One of the most important subjects of eschatology is the Millenniium. It has been variously interpreted as : a long period of erthly peace, the entire christian age, a time when the redeemed will reign woth their Loard in heaven and the restoration of...
One of the most important subjects of eschatology is the Millenniium. It has been variously interpreted as : a long period of erthly peace, the entire christian age, a time when the redeemed will reign woth their Loard in heaven and the restoration of the Temple and it's sacrifices in Jerusalem. A fully developed Bilical eschatology must recognize and deal with the millemmium as revealed in the Bible. The term millennium does not occur shtetch of time-one thousand years.
In the last book of the Bible such a period is endowed with a specific theologucal content. In Revelation 20, John saw two features in vision. These, in Revelation 20 the redical binding of satan's deceptive power over the nations and the reign of Christ with the resurrected martytres, have charged the word milliennium with theological content and an apocalyptic significance. Revelation 20 s one of the most controversial apocalyptic passages of the whole Bible in Christian theology. The antecendents of John's prophetic view in Revelation 20 can be found in Old testament predictions concering the apocaly[ptic "Day of the Lord". The prophecies of Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel speak of eschatological events in apocalyitic language. When we look at the problem of which interpretation is based on the Bible, historic premiliennialism appears to be the soundest solution.
Historically, four oajor philosophies of history concerning the millennium have developed. A resent book calls these: historic premillennialism, dispensational premillennialism, postmillennialism, and amillennilism.
Anillennialism considers the millenniun as a purely symbolic, atemporal lhase sygnifying the whole period of the Christian church.
It allows for no specific thousand year regin of Christ on earth. The Old test Testment prophecies concering the Davuduc kingdom are applied to Christ's spiritual reign in the church, while they still await their full realization in the earth made new.
Postmillennialism holds that Christ's Kingdom is a present reality because He reigns in the hearts of the His believers.
It expects a conversion of all nations prior to the second Advent. The Kingdom of God will grow grafually through ever-expanding gospel preaching. Postmillennialism considers the first resurrection in Revelation 20, which introduces the thousand-year period, to be the new birth, a spirityal resurrection only.
In premillennialism two basically different types must be distinguished: historicists and dispensationalists. Both believe that the millennium is sparply marked off by two literal resurrections from the dead: the resurrection of the righteous at the beginning, and that of the wicked at the end. Both believe that ithe millennial kingdom will be inaugurated by Christ's visible return and chaterized by His continued reign over the earth.
The basic differences of interpretation become apparent in the applications given to the terms church and Israel in the Old Testment kingdom prophecies. Historic premillennialism has consistently held the church to be the true Israel of God and the focus of an earthly millennium. Dispensationalism is based exclusively on the premise of a consistent literalism in all propheitc applications.
The connection with John's preceding vision in Revelation 19 strongly suggests a chronological sequence between chapters 19 and 20. There is no doubt that Revelation 19 : 11-21 pictures the glirious second Advent of Christ. The Vision about the binding of the serpent-dragon (chap. 20:1-3) logically follows, then, after the Seconf Advent. Only after the millennialism he be thrown into the lake of fire. The context of the millennium then establishes the conclusion that it begins with Christ's second coming.
Now we consider that some of the principles of Old Testament propheitc interpretation overlooked by those who reserve The Old Testament prephecies for the Jews of future age.
(1) The promises ot ancient Israel were conditional.
(2) National Israel failed to meet the conditions, hence lost the kingdom and the probise.
(3) The Christian church, "Sporitual Israel," is now the inheritor of the promises.
(4) Prophecies originally literal may be fulfilled spiritually to "Spiritual Israel" in this age and transcondentally in the world to come.
Which is interpretation of the millennialism that is based on the Bible? It is the historic-premillennialism. The postmillennial judgment deals exclusively with unbelivers or rejectors of Jesus christ. The judgment delineates clealy in every case the righteousness of the sentence passed. The purpose of the binverstigation by God's saints indicates the significance of the millennium: The ultimate theidicy of the creator. Thus god's wisdom, justice, and goodness are placed beyond question forever. The character of god is vindicated before the univers. All creatures in heaven and on earth the righeous and the wicjed, cannot help bowing their knees at the name of Jesus.