclusion on the relationship
of Israel and the Church does not lead necessarily to opposite conclusions on
the tribulation, 25 in actuality there
is very little crossover. Many have accepted the conclusions of their
respective viewpoints without having examined the hermeneutical theological
assumptions from which they came. This reality begs for greater diligent study
of Scripture and more charity toward those of other views.
Areas of Agreement
To most observers, the array of different viewpoints among
premillennialists on the tribulation is confusing, and may give the impression
that it is a divided camp. Confusion is heightened by the popularized versions
of tile apocalypse in books and movies. The more spectacular one dramatize
eschatological conjecture without adequate biblical support. Controversial (and
so far, inaccurate!) predictions about the date of the rapture and the
Antichrist’s identity may sell, but they also divert believers’ attention from
the central truth that Jesus Christ is returning as triumphant Lord. Believers
who otherwise might unite for the cause of Christ have needlessly separated
over such things. Reacting understandably to the embarrassment over such
spectacles, some Christians resort to what one friend calls “pan-millennialism.” Throwing up his hands in
frustration, he says: “I believe it will all pan out
in the end.” This conclusion generally precludes any further interest in
studying the subject.
But frustration is not the only option. A more helpful
approach is to consider the substantial common ground shared by virtually all [Page
175]
premillennialists. The heat of debate highlights their differences and
exaggerates small matters beyond their importance. The fact is, however, that
premillennialists of all stripes and persuasions have more agreement than they
may realize. Consider the following:
1.
The Reality of the Great Tribulation
As a whole, premillennialists hold that the great tribulation
is a special period of anguish upon the earth that immediately precedes
Christ’s second coming. 26 This is
explicit in Jesus’ own teaching concerning a future tribulation (Matthew 24: 15-28). John’s account of tribulation in Revelation, though given in figurative language, describes literal
events. The catastrophic phenomena, persecution and judgments he foresaw stand
in stark contrast to the authority and justice that Christ will establish in
His millennial reign (Revelation 20: 1-6). As a rule, Pretribulationists
interpret the relevant passages in a more literal sense than do
Post-tribulationists, and they find a more elaborate chronology of events.
However, even John Walvoord, the
ardent dispensationalist who critiques Post-tribulationists for spiritualizing
away many of the details, nevertheless recognizes that they share his belief in
a future, actual tribulation. 27
There is less consensus about the length of the tribulation.
Pre-tribulationists see Daniel’s seventieth week fulfilled in a seven-year
tribulation described in Revelation. Not all Post-tribulationists make that connection, but even if they do,
it is without insistence on precisely seven years. 28
Nevertheless, proponents of either view readily acknowledge that God may mercifully shorten those days, as Jesus said, “for the sake
of the elect” (Matthew
24: 22).
2.
Uniqueness of the Great Tribulation
As seen earlier, premillennialists agree that general
tribulation falls widely, though unevenly, on the disciples of Jesus throughout
this - [unfaithful, ungodly, evil, and apostate] - age. They also concur that that the
great tribulation is a period of accelerated persecution and anguish. Those
saints present on the earth will bear the brunt of the Antichrist’s furious
opposition. And God will pour out His wrath on rebellious human beings with
increasing severity. Tenney points
out that the [divine] judgments (seals, trumpets and bowls),
if not strictly consecutive, nevertheless grow progressively intense. 29 Nothing like it [Page
176] has ever been
seen before. On this point, Pre-tribulationists 30
and Post-tribulationists 31 agree.
3.
Responsibility for the Tribulation
Those responsible for tribulation from Jesus’ day until now
have been the unbelieving opponents of the gospel. Yet in the great tribulation
there is a new element. Human initiative alone does not bring it on. God Himself
acts in judgment on the earth. Revelation portrays a sovereign God preparing the sealed scroll of seven judgments (5: 1), sending His angels to trumpet the
arrival of seven greater calamities (8: 2) and pouring out deadly plagues upon
the earth from seven bowls (16: 1). Tenney’s summation expresses a consensus on this point:
Behind all the action of the Apocalypse, planning,
regulating, and directing toward tile ultimate goal is the person of the
Eternal God. The forces of evil in this tremendous drama are not illusory, nor
are they merely the puppets with which he plays. Nevertheless, he controls [all
of] them, and in final victory brings the triumph of the good. 32
4.
God’s Purpose
Through the centuries the gospel’s opponents have set about to
silence or even eliminate the witness of the Church. While in the gracious providence of God tribulation has purified the saints,
the human intent was to destroy them. But in the great tribulation God acts to
fulfil His own purposes. All positions acknowledge that one purpose is to mete out a full measure
of His wrath against sin (6: 17; 15: 1). Pre-tribulationists hold that the Church will be taken out of the world
before that happens. The unbelieving population that is left will experience
the brunt of God’s wrath against sin. 33
Post-tribulationists agree that God will pour out His wrath, but they hold that
the [whole] Church will remain on the earth
though it all, protected and purged. In accordance with First Thessalonians 5: 9, the Church will be spared the
effects of His wrath. 34 While
differing on that point, the various proponents acknowledge that God will
accomplish His righteous purposes leading to the arrival of the King.
[Page 177]
5. Urgency of the Church’s
Ladd proposes that pre-tribulationism
weakens the missions impetus of the Church by relegating the fulfilment of Matthew 24: 14 to Jewish evangelists during the
tribulation. He cites a roster of missionary statesmen, including A. B. Simpson, who he believes rightly
rejected the dispensational interpretation and applied Jesus’ words directly to
the Church’s mission in this age. Ladd concludes
that post-tribulationism appeals to the strongest motive for world
evangelization, hastening the blessed hope by proclaiming the gospel to all
peoples. 36 Walvoord
strongly objects to Ladd’s claim to a superior motive for missions. He insists
that an equal commitment to world evangelization can be found among many
mission groups that hold to a pretribulationist position. 37
The most charitable observation, Ladd’s comments notwithstanding, is that Pre millennialists with
widely divergent views on the tribulation share a common commitment to fulfil
the Great Commission of Christ. The prospect of a glorious eternal heaven and
the awful final judgment of hell prompts an urgent effort to reach all peoples
of the earth with His gospel. 38 With
substantial agreement on many of the most important points, Pre millennialists
share a rich heritage of expectancy for the blessed hope of Christ’s return.
Conclusion
In the end, the vital point is not which current position on
the tribulation proves accurate. Of far greater importance is to keep before
God’s people now the glory of the victorious, reigning Christ. The prospect of witnessing
His inestimable worth and joining with all true worshipers throughout history
for all of eternity outweighs the fact that at present we see through a glass
darkly. Knowing the final outcome, the Spirit
and the bride say, “Come, Lord Jesus!” Until that day, may we be charitable toward one another and
united in the mission of Christ on earth.
*
* *
Endnotes
1. Millard J. Erickson, A Basic
Guide to Eschatology (Grand
Rapids: Baker, 1998), 92.
2. Ibid., 125, 145.
[Page
178]
3. Williarn F.
Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English
Lexicon of the New Testament (Chicago: Press. 1957), 362-3.
4. Douglas J.
Moo, “The Case for the Posttribulational Rapture
Position” in Richard R. Reiter,
et al., The Rapture: Pre‑, Mid‑, or post-tribulational?
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984), 173.
5. See Robert D. Culver,
Daniel and the Latter Days (New York: Revell,
1954), 138-160, for an elaboration of the argument.
6. John F. Walvoord, The Blessed Hope and the Tribulation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
1976), 77, 114; see also Leon Wood, Is the Rapture Next? (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan. 1956), 15-9.
7. Moo, 173-4.
8. Robert Mounce. The New
International Commentary on
the New Testament: The Book of
Revelation (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977), 173.
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid., see footnote 22; see also Divid E. Aune, Word Biblical
Commentary Revelation 6-16 (Nishville: Thomas Nelson, 1998), vol. 52b, 473.
11. Merrill Tenney, Interpreting
Revelation (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. 1957), 71.
12. Ibid., 81.
13. Ibid., 135.
14. Rence Pache, The Return of Jesus Christ (Chicago: Moody, 1955), 251-61.
15. Ibid., 138.
16. See R. C. Sproul, The Last Days According to Jesus (Grand
Rapids: Baker, 1998), 153-9, for a description of preterism. Sproul himself favours a partial
preterist position, which allows for an ultimate parousia at the end of human history.
17. George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the
Revelation of John (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972), 12-4; Mounce, 44-5.
18. See
19. Albert B. Simpson, The Christ in the
Bible Commentary (
20. George Eldon Ladd, The Blessed Hope (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956). 152.
21. Gleason Archer, “The Case for the Mid-Seventieth-Week Rapture Position,”
The Rapture, 115-45.
22. H.
Wayne House, Charts of Christian Thelolgy and Doctrine (Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 1992), 130; J. Dwight Pentecost, Things to Come (Grand Rapids: Zondervin,
1958). 158; J. Hudson Taylor, Union and Communion with
Christ (
23. The classic test is Charles
Ryrie, Dispensationalism
Today, (Chicago: Moody, 1965). Some modification of the strict
distinction is suggested by Craig A.
Blaising and Darrell L. Bock,
eds., Dispensationalism, Israel and the Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992) and in their second work, Progressive Dispensationalism (Wheaton, IL:
Victor, 1993).
24. See Grertz,
141-125, for a helpful summary (if the respective arguments for and against dispensationalism
and posttribulationism.
25. Both Charles Feinberg,
“The Case for the Pretribulation Rapture of the Church,”
The Rapture, 48-9, and Moo, The Rapture, 177-8, make this
assertion.
[Page
179]
26.
Erickson, 92.
27. Walvoord, 148.
28. Erickson, 146.
29. Tenney, 80, 165.
30. Walvoord, 77.
31. Robert H. Gundry, The Church and the
Tribulation (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1973, 1977), 76-7.
32. Tenney, 76.
33. Walvoord, 54-55.
34.
Ladd, The Blessed Hope, 122, 129; Gundry, 50; Moo, 174-176.
35.
Ladd, The Blessed Hope, 146-52.
36. Ibid., 148-9.
37. Walvoord, 57.
38. Richard R. Reiter, “A History
of the Development of the Rapture Positions,” The
Rapture, 43; see also J. Bitton Payne, The
Imminent Appearing of Christ
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1962), 107-8.
* *
*
[Page
181]
CHAPTER 12
- Premillennialism
-
and Worship in the Millennium
* Matthew A.
Cook *
A small church in rural
The return of Christ is hailed in songs and creeds 1 old and new:
When Christ shall come with shout of
acclamation
And take me home, what joys shall fill
my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, my God, how great
Thou art. 2
This is just one of numerous hymns and songs which depict
worship in the Millennium. While many songs in this genre may actually refer to
the eternal state, the Millennium is the “foretaste of
the eternal estate itself. The world will be restored. The judgment of the
nations will as sure that only those who are the Lord’s sheep will be allowed
to enter.” 3
Worshipers of Jesus will experience no pain, suffering,
separation or hardship when Jesus returns. There will be joy, fellowship and
access to God. When Christ returns He will reign for 1,000 years.
Theologically, we call that time the Millennium. 4
Our anticipation of the Millennium is based on the “blessed hope” of the Christian life, the Lord’s own
return (Titus 2: 13).
In fact, it may well be argued that much of the Bible and the [Page
182] Christian life
is eschatologically oriented. 5 Our present
obedience, worship and service should be carried out in the light of the return
of Christ.
But what will these things look like once we have arrived in
the Millennium? Specifically, what will worship be like for followers of Jesus once
He has returned and we are living in His very presence? To some, this allows
the most obvious answer possible: We will be reigning with Christ for 1,000
years (Revelation
20: 4). Surely our worship will be pure and good. I agree, but what are the details?
What will Sunday morning be like when Jesus physically joins you for worship?
If we can catch a glimpse of what worship will be like in such
a good place, under ideal circumstances, then that comprehension may shape our
worship today. I would like my worship to be more like millennial worship, when
I shall be reigning with the King of Glory, sitting on a throne near His very
own, participating with Him as He makes His kingdom come on this earth. The
motivation for understanding worship in die Millennium is not merely a
theological curiosity. That high form of worship should invade our daily
worship even as that kingdom obedience should invade our present world.
Unfortunately, there is not much direct biblical data that
address worship in the Millennium. Many of the conclusions others have made
were done through theological inference (which is, admittedly, an important
task in systematic theology). Besides the scarcity of biblical data,
theologians have not written much about worship under the heading of
eschatology, 6 much less the
Millennium. One might think that the two topics don’t have a relationship. That
is certainly not the case. Every part of theology is connected with every other
part. 7 In the same way, worship in the
Millennium depends on several other parts of theology. To help us understand
worship in the Millennium, I need to refocus several theological vectors so
that we will see more sharply their impact on our understanding of worship in
the Millennium.
Before I begin, allow me to offer a preliminary definition of
worship. 8 The Anchor
Bible Dictionary includes
the following section in its article, “Early Christian
Worship”:
Christian worship functioned in two primary ways: (1) it was not only a model and
celebration of the distinctive religious and moral ideals of Christians, but (2) it also had an anticipatory function
in that it [Page 183] provided a vehicle for actualizing the
perfect future realization of these religious ideals in the present. 9
When Christians worship they are participating in a relational
activity 10 in which they intend to express (to
self, others and God) the superiority of God; 11
inspire awe for the unseen but all-powerful and present God; 13 offer praise or commendation to God; 13 refocus all of life from the
perspective of the final triumph of God through Christ; 14 and finally elicit a life of
commitment by each worshiper for obedience to God. 15 Although this is not a very compact nor complete
definition of worship, it will offer us further fodder for reflection on
worship in the Millennium.
As I mentioned previously, before we can actually arrive at
the discussion of worship in the Millennium, we have to refocus our thinking on
three theological issues. This won’t take a great deal of space, but is crucial
for understanding the final section.
Three Theological Vectors
1.
The church is an eschatological community.
While the Greek word for church, ekklesia, [lit. ‘out-calling’] denoted
“a ‘meeting’ or an ‘assembly,’ rather than an
‘organization’ or a ‘society’” 16
in its pre-Christian uses (and even in some NT passages, such as Colossians 4: 16,
Romans 16: 5 and 1 Corinthians 16: 19), there exists a more important use:
each of the many local churches that exist today “are
manifestations of that heavenly church, tangible expressions in time and space
of what is heavenly and eternal.” 17 The eschatological nature of the Church not only points
to the location of the true Church (with Christ, in heaven), but also to the
function for which that Church exists. The Church exists - at the very least -
to serve Christ, its Head, to follow Him in resurrection and to gather those
redeemed through the shed blood of Christ for worship. 18
The Church, once partial, segmented and splintered, will be
complete in the Millennium. I have to deal with two thorny theological issues
before I can proceed (although I will do so with excessive brevity): When is
the Wedding Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19: 7,
9)? Will the Church really be on earth in the Millennium? The
Wedding Supper seems to be toward the climax of the cosmic battle raging
throughout the latter half of [Page 184] the book of Revelation. The Millennium is at the climax. Therefore, the Wedding Supper
is around the threshold of the Millennium. If that is the case, then the Church
will not be separated from Christ during the Millennium. Further evidence for
this is that believers reign with Christ (20: 4) and will never be separated from
Christ from the time of their resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4: 17). If Christ reigns on the earth then
believers - the [Bride-] Church - are on the earth with Him. 19
If the Body of Christ finally and fully resides with the Head,
Christ; if the Bride of Christ, the Church, is married to her Groom, then we
have entered into a glorious age when the Church fulfils her purposes. Finally,
the Church, the divine community of God’s people, the eschatological gathering
of worshipers, is complete and fulfilled to worship as it was intended to do.
2. Satan
is bound during the Millennium.
Satan is pictured at various places throughout the Bible as
interrupting the purposes of God and His people. 20
We rarely see him interrupting or disturbing the worship of God in the Bible.
Although we rarely see him doing this explicitly, his purpose is to distract,
deceive and dissuade followers of Christ from hotly pursuing obedience to the
true King. It seems likely, or at least possible, that Satan was behind the
confusion in the Corinthian worship; that the useless philosophies mentioned in
Colossians were motivated by unholy means; that
the false teachers Peter argued
against do not receive their teaching from God. When the Millennium approaches,
Satan will attempt to disrupt worship through overt means. Humans will be made
to worship Satan’s emissary, the beast (13-14). If one is forced to worship that
beast, one is prohibited from worshiping Christ. They are mutually exclusive.
Satan’s presence inhibits (and if acceded to, prohibits) appropriate worship of
God. But Satan will he bound during the majority of the Millennium (20: 1-3). With Satan bound, and his power confined to the Abyss, there are finally
no supernatural hindrances to worship. The Millennium is better than a spiritually
neutral context. We can worship in a
spiritually positive environment.
[Page
185]
3.
Many inhabitants of the millennial kingdom - perhaps all of the inhabitants -
will have their glorified bodies.
Those who have participated
in the first resurrection will be given glorified bodies. That first
resurrection occurred at the dawn of the Millennium (20:
4-6).
This first resurrection included at least [all] the believers who were
martyred during the tribulation. If one postulates a premillennial return
of Christ, 21 then all who were Christians at the time of their death or subsequent
return of Christ have also been caught up in the air - thus receiving their
glorified bodies (1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17). If those persons all come to earth with Christ during His millennial
reign (as I suggested above because they are part of the eschatological
Church), then there will be a great quantity of individuals who have received
their glorified bodies and will be living on earth during the millennial reign.
However, not all the inhabitants of the earth will have
glorified [and immortal] bodies. This statement, although
somewhat speculative, is based on the position that there will be individuals
who may yet be deceived by Satan when he is released at the end of the
Millennium (Revelation 20: 8). It seems highly unlikely that an individual with an imperishable and
spiritual body, made for glory and power, bearing similarity to Jesus, the Man
from heaven (1 Corinthians 15: 42-49), could be deceived by Satan. We, in our glorified bodies,
will not be like the angels in their gullibility, 22
but like the angels in glory and imperishability (Luke 20: 36). Therefore, my statement about the
glorified saints worshiping God does not apply universally to millennial kingdom
inhabitants. 23
The crucial point here is that all those who have received
their glorified bodies have been freed from their sinful nature. This may seem
an obvious point, but let me offer some scriptural support anyway. I’ll offer four
brief points: First, our glorified state 24
will reverse the effects of the Fall for us (Romans 8: 18-25). Second, we will be transformed to be like Jesus at the very sight of Him
because we are already His children’s (1 John 3: 2). Third, at the glorification we will
finally fulfil our creation intention: to be like Jesus (2 Peter 1: 4; Ephesians 4: 24). And fourth (1 Corinthians 15: 55-56), sin has brought about death, but our glorified bodies have escaped death
and, therefore, sin. 26 In sum, we who
have glorified bodies can [Page 186] finally obtain perfect submission of our intellect,
emotion and will to God - and thus worship fully. We will no longer have
rebellion in our hearts as we approach God. We will be able to worship with a
pure heart.
Characteristics of Millennial Worship
There are six characteristics of millennial worship that I
wish to address:
1. Some things will not change. Jesus
will be the focus of our worship. Note that Jesus is the focus in the courts of
heaven even before the Millennium begins (Revelation 4-5). Not only will Jesus be the focus,
but there will also remain no blood sacrifices (contrary to many scholars’
reading of Ezekiel 40-46). The reasons why there will be no sacrifices in the Millennium are very
similar to why there are no sacrifices necessary in our day: There were four
functions of the Old Testament sacrificial system: 27 (1) offering was a means to restore
one’s relationship to God and insure right standing within the theocracy; (2) Old Testament sacrifices were a type
of what was to come in Christ’s sacrifice. (3) the believer was performing an act that brought glory to God
(sacrifice as worship); (4)
sacrifices were an expression of commitment and obedience to God who said that He
would cleanse the believer of sin when the believer brought such sacrifices.
Mere sacrifices never saved anyone, but performing those sacrifices was the
means of expressing faith, whereby God would cleanse one from sin and restore
one to fellowship with God. This aspect of sacrifices fails under the category
of sanctification rather than justification. It strikes the believer, not the
unbeliever. “Before Christ’s sacrifice, the public
offering had to accompany the repentance of the believer,” notes John Feinberg. “Once the all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ had been made, the repentant
believer need not give another sacrifice in order to have cleansing.” 28 Feinberg goes on to say,
First, Scripture is very clear that the system of
the law, including the sacrifices, is superseded and done away with by the
sacrifice of Christ (cf. Gal. 3: 24-25; the book of Hebrews). Second. Old Testament
sacrifices actually covered sin and assured the believer of cleansing and
forgiveness. However, it was the sacrifice of Christ that actually once and for
all removed the sin (Heb. 9: 13; 10: 4, 11-14). 29
[Page 187]
Third, each sacrifice is for a specific sin. Only that sin is
covered by the sacrifice. But Christ’s sacrifice is all-inclusive, once for
all, never to be repeated, in order to forgive all sins for all time.
Dispensationalists, among others, hold that the temple will be
rebuilt at the dawn of the Millennium and that a sacrificial system will be
initiated in order to celebrate Christ’s death. 30
This sacrificial system would be analogous to the practice of the Lord’s Supper
during the Church age. Pentecost
argues that the sacrifices will not remove sin, because the blood of animals
can never remove sin (Hebrews 10: 4). Nonetheless, Feinberg
has shown that sacrifices serve an important function in the removal of sins
through faith. They did not remove the sins themselves, but pointed to the
death of Christ as the thing which would ultimately remove those sins. To
return to sacrifices in the millennial kingdom would be like returning to
sacrifices today. Once the death of Christ - the reality - has occurred, there
can be no more typological foreshadowing practiced. 31 Pentecost argues that these sacrifices in the
Millennium are not intended to cover sin; they are a memorial of Christ’s
death. 32 It is my
understanding that Pentecost makes that statement because he, too, understands
that there can be no more sacrifices as a means of expressing faith in God who
will remove our sin. Yet that is the precise assertion of Ezekiel, who writes of sin offerings in many places (40: 39; 43: 19, 21, 25; 44: 27, etc.)
and guilt offerings in other places (40: 39; 46: 20) in his discussion of the millennial
kingdom. 33 The sacrifices mentioned by Ezekiel
are specifically for atonement (43: 20; 45: 17). Dispensationalists have utilized
one means of interpreting Ezekiel (memorial sacrifices) because the Old
Testament sacrificial system has been replaced, but they have contrived the
wrong interpretive scheme. I suggest that Ezekiel’s apocalyptic vision should
be interpreted as any other text in the genre: understanding reality from the
connotation of the symbols used in the text. If that is done, then we would
understand the temple, sacrifice and river to generally refer to the immanence
and intimacy of God. The text in Ezekiel is worth studying to understand
worship in the Millennium, but there will not be animal sacrifice in the
Millennium.
There is not space here to discuss all of Ezekiel’s vision;
let us just focus on some ideas taken from the temple. Ralph H. Alexander writes,
[Page 188]
Old Testament apocalyptic literature, as found in
these chapters, was to be a source of hope and encouragement in a time of
discouragement. Revelation that a temple would be rebuilt in the messianic
kingdom to which God’s glory would return and in which the nation would worship
the Lord as he had commanded would surely be an encouragement of hope. Should
not the description of worship in the messianic kingdom be in terms both
understandable to
The mention of the temple and sacrifices is necessary in this
Old Testament apocalypse because the original readers could not have conceived
of true worship of God without such accoutrements. Alexander continues:
Ezekiel sets forth two major purposes for the
millennial temple. First, the temple will provide a throne for God among his
people (43: 6-7), the residency of his
glory (43: 1-12) from which he will rule
over his people. Second, the temple complex will reflect God’s holiness by its
walls of separation, various courts, and temple divisions (40: 5; 42: 14-20). 35
Are we to believe that the priesthood of believers has been
abrogated in the Millennium, that the high-priesthood of Christ has been
replaced by a descendant of Zadok,
that the temple will be able to hold God, that the Bride of Christ - finally
assembled - will be snubbed? Rather, Ezekiel’s apocalyptic vision of worship in
the Millennium provides crucial teaching, but does not provide the literal
format for worship. One would not expect it to do so, just as one does not
expect the book of Revelation (written in the same literary genre) to provide a literal format for the
final conflict. These passages contain symbols to be interpreted and
understood. There is a divine message in this revelation. Let us understand it
correctly.
Worship in the Millennium will be characterized, then, by a
focus and access to Christ, the One who effectively removed the penalty, power
and now presence of sin. In His presence, the presence of sin will be removed. [Page
189] His demand for
holiness and obedience will be evident. He will be the focus of our worship.
2. Worship in the Millennium will
reflect great joy. This is true if for no other reason than the fact that we
will no longer argue over hymns versus choruses (since we will sing a new song)
and John doesn’t mention drums in the accompaniment!
On a more serious note, Isaiah 35: 10 says the redeemed will “enter
If we could transport that kind of unrestrained outpouring of
joy to our day, our culture, our churches, something would seem wrong. We do
not yet see Jesus face-to-face. We are not yet unconcerned about the impression
made on others. We do not yet realize the incredible work Jesus did on the
cross. Some Christians are brought to tears when they think of the change Jesus
has wrought at their salvation. But none of us have experienced the
transformation from perpetually fighting our sinful nature to the freedom of
the glorified body. Worship will be genuinely joyful.
We will not need a charismatic song leader to “whip up” the crowd. We will not have to urge people
to sing loudly (“with all your heart”) or
softly (“meditating on the work of Christ”). We
will not have social expectations on worship. It will be a genuine expression
of joy. This expression may include dancing, singing, shouting, crying, etc.
The actual expression of that joy is irrelevant. We will not even find the form
relevant in the Millennium, because we will be freed from our present carnal
self-consciousness that either prohibits “dignified”
worshipers from shouting, clapping, etc., or impels “exhibitionists”
toward such acts.
3. Similar to the joy that comes from
knowing the fullness of the work of Christ (not just understanding it, but
experiencing it), there will be a sense of awe that comes from our new ability
to comprehend God’s magnitude. This is the same magnitude that emits flashes of
[Page 190] lightning and peals of thunder from His throne (Revelation 4: 5), even when there is no hint of rain.
This same magnitude defies explanation by John (and certainly by me). John abandons
literal description and resorts to describing God as one having the appearance
of jasper and carnelian with a rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircling the
throne (4: 4). Can there be such a thing in “real life”? No. Our current understanding of
substance, colour and movement cannot describe the magnitude and majesty of
God. Our language is incapable of circumscribing it, and our intellect of
comprehending it.
When we receive our glorified bodies (see the preceding
discussion), we will see God as He is. Does God veil Himself from us because He
is secretive? No. We are neither able to ingest the view of God, nor fit to
sustain His immanence. It is no wonder that Old Testament saints assumed it
meant death to see God (Exodus 20: 19; Judges
13: 22). Surely, a full-face view of God by a mortal would be
mortal. But we will eventually see God (Job 19: 26; Matthew 5: 8) and know Him as He knows us (1 Corinthians 13: 12; 1 John 3: 2).
The worship that will flow from this knowledge will be
reverent, sometimes silent, always laudatory and exclusively focused on God.
When we see God in this fullness, we have no image to protect, no idols to
worship, no ideologies to defend, no mask to wear. We are awestruck by the One
who created all things and who will sustain our lives for all eternity. What a
blessing it would be (for us and for God) if our worship these days would
attain this level of awe for the Creator of the universe.
I recently sat through a series of helpful Bible studies on
the eschaton. The teacher, 37 as part of his presentation, listed
the various kinds of crowns the Bible mentions. 38
There may be some debate whether these are real crowns, a symbol of some
reward, or merely a commendation. The descriptions differ so widely, these
substances may not even be of one cloth. Regardless, when we see God with our
own eyes we will - with the twenty-four elders (Revelation 4: 10) - gladly abrogate all reward or commendation
to the One who deserves far more attention, praise and honour. At that time, we
will no longer seek for others to see our accomplishments. We would not even
think of it. We will be too overwhelmed with the weight of God’s glory. 39
4. It has been said that imitation is
the sincerest form of flattery. Similarly, holiness seems to be a significant
form of worship toward the holy God. Note the description of the millennial
temple: Through figurative language, this description points toward the
dominant motif of holiness in worship. Since the majority of worshipers will
exist in their glorified state, the imitation of God will be natural. In other
words, worship in the Millennium will be characterized by holiness in everyday
life. Of course, that is the goal today, but we have sinful natures, carnal
desires that war against the Spirit at every turn. Worship is limited by our
sinfulness. God is not glorified by every activity in life when we are not
wholly holy. Worship, today and in the Millennium, is not restricted to a
gathering of believers. Worship can exude from every part of life: a father
worships God as he nurtures his children with the love and care of God; a
construction worker worships God as she displays the attitude of Christ; a
lawyer worships God as he strives for divine justice. That will take place in
the Millennium. Worship will characterize every part of life, because holiness
will reign in the millennial kingdom through our glorified bodies.
5. Because the Church will be complete
and its members will be holy, the Church will effectively utilize its
complementary gifts (Ephesians 4: 11-13) without backbiting, envy, etc. (Galatians 5: 25
- 6: 4). Admittedly, this topic belongs more
to ecclesiology than to eschatology, but it is worth noting that the Church
will finally function as it was intended. Spiritual gifts are intended for
bringing the Body of Christ into a state of perfection. Why do I assert that
gifts will still be utilized in the Millennium when the Church has reached such
a state? Because the millennial kingdom is still a real community. 40 Real life is going on with social
interaction between individuals. Since the Church finally will function as it
was intended, then worship in that community of believers will be undergirded
by solid relationships, clear communication and love. Worship today would be
better if we did not have power struggles, personality conflicts and personal
agendas. Sometimes the church functions as Satan’s ally in creating divisions
and factions that inhibit worship. With Satan bound, there will be neither
denominations nor theological divisions, neither personal conflicts nor church
splits. We [Page 192] will not be distracted from Christ in our worship by
any of these plagues.
6. Finally, I need to mop up several
more differences in worship from our age to the millennial age. For one thing,
worship will no longer include a sermon. No instruction will be necessary (Jeremiah 31: 34). Also, suffering will not be part of
our worship there. 41 The sufferings
of Jesus will be completed by then (Colossians 1: 24). That is why the prophet speaks of a
time (properly interpreted as a millennial
prophecy) when God will come and save us: “Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come, he
will come with vengeance; with divine retribution
he will come to save you’” (Isaiah 35: 3-4).
Furthermore, there will not be intercessional or confessional
worship for all trouble and all sin have been removed. Our worship will focus
exclusively on adoration and thanksgiving.
Conclusion
The Millennium will be a time of great worship - worship like
we have never seen nor comprehended before. The Bible does not complete the
picture of worship, because we are not capable of understanding nor responding
to God as we will in the Millennium. It will he a glorious time; we pray for it
now (“thy
kingdom come”); we long
for it now (especially during difficulty). Let us follow the ways of the
millennial kingdom: in justice, in obedience, in holiness, in the church, at
work and especially in worship.
“Even so,
Lord Jesus, come quickly”
(Revelation 22: 20, author paraphrase).
*
* *
Endnotes
1. “And he shall come again to judge both the living and the
dead” is from the Nicene Creed, A.D 325.
2. Stuart K. Hine, “How Great
Thou Art,” copyright 1955 by Marina Music, Inc.,
3. Jeffrey J.
Richards, The Promise of Dawn: The Eschatology of Lewis
Chafer. (New York:
University Press of America, 1991), 186.
4. Note well that I am not referring to the year 2000. I am
addressing the period of time when Christ shall return to the earth to
establish His kingdom reign.
[Page
193]
5. For example, the completion of the Great Commission is
partially motivated by the return of Jesus and the inauguration of the Millennium
(cf. Matthew 24: 14).
Additional support for this suggestion is added by the repeated admonitions to “watch,” “be alert,” “wake up,” etc. Although these don’t focus on the
Millennium, per se, they do focus on the return of the Lord Jesus.
6. I looked in the index of every book in the
7. For example, it has been said by various people in my hearing
that “Eschatology is formative for our ecclesiology.”
“Ecclesiology is formative for our missionlogy”;
“Our idea of God is crucial for our view of Scripture”;
“Our epistemology is foundational for our hermeneutic”;
etc. I’m not going to try to demonstrate the truth of any of these assertions
here.
8. Bruce Leafblad,
associate professor of church music and worship, Bethel College and Seminary
(now at South-western Seminary), offered this definition at one time: “Worship is communion with God in which believers, by grace,
centre their mind’s attention and their heart’s affection on the Lord Himself,
humbly glorifying God for who he is and what he does.” As adapted by Don Wyrtzen the definition goes like
this: “Worship means putting the Lord first in your
values, your affections and your commitments. Values
have to do with the objective truth (so we preach); Affections deal with
emotions (so we have music); Commitments have to do with priorities and convictions
(so we live). We worship when we put the Lord first in all these.”
(parenthetical comments mine; information from “Wyrtzen:
Kindred Spirit,” by Dallas Theological Seminary, Aut. 1996. Vol. 20, No.
3, p. 8-A through C).
9. D.
10. Many of the ideas of this paragraph
are condensed from other parts of RE, Aune’s article, “Early
Christian Worship.”
11. “Worship at his footstool” (Psalm
99: 5; 132:
7).
12. Cf. the retelling of the story of
creation, exodus and redemption that have been historically important for
Christian worship.
13. Consider the following choruses: “You are worthy to receive our praise”; “We exalt you”; “We place you
on the highest place.” There are many other choruses and hymns that
reflect this element of worship.
14. Many of the worship passages in the New Testament refer to the
triumph won through the death of Christ on the cross, e.g., Colossians 1: 20;
the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22: 17-20; 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26, etc.); First
Corinthians 15: 55-57, etc.
15. There can be no more famous example of
this than the call to commitment after a sermon and the response song, “Just As I Am.” Cf. also such passages as First Corinthians 15: 58;
First Thessalonians 5: 11, etc.
16. Peter T. O’Brien,
Colossians, Philemon, vol. 44, Word Biblical
Commentary (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1982), 58.
17. O’Brien, 61. Notice
that I am not utilizing M. Luther’s
expression of the local vs. the universal church. O’Brien's synthesis, is of
the data makes good use of the Bible and squares with the rest of theology.
With him, I refer to the eschatological church and each local gathering of believers
as a manifestation of that church. Each church is THE church without excluding
any other church as being THE church.
18. Colossians 1: 18-20 “serve” from “head of the body” (Christ = head., Church = body); “follow” from “Firstborn”
(implying there will be many more who will rise [afterwards] from the dead as
Christ did); and “gather” from the mention of Christ’s
redemption in this context.
19. Of course, dispensationalists see the Millennium is the time
of socio-political salvation to other peoples that is uniquely mediated through
national
20. Cf. Job 1; Zechariah 3; Matthew 4;
Second Corinthians 2: 11; 11: 14; 12: 7: First Thessalonians
2: 18; First
Peter 5: 8, among others.
21. If one is a premillennialist, then one believes that Christ
will return before the Millennium. For the matter at hand, it doesn’t matter
whether one advocates a pre-, mid-, or post-tribulational position for the
return of Christ.
22. This gullibility refers to the fall of the angels who rebelled
against God (Jude 6; Isaiah 14: 12 may refer to
Satan; Luke 10: 18;
Revelation 12: 7-9; 2 Peter 2: 4). I assert we will not be like them in their
gullibility because we have already made the choice to follow Christ. Some of
us will hive endured great suffering for that decision, but remained faithful
to the end - even while struggling with our sinful nature - and so have received
our reward. At our glorification, the sinful nature is removed. (Romans 8: 30 delineates
a progression from God foreknowing the individual, to predestining, calling,
justifying and glorifying that individual. This progression is stated in
anticipation of its final actualization, but indicate the incomprehensibility
of one rebelling against Christ once one has reached the stage of
glorification.)
23. The question of how non-glorified individuals got into the
millennial kingdom is also part of speculative theology. If one advocates a
pre- or mid-tribulational return of Christ, then these are the ones who have
converted to Christ after the [Pre-tribulation] Rapture, but before the Millennium and somehow
survived the cosmic war (as difficult as that may be). If one advocates a post-tribulational
return of Christ, then these individual, - may be ones who have called out for mercy
after the Rapture and before their own destruction. The text specifically
mentions that all the armies of the beast will he killed (Revelation 19: 19,
21), but others may have remained alive if
they submit to the reigning King of the earth, Christ. Of course, this is
highly speculative and not worthy of great
confidence.
24. In the context, this text primarily refers to the transformations
that come in the eternal state (of humans and nature alike), but our glorified
bodies will already have realized the objectives of this transformation by the
millennial kingdom.
25. Of course, those who
are not already God’s children will not he transformed to be like Jesus. Each
person will become more like he already is: those who follow, like Christ;
those who rebel, like Satan. (C. S.
Lewis makes this point in The Great Divorce,
among other places.)
26. The primary focus of the contrast in First
Corinthians 15: 44-46 between psychikos (physical) and pneumatikos (spiritual) is probably just a contrast between a body of [Page 195] flesh and a body quite different. There doesn’t seem to be any or much
contrast between the carnal and the spiritual.
27. John S. Feinberg, “Salvation
in the Old Testament,” in Tradition and
Testament, ed. John S. Feinberg and Paul D. Feinberg
(Chicago: Moody, 1981), 67-9.
28. Ibid., 70.
29. Ibid., 71-2.
30. Pentecost, 525.
31. For the non-believer, the specific
revealed content of faith finally coincides entirely with the basis, or ground,
of faith, namely, the death of Christ for our sins (Feinberg, 60). The point I am making in the text has more to do
with the believer: The issue is how the believer can have sins removed. It
cannot be through obedience to God in sacrifice. It is through consciously
trusting in the work of Christ.
32. Pentecost, 525.
Note also Pentecost’s citation, with
affirmation, of the following: “Never again will the
Lord’s Supper be kept after the Saints of God have left the earth to be with
the Lord in glory. The resumed sacrifices will be the memorial of the Cross and
the whole wonderful story of the redemption for
33. It is important to observe that millennial sacrifices are
discussed elsewhere in the OT prophets (Isaiah 56:
54; 60: 7, 13; 66: 20-23; Jeremiah 33:
15-22; Zechariah 14: 16-21).
34. Ralph H. Alexander, “Is Not the
Existence of a
35. Ibid.
36. Ezekiel 40: 46. Adding to the
confusion of the dispensational system is how the tribulation martyrs can be
called “priests of God and of Christ” (Revelation 20: 6)
when it is unlikely that these individuals are all descendants of Zadok. Perhaps, one could retort, the
martyrs will not minister before the Lord. That is true: they will have a more
exalted position, reigning with Christ for 1,000
years.
37. Rev. Mark Robrer,
38. First Corinthians 9: 25
- the incorruptible crown because of mastery over the old man; First Thessalonians 2: 19
- the crown of rejoicing because of engaging in evangelism; James 1: 12 - the
crown of life for withstanding persecution and temptation; Second Timothy 4: 8
- the crown of righteousness because we love God’s appearing; First Peter 5: 4
- the crown of glory because of faithful execution of ministry (particularly
elders).
39. Cf. C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965).
40. Micah 4 is one of several examples (e.g., Isaiah 11; Ezekiel 36:
22ff; Jeremiah 31)
where there seem to be promises of life continuing in an ideal state. If there
were no plowing, there would be no need for plowshares.
41. The churches that have not installed
air-conditioning yet believe fully that the suffering of the saints is part of
worship.
* *
*
About the Authors
Keith M. Bailey,
LL.D., is a retired pastor,
district superintendent and editor living in
Matthew A.
Cook, Ph.D., is a missionary in
K. Neill Foster, Ph.D., was president of Christian Publications, Inc.
William R. Goetz,
D.D., is a retired pastor and author living in
Paul L.
King, D.Min., Th.D., is an editorial adjunct and editor
of Classic Christianity for Christian Publications, Inc.
Harold Shelly,
Ph.D., is Professor of Church History and Religions at Alliance Theological
Seminary,
Samuel J.
Stoesz, Th.D., is a retired
seminary professor, pastor, author and editor.
Joel Van Hoogen, M.Div., is a designated Evangelist in the
Rocky Mountain District of The Christian and Missionary Alliance and Executive
Director of Church Partnership Evangelism,
Steven L.
Ware, Ph.D., at
Robert Wetmore, Th.D.,
at
Dr. Donald A.
Wiggins, D.Min., is Vice-President
for National Church Ministries of the U.S. Christian and Missionary Alliance,
Colorado Springs, CO.
Eldon Woodcock,
Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of
Bible at