Premillennialism

Premillennialism

“In case of the rapture, this car will be unmanned.”  Perhaps you have seen this bumper sticker.

Social media is filled with references to these “supposed” end-times signs.

One recent post… “Countless events over the past decades and even today—from the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 to the mass protests and societal upheaval in 2020—are all fulfilling prophecies from Scripture about the second coming, the rise of the Antichrist, and the return of Christ.”

Some are viewing the recent historic peace treaty in the Middle East as preparation for the “antichrist”.

These events have been happening all my life.  I remember as a teenager reading the Hal Lindsey book, The Late Great Planet Earth.  Written in early 70’s, the book popularized the idea of the apocalypse.  Note that as of 1999, 35 million copies were in print, translated into 50 languages. 

A more recent series is entitled the Left Behind books.

John Hagee is another writer. I have his prophecy bible in my library at home.  He has written a book, “In Defense of Israel” in which he even goes so far as to say Jesus did not come to earth to be the Messiah! 

Premillennialism is espoused by many influential preachers today (John MacArthur, Jerry Falwell, et al).  Of much concern, many of the study bibles lean in that direction.

A basic summary of this doctrine…the telling events of the end times include…

  1. The return of Jews to the Holy Land (the creation of the Jewish state of Israel in 1948).  One of the tenets of Premillennialism is that the Abrahamic promise is yet to be fulfilled.
  2. Using Matthew 24:34, Lindsay’s initial prediction was the world would end within one generation of this date, using 40 years as a generation – thus by 1988; 
  3. Another sign – The Jews regaining control of Jerusalem’s sacred sites (the 1967 Arab-Israeli War).
  4. As the end times approach, the Antichrist, disguised as a global peacemaker, comes to power.
  5. True Christians are transported to heaven (the rapture).
  6. Then we have seven years of tribulation—floods, famine, disease, plagues, war— at the end of which Jesus returns to lead Israel’s army against the rest of the world.
  7. Christ’s victory ushers in His thousand-year reign (the final dispensation). 
  8. After which, we have the end of time and the final judgement.

Our study will likely last several weeks.

Outline of our study

  1. Some background and general information regarding Premillennialism
  2. An Overall Description of Premillennialism including at least 9 tenets
  3. Using the Scriptures, we will address and refute all 9 of the aforementioned tenets

When we complete this discussion, you will be equipped, with the Scriptures, to address any of the beliefs associated with this doctrine.

2 Tim 3:16-17  All Scripture is given by inspiration of GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of GOD may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Some Background Information

The doctrine did not begin with Hal Lindsay.  Some have said the doctrine of premillennialism is 200 years old.  There are some references to this ideology very soon after the close of the New Testament at the end of the first century.  Let’s go back the 200 years first.

A Brief History of the Doctrine

 From the Christian Courier website, Wayne Jackson shares the following.

Dave MacPherson, in his book Cover-Up, traces the idea of a secret rapture to a feverish vision by a Scottish teenager named Margaret MacDonald in 1830.  The following quote is from page 93 of the book.

“We have seen that a young Scottish lassie named Margaret MacDonald had a private revelation in Port Glasgow, Scotland, in the early part of 1830 that a select group of Christians would be caught up to meet Christ in the air before the days of the Antichrist.  An eye-and-ear witness, Robert Norton M.D., preserved her handwritten account of her pretribulation rapture revelation in two of his books, and said it was the FIRST time anyone ever split the second coming into two distinct parts, or stages.”

These “split second coming” and “secret rapture” theories were instantly incorporated into the theology of the teaching of John Darby, a leader in the Plymouth Brethren denomination in the early 1800s.  His writings influenced many evangelical writers including Dwight L. Moody and many modern writers.

The rapture theory thus rests upon the same sort of basis as the Shakers (founder Ann Lee had visions and claimed to communicate with the dead in seventy-two languages!), Seventh Day Adventists (Ellen White thought she took a trip to heaven), and Christian Science (Mary Baker Eddy’s revelations told her there is no death!).

However, all of the ideas surrounding premillennialism did not occur within the last 200 years.  The early Christian writers were making literal interpretations of some of the facets of this doctrine.  Eusebius, citing Papias, c. 120, “there will be a millennium after the resurrection from the dead, when the personal reign of Christ will be established on this earth.”

Justin Martyr, c. 160, “those who believed in our Christ would dwell a thousand years in Jerusalem.”

Still, much of the credit (blame?) of modern premillennialism goes to C. I. Scofield and his notes in the Scofield Reference Bible first published in 1909. Let me emphasize, many naively read the notes in such study Bibles as though the notes themselves are inspired by GOD.  They are not!

This doctrine is referred to in various ways, such as, Dispensational Premillennialism, pretribulation premillennialism, etc.

Whatever it is called, the doctrine is a false doctrine whether it originated from a fever-induced dream or a misinterpretation of figurative language in the Scriptures.

We were asked to address this subject in more detail in our last series, Lessons from Hebrews.

Let me give a disclaimer.  I am no authority on this doctrine.  I am told there are as many as 165 various beliefs within this doctrine.  But we’ll use the Scriptures, knowing that is all we need to address any doctrinal error.

Heb 13:9 reminds us – Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.

It is my belief that Premillennialism is one such “various and strange doctrine”.

The religious world largely promotes the doctrine of Premillennialism.  So is this a doctrine of GOD (1 Tim 6:1 refers to GOD and His doctrine) or a doctrine of men (Col 2:22, according to the commandments and doctrines of men)?

I am sad to say that even some members of the Lord’s church believe this doctrine to be from GOD, if what I see posted on social media is any indication.  I sometimes see members, those who should know better, posting something about the tribulation years, the rapture, the 1000 year reign, etc.  Thus, the need for such a study is obvious.

Much of the error of this doctrine comes from a misinterpretation of the book of Revelation.  A comprehensive study of this book is found in audio and in outline form on our website, www.taylorstudies.com.  The reader is encouraged to visit this study for a closer look at this book.  In general, the book of Revelation is written in figurative language.  It is written in symbolic form.  Caution must be exercised when taking passages from this book literally.  The same can be said about Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, or any book of prophecy.  Passages from these 3 books of prophecy, interpreted literally, are part of the basis for the doctrine.

Many Premillennialists will say they hold to a literal interpretation of the Revelation.  What does one do with a passage like Rev 12:4 – (His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them down to earth.)?  How could the dragon’s tail be so enormous that it swept a third of the stars and cast them down to the earth? 

Rev 20: 1-7

Then we come to the 7 verses in Scripture that mention the reign of Christ and a thousand years in Rev 20:1-7.  We find mention of this nowhere else in the Bible.  How can we interpret this passage literally when it doesn’t match what we find elsewhere in GOD’S Word?

The Premillennialist teaches that these 7 verses include the fact of the thousand year reign, the place of the reign, the ruler of the period, and establishes that there will be a second coming of Christ to establish the thousand year reign on earth and then the final resurrection and judgment.

Read Rev 20:1-7 for yourself and note:

  • Does not mention the second coming of Christ.
  • Does not mention a reign on earth.
  • Does not mention a bodily resurrection.
  • Does not mention Christ on earth or the nature of His reign.
  • Does not mention the throne of David.
  • Does not mention Jerusalem or Palestine.

Let me be clear, Revelation teaches a literal truth but does so with figurative language.  It declares as much in the very first verse when John said it was signified (root word sign).  It is filled with signs, symbols, and figurative language in order to be hidden from the Romans and other unbelievers throughout history.  See Rev 5:8 for an example of figurative language.

The Revelation letter, written by John at the close of the 1st Century, to those Christians suffering persecution at the hands of the Roman Emperor, was not describing a series of events that is about to take place in our lifetime, 2 thousand years later.  It was describing a battle that would rage until the end of time.  This battle is a battle between good and evil.  The key word in the book is overcome.  The reader is encouraged to remain faithful and realize good will triumph over evil.

The following will not be discussed in the online class for sake of time.  Probably choose not to even mention them individually.  Suffice it to say, much of this material, like Revelation, is prophetic in nature and must be interpreted as such.

The chief passages in the Bible to which Premillennialists appeal are: Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:1-11; 65:17-25; Ezekiel chapters 40-48; Daniel 2:42-45; 7:23-25; 9:24-27; Micah 4:1-8; Matthew 24:3-44; Acts 3:19-21; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20:1-10.  The Premillennialist makes the claim that all of the above passages look toward a future fulfillment, after the second coming of Christ.

Premillennialism.  What does the Bible say about the subject?  What are we to believe?  First, I would say that we should not let the religious world define our beliefs.  John 17:17 identifies the Scriptures as our source of truth.

            Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

I wish to let the Scriptures speak.  We will make comments and observations along the way, but the Bible will address all of the tenets of the doctrine.  And so we begin a study that will likely last several weeks.

Lesson 2 – Overall description of Premillennialism including the 9 tenets

Premillennialism is a doctrine which in its basic form, says Christ will return to the earth one day and reign over a physical kingdom for 1,000 years before the end of time.  Pre means before and millennial comes from word millennium which means 1,000.  And thus, the word refers to a period just prior to this supposed 1,000 year reign.

There are varying beliefs within the system.  As noted earlier, there may be as many as 165 different ideologies.  The following notes are meant to be a very general explanation of the doctrine as a whole.  These will be numbered (there are 9 of them) and re-visited in detail.   Because of time constraints, we will be unable to address all of them in one class setting.  We will deal with them each but let us briefly mention them.

  1. The promises made to Abraham are yet to be fulfilled.  Gen 12:7 and 15:18 notes the Promised Land was given to his descendants.  The Premillennialist’s view of this promise is that it is yet to be fulfilled. 
  • Because it is yet to be fulfilled, the OT writers predicted the re-establishment of David’s kingdom and the reclamation of the land promised.  When Jesus came to the earth to set up that kingdom, the Jews rejected Him.  He, thus, went back to heaven and implemented a back-up plan by establishing the church as an interim measure prior to His coming again, i.e. His Second Coming.  Basically this presents the rejection of Jesus by the Jews as a surprise, and thus a Plan B was needed.
  • During this interim period, before the 2nd coming, we have the church age (the Plan B) in which we now live. 
  • Near the end of this age, according to Revelation 20, there will be a resurrection of the saints.  This is the first resurrection known as the rapture.  All faithful saints from all time will be raised, and the saints who are alive at that point will be changed.  (The second resurrection will occur later after the tribulation years.  This will be noted shortly.)   This describes what we see on the bumper stickers, “in case of the rapture, this car will be unmanned.”   This is claimed to be what is described in 1 Thes 4:13ff.  While we agree to the idea of the faithful saints meeting Jesus in the air, the theory describes this event as a secret event, hence the bumper sticker.  To this we cannot agree.
  • According to this theory, after the first resurrection, we then enter a period of 7 years.  During the last half of the 7 years we will have the “Great Tribulation.”   During this time many people on earth will be converted.  These converted saints will be killed before the 2nd coming of the Lord (note this will actually be the 3rd Coming).
  • Next we have the 2nd coming (again to be accurate, this would be the 3rd coming).  This ends the great tribulation after the battle of Armageddon described in Rev 16.
  • With His second coming, Christ will then ascend to the physical throne of David in Jerusalem.  He will then reign 1,000 years.  Satan is bound during this reign – Rev 20:2.
  • The earthly, physical reign will see the conversion of the Gentiles.  The Nation of Israel, aka the Jews, will be restored and reign supreme over the earth.  Members of the church will rule with Christ in Jerusalem.  There will be no temptation during this 1,000 year reign.
  • At the end of the millennium, Satan will be loosed for a little while per Rev 20:7.  Then comes the second or final resurrection and judgment of the wicked.

Let us note in some detail what the Scriptures teach about each of these points.  We’ll address the promises made to Abraham, we’ll talk about the kingdom, these “2 resurrections”, the rapture, the great tribulation, the 1,000 years, etc.  I want the Bible to form my belief; not some modern writers or even early Christian beliefs.

  1. Are the promises made to Abraham yet to be fulfilled? 

Because of the importance of this as it relates to the entire doctrine, we will spend more time here than perhaps other tenets.  It is important we note what the Bible has to say in detail here.  You may want to make some marginal notes and cross references here.

Iraneus, c. 180, held to the belief that the promises were unfulfilled.  He said that Abraham together with his seed, that is, those who fear GOD and believe in Him, will receive the land promise at the resurrection of the just.  He said GOD is faithful and true and it is for this reason Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.”

But are those promises yet to be fulfilled?  This is a critical pillar in the doctrine of Premillennialism.  Thus it is fitting that we begin our study here.

Let us first see the promises made in Gen 12:1-3; v7a and 15:18.  There are actually 2 promises made here.  One is a land promise (v1c, v7).  The other is a seed promise (v3c).  We’ll say more about the seed promise later but for now note v3c and cross reference Gen 22:18.  Turn and note that passage before we move on.

Presently, let us consider the land promise.  In Gen 15, Abraham is told the land will not be given to them during his lifetime.  See vv 13ff. 

Note in v16, it is said of the Amorites, they would lose the land in the fourth generation when their iniquity was complete.  We will see that in the same manner, the Israelites lost the land in time to come because of their disobedience. 

In Gen 15:18, refer to the text as it further describes the land, from the river of Egypt (the Nile) to the great river Euphrates.  If one looks at a map, it reveals this to be all the land of what we refer to as the Middle East, i.e. Israel, Jordan, most of Syria and Iraq, etc.

So here is the promise.  The question is, was that promise ever fulfilled or is it something yet to be done in the Middle East?  You’re going to want to make some cross reference notes here.

See Josh 21:43-45.  This is after the 400 years of Egyptian captivity, the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, and finally after Joshua has led the children of Israel on their conquest of the Promised Land.  The text states all the land was given them. 

Some might say, “Well they did not retain all the land.”  That is true.  But we should note, the promise was conditional.  There were conditions attached.  Israel lost the land just as the Amorites lost it in Genesis.

How do we know it was conditional?  Shortly after the above text we find Joshua’s farewell address in chapter 23.  The text makes clear there were conditions attached to their keeping the land.  Verses 5ff, he charged them to keep all the commandments.

Pay special attention to how verse 12 begins.   A reading of verses 12-16 makes clear it would be possible for them to lose the land.  Underline the various phrases, with emphasis on the last phrase of verse 16.

“If you go back” is the theme of the book of Hebrews.  It is possible to turn your back on the blessings of GOD.  HIS promises are conditional.  If one turns their back on GOD, the promises will be forfeited.  Such was the case with the Israelites in time to come.  Such will be the case for us if we neglect so great a salvation (Heb 2:3).

But someone might say, “Were they ever given the entire land from the 2 rivers listed above (Gen 15:18)?”  According to 1 Kings 4:21, they were indeed given the entire land!  Make a marginal note in Gen and 1 Kings.  Note the footnote in 1 Kings 4:21, the River Euphrates.

One last place we shall visit.  Zechariah 11:10 references the fact GOD will break His covenant which He made with all the peoples. 

This section of Scripture is worthy of more in-depth discussion but for now let us note the covenant GOD made with the people refers to the Abrahamic promise.  But note, as we said earlier, this covenant was a two-fold promise.  It contained a seed promise and a land promise.  The broken covenant referenced in Zechariah 11, cannot refer to the seed promise as Gal 3:21ff notes Christ fulfilled that promise.  You may want to make a marginal reference at Gen 22:18 to Gal 3:16.  Thus the broken covenant is the land promise.

Verse 11 says that covenant was broken on that day.  This refers to the day the children of Israel rejected the LORD and crucified Him.  This put in motion the events that would culminate in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 putting an end to the physical nation of Israel forever. 

The reason this covenant was broken is simple.  The promises of GOD concerning the nation were conditional.  And the same holds true today. 

Note what Jeremiah said to the people and shockingly note their response.  See also Jer 18:5-12.

Are the promises made to Abraham yet to be fulfilled in some future 1000 year reign in Palestine?  No.  The Scriptures are clear, all the promises made to Abraham were fulfilled.  There are no land promises yet to be fulfilled by restoring the physical Nation of Israel to the physical land of Canaan.

Lesson 3

We are looking at 9 tenets of the doctrine of Premillennialism.  Each of these were listed in Lesson 2 and I will not go back to discuss them individually.  As a part of Lesson 2 we looked at the question, “Are the promises made to Abraham yet to be fulfilled?”  The Bible very clearly answers this question.

Today’s lesson will look at the second tenet.  We look at the questions…

  • Was Christ’s first trip to earth a failure?  Did the rejection from the Jews come as a surprise?  Was the church an afterthought or back-up plan?

What are the consequences of such a position?  If Jesus’ trip was a failure, then I believe the Bible shows that all the prophets of the OT were false prophets.  If His trip was a failure and the rejection of the Jews a surprise, then even His own parable is an error.   The parable in Luke 19:11ff portrays the Master as One who went to receive a kingdom and to return.

According to Dispensationalism, the Jewish rebellion trumped GOD’S sacred plan and forced a backup measure.

But what do we see in Scripture?

            John 17:4 – I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have     given Me to do.

            That is significant in that Christ said His work was finished.  One chapter later, Jesus        testifying before Pilate…

            John 18:36 – Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of   this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

This is a very important passage when considering the idea that Jesus came to set up an earthly physical kingdom and His plan was surprisingly thwarted.

To address our question we’ll visit 3 passages:  Isa 53, Eph 3, and 1 Cor 15.

The Bible clearly teaches that Christ would be rejected when He came to earth.

The entire chapter of Isa 53 leaves no doubt.

Isa 53 – read vv 1-3 with emphasis on v3a; note all the Messianic prophecies

V1, 2 – Messianic no doubt; v1a notes many will not believe.

V3 – rejected by men – Psa 118:22-23, stone rejected by men

Note a few of the underlined passages throughout the remainder of the chapter.

Isaiah 53 makes clear this rejection was prophesied.

So how about the church?  If His rejection was no surprise, how about the church? Was the church an afterthought?   No, the church was not an afterthought.  Paul could not have been clearer.  Our second Scripture we’ll visit today is Eph 3:1-11.

Let us note

  1. We are talking about a mystery that had been hidden but was now revealed.  See vv 3, 5, and 10
  2. What was it?  V6…that…Gentiles should be fellow heirs
  3. The body – underline in v6; v10 – the church
  4. Make a marginal note that the body in v6 and the church in v10 is the same.  Note the body is the church, c/f 1:22-23. 
  5. vv 9-11 make clear it was from the beginning of the ages, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So again, the Scriptures are very clear.  This plan was not revealed but remained a mystery until the proper time for revelation.  That time was during the life of the apostles according to v5 and in fact began on Pentecost in Acts 2.  More will be said about this in the 4th tenet study.

One additional note here before we leave this passage.  According to the Premillennialist, the Gentiles will be converted during the 1,000 year reign.  Paul states in v6 that they are fellow heirs and in vv 1 and 8, notes his mission was to preach Christ among the Gentiles.  The Gentiles were welcomed into the church beginning with the conversion of Cornelius and his household in Acts 10.

Our last passage to visit comes from 1 Cor 15.  This chapter is commonly referred to as the resurrection chapter.  Note vv 20-26 is a section dealing with the last enemy, death, being destroyed.  (See v26)

But note v20ff.  Observe the distinction between the man (Adam) and the Man (Christ) in v21.  This is confirmed by reading v22.

Verses 23, 24 are the key to our discussion.

V23 – So what about “those who aren’t Christ’s?”

v24 – 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.

Note: this is the end, not the beginning; v23 makes clear when this happens…at His coming.  Christ is reigning NOW.  Reign is in the present tense.  C/f Eph 1:22-23.

Does this sound like a plan B to you?

For now, in our present discussion, we simply note, it was NOT an afterthought!

The Scriptures are clear that the rejection of Jesus was not a surprise.  Indeed, it was prophesied.  Jesus never came to earth to set up and earthly kingdom.  His kingdom is the church and it was not an afterthought!  Indeed, it was in GOD’S eternal plan.

Lesson 4

We are looking at the major tenets of the doctrine of Premillennialism.  Each of these beliefs were listed in Lesson 2.  In Lessons 2 and 3, we have looked at the questions, “Are the promises made to Abraham yet to be fulfilled?” and “Did Jesus come to earth the 1st time to set up a physical earthly kingdom only to be surprised by the rejection from the Jews?  Then, going back to heaven, did He set up the church to act as a temporary measure until His next return to complete His mission?”  The Bible very clearly answers these questions.

Today’s lesson will deal with 2 of the tenets from Lesson 2, i.e. the 2 resurrections and the rapture.

  • Does the Bible teach the doctrine of the 2 resurrections as taught by the Dispensationalist?  The 2 resurrections, separated by 1,000 years, is a misunderstanding arrived at by a literal interpretation of Rev 20: 4-6.   The 1st Resurrection is said to be for the Saints and then after the millennium is over, the 2nd Resurrection is for the wicked.

A reading of Rev 20:1-8, one will note the 1,000 years is mentioned 6 times.  Reigning with Christ during the 1,000 years is mentioned in vv 4 and 6.  You find these things nowhere else in the Bible. Remember the basic rule of interpretation is that all Scripture must be interpreted in harmony within itself.  This is not to say the Rev passage is not true.  It is to say it must be viewed in harmony with the rest of Scripture.

What does the Bible teach elsewhere that might call into question this literal interpretation and even be in conflict with it? 

Note the parable of the tares in Matt 13:24ff.  See v30 and then notice Jesus’ explanation in v36ff.  The wicked and the righteous will be raised together, at the same time, on the same occasion.

Another illustration comes from the scene of the Judgement Day in Matt 25:46.  Doesn’t this appear to happen simultaneously?

See John 5:27-29.  Jesus talked of this happening for both at the same hour. 

See Acts 24:15.  There will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.

So in all of these discussions, one has to take a few obscure verses of symbolic language in Revelation, in order to arrive at the necessary conclusions of Premillennialism.  In this, as in all interpretation, all Scripture must be interpreted in harmony with the rest of Scripture.  One must take all of what the Bible says about a particular subject and interpret accordingly.

Some Bible passages are difficult to understand.  So said Peter in 2 Peter 3:16.  But…

No interpretation can be placed upon an obscure passage which contradicts other Bible teaching.

  • Since we are addressing the proposed 2 resurrections, let us address, “How about the Rapture?”  The rapture refers to the 1st of the 2 Resurrections.  It is said to be a secret event, hence the bumper sticker, “In case of the rapture, this car will be unmanned.”   The order of events, according to the Premillennialist is: the rapture, followed by a period of 7 years of great tribulation during which there will be much death and destruction, ending with the Battle of Armageddon, followed by Jesus’ return and the subsequent 1,000 year reign.

            You may recall we said earlier that there were several variations of belief within the         system of this doctrine.  Some say the rapture will occur before the 7 years of tribulation       while others say it will be after the tribulation.  I think most of those of this persuasion            view it as a secretive event that will happen before the 7 years of tribulation.

            Let’s talk about the “rapture” as we visit these passages.

  • The word rapture means to seize or catch up.  The idea comes from the passage referenced earlier – 1 Thes 4:13-18.  The concept of the rapture or being caught up into the air, is Biblical even though the word is not found in the text.  What is not Biblical is it being a secret event and a resurrection of the saints only.

Note Paul was trying to address the resurrection in general, giving hope to the faithful Christian, that is, the grave is not the end.  Later in 2 Thes 2:1-2, he even noted there was some false teaching already occurring regarding this resurrection.

This describes the 2nd Coming of the Lord when ALL will be resurrected.

Note the passage doesn’t sound like a secret event at all.  There is the shout, the voice of an archangel, the trump of GOD, etc.

  • See Rev 1:7.  Doesn’t appear to be anything figurative about this passage.  There is no rapture with only the righteous seeing Him.  Every eye will see Him even those who crucified Him.
  • Let us further establish the fact that His next coming will be universally visible as opposed to some secretive event known only by a few.

2 Tim 1:10 – speaking of the gospel that has now been revealed…Jesus’ 1st trip to earth was clearly revealed with His appearing

Same Greek word translated appearing – 1 Tim 6:14; 2 Tim 4:1, 8; Tit 2:13; the point being, He will appear again just as He did 2,000 years ago.

2 Thes 1:7-8 – v7 revealed (different Greek word from above passages but idea is same) from Greek word we get “apocalypse” – defn is made visible to all.  V8 vengeance on 2 groups of people.

  • Another passage that is sometimes used is 1 Cor 15:50-54.  Note at this time, death is swallowed up in victory.  Note the 3 times the word victory appears in vv 54-57.  But yet according the Premillennialist, death will not be swallowed up in victory as it will still be on earth for the 7 years after this alledged rapture.

Conclusion…

            If one takes the verses from Rev 20 out of context, interprets them literally, and consults   no other Scriptures, then it is understood how one can arrive at the doctrine.  BUT these      verses cannot be interpreted as such and remain in harmony with the rest of the Bible. 

            There will be a single resurrection!  And it will be a resurrection of the just and the           unjust.  And after this resurrection, death will be no more.  And every eye will see Him.

            Let us be committed to basing our belief system on the totality of Scripture and not some fanciful imaginations of the end times and what they will look like.

            What is of utmost importance to us is to be ready.  The end could come at any time.  At    which time our opportunity to claim the grace offered by the LORD will be over.

Our next lesson will be taking a look at the Kingdom.  Is it a physical kingdom ruled from Jerusalem?  We’ll see what the Bible has to say.

Lesson 5

A primary pillar of the doctrine of Premillennialism is that Jesus is coming back to earth to set up a physical kingdom.  In this physical kingdom, the Jews will be restored to their promised land and Jesus will rule from Jerusalem for 1,000 years.  In this lesson we’ll discuss the kingdom as well as the reign of Christ.

  • So what about the Kingdom?

Is this a physical kingdom in the Middle East yet to be established? 

Will Christ have an earthly reign over this Kingdom?

As we seek these answers in the pages of Scripture, our 1st premise will be to show that the Bible equates this Kingdom with the church.  And thus this Kingdom is with us now.  It is not a physical political kingdom coming on some future date.  That is why Jesus could say, “My kingdom is not of this world.” John 18:36

Our objectives for the lesson today are:

  1. To establish that the kingdom and the church are one and the same
  2. To see that as Head of the church, Christ is reigning over that Kingdom NOW as opposed to some future event yet to come.

Premise #1 – The church and the kingdom are the same

The history of the church has been studied in great detail in our previous study of the wonderful chapter 2’s the Bible.  Five of these chapter 2’s – Isaiah, Joel, Daniel, Micah and Acts – make for a wonderful study when viewed together.  For our study today we will not be able to visit all of these prophecies but further study is suggested.  For the purpose of equating the kingdom and the church we begin with Daniel 2.

Daniel 2 is the account of Daniel interpreting the dream of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.  This is about 603 B.C. and thus about 600 years before the New Testament times.  The four kingdoms are discussed in vv36ff and are identified as the Babylonian, the Medo Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman Empire.   From v44 it is clear that the 4th kingdom would be set up during the days of the Roman Empire. 

The Roman Empire lasted from 63 BC to 476 AD. 

1st Emperor – Caesar Augustus – reigned from 63 BC to 14 AD – see Luke 2:1

2nd Emperor – Tiberius Caesar Augustus (his step son) – ruled from AD 14 – 37 (Lk 3:1)

Gal 4:4 should be noted as well.  “But when the fullness of time had come…”

Christ was born under Caesar Augustus but His adult ministry was under Tiberias.

It was during this reign that Christ made His statement found in Matthew 16:18-19.

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…

Christ clearly equated the kingdom with the church.  It is important to note He said, “I will build…” indicating it was still in the future at that time.

Mark 9:1 declares the kingdom to be at hand again noting it was still in the future but near enough that it would be coming in the lives of many standing there.

It is important that it describes this coming “with power”. 

This is precisely what we see happening in Acts 2 with the establishment of the church.

See Acts 1:8; 2:1-4.

For the sake of time we will not visit the passage in Joel 2, but Peter confirms that is what is happening in Acts 2 according to vv 16ff.

At the conclusion of Acts 2 we find a reference to the church, heretofore being spoken of in the future, now in existence.

For now, I want to go back to Daniel 2.

One might also note Dan 2:35 and v40 and cross reference Matt 21:43-44.

The stone mentioned in verse 35, is the same as kingdom; same as mountain in Isaiah 2:2; all referring to the church, with Jesus being the chief cornerstone.

See passage in Isaiah 2:2.  C/f Isa 11: 9-10.

See Heb 12:18ff.  Verse 18 refers to Mount Sinai and the Old Law.  Verse 22 makes clear it is now a spiritual mountain identified as the church in verse 23.

Thus, we have the kingdom being established during the days of the New Testament. 

Prior to Acts 2 the kingdom is spoken of in the future tense. Matthew 16, I will build My church, I will give you the keys to the kingdom; Mark 9:1, the kingdom will come with power.  Then in Acts 2 we have, GOD adding to the church daily those being saved.

From that point onward, it is spoken of in the past tense. 

See 1 Thes 2:12.  That you would walk worthy of GOD who calls you into His own kingdom…

Col 1:13 – He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of his love

Let us note…

  • Note the tense of delivered and conveyed is both past tense.  Paul notes the Colossian brethren along with himself, had already been conveyed (KJV hath translated) into the kingdom. 
  • Note further, the grammatical rendering of conveyed (aorist active indicative) denotes it was a single occurrence sometime in the past (at the moment of conversion, no doubt) – the precise meaning of Acts 2:47!
  • AND it indicates the kingdom was then present, not some coming event in the future.

Compare with this John’s declaration that he was a “partaker” in the kingdom with the Christians of Asia Minor (Rev. 1:9). Underline “translated” in Colossians 1:13, and marginally note: Past tense; they were in the kingdom. Then, draw an arrow from kingdom to your margin and note: See Revelation 1:9.

Let’s return to Heb 12.  Verse 28 – Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken…

The Hebrew writer notes the reception of this kingdom is an on-going process that is happening now.

The kingdom has come!

Our 1st premise was to establish that the church and the kingdom are the same. 

Our 2nd premise…will be rather brief once we have established the 1st one.

Secondly let us note, that Jesus Christ is reigning over that kingdom NOW.  It is not some future event yet to happen.  We’ll mark a few passages to support this premise.

Rev 3:21 makes clear Jesus is already on the throne reigning.  Make a marginal note that it is in the past tense. 

1 Cor 15:25, For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The verb reign is in the Present Tense.  He is reigning NOW and will reign until the last enemy is destroyed, that is, death (v26).

Eph 1:20-23 is in complete harmony here as we note Christ is head over the church, which is His body, aka the Kingdom.

To emphasize further, the kingdom that came in the 1st Century was not an earthly, physical kingdom, see Luke 17:20, 21.

The kingdom is not a physical kingdom at all but rather a spiritual one.  This is what Peter was describing in 1 Pet 2: 4-10.

All of these together identify the kingdom as the church and places Christ as the head reigning over this kingdom now.  There is no future physical kingdom to be set up.

Lesson 6

In today’s lesson of the series, we’ll continue to discuss the tenets of Premillennialism.  We began a discussion in Lesson 5 regarding the reign of Christ.

I’d like to continue this discussion by visiting 2 Old Testament passages and 1 New Testament passage.  We’ll make some marginal notes as we confirm that Christ is indeed reigning over His kingdom NOW.

  • Will Christ come to sit on David’s throne???

In our previous lesson we noted the premise that Christ is on David’s throne NOW.  This has been addressed throughout but these passages further corroborate this.

According to the Scriptures, I opine that He cannot sit on David’s throne on earth. 

One might suggest GOD can do anything He wants to do.  But I submit that is true only so long as He is true to His character.  He will not do anything to violate His character.  Heb 6:18 tells us it is impossible for GOD to lie.  So when HE tells us He cannot sit on David’s throne on earth, then we have to leave it at that.  So from where does this line of reasoning come?

The book of Hebrews, has a passage in chapter 8 and one in chapter 7, worthy of review in our discussion.  Heb 8:4 notes Jesus cannot be a priest on earth.  Heb 7:14 gives us the reason why.  It is because He is of the tribe of Judah.  All the priests had to come from the tribe of Levi. 

What does Jesus being a priest have to do with His sitting on David’s throne?  Consider the OT book of Zechariah.  It should be noted the book of Zechariah contains a lot of Messianic prophecy and again, caution must be exercised when interpreting prophetic passages.  One particular passage is found in Zechariah 6: 12, 13.

The passage makes the following points.  Underline and number the following points.

  1. The Branch (Christ) will build the temple of the LORD.
  2. He would function as a priest.
  3. He would also serve as a king on His throne, promoting peace between the 2 offices.  The offices being that of priest and king.

Now let’s go back and make further marginal notes.

  1. Underline “the Man whose name is the BRANCH” noting this is Jesus Christ.

Underline “shall build the temple” and note – the church of Christ.

C/f Matt 16:18, I will build My church;

1 Cor 3:16, you are the temple of GOD;

1 Pet 2:5, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood; 

1 Tim 3:15, the house of GOD which is the church of the living GOD.

The temple of GOD in the OT was a physical structure.  This will not be the case with this new temple, Christ will build.  Under the new covenant the temple of GOD is spiritual in nature; it is the church.  The church is not a physical structure, it is the people.  The Greek word ekklesia refers to the called out.  This is the temple to which Zechariah refers.

  • Note the Branch (Christ) was to be a priest upon His throne.  C/f Heb 9:11, 12 – But Christ came as High Priest… Note over and over in the book of Hebrews, Jesus is called our High Priest.  This is referring to His atoning work through His sacrifice.
  • Underline, Shall sit and rule on His throne.  C/f Acts 2:29-34.  We will look at this passage from Acts in a few minutes.

So here is our conclusion as we answer the question from earlier:  what does being a priest have to do with Jesus sitting on David’s throne?

Zech 6:13 states that Christ is to be a priest upon His throne.

Heb 8:4 and 7:14 note that He could not be a priest upon the earth.

Christ cannot be a priest on the earth and thus, He cannot function as a king on the earth.

And yet, this is the view of the premillennialist.  So beside v13, note “not a priest/king on earth.  Refutes premillennialism.”

                Before we visit the passage in Acts 2, we need to look at another Old Testament prophecy.  The Premillennialist will say that the kingdom will not be set up until after the resurrection of the righteous, an event called the rapture.

            Let us consider a passage found in 2 Samuel 7 that is clearly in conflict with this idea.

            Verse 13 is the same prophecy we just noted in Zechariah.

            The prophet Nathan announced the word of GOD to David: “When your days are fulfilled, and you rest      with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come   from your body, and I             will establish his kingdom” (2 Samuel 7:12). 

            The Premillennialist will say there is a resurrection of the saints prior to the          establishment of the kingdom, that is, the kingdom of Christ will not be established        until after the resurrection of the righteous dead (which presumably would include         David).  However, according to this passage and the passage in Acts 2:29, the kingdom of      Christ would be established while David was still sleeping in the grave hence, before the         resurrection of the righteous.

            Thus, in 2 Samuel 7:12 underline the word “sleep/rest,” and then underline the clause, “I will establish his kingdom.” Now connect the two and in your margin note: Kingdom established before the resurrection; not afterward, as per premillennialism.

The Premillennialist contends the promise made to David in 2 Sam 7:11-13 refers to Solomon and refers to an earthly, political, everlasting Kingdom.  John 18:36 (My kingdom is not of this world…), referenced earlier, refutes this idea. 

According to Barnes’ Commentary, there is a sense that the passage refers to Solomon but there is a dual meaning in that it also refers to Christ.  Solomon built the physical temple.  This Old Testament temple was the type, that is, the foreshadowing of the antitype to come. The antitype is the church as we noted from the Zechariah passage above.

Let’s first consider the application of Solomon…

  • Reading on to verse 14 we see, “If he commits iniquity…”  One would rightly say that could not apply to Christ.  But this phrase comes from a single Hebrew word of 4 letters.  Could the passage be translated differently?  Indeed, Burton Coffman’s commentary notes the translation of Adam Clarke as,

Even in His suffering for iniquity; I shall chasten Him with the rod of men and with the stripes of men.

Now this would fit into the prophecy of Isa 53 perfectly.

But if it has a dual meaning and applies to Solomon there is no problem here. 

The problem comes when we apply it exclusively to Solomon.

Solomon is certainly applied in a physical sense using the parallel passage in 1 Chron 22:5-10.  So how can it apply also to Christ?  This is brought into harmony by considering the physical temple built by Solomon was the type and the church over which Christ is ruling is the antitype.  The church then is the ultimate kingdom which will never be destroyed.

So that brings us to applying the passage to Christ…

Scripture is clear in that the passage is a reference to Christ.  It is a promise that would come through the seed of David, 2 Sam 7:12.  This is made clear in Acts 2:29ff.

Turn to Acts 2 for this discussion.

Note Christ is sitting on the throne now.  We established that fact in our previous lesson. This reign began at the resurrection. 

V29 – make a marginal note back to 2 Sam 7:12 – The kingdom is being established, the church is being built on this day of Pentecost; and yet David is still in the grave when this happened.

V30 – Christ was raised up in these ways:  Raised up when He was crucified; Raised up when He was resurrected from the grave; Raised up when He ascended back to heaven.  V31 tells us the passage is referring to His resurrection.

The quote comes from the Psalms but also has reference to the 2 Sam 7 passage.

Psa 132:11 – The LORD has sworn in truth to David: He will not turn from it: “I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body.”

Marginal note – circle word “would” and note future tense and past tense in vv 31, 32.

In the Psalms, it is future tense but read on continuing with v31 and v32.

V31 notes we are talking about the resurrection from the grave.

V32 notes it is in the past tense.

V33 refers to the ascension.

c/f Heb 1:3 notes, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

It is now past tense.  Christ is reigning now.  There is no future reign of Christ yet to come.  There is no millennial reign of Christ yet to be.  HE has been exalted and is reigning NOW.  Make appropriate marginal notes.

V30 – to sit on His throne!

Jesus is ruling NOW and will continue to rule (1 Cor 15:24-26) until the last enemy (death) is destroyed.  Then according to v24, Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom (the church, GT) to GOD the Father, when He puts an end (not a beginning, GT) to all rule and all authority and power.

In summation, all of the passages fit perfectly together in the context.  The Scriptures must be interpreted to maintain harmony.  There will be no future kingdom on earth.  Jesus is reigning TODAY.  He will continue to reign until His second coming when he puts an end to all rule and power and delivers the church to GOD the Father.  Oh, let us live so that we will be a part of that glorious deliverance.

Lesson 7

Today will be our last lesson of the series on Premillennialism.  Although we have mentioned all of the tenets noted in lesson 2, we will briefly revisit a couple of them as we bring our series to a close with some summary remarks.  The doctrine of Premillennialism teaches that just prior to the 1,000 year reign, there will be a resurrection of the saints only (the rapture) followed by 7 years of tribulation.  Christ will then return to earth and be victorious in the Battle of Armageddon before setting up His throne in Jerusalem.  

Many of these postulates have already been mentioned or addressed in earlier lessons.  We will observe some additional material relative to the Great Tribulation and this supposed final battle.  We begin with a look at…

  • The Great Tribulation

According to the doctrine, the raptured saints will be in heaven for 7 years.  During the latter half of the 7 years, those on earth will suffer through the great tribulation, followed by the 2nd Coming of Christ.  As noted before, if the rapture is truth, this would actually be the 3rd coming.  He came 2,000 years ago, the rapture would be the 2nd coming, and the trip back to earth to set up the kingdom would be the 3rd coming.  This doctrine is full of error.  The Bible speaks of the 2nd Coming and after this the judgement.

So how about this great tribulation?  I’ll briefly mention a few passages that will note we are in the times of tribulation NOW and have been since the days of the New Testament.

It is noted, that the Parable of the Sower in Matt 13 portrays the whole Christian dispensation in a great tribulation.  See Mat 13:20, 21

Much of the 24th chapter of Matthew is misinterpreted when making application to end times prophecies.  Verse 21 refers to a great tribulation.  This is in the context clearly referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 with v34 being a key verse, that the generation present when those words were spoken would be present to see the fulfillment of the prophecies.

See also John 16:33.  Jesus told his disciples, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

The Greek word translated tribulation is found 45 times in the NT.  It is translated as tribulation, affliction, persecution, trouble, and even burdened.  A survey of these verses makes clear reference to the Christian walk in life.

The Scriptures do not teach a doctrine of the Great Tribulation.

  • Will there be a battle of Armageddon?

This comes from Rev 16 and 17.  Remember the book of Revelation is written in figurative language.  This battle is described as a war.  That war was a reality for the 1st Century recipients of the letter.  And it has been applicable to every generation since John’s time.

Another text sometimes used is Zechariah 14.  There are many parallels in this chapter with Matthew 24 and refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. 

There are many things in this chapter that could be examined but suffice it to say that Peter in Acts 3:24, affirmed that “all the prophets from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold (NU text and M text, proclaimed) these days” (Acts 3:24). The “these days” were the days of the Christian age.

The dispensational view of Zechariah 14 is another example of taking a prophetic, figurative language and making a literal application of it.

The truth is we are in this war now.  It is a war between Christ and His church versus Satan and evil.  It is not a physical battle fought in the Middle East. 

It is a spiritual battle. 

2 Cor 10:3-5 – For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal…

Eph 6:10-18, describes the armor of GOD necessary to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood…

The armor is describes as truth, gospel, faith, salvation – these are all spiritual terms.

There is a battle going on now – spiritually.  It is a war that we will fight against Satan until Christ comes again.

At this point, I’ll pull our study to a close with a summary review and a conclusion statement.

Concluding thoughts…

In all matters we must let the Scriptures shape our system of faith.  No matter, how popular a belief system is with the world, our faith must come from the word of GOD, Rom 10:17.

Heb 13:9 – mentions various and strange doctrines

Col 2:22 – notes the commandments and doctrines of men

Let us set this into contrast with Titus 2:1’s notation of sound doctrine, v10 doctrine of GOD.

This is one reason it is important for us to be serious students of the Bible.  We can’t remain students in the elementary sense of the word, like those in Heb 6.  We must be rooted and grounded in the faith so that we can determine the truth as we read about in the book of Jude.

Remember that 2 Cor 11:14 says that Satan and his angels can transform themselves into what appears to be light, righteousness.  One can distinguish only through a knowledge of the Scriptures.

We might note the total number of Scriptures used in this 7 week study exceeds 80.  We have attempted to interpret the Bible so that all 80+ of these passages will be in harmony with each other. 

Conclusions –

The Premillennial belief system is founded on some faulty pillars.

  1. The promises made to Abraham concerning the Land of Palestine are yet to be fulfilled.  The Bible will not support that premise.  Those promises were conditional and the Jews did not keep those conditions.
  2. Jesus came to the earth to reclaim the land for the Jews, to set up an earthly kingdom.  His rejection was a surprise and the church was established as a backup plan.  This premise is also in error to what we see in the Bible.  John 17:4, Jesus plainly states that He had accomplished His mission.  Eph 3 tells us the church was in the eternal plan of GOD.
  3. There will be only one Second Coming – Heb 9:27, 28.
  4. All the dead will be raised at the same time – John 5:28, 29.
  5. The kingdom of Christ is spiritual – John 18:36.
  6. Christ is NOW on David’s throne – Acts 2:30-35.
  7. Christ will reign until death is destroyed at His coming – 1 Cor 15:23-26.
  8. There are no signs indicating an imminent return of Christ.  There is nothing preventing it from happening today but nothing indicating it is near – Matt 24:35ff; Mk 13:32ff.

The most important thing for us is to be ready when Christ returns or when our time on earth is over.

Lastly, we will look at one more idea.

            The New Heaven and the New Earth

The doctrine teaches that the present heaven and earth will be redone.  But note Matt 24:35.

The doctrine seems to come from taking a passage from 2 Pet 3:7ff.

First, the “heavens and earth” of the present are reserved for fire against the day of judgment (2 Pet. 3:7).

Second, the Judgment will come unexpectedly and suddenly. The heavens and earth will pass away with a great noise, the elements will dissolve with fervent heat, and the earth and its works shall be consumed (2 Pet. 3:10,12).

Third, after the Judgment, there will be the “new heavens and new earth.”

Notice what Peter did not say. He did not say that the earth would be refurbished to be an earthly paradise. He did not say that the Lord would reign upon the earth. He did not say that anyone would inhabit earth after the Second Coming.

So what does the passage mean?

Consistent with New Testament teaching concerning final things, the phrase “new heavens and new earth” stands for the saved environment following the Judgment Day. This environment is more commonly called heaven (Mt. 6:19-20).

John wrote, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away; and the sea is no more” (Rev. 21:1).

The expression “heaven and earth” stands for a place of existence — our familiar environment (i.e., land and sky). But what John saw was not the first heaven and earth. It was gone.

So, he describes in symbolic fashion the place of the realm of the saved. It is there that they shall reign “for ever and ever” — not a mere 1,000 years.

This environment of the saved is simply heaven. Paul wrote that our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20). The apostle also said that we have one hope and that our hope is in heaven (Eph. 4:4; Col. 1:5).

In every respect, heaven will be characterized by newness. It is a place never before inhabited by Christians.

It is the first time the saved in a glorified state will be in the very presence of God — face to face (cf. 1 Jn. 3:2; Rev. 22:4). This new state, where sin and death are no more, will be the eternal abode of the saved when the Lord returns. It is where the living will be caught up with the redeemed of all ages to be with the Lord forever (cf. 1 Thes. 4:13-18).