Amillenialism, Anyone? (The Basics)

This is the first post of a series on Christian beliefs about the Last Days. The first view we are going to look at is Amillennialism. I actually appreciate this view mainly because it is the most simple view of eschatology. Also, many popular theologians hold fast to this view, including such prominent figures as J.I. Packer and Sam Storms. One quick note: I used Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology for a good majority of research, as well as a video entitled, An Evening Of Eschatology, that was filmed at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN and hosted by pastor John Piper. If you are interested, at the end of this study, I’ll put out some further reading you can do if eschatology interests you further.

The Problem Text At Hand
We’re going to come back to this text a number of times during our study, but I want to show it now so we can see why amillennialists hold to their theory:

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Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

-Revelation 20:1-6

On the surface this view looks very promising. To quote Mr. Grudem, “According to this position the passage in Revelation 20.1-10 describes the present church age. This is an age in which Satan’s influence over the nations has been greatly reduced so that the gospel can be preached to the whole world. Those who are said to be reigning with Christ for the thousand years are Christians who have died and are already reigning with Christ in heaven.” This is the basic belief of Amillennialists. When you boil it all down to its simplest form, that’s what they believe.

Some Distinctions to Keep In Mind
In the view of Amillenialism, the thousand years of Christ's reign is currently happening. Also notice that there is no tribulation as Premillennialists and Postmillennialists ascribe to. The third important thing to notice is there is only one resurrection (more on that in a minute). Both the believers in Christ and unbelievers in Christ are raised at the same time. Directly after the resurrection is the eternal state (New Heavens and New Earth, New Jerusalem). Now it is time to look at some of the arguments from Scripture why Amillennialists believe the way they do.

Arguments For Amillenialism
The first argument that Amillennialists make is they feel that Satan is currently bound to the extent that Revelation 20:2-3 says he is. “According to the Amillennial interpretation the binding of Satan in verses 1-2 (of Revelation 20) is the binding that occurred during Jesus’ earthly ministry. He spoke of binding the strong man in order that he may plunder his house (Matthew 12.29) and said that the Spirit of God was at that time present in power to triumph over demonic forces: ‘If it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you’ (Matthew 12.28). Similarly, with respect to the breaking of Satan’s power, Jesus said during his ministry, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven’ (Luke 10:18)” (pg. 1115).

The second argument for Amillennialism is that Amillennialists hold that there is only one resurrection. They explain the “first resurrection” described in the Revelation 20 passage as “going to heaven to be with the Lord. This is not a bodily resurrection but a coming into the presence of God in heaven. In a similar way, when verse 5 says, ‘The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended,’this is understood to mean they did not come into God’s presence for judgment until the end of the thousand years’” (p. 1115). And to quickly point out, Amillennialists also believe the “first resurrection” can mean Christ’s resurrection, and the believer’s participation with Christ in that by means of salvation.

The third argument for amillennialism is that if there were a “future millennium, the very idea of 'glorified believers and sinners living together' is too difficult to accept” (p. 1116). This is a good point, and I pondered this myself when examining all views of the millennium in preparation for these posts. To quote Berkhof, “It is impossible to understand how a part of the old earth and of sinful humanity can exist alongside a part of the new earth and of a humanity that is glorified. How can perfect saints in glorified bodies have communion with sinners in the flesh? How can glorified sinners live in this sin-laden atmosphere and amid scenes of death and decay?”(p. 1116).

Lastly, the millennium seems to have no intended purpose. “Once the church age has ended and Christ has returned, then what is the reason for delaying the start of the eternal state?"

Arguments Against Amillenialism
So now that the arguments have been made for Amillennialism, let’s look at the rebuttals. In regards to argument one, this idea that Satan is bound in the current church age so that the gospel can spread unhindered is a little far fetched for me to believe personally. I have two simple points of rebuttal:

1. An unobservant person can take a look at the current state of the world and see that Satan is not being bound, but is the main thrust of evil and sin in the world.

2. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says “ In their case (speaking of those who are perishing) the god of this world (emphasis mine)has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (ESV).” That doesn’t sound to me like Satan is bound. You could just as easily point to Ephesians 6:11-12, 1 Peter 5:8-9, as well as other New Testament texts.

Secondly, amillennialists try to insist that the Scriptures only teach one resurrection on the argument that the Bible is vague on this matter. However, you cannot simply ignore Revelation 20 on this. It says there will be a first and second resurrection, implying therefore, that there will be a second. “The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:5-6). This passage makes it clear: if you are not in the “first resurrection”, then you are included in the “rest of the dead”. And if you are a part of the “rest of the dead” then there is a clear, definite teaching on two resurrections. FYI, other passages that amillennialists try to use to justify one resurrection are normally implications as opposed to truths. See Daniel 12:2 and John 5:28-29 for specific examples.

Thirdly, in the matter of glorified believers and sinners on the earth together is indeed hard to imagine, but the main evidence is Jesus. He spent forty days post-resurrection in a glorified body teaching and speaking to people. Also, remember after Christ’s death, there were those who were dead who were raised alive (Matt. 28:17). For some reason that story never made it on to the felt board in Sunday School when I was a kid. Weird. The idea is odd, but not out of the realm of possibility.

Fourthly, the purpose of the millennium may indeed lay a mystery until Christ’s return, but even if that is the case, isn’t God trustworthy enough to know what He’s doing? Grudem summarizes this point in three ways:

• God uses the millennium to “show the outworking of God’s purposes in the structure of society, especially the structures of the family and civil government.”

• The millennium will further vindicate God’s righteousness (towards those who will rebel against God in the end).

• The millennium will reveal “God’s good pleasure to unfold his purposes and reveal more and more of His glory gradually over time.” (p. 1121)

​

Wrapping It All Up
So that’s Amillennialism, and I spell it wrong every time I type it! Hopefully by the end of this entire discussion on eschatology, we come back to a point we harp on a lot at The Voice: READ YOUR BIBLES. You can’t disagree with what you don’t know, and you only look ignorant when you make proof texts as your arguments. I know my personal Bible study has been enriched by this study, and as we move on to the other views of eschatology, it will become vital that we are rooted in truth as we try to explain things the way the Apostle John unpacks them, as well as how we interpret these passages. I pray that Christ would find us faithful to His word, and we echo the words of John where He says, “Come, Lord Jesus!” May Your kingdom come on this earth as it is in heaven Lord. For Your beautiful name in all the earth, come.

-ryan

Postmillennialism: Are We There Yet??

Opening Thoughts
So last post we discussed amillennialism ( no, I am NOT recapping :)) and this post I want to turn our attention to another theory of the millennium, postmillennialism. Obviously, post here means after. So in its simplest idea, postmillennialism is the view that there will be an earthly reign of Christ for a thousand years. Now the conversation takes a bit of a turn. Now that we are discussing views that involve an actual millennium, things will get a little simpler in trying to explain some of this.

Postmillennialism In a Nutshell
"According to this view, the progress of the gospel and the growth of the church will gradually increase, so that a larger and larger proportion of the world's population will be Christians. As a result, there will be significant Christian influences on society, society will more and more function to God's standards, and gradually a 'millennial age' of peace and righteousness will occur on the earth. This 'millennium' will last for a long period of time (not necessarily a literal one thousand years), and finally, at the end of this period, Christ will return to earth, believers and unbelievers will be raised, the final judgment will occur, and there will be a new heaven and new earth. We will then enter into the eternal state." (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 1111)

To help all of us who are more visual, here is a chart:

Scriptural Basis
So what does Scripture say concerning postmillennialism? Although the term itself of course is not found in our sacred literature, there can be some interpretation that this idea might be legit.

• The Great Commission. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 28: 18-20 that "all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to me (Jesus)", and with that authority the disciples were to go forth from that place and make more disciples until the whole world heard the gospel. That sounds like the idea of a gradual process, don't you agree?

• The Parables of Christ. In His parables, Jesus points to stories which seem to suggest a gradual filling of the earth with the kingdom of God. Two main examples would include Matthew 13: 31-32 which describes the kingdom of God being like a mustard seed, and Matt. 13: 33 which describes the kingdom being like flour that was being leavened until it was full.

• Those who subscribe to postmillennialism will say that the world is increasingly becoming more Christian in the sense that the gospel is thriving in countries where it is persecuted (i.e. China, India, Egypt, etc.)

The Rebuttal
Although the Great Commission does give Christ all authority in heaven and earth, it is implied by postmillennialists that the majority of the world will be Christian. I have a hard time with this implication because of this: Christ will redeem His elect, although we as the Church have no clue how many that will be. We know from Scripture that God does not wish any to perish, but for all to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4), and in this, we know that not all will be saved (Matt. 7:21-23), so where is the predominant Christian society? I know that this might seem off considering this view, but it's good for us to think about.

The other two arguments that are given above really are too vague in my opinion to be considered seriously for postmillennialism. The parables are too vague and any implication that they refer to postmillennialism is just that, an implication.

And for the assertion that the world is becoming more Christian seems a little off to me. Yes, the gospel is progressing to every nation on the earth praise Christ, but in places where the gospel has taken root, there seems to be little impact on society. Maybe I'm just being too harsh, but all you have to do is look at Europe and the United States to see that not only are they not becoming more Christian, but they seem to be seeping into secularism in every sense of the word. Europe was the birthplace of the Reformation, and today you could barely recognize it as Europe becomes entwined with every form of psychology, science and religion, not to mention Roman Catholicism. The church that Jonathan Edwards used to pastor in Massachusetts is currently being used to wed homosexual couples. These are steps backwards in society, not forwards. If postmillennialism is correct, then I feel we have an awful long wait ahead of us.

The Best Of Both Worlds?
One last note on this subject is that it is entirely possible for someone to adhere to postmillennialism as well as premillennialism. We'll hit premillennialism in the next two posts, but there are people (although I have no idea how many) who ascribe to postmillennialism but who also believe that after the world has become increasingly Christian, Jesus will set up His earthly kingdom. That's not in the realm of impossibility, but in the end it all depends how they define the term millennium. Interesting I thought.

Final Thoughts
So as a believer in Christ we are taught to look forward to His coming, as well we should. In that thought we should intercede for the nations and be witnesses for Christ in our neighborhoods, jobs, and wherever we go (Acts 1:8). So in the end this theology should enhance our view of what our great God one day will do. If four guys with PhD's can't agree on this important piece of theology, odds are we won't all agree either. At any rate, pursue the Scriptures and ask questions. There are plenty to ask, and it seems the more you ask the more confused you can get. We need Him and His Spirit to enlighten both our minds and our hearts in these issues, for they certainly are weighty indeed.

-Ryan

Amillennialism: The Nitty Gritty

First Things First

The first view we are going to look at is amillennialism. I actually appreciate this view mainly because it is the most simple view of eschatology. Many popular theologians hold fast to this view, including J.I. Packer and Sam Storms. One quick note: I used Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology for a good majority of research, as well as a video entitled, An Evening Of Eschatology, that was filmed at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN and hosted by pastor John Piper. If you are interested, at the end of this study, I’ll put out some further reading you can do if eschatology interests you further.

The Problem Text
We’re going to come back to this text a number of times during our study, but I want to show it now so we can see why amillennialists hold to their theory:

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

-Revelation 20.1-6 (ESV)

On the surface this view looks very promising. To quote Mr. Grudem, “According to this position the passage in Revelation 20.1-10 describes the present church age. This is an age in which Satan’s influence over the nations has been greatly reduced so that the gospel can be preached to the whole world. Those who are said to be reigning with Christ for the thousand years are Christians who have died and are already reigning with Christ in heaven.”

This is the basic belief of Amillennialists. When you boil it all down to its simplest form, that’s what they believe. Also, below is a chart showing how they perceive all of the events taking place:

Some Distinctions
I apologize if you can't read the chart. It looked better in Google Docs. Notice that the millennium is currently happening. Also notice that there is no tribulation as Premillennialists and Postmillennialists ascribe to. The third important thing to notice is there is only one resurrection (more on that in a minute). Both the believers in Christ and unbelievers in Christ are raised at the same time. Directly after the resurrection is the eternal state (New Heavens and New Earth, New Jerusalem). Now it is time to look at some of the arguments from Scripture why Amillennialists believe the way they do.

Arguments For
The first argument that Amillennialists make is they feel that Satan is currently bound to the extent that Revelation 20:2-3 says he is. “According to the Amillennial interpretation the binding of Satan in verses 1-2 (of Revelation 20) is the binding that occurred during Jesus’ earthly ministry. He spoke of binding the strong man in order that he may plunder his house (Matt. 12.29) and said that the Spirit of God was at that time present in power to triumph over demonic forces: ‘If it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you’ (Matt 12.28). Similarly, with respect to the breaking of Satan’s power, Jesus said during his ministry, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven’ (Luke 10:18)” (pg. 1115).

The second argument for Amillennialism is that Amillennialists hold that there is only one resurrection. They explain the “first resurrection” described in the Revelation 20 passage as “going to heaven to be with the Lord. This is not a bodily resurrection but a coming into the presence of God in heaven. In a similar way, when verse 5 says, ‘The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended,’this is understood to mean they did not come into God’s presence for judgment until the end of the thousand years’” (p. 1115). And to quickly point out, Amillennialists also believe the “first resurrection” can mean Christ’s resurrection, and the believer’s participation with Christ in that by means of salvation.

The third argument for amillennialism is that if there were a “future millennium, the very idea of 'glorified believers and sinners living together' is too difficult to accept” (p. 1116). This is a good point, and I pondered this myself when examining all views of the millennium in preparation for these posts. To quote Berkhof, “It is impossible to understand how a part of the old earth and of sinful humanity can exist alongside a part of the new earth and of a humanity that is glorified. How can perfect saints in glorified bodies have communion with sinners in the flesh? How can glorified sinners live in this sin-laden atmosphere and amid scenes of death and decay?”(p. 1116).

Lastly, the millennium seems to have no intended purpose. “Once the church age has ended and Christ has returned, then what is the reason for delaying the start of the eternal state?"

Arguments Against
So now that the arguments have been made for Amillennialism, let’s look at the rebuttals. In regards to argument one, this idea that Satan is bound in the current church age so that the gospel can spread unhindered is a little far fetched for me to believe personally. I have two simple points of rebuttal:

1. An unobservant person can take a look at the current state of the world and see that Satan is not being bound, but is the main thrust of evil and sin in the world.

2. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says “ In their case (speaking of those who are perishing) the god of this world (emphasis mine)has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (ESV).” That doesn’t sound to me like Satan is bound. You could just as easily point to Ephesians 6:11-12, 1 Peter 5:8-9, as well as other New Testament texts.

Secondly, amillennialists try to insist that the Scriptures only teach one resurrection on the argument that the Bible is vague on this matter. However, you cannot simply ignore Revelation 20 on this. It says there will be a first and second resurrection, implying therefore, that there will be a second. “The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:5-6). This passage makes it clear: if you are not in the “first resurrection”, then you are included in the “rest of the dead”. And if you are a part of the “rest of the dead” then there is a clear, definite teaching on two resurrections. FYI, other passages that amillennialists try to use to justify one resurrection are normally implications as opposed to truths. See Daniel 12:2 and John 5:28-29 for specific examples.

Thirdly, in the matter of glorified believers and sinners on the earth together is indeed hard to imagine, but the main evidence is Jesus. He spent forty days post-resurrection in a glorified body teaching and speaking to people. Also, remember after Christ’s death, there were those who were dead who were raised alive (Matt. 28:17). For some reason that story never made it on to the felt board in Sunday School when I was a kid. Weird. The idea is odd, but not out of the realm of possibility.

Fourthly, the purpose of the millennium may indeed lay a mystery until Christ’s return, but even if that is the case, isn’t God trustworthy enough to know what He’s doing? Grudem summarizes this point in three ways:

• God would use the millennium to “show the outworking of God’s good purposes in the structure of society, especially the structures of the family and civil government.” (p. 1121)

• The millennium will further vindicate God’s righteousness (towards those who will rebel against God in the end).

• The millennium will reveal “God’s good pleasure to unfold his purposes and reveal more and more of His glory gradually over time.” (p. 1121)

Wrapping It All Up
So that’s Amillennialism, and I spell it wrong every time I type it! Hopefully by the end of this entire discussion on eschatology, we come back to a point we harp on a lot at The Voice: READ YOUR BIBLES. You can’t disagree with what you don’t know, and you only look ignorant when you make proof texts as your arguments. I know my personal Bible study has been enriched by this study, and as we move on to the other views of eschatology, it will become vital that we are rooted in truth as we try to explain things the way the Apostle John unpacks them, as well as how we interpret these passages. I pray that Christ would find us faithful to His word, and we echo the words of John where He says, “Come, Lord Jesus!” May Your kingdom come on this earth as it is in heaven Lord. For Your beautiful name in all the earth, come.

-ryan

Eschatology: An Intro And Brief Synopsis

Last year I set out to dig into the theology of the Holy Spirit and decide for myself what I thought Scripture taught as well as what the most denominations taught in regards to the aforementioned. This year I want to do the same thing and tackle eschatology. You all should know that eschatology and I haven't always mixed well. I grew up in a Christian home, but my parents were never shy about talking about the Second Coming. Fast forward to my 18th year and my church went on an "eschatology crusade" to the effect that if you didn't believe Jesus was coming back within the year you were a little ostricized and you clearly didn't know the Scriptures like you should.

Looking back on that time it's clear to see that certain views of eschatology dominate denominations, just like different views of church government, spiritual gifts, etc. What I want to do in the next unnamed amount of posts about eschatology is to unpack the major views, the arguments for that view, and look at what the Bible says about all of them. Also as a fair warning to all, I've been doing my homework on eschatology this past week, and I readily admit the waters get muddy real fast. So if you get confused, please don't fret; it's normal. Yesterday I was researching what Spurgeon's stance was on eschatology, and funny enough, he never really adhered to one, at least not in the pulpit or in print. If you want to check that out more, there's plenty to read on the Spurgeon Archive.

Please don't be afraid of studying eschatology. The end of eschatology is Jesus. The second Advent is about Jesus, not about end-time prophecy or Israel or the Antichrist. Once we understand that Jesus is the center of eschatology can we more fully understand it's place in the Gospel and the glorious reality that this life is not what we're here for. The next post we will dive into the first of four views concerning the end times/millenium views. Have a good day. :)

ryan

THE END IS HERE!!!

Ok, just kidding. Not to digress, but I love those bumper stickers that say "Jesus is Coming" because I always want to retort with "Look Busy!". Haha, I know, real comedian over here. But in the same thought that Sean had the other day when he put up several links to other resources, I found an amazing talk today about eschatology (the study of last things) while I was on Monergism's website. If you scroll down on the link to June 1st, the eschatology session is the last one. Feel free to download it if not all of the other 6 sessions. I found it very Biblical and Christ glorifying. Enjoy.

ryan

Does Eschatology Make a Difference?

I have been in the process of looking into different options that I might be interested in pursuing before attending grad school. One of the options is the peace corps. While researching this option with emphasis on how a Christian can effectively be involved and the limitations on Christians, I ran across this quote:

"Christians are to consider themselves as strangers and pilgrims on this earth,and are not called to try in any way to save or improve upon a worldly system which has been created by its Creator for the purpose of being destroyed and replaced with ‘a new heaven and a new earth.’"

This raised my eyebrows. I have great respect for all denominational preferences within orthodox Christianity. I respect those that differ with me on the issue of eschatology (theology of the end of the world/age). However, like all issues, when one takes a position and goes towards an extreme, the implications can manifest themselves in how he or she behaves and interacts with the world around that individual.

The problem I have with the mentioned quote is its similarity to one of Jesus' parables, the servants and the talents. Each servant was given an amount of money by his master and was told to steward the money and be productive. Each servant went about doing just that, except one. The last servant had one meager talent and was so afraid of losing it that he buried it in the ground; holding on to what he had. When the master came back he honored the servants that had been productive, but vehemently chastised the disobedient and cowardly servant.

I feel there is a sub-set of Christians who have come to believe that this fallen world is irredeemable and is set to become the greatest cook-out that has ever been seen. The goal is to hang-on to what remains and wait while culture falls apart in wickedness and darkness. It is rather like a Sleeping Beauty/Snow White story. Christianity sleeps until the prince arrives, kisses His sleeping bride, and then whisks her off to His castle away from all the pain, suffering, and evil queens that this world offers.

While this view makes a good story, I believe that scripture reveals a different narrative. Jesus Himself became part of culture, impacting the lives of broken and hurting individuals. Paul quotes to the Athenian people in Acts 17:28 their own poets, showing that he was aware of culture. Habakkuk 2:14 has a glorious promise of God's Word spreading across the globe as waters cover the sea (which is quite expansive). Isaiah 2:4 speaks of a day when warriors will mold their swords into farming equipment because wars will become extinct and men will no longer learn the art of war.

Some say that we must wait for heaven for all these things to become a reality in a world far away. I personally believe that heaven will be on earth and our vocation and calling as Christians is to restore shalom, or peace, to the world. It is a slow process, but I believe that there will come a day when all nations acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and God. Culture will one day glorify Christ. This age ends as Psalm 110:1 notes, until every enemy of Christ is defeated. Thus, I believe this world has an awesome future, which we should become invested in and work to make happen. We only see a sliver of time, but scripture is our guide to what lies ahead. That's my perspective anyway. :)