PREMILLENIALISM. Paul Meacham

Transcription

1 PREMILLENIALISM About e auor... and his wife April, have 3 children. Paul is e speaker for radio and television for e Tru For The World program. He is also involved in meeting work and promotional/informational work for Tru for e World and does foreign evangelism in conjunction wi Tru for e World. In Matew 3:2 we find John e Baptist was going about Judea And saying, Repent ye: for e kingdom of heaven is at hand. In Matew 4:17 we find at Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for e kingdom of heaven is at hand. In Matew 10:7 we see Jesus sending His twelve disciples (later known as apostles) to e Jews of eir day wi e instruction at as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. This was a true and noble message for e kingdom surely was at hand and men needed to ready emselves. However, many today are continuing to preach at message when it is neier true nor noble. Looking longingly to e future for what has already been delivered, ey, in misbegotten expectation of a man-conceived panacea, reject e kingdom our Lord established. This rejection of God s provision for man s salvation is at e very core of premillennialism. Since is lectureship centers on being able to give an answer on a variety of Bible topics, I have decided to fulfill my assignment by first asking a question and en answering it. As is e case wi all profitable answers, we will appeal to God s Word as e sole auority on all matters religious and spiritual. I have chosen ese particular questions for ree reasons. For e most part, ese are question I have been asked by oers during discussions of e tenets of premillennialism. These questions naturally guide us into much of e subject matter to be considered. Based on e current false teaching most people hear on is matter, ese are questions any Christian is likely to be asked during a discussion of premillennialism. What is Premillennialism? This is a much easier question to ask an it is to answer. The difficulty stems from e fact at premillennialism has taken so many different forms over e years and even among its staunchest adherents ere remains significant disagreement of belief. The disagreement arises from, and is continued by, e contradictory conclusions eir teachers draw from eir self-serving interpretations of prophetic and often highly symbolic passages. For e sake of our discussion, we will define premillennialism as: e belief at at some point in e future Jesus will (1) return to is ear, (2) establish an early kingdom, and (3) rule from e rone of David in Jerusalem for 1000 years. This definition, of course, is not comprehensive, but, even while debating many of e finer aspects of Ready To Give An Answer The 18 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 1 not to be sold. For information contact e 39 Street Church of Christ E. 39 Street, Independence, Missouri 64055

2 premillennialism, most who hold is false doctrine do agree wi ese ree points. Will Jesus Return To The Ear? Many would answer wi an emphatic Yes! Some would say, I m not sure. The Bible says, No! In Matew 26:64 as Jesus stands before e injustice of e Jewish High Priest, He tells em at ey will see e Son of man sitting on e right hand of power, and coming in e clouds of heaven. This is a warning at at e end of time He, e Christ, would see em again in judgement. The difference is at at e end Jesus will be e judge and ey will be on trial (2 Corinians 5:10). Notice e passage refers to Jesus as coming in e clouds. The figure of God coming on e clouds is often used to represent judgement (Psalm 18:6-10; Isaiah 19:1-4; Matew 24:30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27; Revelation 1:7). Many have supposed from ese passages at Jesus is coming in e clouds to e ear. Notice, however, 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up togeer wi em in e clouds, to meet e Lord in e air: and so shall we ever be wi e Lord. The Bible does not show Jesus as coming to e ear, but raer us as leaving e ear to join Him in e air. And so shall we ever be wi e Lord. This is considered by some to be a minor point, but e fact is at according to e Bible record, Jesus will never again set foot on e ear. Will Jesus return to e ear? If we are ready to give e Bible answer, we must answer No. Will Jesus Establish A Kingdom? To e surprise of many e Bible answers is question, No! If e question were restated, Did Jesus establish a kingdom? The answer would be Yes! Again, let s allow e Bible to speak for itself. God promised Jacob at a ruler would come rough Judah (Genesis 49:10). God established a kingdom (physical Israel) under e Old Testament law at was typical of a kingdom (e church) at was yet to come (1 Samuel 8:5-7; Galatians 6:15-16). Jehovah specified at a king would come from e line of David and rule from David s rone (2 Samuel 7:8-16). Luke records for us at Jesus is e King rough whom e Faer fulfilled is promise (Luke 1:31-32; Acts 2:29-36), and at he shall reign over e house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom ere shall be no end (Luke 1:33). This is e same kingdom at is prophesied in Isaiah chapter two, Daniel chapter two, and Joel chapter two, and whose prophecy was fulfilled in Acts chapter two. That it was divinely planned at Jesus should establish and reign over a kingdom is wiout question. That His kingdom has already been established and He is now reigning over it is equally certain. Matew, Mark, and Luke all recorded e promise of Jesus to establish His kingdom during e lives of ose who saw Him walk is ear about 2000 years ago (Matew 16:28; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27). Eier Jesus lied, which is impossible (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:17-18), Jesus failed, which is also impossible (Genesis 18:14; Job 42:2; Jeremiah 32:17; Mark 10:26-27, 14:36), or Jesus established His kingdom during e lifetime of ose to whom He spoke in e first century. The Bible even tells us exactly when He was established as King over His kingdom. Daniel 7:13-14 reads us, Ready To Give An Answer The 18 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 2 not to be sold. For information contact e 39 Street Church of Christ E. 39 Street, Independence, Missouri 64055

3 I saw in e night visions, and, behold, one like e Son of man came wi e clouds of heaven, and came to e Ancient of days, and ey brought him near before him. And ere was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, at all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom at which shall not be destroyed (emp. PDM). Please notice e text does not say at He will receive His kingdom when he comes in e clouds to e ear. Raer, He received His kingdom when He went in e clouds to e Ancient of days. The record of is event is plainly given in Acts 1:9-11 when Jesus ascended back to e Faer in heaven. That is why e apostle Paul could tell e Colossian Christian to give anks to e Faer Who ha delivered us from e power of darkness, and ha translated us into e kingdom of his dear Son (Colossians 1:13, emp. PDM). This would have been an impossible task if e kingdom had not already been established. Some may ask, If e kingdom has already been established, where is it? Again e Bible provides e answer. In Matew 16:18-19 Jesus promised to build His church and give Peter e keys to e kingdom. Here Jesus answers for us e question. His church is His kingdom. Paul addressed e letter we know as First Thessalonians to e church of e Thessalonians which is in God e Faer and in e Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:1). Then in chapter two and verse twelve he exhorted em to walk wory of God, who ha called you unto his kingdom and glory. The kingdom of God is not hard to find. One simply has to look where it is. If we look into e future for someing existing in e present, we will miss it. If we look for a king ruling on ear when ere is a King ruling from heaven, we will miss Him. So, will Jesus establish a kingdom? If we are ready to give e Bible answer, we must answer No, He already established it. Didn t God promise e Land of Canaan to e nation of Israel? This question is vital to any discussion of premillennialism not because e Bible makes it important, but because of e great importance premillennialists place on is small piece of land. In his book The Gaering Storm, Harold Lindsell claims... e land of Palestine is designed by God to be e centerpiece of, e events surrounding e end times... Israel is one of e keys to e end of e age. Whoever loses sight of Israel and its role in e events connected wi e consummation of history has an incorrect view of e second advent of Jesus (Ruerford 26, 37). This misunderstanding of e land of Palestine and whose it rightfully is, is so strong at it has even exerted political influence on American foreign policy. Now, let s examine e question. Did God promise e land of Canaan to e nation of Israel? The answer is Yes. However, e land of Canaan (currently fought over by Israel, Jordan, Syria, e Palestine Liberation Organization, and oers) is not e God-given property of any people today. How can bo be true? The answer is found in e Biblical record. In Genesis chapter 12 Jehovah ordered Abram, later renamed Abraham, out of his homeland Ready To Give An Answer The 18 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 3 not to be sold. For information contact e 39 Street Church of Christ E. 39 Street, Independence, Missouri 64055

4 and into anoer land. Upon arrival Jehovah promises Abram at e land of Canaan would belong to his children (Genesis 12:7). It is upon is promise at e premillennialists build eir hopes of a restored physical nation of Israel in e land of Palestine. When e United Nations in 1948 declared Israel to once again be a nation, many were sure e end time prophesies were beginning to be fulfilled. However, to conclude such ignores e record of what God did for Israel and wi e land of Canaan in e intervening years. The book of Joshua opens wi God s instruction to arise, go over is Jordan, ou, and all is people, unto e land which I do give to em, even to e children of Israel (Joshua 1:2, emp. PDM). This occurs just after Moses has died and Joshua is beginning to lead Israel. God was at at moment in e process of giving em e land He had promised to Abraham. That was not an eternally ongoing process. Joshua 21:43-45 tells us, And e LORD gave unto Israel all e land which he sware to give unto eir faers; and ey possessed it, and dwelt erein. And e LORD gave em rest round about, according to all at he sware unto eir faers: and ere stood not a man of all eir enemies before em; e LORD delivered all eir enemies into eir hand. There failed not ought of any good ing which e LORD had spoken unto e house of Israel; all came to pass. (Emp. PDM) At e end of his life Joshua reminded e people, behold, is day I am going e way of all e ear: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, at not one ing ha failed of all e good ings which e LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one ing ha failed ereof (Joshua 23:14, emp. PDM). There are two oer ings at we should note in Joshua s farewell address. First, we should note at e claim at God had already delivered to Israel e ings promised (Joshua 23:14) follows a reminder at it was Jehovah who had driven eir enemies out of e land and had ereby given it to em (Joshua 23:13). Second, we note at e following verse warns em of e conditional nature of eir inherited land, Therefore it shall come to pass, at as all good ings are come upon you, which e LORD your God promised you; so shall e LORD bring upon you all evil ings, until he have destroyed you from off is good land which e LORD your God ha given you (Joshua 23:15) The inheriting of e promised land was never intended by God to be a blank check for unrighteousness. Raer, e land was one of e blessings a Faer provided for His children and, as wi all oer blessings, it would be widrawn if ey were disobedient. That Israel was disobedient and forfeited e land God gave em is also a matter of record (2 Kings 17:22-23, 25:1-21; 2 Chronicles 36:16-20). In fact, Nehemiah chapter nine gives a wonderful history of Jehovah s dealing wi his people. Nehemiah begins by acknowledging Jehovah as e Ready To Give An Answer The 18 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 4 not to be sold. For information contact e 39 Street Church of Christ E. 39 Street, Independence, Missouri 64055

5 Creator (Nehemiah 9:6). He en shows at God fulfilled His promise to Abraham (Nehemiah 9:7-8, 23-25), at Israel rebelled and was erefore removed from e land (Nehemiah 9:26-35), and at only God s mercy brought Israel out of captivity. He acknowledges at God was right in so dealing wi Israel and at ey were returned to e land as servants at Jehovah might fulfill His own will and bring from at nation a savior (Isaiah 46:10-13; Nehemiah 9:36-38). So, did God promise e land of Canaan to Israel? If we are ready to give e Bible answer, we must answer He promised em e land, gave em e land, and ey, by eir disobedience, forfeited e land. What is e Rapture everyone is talking about? The rapture, as premillennialists allege, will be (1) a sudden return by our Lord, (2) a secret return by our Lord, (3) and e sweeping up into heaven of all e righteous from e ear, bo living and dead. They furer claim at e rapture will be followed by a seven-year period of persecution knows as e tribulation and at e tribulation will end when Jesus comes to ear, accompanied by ose who have been raptured and His angels, to fight e battle of Armageddon. Jesus will secure victory and will en establish His kingdom and rule from Jerusalem for 1000 years. The question we should ask is, What does e Bible say about e rapture? The answer is, Noing! The word rapture is not even in e Bible. The word is of Latin (rapto) not Greek origin and means to sweep or catch away. The word rapture in e English language has come to mean, being caught up or swept away wi happiness or joy. What is more important an e absence of e word from e Text, is at e premillennial concept of e rapture is not in e Bible. In fact, e Bible record of Jesus second coming makes e premillennial concept of e rapture impossible. The Bible does say at Jesus will come suddenly. Matew 24:36-25:46 is a series of teaching about e second coming of Jesus and e end of time. Matew 24:42 tells us to, Watch erefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord do come. Matew 24:44 warns, Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye ink not e Son of man come. The second coming of Jesus will be sudden and unexpected. However, e Bible denies at His coming will be secret. Revelation 1:7 says, Behold, he come wi clouds; and every eye shall see him, and ey also which pierced him: and all kindreds of e ear shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen (emp. PDM). Paul comforted e Thessalonians by saying For e Lord himself shall descend from heaven wi a shout, wi e voice of e archangel, and wi e trump of God: and e dead in Christ shall rise first (1 Thessalonians 4:16, emp. PDM). Jesus coming will be sudden but it will not be a secret. Furer, e Bible tells us at Jesus coming will mark e end of time and e end of e world. The apostle Peter teaches us at e same God who once destroyed e world wi water is currently maintaining e existence of is world and at it is reserved unto fire against e day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men (2 Peter 3:7). Additionally, Peter warns us not to become complacent and disbelieving as years pass because e day of e Lord will come as a ief in e night; in e which e heavens shall pass away wi a great noise, and e elements shall melt wi fervent heat, e ear also and e works at are erein shall be burned up (2 Peter 3:10). Once again we see e sudden, unannounced nature of e Lord s coming, but we also learn at on at day e ear will be completely destroyed. That means ere will be no time for e seven years of e tribulation or a 1000-year early reign of Christ. All will come to an end on at day. Ready To Give An Answer The 18 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 5 not to be sold. For information contact e 39 Street Church of Christ E. 39 Street, Independence, Missouri 64055

6 The Bible also denies e premillennial idea at ere will be separate resurrections for e good and e evil. The Bible records at all will be raised, changed, judged, and assigned to eir eternal destination when Jesus returns (Matew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; Acts 17:30-31; Romans 14:11-12; 1 Corinians 15:23-55; 2 Corinians 5:10; Revelation 20:11-15). That means e rapture, tribulation, 1000-year reign, and battle of Armageddon e premillennialists tell us about simply will not happen. They can not. There is no time or place for em in e Inspired Account. What is e rapture everyone is talking about? If we are ready to give e Bible answer, we must answer, It is e invention of man s mind and has no Bible foundation at all. Doesn t e Bible say anying about a 1000-year Reign? The answer is, Yes. In Revelation 20:4 John wrote, And I saw rones, and ey sat upon em, and judgment was given unto em: and I saw e souls of em at were beheaded for e witness of Jesus, and for e word of God, and which had not worshipped e beast, neier his image, neier had received his mark upon eir foreheads, or in eir hands; and ey lived and reigned wi Christ a ousand years. This is e only passage in e Bible at mentions a millennium. While it is true at one passage is enough to firmly establish a doctrine, e passage in question must actually teach e doctrine in question. In oer word, is passage must actually say what e premillennialists claim. It does not! In fact, not only does it not support all e premillennial doctrines, it does not support any of em. In examining e twentie chapter of Revelation, broer Rod Ruerford in his wonderful book, The Millennial Mania, observes, There are several essential items missing for is to refer to a millennial reign of Christians on ear wi Jesus Christ: The second coming of Christ is not mentioned. The resurrection of e body is not mentioned. A reign on ear is not mentioned. The literal rone of David is not mentioned. We Christians today are not mentioned (please note at it is ey not we who reigned). Christ on e ear is not mentioned (78, emp. RR). That is core of eir doctrine. Everying at premillennialism is built on, everying at its practitioners rely on, is passage fails to provide. Homer Hailey, in his Commentary on Revelation concluded, A eory which rests on a passage of Scripture in which not one of it peculiar tenets of doctrine is found cannot be true (390). Such is certainly e case wi e 1000-year early reign of Christ and e twentie chapter of Revelation. So, some may ask, what is e 1000-year reign mentioned in Revelation 20:4? It is a symbolic Ready To Give An Answer The 18 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 6 not to be sold. For information contact e 39 Street Church of Christ E. 39 Street, Independence, Missouri 64055

7 and figurative way of representing victory for ose who serve and follow Christ. Those on e rones were seen earlier (Revelation 6:9-11) under e altar crying out for judgement against e wicked who had killed em. Moving ese martyrs from under e altar (representative of dea and sacrifice) and placing em on rones (representative of victory and rule) was a message of comfort and encouragement to ose of John s day who were enduring Roman persecution. Its divine preservation affords all who suffer for e cause of e Lord e streng and courage of assured victory. Does e Bible have anying to say about a 1000-year reign? If we are ready to give e Bible answer, we must answer, Yes. But probably not what you have heard on television and radio. Please do not wait for some future kingdom. The kingdom of Christ is available now and by His Gospel you are called to it (2 Thessalonians 2:14). Obey His word and He will save you (Hebrews 5:8-9). Refuse Him and you will surely die (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8). Works Cited Hailey, Homer. Revelation, An Introduction and Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House (nd). Ruerford, Rod. The Millenial Mania (A Study in Premillenialism). Dulu, GA: Ruerford Books (1998). Ready To Give An Answer The 18 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 7 not to be sold. For information contact e 39 Street Church of Christ E. 39 Street, Independence, Missouri 64055