Millennial Positions: a Survey

Millennial Positions: A Survey (Eschatology)

Rev. G. Michael Saunders, Sr.

1 Lift up the Trumpet, O loud let it ring Jesus is coming again!

Cheer up ye pilgrim, be joyful and sing Jesus is coming again!

Coming again! Coming Again! Jesus is coming again!

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Eschatology: es'ka-tol'o-je, n. [Gr. eschatos, Last, and logos, discourse; word.] Theol. The discourse of the last or final things; Kingdom and end time doctrines such as the afterlife, judgments, apostasy, Christ's return, and the final destination of the soul; Declaration of future prophecy or biblical events (wikipedia.org/wiki/Eschatology).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Reformed Eschatology

The subject of Eschatology in Reformed Christianity is one, which, has been much neglected. In fact, it is very difficult to even find anything substantive at all (from Biblical perspectives) about chapters such as Revelation or Daniel. Unfortunately, in some Christian circles the subject is treated as if it were unimportant or even taboo. Curiously, some consider these Scriptures dangerous, or at best a non-issue. While caution may be somewhat understandable (considering the wild and unscriptural prophesies proliferating Christian literature today) it is nonetheless a great disservice to God. For God did not incorporate eschatology into the Holy canon to be ignored, or cast aside as insignificant in our relationship with Him. False eschatology is not an excuse to shun eschatology. For true Christianity is the hope of communion with God, an eschatology essential to sound Christian doctrine.

Reformed Christianity in its truest form rests upon the understanding that “interpretations belong to God” (Gen. 40:8, 41:16.) Thus truth is discerned by the careful study of His Word in a Biblical and ordered manner. Wisdom is in approaching the Word of God in the right Spirit. Humility and open-mindedness (to Scripture) will only extend our understanding. These are essential elements to sound Biblical studies. God's Spirit bearing witness with our spirit is how we come to truth, for it is ultimately His Spirit, which teaches 'through' His Word. No Scripture is of any private interpretation and neither should be Eschatology!

2 Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

I. Lesson 1. The Second Coming of Christ

II. Lesson 2. Prophecy and Evangelism

III. Lesson 3. Eschatology

IV. Lesson 4. Pre-Millennialism

V. Lesson 5. Amillennialism

VI. Lesson 6. Post-Millennialism

VII. Lesson 7. Preterism

VIII. Lesson 8. Summary

IX. Appendices

X. Bibliography

3 PREFACE

Our world, our culture and our society today are in great turmoil and things seem to be getting worse all the time. In the church today there is a vast amount of speculation over the times in which we live and if we are in those last days before the return of the Lord. But we are not the only ones to have ever wondered this. Christians of every generation since the New Testament have gone through terrible events in their age and have always wondered if Jesus was about to return and end all the sin and misery in the world.

But how can we tell if we are really in the last days? What are the signs that these are the actual “last days?” What will happen in our world that will show us if and when Jesus is going to return? When He does return, what will happen? Rapture? Tribulation? Judgment? Millennium? Resurrection? New Heavens and Earth? What are these things? What do they mean? When will they happen? How is that going to affect us?

The study of prophecy and eschatology is very confusing and it is made even more so by the different views of different pastors and churches on how all these events will occur. Truthfully, most Christians do not know what to think about these issues, so they do not think about them at all. 25 years ago, when I started in ministry we made jokes about being “pro-millennialists” – we were for whatever happens. In today’s church this is not a joke any more. Many Christians respond that they do not know what is going to happen but believe whatever happens will be of the Lord and so they are content to wait and see what happens.

There are those Christians however, at the other end of the spectrum; those with such a definitive view of the last days that a particular millennial position has become a test of orthodoxy. Those who believe the Bible clearly teaches one particular position often say that if you do not believe their position you are at best not a Scriptural Christian and at worst not a Christian at all. The problem is that all four major views of the last days use the exact same Scriptures to prove their view. What is more confusing is that the details used to hold the points of each view together are not in the Scriptures at all, but are gathered by inference.

So how do we know what to believe? The purpose of this book and course is to review the subject of eschatology and the four main views of it. By the end of the course I hope you will have the tools to discover what you believe concerning the last days and the return of our King, the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 Introduction

Course Description

This course is part of the Theological Studies course and provides an overview of the four major eschatological positions. This course gives also speaks to the issue of why the study of eschatology is important and what it should accomplish in the hearts of God’s people and in the church today.

The course is not auto-didactic. Nor is it principally academic in nature. A mature teacher must be prepared to play the role of mentor to his students, rather than a mere instructor.

The number of students in the class should be small, to allow for the interchange necessary in the mentoring process. Eight to twelve students are the ideal number. The course should be as practical as possible, helping the student to learn how to come to theological and doctrinal beliefs based on Scripture alone.

Finally, the teacher must keep in mind, at all times, that the goal for this class is for the student to learn how to understand the prophetic teachings of Scripture and how to use them for the spread of the Gospel.

Purpose of the Course

To give the student tools with which to formulate an eschatological position and how to use it for the spread of the Gospel: Why is there going to be a Second Coming of Christ? What is going to happen when Jesus comes the second time? What are the signs that will occur when Jesus returns? When will the end times happen? What events will happen at the end times? How can we use eschatology for the spread of the Gospel?

Summary of Course Content.

This course will give the student the information needed to formulate his eschatological view based on the Scriptures and how to use that view to further the Kingdom of God on earth.

Course Materials.

Michael Saunders. Signs Of The Times. Miami, Florida; M.I.N.T.S., 2008.

RC Sproul. The Last Days According to Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI; Baker Book House, 1998.

5 Loraine Boettner. The Millennium. Philipsburg, NJ; Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing, 1990.

Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr. He Shall Have Dominion: A Postmillennial Eschatology. Tyler, TX; Institute for Christian Economics, 1992.

Objectives of the course.

1- Student participation in classroom discussion 2- Student comprehension of course materials 3- Student familiarization with course bibliography 4- Student development of ministry skills in evangelism 5- Student’s retention of course materials and application to real ministry 6- Student’s application of course materials to their own ministry

These objectives will be evaluated in four ways (See evaluation of the course).

Structure of the Course.

How the course will be conducted.

1. For students studying at a distance and not attending course lectures: a. The student will contact the MINTS Academic Dean in order to sign up for the course and be assigned a supervising professor. b. The student will identify his or her mentor, who will locally oversee the course. The mentor will verify that all of the lessons have been read and homework completed. Note: The supervising professor of MINTS must approve the mentor. c. The student will download the course syllabus and begin studies. d. The mentor will send the lesson completion chart, the exam completion chart and the case study to the supervising professor. e. The supervising professor will review and record the grades, ensure that they are registered with the MINTS Registrar and that the final grade is sent to the student and mentor.

2. For students studying at a distance who attend course lectures: a. MINTS provides an orientation to the course (by invitation by a professor). b. The student will attend 15 hours of lectures. c. The student will complete the lesson assignments and give them to the professor, who also serves as the mentor. d. The supervising MINTS professor will review the student’s work (attendance, lesson completion and case study grade) and have the final grade registered with the MINTS Registrar. The Registrar will send the group leader the student’s final grade.

6 Lesson Development

Lesson 1 – The Second Coming of Christ Homework: 1. Read chapter one and two of Michael Saunders’ The Signs of the Times. 2. Answer the 10 questions at the end of each chapter. 3. Write a one page paper on how the doctrine of the Second coming of Christ affects the way you share the Gospel with others.

Lesson 2 - Prophecy and Evangelism Turn In This Week: 1. The 10 questions at the end of chapter one and two. 2. The one page paper on how the doctrine of the Second coming of Christ affects the way you share the Gospel with others. Homework: 1. Read chapter three of Michael Saunders’ The Signs of the Times. 2. Answer the 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 3. Write a one page paper on the relationship between Prophecy and Evangelism.

Lesson 3 – Eschatology Turn In This Week: 1. The 10 questions at the end of chapter. 2. The one page paper on the relationship between Prophecy and Evangelism. Homework: 1. Read chapter four of Michael Saunders’ The Signs of the Times. 2. Answers to the 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 3. Make a sermon series outline for a four-week series on The Study of the Events of the Last Days.

Lesson 4 – Pre-Millennialism Turn In This Week: 1. The 10 questions at the end of the chapter 2. A sermon series outline for a four-week series on The Study of the Events of the Last Days. Homework: 1. Read chapter five of Michael Saunders’ The Signs of the Times. 2. Answers to the 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 3. Make your own chart of the events of the last days according to the premillennial position.

Lesson 5 – Amillennialism Turn In This Week: 1. The 10 questions at the end of the chapter.

7 2. Your own chart of the events of the last days according to the premillennial position. Homework: 1. Read chapter six of Michael Saunders’ The Signs of the Times. 2. Answers to the 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 3. Make your own chart of the events of the last days according to the amillennial position.

Lesson 6 – Post-Millennialism Turn In This Week: 1. The 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 2. Your own chart of the events of the last days according to the amillennial position. Homework: 1. Read chapter seven of Michael Saunders’ The Signs of the Times. 2. Answers to the 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 3. Make your own chart of the events of the last days according to the post-millennial position.

Lesson 7 – Preterism Turn In This Week: 1. The 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 2. Your own chart of the events of the last days according to the postmillennial position. Homework: 1. Read chapter eight of Michael Saunders’ The Signs of the Times. 2. Answers to the 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 3. Make your own chart of the events of the last days according to the preterist position.

Lesson 8 – Summary Turn In This Week: 1. The 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 2. Your own chart of the events of the last days according to the preterist position. 3. A one page paper on your millennial view, how you arrived at that view and why you believe it.

Requirements of the course

The student will attend 15 hours of class and participate in the discussion time. Answer the questions at the end of each chapter correctly. The student will complete reading and writing assignments required between classes. The student will complete a comparative chart of the four major eschatological positions. The students will become familiar with readings related to the course theme(s). The student must pass the final comprehensive exam (for credit students only). 8 Evaluation of the course

Student participation: One point may be given (15%) for each class hour attended.

Quizzes: One point (8%) for each class quiz passed.

Student homework: Two points may be given (15%) for each homework assignment for the 8 lessons.

Student readings: Bachelor level students will read 300 extra pages and write a 3-page book report. Master level students will read 500 pages and write a 5-page book report. Doctoral level students will read 5000 pages and present an annotated bibliography (20%).

Student case study: The writer of the course will assign a Ministry Plan, which puts knowledge into action (17%).

Student exam: The student will demonstrate his/her understanding of the main concepts and content of the course materials (25%).

Benefits of the course

This course will give the student a plan to teach the Scriptural prophecies concerning the second coming of the Messiah and show how they were fulfilled. This will allow the student to use the teachings of the Scripture in evangelistic endeavors.

Closing Remarks

The student will be able to conclude this course with a clear understanding of his eschatological views and thus have several tools for ministry in Theology and Evangelistic outreach.

9 1843 Prophetic Chart – Joshua V. Himes of the Millerite Movement

10 Chapter One The Second Coming of Christ "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again"

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is the unshakeable belief of Christians that God is in control of all things, and that He is faithful to the promises and prophecies in His Word. In His first coming, Jesus Christ came to earth as a baby in a manager in Bethlehem, just as prophesied. Jesus fulfilled many of the prophecies of the Messiah during His birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection. However, there are some prophecies regarding the Messiah that Jesus has not, as of yet, fulfilled. The Second Coming of Christ will be the return of Christ to fulfill these remaining prophecies. In His first coming, Jesus was the suffering servant. In His Second Coming, Jesus will be the conquering King. In His first coming, Jesus arrived in the most humble of circumstances. In His Second Coming, Jesus will arrive with the armies of Heaven at His side (1).

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to the earth is one of the cardinal beliefs of the Christian faith. The Second Coming of our Savior is the time when He will return to take us to the place that He has prepared for us so that we might live in His wonderful presence for all eternity. Jesus says in John 14 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way”? Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

To expand on this, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to the earth refers to the doctrine of the return of Jesus Christ from heaven to earth in glory at the end of the age. This is an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic prophecy, such as the general resurrection of the dead, last judgment of the dead and the living, and the formal set up of the kingdom of God. Views about the nature of this return vary among Christian denominations and the whole subject can be very confusing. However, the doctrine of the Second Coming itself is an undisputed doctrine in all Christian Churches. The original Greek of the New Testament refers to the Second Coming by using the term Parousia (παρουσία), the "appearance and subsequent presence with" (in the ancient world referring to official visits by royalty). The early church referred to the Second Coming as the Second Advent, from the Latin term "adventus," for "coming." 11 In the Old Testament, the Prophets did not seem to make a distinction between the two comings or Advents of the Lord. This can be seen in Scriptures such as Isaiah 7:14- 25; and 9:6-7 where both the birth of the Lord and the end time judgment of the Lord are spoken about. As a result the prophecies sometime seem to be speaking of two individuals. Many Jewish scholars believed there would be both a suffering Messiah and a conquering Messiah. What they failed to understand is that the same Messiah would fulfill both roles. Jesus fulfilled the role of the suffering servant (Isaiah chapter 53) in His first coming and He will fulfill the role of Israel’s deliverer and King in His Second Coming.

The confirming statement of the fact that Jesus the Messiah will return to earth one day is in Acts 1:6-12 at Jesus' Ascension: “So when the apostles had come together, they asked Jesus, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards the sky, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken away from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go to heaven.’ Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.” Jesus’ previous teachings on His return are now confirmed by the Angels of God to the disciples. Just as an aside, I find it interesting that the Angels announced the birth of Christ, they announce the Second Coming to the disciples and we are told that they will blow trumpets to announce the coming King as they accompany the Lord in His return.

The doctrine of the Second Coming is the belief that Jesus' will literally and physically return to earth itself (Acts 1:6-12), conducting a final judgment of all people (Daniel 7:9,10), conquering Satan (Revelation 16:15-17 and 17:14) and reclaiming God's Kingdom with His saints (1 Thessalonians 3:13; Zechariah 14:5; Jude 1:14). Jesus foretells of His return in Matthew 24 and 25. In these two chapters, He goes into great detail about the events leading up to the time of His return.

Jesus, speaking of Himself, said in Matthew 25: 31-32, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats."

In John 14:3, Jesus states, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." Then in verse 28-29, Jesus speaks more on this promise saying that He is telling this ahead of time so that when it does happen, we, His people, will know He is true.

12 The early followers of Jesus Christ knew He had ascended to heaven and they expected that He would return for them as promised. However, the promise is not limited to the New Testament believers but is for all who have been faithful believers since then, as we see in the High Priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17. We, His disciples of all ages, are expected to be spiritually prepared and watchful for His victorious return.

Jesus is going to return, destroy all evil, and bring His people into an eternal life with Himself. Creation will be restored to perfection, we will be restored to holiness and our relationship with our Holy Heavenly Father will be re-made into the relationship man had with the Father before sin came into the world.

Jesus is the only way to a right relationship with God the Father. He has prepared a place for us. He is coming back for us so that we can be where He is forever!

Why a Second Coming?

Why are all this things going to happen? Why is Jesus going to return the earth the second time? He is doing this because His return will fulfill God’s plan of redemption for His creation.

At the beginning of time God created man “To glorify God and enjoy Him forever” (2). The Bible tells us that every day, in the cool of the day; the Lord God came and walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and the Presence, the Glory and the Spirit of God lived with them. We call this the “Shekinah Glory” of God - the glory of God that lives and dwells with His people. How awesome it must have been for Adam and Eve in the pure and sin free garden, to be in the physical, personal, intimate, face to face presence of God!

But then – Adam and Eve sinned and destroyed their relationship to God. However, God loved His people and wanted to live with them physically in His Shekinah Glory. He wanted His people to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. So God created a plan of redemption or salvation that would bring us back to the perfect Garden and that would bring us into the Kingdom of Heaven where we could be with Him and personally experience His glory, presence and Spirit again.

What was that plan of redemption or salvation? In Genesis 3:15, right after the fall into sin, the Heavenly Father promises to resolve our sin problem. He says: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." This is the first promise of salvation through a Savior who we now know is our Lord Jesus.

This is also where we first see God’s unconditional love and grace given to us after sin came into the world by making the first sacrifice for sin when He slew innocent animals to give Adam and Eve skins to wear. Essentially, God told Adam and Eve – “I love you and I will fix this problem” and He promised them and us that He was going to send someone to come and bring us back to Him. The rest of the Bible is the story of

13 how God keeps His promise to us and once God makes that promise everything He does points to the Messiah and the day that He will come to take us back to our Father.

Now Jesus did come and fix our sin problem by giving us salvation when He came to earth and died on the cross and rose from the dead. But He is going to fix our sin problem eternally by coming to earth the second time and taking us to the place that He has prepared for us to live in His presence, Spirit and glory forever. We will be able to truly glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. This will fulfill God’s plan of redemption for His creation.

Ultimately however, Jesus is coming back because of what Paul says in Hebrews 9:28, "So also Christ died only once as an offering for the sins of many people; and He will come again, but not to deal again with our sins. This time He will come bringing salvation to all those who are eagerly and patiently waiting for Him." At Jesus' second coming, we will fully experience the reality of our salvation. I Corinthians 1:7-8, "Now you have every grace and blessing; every spiritual gift and power for doing His will are yours during this time of waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. And He guarantees right up to the end that you will be counted free from all sin and guilt on that day when He returns."

So why is Jesus coming back the second time? He is going to bring salvation for all those who trust in Him alone. For those who know Jesus Christ as their own personal Lord and Savior, the end of time will bring eternal holiness, joy, delight and peace in the presence of our Holy God.

What Will Jesus Do When He Returns?

First, the Lord returns to the earth. I Thessalonians 4:16-17 says, "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air."

Then, He will raise the dead. “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves shall hear His voice And shall come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28,29).

Then, He will judge the world as we are told in Matthew 25:31-46. We can also see this portrayed in Daniel 7:9-28. First Daniel says in 9-10; "I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames; its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; the court sat, and the books were opened.” God’s plan for the redemption of His creation includes a judgment day before the Ancient of Days, God the 14 Father, which will occur at the end of time and the books of life will be opened and each man and women judged for their eternal state.

Zechariah 12:10 and Revelation 1:7, describe the Second Coming, show Jesus being pierced and Israel, and the whole world, will mourn for not having accepted the Messiah the first time He came. We read in the New Testament “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:27,28). “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30,31). “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). “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” (Revelation 20:12).

Another part of God’s plan is for the Heavenly Father to give all authority, dominion and power to one who is the Son of Man. He will be the final and ultimate judge of all mankind and He will be given the Kingdom of Heaven, which will be eternal. Daniel says in 7:13-14; "I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him and His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.” Matthew 25:31 says, "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory."

The next part of God’s plan is for those who are judged to be the people of the Highest One, to live in His eternal Kingdom. Then Daniel says in 7:18,22 “the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come…the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.” Jesus says, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." - John 14:1-3.

Next, He will return the kingdom to the Father. “But each one in his own order: Christ the first fruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power” (1 Corinthians 15:23,24).

15 The next part of God’s plan is for God’s enemy, Satan, to be cast down and destroyed so that there will be no evil, pain or rebellion in the Kingdom of God and the saints of the Holy One will live in peace. Daniel says in 7:25-27 “He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.”

Then eternity begins. “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves shall hear His voice And shall come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of (eternal) life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of (eternal) condemnation” (John 5:28,29).

The earth will be destroyed. “But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?” (2 Peter 3:7,10,12).

The new heavens and the new earth will be created and we will be brought to it. Isaiah 65:17: Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. Isaiah 66:22: As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me. Revelation 21:1,2 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

Finally, the eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ will be set up and established. Revelation 21:3-11 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic

16 arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.”

What will Jesus do at the Second Coming? He will be given all authority over heaven and earth. He will raise the dead and judge the world. He will be given the Kingdom of Heaven as His own to rule over and He will take the people He has given salvation to, to live with Him in that Kingdom forever, and Satan and all evil will be destroyed eternally.

The arrangement of these events is what makes up the four major views of eschatology that we will be discussing in this book. Many Christians and churches disagree on the order and characteristics of each event; however, all Christians agree that He is coming again!

The Son of Man

There is a popular study among certain Biblical Scholars concerning whether or not Jesus ever claimed to be God. In his prophecy Daniel says that the Holy One who is returning is the Son of Man. Is Jesus the Son of man? In the Bible, the Gospels contain several examples of Jesus referring to himself as the Son of Man or talking about the climactic role of the Son of Man coming in "glory" or in "His kingdom" (Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:58). Jesus says, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head." Matthew 18:11. “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” Mark 2:27-28, Matthew 12:8, Luke 6:5. “And he [Jesus] said unto them [the Pharisees], ‘The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: so that the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath.’" (See a fuller list of Jesus speaking of Himself as the Son of man in Appendix 1.)

What is important about Jesus calling Himself the Son of Man, however, is that He is claiming for Himself the position and authority that God gives to the Son of Man in Daniel’s prophecy. Jesus is saying that He is the Son of Man that Daniel was talking about. Jesus is God and He is the Messiah.

We see this claim of His divinity and Messiahship repeated frequently as Jesus uses this expression for Himself many times in reference to His Second Coming in glory as the Judge and Savior of the world. In Matthew 24:3-5, 30 Jesus speaks of the signs of His return to earth. “And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world’? And Jesus answered and said unto them, ‘Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and 17 then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.’”

In Matthew 19:28 Jesus speaks of Himself on the throne of glory; “Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’”

In the Gospel of John Jesus also employs the image of the Son of Man when talking about "the last day" (6:39-54). Here it is linked with "being raised up" – the resurrection of the dead. A theme reinforced in 11:24 where Martha describes Jesus' coming both in terms of resurrection and as an ongoing process, and in 14:3 where Jesus says "I will come again" so his disciples may live with Him in His Father's house. In John 10:40 Jesus says clearly “I and the Father are one”.

Jesus is indeed the Son of Man spoken of by Daniel. He is God and He calls Himself God. He is the Savior, the Redeemer, the Judge and the King. He will come again and He will rule the Kingdom of Heaven and we will live in that Kingdom with Him!

When Will the Second Coming Be?

Perhaps no event in the history of the world has been more anticipated than the Second Coming. Every generation of believers, including believers in the New Testament, has strongly believed that Jesus would return in their lifetime. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 tells us, "Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come." Some are mistakenly frightened that they have missed the Second Coming. Others doubt that it will ever occur, "They will say, 'Where is this "coming" he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation" (2 Peter 3:4). So, according to the Apostle Peter, we must avoid both extremes: (1) believing that the Second Coming has already occurred (we will talk more about this in the chapter on Preterism), and (2) believing that the Second Coming will never occur (none of the four major views of today accept this) (3).

It is also important to remember that Jesus promised He would not return until all His sheep had been gathered in (John 10:16). Peter goes on to say in 2 Peter 3:8,9, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Sadly the Second Coming of Christ is plagued by many false teachings. Prediction books have even been written for centuries telling the exact day of Jesus' return. These books may sell many copies, but they mislead their readers. There's one 18 guarantee: As soon as someone predicts the day or time of Jesus Christ's second coming, that prediction is wrong. Why? Because only God the Father knows when it will be -- Jesus didn't even know while He was on the earth. Jesus told His disciples: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with the hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come" (Matthew 24:36, 40 & 42). So it is impossible for us to know when the Second Coming will occur.

It is also important to remember that we are watching for something glorious. Paul says, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ." - Titus 2:13. We do not know when the Second Coming will occur but it will be the most glorious event to ever take place because those who know Him personally will be with Jesus and in His presence for all eternity beginning at that moment!

We do know that the Second Coming of Jesus will take place very suddenly. It will take place "as lightning." Matthew 24:27 says, "For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." So, we are not only to anticipate the Second Coming, but have a biblical understanding of it. We are not to set dates and times, but live our lives as if it could happen any day, any moment. Matthew 25:19-21, "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them…His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'" How do we prepare for that day of Christ’s return, which could be at any moment? By trusting in Jesus alone for our salvation and knowing Him personally as our Lord and Savior.

We are also told that when Jesus returns, the whole world will know it and see it. Jesus says "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:30). "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. - Rev. 1:7.

What are the Signs of the Second Coming?

There are of course, many signs that Jesus gives us about the timing of His return to the earth and the great judgment and the end of time. The order and timing in which these signs will appear as well as the manner in which they will be exhibited are debated by the various views of the last days. However, these are the signs that the Scriptures give us. Some of these signs are:

~ The preaching of the Gospel throughout the world. (Mat. 24:14, 15, Mark 13:10).

19 ~ The appearance of the Antichrist, also called the man of iniquity or the beast, together with his representatives, pseudo-Christs, false prophets, and every type of false wonder worked by the power of Satan in order to deceive the people. The Antichrist will sit in the place of God acting as if he was God and an unrelenting beast he will pursue with all rage and furor the chosen servants of God. (1 John. 2:18; 2 Thess. 2:3-11; Rev. 13:1-8, 20:1-10; Mat. 24:9,21,15, Mark 13:6,19,24-25, Luke 21:8,23,25).

~ The multiplication of wickedness and the increasing lack of love between men, hatred and betrayal of one another. (Mat. 24:10-12, Mark13: 9,11-13, Luke 21:12- 17).

~ A torrent of bloodshed, wars and rumors of wars between nations, people and states. (Mat. 24:6-7, Mark 13:7,8, Luke 21:9,10).

~ The appearance of calamities such as mass starvation, sicknesses etc. (Mat. 24:7-9, Mark 13:8, Luke 21:11).

~ The appearance of certain signs in nature such as the darkening of the sun and moon, the falling of stars from the sky, the passing away of heaven and earth. (Matt. 24:29, Mark 13:24, 25, Luke 21:25) (4).

~ And more.

The Lord explains these signs by saying, “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near: So likewise you, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors (Mat. 24:32-33).

There are more signs listed in Scripture but in every case we must remember that Christians interpret these signs and how they actually appear in many different ways. So just listing signs does not tell us the full story of what the Second Coming will be like or when it will be.

Can We Study These Signs and Know the Future?

The study of these signs, their various interpretations and when, where and how they will occur is called “Prophecy”. We study prophecy to try to understand our beliefs about the last days. However, Prophecy is very different from history. It is not intended to give us knowledge of the future in the same way that history gives us knowledge of the past. When we treat prophecy like a “history” of the future we often have to force events into the prophetic belief and this leads to false teaching. This happens with great frequency in the Christian world and many Christians mistakenly live by the evening news combined with prophetic teachers and preachers. This way of living the Christian life is actually very harmful to our spiritual health and our walk with Christ.

20 The Lord Jesus never called us to spend our Christian lives studying the signs of His return. He called us to know Him as our Savior and therefore to be prepared for His second coming whenever it occurs and then He gave us the Great Commission. This commission is to go out into the world and help people prepare for the Second Coming by receiving Christ alone as their Savior. It is important for us not to lose sight of the fact that even though we must be prepared for the second coming of Jesus, He is with us today, living in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reigning and ruling over us at the right hand of God the Father and living with us, in us and through us. We must not get so carried away looking for His return that we forget to live with Him today. In other words, we should avoid pointless speculations about the time, the details of the signs, the nature of the difficulties, etc. We must focus instead on the need for living the Gospel so as to be prepared for the Second Coming of Jesus whenever it happens.

Conclusion: Why is the Second Coming Important?

Foremost of all, belief in the Second Coming of Christ is important because it is clearly what the Bible teaches. To doubt the reality of the Second Coming is to doubt the reliability and validity of God's Word. Secondly, the Second Coming is important because Jesus Himself promised it. If Jesus was wrong about the Second Coming, how can we trust anything else He taught? The Second Coming of Christ is our hope and confidence that God is in control of all things and is faithful to His Word and His promises. Titus 2:13, "…while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ."

The Second Coming is also important because it will come at the time when the world is most in need of a righteous King. Revelation chapters 6-18 describe the end times prior to the Second Coming of Christ. The world will be in a terrible situation with great and ever increasing evil ruling over it. The Second Coming of Christ puts all this to an end. Revelation 19:15-16 says, "Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. 'He will rule them with an iron scepter.' He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (5)."

When the Lord Jesus comes, the curse, which was pronounced upon creation, will be removed. Romans 8:18-25 says, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

21 Questions for Chapter One

1- What is the Second Coming of Christ?

2- Why is there going to be a Second Coming?

3- Does anyone confirm Jesus’ teachings on the Second Coming? If so where.

4- What will Jesus do at the Second Coming?

5- What is important about Jesus calling Himself the “Son of man?”

6- When will the Second Coming occur?

7- What is prophecy?

8- Why do we study prophecy?

9- Why is the Second Coming important?

10- What will the Second Coming be like for believers ultimately?

22 Footnotes for Chapter One

1- Michael Houdmann. Got Questions. http://www.gotquestions.org/second-coming- Jesus-Christ.html

2- Shorter Catechism

3- http://www.allaboutgod.com/the-second-coming.htm

4- RC Sproul. The Last Days According to Jesus. p.35.

5- http://www.allaboutgod.com/the-second-coming.htm

23 Chapter Two Prophecy and Evangelism

"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations: and then shall the end come." Matthew 24:14.

At this dread moment, look! The clouds have burst asunder; the heavens appear; the great white throne is in sight! Amazement fills the Universe with awe! He comes! - He comes! - Behold the Savior comes! Lift up your heads, ye saints! He comes! He comes! He comes! William Miller

What is Prophecy?

Prophecy is the disclosing of information that is not known to the prophet (the person giving the prophecy) by any ordinary means (1). In religion, this is thought to be a divinely inspired revelation or interpretation. Though many ancient peoples had their prophets, the term has received its popular acceptation from Israel alone, because, taken as a class; the Hebrew prophets have been without parallel in human history in their work and influence (2). Prophecy, understood in its strict sense, means “the foreknowledge of future events, though it may sometimes apply to past events of which there is no memory, and to present hidden things which cannot be known by the natural light of reason (3).” In this book we will be studying prophecy in terms of its futuristic dimension. That is, we will look at events that the prophets of Scripture foretold that have to do with the events of the Second Coming of Christ.

Why Should We Study Prophecy?

Every Christian who trusts in God believes that God controls his future. He believes that God has interpreted the future; he believes that the future will come to pass as God has planned it. Prophecy illustrates this point (4).

In these days, when people are searching for meaning and truth, for purpose and hope, the best source for guidance is the Holy Scriptures. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul writes that all of God's Word is "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." That includes God's prophetic Word. God intends that we understand the contents of the prophetic Word and that it will have a bearing upon the practical decisions we Christians make. Christians today know that we must hear the Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, in order to be about our calling. To put it simply, we study the Bible, including prophecy, because we want and need to know what God is calling us to do.

Prophecy is also a wonderful validation of Scripture. 2 Peter 1:19 says “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to 24 it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” Fulfilled prophecy is one of the best evidences that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. The Bible contains hundreds of fulfilled secular prophecies pertaining to cities, nations, empires, and individuals. No other book in the entire world has a record like this. The literal fulfillment of its prophecies demonstrates that the Bible is accurate.

Prophecy offers confident hope in a hopeless age. The world is drowning in discouragement and uncertainty. Whether people are talking about the economy, politics, the Middle East, crime, drugs, or even the weather, most people feel as though they have lost control of their destiny. Many Christians live in fear of all the events happening in our world today as they concentrate exclusively on the signs of the last days. We need not be frightened by events shaping up in our world if we know Jesus as Savior and know His promises contained in the Bible.

God has given us glimpses of the future to remind us that He is in control. Evil might flourish for now but we can know that Satan and his demons will be thrown into the lake of fire at the end, the church might be apostate now but in the end the true and faithful church will be taken to heaven and will rule with Christ for all eternity. We do not need to be overly alarmed or discouraged. Rather, we can have joy because we can know the outcome. A proper understanding of prophecy arms the believer against false prophets. Those who study biblical prophecy will have less difficulty distinguishing balanced from unbalanced teaching than will those who do not search the Scriptures.

Prophecy reveals our Lord as He really is. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (Revelation 19:10) There is no reason for prophecy to divert anyone's attention away from Jesus. In fact, it should serve to emphasize the centrality of Jesus. Biblical prophecies about Jesus Christ begin in Genesis with the Garden of Eden and climax in the last book of the Bible, with its theme "The Revelation of Jesus Christ." The Bible contains more than 300 prophecies about the first coming of Jesus, all of which were literally fulfilled. Every aspect of the life of Jesus was prophesied - the place of His birth, the nature of His birth, the quality of His ministry, the purpose of His life, and the agony of His death. The literal fulfillment of so many prophecies in the life of one individual transcends any mere coincidence and serves to validate that Jesus was who He said He was - the divine Son of God.

Using the science of probability, we find that the chances of just forty-eight of the 300 prophecies mentioned above being fulfilled in one person to be only one in ten raised to the 157th power (5)! The task of matching these prophecies with one man is further complicated by the fact that all the prophecies of the Messiah were made at least 400 years before he was to appear. Some might disagree and say that these prophecies were written down after the time of Christ and fabricated to coincide with his life. This might sound feasible until you realize that the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, was translated around 150-200 B.C. This Greek translation shows that there was at least a two hundred-year gap between the prophecies being recorded and

25 their fulfillment in Christ. Jesus Himself appealed to fulfilled prophecy to substantiate his claims, and only His credentials back up those claims.

The study of prophecy tends to purify the believer. Its practical relevance is attested to in that all the NT writers testify to the fact that the study of prophecy will motivate holy living. And what could be more practical than that? It is easier to resist temptation when you know what your actions will ultimately bring. By describing both the destruction of earth and the glories of heaven, God motivates us to "lay up treasures in heaven” rather than live for earthly pleasures (6).

Evangelism

The study of prophecy promotes an evangelistic church. Prophecy can be used as a very effective tool of evangelism, as illustrated in the story of Philip and the Eunuch (Acts 8:26ff). Philip used Isaiah's great suffering lamb passage (Isaiah 53) to teach that Jesus is the lamb who was slain for the sins of the world. Matthew and Peter both used fulfilled prophecy in the life of Jesus as one of their basic evangelistic tools (2 Peter 1:16- 19).

In 1831 a farmer and Baptist lay preacher named William Miller believed that he had discovered the year in which the Lord would return in His Second Coming. He believed that Jesus would return in 1843 and he was really upset about this. He believed that because he knew the date of the end of time, when people could no longer be saved, that it was his duty as a Christian to leave his farm and spend full time trying to get as many people to receive Christ as their Savior as he possibly could.

For 10 years he preached this message and by the time 1843 came over 50,000 new converts to Christianity had been made through New England, the South and Mid- America. 1843 came and went and the Lord did not return, but the majority of these converts continued on in their faith and returned to their local churches. They were desperately disappointed its true, but their faith was in Jesus Christ and so they remained in Him even after the movement was over.

Because they remained faithful after their predicted date of Christ’s return passed, the members of this movement banded together in churches that would continue to preach the Second Coming of Jesus. They had learned the error of setting dates, but they were committed to the belief that the Second Coming would happen and that we needed to be ready and we needed to help others come to saving faith. Eventually these independent churches banded together into several different denominations that today are still proclaiming the Second Coming and are intensely focused on evangelism, missions and outreach. Over a hundred and sixty years after Miller, these churches are still driven to evangelism by prophecies that reveal the Second Coming of the Lord.

The setting of the date had been the impetus that caused Miller and his peers to proclaim the Gospel with great fervor, intensity and urgency, yet it was the Gospel of saving faith in Christ alone that they faithfully preached. They did not preach that you 26 must believe the date; rather they preached that you must come to know Christ personally.

I use this example from history to illustrate the relationship between Prophecy and Evangelism. Prophecy is the impetus that drives us to preach the Gospel fervently, with intensity and with urgency. It is important to state once again that while the Lord uses prophecy in our spiritual growth He has not called us to spend our time studying Prophecy. Rather, He has called us to be actively sharing the Gospel with the lost. In the church today I believe we have switched our priorities. In today’s world the church is infatuated with the study of Prophecy and the signs of Christ’s second coming but we are not seeing a large movement to increase our evangelistic ministries and outreaches. Jesus did tell us to be ready for His second coming and so there is a place for the study of Prophecy. The meaning of being ready, however, is to know Christ as our Savior and to be telling others about saving faith in Christ alone.

As I said in chapter one, it is important for us not to lose sight of the fact that even though we must be prepared for the second coming of Jesus, He is with us today, living in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reigning and ruling over us at the right hand of God the Father. We must not get so carried away looking for His return that we forget to live with Him and for Him today in obedience to His evangelistic command.

That's the connection between evangelism and prophecy. Both are part of God's plan for mankind. As time passes and we get closer to the second coming of the Lord, we as Christians must become increasingly active in the work Jesus gave for us to accomplish – taking the Gospel to the world.

The balanced teaching of prophecy is a vital part of evangelism. As we see things getting close to the end, prophecy should make us want to redouble our efforts to support evangelism at all levels. Prophecy is only useful to the church and to God’s people in as much as it encourages, excites, and drives us to be actively sharing the Gospel with the lost. Again I say that the Great Commission from Jesus is not to study and teach prophecy, rather it is to take the good news of the unconditional love of Jesus Christ to the world that they might know Him as Savior and spend eternity in his glorious presence!

End-time prophecy contributes an overwhelming logic and urgency to the matter of conversion and evangelism. The prophecy of the second coming motivates people to engage in missionary work, but Christians must also use prophesy to convince people that their becoming born again is a matter of some urgency. Prophecy lends urgency to the Great Commission to preach the gospel to all nations, since the gospel of Matthew 24:14 states "and this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all peoples, and then shall the end come (7).”

27 What is Prophecy about?

Prophecy is the study of the events that the Bible states will take place in the future and in this case specifically, before the second coming. Many believe that these events have yet to happen and so before the Lord can return all these futuristic Scriptures must come to pass. Many believe that all of these events have happened already and we are waiting only for Christ to return. Many believe that many of these events have happened and others have yet to happen. In all cases Christians believe that prophecy is when the Scriptures tell the future and, in terms of the second coming, these prophecies have to do with the specific events that will take place before Jesus return to earth.

In Luke 21:28, the Lord Jesus said to His disciples, "and when you see these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws near." Before He spoke these words the Lord Jesus had given an outline of events that would precede His return. Thus He taught that there would be visible signs giving indications of His second coming. This again is clearly stated by the apostle Paul as the correct attitude of ‘watching and waiting’ for this great event: . . ."we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;" Titus 2:12,13.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:4, reference is made to the day of the Lord. There we are reminded that we are children of light, and should not be caught unawares by the coming of that day. The world may, and no doubt will be, taken unawares by the coming of the Lord; but no believer with an open Bible, and an open mind, should be so overtaken.

Watching and waiting is the attitude encouraged to be in the believer in relation to the coming of the Lord; the Scriptures abound with prophecy concerning the return of our Lord but we are exhorted to be prepared and watch and pray. Jesus says in Luke 21:36 “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." It is a blessed occupation and an exciting one for the believer to watch the unfolding of events, which point to His soon return; and to wait with patience for the appointed day.

The Lord goes on to tell us that we need to be prepared for His return and to be actively watching for it. In Mark 13:32-37 Jesus says: “But of that day and that hour knows no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take heed, watch and pray: for you know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch you therefore: for you know not when the master of the house will come, at evening, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.”

28 The Problem with Prophecy

There is a problem with prophecy though, which is that you cannot know for sure when it has been fulfilled without some kind of obvious verification. Prophecy is something you can know to be fulfilled by looking back in time, but not by looking to the future. What is more, prophetic events almost never take place in the way we expect them too.

How could the Jews people have missed the birth of the Messiah when it fulfilled all the very specific Old Testament prophecies concerning Him? How could they miss who He was through His ministry and even through His death and resurrection? Everything Jesus did fulfilled the law and the prophets. How could they miss it? They missed it because the Jews of Jesus day had interpreted all the Messianic prophesies in light of deliverance from the Romans. They had made the Scriptures fit the events of their own day and when Jesus came, they were looking for a military (or at least a militant) leader and so the nation missed Him.

Christians of every age have done the same thing. Christians have almost always believed, taught and preached that they were living in the last days and that all the prophetic events were being fulfilled before their very eyes. During the Reformation the Pope was branded as the anti-Christ (and still is today by many). In my grandparents day they were convinced that Hitler was the anti-Christ and that Jesus would come before they died. In my day bar codes and scanners were considered to be the mark of the beast and soon the anti-Christ would come. In today’s world people are saying that Osama Ben-Laden is the anti-Christ. And Christians are horrified at the chip that is being put into animals with all their information on it. Especially with all the talk of “chipping” children so they can’t be kidnapped and chipping all people to avoid carrying money, credit cards or ID that can be lost or stolen. These are all taken as signs of the anti-Christ and the end of time leading to the second coming of the Lord.

As we look back and realize that Jesus has not returned the second time yet we can say that the Pope and Hitler were not the anti-Christ. But Osama Ben-Laden might be. We won’t know until either time passes or Jesus actually returns. The point is that prophetic events almost never happen the way we think they will and we have to be careful not to make Scripture fit into the events of our own time.

The Last Days

Having said that however, I think it is spiritually healthy for us to believe that we are living in the last days of time. Whether are not they are the last days of time before the Lord returns these are the only days of our lives. Technically speaking the “last days” are all those days between the ascension of Jesus into heaven and His return to us from heaven. So there is a measure of truth to this belief for every generation.

This belief also helps us to be doing the work of the Lord. We need to be prepared to meet Jesus by knowing Him as our Savior. We need to be evangelizing the 29 lost. We need to be looking expectantly for His return and we need to be about His business here on earth while we are waiting for Him to come. Believing that we are living in the last days give us the urgency we need to be faithful in and about the work of the Master.

Understanding that we are living in the last days also gives us a sense of joyful expectancy and hope. We know this life on earth is not our end. We look forward to eternity and new life in the very presence of the Lord Jesus. The trials of life are very hard for all of us and it is a delight to know that this life is leading to something better. And life is happier and better when we can live with the expectation that the end of our suffering is near. Looking for that “blessed hope” brings light to the heart and peace to the soul. Jesus is not far away. He is in our hearts and in our lives and glory of all glories – we may see Him tomorrow. We live in two worlds – the already and the not yet. As my colleague Dr. Herb Samworth is wont to say, “The Christian is the true schizophrenic person because he literally lives in two worlds; this earth and the Kingdom of God.”

How are we to be living for Christ in the Last Days?

We are supposed to be sharing the Gospel of saving faith in Christ alone to the lost. "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:17-20). In Matthew 24:14, Jesus says that there will be a great work to promote the gospel of salvation around the world, and that when this was accomplished, then the end of this evil age would come, and ultimately, if you keep reading Matthew 24 through to verse 31, the second coming of Jesus himself. "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." (8)

These Scriptures quoted above are the basis of the very first commission Jesus gave to the disciples who had faithfully followed him, and by extension, all Christians from then on. This is the only major job assignment Jesus gave Christians to perform until he comes again. There are two parts to this assignment: 1) Preach, teach the gospel to all nations, and 2) obviously, to those who respond favorably, baptize them and teach them to observe all things, whatsoever Jesus had commanded them. The Matthew 28 passage was spoken in similar time sequence to Acts 1:8-9, where Jesus said this, "But ye shall receive the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Conclusion

Basically this is the only job assignment Jesus gave his disciples and by extension all Christians born of the Holy Spirit. That job entails preaching the gospel of salvation,

30 which is called in some places, the gospel of the kingdom--to teach the details of how to be a Christian or believer in Jesus (9).

We are supposed to be taking the Gospel to the whole world. Jesus, in Matthew 24:14, said to His disciples; "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

We are supposed to be receiving, giving, and teaching the grace of God to all men and showing them how to live in this glorious grace. Paul says in Acts 20:24, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.”

While we are receiving and sharing and teaching this grace we must also be living in the ways commanded by the Lord. In Titus 2:11-14 Paul says, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Part of looking for the blessed hope of the return of Jesus is living godly lives in this present age.

We have Paul’s own example of this dual purpose of life – living godly and proclaiming the grace of Christ. In the closing verses of the Acts of the Apostles we have what is probably the last view, on earth, of the apostle Paul. He was in bondage in Rome, but he was still permitted to preach. "And Paul dwelt in his own house, and received all that came unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him” Acts 28:30 (10).

31 Questions for Chapter Two

1- Why should we study prophecy?

2- What does prophecy promote?

3- How does prophecy promote evangelism?

4- Why is this important?

5- What is prophecy about?

6- What is the problem with prophecy?

7- Are we living in the last days?

8- How does it help us to believe that we are living in the last days?

9- How are we to be living for Christ in the Last Days?

10- What is our purpose as Christians?

32 Footnotes Chapter Two

1- Edward N. Zalta. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. plato.stanford.edu/entries/prophecy/

2-"Prophets and Prophecy." at JewishEncyclopedia.com

3- “Prophecy.” Catholic Encyclopedia. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12473a.htm

4- Cornelius Van Til. The Defense of the Faith. p. 20.

5- http://www.jeremiahproject.com/prophecy/proph2.html

6- Ibid.

7- Jean DeBernardi. "If the Lord Be Not Come...": The Brethren Movement in Singapore and Malaysia. (on-line).

8- Curtis Evans. http://www.unityinchrist.com/prophecies/replacementtheology.htm

9- Ibid.

10- James Slater. The Second Coming of Christ. pbministries.org/Eschatology/ slater/slater_01.

33 Chapter Three Eschatology

"Now, hark! The trumpet rends the skies; See slumbering millions wake and rise! What joy, what terror and surprise! The last Great Day has come! From "The Millennial Harp," published by Joshua V. Himes, 1843.

What is Eschatology?

Eschatology is the study of what the Bible says is going to happen in the end times. Many treat Eschatology as an area of theology to be avoided. Of course, Eschatology is not as crucial as Christology (the study of Christ) or Soteriology (the study of salvation). That does not mean, though, that it is unimportant to a Biblical worldview. How we understand Eschatology has an impact on how we should live our lives and what we are to expect to occur in God's plan.

Eschatology is the study of the end of history from a religious perspective. Probably more obscure theological studies have been written on this topic than on any other doctrine in Christendom! The Scriptures contain many prophecies about the future and they speak extensively about the return of Jesus Christ to this earth. However, Biblical passages predicting the future are frequently unclear and open to interpretation. Some of these conflicting beliefs break fellowship among Christians and churches. Many of these beliefs stifle our Christian living today as we immerse ourselves in end-times studies.

The study of eschatology in many denominations is one that has been seriously neglected, and very few substantive writings (from a Biblical perspective) are to be found about certain chapters of Revelation or Daniel. Unfortunately, in some Christian circles the subject is treated as if it were unimportant or even taboo. Curiously, some consider these Scriptures dangerous, or at best a non-issue. While caution may be somewhat understandable (considering the wild and unscriptural prophesies proliferating Christian literature today) it is nonetheless a great disservice to God. For God did not incorporate eschatology into the Scriptures to be ignored, or cast aside as insignificant in our relationship with Him. False eschatology is not an excuse to shun eschatology, for true Christianity is the hope of communion with God. Eschatology is essential to sound Christian doctrine (1).

Christianity in its truest form rests upon the understanding that interpretations belong to God (Gen. 40:8, 41:16). Thus truth is discerned by the careful study of His Word in a Biblical and ordered manner. Wisdom is in approaching the Word of God in the right Spirit. Humility and open-mindedness (to Scripture) will only extend our understanding. These are essential elements to sound Biblical studies. God's Spirit bearing witness with our spirit is how we come to truth, for it is ultimately His Spirit, 34 who teaches 'through' His Word. No Scripture is of any private interpretation...and neither should be eschatology!

Having said this however, eschatology is a very important subject to study because it is the study of the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the events that will take place before we are to live with Him in the New Heavens and Earth. So in spite of the problems and abuses it is important for us to know about the Lord’s Second Coming. Our challenge will be to find the Scripture’s clear and truthful teachings on this subject and then live life in joyful anticipation of the day we see our Master face to face as we carry out His great commission to us in the real world of today.

What position we take on the millennial reign of Christ's kingdom is important to the Church. The reality is, whatever God has inspired to be written is revelation to us, and thus cannot ever be looked upon as a non-essential or as unimportant. Christians should have the mindset that all of God's word is essential and necessary for sound growth in living to the glory of God in this world.

Eschatology, or the Biblical study of God's plan of the last or final events of history, however, can be a very complex subject. It is still spiritually profitable though, and rewarding for us. The reason that this subject can "seem" rather confusing is due to the different Scriptures that may appear to strongly support one point of view or the other. And because these Scriptures are often used haphazardly (and even deceitfully), the time is not taken to harmonize them. Thus the end times are often viewed in a rather insular fashion, wherein parts of the Scriptures are in conflict with other parts. As a result, we have competing groups, unwisely building their eschatology upon their favorite passages, apart from the big picture of the entire Biblical record (2).

What is the Millennium?

A millennium (pl. millennia) is a period of time equal to one thousand years (from Latin mille, thousand, and annum, year). The term may implicitly refer to calendar millennia; periods tied numerically to a particular dating system, specifically ones that begin at the starting (initial reference) point of the calendar in question (typically the year 1) or in later years which are whole number multiples of a thousand years after it.

The term can also refer to an interval of time beginning on any date. Frequently it may have religious or theological implications. Especially in religious usage such an interval may be interpreted less precisely, not being, exactly, 1,000 years long (3).

Revelation 20:1-7 are the only verses in the Bible which speak of a thousand years at the end of time. It is interesting that the word millennium or any of its derivatives is not used in the Scriptures at all. However that is what “a thousand years” means so we use the word in our discussions.

This pivotal chapter 20 is one that all four eschatological positions have to deal with and explain in order to make their views work with the rest of Scripture concerning 35 the last days. These verses are: 1And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3He 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. 4I 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. 5(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed 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. 7When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore.

Four Views of Eschatology

The four major positions of the eschatology of Christ's reign are called, Amillennialism, Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, and Praeterism (Preterism), and are mutually exclusive of each other. Therefore at best only one of these eschatological positions can be the truth of Scripture.

True understanding comes through the diligent study of God's word (2nd Timothy 2:15), through the Spirit, and is born of the faith of Christ. Nothing that God has planned and foretold in His word concerning the human race is insignificant to our sojourn on earth. Nor can it be without some planned spiritual bearing on our lives. God didn't inspire the doctrine of the second coming of Christ to be penned and incorporated into Scripture just to take up space. They are there because the Lord wants us to know about the things to come, and glean how they are intimately identified with both the things that have been, and the things that are. Thus, whatever is in God's word is basic, necessary, and even essential for living a good Christian life according to the will of God. The Bible is the blueprint, the guidebook, and the revelation of what God has given us to know of these things. So in order to have a truly accurate understanding of eschatology, we must search these inspired Scriptures, rather than the dogmas of men. Whatever prophecy is recorded "in" Scripture is the true eschatology that God inspired. While whatever prophecies are from "outside" of the Scriptures, are of personal interpretations, and thus eschatology of private interpretation, supposition and speculation. As Genesis 40:8 says, the "Do not interpretations belong to God? -" ...indeed they do (4)!

We should understand that in all the different views of eschatology, it is not simply a matter of opinion about chronology; it's a matter of a different theory of interpretation. These positions differ not only in their methods, but also in the way they understand biblical history and its examples. So in coming to an understanding of what 36 each eschatological doctrine teaches, we come to better understand the very structure, purpose, and nature of the Kingdom of Christ, and His/our reigning within.

It is clear that each of the millennial views has been held and at the present time is held by men concerning whose sincerity and loyalty to the evangelical faith there can be no doubt. That believing Christians through the ages, using the same Bible and acknowledging it to be authoritative, have arrived at quite different conclusions appears to be due primarily to different methods of interpretation. Premillennialists place strong emphasis on literal interpretation and pride themselves on taking Scripture just as it is written. Post- and Amillennialists on the other hand, mindful of the fact that much of both the Old and New Testament unquestionably is given in figurative or symbolical language, have no objection on principle against figurative interpretation and readily accept that, if the evidence indicates that it is preferable. This causes Premillennialists to charge that Post- and Amillennialists explain away or reject parts of the Bible. However, we find no labels in the Scripture itself telling us, 'Take this literally,' or 'Take that figuratively.' The individual reader must use his own judgment, backed by as much experience and common sense as he can muster. And that, of course, will vary endlessly from individual to individual (5).

Prophetic and Apocalyptic Eschatology

In the Bible, two types of eschatology are apparent: prophetic and apocalyptic. Prophetic eschatology describes the people of God’s past experiences and traditions as it looks toward their future, in an attempt to give hope to the present people. Apocalyptic eschatology does quite the opposite, looking to the end times as a means of bringing about a new, different world that is beyond this one; apocalyptic eschatology has lost all hope in the people of God’s present times.

The Bible frequently makes use of apocalyptic eschatology, most notably in the Book of Revelation. Contrary to popular assumption, apocalyptic literature has very little to do with the actual end of existence; rather it aims to discuss the final purpose of creation. It does this through symbolic language, which uses familiar descriptions to explain eschatological truths. This language is not meant to be taken literally. An example of symbolic language in the book of Revelation is when it talks about a dragon and a beast coming out of the sea and another coming out of the land. These are obviously figurative descriptions and not to be interpreted literally. The end times will not be characterized by demonic animals, but rather by satan and his demons in various forms (6).

Ethnic Eschatologies

Uncivilized societies

Among primitive or “uncivilized” cultures the universality of religious beliefs, has always included belief in some kind of existence after death. These views are directly tied to the people’s views of God and morality. Some limit existence after death to the 37 good (with extinction for the wicked), or to men of rank, while others seem to hold the possibility of a second death, in the other world or on the way to it.

The next world itself is variously located -- on the earth, in the skies, in the sun or moon -- but most commonly under the earth. In most of these religions there is no very high or definite doctrine of moral retribution after death – in other words no judgment or hell (7).

Babylonian and Assyrian

In the ancient Babylonian religion, with which the Assyrian is substantially identical, eschatology never attained, in the historical period, any high degree of development. Heaven and hell occur in our lives on earth, yet the existence of a hereafter is believed in. There is no clear indication of a doctrine of moral penalties for the wicked, and no promise of rewards for the good. On the whole there is nothing hopeful or satisfying in the eschatology of this ancient religion (8).

Egyptian

The Egyptian religion has a highly developed and comparatively elevated eschatology. Those who die live in an afterlife in a spirit form and the good live in a personal relationship with god, in this case Osiris. There is a judgment of the dead but the new life that begins after a favorable judgment is not at first any better or more spiritual than life on earth. The justified is still a wayfarer with a long and difficult journey to accomplish before he reaches bliss and security.

Regarding the condition of those who fail in the judgment after death, or succumb in the second probation, Egyptian eschatology is less definite in its teaching. There is heaven and hell and there are degrees in the happiness of the blessed, and so also in the punishment of the lost (9).

Greek eschatology as reflected in the Homeric poems remains at a low level. It is only very vaguely retributive and is altogether cheerless in its outlook. Life on earth, for all its shortcomings, is the highest good for men, and death the worst of evils. Yet death is not extinction. The psyche survives - not the purely spiritual soul of later Greek and Christian thought, but an attenuated, semi-material ghost, or shade, or image, of the earthly man; and the life of this shade in the underworld is a dull, impoverished, almost functionless existence. Nor is there any distinction of fates either by way of happiness or of misery in Hades. The judicial office of Minos is illusory and has nothing to do with earthly conduct; and there is only one allusion to the Furies suggestive of their activity among the dead (10). Tartarus, the lower hell, is reserved for a few special rebels against the gods, and the Elysian Fields for a few special favorites chosen by divine caprice.

38 Jewish Eschatology

In Judaism, “End” times are usually called “The End of Days” (aharit ha-yamim, a phrase that appears several times in the Tanakh, the Jewish Bible. Though ,(אחרית הימים the idea of messianic tribulations has a prominent place in Jewish thought, it is not an immutable process that stands alone, but is rather found alongside an image of redemption without suffering. The two images are sometimes seen as two different possible futures for Israel.

The End of Days in Jewish eschatology encompasses a number of interwoven themes: Jewish messianism, the ingathering of the exiles, rebuilding of the Temple, animal sacrifice or Korban, the World to Come (Olam ha-Ba), an ambiguous term that may refer to the afterlife, the messianic world, or the life of the resurrected (11).

Since the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70, religious Jews have prayed that God will allow for the building of a Third Temple. This prayer has been a formal part of the traditional thrice daily Jewish prayer services. Though it remains unbuilt, the notion of and desire for a Third Temple is sacred in Judaism, particularly Orthodox Judaism, as an unrealized place of worship. The prophets in the Tanakh called for its construction, to be fulfilled in the Messianic era (12).

Orthodox Judaism believes in the rebuilding of a Third Temple and the resumption of sacrificial worship, although there is disagreement about how rebuilding should take place or exactly what kind of worship will occur. Orthodox authorities generally believe that rebuilding should occur in the era of the Jewish Messiah at the hand of Divine Providence (13).

Conservative Judaism believes in a Messiah and in a rebuilt Temple, but does not believe in the restoration of sacrifices. Accordingly, Conservative Judaism's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards has modified the prayers. Conservative prayerbooks call for the restoration of Temple, but do not ask for resumption of sacrifices.

Reform Judaism and Reconstructionist Judaism do not believe in the rebuilding of a Temple or a restoration of Temple sacrifices or worship. They regard the Temple and sacrificial era as a period of a more primitive form of ritual which Judaism (in their view) has evolved out of and should not return to. They also believe a special role for Kohanim (High priest) and Levites represents a caste system incompatible with modern principles of egalitarianism, and do not preserve these roles. Furthermore, there is a Reform attitude that the shul or synagogue is a modern Temple; hence, "Temple" appears in numerous congregation names in Reform Judaism.

The Talmud states that this world as we know it will only exist for six thousand years. The Hebrew calendar (luach) functions completely on the assumption that time begins at the creation of Adam, the primordial man. Many people think that the years of the Torah are symbolic. According to the ancient Jewish teachings continued by today's Orthodox Jews, the years are literal and consistent throughout all time, with 24 hours per 39 day and an average of 365 days per year. Appropriate calibrations are, of course, done with leap years, to account for the difference between the lunar calendar and the solar calendar, since the Jewish calendar is based on both. Thus the year 2008 equals 5768 years since creation of man on the present Jewish calendar. According to this calculation, the end of days will occur at or before the year 2240 (the year 6000 in the Hebrew calendar) (14). In other writings, one of the sages of the Talmud says:"Let the end of days come, but may I not live to see them", because they will be filled with so much conflict and suffering."

According to Jewish tradition, those Jews living during the end times are going to see the: Ingathering of the scattered Jewish exiles to geographic Israel, Defeat of all of Israel's enemies, Building (or divine placement) of the third Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Resumption of the sacrificial offerings and Temple service, Revival of the Dead (techiat hameitim), or the Resurrection,

At some point, the Jewish Messiah will become the anointed King of Israel. He will divide the Jews in Israel into their original tribal portions in the land. During this time, Gog, King of Magog (Ezekiel 39), will attack Israel. Magog will fight a great battle, in which many will die on both sides, but God will intervene and save the Jews. This is the battle referred to as Armageddon. God, having vanquished this final enemy once and for all, will accordingly banish all evil from human existence.

After the year 6000 (in the Jewish calendar), the seventh millennium will be an era of holiness, tranquility, spiritual life, and worldwide peace, called the Olam Haba ("Future World"), where all people will know God directly. "All Israel has a portion in the world to come" (15). The Ramban (Nachmanades) interprets the world to come as the ultimate good and purpose of creation. He therefore holds that the world to come actually refers to the resurrection of the dead. An event that will occur after the messianic age has already begun. The Ramban holds that all Israel, even the sinners, have a portion in this epoch of resurrection. (The Tzemach Tzedek, Derech Mitzvosecha, Law of Tzitzis).

Christianity

Some Christians in the first century AD believed that Jesus might return during their lifetime, because Jesus had said to his followers to be alert or be ready at all times. From this belief came the first evidence of the Doctrine of Imminence. When the converts of Paul in Thessalonica were persecuted by the Roman Empire, they believed the end was upon them (II Thessalonians 2). This belief had largely dissipated by around AD 90, when Christians said, "We have heard these things (of the end of the world) even in the days of our fathers, and look, we have grown old and none of them has happened to us (16).”

40 Catholicism

Catholicism mainly adheres to the Amillennial school of thought, promoted by Augustine of Hippo in his work "The City of God", however, they do not generally use the term. Augustine claims a non-literal fulfillment of prophecy. Catholics may also refer to Matthew 24:36, in which Christ is quoted as saying: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." While some who believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible insist that the prediction of dates or times is futile, some other writers believe that Jesus foretold of signs which would indicate that the "end of days" was near. Some of these signs include earthquakes, natural disasters, civil problems, 'wars and rumors of wars', and other catastrophes. Of the precise time, however, it will come like a "thief in the night."

Catholics anticipate Jesus coming to earth and gathering the Church together. They believe in the resurrection, the judgment, heaven and hell and the creation of the new heavens and the new earth at the end of time (17). According to Catholic Answers, "The Church has rejected the premillennial position, sometimes called 'millenarianism' (see the Catechism of the Catholic Church 676). In the 1940s the Holy Office judged that Premillennialism 'cannot safely be taught,' though the Church has not dogmatically defined this issue" (18).

Protestant

End-times beliefs in Protestant Christianity vary widely. In addition there are many components to the protestant views of the end times. Premillennialists, who believe that the End Times are occurring now, are usually specific about timelines that climax in the end of the world. For some, Israel, the European Union, or the United Nations are seen as major players whose roles are foretold in Scriptures. Among dispensational premillennialists’ writers, there are those who believe that Christians will be supernaturally summoned to heaven by Jesus in an event called the “Rapture”, which occurs before the Biblical "Great Tribulation" prophesied in Matthew 24-25; Mark 13 and Luke 21. The Great Tribulation is also mentioned in the last book of the Bible - the book of Revelation.

Amillennialists believe that the end times encompass the time from Christ's ascension to the Last day, and maintain that the mention of the "thousand years" in the Book of Revelation is meant to be taken metaphorically (i.e., not literally, but 'spiritually'). End times may also refer simply to the passing of a particular age or long period in the relationship between man and God.

Most fundamentalist Christians anticipate that biblical prophecy will be fulfilled literally. They see current world and regional wars, earthquakes, hurricanes and famines as the beginning of the birth pains which Jesus described in Matthew 24:7-8 and Mark 13:8. They believe that mankind started in the Garden of Eden, and point to Megiddo as the place that the current world system will finish, with the Advent of Messiah coming to rule for 1,000 years. 41 Contemporary use of the term End Times has evolved from use around a group of literal beliefs in Christian millennialism. These beliefs typically include the ideas that the Biblical apocalypse is imminent and that various signs in current events are omens of a climax to world history known as the battle of Armageddon.

Another Protestant view of the 'end times' is known as Preterism. This view differentiates between the concept of 'end times' and 'end of time', and promotes a different understanding of these prophecies, in that the Preterist believes these events took place in the first century, more specifically in year AD 70, when the Jewish Temple was destroyed, and animal sacrifices were stopped. In this view, the 'end times' concept is referring to the end of the covenant between God and Israel, rather than the end of time, or the end of planet Earth. Unlike all the other Christian theological systems, Preterism holds an exclusive and unique view on the nature and timing of the 'End Times', in that Preterists teach the 'end times' to be in the first century AD (19).

The Millennium

The crux of all eschatological positions is the millennium. Will the Lord’s second coming take place before the millennium, after the millennium or during the millennium? For Preterist the millennium has already happened. Then in each view of the millennium there is the discussion of what will be the order of end time events? The arrangement of these events, their chronology, their description and timing all determine which view of eschatology a person holds to. We will be discussing the various views in the following chapters.

Conclusion

Biblical passages predicting the future are ambiguous. The events themselves are open to many interpretations. There is no clear indication of either their timing or sequence. This leaves the passages open to many conflicting beliefs about the end times. A lot of intra-denominational and inter-denominational strife has resulted from disagreements about end time prophecy. Let’s look at the main millennial views now and see why their differences can cause so much interest, excitement and turmoil in the church.

42 Questions for Chapter Three

1- What is Eschatology?

2- Why should we study eschatology when there is so much controversy and division over the various positions?

3- What are the four main views of eschatology?

4- Can these views be combined or made compatible with each other?

5- How do the four views interpret Scripture?

6- What two kinds of prophecy are there? What is the difference between them?

7- What did the Jews believe about the last days?

8- Who influenced the Catholic Church and what do they believe about the last days?

9- What is the crux of all millennial arguments?

10- Why isn’t this doctrine more clear to us?

43 Footnotes for Chapter Three

1- Reformed Christian Eschatology. www.mountainretreatorg.net/eschatology.html

2- www.mountainretreatorg.net/eschatology/amillennial.shtml

3- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium

4- Ibid. mountainretreatorg.net

5- Loraine Boettner. The Millennium. graceonlinelibrary.org/articles/full.asp?id=9|69|858

6- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eschatology

7- New Advent Encyclopedia. Eschatology. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05528b.htm

8- Ibid.

9- Book of the Dead, tr. Budge, London, 1901.

10- Iliad XIX, 258-60.

11- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_times

12- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Temple

13- Susan Grossman, Mikvah and the Sanctity of Being Created Human, Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, Rabbinical Assembly, December 6, 2006

14- The Talmud. Tractate Avodah Zarah, p. 9A.

15- Talmud Sanhedrin 10:1.

16- Ibid. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_times

17- New Advent. Catholic Encyclopedia. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05528b.htm

18- Religious Tolerance. Eschatology, End Times and Millennialism. http://www.religioustolerance.org/millenni.htm

19- Ibid. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_times

44 Chapter Four Premillennialism

"I am bound for the kingdom, Will you go to glory with me? Hallelujah, O Hallelujah! I am bound for the kingdom, Will you go to glory with me? Hallelujah, O Praise the Lord!" Old camp-meeting hymn, 1843

Origin of the Term

Historically Christian premillennialism has also been referred to as "chiliasm" or "millenarianism". The theological term "premillennialism" did not come into general use until the mid-nineteenth century, the modern period in which premillennialism was revived. Coining the word was "almost entirely the work of British and American Protestants and was prompted by their belief that the French and American Revolution (the French, especially) realized prophecies made in the books of Daniel and Revelation (1).”

The Teachings of Pre-Millennialism

Premillennialism in Christian eschatology is the belief that Christ will literally reign on the earth for 1,000 years at his second coming. The doctrine is called premillennialism because it views the current age as prior to Christ’s kingdom. It is distinct from the other forms of Christian eschatology such as amillennialism or postmillennialism, which view the millennial rule as either figurative or non-temporal, or as occurring prior to the second coming. Premillennialism is largely based upon a literal interpretation of Revelation 20:1-6 in the New Testament which describes Christ’s coming to the earth and subsequent reign at the end of an apocalyptic period of tribulation. It views this future age as a time of fulfillment for the prophetic hope of God’s people as given in the Old Testament (2).

The term “Premillennialist” identifies Christians who believe that the thousand year reign spoken of in Revelation chapter 20 is earthly or physical in nature. It is where Christ literally returns to earth as potentate, to set up a temporary kingdom where the saints will rule with him. Pre-millennial literally means before millennium, or before the thousand years. This doctrine teaches that sometime in the future Christ will return, but will not execute the last judgment at once. He will begin a literal one thousand-year reign upon a literal throne in the Middle East. In this eschatology Christ will reign and govern from physical Jerusalem, and peace will rule on earth from the nation of Israel. Generally, Premillennialists believe in two separate and unequal programs. A national or racial (rather than individual) salvation plan for the Jewish people, and another separate plan for everyone else (any non-Jew or Gentile). They hold that future redeemed Israel will be the center of government and the spreading of the gospel to the nations of the world. In this, they generally reject the contention that Christ has already come to redeem and deliver Israel, and that He is already presently the center of rule and Government. 45 There are different forms of Premillennialism (Dispensationalism, Historical, etc.), but in general, they do not believe that many Old Testament Scriptures, which were fulfilled, are "completely" fulfilled. They take the position that fulfillment in Israel (if any) is incomplete, and the pertinent Scriptures dealing with this have yet a further future "literal/physical" fulfillment, e.g., some Premillennialists look for Elijah to literally/physically come back to prepare the way for Christ's rule; because they don't believe that John the Baptist "completely" fulfilled that prophesy.

Classic Premillennialists, following some of the early Church Fathers, teach that the return of Christ will precede a thousand years of peace in which Christ would reign upon the earth. John Frame states in his book Machen’s Warrior Children that Dispensational Premillennialists hold that Christ’s return will be in two stages: 1) secretly to rapture his saints, leaving all others behind, and 2) publicly, after seven years of tribulation, to institute his visible millennial reign. They also teach that during the millennium God will literally fulfill his promises to Israel, promises not given to Gentile believers (3).

Historical Premillennialism

This belief was held by a large percentage of Christians "during the first three centuries of the Christian era, and is found in the works of Papias, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Hippolytus, Methodius, Commodianus, and Lactanitus according to Lonnie York in the History of Premillennialism (4).” The Antichrist first appears on earth and the seven year Tribulation begins. Next comes the Rapture. Christ and his Church return to earth to rule for a Millennium. The forces of evil will be conquered. The faithful will live during this thousand years of peace in Jerusalem, while occupying spiritual bodies. After this period, all people are judged. The faithful will spend eternity on a new earth, (not in heaven). After Christianity became the official religion of Rome in the fourth century AD, this was declared a heresy and suppressed.

Historic or Classic Premillennialism is distinctively non-dispensational. This means that it sees no theological distinction between Israel and the church. It is often post tribulational meaning that the rapture of the church will occur after a period of tribulation. Historic premillennialism maintains chiliasm because of its view that the church will be caught up to meet Christ in the air and then escort him to the earth in order to share in his literal thousand year rule (5). Philip Schaff in his History of the Christian Church states that proponents of the view include Charles Spurgeon and George Eldon Ladd. Among the Apostolic Fathers Barnabas is the first and the only one who expressly teaches a pre-millennial reign of Christ on earth (6).

Dispensational Premillennialism

Herbert Bateman in Dispensationalism Tomorrow states that Dispensational Premillennialism generally holds that Israel and the Church are separate. It also widely holds to the pretribulational return of Christ, which believes that Jesus will return before a seven year tribulation followed by an additional return of Christ with his saints (7). 46 Dispensationalism traces its roots to the 1830s and John Nelson Darby (1800- 1882), a Calvinist theologian and a founder of the Plymouth Brethren. In the US, the dispensational form of premillennialism was propagated on the popular level largely through the Scofield Reference Bible and on the academic level with Lewis Sperry Chafer’s eight volume Systematic Theology. More recently dispensationalism has been popularized through Hal Lindsey's 1970s bestseller, The Late, Great Planet Earth and through the Left Behind Series by Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins according to Blaising and Bock in Progressive Dispensationalism (8).

Dispensationalism was declared a heresy in ancient times, but was reintroduced around 1830. Most people credit John N. Darby with its resurrection. He was a minister of the Church of Ireland, a denomination in the Anglican communion, and the founder of the Plymouth Brethren. However, author Dave MacPherson in The Rapture Plot, claims that British Pastor Edward Irving was the actual person responsible, and that a conspiracy was organized to give Darby the credit (9). Premillennialism received general acceptance by most Fundamentalists and other Evangelical Christians after the publishing of the Scofield Reference Bible in 1909.

As in Historic Premillennialism, the Tribulation is believed to precede the second coming of Christ, and the subsequent establishment of the millennial kingdom -- a thousand-year golden age on Earth. The Final Judgment follows the millennium. But, theologians are divided over the timing of the Rapture. Many Premillennialists search world events and signs in the heavens for some indication of the Tribulation, which they anticipate will arrive at any time according to Lonnie York (10).

Interestingly, all of the theories that have been proposed about the timing of the Rapture appear to contradict some passages in the Bible. Current beliefs include:

Pre-Tribulation Rapture: (or "pre-trib") The Rapture happens just before the Tribulation, so that believers will not have to experience any of its disruption and pain. The main difficulties with pre-trib are contained in the Olivet Prophecy of Jesus. In Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, Jesus describes the terrible destruction and loss of life of the tribulation period. The disaster is believed to be so intense that no human (Christian or non-Christian alike) would remain alive, except that God shortens the duration of the disaster for the sake of the believers. Jesus then continues by describing his return towards earth immediately after the terrible devastation. From this passage, it is obvious that the rapture will follow the Tribulation. The supporters of the "pre-trib" position suggest that Jesus will have a total of three comings: the first during the first century AD; the second at the start of the tribulation, and a third at the end of the tribulation according to Todd Strandberg on the Rapture Ready web site (11).

Post-tribulation Rapture: (or "post-trib") The faithful experience the full horrors of the entire Tribulation and are resurrected and raptured only at the end of the 7 years according to Michael Martin in the The New American Commentary, on 1,2 Thessalonians (12). The main problem with this theory is that there are many Bible 47 passages which state that Christ's return will be at a time that cannot be predicted. But the Tribulation period starts with the arrival of the Antichrist and an interval of peace. Precisely 42 months later, a sudden shift occurs, a peace treaty is broken, and devastation begins. These would be well defined dates that would allow an accurate prediction of the end of the Tribulation. There are other weaknesses to this theory as well (see The Bible Prophecy and the Rapture Report at http://www.serve.com/).

Mid-Tribulation Rapture: (or "mid-trib") The Rapture happens 42 months into the Tribulation. Up to that time, the Antichrist brings peace to the world. After 42 months, events take a sudden turn for the worse. Some supporters of the "mid-trib" position suggest that there will be many mini-raptures (13). The supporters of the "post-trib" position also suggest that Jesus will have a total of three comings: the first during the first century AD; the second at the start of the tribulation, and a third at the end of the tribulation (14).

Pre-wrath Rapture: This is a new theory, promoted by Marvin Rosenthal, former director of Friends of Israel, and others. In The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church: Is It Biblical?, Rosenthal says that the prewrath view is that the tribulation of the church begins towards the latter part of the seven-year period, being Daniel's 70th week, when the Antichrist is revealed in the temple. The great Tribulation, according to this view, is of the Antichrist against the church at this time. The duration of this tribulation is unknown, except that it begins and ends during the second half of Daniel's 70th week. This view believes that, according to Jesus (in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21), this tribulation will be cut short by the second coming of Christ to deliver the righteous by means of rapture, which will occur after the sixth seal is opened and the moon is turned to blood. All these events occur just before God's wrath of trumpets and bowls (a.k.a. "the Day of the Lord") begins, hence the term prewrath. The Day of the Lord's wrath against the ungodly will follow for the remainder of the seven years (15). Partial Rapture: This theory teaches that the faithful born-again believers are raptured just before the Tribulation. Newly born again believers are raptured during or at the end of the Tribulation according to Watchman Nee in his article Rapture. http://www3.telus.net/trbrooks/Partial_rapture.htm (16).

The latter three theories contain some of the weaknesses of pre-trib and post-trib. However, all of the Premillennialist beliefs teach that the Tribulation is followed by 1000 years of peace when all live under the authority of Christ. Afterwards, in a brief, final battle, Satan is permanently conquered.

Dispensational Premillennialism contains an internal conflict. Its advocates generally believe "that the moral conditions of the world and the church are destined to get increasingly worse. When they get almost unbearably bad, the Lord Jesus will return in the clouds to 'rapture' the living saints up to heaven (17).” However, they tend to be very outspoken and active in their opposition to many behaviors that they consider to be extremely sinful: abortion access, equal rights for homosexuals, same-sex marriage, pre- marital sex, adultery, sex education in schools, access to physician assisted suicide, the 48 use of embryonic stem cells in healing, etc. By their opposition to these "hot" religiously controversial topics, they are delaying Jesus' return to earth, the rapture and the 1000 year millennium (see Appendix #2) (18).

History of Premillennialism

Jewish Antecedents to Christian Premillennialism

The concept of a temporary earthly messianic kingdom at the Messiah's coming was not an invention of Christianity. Instead it was a theological interpretation developed within the apocalyptic literature of early Judaism. According to M. Simonetti “Behind Millenarism was the Jewish belief in the future Messianic kingdom understood as political and material rule, and in fact Millenarism spread initially in the Asiatic world, where Christianity was strongly influenced by Judaism and took on a distinctly materialistic coloring (19).”

Additionally in volume 2 of Philip Schaff’s History of the Christian Church he writes against the legitimacy of premillennialism by referring to its Jewish background. “The Jewish chiliasm rested on a carnal misapprehension of the Messianic kingdom, a literal interpretation of prophetic figures, and an overestimate of the importance of the Jewish people and the holy city as the centre of that kingdom. It was developed shortly before and after Christ in the apocalyptic literature, as the Book of Enoch, the Apocalypse of Baruch, 4th Esdras, the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, and the Sibylline Books. It was adopted by the heretical sect of the Ebionites, and the Gnostic Cerinthus (20).”

In intertestamental Judaism there was a basic distinction between the current age and the “age to come.” The “age to come” was commonly viewed as a nationalistic golden age in which the hopes of the prophets would become a reality for the nation of Israel (21). On the surface, the Old Testament prophets revealed an “age to come” which was monolithic. Seemingly the prophets did not write of a two-phase eschaton consisting of a temporary messianic age followed by an eternal state. However, that was the concept that some Jewish interpreters did derive from their Old Testament exegesis. Their conclusions are found in some of the literature and theology of early Judaism within the centuries both before and during the development of the New Testament. R. H. Charles in his commentary on Book of Revelation concluded that Jewish eschatology must have developed the concept of an earthly temporary messianic reign prior to the eternal state at the latest by the year 100 BC (22).

A Temporary Messianic Kingdom in 1 Enoch

The earliest instance in Jewish literature that teaches an earthly temporary messianic age prior to an eternal state began with “The Apocalypse of Weeks” contained in 1 Enoch 91-107. This work likely dates to the early second century BC (23) and shows a schematization of the divine history divided into ten ambiguous periods of time called “weeks.” In the apocalypse, weeks 1-7 (93:1-10) retell the biblical history from the 49 creation of humanity to the author’s time of writing (possibly during the Maccabean crisis). However, after the seventh "week", the temporary earthly messianic age begins and occurs for a period of three more “weeks” (93:12-15). After the temporary messianic kingdom, the creation of the new heavens and the new earth occurs (93:16).

A Temporary Messianic Kingdom in 4 Ezra

An additional piece of early Jewish literature which explicitly teaches a temporary messianic reign prior to the eternal state is the apocalyptic work 4 Ezra. 4 Ezra likely dates from soon after the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The apocryphal book was apparently an attempt to explain the difficulties associated with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple to the Jewish people (24). During one of the visions in the book, Ezra received a revelation from the angel Uriel. The angel explained that prior to the last judgment, the Messiah will come and establish a temporary kingdom lasting 400 years after which all of creation will be obliterated including the Messiah. (7:28) Seven days after this cataclysmic event, the resurrection and the judgment will occur followed by the eternal state (7:36).

Other Early Jewish Contributions

Supplementary early Jewish literature that refers to a temporary messianic kingdom prior to the eternal state may be found in 4 Ezra 12:34; 2 Baruch 24:1-4; 30:1- 5; 39:3-8; 40:1-4; Jubilees 1:4-29; 23:14-31; b. Sanh. 99a. The Jewish belief in an earthly temporary messianic age continued during and beyond the time of the writing of Book of Revelation (25). A sample of the rabbinical contributions to the concept are listed as follows:

AD 90 - Eleazar ben Hurcanus claimed that the messianic reign would last 100 years based on Psalm 90:15;

AD 100 - Eleazar ben Azariah claimed that the messianic reign would last 70 years based upon Isaiah 23:15;

AD 110 - Joseph ben Galilee claimed that the messianic reign would last 60 years based upon Psalm 72:5;

AD 150 - Eliezer ben Joseph of Galilee claimed that the messianic reign would last 400 years based upon Genesis 15:13 and Psalm 90:15;

Various rabbis around the close of the first century AD have claimed that the messianic reign would last 2000 years based upon 4 Ezra 7:28; Some contemplated that there may be no messianic reign at all (26).

In the Patristic Age

50 For the larger part, Christian eschatology through the second and third centuries was chiliastic. Many early Christian interpreters applied the earlier Jewish apocalyptic idea of a temporary Messianic kingdom to their interpretation of chapter 20 of John's apocalypse. Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian all made explicit references to the concept of a thousand year earthly kingdom at Christ’s coming according to Beale in his work on Revelation (27).

Among the Apostolic Fathers, Barnabas is the first and the only one who expressly teaches a pre-millennial reign of Christ on earth. He considers the Mosaic history of the creation a type of six ages of labor for the world, each lasting a thousand years, and of a millennium of rest, since with God ‘one day is as a thousand years.’ The millennial Sabbath on earth will be followed by an eighth and eternal day in a new world, of which the Lord’s Day (called by Barnabas ‘the eighth day’) is the type (28).

In the Second Century: Justin Martyr

Justin Martyr in the second century was one of the first Christian writers to clearly describe himself as continuing in the “Jewish” belief of a temporary messianic kingdom prior to the eternal state. According to Johannes Quasten, “In his eschatological ideas Justin shares the views of the Chiliasts concerning the millennium.” He maintains a premillennial distinctive, namely that there would be two resurrections, one of believers before Christ's reign and then a general resurrection afterwards. Justin wrote in chapter 80 of his work Dialogue with Trypho, “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 Jerusalem, which will then be built. . . . For Isaiah spoke in that manner concerning this period of a thousand years.” Though he conceded earlier in the same chapter that his view was not universal by saying that he “and many who belong to the pure and pious faith, and are true Christians, think otherwise (29).

St. Irenaeus (c. 130–202), an Early Christian Premillennialist.

Irenaeus, the late second century bishop of Lyon was an outspoken premillennialist. He is best known for his enormous tome written against the 2nd century Gnostic threat, commonly called Against Heresies. In the fifth book of Against Heresies, Irenaeus concentrates primarily on eschatology. In one passage he defends premillennialism by arguing that a future earthly kingdom is necessary because of God's promise to Abraham, he wrote “The promise remains steadfast . . . God promised him the inheritance of the land. Yet, Abraham did not receive it during all the time of his journey there. Accordingly, it must be that Abraham together with his seed (that is, those who fear God and believe in Him), will receive it at the resurrection of the just (30). In another place Irenaeus also explained that the blessing to Jacob “belongs unquestionably to the times of the kingdom when the righteous will bear rule, after their rising from the dead. It is also the time when the creation will bear fruit with an abundance of all kinds of food, having been renovated and set free. . . And all of the animals will feed on the vegetation of the earth. . . and they will be in perfect submission to man. And these things are borne 51 witness to in the fourth book of the writings of Papias, the hearer of John, and a companion of Polycarp.” (5.33.3).

Apparently Irenaeus also held to the sexta-septamillennial scheme writing that the end of human history will occur after the 6,000th year. (5.28.3. “For in as many days as this world was made, in so many thousand years shall it be concluded. And for this reason the Scripture says: 'Thus the heaven and the earth were finished, and all their adornment. And God brought to a conclusion upon the sixth day the works that He had made; and God rested upon the seventh day from all His works.' This is an account of the things formerly created, as also it is a prophecy of what is to come. For the day of the Lord is as a thousand years; and in six days created things were completed: it is evident, therefore, that they will come to an end at the sixth thousand year (31).” This belief claims that human history will continue for 6,000 years and then will enjoy a Sabbath of 1,000 years (the millennial kingdom), thus all of human history will have a total of 7,000 years prior to the new creation.

Other Pre-Nicean Premillennialists

Irenaeus and Justin represent two of the most apparent premillennialists of the pre-Nicean church. Other early premillennialists included Pseudo-Barnabas, Papias, Methodius, Lactantius, Commodianus, Theophilus, Melito, Hippolytus of Rome, Victorinus of Pettau and various Gnostics groups and the Montanists. Many of these theologians and others in the early church expressed their belief in premillennialism through their acceptance of the sexta-septamillennial tradition (32).

Medieval and Reformation Millennialism

Augustine’s amillennial view laid the eschatological foundation for the Middle Ages which practically abandoned premillennialism. From the time of Augustine chiliasm took its place among the heresies, and was rejected subsequently even by the Protestant reformers as a Jewish dream (33). The theological term “kingdom” maintained its eschatological function, though it was not necessarily futuristic. Instead it consistently referred to the present age so that the church was currently experiencing the eschaton. Julian of Toledo (642-690) summarizes the medieval doctrine of the millennium by referring to it as “the church of God which, by the diffusion of its faith and works, is spread out as a kingdom of faith from the time of the incarnation until the time of the coming judgment (34).”

A notable exception to normative medieval eschatology is found in Joachim of Fiore (c. 1135-1202), a Cistercian monk, who to an extent, stressed premillennial themes. Joachim divided earth's history into three periods. He assigned each age to a particular person of the Trinity as the guiding principle of that era. The first era was the Old Testament history and was accordingly the age of the Father; the current age of the church was the age of the Son; and still in Joachim's future was the age of the Spirit. For Joachim, year 1260 was to mark the end of the second and the beginning of the third and final golden age of earth's history (35). 52 The 17th and 18th Centuries

In the Modern Age millenarianism gained a surprising acceptance among the Pietists of Germany during the 17th and 18th century. And although they were not premillennial, the English theologian Daniel Whitby (1688-1726), the German Johann Albrecht Bengel (1687-1752), and the American Jonathan Edwards (1703-58) “fueled millennial ideas with new influence in the nineteenth century (36).” It was authors such as these who concluded that the decline of the Roman Catholic Church would make way for the conversion and restoration of the nation of Israel. Edwards taught that a type of Millennium would occur “1260 years after 606 A.D. when Rome was recognized as having universal authority (37).” His Puritan contemporaries Increase Mather and Cotton Mather openly proclaimed a belief in a literal millennium. Increase Mather wrote “That which presseth me so, as that I cannot gainsay the Chiliastical opinion, is that I take these things for Principles, and no way doubt but that they are demonstrable. 1. That the thousand apocalyptical years are not passed but future. 2. That the coming of Christ to raise the dead and to judge the earth will be within much less than this thousand years. 3. That the conversion of the Jews will not be till this present state of the world is near unto its end. 4. That, after the Jews’ conversion there will be a glorious day for the elect upon earth, and that this day shall be a very long continuance (38).”

The 19th century to the Present

Between 1790 and the mid-19th century, premillennialism was a popular view among English Evangelicals, even within the Anglican church. Thomas Macauly observed this and wrote “Many Christians believe that the Messiah will shortly establish a kingdom on the earth, and visibly reign over all its inhabitants.” Throughout the 19th Century, premillennialism continued to gain wider acceptance in both the US and in Britain, particularly among the Irvingites, Plymouth Brethren, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christadelphians, Church of God, and Seventh-day Adventists (39). Premillenialism continues to be popular among Evangelical, Fundamentalist Christian, and Living Church of God communities in the 20th and 21st centuries, expanding further into the churches of Asia, Africa and South America.

53 Pre-Millennialism (Dispensational)

54 Questions for Chapter Four

1- What is the main premise of Pre-millennialism?

2- What will happen during this thousand year time?

3- What is the Pre-millennialist view of salvation for the Jews?

4- How does Historic premillennialism view Israel?

5- How does Dispensational premillennialism view Israel?

6- What are the two stages of Christ’s return that Dispensational premillennialists believe?

7- In pre-millennialism, what are the main views of the rapture?

8- What do all pre-millennialist believe in common?

9- What is behind Pre-millennialism in Jewish thought and theology?

10- What was the view of Pre-millennialism during the Reformation?

55 Footnotes for Chapter Four

1- Robert K. Whalen, “Premillennialism” in The Encyclopedia of Millennialism and Millennial Movements. New York: Routledge, 2000, p.331.

2- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premillennialism

3- John M. Frame. “Machen's Warrior Children,” in Sung Wook Chung, ed., Alister E. McGrath and Evangelical Theology (Grand Rapids : Baker, 2003).

4- Lonnie Kent York, "History of Millennialism" at: http://www.restorent.com/

5- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premillennialism

6- Philip Schaff. History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, n.d.) 382.

7- Herbert W. Bateman IV, “Dispensationalism Tomorrow,” in Three Central Issues in Contemporary Dispensationalism: A Comparison of Traditional and Progressive Views, p. 315-16.

8- Craig A. Blaising and Darrell L. Bock Progressive Dispensationalism, p. 282.

9- Dave MacPherson, "The Rapture Plot," Millennium Press, (2000).

10- Lonnie Kent York, "History of Millennialism" at: http://www.restorent.com/

11- Todd Strandberg. Rapture Ready. http://www.raptureready.com/rr-pretribulation- rapture.html

12- D. Michael Martin. The New American Commentary, 1,2 Thessalonians. p.154, 155. Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2002. In this reference Martin adequately details that the Apostle Paul is talking about one event without expressing exact terminology (i.e 'post tribulationism').

13- http://www.religioustolerance.org/millenni.htm.

14- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_Tribulation_Rapture.

15- Marv Rosenthal. The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church: Is It Biblical? Regular Baptist Press, (1991).

16- Watchman Nee. Rapture. http://www3.telus.net/trbrooks/Partial_rapture.htm

17- P.A. Smith, "Jerry Falwell's Eschatological Schizophrenia," WorldNetDaily™, at: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/ 56 18- http://www.religioustolerance.org/millenni.htm

19- M. Simonetti, “Millenarism” in Encyclopedia of the Early Church, Translated by Adrian Walford, Volume 1 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992), p. 560.

20- Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, p. 381.

21- J.W. Bailey. “The Temporary Messianic Reign in the Literature of Early Judaism,” Journal of Biblical Literature. (1934), p. 170.

22- R.H. Charles. Revelation, Volume 2: 15-21. International Critical Commentary. (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1920)142. Robert Henry Charles (1855-1931) was a biblical scholar who was considered the greatest scholar in the early 20th century regarding Jewish eschatology and apocalyptic. (See Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church), p. 324.

23- George W. E. Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch 1, Hermeneia, (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 2001), p. 440.

24- Michael Edward Stone, Fourth Ezra, Hermeneia (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 1990), p. 10.

25- “Eschatology” in The Dictionary of Judaism in the Biblical Period: 450 B.C.E. to 600 C.E. Ed. Jacob Neusner and William Scott Green, Vol. 1 (New York: Simon & Schuster Macmillan, 1996), p. 203.

26- Ibid.

27- G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation, The New International Commentary on the Greek Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999), pp. 1017-1021.

28- Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2., Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, n.d. p. 381.

29- 1 Apol. 11.1-2; cf. also Apol. 52; Dial. 45.4; 113.3-5; 139.5

30- Against Heresies 5.32.

31- Against Heresies 5.28.3.

32- Harold O.J. Brown. Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Church. Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody (MA), 1988, pp. 65, 67,455.

33- Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, n.d.) p. 384. 57 34- Julian of Toledo, Antitheses 2.69 (Patrologia Latina 96:697), translated and quoted by Jaroslav Pelikan, The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, Vol. 3 (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1978), p. 43.

35- E. B. Elliot, Horae Apocalypticae, Vol. 4. London: Burnside and Seeley, 1846. Schwartz also writes about Joachim's eschatology in the more accessible work Eschatology, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000), pp. 326ff.

36- Schwartz, Eschatology, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2000. p. 330.

37- Kevin Stilley, “Edwards, Jonathan” in Dictionary of Premillennial Theology (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1996), p. 100.

38- Increase Mather, The Mystery of Israel’s Salvation Explained and Applied quoted in Charles Ryrie, The Basis of the Premillennial Faith, (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1953), pp. 31-32.

39- “Millenarianism,” in The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, ed. F. L. Cross (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), p. 1087.

58 Chapter Five Amillennialism

"Watchman! Tell us of the night, for the morning seems to dawn, Traveler, darkness takes its flight, doubt and terror are withdrawn!"

Definition

The word millennium is a Latin term meaning one thousand years. It's from the root words mille, meaning thousand, and annum, meaning years. In Greek (Greek, not Latin), placing the letter "a" before a word negates the word. So a-millennial literally means "no millennium (1).”

However, we should note that contrary to false claims, Amillennialists do in fact believe there is a millennial reign of Christ, but not on a temporal physical throne upon this sin cursed earth. They believe that the Messiah has come to reign upon the throne of David in the Kingdom of Heaven. So the word Amillennial itself is literally accurate as it is understood to mean, "no millennial reign on an earthly or worldly throne." Use of this word in any sense other than a "no future earthly kingdom reign," would be a misnomer.

This view of eschatology maintains that the present reign of Christ (Revelation 20:4), began with His ascension to the throne of God, and that this is what the apostle Peter was speaking about in Acts 2:30-32. Christ instituted His kingdom reign by His death, resurrection, and ascension to the throne of David, and it will be fully realized and manifested at His second coming (2). The Kingdom of God is present in the world today through the presence of the heavenly reign of Christ, the Bible, the Holy Spirit and Christianity.

Amillennialism does not support the idea that the Kingdom of Christ is an intangible, but that it is incontrovertibly real, effectual, substantive, factual and essential. The kingdom is of a spiritual, rather than worldly (earthly) or carnal nature. The Kingdom of Christ on earth is now being extended and advanced through the preaching of the gospel of Christ, by His servants.

We read of Christ's present reign in His Kingdom (Colossians 1:130), and we read of the state of the eternal Kingdom (1st Corinthians 15:50) which flesh and blood cannot inherit. But Amillennialists say that there is not one single word in all of Scripture about an "in-between" kingdom that will be established upon earth as Christ comes back to rule in Israel. It is not insignificant that Scripture only explicitly declares this present Kingdom, and the Kingdom of God which flesh and blood cannot inherit. The Kingdom of God is open now, and now is the acceptable time to receive it.

Many proponents dislike the name Amillennialism because it emphasizes their negative differences with premillennialism rather than their positive beliefs about the millennium, and although they prefer alternate terms such as Nunc-Millennialism (that is,

59 now-millennialism) or Realized Millennialism, the acceptance and wide-spread usage of the different names has been limited.

The Teaching of Amillennialism

Amillennialism teaches that the Kingdom of God will not be physically established on earth throughout the "millennium", but rather that Jesus is presently reigning from heaven, seated at the right hand of God the Father, that Jesus also is and will remain with the church until the end of the world, as he promised at the Ascension, that at Pentecost, the millennium began, as is shown by Peter using the prophecies of Joel, about the coming of the kingdom, to explain what was happening, and that, therefore the church and its spread of the good news is Christ's kingdom (3).

Amillennialists cite Scripture references to the kingdom not being a physical realm: Matthew 12:28, where Jesus cites his driving out of demons as evidence that the kingdom of God had come upon them; Luke 17:20-21, where Jesus warns that the coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, and that it is among them; and Romans 14:17, where Paul speaks of the kingdom of God being in terms of the Christians' actions.

In particular, they regard the thousand year period as a figurative expression of Christ's reign being perfectly completed, as the "thousand hills" referred to in Psalm 50:10. The hills on which God owns the cattle, are all hills, and the "thousand generations" in 1 Chronicles 16:15, the generations for which God will be faithful, refer to all generations. (Some postmillennialists and nearly all premillennialists hold that the word millennium should be taken to refer to a literal thousand-year period.)

Amillennialism also teaches that the binding of Satan described in Revelation has already occurred; he has been prevented from "deceiving the nations" by preventing the spread of the gospel. This is the only binding he will suffer in history: the forces of Satan will not be gradually pushed back by the Kingdom of God as history progresses but will remain just as active as always up until the second coming of Christ, and therefore good and evil will remain mixed in strength throughout history and even in the church, according to the amillennial understanding of the Parable of the Wheat and Tares.

Events described in The Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21) and in most of the book of Revelation are seen as occurrences which have already happened, or which are symbolic in nature and not to be taken literally. The Antichrist is looked upon figuratively and not as a real person. When the end comes, the Kingdom shall be delivered up unto the Father (1st Corinthians 15:24).

Amillennialism is sometimes associated with Idealism as both teach a symbolic interpretation of many of the prophecies of the Bible and especially the Book of Revelation. However, many Amillennialists do believe in the literal fulfillment of Biblical prophecies; they simply disagree with Millennialists about how or when these prophecies will be fulfilled. 60 History of Amillennialism

Early church

The first two centuries of the church held both premillennial and amillennial opinions (4). Although none of the available Church Fathers advocate amillennialism in the first century, Justin Martyr (died 165), who had chiliastic tendencies in his theology, mentions differing views in his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, chapter 80: "I and many others are of this opinion (premillennialism), and (believe) that such will take place, as you assuredly are aware; but, on the other hand, I signified to you that many who belong to the pure and pious faith, and are true Christians, think otherwise."

A few Amillennialists such as Albertus Pieters understand the early church father Barnabas to be amillennial. In the second century, the Alogi (those who rejected all of John's writings) were amillennial, as was Caius in the first quarter of the third century (5). With the influence of Neo-Platonism and dualism, Clement of Alexandria and Origen denied premillennialism. Likewise, Dionysius of Alexandria argued that Revelation was not written by John and could not be interpreted literally; he was amillennial (6).

Origen's idealizing tendency to consider only the spiritual as real (which was fundamental to his entire system) led him to combat the "rude" or "crude" Chiliasm of a physical and sensual beyond (7).

In general, however, premillennialism appeared in the available writings of the early church but it was evident that both views existed side by side. The premillennial beliefs of the early church fathers, however, are quite different from the dominant form of modern-day premillennialism, namely dispensational premillennialism.

Medieval and Reformation Periods

Amillennialism gained ground after Christianity became a legal religion. It was systematized by St. Augustine in the fourth century, and this systematization carried amillennialism over as the dominant eschatology of the Medieval and Reformation periods. Augustine was originally a premillennialist, but he retracted that view, claiming the doctrine was carnal (8). Although he argued that Christ's reign was spiritual and not literal and earthly, and that the church was currently living in the millennium, Augustine held to a literal 1,000 year millennium that could end in perhaps A.D. 650 or, at the latest, 1000.

Amillennialism was the dominant view of the Protestant Reformers. The Lutheran Church formally rejected chiliasm in the The Augsburg Confession— “Art. XVII., condemns the Anabaptists and others ’who now scatter Jewish opinions that, before the resurrection of the dead, the godly shall occupy the kingdom of the world, the wicked being everywhere suppressed (9).’” Likewise, the Swiss Reformer, Heinrich Bullinger wrote up the Second Helvetic Confession which reads "We also reject the Jewish dream of a millennium, or golden age on earth, before the last judgment (10).” John Calvin 61 wrote in Institutes that chiliasm is a "fiction" that is "too childish either to need or to be worth a refutation." He interpreted the thousand year period of Revelation 20 non- literally, applying it to the "various disturbances that awaited the church, while still toiling on earth (11).”

Modern Times

Amillennialism has been widely held in the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches as well as in the Roman Catholic Church, which generally follows Augustine on this point and which has deemed that premillennialism cannot safely be taught. Amillennialism is also common among "mainline" Protestant denominations such as the Lutheran, Reformed and Anglican churches. Partial Preterism is sometimes a component of amillennial hermeneutics. Amillennialism declined in Protestant circles with the rise of Postmillennialism and the resurgence of Premillennialism in the 18th and 19th centuries, but it has regained prominence in the West after World War II (12).

Criticism of Amillennialism

Many Premillennialists accuse Amillennialists of over-spiritualizing parts of the Bible. Amillennialists argue that to understand the Bible literally, one must interpret it according to its genre so that history is not read as though it were poetry, for example. Amillennialist B. B. Warfield says that in the genre of the Book of Revelation, which he calls an "apocalyptic," everything is stated in a "symbolic medium" such that "every event, person, and thing that appears on its pages is to be read as a symbol, and the thing symbolized understood. This is not to say one thing and mean another; but to say what is said through the medium of a series of symbols, means nothing but the things symbolized (13).” Since the events pictured in an apocalyptic are spoken of in a symbolic medium, the details of the symbol must not be forced onto the thing symbolized because the book itself "gives us a direct description of nothing it sets before us, but always a direct description of the symbol by which it is represented." Thus he argues that the millennium of Revelation 20 should be understood to be the intermediate state (14).

The amillennial view that good and evil will persist has led some Postmillennialists to accuse Amillennialists (and Premillennialists) of being overly pessimistic. Amillennialists have countered that the Parable of the Weeds and the Parable of Drawing in the Net show that the good and evil will be sorted out only at the end of the world. Critics also believe that caesaropapism caused millennialism to be eliminated from Christianity from the 4th century onwards (15).

Amillennialism on the Fulfillment in Christ

Christ 'Has' established a Kingdom, not will.

Colossians 1:13 "Who hath delivered us from the Power of darkness, and hath translated us into The Kingdom of His dear Son." Luke 1:33 "and He shall reign over the

62 House of Judah forever, and of His Kingdom there shall be no end." His kingdom is not of this world, and we reign on earth until Christ returns and in heaven forever.

Christ 'Is' a king right now, not will be.

Matthew 28:18 "And Jesus came and spake unto them saying, All Power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." He is not going to be a King someday, and we will be servants of that King someday; He is King now, in both heaven and earth, and does reign until He hath put all things under His feet. We are now the servants of that King, and he has all rule and authority. Christ "now" reigns on the throne of David.

Christ 'Does' Reign in His Kingdom, not will.

1st Corinthians 15:25 "For He must reign, until He hath put all enemies under His foot." Romans 15:12 "and again Isaiah saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and He that shall rise to reign over the gentiles, in him shall the gentiles trust." Christ is already reigning over His kingdom. He is our now our king, and we are now His servants worshipping and serving him in this kingdom. He will reign in this established Kingdom until He hath put all enemies under His foot, and then will be the consummation of the Kingdom.

We 'Do' Reign with Christ in His Kingdom, not will.

Ephesians 2:6 "and hath raised us up together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." In our soul we have been raised up with Christ, in our bodies we reign on the earth as Kings and Priests unto God (As prophesied and fulfilled; Ex. 19:16; 1st Peter 2:9; Rev. 1:5-6; 5:9-10) because He redeemed us to God by His blood, and raised us to sit in His Kingdom with Him. Therefore are we kings and priests unto God and reign on earth.

Christ 'Has' brought Peace to the earth, not will.

Luke 1:79 "To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the Way of Peace." Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth Peace, good will towards men." John 14:27 "PEACE I leave with you, My Peace I give to you. Not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither be afraid." Messiah already brought a kingdom, and brought peace to the earth. It's not a peace as the world defines it, its peace between God and man. Not peace between the Arabs and the Jews, but a peace wherein your heart will not be troubled, because the enmity between you and God is gone. It is the peace wherein you have no need to fear the wrath of God. This is The peace Christ brought to the earth, the peace that passes understanding. It is not a peace between the earthly nations. It is a peace that is far superior, which is far more precious and lasting. The unspeakable Gift of the Kingdom sent into all nations! 63 Christ 'Has' redeemed Israel, not will.

Luke 1:68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and Redeemed His people." Luke 24:21 "But we trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel; and besides all this, today is the third day since these things were done." Galatians 3:13 "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." Christ has redeemed Israel from the curse by being cursed and dying on the cross in their stead. Christ became sin for His People (2nd Corinthians 5:21) and redeemed Israel. In the book of Revelation we read that John speaks of being a "brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ," (Rev. 1:9). The Israel of God is Christ, and he whom is in Christ is in the Kingdom of God. We can't have Christ as our established ruler (King), without His rule being over the people of a principality or Kingdom.

Amillennialism on Symbolic Language

That a great deal of the Bible is given in figurative or symbolical language, which by no stretch of the imagination can be taken literally, should be apparent to everyone. We spiritualize these statements because we regard this as the only way in which their true meaning can be brought out. Read the 23rd or 91st Psalm and note the almost continuous use of figurative language. The New Testament follows the same practice. To his disciples Jesus said, 'Ye are the salt of the earth... Ye are the light of the world... Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven' (Matt. 5:13-16). When instituting the Lord's Supper He said: 'This is my body... This is my blood' (Matt. 26:26, 28).

In spiritualizing certain Old Testament prophecies Amillennialists are in good company, for the New Testament writers often do the same. In his discourse on the day of Pentecost Peter spiritualized the rather extended prophecy of Joel (Acts 2:16-21). James' discourse at the Jerusalem Conference spiritualized the prophecy of Amos (Acts 15:14- 18). Literally thousands of such figurative and symbolic expressions are found throughout the Bible, usually without explanation. It is assumed that the reader will understand. Furthermore, foot washing is clearly commanded by Jesus (John 13:14), and is commended by Paul (I Tim. 5:10); and five times we have the command, 'Salute one another with a holy kiss' (Rom. 16:16; I Cor. 16:20; II Cor. 13:12; I Thess. 5:28; and I Peter 5:14). Yet only a very few people take these literally.

But the fact of the matter is that the spiritual relationship is more important than, and takes precedence over, the physical. Paul stated that quite clearly when he said: 'Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham'; and again, 'If ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise' (Gal. 3:7,29). And Christ himself placed the spiritual above the physical when he said, 'Whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother' (Matt. 12:50). The Epistle to the Hebrews is one sustained argument that the old forms

64 and ceremonies and relationships have passed away forever, and that all nations and races now stand as equals before God (16). Is Amillennialism Just Pessimistism?

Some of the critics of Amillennialism rejoice in labeling it a pessimistic view of God's kingdom. However, Amillennialists deny this accusation and say they are very optimistic. Amillennialists do believe that the whole world will be evangelized, but in the exact same manner as God says Christ came to save the whole world, i.e., as God defines the terms, not as man does. Christ's Kingdom triumphs by the spread of the gospel until all of the elect are saved. Its glory is in the realization that many will "overcome the world" and be translated into the kingdom by the blood of Christ. We don't triumph by converting everyone (or nearly everyone) in the world, nor did our God ever prophecy conversion of the whole world that way. The Church was commissioned to call a remnant whom the Lord has Chosen, "out of" the world. It was not commissioned to create a righteous world. Rather, that in the success of the Church "calling many out" of the world unto the Kingdom, Christ's Kingdom increases exponentially. The advancing of Christ's Kingdom was never prophesied to be such that the Church would one day make the world righteous. It was prophesied that the Messiah would make righteous an elect remnant from the world, which God would call through preaching.

Amillennialists say that in this most obvious of truths is found unfailing optimism and unshakable faith in the ultimate success of the Church age. It is a success not defined by any misunderstanding of changing the world, but in that we successfully call a remnant in the world "to change." This is the very same "good news" of the gospel message, which has been preached for centuries. John 17:9 "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine." John 17:20 "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word."

There has always been the evangelization of a chosen few, a remnant of the world who are made righteous. And the closer to the end of the world that we come, this remnant will become smaller than ever, because Satan will be loosed from the chains of his pit onto the world to deceive. The work of the Church is to spread the gospel message to a world that is desperately in need of it. Its task is to shed light upon a world that will suffer the wrath of God. It will not bring spiritual peace to a world that isn't ever going to have earthly peace, because the heart of mankind is desperately wicked. The world isn't going to get better, it will get (and has gotten) progressively worse, until the Lord returns to a world where love of God has grown so cold that there is rampant Apostasy.

Amillennialism says that we need to recognize that when God's Word says something is fulfilled (completed), then it's fulfilled. And this makes perfect sense, because it testifies to the emphasis of God's Word on the inward man, the spiritual nature of Messiah's Kingdom, and of those who reign in it. It confirms that we are citizens of that kingdom (now), as prophesied, and presently reign in true peace as kings and priests unto our God. We do not reign in a carnal or political government in the Middle Eastern city of Jerusalem, but in a spiritual government that is upon Christ's shoulders. We are 65 part of the rule of a spiritual city from above. Earthly Jerusalem remains in bondage, rejecting this rule of Christ. Conclusion

A fundamental principle of sound hermeneutics is that no Scripture can be looked upon as "not true." God's Word is inerrant so that even the difficult passages that we may not yet understand must unquestionably be received as true. Our understanding has to be brought into agreement with what is written, e.g., John the Baptist said He was not Elijah (John 1:21). But Jesus said if we will receive it, this was Elijah which was prophesied to come. Which declaration of Scripture is the truth? Is this a mystery? The answer is, both statements are truth, because John was not the Elijah who lived years before, but He was the Elijah that was prophesied to come before Christ. Shall we condemn Christ for "spiritualizing" a clear prophecy calling for Elijah to come before Christ? Of course not, but this is often how many react to God's Word when it is to be understood spiritually. Luke 1:17 "And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

The answer is not in stubbornly insisting that Elijah literally be reincarnated in another body to fulfill Scripture according to tradition, but in our "receiving" the testimony of the whole of Scripture. We discern by the Spirit of God that the prophesy was for one to come walking in the same spirit and power that Elijah (Elias) did. Both the witness of John and the witness of Jesus were true. But Scripture has to be defined and interpreted by God, not by modern day teachers or by traditions. Let God define His own terms. As Joseph declared of mysteries: "...do not interpretations belong to God?" -Genesis 40:8

Indeed they do. So we must read Scripture with the mind of Christ (1st Corinthians 2:16), that we humbly receive what God has inspired written, rather than choose to ignore it or twist it for our own purposes. It should never be about what we think is right, but about what God says (17).

Amillennialism (Covenantal)

66 Questions for Chapter Five

1- What does Amillennial mean?

2- Do Amillennialists really believe that there is no millennium?

3- Where is the Kingdom of God according to the Amillennialists?

4- When is the millennium according to this position?

5- How do Amillennialists understand the interpretation of Scripture?

6- How do Amillennialists deal with symbolic language?

7- What is the Amillennialist view of evangelism?

8- Who will be saved then?

9- What is the work of the church?

10- How are we to study Scripture?

67 Footnotes for Chapter Five

1- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium

2- http://www.mountainretreatorg.net/eschatology/amillennial.shtml

3- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amillennialism.

4- Patrick Allen Boyd (1977). Thesis at Dallas Theological Seminary, pp. 90f.

5- Eusebius, 3.28.1-2.

6- Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 7.15.3; 7.25.

7- The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol.8, p. 273.

8- Augustine. City of God. 20.7.

9- Philip Schaff. History of the Christian Church Vol. 2, p.381.

10- Philip Schaff. History of Creeds Vol. 1, p. 307.

11- John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, XXV.V.

12- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amillennialism.

13- B. B. Warfield, "The Apocalypse" in Selected Shorter Writings, Vol II. Presbyterian and Reformed: Phillipsburg, 1971. p. 652.

14- B. B. Warfield, "The Millennium and the Apocalypse" in Biblical Doctrines, vol. II in Works. Baker Book House: Grand Rapids. n.d. p. 650.

15- Caesaropapism is the idea of combining the power of secular government with, or making it superior to, the spiritual authority of the Christian Church; especially concerning the connection of the Christian Church with government.

16- http://www.gospelpedlar.com/articles/Last%20Things/Postmill_Boettner/m.html.

17- http://www.mountainretreatorg.net/eschatology/amillennial.shtml.

68 Chapter Six Postmillennialism

"Now despisers look and wonder Hope and Sinners here must part, louder than a peal of thunder, hear the dreadful sound 'Depart!' Lost forever! How it quails the Sinner's heart!"

Definition of the Term

Postmillennialism (also known as "Christian Reconstruction", "Kingdom Now Theology" and "Dominion Theology") is that view of the last things which holds that the Kingdom of God is now being extended in the world through the preaching of the Gospel and the saving work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of individuals, that the world eventually is to be Christianized, and that the return of Christ is to occur at the close of a long period of righteousness and peace commonly called the 'Millennium.' It should be added that on postmillennial principles the second coming of Christ will be followed immediately by the general resurrection, the general judgment, and the introduction of heaven and hell in their fullness (1).

This view is, of course, to be distinguished from that optimistic but false view of human betterment and progress held by Modernists and Liberals which teaches that the Kingdom of God on earth will be achieved through a natural process by which mankind will be improved and social institutions will be reformed and brought to a higher level of culture and efficiency. This latter view presents a spurious or pseudo Postmillennialism, and regards the Kingdom of God as the product of natural laws in an evolutionary process, whereas orthodox Postmillennialism regards the Kingdom of God as the product of the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit in connection with the preaching of the Gospel (2).

The Teachings of Postmillennialism

The millennium, in this view, will produce a future golden age of the Church that will precede the second advent of Christ. They (as do the Amillennialists) offer up the Scriptures that declare that Christ is ruling in His kingdom now, and that the kingdom of God is now being extended through the servants of that kingdom, preaching the gospel. But they differ from the Amillennial view in that they believe that at the end of this kingdom age, there will be an age of righteousness and worldwide turning to Christ.

The word "post," means after, and thus Postmillennial identifies those who believe in the return of Christ after this future golden age or period. This belief system usually holds that this golden age of the Church will feature the exercise of Christ's power and authority in this world, whereby its rulers are hindered in their wickedness. The influence of Christianity will excel and spread until a future time when most of the world will be in obedience to God's laws. Those who hold to this view generally expect 69 that after they have created this just, God-fearing society, Christ will then return, and the judgment and resurrection will occur. Postmillennialism also teaches that the forces of Satan will gradually be defeated by the expansion of the Kingdom of God throughout history up until the second coming of Christ. This belief that good will gradually triumph over evil has led proponents of postmillennialism to label themselves "optimillennialists" in contrast to "pessimillennial" Premillennialists and Amillennialists (3). Postmillennialists believe that Revelation 20:4- 6 should not be taken literally. They believe that 1,000 years simply means a long period of time. Furthermore, the prefix "post" in postmillennialism denotes the view that Christ will return after Christians (not Christ Himself) have established the kingdom on this earth (4).

Revelation 20 is the only passage in the Bible which speaks of a 1000 year reign of Christ. That passage, however, says nothing about Christ being physically present on the earth for His millennial reign. Revelation 20 teaches that the millennium coincides with the time of Satan's binding. Jesus Himself gives us an infallible interpretation of "And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years" (Rev. 20:2). In Matt. 12:28, 29 He says: "But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? And then he will spoil his house."

In the context of this statement, the Pharisees were accusing Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan. Jesus pointed out the fallacy of their accusation by showing that Satan's kingdom cannot stand if Satan is divided against himself. Jesus proclaimed that Satan's kingdom is crumbling, not because Satan is divided but because the Son of Man has come and bound the strong man and is carrying off his possessions. As Jesus cast out demons, He was freeing men from Satan's bondage. When Jesus brings a sinner to Himself, He is carrying off a possession that once belonged to the strong man (the devil) by transforming that sinner from Satan's kingdom into the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son" (Col. 1:13) (5).

Postmillennialists also believe the Church is the agent through which this return to Eden will be accomplished by Christ the King from heaven. Most postmillennialist have stressed the preaching of the gospel, resulting in a conversion of most of mankind as the means for Christianization. However, the more recent Reconstructionist Postmillennialist’s version adds to evangelism, obedience and faithfulness to biblical law as a condition for victory. Some postmillennialist believe that the conversion of the world will be a very slow and gradual process, taking perhaps thousands of years more. On the other hand, others believe that conversion could happen within a short period of time (about 10 years) as the result of a great revival (6).

“In summary, the premillennialist maintains that there will be a lengthy gap in the end-time events into which the millennium will be inserted after Christ’s return; the millennial kingdom will be characterized by the prosperity of a restored Jewish state. 70 The Amillennialist denies any such gap in the end-time events, looking for Christ to return after a basically non-prosperous millennial age. And the post millennialist is distinguished from the two foregoing positions by holding that there will be no gap in the end-time events; rather, when Christ returns subsequent to the millennial, interadventual, church age. There will have been conspicuous and widespread success for the great commission. In short, postmillennialism is set apart from the other two schools of thought by its essential optimism for the kingdom in the present age. This confident attitude in the power of Christ’s kingdom, the power of its gospel, the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit, the power of prayer, and the progress of the great commission, sets postmillennialism apart from the essential pessimism of amillennialism and premillennialism (7).”

Postmillennial Characteristics

Contemporary postmillennialist Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr. gives the following seven characteristics of evangelical postmillennialism:

•First, postmillennialism "understands the Messianic kingdom to have been founded upon the earth during the earthly ministry and through the redemptive labors of the Lord Jesus Christ. . . . the Church becomes the transformed Israel."

•Second, "the fundamental nature of that kingdom is essentially redemptive and spiritual . . . Christ rules His kingdom spiritually in and through His people in the world (representation), as well as by His universal providence."

• Third, Christ's "kingdom will exercise a transformational socio-cultural influence in history. This will occur as more and more people are converted to Christ."

•Fourth, "postmillennialism, thus, expects the gradual, developmental expansion of the kingdom of Christ in time and on earth. . . . Christ's personal presence on earth is not needed for the expansion of His kingdom."

•Fifth, "postmillennialism confidently anticipates a time in earth history (continuous with the present) in which the very gospel already operative in the world will have won the victory throughout the earth in fulfillment of the Great Commission. . . . During that time the overwhelming majority of men and nations will be Christianized, righteousness will abound, wars will cease, and prosperity and safety will flourish."

• Sixth, there are "two types of postmillennialism today: pietistic and theonomic postmillennialism. . . . Pietistic postmillennialism . . . denies that the postmillennial advance of the kingdom involves the total transformation of culture through the application of biblical law. Theonomic postmillennialism affirms this."

•Seventh, "possibly 'we can look forward to a great 'golden age' of spiritual prosperity continuing for centuries, or even for millenniums, . . .' After this . . . earth history will be drawn to a close by the personal, visible, bodily return of Jesus Christ (accompanied by a 71 literal resurrection and a general judgment) to introduce His . . . consummative and eternal form of the kingdom (8).” This view can lead to either of these two possible practical consequences: 1- the church should take a major social and political role in reshaping the world to advance God's Kingdom on earth or 2- countries should be ruled by theocracies (religious governments) as this is the way to bring about God's Kingdom

History of Postmillennialism

The historical rise and development of postmillennialism has been the object of some dispute, partly because of some similarities between it and amillennialism. Because of these similarities, it may be difficult at times to clearly distinguish postmillennialism and amillennialism in history. It is the differences that are significant, in spite of similarities. Both are clearly anti-premillennial.

Systematic postmillennialism was the last of the three major Eschatologies to develop. It was first taught within the church in the seventeenth century. It is generally thought that Daniel Whitby (1638-1725) developed systematic postmillennialism, as a clearly distinct form of millenarianism. This does not mean that elements of systematic postmillennialism did not exist prior to Whitby, for they clearly did. However, it seems best to understand the maturity of postmillennialism into a distinct system as post- Reformational and in a sense an optimistic form of amillennialism. Thus, postmillennialism's development is dependent upon amillennialism.

Only a handful of partisan polemicists would attempt to argue that postmillennialism has a post-apostolic presence. "All seem to agree that postmillennialism is quite foreign to the apostolic church. There is no trace of anything in the church which could be classified as postmillennialism in the first two or three centuries (9).”

The rise of figurative interpretation and Augustine's millennial interadvent theory began to lay a foundation for the later development of postmillennialism. Augustine "held that the age between the first and second advents is the millennium of which the Scriptures speak and that the Second Advent would occur at the end of the millennium. This is definitely a postmillennial viewpoint as it places the Second Advent after the millennium (10).” However, it is also at the same time an amillennial viewpoint. Augustine and his eschatology is best classified as amillennial because he lacked the optimism required for a true postmillennial viewpoint, regardless of whatever similarities they may have in common.

Another development that contributed to the development of systematic postmillennialism is the rise of Christendom and the merger of church and state with Constantine's declaration that Christianity was the new religion of the Roman Empire (AD 313). Before Constantine it is estimated that only eight to ten per cent of the Empire was Christian. However, as the fourth century neared its end, virtually all identified themselves as Christian. This development lead to a form of victory and optimism about 72 the spread of Christianity and its ability to overcome even a hostile state, like the previously evil Roman Empire. However, such optimism was tempered with the loss of North Africa in the fifth century and the rise of militant Islam a few centuries later.

Joachim of Floris' rise to prominence in the twelfth century certainly was a watershed event in the development of eschatology. He not only laid the foundation for the historicist interpretation of prophetic literature, but his optimism is seen by some as contributing to the development of postmillennialism. Whether or not he can be classified as a clear postmillennialist, he certainly contributed to an optimistic view of history. E. Randolph Daniel notes, the twelfth century was optimistic about history and the future. The Gregorian reformers certainly believed that they could dramatically reform and purify the Church on earth. Joachim, who was clearly Gregorian in his sympathies, believed that history was evolving toward the status of the Holy Spirit . . . when the Church would enjoy a historical era of peace and spiritual attainment that would far surpass anything achieved in the past (11).

Joachim helped prepare the way for postmillennialism by contributing an idea of optimism that was to be continuous with the course of the present age. His belief that it was to be an age of the Holy Spirit was often adopted by later postmillennialists. The Reformation sprang out of an attitude of pessimism and despair. Marjorie Reeves notes, "E. L. Tuveson has argued that the classical attitude of Protestant reformers towards history was one of pessimism: all things must decline; decay is the essential fact of history (12).” Robin Barnes says, "in the eyes of many Lutherans in the late sixteenth century, the entire social order appeared to be falling apart (13).”

Some say that John Calvin, while not reaching the depths of Luther's despair, cannot be claimed for postmillennialism as some have done just because he utters statements of optimism. Such statements need to be optimistic within the context of a postmillennial creed. Calvin also made pessimistic statements: "There is no reason, therefore, why any person should expect the conversion of the world, for at length-when it will be too late, and will yield them no advantage (14).”

Others however, say that the heritage of postmillennialism in Reformed theology can be traced to Calvin’s writings. J. A. De Jong, in his doctoral dissertation at the Free University of Amsterdam (As the Waters Cover the Sea), asserted that “John Calvin’s commentaries give some scholars cause for concluding that he anticipated the spread of the gospel and true religion to the ends of the earth.” J. T. McNeill, the editor of Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion for the Library of Christian Classics, speaks of “Calvin’s conception of the victory and future universality of Christ’s Kingdom throughout the human race, a topic frequently introduced in the Commentaries (15).” In his recent study, The Puritan Hope, Iain H. Murray stated that “Calvin believed that Christ’s kingdom is already established, and, unlike Luther, he expected it to have a yet greater triumph in history prior to the consummation (16).” The judgment of these men (and those secondary sources upon which they depend) is certainly well grounded in Calvin’s writings. Moreover, far from being eccentric or minimally followed, the

73 position can claim the support of the leading Reformed scholars in the past four hundred years. It would be left to the post-Reformation era for developments to spring forth into what can rightly be called postmillennialism. Joachim's idea of progress was recast into a "new interpretation of the Apocalypse and of the eschatological pattern which looked forward to some great transforming event rather than to inevitable decay. Postmillennialism came into flower in the 1600's as the "idea of novelty rather than return as seen in the excited references to all the new manifestations of the age - the new lands, the new learning, the new books, the new missionaries." This was aided by the gains of Protestantism over Catholicism in Europe as the new continued to gain over the old (17).

The postmillennialism of the seventeenth century consisted mainly of those who believed in the success of the preaching of the gospel and correspondingly the conversion of the Jews. The later belief was one held in common with premillennialism. Yet, even though there were a few prominent postmillennialists in the seventeenth century, the position exploded into popularity as a result of Whitby's "new interpretation" of Revelation 20 at the dawn of the eighteenth century.

Contemporary Reconstructionist Postmillennialists usually bristle at the reminder of Whitby's key role in postmillennial history. Their defensiveness likely stems from the fact that Whitby was a less than orthodox Unitarian. Nevertheless, it was as a result of the efforts of Whitby who provided the exegetical and theological definition of postmillennialism that the position began to gain ground and become the dominate eschatology in Europe and eventually North America before its decline. Walvoord note the following concerning Whitby:

He was a liberal and a freethinker, untrammeled by traditions or previous conceptions of the church. His views on the millennium would probably have never been perpetuated if they had not been so well keyed to the thinking of the times. The rising tide of intellectual freedom, science, and philosophy, coupled with humanism, had enlarged the concept of human progress and painted a bright picture of the future. Whitby's view of a coming golden age for the church was just what people wanted to hear. It fitted the thinking of the times. It is not strange that theologians scrambling for readjustment in a changing world should find in Whitby just the key they needed. It was attractive to all kinds of theology. It provided for the conservative a seemingly more workable principle of interpreting the Scripture. . . . Man's increasing knowledge of the world and scientific improvements which were coming could fit into this picture. On the other hand, the concept was pleasing to the liberal and skeptic. If they did not believe the prophets, at least they believed that man was now able to improve himself and his environment. They, too, believed a golden age was ahead (18).

After gaining dominance in Europe and America among both conservatives and liberals, postmillennialism began a decline into near extinction. Fallout from the French Revolution in Europe dealt a severe blow to postmillennial optimism. Later, in the United States, postmillennial decline awaited the turn of the century and was dealt a near-fatal 74 blow by WWI and WWII and identification with the Social Gospel and Liberalism. Only in the 1970's has postmillennialism begun to reassert itself, primarily through the reconstructionist movement. While postmillennialism has made some gains in recent years, it is still a minor position in the overall field of eschatology. “It must be observed that postmillennialism lost favor (and today remains held in disfavor) with conservative theologians for manifestly unorthodox and insufficient reasons. Extra-biblical reasoning, as well as lazy or poor scholarship, has intruded itself into Christian discussions of eschatology (19).”

Living in the Millennium Today

James Jordan a Reconstructionist Postmillennialist speaks of how the Post-mil adherents believe we are to live in the millennium. “Postmillennialists are often regarded as "triumphalists," and there is truth to that assertion. They do believe that we "triumph" in Christ, and that He has "triumphed" over the evil principalities and powers of the satanic age. At the same time, this truth can be emphasized in a one-sided manner, so that we lose sight of the reality of inward suffering and conviction of sin. Indeed, in the past some Christian groups have so stressed our triumphing in Christ that they overlook the reality of personal sin.

How will it be during the "millennium"? Or, since most postmillennialists, believe that the millennium began with the ascension of Christ, how will it be during the "latter day glory of the Church," when all nations will come to Zion to receive Christ’s yoke? How should we think of personal piety during those "golden years"? Will believers no longer need to wrestle with sin?

Not at all. The closer men draw to God, the more aware they become of their own weakness before His strength, of their own sinfulness before His holiness, of their own wretchedness before His majesty, and of their own poverty before His riches of grace. If the latter day glory is a time when men live nearer to God than ever before, it will be a time when men wrestle with personal sin more than ever before. It will be a time when men appreciate the privilege of serving Christ as never before, because they will feel more inadequate than ever before.

Their wrestling will seldom be with outward, gross sin, of course. The discipline of society will be such as to drive gross sin and crime into the closets, dark corners, and back alleys where it belongs. A cleansed society will not present the kinds of temptations and wicked opportunities we face today. No, it is not outward, gross sin that men will wrestle with, but petty meannesses, lusts, and inward depravity. These things will not go away from the depths of the human heart until the resurrection of the whole man, for which all believers yearn.

I believe that Christians during the latter day glory will be less proud and vain than they are today. They will be less self-confident, and more God-dependent. They will be less sure of their motives, and more open to the corrections of the Spirit. We see this in Paul. If ever there was a man who had a right to boast, it was St. Paul (2 Corinthians 75 11-12). Yet, he wrote to the believers that it was only "when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10). Early in his career, Paul wrote that he was the "least of the apostles" (1 Corinthians 15:9). Later he wrote of himself as the "least of the saints" (Ephesians 3:8). Toward the end of his maturation in Christ, he regarded himself as the "chief of sinners," an attitude he commended to all (1 Timothy 1:15).

Paul found a contradiction in himself, one that he expresses in Romans 7:13-25. He expresses this contradiction three ways, first in terms of the law, second in terms of his personal disposition, and third in terms of his situation. (I realize that some take this passage to be speaking of Paul’s conversion, but an unconverted man would not have this Spiritual sensitivity. Others take this passage as a picture of the transition from the Old to the New Covenant, but while it may have some application in that direction, it seems to me clearly to be speaking of Paul’s personal experience.)

First, Paul says that the Law of God is good and is Spiritual (v. 14), but he finds a contradiction in himself (v. 15). He is able to take comfort in the fact that in his heart he loves the Law (v. 16), and thereby he is able to isolate his sinfulness (v. 17).

Second, Paul says that his inward disposition is to do good (v. 18), but he finds a contradiction in himself (v. 19). He is able to take comfort in the fact that he really wants to do right, and thereby he is able to isolate his sinfulness (v. 20).

Third, Paul says that his situation is such that he has passed into a state of loving Christ and truth (v. 21), but he finds a contradiction in himself, for there is an inward principle of evil in him that affects his behavior (v. 22-23). He is able to take comfort in the fact that Christ has delivered him from his earlier state, which he calls the "body of death," a reference not just to his physical body but also to the entire Old Covenant "body politic" situation (v. 24); and thereby he is able to isolate his sinfulness (v. 25).

The upshot is that Paul finds no victory in himself, even though he is saved, converted, and regenerated. He finds life only in dependence on the grace of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1ff.) He must lean on Someone outside of himself.

In conclusion, Paul gives us an idea of the piety that Christians will have during the "millennium." Yes, the nations will obey the Law of Christ. Yes, there will be prosperity and progress. Yes, the "cultural mandate" will be fulfilled. But it will not be fulfilled by self-confident, proud, fleshly, "positive thinking," yuppie, "triumphalistic" believers. It will be fulfilled by men and women who do not trust themselves for anything, but lean wholly on their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (20).

Post-Millennialism (Covenantal)

76 Questions for Chapter Six

1- Postmillennialism is that view of the last things which holds that…

2- When will the millennium occur?

3- What happens after the millennium?

4- How will the period of righteousness and peace come about?

5- How do Post-Millennialists view Revelation 20?

6- What are the seven characteristics of this position?

7- What are the two possible practical consequences out of these characteristics?

8- How did Joachim of Flores helped prepare the way for postmillennialism?

9- How will Christians live during the millennium?

10- Why was Post-millennialism almost become extinct?

77 Footnotes for Chapter Six

1- www.gospelpedlar.com/articles/Last%20Things/Postmill_Boettner/c.html

2- Boettner, Loraine. 1984. The Millennium. Philipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing. Grace Online Books. graceonlinelibrary.org/articles/full.asp?id=9%7C69%7C846

3- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmillennialism

4- Got Questions.Org. What is Postmillennialism? www.gotquestions.org

5- reformed-theology.org/html/books/five_points/chapter4.htm

6- Pre-Trib Research Center. www.pre-trib.org/article-view.php?id=172

7- Greg L. Bahnsen. The Prima Facie Acceptability of Postmillennialism. The Journal of Christian Reconstruction, Vol. III, No. 2, Winter, 1976-77, Covenant Media Foundation.

8- Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., He Shall Have Dominion: A Postmillennial Eschatology (Tyler, Tex.: Institute for Christian Economics, 1992), pp. 70-73.

9- John F. Walvoord, The Millennial Kingdom (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1959), p. 19.

10- Walvoord, Millennial Kingdom, p. 19.

11- E. Randolph Daniel, "Joachim of Fiore: Patterns of History in the Apocalypse" in Richard K. Emmerson and Bernard McGinn, editors, The Apocalypse in the Middle Ages (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1992), p. 73.

12- Marjorie Reeves, The Influence of Prophecy in the Later Middle Ages: A Study of Joachimism (London: Oxford University Press, 1969), p. 501.

13- Robin Bruce Barnes, Prophecy and Gnosis: Apocalypticism in the Wake of the Lutheran Reformation (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1988), p. 5.

14- John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, n.d.) Vol. XVII, p. 147.

78 15- Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1960), vol. II, p. 904, n. 76.

16- Ian H. Murray, The Puritan Hope: A Study in Revival and the Interpretation of Prophecy (London: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1971), pp. 187-206, 284-287.

17- Reeves, Influence of Prophecy, p. 502.

18- Walvoord, Millennial Kingdom, pp. 22-23.

19- Greg L. Bahnsen. The Prima Facie Acceptability of Postmillennialism. The Journal of Christian Reconstruction, Vol. III, No. 2, Winter, 1976-77, Covenant Media Foundation.

20- James B. Jordan. Biblical Horizons Newsletter No. 6: An Antidote for Yuppie Postmillennialism. August, 1989

79 Chapter Seven Preterist

"But in what awful sounds The wicked are addressed! Heaven with their groans resounds As on his left they're placed - 'Depart, ye cursed,' the judge exclaims, 'To be destroyed in burning flames!"' From The Millenial Harp. Published by Joshua V. Himes, 1843.

Definition

The Preterist view is one of “past fulfillment”. Praeterit is Latin and means Pre (before) in fulfillment (praeteritus, gone by). It is expressing time fulfilled. A preterist understands prophetic passages as being already fulfilled. Preterism refers to that understanding of certain eschatological passages which holds that they have already come to fulfillment. Actually, all Christians--even dispensationalists--are preteristic to some extent. This is necessarily so because Christianity holds that a great many of the Messianic passages have already been fulfilled in Christ's first coming (1)."

Preterists believe that prophecies such as the Second Coming, the defiling of the Temple, the destruction of Jerusalem, the Antichrist, the Great Tribulation, the advent of The Day of the Lord and the Final Judgment were fulfilled at or about the year AD 70 when the Roman general (and future Emperor) Titus sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the Jewish Temple, putting a permanent stop to the daily animal sacrifices. The great war of Armageddon in the book of Revelation occurred in the late 60's and early 70's AD when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, many Jews were killed and the rest were driven from Palestine. When Jesus talked about the end of the world, he did not mean that the physical world would be no more. He taught that the old worldview held by various contemporary Jewish groups was coming to an end, to be replaced by a new concept, the Kingdom of God. Thus, all of the major elements in the book of Revelation (Tribulation, Armageddon, Rapture, etc.) actually took place in the first century AD.

The Teachings of Preterism

Proponents of Full Preterism do not believe in the bodily Resurrection of the dead and place this event as well as the Second Coming in AD 70, whereas proponents of Partial Preterism do believe in a bodily resurrection of the dead at a future Second Coming. Full Preterists contend that those who consider themselves to be Partial Preterists are actually just futurists since they believe that the Second Coming, Resurrection, Rapture and Judgment are still in the future.

80 Many Preterists believe the first-century living Christians were literally raptured from the earth to be with Christ. At that time, their bodies were changed to be like Christ's. Preterists also believe the term 'Last Days' or 'End Times' refers not to the last days of planet Earth, or last days of mankind, but to the last days of the Old Covenant, the Mosaic Covenant which God had exclusively with Israel until year AD 70.

According to Preterism, many 'time passages' in the New Testament indicate with apparent certainty that the Second Coming of Christ, and the 'End Times' predicted in the Bible were to take place within the lifetimes of Christ's disciples. The Greek word αἰών (aeon), meaning "age", may be translated as "end of the age (or historical period)" instead of "end of the world". The time distinction also has theological significance; while the end of time in mystical traditions relates to escaping confinement in the "given" reality, some religions believe and fear it to be the literal destruction of the planet (or of all living things) - with the human race surviving in some new form, ending the current "age" of existence (2).

Preterists believe that most or all of Bible Prophecy has already been fulfilled in Christ, and the on-going expansion of His Kingdom. They base this belief of past- fulfillment on many different verses, including the witness that Jesus and his apostles said that His coming (or presence) and the end of all things, would occur soon (they believed it to be in that generation). Full Preterists spiritualize Matthew 24 as having already taken place in the past, and believe that Christ actually returned in 70 AD fulfilling the prophesy of the Second Advent (3).

Preterist Divisions

The two principal schools of Preterist thought are commonly called Partial Preterism and Full Preterism. Preterists disagree significantly however, about the exact meaning of the terms used to denote these divisions of Preterist thought.

Some Partial Preterists prefer to call their position Orthodox Preterism, thus contrasting their agreement with the creeds of the Ecumenical Councils with what they perceive to be the Full Preterists' rejection for the same. This, in effect, makes Full Preterism unorthodox in the eyes of Partial Preterists and gives rise to the claim by some that Full Preterism is heretical. Partial Preterism is also sometimes called Classical Preterism, Historic Preterism, Hypo-Preterism (a term used by some opponents of the partial Preterist position and considered to be derogatory by partial Preterists), and Moderate Preterism.

On the other hand, some Full Preterists prefer to call their position Consistent Preterism, reflecting their extension of Preterism to all biblical prophecy and thus claiming an inconsistency in the Partial Preterist hermeneutic (4). The correct labeling of the positions in relation to each other is a matter of heated dispute amongst some Partial Preterists and Full Preterists who would reject those labels and argue for others, most notably, which view may simply be called "Preterism".

81 Partial Preterism

Partial Preterism is the older of the two views, dating back to even the 2nd century Church fathers. It identifies "Babylon the Great" (Revelation 17-18) with the ancient pagan City of Rome or Jerusalem. Some adherents of Partial Preterism see the Emperor Diocletian as the fulfillment of the "little horn" prophecy of Daniel 7. Partial Preterism is the view that almost all Biblical prophecy is past excluding the Second Coming, the Resurrection and the Judgment.

The term 'Partial Preterism' refers to that wide spectrum of thought which is not fully Futurist, but which incorporates some portion of what the Futurist view has to offer. Though there is a wide range of doctrine among Partial Preterists, they are united in the belief that some, but not all, prophecies were fulfilled in the destruction of the Jewish nation in A.D. 70. According to the main stream partial preterist, these events are yet future: the coming (Parousia) of Christ, the day of the Lord, the resurrection of the dead, the rapture of the living, the (final) judgment and the end of history.

Full Preterists do not believe in a rapture to come, whereas Partial Preterists do believe in a rapture. Both parties agree that Matthew 24 was totally fulfilled, though. Partial Preterists believe that the Scriptures in Matthew 24 that have been interpreted to refer to the rapture are misapplied references. The correct references to the rapture are found in 1 Corinthians 15, and other places. Partial Preterism states that some of the references to the coming of the Son of Man do not refer to the rapture, but rather to a judgment that occurred in 70 AD.

Generally speaking, Preterism which looks to the Apostolic time period denies dispensationalism. It teaches that there are only two covenants of God's concern: Old Testament and New Testament. Partial Preterists note that the New Testament refers to no other divisions besides Old Testament and New Testament.

Partial Preterists propose that the entire 70 weeks of Daniel, as per Daniel 9:24- 27, have been totally fulfilled in uninterrupted sequence. There is no gap between the 69th and 70th weeks. That means that there is no future tribulation period of seven years or 3.5 years. The cross of Christ fulfilled all of the purposes that God listed in decreeing the purposes of the 70 weeks, as per Daniel 9:24.

Everyone, Jew or gentile, must come into the Kingdom through repentance and baptism and faith in Christ alone as preached by Peter to the Jews in Jerusalem in Acts 2:38. There will never be another way, nor a reinstatement of the Law of Moses. Nothing but the blood of Jesus will save a soul forever. These verses say: “37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call." 40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41Those who 82 accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”

As mentioned earlier, most (but not all) Partial Preterists also believe that the term “Last Days” refers not to the last days of planet Earth, or the last days of humankind, but rather to the last days of the Mosaic Covenant, which God had exclusively with the nation of Israel until the year AD 70. The "last days", however, are to be distinguished from the "last day", which is considered still future and entails the last coming of Jesus, the physical resurrection of the righteous and unrighteous dead from the grave in like manner to Jesus' physical resurrection, the final judgment, and the creation of a literal, non-covenantal New Heavens and New Earth free from the curse of sin and death which were occasioned by the fall of Adam and Eve. Thus Partial Preterists are in agreement with the historic ecumenical creeds of the Church and articulate the doctrine of the resurrection held by the early Church Fathers.

Partial Preterists believe that the New Testament predicts and depicts many "comings" of Christ. They contend that the phrase Second Coming means the second of a like kind in a series, for the Scriptures record other "comings" of God even before Jesus' judgment-coming in AD 70. This would eliminate the AD 70 event as the "second" of any series, let alone the second of a series in which the earthly, physical ministry of Christ is the first. Partial Preterists believe that the new creation comes in redemptive progression as Christ reigns from His heavenly throne, subjugating His enemies, and will eventually culminate in the destruction of the "last enemy", i.e., physical death (1 Cor 15:20-24). In the Partial Preterist paradigm, since enemies of Christ still exist, the resurrection event cannot have already occurred.

Nearly all Partial Preterists hold to amillennialism or postmillennialism. However there are many Postmillennial Partial Preterists and many of these are also Theonomic in their outlook.

Full Preterism

Full Preterism differs from Partial Preterism in that Full Preterists believe all prophecy was fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem, including the resurrection of the dead and Jesus' Second Coming or Parousia. Full Preterism is also known by several other names: Consistent Preterism, Covenant Eschatology, Hyper-Preterism (a term used by some opponents of the Full Preterist position and considered to be derogatory by Full Preterists), and Pantelism (the term "Pantelism" comes from the Greek and means, "all things having been accomplished").

Full Preterism holds that Jesus' Second Coming is to be viewed not as a future-to- us bodily return, but rather a "return" in glory manifested by the physical destruction of Jerusalem and her Temple in AD 70 by foreign armies in a manner similar to various Old Testament descriptions of God coming to destroy other nations in righteous judgment. Full Preterism also holds that the Resurrection of the dead did not entail the raising of the physical body, but rather the resurrection of the soul from the "place of the dead", known 83 as Sheol (Hebrew) or Hades (Greek). As such, the righteous dead obtained a spiritual and substantial body for use in the heavenly realm, and the unrighteous dead were cast into the Lake of Fire. Some Full Preterists believe this judgment is ongoing and takes effect upon the death of each individual (Heb. 9:27). The New Heavens and the New Earth are also equated with the New Covenant and the fulfillment of the Law in AD 70 and are to be viewed in the same manner by which a Christian is considered a "new creation" upon his or her conversion. Full Preterists typically reject the authority of the Creeds to condemn their view, stating that the Creeds were written by uninspired and fallible men, and that appeals should be made instead to the Scriptures themselves (sola scriptura) (5).

One serious problem with the Full-Preterist system is that it leaves the New Covenant Christian (in our post-A.D. 70 era) without a canon of Scripture. If all prophecy was fulfilled prior to A. D. 70 and if the entire New Testament spoke to issues in the pre- A. D. 70 time frame, we do not have any directly relevant passages for us. The entire New Testament must be transposed before we can use it (6).

History of Preterism

Preterists tell us that the history of this millennial view began with Jesus and the Apostles. It has no Old Testament or Hebraic roots as this teaching was started by Jesus Himself when He proclaimed the message that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. All the apostles believed that Jesus' return and the “end of the age” would be in their lifetime according to the adherents of Preterism.

Preterism has been well represented by leading Bible-believing scholars through the centuries into our current day according to those who follow this position. The Didache, also known as "The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles," is probably the oldest surviving extant piece of non-canonical, extra-biblical literature that the church has to study. It claims to have been written by the twelve apostles, but this cannot be proved. While a copy of the full text of the Didache was not discovered until 1873, there are references to it in Clement of Alexandria’s Miscellanies, Eusebius’s Ecclesiastical History, and Athanasius’s Festal Letter.

If the Didache was written prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, as many scholars suggest, then its use of Matthew 24–25 to describe events that were yet to take place, including "the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven" (Matt. 24:30), makes perfect sense given a preterist interpretation of the Olivet Discourse. Three other writings of this time period which are used as proof for the Preterist position are 1 Clement, the Epistle of Barnabas, and the Shepherd of Hermas (7).

One of the best known and most accessible of the ancient Preterists is Eusebius (A.D. 260-340), the "father of church history." In his classic Ecclesiastical History he details Jerusalem's woes in A.D. 70. After a lengthy citation from Josephus's Wars of the Jews, Eusebius writes that "it is fitting to add to his accounts the true prediction of our Savior in which he foretold these very events.” He then refers to the Olivet Discourse, citing Matthew 24:19-21 as his lead reference and later Luke 21:20, 23, 24. 84 He concludes: "If any one compares the words of our Savior with the other accounts of the historian concerning the whole war, how can one fail to wonder, and to admit that the foreknowledge and the prophecy of our Savior were truly divine and marvelously strange (8).”

Another ancient document applying Matthew 24 to A.D. 70 is the Clementine Homilies: "Prophesying concerning the temple, He said: 'See ye these buildings? Verily I say to you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another which shall not be taken away Matt. 24:3; and this generation shall not pass until the destruction begin Matt. 24:34....' And in like manner He spoke in plain words the things that were straightway to happen, which we can now see with our eyes, in order that the accomplishment might be among those to whom the word was spoken (9).”

Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 150-215) discusses Daniel's seventieth week as a past event: "The half of the week Nero held sway, and in the holy city Jerusalem placed the abomination; and in the half of the week he was taken away, and Otho, and Galba, and Vitellius. And Vespasian rose to the supreme power, and destroyed Jerusalem, and desolated the holy place (10).” The famed premillennialist Tertullian (A.D. 160-225) writes of the Roman conquest: "And thus, in the day of their storming, the Jews fulfilled the seventy hebdomads predicted in Daniel (11).”

Even the Book of Revelation is applied to A.D. 70 by many in antiquity. In his Interpretation of the Revelation Andreas of Cappadocia (5th century) noted that "there are not wanting those who apply this passage to the siege and destruction of Jerusalem by Titus" (Rev. 6:12). Later he commented: "These things are referred by some to those sufferings which were inflicted by the Romans upon the Jews" (Rev. 7:1). According to noted church historian Henry Wace, Andreas' commentary is "the earliest systematic exposition of the book in the Greek church." Andreas himself informs us that he wrote it in order "to unfold the meaning of the Apocalypse, and to make the suitable application of its predictions to the times that followed it (12).”

Going ahead in history, we find the Spanish Jesuit Alcasar (1614) who greatly systematized the Preterist approach to Revelation. About this same time great reformed preterists flourished, such as Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) and Jean LeClerc (1657-1736). In fact, one of the finest intellects of the Westminster Assembly was a strong preterist: John Lightfoot (1601-1675). In his Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica (1674; rep. 1989) Lightfoot offered a preterist exposition of Matthew 24 (2:308-321), with allusions to 2 Thessalonians 2. Of the Thessalonian passage he argued that the "restrainer" therein "is to be understood of the emperor Claudius enraged at and curbing in the Jews (13).”

Lightfoot even adopted the view that Revelation 1:7 speaks of "Christ's taking vengeance on that exceeding wicked nation" of Israel (2:319 and 2:422). There he interpreted Christ's coming as a providential judgment upon "those who pierced him" (the Jews) from among "all the tribes of the land literally" (Israel). This committed Lightfoot so strongly to preterism that he suggested Revelation's overall theme is Israel's 85 judgment: "I may further add, that perhaps this observation might not a little help (if my eyes fail me not) in discovering the method of the author of the Book of the Revelation" (3:210). This led him to conclude that the "judiciary scene set up in Rev. 4 and 5, and those thrones Rev. 20:1" speak of "the throne of glory" and "is to be understood of the judgment of Christ to be brought upon the treacherous, rebellious, wicked, Jewish people. We meet with very frequent mention of the coming of Christ in his glory in this sense" (2:266) (14).

Moving even closer to our own day, the hermeneutics scholar Milton S. Terry (1840-1914) published much on the preterist scheme. His preterist convictions abundantly appear both in his classic text Biblical Hermeneutics (1885; rep. 1974) and in a separate work Biblical Apocalyptics (1898; rep. 1988). The renowned Swiss- American church historian Philip Schaff (1819-1893) also published a preterist view of Revelation in his classic History of the Christian Church (1:825-852) (15).

One of the finest preterist commentaries on Revelation was Commentary on the Apocalypse by the noted American Congregationalist, Moses Stuart (1780-1852). The still popular commentary on Revelation by Methodist scholar Adam Clarke (1762-1832) follows much of Lightfoot's commitment to an A.D. 70 focus, as does that found in The Early Days of Christianity by renowned Anglican historian, F. W. Farrar (1831-1903). Baker Book House recently republished The Message from Patmos (1921, rep. 1989) by David S. Clark, father of Presbyterian apologist Gordon S. Clark (16).

In our own generation, several reformed expositions have helped fuel the current revival of preterism. J. Marcellus Kik's The Eschatology of Victory (1971) developed the Olivet Discourse in great detail for us. Even more recent works include: David Chilton's The Great Tribulation (1987), Gary DeMar's Last Days Madness (1991), and my Perilous Times (1998) (17).

The first phase of the current revival of preterist commentaries on Revelation includes The Time Is At Hand (1966) by Jay E. Adams and Search the Scriptures: Hebrews to Revelation (1978) by Cornelis Vanderwaal. More recently still we have The Days of Vengeance (1987) by David Chilton, Revelation: Four Views (1996) by Steve Gregg, and Marvin Pate's Four Views on the Book of Revelation. R. C. Sproul's The Last Days According to Jesus (1998) employs preterism as an apologetic tool in defense of the integrity of the prophecies of Jesus (Olivet) and John (Revelation) (18).

Preterist Divisions

As we consider the history of preterism we should be aware of its various branches. Just as premillennialism has cultic (e.g., Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses), dispensational (e.g., Scofield and Ryrie), and historic (e.g., Ladd and Kromminga) expressions, so preterism has three main divisions today.

Liberal Preterists (e.g., James Moffatt, Expositor's Greek Testament 1940) generally view prophecies of A.D. 70 as ex eventu pronouncements, that is, as "after the 86 event" pseudo-prophecies. Revelation especially is deemed an editorialized compound of various Jewish and Christian oracles generated from historical responses to Jerusalem's destruction. Liberal preterists correctly recognize the A.D. 70 focus of many judgment prophecies, but wrongly deny the predictive nature of inspired prophecy. Their works often contain valuable historical and grammatical gems that may be sifted from the rubble of critical exegesis. Hyper-Preterists (such as J. S. Russell's, The Parousia, 1887, rep. 1983, 1997) provide many fine insights into preteristic passages. Unfortunately, they go too far by extending valid observations gathered from temporally-confined judgment passages (texts including such delimitations as "soon" and "at hand") to passages that are not temporally constrained and that actually prophesy the future Second Advent of Christ. This school of preterism tends to focus all eschatological pronouncements on A.D. 70, including the resurrection of the dead, the great judgment, and the second advent of Christ. Consequently, they leave the stream of historic orthodoxy by denying a future return of Christ and are even pressed by system requirements to deny the bodily resurrection of Christ. This view has developed a cult-like following of narrowly focused and combative adherents.

Evangelical (and reformed) Partial Preterists (such as R. C. Sproul) take seriously the time texts of Scripture and apply those prophecies to A.D. 70, a redemptive-historical event of enormous consequence. They argue that there God finally and conclusively broadened his redemptive focus from the Jews to all races (Matt. 28:19), from the land of Israel to the entire world (Acts 1:8), and from the temple-based worship to a simpler spiritual-based worship (John 4:21-24). Where such time markers are absent from eschatological texts, though, Evangelical Preterists apply the prophecies to the Second Advent at the end of history. The judgments in A.D. 70 are similar to those associated with the Second Advent (and to the Babylonian conquest in the Old Testament) and are actually adumbrations of the Second Advent.

Conclusion

The preterist urges the Christian interested in biblical prophecy to go "back to the future." That is, in many cases we must go back to the original audience and look to the near future. And to understand the historical nature of preterism itself, we must look beyond the current debate to the stream of interpretation running throughout Christian history (19).

87 Questions for Chapter Seven

1- When will the events of Biblical prophecy occur?

2- Why do the Preterists believe this?

3- When will the second coming of Christ occur?

4- What is Partial Preterism?

5- What is Full Preterism?

6- What is the Preterist view of the resurrection?

7- What four documents from the early church fathers are used to support the Preterist position?

8- Who is one of the most famous Preterists?

9- What are other Preterist divisions and what distinguishes them?

10- What do the Preterists mean when they say we must “go back to the future?”

88 Footnotes for Chapter Seven

1- Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., He Shall Have Dominion [Tyler, TX: Institute for Christian Economics, 1997], 162–163).

2- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eschatology.

3- http://www.religioustolerance.org/millenni.htm.

4- Sproul, R.C. The Last Days According To Jesus. p. 155.

5- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preterism.

6- Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr. A Brief Theological Analysis of Hyper-Preterism. Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics.

7- Gary DeMar. Shreds of Preterism" Among First-Century Writers. http://www.presence.tv/cms/shreds-demar.shtml.

8- Eusebius. Ecclesiastical History. 3:7:1-2; 3:7:7.

9- Clementine Homilies. 2d c.: Chapter 3:15.

10- Clement of Alexandria. Miscellanies 1:21.

11- Tertullian. An Answer to the Jews. p.8.

12- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Vol. 9. Revelation of John. reformed.org/eschaton/index.html?mainframe=/eschaton/Revelation/index.html.

13- John Lightfoot. Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica, 1674 (rep. 1989) 2:312.

14- Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr. Back to the Future - The Preterist Perspective. Kenneth Gentry.com.

15- Ibid.

16- Ibid.

89 17- Ibid.

18- Ibid.

19- Ibid.

Chapter Eight Summary

Finally, I can heartily join with my brother and say, "Let us watch therefore, for we know not what hour the Lord will come, whether midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning." "Happy is that servant who when his Lord cometh, He shall find so doing.” Josiah Litch, Millennial Grove, April 1840. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Which millennial view is correct? What should we believe? How will the end times occur? This of course, is the great debate in Eschatology. We have looked at the four major views that are held in the church today and each one uses Scripture to prove their case. For the most part they use the exact same Scriptures, but with different interpretations as to their meaning.

Interestingly the prophetic events leading up to the Second Coming of Christ are not some of the main themes of Scripture and therefore there is not a large number of Scripture verses addressing the issue. There are a great many more Scriptures that deal with end time events and how the “Last Days” will play out. We find the teachings of Christ, while He was on earth, concerning the end times in Matthew 24 & 25.

Matthew 24, 25 - Signs of the End of the Age What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

32"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Here are the signs of the end of the age that will take place before Jesus returns to the earth the second time according to Jesus Himself.

The Temple will be destroyed (Matt. 24:1, 2, 15) Many false messiahs will come (24:4,5,23-25, 26) There will be wars and rumors of wars (24:6,7) There will be natural disasters (24:7,8) There will be the persecution of true Christians (24:9,13) The religious will flee the church and the faith (24:10,12) Many false prophets will appear (24:11) 90 Wickedness will increase and people will turn to it (24:12) The Gospel will be preached to the whole world (24:14) There will be a time of great suffering (24:21-22) The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. (24:29, Isaiah 13:9-11) Then the end will come (24:14)

It can be truthfully said that all of these signs have been fulfilled in some way since Jesus returned to heaven. Not all at once and not all in one generation although many of these signs characterize every generation. Of course, how these signs were fulfilled is open to interpretation. So we cannot prove which of the four positions is correct simply by looking at these signs.

Matthew 24:36-44 According to Jesus Himself, the Day and Hour of His Return is Unknown – So Be Ready

36"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

42"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

In spite of whatever signs of His return that the Lord gave to us, He also clearly stated that no one will ever know the time when Christ will return. No matter how much we look at and for the signs of His return we will never be able to figure it out. He will come unexpectedly, so we must always be prepared, regardless of how we understand the signs.

What Will Jesus Do When He Comes Again?

1) The Son of Man will appear in the sky, and he will return to the earth literally and physically and all the nations will see Him return with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30, Acts 1:6-12).

2) All the nations of the earth will mourn (Matthew 24:30). 91 3) He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call (Matthew 24:31).

4) The angels will gather all the elect from all over the earth (Matthew 24:31).

5) The resurrection of the dead (Daniel 7:9, 10; 12:2; Revelation 20:11-13). 6) Jesus will be given all authority in heaven and earth. (Daniel 7:13, 14).

7) Jesus will sit on His throne in heavenly glory. (Matthew 25:31; Daniel 7:13, 14; Revelation 20:11; 21:1f).

8) All the nations will be gathered before him (Matthew 25:32; Revelation 20:12).

9) Jesus will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. (Matthew 25:32).

10) He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. (Matthew 25:33).

11) Then Jesus will conduct the last judgment of the dead and the living. (Matthew 25:34-46; Daniel 7:9-14, Revelation 20:11-15).

a) "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. (Matt 25:34).

b) "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41).

c) "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 21:7, 8).

15) Jesus will conquer Satan (Daniel 7:25-27; Revelation 16:15-17; 17:14; 20:7-10).

16) The earth will be destroyed. (Revelation 20:11; 21:1).

17) The new heavens and the new earth will be created and we will be brought to it. (Isaiah 66:22; 65:17; Revelation 21:1, 2).

18) The eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ will be set up and established. (Daniel 7:14; Revelation 21:3-6).

19) The formal set up of the kingdom of God - reclaiming God's Kingdom with His saints (Daniel 7:18, 22, 27; Zechariah 14:5; John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; Jude 1:14).

20) Creation will be renewed and restored to its perfect state, including us and our relationship with our Holy God and Heavenly Father. (Matthew 19:28; Romans 8:18-25). 92 All of the above verses seem to be actual teachings of Christ concerning what will happen when He returns. All the verses from Daniel, Revelation and other prophetic passages that are listed above seem to be supporting verses to the actual statements of Christ.

What about the Apocalyptic Prophetic Books and Prophecies?

Apocalyptic literature aims to discuss the final purpose of creation. It does this through symbolic language, which uses familiar descriptions to explain end time truths. This language is not meant to be taken literally. An example of symbolic language in the book of Revelation is when it talks about a dragon and a beast coming out of the sea and another coming out of the land. These are obviously figurative descriptions and not to be interpreted literally. The end times will not be characterized by demonic animals, but rather by Satan and his demons in various forms (1).

Apocalyptic literature is found in many books of the Bible but the main books of this type are Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelation. They speak a great deal about the future end times and use great amounts of symbolic language.

Daniel

The book of Daniel is not a book of the historical section of the canon: it is better categorized with the prophets. However, in chronological terms, it falls between 2 Chronicles 36:5 and 36:22 and (for the most part) before Ezra and Nehemiah. It records some historical details of that time period of the captivity of the southern kingdom and offers a number of prophecies and interpretations of those prophecies that concern the Gentile nations as well as the nation of Israel. Daniel was written between 605 and 539 B.C. and its prophecies cover from 444 B.C. to the end of human history. Daniel’s prophecies are perhaps the most detailed in the Bible (2).

The apocalyptic section is important to Christians for the image of the "Son of Man" (Dan. 7:13). According to the gospels, Jesus used this title as his preferred name for himself. The connection with Daniel's vision is made explicit in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark (Matt 26:64; Mk 14:62). Christians see this as a direct claim by Jesus that he is the Messiah.

Christians have embraced the prophecies of Daniel, as they believe they were clearly advised by the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to be watchful for their fulfillment in the "End Times" of this world. In the Olivet discourse (Mark 13:14, Matthew 24:15) Jesus himself is quoted as applying Daniel's prophecy of a desolating sacrilege set up in the temple (Dan.9:27,11:31) to a future event — the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem. This would involve the leveling of the temple, flight from Judea, and would happen in Jesus' own generation (Mark 13: 2-4, 14, and 30).

93 Many Christians today re-apply this prediction to a final tribulation immediately preceding Judgment Day. Some consider the Prophecy of Seventy Weeks to be particularly compelling due to what they interpret to be prophetic accuracy.

In Daniel are the first references to a "kingdom of God", and the most overt reference to the resurrection of the dead in the Tanakh (3). According to some modern- day scholars, Daniel 12:2 is the earliest clear reference in the Old Testament to the resurrection of the dead (Hartman and Di Lella, 1990, p. 419), with many of "your countrymen" awakening from death, some to eternal life and some to eternal disgrace. The belief in the resurrection was to be elaborated in the New Testament and Christian doctrine (4).

Daniel's presence in the royal court would have exposed him to the running of an empire. His knowledge, as in the case of other prophets served as the basis for his revelations. Daniel's importance is that of introducing the age of the gentiles, the framework for events from then to the last days. Due to its apocalyptic character and its place in both the Jewish and Christian canons, the book of Daniel has had great influence in Jewish and Christian history.

The Book of Daniel is included in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, in the section known as the Ketuvim (Hagiographa, or the "Writings"). Daniel was considered a prophet at Qumran (4Q174 [4QFlorilegium]) and later by Josephus (Antiquity of the Jews 10.11.7 §266) and the author (the "Pseudo-Philo") of Liber antiquitatum biblicarum (L.A.B. ["Book of Biblical antiquities"] 4.6, 8), and was grouped among the prophets in the Septuagint, the Jewish Greek Old Testament, and by Christians, who place the book among the prophets. However, Daniel is not currently included by the Jews in the section of the prophets, the Nebiim.

The Jewish exegete Maimonides, was so concerned that the "untutored populace would be led astray" if they attempted to calculate the timing of the Messiah that it was decreed that "Cursed be those who predict the end times." Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel lamented that the times for the fulfillment of the prophecy of Daniel "were over long ago" (Sanhedrin 98b, 97a).

Many Orthodox Jews believe that the prophecy refers to the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 AD. Secular scholars however, believe that the prophecy better fits the reign of Antiochus, and that it is an example of prophecy after the fact.

Medieval study of angels was also affected by this book, as it is the only Old Testament source for the names of any of the angels, Gabriel and Michael (Dan 9:21; 12:1). The only other angel given a name is Raphael, mentioned in the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit.

Ezekiel

94 The first chapter of the Book of Ezekiel is a description of Ezekiel's visionary encounter with the Lord who appears to him upon a chariot composed of 4 living creatures each having 4 faces and calf's feet. This agglomeration is carried about by some unusual beryl colored wheels which are also described in considerable detail. Following this introduction, Ezekiel contains three distinct sections:

Judgment on Israel - Ezekiel makes a series of denunciations against his fellow Judeans (3:22-24), warning them of the certain destruction of Jerusalem, in opposition to the words of the false prophets (4:1-3). The symbolic acts, by which the extremities to which Jerusalem would be reduced are described in Chapters 4 and 5, show his intimate acquaintance with the Levitical legislation. (See, for example, Exodus 22:30; Deuteronomy 14:21; Leviticus 5:2; 7:18,24; 17:15; 19:7; 22:8)

Prophecies against various neighboring nations: against the Ammonites (Ezek. 25:1-7), the Moabites (25:8-11), the Edomites (25:12-14), the Philistines (25:15- 17), Tyre and Sidon (26-28), and against Egypt (29-32).

Prophecies delivered after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar II: the triumphs of Israel and of the kingdom of God on earth (Ezek. 33-39); Messianic times, and the establishment and prosperity of the kingdom of God (40-48).

On the fifth day of the fourth month in the fifth year of his exile (5 Tammuz, 593 BC), he said he beheld on the banks of the Chebar the glory of God, who consecrated him as a prophet. The latest date in his book is the first day of the first month in the twenty- seventh year of his exile (1 Nisan, 571 BC); consequently, his prophecies extended over twenty-two years. His ministry extended over twenty-six years 597 - 571 BC (29:17), during part of which he was contemporary with Jeremiah, and probably also with Obadiah. According to tradition, he would also have been contemporary with Daniel.

The book of Ezekiel is a record of the prophesying of Ezekiel who delivered these oracles and prophecies orally at first. Most people accept that Ezekiel did play a part in the written record of these visions, possibly with the help of scribes or followers. Ezekiel's writing is one of the most sophisticated of all of the Old Testament Prophets. This stems from his training as a priest for the temple, as well as his experience in ministering to the elite members of the nation of Judah.

Revelation

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is the last canonical book of the New Testament in the Christian Bible. It is the only biblical book that is wholly composed of apocalyptic literature.

Revelation is considered by some to be one of the most controversial and difficult books of the Bible, with many diverse interpretations of the meanings of the various names and events in the account. Martin Luther at first considered Revelation to be 95 "neither apostolic nor prophetic" and stated that "Christ is neither taught nor known in it (5)”, and placed it in his Antilegomena. John Calvin believed the book to be canonical, yet it was the only New Testament book on which he did not write a commentary (6).

In the 4th century, Gregory of Nazianzus, and other bishops argued against including this book in the New Testament canon, chiefly because of the difficulties of interpreting it and the danger for abuse. Christians in Syria also reject it because of the Montanists' heavy reliance on it (7). In the end it was included in the accepted canon, although it remains the only book of the New Testament that is not read within the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

According to early tradition, the writing of this book took place near the very end of Domitian's reign, around 95 or 96. Others contend for an earlier date, 68 or 69, in the reign of Nero or shortly thereafter (8). The majority of modern scholars also use these dates. Those who are in favor of the later date appeal to the external testimony of the Christian father Irenaeus (d. 185), who stated that he had received information relative to this book from those who had seen John face to face. He says that "it was seen no very long time since, but almost in our day, towards the end of Domitian's reign" (A.H. 5.30.3), who according to Eusebius had started the persecution referred to in the book.

In the Biblical prophecy school of thought, the contents of Revelation constitute a prophecy of the end times; especially when interpreted in conjunction with the Book of Daniel and other eschatological sections of the Bible. This school can be further subdivided into the preterist view, which interprets the book in light of 1st-century events; the futurist view, which interprets most of the events in the book (chapter 6 onwards) as prophecy concerning the end times; and the historicist view, which regards the events in the book as occurrences spanning history from the first century through the second coming.

Some Protestant theologians argue that the Gospel of John contains a realized eschatology (Preterism). This contradicts the futurist eschatology (Pre-millennialism) described at the end of the Book (e.g., chap. 21–22). In contrast to this view, there is a third interpretation which says that even the "realized eschatology view" is not a fully "realized eschatology," i.e. God's kingdom has been initiated but has not been entirely implemented (Partial Preterism). This view is generally called the "already but not yet" state of God's kingdom. A differing view is held by Catholics and the Orthodox Church. Both ascribe to the idea that the Church is the visible Kingdom and Government spoken of in Isaiah, which God set up entirely until the end of time. Their joint view of the historicity of the entire prophecy of both books (John and Revelation); and also of the prophecy contained in Matthew 23, is based upon Matthew 23:36 and Revelation 11:19- 12:18. The narrative is considered a metaphor for the Church and its followers, showing that God will protect them. The "whore of Babylon" and "666" are therefore often considered to be a type of apostolic code, pre-Christian Rome and Emperor Nero respectively, each referring to events that have already come to pass (9).

96 What About Israel in the End Times?

The Lord's redeeming love is one of the great threads of the story of salvation that is set forth in the prophets. This love is not only for individuals, but also for the nations. And if it is true for the nations, it is certainly true for Israel!

The story of Israel's redemption is key to the world's future that is foretold by God. This is why it is given such great attention by the Apostle Paul in Romans 9-11. Yet, as marvelous as Israel's restoration may be, it does not stand alone. It is part and parcel of the glorious work of renewal that the Lord knew even from before Creation. The Word reveals so much to us about the redemption and blessing of Israel.

Israel's Election and the Chosen Remnant

The Apostle Paul's characterization of Israel's present situation is captured by the word remnant. This concept was familiar to the Jewish readers of Paul's day who were well versed in the Hebrew Bible.

Paul first refers to the remnant in Romans 9, as he quotes from the prophet Isaiah, "For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them will return..." (Isaiah 10:22a). He returns to it again in Romans 11, in the familiar reference of the Lord's answer to Elijah's anguished lament that he was the only faithful Israelite left: "...I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal" (Romans 11:4).

Now Paul takes this familiar imagery in a new direction. He writes, "Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work" (Romans 11:5-6).

Drawing a parallel between the faithful few of former times, Paul likens them to the Jewish believers in Messiah in his own day. Although these Messianic Jews may not yet be numerous, they stand in the midst of all Israel as faithful followers of the God of Israel and His Messiah.

The Remnant and the End Time

Finally, Paul directs our gaze to the revealed mystery (revelation) toward which all of history presses - a history that is bound up with the inclusion of believing Gentiles and the long-awaited national repentance of Israel. The concept of the ingathering of the remnant is closely connected with the Day of the Lord - the consummation of history as we know it. 97 Quoting again from Isaiah, Paul writes, "And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins'" (Romans 11:26- 27).

For Paul, the remnant represents those who have been tested and have remained true. They are a sign of hope that points to Israel's glorious future. At "the fullness of the Gentiles" (Romans 11:25), Israel will be fully restored to God and the promise to Abraham concerning the nations in Genesis 12:3 will be completely fulfilled (10). However, all of this will be done through “the Deliverer who will come out of Zion” – the Lord Jesus Christ.

98 Questions for Chapter Eight

1- Which signs of Christ’s coming have happened that can be shown from history?

2- Which signs of Christ’s coming are happening today?

3- What signs do some say are still not fulfilled?

4- Which eschatological position is proven to be true by these signs?

5- How can we know for sure when Jesus will return?

6- What are the five main activities that will take place when Jesus returns again?

7- What is apocalyptical literature and what does it do?

8- Where do we find apocalyptic literature?

9- What is going to happen to Israel in the end times?

10- What is the ‘remnant?”

11- How will they be saved?

99 Footnotes for Chapter Eight

1-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eschatology

2- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Daniel

3-Ibid.

4-Ibid.

5- The canonicity of Revelation was disputed by Marcion, Caius of Rome, Dionysius of Alexandria, Cyril of Jerusalem and the Synod of Laodicea in A.D. 360, though it was accepted by most as Eusebius reports. In the annotations of his edition Erasmus had noted in connection with chapter 4 that the Greeks regarded the book as apocryphal.

6- Anthony A. Hoekema. The Bible and the Future, p.297.

7- N. B. Stonehouse, Apocalypse in the Ancient Church, pp. 139-142, esp. p. 138.

8- Before Jerusalem Fell, ISBN 0930464206. Powder Springs, GA: American Vision, 1989.

9- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Revelation

10- chosenpeople.com/main/article/israels_glorious_future_redemption_in_messiah.html

100 Appendix #1 Scriptures Concerning Jesus as the Son of Man

Matthew 12:38-42, Mark 8:11-13, Luke 11:29-32 “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.”

Matthew 13:37, 41-42 “In explaining the Parable of the Weeds: He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.... The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Christians commonly take the phrase "son of man" in this passage to refer to Jesus himself, rather than humanity in general.

Luke 18:31-34, Mark 10:32-34, Matthew 20:17-19 - Predicting His Death and Resurrection Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.” Christians generally interpret this passage as referring to Jesus' own imminent death and resurrection.

Mark 8:38-9:1 (NRSV), Matthew 16:27-28, Luke 9:26-27 - Return of the Son of Man “Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’ And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

101 John 1:49-51 “Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” This passage may be an allusion to Jacob's Ladder. In any case, the implication is that seeing the angels ascending and descending on the "son of man" (i.e. the speaker, Jesus) would be a great wonder.

John 5:25-27 “Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.”

John 8:28 “When you see the Son of Man lifted up, then you shall know I am.”

John 12:34-36 “The crowd answered him, ‘We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?’ Jesus said to them, ‘The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.’ After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them.”

Acts 7:54-57 “When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him.”

Christian scholars believe that the author of Acts includes this reference to "the Son of Man" as a direct reference to Jesus and his previous ascension. That in Daniel 7, "the Son of Man" refers to his ascending back to his rightful throne and this is the precise picture of him fulfilling such a role as he receives the spirit of Stephen and judges the Pharisees who stoned Stephen, although the complete Judgment will occur at the "Great White Throne" judgment at the end of the age.

Hebrews 2:6-9 “But one testified in a certain place, saying: "What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet." For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do 102 not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. “

Revelation 1:12-18 “Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lamp stands, and in the midst of the seven lamp stands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.... Christians believe that "the Son of Man" described in this passage is the person Jesus.”

Revelation 14:14 “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.”

Appendix 2 Pre-Millennial Views

 Historic Premillennialism (No distinction between Israel and the Church)

 The Anti-Christ appears

 The 7 year tribulation begins

 The rapture occurs

 The forces of evil are conquered

 Christ and the church returns to earth physically

 Jesus will reign as King over the earth from Jerusalem and the faithful will live during these thousand years of peace in Jerusalem, while occupying spiritual bodies. Redeemed Israel will be the center of the government and will spread the Gospel to the nations. There will be national redemption for the nation of Israel but individual redemption for everyone else

 After this period, all people are judged.

 The faithful will spend eternity on a new earth, (not in heaven). 103 Dispensational Premillennialists (Israel and the Church are Separate)

Pre-Trib view  Christ comes for the first time in the first century

 Christ will return the second time secretly to rapture his saints, leaving all others behind

 The 7 years of tribulation occur

 Christ returns to earth the third time (this time publically), this time with His Church to rule for a Millennium

Post-Trib view  The Anti-Christ appears

 Interval of peace

 42 months later a sudden shift occurs, a peace treaty is broken, and devastation begins

 The 7 years of tribulation occur

 The rapture occurs

 Christ returns to earth with His Church to rule for a Millennium

Mid-Trib View  The Anti-Christ appears

 The 7 years of tribulation begin with a time of peace

 The Rapture occurs 42 months into the 7 years

 After this time the a sudden shift occurs, a peace treaty is broken, and devastation 104 begins and the tribulation continues

 After this period, all people are judged. Pre-Wrath View  The Anti-Christ appears

 The Rapture occurs just before the wrath of the Tribulation begins (21 months before the end of the Tribulation)

Partial Rapture View  The faithful born-again believers are raptured

 The Rapture of new believers occurs just before the end of the Tribulation period

Appendix 3 Amillennial View

 Ascension of Jesus into Heaven

 Jesus is seated at the right Hand of God the Father Almighty, reigning and ruling over His Kingdom today

 The Millennium begins at Pentecost

 The church and its spread of the good news is Christ's kingdom

 The binding of Satan described in Revelation has already occurred; he has been prevented from "deceiving the nations" by preventing the spread of the gospel.

105  Satan will remain just as active as always up until the second coming of Christ, and therefore good and evil will remain mixed in strength throughout history and even in the church. Good and evil will continue in the world until the current Church Age ends suddenly as Christ returns to the sky above the earth.

 The Second Coming of Christ to earth physically and literally

 The Rapture follows

o The Redeemed are transported to heaven where they will recieve spiritual bodies.

o The majority of humanity will be sent to Hell at this time for eternal punishment.

 The world will be abandoned.

 History is no more.

 We enter into eternity

 Under this belief system, we are currently living in the Millennium and in the Tribulation period.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/millenni.htm

Appendix 4 Postmillennial View

 The Ascension of Christ back to Heaven

 The Millennium begins and we are living in it today. The millennium is “interadvent” that is the time between the first and second coming of the Lord, however long that time is.

 The kingdom of God is now being extended through the servants of that kingdom, preaching the gospel.

 At the end of this kingdom age, there will be an age of righteousness and worldwide turning to Christ

 Second Coming

 Resurrection

106  Judgment

 Heaven and Hell

Appendix 5

107 Appendix 6 Preterist View

108 Bibliography

Greg L. Bahnsen. The Prima Facie Acceptability of Postmillennialism. The Journal of Christian Reconstruction, Vol. III, No. 2, Covenant Media Foundation, Winter, 1976-77. A discussion of the recent decline in the espousal of postmillennialism.

J.W. Bailey. The Temporary Messianic Reign in the Literature of Early Judaism, Journal of Biblical Literature, 1934. A general surveys of ancient millenarian passages.

Robin Bruce Barnes, Prophecy and Gnosis: Apocalypticism in the Wake of the Lutheran Reformation. Stanford, CA; Stanford University Press, 1988. This book weaves together a story about views of time and history, eschatology, astrology, magic and secret societies in Lutheran Germany in the century following the Reformation.

G.K. Beale, The Book of Revelation, The New International Commentary on the Greek Testament, Grand Rapids, MI; Erdmans Publishing Co., 1999. Well-written and thoroughly done book from an amillennial perspective. One of the best in terms of applying interpretational methods.

William Carr Blood. The Final Exodus. Carrollton, GA; Thomasson Printing Company, 1998, 90 pages. This book is about the salvation of the Jews at the end of time.

Loraine Boettner. Immortality. Philadelphia, PA; Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing, 1976, 159 pages. This book is about death and the state of the soul after death.

Loraine Boettner. The Millennium. Philipsburg, NJ; Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing, 1990. This is a systematized summary of the three main forms of millennial beliefs in the church of the day.

Harold O.J. Brown. Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Church. Peabody, MA; Hendrickson Publishers, 1988. This book presents the story of how succeeding generations of Christians through almost twenty centuries have tried to understand, trust, and obey Jesus Christ.

John Calvin. Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles, Philadelphia, PA; Westminster Press, 1960, Vol. II. This work gives the reader the best information regarding Calvin's thoughts on the Church and Church Government, Calvin's hermeneutic, Calvin's theology of God, Calvin's epistemology, Calvin's Soteriology, the benefits of the grace of Christ,

109 his views on the Papacy (of his day), the Roman Catholic Church, the current state of Christendom, and much more.

Donald Campbell. Daniel: Decoder of Dreams. Wheaton, IL; Victor Books, 1973. 143 pages. A study in the life and ministry of Daniel.

David Chilton, Paradise Restored: A Biblical Theology of Dominion, Fort Worth, TX; Dominion Press, 1985. This work examines the defeatist theology held by many evangelicals and gives us an alternative – full preterism.

R.H. Charles. Revelation, Volume 2: 15-21. International Critical Commentary. Edinburgh, Scotland; T&T Clark, 1920. Robert Henry Charles (1855-1931) was a biblical scholar who was considered the greatest scholar in the early 20th century regarding Jewish eschatology and apocalyptic. (See Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 324.)

Robert Clouse, Editor. The Meaning of the Millennium. Downers Grove, IL; Intervarsity Press, 1977. 216 pages. Four views of the millennium presented by George Ladd, Herman Hoyt, Loraine Boettner and Anthony Hoekema

E. Randolph Daniel, Joachim of Fiore: Patterns of History in the Apocalypse in Richard K. Emmerson and Bernard McGinn, editors, The Apocalypse in the Middle Ages. Ithaca, NY; Cornell University Press, 1993. Articles and essays that focus on the competing eschatologies of the Middle Ages.

Gene Edwards. The Return. Wheaton, IL; Tyndale House Publishers, 1996. 163 pages. A venture into the mysteries of what happens after the Lord returns to heaven with the redeemed.

Charles Lee Feinberg. The Prophecy of Ezekiel, The Glory of the Lord. Chicago, IL; Moody Press, 1969. 279 pages. Commentary on the book of Ezekiel.

John M. Frame. Machen's Warrior Children. Grand Rapids, MI; Baker Book House, 2003. This article discusses how those in the Reformed Tradition have responded Contrary to the many 'bright new ideas' have appeared from their traditions.

Peter Gammons. Israel in Prophesy. Self Published by Peter Gammons, nd. 45 pages. A book on who Israel is at the end of time.

110 Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr. Back to the Future - The Preterist Perspective. Kenneth Gentry.com. Article on Preterism.

Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr. He Shall Have Dominion: A Postmillennial Eschatology. Tyler, TX; Institute for Christian Economics, 1992. Dr. Gentry leaves no stone unturned as he deals seriously with the arguments typically leveled at Postmillennialism.

Mona Johnian. God’s New World Order: Life in the Millennium. South Plainfield, NJ; Bridge Publishing, 1992. 195 pages. This book seeks to provide insights into what it will be like to live in the millennium after the return of Christ.

James B. Jordan. Biblical Horizons Newsletter No. 6: An Antidote for Yuppie Postmillennialism. August, 1989. Article on Postmillennialism.

Paul S. Karleen. The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church: Is It Biblical? Langhorne, PA; BF Press, 1991. 102 pages. This is an evaluation and challenge of the Pre-Wrath view of the rapture.

J. Marcellus Kik, Eschatology of Victory. Pilipsberg, NJ; Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Company, 1992. For Christians who think the world is going to get worse and worse, with the Church becoming more and more impotent, this book provides a seriously different interpretation of Matt. 24.

John Lightfoot. Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica, Peabody, MA; Hendrickson Publishers, 1979. This work attempts to fully use the Talmud and other related Jewish materials to make clear to us the life, times and teaching of the New Testament.

Robert P. Lightner. The Last Days Handbook. Nashville, TN; Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990. 201 pages. A survey of the major positions and differences among evangelical Christians concerning the interpretation of unfulfilled prophecy.

Herbert Lockyer. All the Messianic Prophecies of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI; Zondervan Publishing House, 1973. 340 pages on the Second Coming of Christ. This is a compendium of all the prophecies in Scripture concerning the promised Messiah arranged in a systematic format.

111 Leon Morris. New Testament Theology. Grand Rapids, MI; Zondervan Publishing Company, 1986. 333 pages. This is a theology book that walks through the New Testament and gives focus to the Second coming of Christ.

Iain H Murray, The Puritan Hope: Revival and the Interpretation of Prophecy. Carlisle, PA; Banner of Truth Trust. 1971. Murray details the relationship of Puritan postmillennialism to their motivation for world missions. Missionaries went boldly into various parts of the earth knowing that Christ has already won the victory over Satan's kingdom at the cross and had promised the victory of the church in history.

Jacob Neusner and William Scott Green. Eschatology in The Dictionary of Judaism in the Biblical Period: 450 B.C.E. to 600 C.E. Ed., Vol. 1. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Macmillan, 1996. This reference book defines concepts, religious practices, theological terms, persons, places, and essential vocabulary from the writings of Judaism, ranging from the time of the Pentateuch's final formation until the close of the Babylonian Talmud.

D.M. Panton. The Judgment Seat of Christ. Miami Springs, FL; Conley & Schoettle Publishing Co., Inc. 80 pages. This is a book about the last judgment of Christ.

Randall Price. The Coming Last Days Temple. Eugene, Oregon; Harvest House Publishers, 1999. 705 pages. This book surveys the latest developments concerning the rebuilding of the Temple in Israel and offers a perspective on how they fit together with Biblical prophecies.

David Reagan. The Master Plan. Eugene, Oregon; Harvest House Publishers, 1993. 236 pages. This book tries to make sense of the controversies surrounding Bible prophecy today.

Marjorie Reeves, The Influence of Prophecy in the Later Middle Ages: A Study of Joachimism. London, England; Oxford University Press, 1969. This is the major work on Joachim's thought as a whole.

Marv Rosenthal. The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church. Nashville, TN; Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990. 307 pages. This book is labeled a “new understanding” of the rapture, the tribulation and the second coming.

112 Richard Ruhling. The Bridegroom Comes. Belleville, Ontario; Essence Publishing, 1961, 175 pages. This book is about an alternative to the belief in the rapture and the event that brings about the Second Coming.

Charles Ryrie. Come Quickly Lord Jesus. Eugene Oregon; Harvest House Publishers, 1996. 139 pages. This is a teaching about the rapture.

RC Sproul. The Last Days According to Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI; Baker Book House, 1998, 245 pages. This is a book defending the partial preterist view of the end times.

Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2006.

John Schmitt & J. Carl Laney. Messiah’s Coming Temple. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1997, 187 pages. This book provides a description of the millennial worship center.

M. Simonetti, “Millenarism” in Encyclopedia of the Early Church, Translated by Adrian Walford, Volume 1. New York, NY; Oxford University Press, 1992. A comprehensive source on the first eight centuries of Christianity (through approximately AD 753).

Paul Lee Tan. The Interpretation of Prophecy. Winona Lake, IN; BMH Books, Inc., 1974. 360 pages. This is a comprehensive study of how to understand prophecy in the Scriptures.

Cornelius Van Til. The Defense of the Faith. Philadelphia, PA; The Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1955 – 299 pages. This book is on apologetics and teaches us how to share the Gospel and defend the faith. It covers many subjects including the second coming of Christ.

Robert Van Kampen. The Prewrath Rapture Position Explained. Grand Rapids, MI; Revel Publishing, 1999, 93 pages. This book explains the prewrath millennial position which the author developed with Marv Rosenthal.

Robert Van Kampen. The Rapture Question Answered. Grand Haven, MI; Sola Scriptura Publishing, 1999, 207 pages. This book explains in depth the prewrath millennial position which the author coined with Marv Rosenthal.

Robert Van Kampen. The Sign. Wheaton, IL; Good News Publishers, 1992, 518 pages. This book concerns the signs that will take place before the return of the Lord to earth. 113 John F. Walvoord, The Millennial Kingdom, Grand Rapids, MI; Zondervan, 1959. A book on prophecy dealing with the Millennium.

B. B. Warfield, The Apocalypse in Selected Shorter Writings, Vol II. Presbyterian and Reformed: Phillipsburg, 1971. This is Warfield’s article on the last days.

B. B. Warfield, The Millennium and the Apocalypse in Biblical Doctrines, Vol. II in Works. Baker Book House: Grand Rapids. n.d. This is Warfield’s views on the end times contained in his collected works.

Robert K. Whalen, “Premillennialism” in The Encyclopedia of Millennialism and Millennial Movements. New York: Routledge, 2000. Information that brings together 160 millennial movements and theories and focuses on their “end of time” aspects.

114 Millennial Positions: A Survey (Eschatology)

Rev. G. Michael Saunders, Sr.

Teacher’s Manual

115 Teacher’s Manual

Course Description

This course is part of the Theological Studies course and provides an overview of the four major eschatological positions. This course gives also speaks to the issue of why the study of eschatology is important and what it should accomplish in the hearts of God’s people and in the church today.

The course is not auto-didactic. Nor is it principally academic in nature. A mature teacher must be prepared to play the role of mentor to his students, rather than a mere instructor.

The number of students in the class should be small, to allow for the interchange necessary in the mentoring process. Eight to twelve students are the ideal number. The course should be as practical as possible, helping the student to learn how to come to theological and doctrinal beliefs based on Scripture alone.

Finally, the teacher must keep in mind, at all times, that the goal for this class is for the student to learn how to understand the prophetic teachings of Scripture and how to use them for the spread of the Gospel.

Purpose of the Course

To give the student tools with which to formulate an eschatological position and how to use it for the spread of the Gospel: Why is there going to be a Second Coming of Christ? What is going to happen when Jesus comes the second time? What are the signs that will occur when Jesus returns? When will the end times happen? What events will happen at the end times? How can we use eschatology for the spread of the Gospel?

Summary of Course Content.

This course will give the student the information needed to formulate his eschatological view based on the Scriptures and how to use that view to further the Kingdom of God on earth.

Course Materials.

Michael Saunders. Signs Of The Times. Miami, Florida; M.I.N.T.S., 2008.

RC Sproul. The Last Days According to Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI; Baker Book House, 1998.

116 Loraine Boettner. The Millennium. Philipsburg, NJ; Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing, 1990.

Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr. He Shall Have Dominion: A Postmillennial Eschatology. Tyler, TX; Institute for Christian Economics, 1992.

Objectives of the course.

1- Student participation in classroom discussion 2- Student comprehension of course materials 3- Student familiarization with course bibliography 4- Student development of ministry skills in evangelism 5- Student’s retention of course materials and application to real ministry 6- Student’s application of course materials to their own ministry

These objectives will be evaluated in four ways (See evaluation of the course).

Structure of the Course.

How the course will be conducted.

1. For students studying at a distance and not attending course lectures: a. The student will contact the MINTS Academic Dean in order to sign up for the course and be assigned a supervising professor. b. The student will identify his or her mentor, who will locally oversee the course. The mentor will verify that all of the lessons have been read and homework completed. Note: The supervising professor of MINTS must approve the mentor. c. The student will download the course syllabus and begin studies. d. The mentor will send the lesson completion chart, the exam completion chart and the case study to the supervising professor. e. The supervising professor will review and record the grades, ensure that they are registered with the MINTS Registrar and that the final grade is sent to the student and mentor.

2. For students studying at a distance who attend course lectures: a. MINTS provides an orientation to the course (by invitation by a professor). b. The student will attend 15 hours of lectures. c. The student will complete the lesson assignments and give them to the professor, who also serves as the mentor. d. The supervising MINTS professor will review the student’s work (attendance, lesson completion and case study grade) and have the final grade registered with the MINTS Registrar. The Registrar will send the group leader the student’s final grade.

117 Lesson Development

Lesson 1 – The Second Coming of Christ Homework: 1. Read chapter one and two of Michael Saunders’ The Signs of the Times. 2. Answer the 10 questions at the end of each chapter. 3. Write a one page paper on how the doctrine of the Second coming of Christ affects the way you share the Gospel with others.

Lesson 2 - Prophecy and Evangelism Turn In This Week: 1. The 10 questions at the end of chapter one and two. 2. The one page paper on how the doctrine of the Second coming of Christ affects the way you share the Gospel with others. Homework: 1. Read chapter three of Michael Saunders’ The Signs of the Times. 2. Answer the 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 3. Write a one page paper on the relationship between Prophecy and Evangelism.

Lesson 3 – Eschatology Turn In This Week: 1. The 10 questions at the end of chapter. 2. The one page paper on the relationship between Prophecy and Evangelism. Homework: 1. Read chapter four of Michael Saunders’ The Signs of the Times. 2. Answers to the 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 3. Make a sermon series outline for a four-week series on The Study of the Events of the Last Days.

Lesson 4 – Pre-Millennialism Turn In This Week: 1. The 10 questions at the end of the chapter 2. A sermon series outline for a four-week series on The Study of the Events of the Last Days. Homework: 1. Read chapter five of Michael Saunders’ The Signs of the Times. 2. Answers to the 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 3. Make your own chart of the events of the last days according to the premillennial position.

118 Lesson 5 – Amillennialism Turn In This Week: 1. The 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 2. Your own chart of the events of the last days according to the premillennial position. Homework: 1. Read chapter six of Michael Saunders’ The Signs of the Times. 2. Answers to the 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 3. Make your own chart of the events of the last days according to the amillennial position.

Lesson 6 – Post-Millennialism Turn In This Week: 1. The 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 2. Your own chart of the events of the last days according to the amillennial position. Homework: 1. Read chapter seven of Michael Saunders’ The Signs of the Times. 2. Answers to the 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 3. Make your own chart of the events of the last days according to the post-millennial position.

Lesson 7 – Preterism Turn In This Week: 1. The 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 2. Your own chart of the events of the last days according to the postmillennial position. Homework: 1. Read chapter eight of Michael Saunders’ The Signs of the Times. 2. Answers to the 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 3. Make your own chart of the events of the last days according to the preterist position.

Lesson 8 – Summary Turn In This Week: 1. The 10 questions at the end of the chapter. 2. Your own chart of the events of the last days according to the preterist position. 3. A one page paper on your millennial view, how you arrived at that view and why you believe it.

Requirements of the course

The student will attend 15 hours of class and participate in the discussion time. Answer the questions at the end of each chapter correctly. The student will complete reading and writing assignments required between classes. 119 The student will complete a comparative chart of the four major eschatological positions. The students will become familiar with readings related to the course theme(s). The student must pass the final comprehensive exam (for credit students only).

Evaluation of the course

Student participation: One point may be given (15%) for each class hour attended.

Quizzes: One point (8%) for each class quiz passed.

Student homework: Two points may be given (15%) for each homework assignment for the 8 lessons.

Student readings: Bachelor level students will read 300 extra pages and write a 3-page book report. Master level students will read 500 pages and write a 5-page book report. Doctoral level students will read 5000 pages and present an annotated bibliography (20%).

Student case study: The writer of the course will assign a Ministry Plan, which puts knowledge into action (17%).

Student exam: The student will demonstrate his/her understanding of the main concepts and content of the course materials (25%).

Benefits of the course

This course will give the student a plan to teach the Scriptural prophecies concerning the second coming of the Messiah and show how they were fulfilled. This will allow the student to use the teachings of the Scripture in evangelistic endeavors.

Closing Remarks

The student will be able to conclude this course with a clear understanding of his eschatological views and thus have several tools for ministry in Theology and Evangelistic outreach.

120 Questions for Chapter One

1-What is the Second Coming of Christ? The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is the unshakeable belief of Christians that God is in control of all things, and that He is faithful to the promises and prophecies in His Word. This is one of the cardinal beliefs of the Christian faith. The Second Coming of our Savior is the time when He will return to take us to the place that He has prepared for us so that we might live in His wonderful presence for all eternity.

2-Why is there going to be a Second Coming? This is an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic prophecy, such as the general resurrection of the dead, last judgment of the dead and the living, and the formal set up of the kingdom of God. This will fulfill God’s plan of redemption for His creation. Ultimately however, Jesus is coming back because of what the author of Hebrews says in 9:28, "So also Christ died only once as an offering for the sins of many people; and He will come again, but not to deal again with our sins. This time He will come bringing salvation to all those who are eagerly and patiently waiting for Him." At Jesus' second coming, we will fully experience the reality of our salvation. I Corinthians 1:7-8, "Now you have every grace and blessing; every spiritual gift and power for doing His will are yours during this time of waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. And He guarantees right up to the end that you will be counted free from all sin and guilt on that day when He returns."

3-Does anyone confirm Jesus’ teachings on the Second Coming? If so where? The Angels in Acts 1:6-12 at Jesus' Ascension: “So when the apostles had come together, they asked Jesus, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards the sky, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken away from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go to heaven.’ Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem.”

4-What will Jesus do at the Second Coming? The doctrine of the Second Coming is the belief that Jesus' will literally and physically return to earth itself (Acts 1:6-12), conducting a final judgment of all people (Daniel 7:9,10), conquering Satan (Revelation 16:15-17 and 17:14) and reclaiming God's Kingdom with His saints (1 Thessalonians 3:13; Zechariah 14:5; Jude 1:14).

5-What is important about Jesus calling Himself the “Son of man?” What is important about Jesus calling Himself the Son of Man is that He is claiming for Himself the position and authority that God gives to the Son of Man in

121 Daniel’s prophecy. Jesus is saying that He is the Son of Man that Daniel was talking about. Jesus is God and He is the Messiah.

6-When will the Second Coming occur? As soon as someone predicts the day or time of Jesus Christ's second coming, that prediction is wrong. Why? Because only God the Father knows when it will be -- Jesus didn't even know while He was on the earth. Jesus told His disciples: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with the hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come" (Matthew 24:36, 40 & 42). So it is impossible to know when the Second Coming will occur.

7-What is prophecy? The study of prophecy is the study of the signs of the Second Coming, their various interpretations and when, where and how they will occur. However, Prophecy is very different from history. It is not intended to give us knowledge of the future in the same way that history gives us knowledge of the past. When we treat prophecy like a “history” of the future we often have to force events into the prophetic belief and this leads to false teaching.

8-Why do we study prophecy? We study prophecy to try to understand our beliefs about the last days.

9-Why is the Second Coming important? When the Lord Jesus comes, the curse, which was pronounced upon creation, will be removed. Romans 8:18-25 says, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

10-What will the Second Coming be like for believers ultimately? For those who know Jesus Christ as their own personal Lord and Savior, the end of time will bring eternal holiness, joy, delight and peace in the presence of our Holy God.

122 Questions for Chapter Two

1-Why should we study prophecy? 1) Every Christian who trusts in God believes that God controls his future. He believes that God has interpreted the future; he believes that the future will come to pass as God has planned it. Prophecy illustrates this point. To put it simply, we study the Bible, including prophecy, because we want and need to know what God is calling us to do. 2) The literal fulfillment of its prophecies demonstrates that the Bible is accurate. 3) Prophecy offers confident hope in a hopeless age. 4) Those who study biblical prophecy will have less difficulty distinguishing balanced from unbalanced teaching than will those who do not search the Scriptures. 5) The literal fulfillment of so many prophecies in the life of one individual transcends any mere coincidence and serves to validate that Jesus was who He said He was - the divine Son of God. 6) The study of prophecy tends to purify the believer. Its practical relevance is attested to in that all the NT writers testify to the fact that the study of prophecy will motivate holy living.

2-What does prophecy promote? Evangelism. The balanced teaching of prophecy is a vital part of evangelism. As we see things getting close to the end, prophecy should make us want to redouble our efforts to support evangelism at all levels. Prophecy is only useful to the church and to God’s people in as much as it encourages, excites, and drives us to be actively sharing the Gospel with the lost.

3-How does prophecy promote evangelism? Prophecy is the impetus that drives us to preach the Gospel fervently, with intensity and with urgency.

4-Why is this important? It is important to state once again that while the Lord uses prophecy in our spiritual growth He has not called us to spend our time studying prophecy. Rather, He has called us to be actively sharing the Gospel with the lost. Jesus did tell us to be ready for His second coming and so there is a place for the study of prophecy. The meaning of being ready, however, is to know Christ as our Savior and to be telling others about saving faith in Christ alone.

5-What is prophecy about? Prophecy is the study of the events that the Bible states will take place in the future and in this case specifically, before the second coming.

6-What is the problem with prophecy? You cannot know for sure when it has been fulfilled without some kind of obvious verification. Prophecy is something you can know to be fulfilled by looking back in time, but not by looking to the future. What is more, prophetic events almost never take place in the way we expect them too.

123 7-Are we living in the last days? I think it is spiritually healthy for us to believe that we are living in the last days of time. Whether are not they are the last days of time before the Lord returns these are the only days of our lives. Technically speaking the “last days” are all those days between the ascension of Jesus into heaven and His return to us from heaven. So there is a measure of truth to this belief for every generation.

8-How does it help us to believe that we are living in the last days? Believing that we are living in the last days give us the urgency we need to be faithful in and about the work of the Master.

9-How are we to be living for Christ in the Last Days? The only major job assignment Jesus gave Christians to perform until he comes again is the Great Commission. There are two parts to this assignment: 1) Preach and teach the gospel to all nations, and 2) obviously, to those who respond favorably, baptize them and teach them to observe all things, whatsoever Jesus had commanded them. The Matthew 28 passage was spoken in similar time sequence to Acts 1:8-9, where Jesus said this, "But ye shall receive the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

10-What is our purpose as Christians? We have Paul’s own example of a dual purpose of life – living godly and proclaiming the grace of Christ. In the closing verses of the Acts of the Apostles we have what is probably the last view, on earth, of the apostle Paul. He was in bondage in Rome, but he was still permitted to preach. "And Paul dwelt in his own house, and received all that came unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him” Acts 28:30.

Questions for Chapter Three

1-What is Eschatology? The study of what the Bible says is going to happen in the end times.

2-Why should we study eschatology when there is so much controversy and division over the various positions? While caution may be somewhat understandable (considering the wild and unscriptural prophesies proliferating Christian literature today) it is nonetheless a great disservice to God. For God did not incorporate eschatology into the Scriptures to be ignored, or cast aside as insignificant in our relationship with Him. False eschatology is not an excuse to shun eschatology, for true Christianity is the hope of communion with God. Eschatology is essential to sound Christian doctrine.

3-What are the four main views of eschatology? Amillennialism, Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, and Preterism

124 4-Can’t these views be combined or made compatible with each other? The four major theologies of the eschatology are incompatible with each other. Therefore at best only one of these eschatological positions can be the truth of Scripture.

5-How do the four views interpret Scripture? Premillennialists place strong emphasis on literal interpretation and pride themselves on taking Scripture just as it is written. Post- and Ami1lennialists on the other hand, mindful of the fact that much of both the Old and New Testament unquestionably is given in figurative or symbolical language, have no objection on principle against figurative interpretation and readily accept that, if the evidence indicates that it is preferable. Preterist interpret the Scriptures as being completely fulfilled in the first century.

6-What two kinds of prophecy are there? What is the difference between them? Prophetic and Apocalyptic Eschatology. Prophetic eschatology describes the people of God’s past experiences and traditions as it looks toward their future, in an attempt to give hope to the present people. Apocalyptic eschatology does quite the opposite, looking to the end times as a means of bringing about a new, different world that is beyond this one; apocalyptic eschatology has lost all hope in the people of God’s present times.

7-What did the Jews believe about the last days? The End of Days in Jewish eschatology encompasses a number of interwoven themes: Jewish messianism, the ingathering of the exiles, rebuilding of the Temple, animal sacrifice, the World to come, an ambiguous term that may refer to the afterlife, the messianic world, or the life of the resurrected.

8-Who influenced the Catholic Church and what do they believe about the last days? Augustine of Hippo in his work "The City of God." They claim a non-literal fulfillment of prophecy. Catholics anticipate Jesus coming to earth and gathering the Church together. They believe in the resurrection, the judgment, heaven and hell and the creation of the new heavens and the new earth at the end of time.

9-What is the crux of all millennial arguments? The crux of all eschatological positions is the millennium. Will the Lord’s second coming take place before the millennium, after the millennium or during the millennium? For Preterist the millennium has already happened. Then in each view of the millennium there is the discussion of what will be the order of end time events? The arrangement of these events, their chronology, their description and timing all determine which view of eschatology a person holds to.

10-Why isn’t this doctrine more clear to us? Biblical passages predicting the future are ambiguous. The events themselves are open to many interpretations. There is no clear indication of either their timing or sequence. This leaves the passages open to many conflicting beliefs about the end times.

125 Questions for Chapter Four

1-What is the main premise of Pre-millennialism? Premillennialism in Christian eschatology is the belief that Christ will literally reign on the earth for 1,000 years at his second coming.

2-What will happen during this thousand year time? Christ will begin a literal one thousand-year reign upon a literal throne in the Middle East. He will reign and govern from physical Jerusalem, and peace will rule on earth from the nation of Israel. Future, redeemed Israel will be the center of government and the spreading of the gospel to the nations of the world.

3-What is the Pre-millennialist view of salvation for the Jews? Generally, Premillennialists believe in two separate and unequal programs. A national or racial (rather than individual) salvation plan for the Jewish people, and another separate plan for everyone else (any non-Jew or Gentile).

4-How does Historic premillennialism view Israel? Historic or Classic Premillennialism is distinctively non-dispensational. This means that it sees no theological distinction between Israel and the church.

5-How does Dispensational premillennialism view Israel? Dispensational premillennialism generally holds that Israel and the Church are separate.

6-What are the two stages of Christ’s return that Dispensational premillennialists believe? (1) secretly to rapture his saints, leaving all others behind, and (2) publicly, after seven years of tribulation, to institute his visible millennial reign.

7-In pre-millennialism, what are the main views of the rapture? Pre-Tribulation Rapture: (or "pre-trib") The Rapture happens just before the Tribulation, so that believers will not have to experience any of its disruption and pain. Post-tribulation Rapture: (or "post-trib") The faithful experience the full horrors of the entire Tribulation and are raptured only at the end of the 7 years. Mid-Tribulation Rapture: (or "mid-trib") The Rapture happens 42 months into the Tribulation. Pre-wrath Rapture: The church must experience most of the Tribulation, and then be raptured towards the end of the Tribulation period. Partial Rapture: This theory teaches that the faithful born-again believers are raptured just before the Tribulation. Newly born again believers are raptured during or at the end of the Tribulation.

8-What do all pre-millennialist believe in common? That the Tribulation is followed by 1000 years of peace when all live under the authority of Christ. Afterwards, in a brief, final battle, Satan is permanently conquered.

126 9-What is behind Pre-millennialism in Jewish thought and theology? Behind Millenarism was the Jewish belief in the future Messianic kingdom understood as a political and material rule.

10-What was the view of Pre-millennialism during the Reformation? It was considered a heresy, and was rejected subsequently by the Protestant reformers as a Jewish dream.

Questions for Chapter Five

1-What does Amillennial mean? "No millennium."

2-Do Amillennials really believe that there is no millennium? Amillennialists do in fact believe there is a millennial reign of Christ, but not on a temporal physical throne upon this sin cursed earth. They believe that the Messiah has come to reign upon the throne of David in the Kingdom of Heaven. So the word Amillennial itself is literally accurate as it is understood to mean, "no millennial reign on an earthly or worldly throne." Use of this word in any sense other than a "no future earthly kingdom reign," would be a misnomer.

3-Where is the Kingdom of God according to the Amillennialists? The Kingdom of God is present in the world today through the presence of the heavenly reign of Christ, the Bible, the Holy Spirit and Christianity. Amillennialism does not support the idea that the Kingdom of Christ is an intangible, but that it is incontrovertibly real, effectual, substantive, factual and essential. The kingdom is of a spiritual, rather than worldly (earthly) or carnal nature. The Kingdom of Christ on earth is now being extended and advanced through the preaching of the gospel of Christ, by His servants.

4-When is the millennium according to this position? The millennium began at Pentecost, as is shown by Peter using the prophecies of Joel, about the coming of the kingdom, to explain what was happening, and that, therefore the church and its spread of the good news is Christ's kingdom.

5-How do Amillennialists understand the interpretation of Scripture? Amillennialists argue that to understand the Bible correctly, one must interpret it according to its genre so that that history is not read as though it were poetry, for example. Amillennialist B. B. Warfield says that in the genre of the Book of Revelation, which he calls an "apocalyptic," everything is stated in a "symbolic medium" such that "every event, person, and thing that appears on its pages is to be read as a symbol, and the thing symbolized understood. This is not to say one thing and mean another; it is only to say what is said through the medium of a series of symbols, and to mean nothing but the things symbolized.

127 6-How do Amillennialists deal with symbolic language? That a great deal of the Bible is given in figurative or symbolical language, which by no stretch of the imagination can be taken literally, should be apparent to everyone. We spiritualize these statements because we regard this as the only way in which their true meaning can be brought out.

7-What is the Amillennialist view of evangelism? That the whole world will be evangelized, but in the exact same manner as God says Christ came to save the whole world, i.e., as God defines the terms, not as man does. Christ's Kingdom triumphs by the spread of the gospel until all of the elect are saved. Its glory is in the realization that many will "overcome the world" and be translated into the kingdom by the blood of Christ. We don't triumph by converting everyone (or nearly everyone) in the world, nor did our God ever prophecy conversion of the whole world that way.

8-Who will be saved then? The Church was commissioned to call a remnant that the Lord has chosen, "out of" the world. It was not commissioned to create a righteous world. Rather, that in the success of the Church "calling many out" of the world unto the Kingdom, Christ's Kingdom increases exponentially. The advancing of Christ's Kingdom was never prophesied to be such that the Church would one day make the world righteous. It was prophesied that the Messiah would make righteous an elect remnant from the world, which God would call through preaching.

9-What is the work of the church? The work of the Church is to spread the gospel message to a world that is desperately in need of it. Its task is to shed light upon a world that will suffer the wrath of God. It will bring a spiritual peace to a world that isn't ever going to have earthly peace, because the heart of mankind is desperately wicked. The world isn't going to get better, it will get (and has gotten) progressively worse, until the Lord returns to a world where love of God has grown so cold that there is rampant Apostasy.

10-How are we to study Scripture? A fundamental principle of sound hermeneutics is that no Scripture can be looked upon as "not true" or “not relevant.” God's Word is inerrant so that even the difficult passages that we may not yet understand, must be received as true. Our understanding has to be brought into agreement with what is written. Scripture has to be defined and interpreted by God, not modern day teachers or by traditions. Let God define His own terms. We must read Scripture with the mind of Christ (1st Corinthians 2:16). We humbly receive what God has inspired written, rather than choose to ignore it or twist it for our own purposes. It should never be about what we think is right, but about what God says.

128 Questions for Chapter Six

1-Postmillennialism is that view of the last things which holds that… …the Kingdom of God is now being extended in the world through the preaching of the Gospel and the saving work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of individuals,

2-When will the millennium occur? The world eventually is to be Christianized, and the return of Christ is to occur at the close of a long period of righteousness and peace commonly called the 'Millennium.'

3-What happens after the millennium? The second coming of Christ will be followed immediately by the general resurrection, the general judgment, and the introduction of heaven and hell in their fullness.

4-How will the period of righteousness and peace come about? By the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit in connection with the preaching of the Gospel.

5-How do Post-Millennialists view Revelation 20? Postmillennialists believe that Revelation 20 should not be taken literally. They believe that 1,000 years simply means a long period of time. Furthermore, the prefix "post" in postmillennialism denotes the view that Christ will return after Christians (not Christ Himself) have established the kingdom on this earth. That passage, however, says nothing about Christ being physically present on the earth for His millennial reign. Revelation 20 teaches that the millennium coincides with the time of Satan's binding.

6-What are the seven characteristics of this position? a) Through His redemptive work Jesus transformed Israel into the church. b) Christ rules His kingdom spiritually in and through His people in the world. c) As people become Christians they will be transformed. d) Christ's personal presence on earth is not needed for the expansion of His kingdom. e) A time will come in which the very Gospel will have won the victory throughout the earth in fulfillment of the Great Commission 'we can look forward to a great 'golden age' of spiritual prosperity continuing for centuries, or even for millenniums. f) There are "two types of postmillennialism today: Pietistic and Theonomic. Pietistic postmillennialism . . . denies that the postmillennial advance of the kingdom involves the total transformation of culture through the application of biblical law. Theonomic postmillennialism affirms this." g) After the millennium, earth’s history will be drawn to a close by the personal, visible, bodily return of Jesus Christ (accompanied by a literal resurrection and a general judgment) to introduce His kingdom.

129 7-What are the two possible practical consequences out of these characteristics? 1- The church should take a major social and political role in reshaping the world to advance God's Kingdom on earth or 2- countries should be ruled by theocracies (religious governments) as this is the way to bring about God's Kingdom

8-How did Joachim of Flores helped prepare the way for postmillennialism? By contributing an idea of optimism that was to be continuous with the course of the present age. His belief that it was to be an age of the Holy Spirit was often adopted by later postmillennialists.

9-How will Christians live during the millennium? The nations will obey the Law of Christ, there will be prosperity and progress, and the "cultural mandate" will be fulfilled. But it will not be fulfilled by self-confident, proud, fleshly, "positive thinking," yuppie, "triumphalistic" believers. It will be fulfilled by men and women who do not trust themselves for anything, but lean wholly on their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

10-Why was Post-millennialism almost become extinct? After gaining dominance in Europe and America among both conservatives and liberals, postmillennialism began a decline into near extinction. Fallout from the French Revolution in Europe dealt a severe blow to postmillennial optimism. Later, in the States, postmillennial decline awaited the turn of the century and was dealt a near-fatal blow by WWI and WWII and identification with the Social Gospel and Liberalism.

Questions for Chapter Seven

1-When will the events of Biblical prophecy according to the preterist view occur? All prophetic, last days events were fulfilled by 70 A.D.

2-Why do the Preterists believe this? According to Preterism, many 'time passages' in the New Testament indicate with apparent certainty that the Second Coming of Christ, and the 'End Times' predicted in the Bible were to take place within the lifetimes of Christ's disciples. The Greek word αἰών (aeon), meaning "age", may be translated as "end of the age (or historical period)" instead of "end of the world".

3-When will the second coming of Christ occur? Full Preterists spiritualize Matthew 24 as having already taken place in the past, and believe that Christ actually returned in 70 AD fulfilling the prophesy of the Second Advent. Partial Preterists believe this is still a future event.

4-What is Partial Preterism? Partial Preterism is the view that almost all Biblical prophecy is past excluding the Second Coming, the Resurrection and the Judgment.

130 5-What is Full Preterism? Full Preterism believes that all prophecy was fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem, including the resurrection of the dead and Jesus' Second Coming or Parousia.

6-What is the Preterist view of the resurrection? Proponents of Full Preterism do not believe in the bodily Resurrection of the dead and place this event as well as the Second Coming in AD 70, whereas proponents of Partial Preterism do believe in a bodily resurrection of the dead at a future Second Coming.

7-What four documents from the early church fathers are used to support the Preterist position? The Didache, 1 Clement, the Epistle of Barnabas, and the Shepherd of Hermas.

8-Who is one of the most famous Preterists? One of the best known and most accessible of the ancient Preterists is Eusebius (A.D. 260-340), the "father of church history." In his classic Ecclesiastical History he details Jerusalem's woes in A.D. 70, compares them to Josephus’ account of the war and pronounces prophecy fulfilled.

9-What are other Preterist divisions and what distinguishes them? Liberal Preterists view prophecies of A.D. 70 as "after the event" pseudo- prophecies. Revelation especially is deemed an editorialized compound of various Jewish and Christian oracles generated from historical responses to Jerusalem's destruction. Hyper-Preterists extend valid observations gathered from temporally-confined judgment passages (texts including such delimitations as "soon" and "at hand") to passages that are not temporally constrained and that actually prophesy the future Second Advent of Christ. This school of preterism tends to focus all eschatological pronouncements on A.D. 70. Evangelical (and reformed) Preterists take seriously the time texts of Scripture and apply those prophecies to A.D. 70, a redemptive-historical event of enormous consequence.

10-What do the Preterists mean when they say we must “go back to the future?” We must go back to the original audience and look to the near future.

Questions for Chapter Eight

1-Which signs of Christ’s coming have happened that can be shown from history? The Temple was destroyed, many false messiahs have come, wars and rumors of wars, natural disasters, persecution of true Christians, the religious have fled the church and the faith, false prophets have come, wickedness will increase and people will turn to it, there were times of great suffering.

131 2-Which signs of Christ’s coming are happening today? False messiahs will come, wars and rumors of wars, natural disasters, persecution of true Christians, the religious are leaving the church and the faith, false prophets are here, wickedness is on the increase and people are turning to it, there are times of great suffering.

3-What signs do some say are still not fulfilled? The Gospel will be preached to the whole world, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.

4-Which eschatological position is proven to be true by these signs? It can be truthfully said that all of these signs have been fulfilled in some way since Jesus returned to heaven. Not all at once and not all in one generation although many of these signs characterize every generation. Of course, how these signs were fulfilled is open to interpretation. So we cannot prove which of the four positions is correct simply by looking at these signs.

5-How can we know for sure when Jesus will return? In spite of whatever signs of His return that the Lord gave to us, He also clearly stated that no one will ever know the time when Christ will return. No matter how much we look at and for the signs of His return we will never be able to figure it out. He will come unexpectedly, so we must always be prepared, regardless of how we understand the signs.

6-What are the five main activities that will take place when Jesus returns again? After Jesus returns: 1- the resurrection will happen 2) Jesus will be given the Kingdom of heaven and all authority, 2) the last judgment will take place, 4) satan will be destroyed and 5) we will live with Jesus in paradise forever.

7-What is apocalyptical literature and what does it do? Apocalyptic literature aims to discuss the final purpose of creation. It does this through symbolic language, which uses familiar descriptions to explain end time truths. This language is not meant to be taken literally. An example of symbolic language in the book of Revelation is when it talks about a dragon and a beast coming out of the sea and another coming out of the land. These are obviously figurative descriptions and not to be interpreted literally. The end times will not be characterized by demonic animals, but rather by satan and his demons in various forms.

8-Where do we find apocalyptic literature? Apocalyptic literature is found in many books of the Bible but the main books of this type are Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelation. They speak a great deal about the future end times and use great amounts of symbolic language.

132 9-What is going to happen to Israel in the end times? The concept of the ingathering of the remnant is closely connected with the Day of the Lord - the consummation of history as we know it. "And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins'" (Romans 11:26-27).

10-What is the ‘remnant?” For Paul, the remnant represents those who have been tested and have remained true. They are a sign of hope that points to Israel's glorious future. At "the fullness of the Gentiles" (Romans 11:25), Israel will be fully restored to God and the promise to Abraham concerning the nations in Genesis 12:3 will be completely fulfilled (10).

11-How will they be saved? All of this will be done through the only means of salvation “the Deliverer who will come out of Zion” – the Lord Jesus Christ.