A Study of Pre-Millennialism
NOT JUST A HARMLESS SPECULATION!
2 Tim 2:16-19—"But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some."
Thus, errors about the events concerning the resurrection-time, manner, consequences, sequels, etc.-can have a disastrous effect upon faith, and will be responsible for many being lost. It will be seen as we give attention to these matters that there are fundamental consequences to the general theory of "Pre-millennialism" which fully deserve the serious attention of careful Bible students, and about which we cannot afford to be silent.
2 Pet 3:10-16-"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless, and account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as a/so in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; In which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. *
THE PREMILLENIAL POSITION:
Premillenialists believe that the kingdom of the Messiah will be set up at the second coming of Christ. It will be a theocracy in which church and state will be combined. The gospel will not only be preached, but law and order with justice will be upheld by the sword. It will be a kingdom in which Israel will be restored to national sovereignty in the land of Palestine and be exalted over the nations of the earth, with Jesus her ruler in Jerusalem for a 1000 years.
"MILLENNIUM" = a thousand years.
When applied to the reign of Christ, the "millennium" occurs AFTER the coming of Christ, which is then said to be "pre" millennial. Thus, the second coming of Christ will occur BEFORE the millennium begins-upon His return, Christ will inaugurate the earthy kingdom referred to as the "millennial" reign.
SOME LOGICAL (AND, USUALLY. ACCEPTED) IMPLICATIONS OF THE THEORY:
1. The kingdom of O.T. prophecy (such as Dan 2:44) has not yet come into existence
2. Though announced as "at hand" by both John and Jesus, it has not yet appeared.
3. The "church age" was introduced to prevail until the Jews decide to accept Christ, and allow Him to set up His kingdom in Palestine.
4. While Jesus waits in heaven, the Roman empire must come back, to fulfill "the days of these kings", in Dan 2:44.
5. The Jews must be converted as a nation, and restored to Palestine, so that Christ can reign over them.
6. The temple of Solomon will be rebuilt, the sacrificial system will be reconstituted and national ordinances will be reinstituted.
7. Christ will leave His majestic throne in heaven, reoccupy the old David throne in Jerusalem, and be a king on earth.
8. The resurrected saints will meet the Lord in the air. accompany him to some unknown area of the heavens while the "tribulation" takes place, then return with him to earth for the millennium. (often called "the rapture").
Make no mistake about ft, far from being harmless, this approach to Bible study, and the interpretation of Bible prophecy involved, undermines the very fundamentals of the grand Scheme of Redemption as planned and prepared by God. Rather than understand God's eternal workings as intended to culminate in a "called out" body, prepared by teaching and living to live with Him in the eternal abode of heaven-developed and provided through progressive, ever more lofty stages (as seen through the Patriarchal (STARLIGHT), Mosaic(MOONLIGHT), and now, finally and LASTLY, the Christian (SUNLIGHT)Dispensations)- we are asked to believe that God committed Himself to a COVENANT with Abraham which obligates Him to restore the nation to its homeland (Palestine), and reconstitute ft after the fashion of a bygone and inferior age; and a COVENANT with David the king to guarantee his throne (earthly, in Jerusalem) to his descendants FOREVER, and that without any consideration as to the character and attitude of the people—manifested through the years, even after being warned through divine prophecy that such rebellion would result in being destroyed from off the land FOREVER! All this, as further studies will show, held despite clear Bible statements that God DID fulfill His covenant with Abraham-LONG AGO!-and that the kingdom of Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled in the New Testament church, with Christ's reign in heaven being the anti-type of David's reign on earth!
Born out of an arrogance which demands all to accept their view of prophecy, and agree with them as to when certain statements have been (or are yet to be) fulfilled-because they insist that the wording of certain predictions cannot POSSIBLY describe certain events, even though God Himself, through His Holy Spirit in the New Testament, says they were-l say, born out of this spirit, it is furthered by a carnal materialism which envisions THIS earth, and these EARTHLY circumstances, so grandly that they are convinced that God will "bless" the faithful with an additional 1000 years upon it AFTER they have been conditioned to yearn for a "heavenly" heaven. Never was there a more carnal appeal than that which promises to God's servants-who suffer NOW-a time when they will literally DOMINATE, in a carnal way, the earth, and be co-rulers with Christ over an earthly kingdom.
Putting "new wine in old bottles", they would have the future reign of Christ exercised over a mixed bag of restored Jews and citizens of the heavenly kingdom, requiring at the same time the reviving of the tenets of Judaism (upon which the restoration of LITERAL Israel depends), and the co-existence of the conditions of the gospel of Jesus Christ! It is difficult to imagine that the distorted picture of an ambivalent and submissive Deity such a view presents would not alert its adherents to something radically wrong within it.
THE APPROACH OF THE PRE-MILLENNIALISTS:
1. Uses the symbolic, difficult, "sign language" (visions, pictures, etc.) of the Bible as a basis of interpreting the PLAIN language found elsewhere, instead of the other way round.
(Ex. the "sign language" of Rev 20, where a 1000 year is mentioned, is seen as entirely literal,
and the basis for a fanciful interpretation of plainer, more natural language.)
2. Ignores the progressive, increasingly spiritual, outworking of God's plan in favor of a regressive alternating of the material-spiritual-material-spiritual phases of their "system".
(Example: requires a return to the O.T. covenant, with its sacrifices and systems; expects a "heaven" on earth, coming AFTER mankind has undergone the spiritual preparation to equip us to dwell In heaven, which will precede the dwelling in the heavens. The nature of Christ's reign, and the fact that it involved being BOTH priest and king at the same time, preclude an earthly reign, according to Heb. 7:11-14; 8:3-5. This fits perfectly with the view that Christ's work is NOT to establish an earthly kingdom, but contradicts the view that He will return to do that very thing!)
3. Ignores the FINALITY of prophetic truth, and finds explanations to "defer" or "postpone" even prophecies which have an unmistakable TIME frame for their intended fulfillment
(Example: Regarding the land and nation promise made to Abraham, Stephen said in
Acts 7:17, that "the time of the promise drew nigh." Flying in the face of this, they
deny that it was at that "time", and are STILL anticipating the fulfillment of such.)
4. Insists upon a degree and type of fulfillment of such prophesies which will satisfy THEIR sense of reason and reality, rather than accept the necessary limitations of time and circumstance which are a part of the prophesy and realize that if such qualifiers exist, such a prophecy is fulfilled, even though it does not conform to their personal sense of reality.
(Example: In Joel 2:28-31, references to the "sun turned into darkness, and the moon
into blood" are not believed to have been fulfilled, even though Peter actually said that what the people were seeing in the falling of the Holy Spirit did fulfill it!)
5. Assume that national Israel must accept Jesus in order that the kingdom be set up. In no case did it depend upon the acceptance of Israel for the prophesies to be fulfilled. Indeed, some of the prophecies had an "either-or" meaning (either Israel DID repent and thus certain things would happen; or they DID NOT repent, and certain other things would happen) But, in such case the "arm" of the prophesy that applied would then come to pass, and did not depend upon Israel at all! Those prophesies which were made contingent upon a response of Israel simply did not come to pass if the response was not there!
6. Reject the logical demands their position makes upon an overall view of prophecy and Bible teaching. For example: IF "NATIONAL ISRAEL" IS TO BE RESTORED, THOSE THINGS WHICH MADE IT A NATION WOULD HAVE TO OCCUR.
a. The promises to national Israel were based upon their obedience to the law of Moses:
Deut 30:1-10-"It shall come to pass, when all these things are upon thee...and thou shalt call them to mind among the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, and shall return unto the Lord, and obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day-then the Lord thy God will return thy captivity, and will return and gather thee from all the nations....and the Lord thy God will bring thee into the [and which thy Fathers possessed, and thou shall possess it...and the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord...that thou mayest live...and thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day.—If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn to the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul..”
Nehemiah 1:7-10-"WE have dealt very corruptly with thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandest thy servant Moses. Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter thee among the nations, but if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there...Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.”
BUT, THE LAW OF MOSES HAS BEEN ABOLISHED!
Eph 2:14-16-For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.."
Col 2:14-16-"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days.."
Thus, the only way Israel could be restored was by keeping the law of Moses. Since the law has been abolished, how could national Israel be restored? It would require restoring that which was nailed to the cross, which was taken away, which was done away in Christ (2 Cor 3). Israel's only basis for restoration was done away in the gospel, and there is no more such a promise!
b. The
occupying of the land came only through the national estate
This law is given in
Leviticus 25:13-28—
"In the year of the Jubilee ye shall return every man to his possession... the land shall not be sold for even for the land is mine...but if he is not able to restore it unto him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubilee: and in the jubilee it shall go out,and he shall return unto his possession..."
Jeremiah speaks to this subject as well:
Jeremiah 12:14-15-'Thus saith the Lord against all mine evil neighbors,
that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit;
Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah
from among them. And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them
out I will return, and have compassion on them, and bring them again, every
man to his heritage, and every man to his land.."
During the true time of restoration, when God brought the Jews from the land of Babylon, and restored them to their land, they observed this law: They were commanded by Ezra to establish their family estate, and verify their inheritance as a condition of restoration to their land.
Ezra 2:70—"So the priests and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities."
THAT WAS THE LAW! But Herod destroyed the genealogies of the Jews. They NO LONGER EXIST! It would be absolutely impossible for any Jew on earth to trace inheritance through family estate. The estates were destroyed, the genealogies were destroyed, and Paul told Timothy to rebuke Jewish Christians for any effort on their part to establish such genealogies. But since restoration could not be accomplished on any other basis, it not only made their restoration impossible, but proves that it was God who made it so, and that it is not His will that the nation of Israel be restored.
Titus 3:9-"But avoid foolish questions-genealogies, and striving about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain…"
1 Tim 1:3-4—"As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in the faith..."
Not only was the entire question of lineage and inheritance rendered worthless by the introduction of the New covenant. Paul himself is the best example of the change in the importance of such matters. In his summary of his state before and after gospel obedience, Paul recounted his former standing, and utterly rejected ill
Phil 3:3-8-"For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, I counted loss for Christ....for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ."
So, Paul counted his fleshly background as a Jew as "dung".-the important thing was that he might attain to the image of Christ The truth is, once the "middle wall of partition" had been broken down (Eph 2), the circumstances of race and blood became immaterial, and ALL were treated alike in seeking God's approval!
Gal 3:26-29-"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus; for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
c. Christ to be BOTH king and priest on His throne.
Zech 6:12,13-"And speak unto him, saying, thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is the Branch, and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord: even he shall build the temple of the Lord, and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."
If Christ is to be both PRIEST and KING while he reigns, an earthly reign is precluded, by the statements in Heb. 7:11-14, and 8:3-5 (and this point was made clear years AFTER the recognition by God of the office of Aaron's descendants had ended!)
QUESTIONS FOR LESSON ONE:
1 What was the error of Hymenaeus and Philetus, and with what GENERAL period in time is this
error associated with?
2. What was included in the "these things" of which Paul wrote, and when the "unlearned and unstable" wrest them, what would be the result to them?
3. According to the Premillenialists, WHEN will the Messianic kingdom be set up?
4. What two ongoing things will be happening during the "millennium"?
5. Why is this doctrine called "PRE-MILLENNIALISM"?
6. According to this doctrine, what must happen before Christ can set up His earthly kingdom in Palestine?
7. What is "the rapture"?
8. How does the doctrine of pre-millennialism affect the Biblical indication that each succeeding age of God's dealing with man grew out of the imperfection of the preceding one, and raised man to a higher and more spiritual position with God?
9. Do the pre-millennialists rely more on the PLAIN passages of Scripture, or on the figurative,
visionary language?
10. Do Premillenialists always accept the "time element" in divine prophecy and fulfillment? Give examples:
11. How do the law of Moses, and Jewish genealogies, affect the restoration of the Jewish nation?
12. What happened to the law of Moses?
13. What happened to the genealogies?
14. What did Paul think of his Jewish genealogy?
15. How did Paul instruct Timothy to deal with "genealogies?"
16. What two offices were to be filled by Christ during his reign, and how does this affect the possibility of an EARTHLY reign?
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