I am thrilled to be able to make Part 1 of the "Ultimate Triumph" - "Prophesied in the Old Testament" - series available by Dr Ern Baxter. It is a series of 3 sermons that he preached in the USA but it is touching on a subject that, like the baptism of the Holy Spirit, is in danger of being swept under the ecclesiastical carpet for the sake of some form of unity. A secondary subject it may be - but Dave Holden is right when he said that our "eschatology governs our ecclesiology". How we look to the future and view the end times shapes how we live in the present.I love what Jesse Phillips wrote in his post; "Post-millenial golden age". He said;
"We don't know how the world will end, but I believe that we should be ambitious and faith-filled with respect to the effect that the gospel can have if we are faithful to preach it".
There is a part near the end of the message that utterly thrilled me and I must make mention of it. Ern Baxter noted Ezekiel 47 - where the river of God flows out from the altar (the Cross) to the nations. He noted firstly that there is movement in the river of God! No stagnancy! Then he notes the deeper and deeper progression of "action" words;
"What have we got here? The river starts and it is to the ankles. Then the knees. Then the loins. Then its waters to swim in. This is the progression since Christ’s redemptive act in history and before it is over, the whole earth will be redemptive waters to swim in. You say I like my pessimistic view better. Well go live with it then. I like the Bible view! Ultimate Triumph! Jesus shall reign where’er the sun doth its successive journeys run!".
There is nothing wrong in and of itself about singing "Jesus keep me near the Cross". But if we never realise in our church life what the Cross was designed and intended for - namely to bring a host of sons to glory - and simply rest misty-eyed around the Cross, welling up every time a song about the "old rugged Cross" is on the song list - then surely we have missed the point? Christ endured the Cross! It wasn't a pleasant thing or a romantic thing! He endured it - what for? The JOY set before Him! What was that joy? Surely the vision of a whole earth covered in the glory of the Lord - a whole earth shining with the results of His redemptive sacrifice. Every tribe and tongue singing "Worthy is the Lamb!".
Next in the Series: Ultimate triumph inaugurated in the Gospels and Acts.
4 comments:
Oh please. Triumphalism died when the Second World War hit. Let's be realistic.
It would be helpful to have scriptures to justify the above comment, or for a detailed reflection on the text of Dr Baxter's sermon.
Well how about this?
BAPTIST DISTINCTIVES: DOCTRINALLY CONSERVATIVE AND PREMILLENIAL
by
PASTOR KENNETH E. TRENT
SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH
CHANNELVIEW, TEXAS 77530
We believe and teach that the “pre-millennial” view is the only position which is true to the scripture.
I. A Scriptural Doctrine: The Certainty of His Second Coming:
“I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:2a-3
“Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11
“When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: And before Him shall be gathered all nations; and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.” Matthew 25:31-32
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also who sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them who are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead shall rise first: then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” I Thessalonians 4:14-17.
NOTE: This is called the “Blessed Hope” in Titus 2:13 which says: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”
II. The Two-Fold Nature of His Return:
1. The coming of the Lord for His own!
For the Christian, this constitutes the Second Coming of Christ. This truth is set forth in two of the Bible passages quoted above: John 14:2a-3 and I Thessalonians 4:14-17. This phase of His coming is referred to as “The Rapture of the Church” as set forth by our Lord in Matthew 24:36-42: “But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for you know not what hour your Lord doth come.”
2. The coming of the Lord with His saints!
Set forth in Matthew 25:31-32 above. Further descriptions of this phase of His coming: “For as the lightning cometh out of the East and shines even unto the West: so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:27 “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen!” Revelation 1:7. “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse! and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.” (Battle of Armageddon) Revelation 19:11.
III. Events Associated with His Coming FOR His Saints:
1. The “first resurrection” (resurrection of the redeemed) “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” I Thessalonians 4:16
“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection!” Revelation 20:6
2. The translation of all believers who are living at the time of His coming for His own. “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” I Thessalonians 4:17
“Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” I Corinthians 15:51-52
3. The “rapture of the church” (I Thessalonians 4:16 and Matthew 24:36-42).
IV. Events Associated Between His Coming FOR His Saints and WITH His Saints:
Events that will take place in “the clouds”. This probably refers to a place in the “second heaven” and not in the “third heaven” where the seat of God the Father is located. (II Corinthians 12:2).
1. The Judgment Seat of Christ:
This is the judgment of all believers. It is not a judgment to determine if a person is saved since it is only for the redeemed. It is a judgment of our works to determine our reward. “...for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Romans 14:10b-12
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it is good or bad.” II Corinthians 5:10
“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abides which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” I Corinthians 3:11-15
The various rewards, or crowns, that will be given at the Judgment Seat of Christ are:
1. “The incorruptible crown” given for self-denial (I Corinthians 9:24-27).
2. “The crown of rejoicing” given to soul-winners (I Thessalonians 2:19).
3. “The crown of righteousness” given to those who love His appearing (II Timothy 4:6-
.
4. “The crown of glory” for faithful ministers of the Word (I Peter 5:1-4).
5. “The crown of life” for those who endure trials and hardship for the Lord Jesus (James 1:12).
2. The Marriage of the Lamb and the Marriage Feast of the Lamb:
“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And He saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they who are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And He saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” Revelation 19:7-9
The analogy of husband to wife and bridegroom to bride is used in various scriptures to symbolize the relationship between Christ and His church. Consider:
“Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless.” Ephesians 5:22-27
( NASB)
Events that will take place on earth: The tribulation period is best referred to as “The Great Tribulation”. There are several important facts to keep in mind.
(1.) It shall follow the rapture of the church (Revelation, chapter 6)
(2.) It will begin with the manifestation of the Antichrist (Revelation 6:2). Also:
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. II Thessalonians 2:2-4.
3.) It will be a time of indescribable pain and suffering (Revelation 6:4-8), the extent of which is revealed in Rev. 6:15b-17:
“...and hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
V. Events Associated with His Coming WITH His Saints:
1. The Battle of Armageddon described symbolically in Revelation 14:14-20. Also: “And He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” Revelation 16:16.
2. The conversion of the Jewish nation:
“And it shall come about in that day, that I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born. In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.” Zechariah 12:9-11 (NASB).
3. The chaining of Satan:
“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit (abyss) and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, who is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit (abyss), and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” Revelation 20:1-3.
4. The “Judgment of Living Nations”.
It is important to recognize that this is the only “general” judgment recorded in the scripture. It must not be confused with the “Judgment Seat of Christ” or the “Great White Throne Judgment”. The Judgment of Living Nations shall occur immediately following the Battle of Armageddon when people of all nations on earth shall be judged by the Lord Jesus Christ. The redeemed will live with Him in His kingdom; the lost shall be cast into hell. Thus, the millennial reign of Christ will begin with only the righteous populating the earth. This judgment is set forth in Matthew 25:31-46.
5. The millennial reign of Christ.
Three things of great significance associated with this period: (1.) Christ, Himself, shall rule this earth from the throne of David in Jerusalem. “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” Rev. 20:6
(2.) The world shall be at peace:
“And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” Isaiah 2:4
(3.) The curse shall be removed from the earth:
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:6-9
VI. Events that will follow the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus:
1. Satan will be loosed from the bottomless pit (abyss):
“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison. And he shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, to gather them together to battle: the number of which is as the sand of the sea. Revelation 20:7.
2. The rebellion of all nations against the Lord Jesus:
“And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and encompassed the camp of the saints, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.” Revelation 20:9.
3. The final defeat of Satan:
“And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast [Antichrist] and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Revelation 20:10.
4. The Great White Throne Judgment and the Second Resurrection (the resurrection of the lost):
“And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.” And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death (the grave) and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. And death [ the resurrected bodies of the lost] and Hades [the spirits of the lost] were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:11-15 (NASB).
5. This is the end of time! From this point forward...and forever... is eternity! “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.” Revelation 21:1-2.
Well Anonymous - it seems to me that all you have done is find some premillenial website and copy whole chunks of it to try and prove a point. It doesn't prove anything. I'm very familiar with the premillenial argument and John MacArthur is a much better exponent of that viewpoint that the man you have quoted.
But two can play at that game. Here's some reading material for you;
Millennial Maze - Postmillenialism
By David Wayne
I. Statement of the Doctrine
Postmillennialism is that view of the last things which holds that the kingdom of God is now being extended in the world through the preaching of the gospel and the saving work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of individuals, that the world eventually is to be Christianized and that the return of Christ is to occur at the close of a long period of righteousness and peace commonly called the millennium. It should be added that on the postmillennial principles the Second Coming of Christ will be followed immediately b the general resurrection, the general judgment, and the introduction of heaven and hell in their fullness.
The millennium to which the postmillennialist looks forward is thus a golden age of spiritual prosperity during this present dispensation, that s, during the Church Age. This is to be brought about through forces now active in the world. It is to last an indefinitely long period of time, perhaps much longer than a literal one thousand years. The changed character of individuals will be reflected in an uplifted social, economic, political and cultural lfe of mankind. The world at large will then enjoy a state of righteousness which up until now has been seen in relatively small and isolated groups, for example, some family circles, and some local church groups and kindred organizations.
This does not mean that there will be a time on this earth when every person will be a Christian or that all sin will be abolished. But it does mean that evil in all its many forms eventually will be reduced to negligible proportions, that Christian principles will be the rule, not the exception, and that Christ will return to a truly Christianized world.
Postmillennialism further holds that the universal proclamation of the gospel and the ultimate conversion of the large majority of men in all nations during the present dispensation was the express command, meaning and promise of the Great Commission given by Christ himself when he said:
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age (Matthew 28:18-20).
We believe that the Great Commission includes not merely the formal and external announcement of the gospel preached as a “witness” to the nations, as the premillennialists and amillennialists hold, but the true and effectual evangelization of all the nations so that the heart and lives of the people are transformed by it. That seems quite clear from the fact that all authority in heaven and on earth and an endless sweep or conquest has been given to Christ, and through him to his disciples specifically for that purpose. They were commanded not merely to preach but to make disciples of all the nations. It was no doubtful experiment to which they were called, but to a sure triumph. The preaching of the gospel under the direction of the Holy Spirit during this dispensation is, therefore, the all sufficient means for accomplishing that purpose.
Lorraine Boettner, “Postmillennialism,” in The Meaning of the Millennium, ed. Robert G. Clouse, pp. 117-118.
II. Some Misconceptions About Postmillenialism
A. No one believes this stuff!!
No one, except . . .
1. Oswald T. Allis*
2. Athanasius
` 3. Augustine*
4. Lorainne Boettner
5. Joachim of Fiore
6. John Calvin
7. David Chilton
8. Robert Lewis Dabney
9. John Jefferson Davis
10. Jonathan Edwards
11. Eusebius
12. Kenneth Gentry
13. A.A. Hodge
14. Charles Hodge**
15. J. Marcellus Kik
16. J. Gresham Machen**
17. Iain Murray
18. John Owen
19. W.G.T. Shedd
20. R. C. Sproul
21. Augustus H. Strong
22. J.H. Thornwell
23. B.B. Warfield**
* Some amillenialists claim that Allis and Augustine are amils.
** It is commonly taught that those who accept the inerrancy of Scripture will almost inevitably be premil. However, Hodge and Warfield are the two leading intellectual leaders of the innerancy movement. J. Gresham Machen is widely acknowledged as the intellectual and theological leader of the early 20th century Fundamentalist movement. Though he did not share many of the social views of the fundamentalists, he was the one the fundamentalists looked toward to provide the theological and intellectual capital to fight the encroaching of liberalism.
B. Societal conditions prove that the postmillennial dream cannot be true.
1. Many have taught that with two world wars in this century plus the great decline in morality, one has to be out of touch with reality to believe the postmillenial view that the world is getting better.
2. Postmillennial responses
a. The Bible determines our view of reality, our view of reality does not
determine how we interpret the Bible. If the Bible speaks clearly and the world around us seems to speak clearly against the Bible which do you believe?
b. Postmillennialists acknowledge that we are in a long extended war. In any war there will be many battles won and some battles lost. The fact that modern Americans have turned away from Christ and Christian values does not mean that God’s plan of victory has been hindered. Our country and our century is a very small microcosm of history and should not be seen as determinative of all of history.
c. Postmillenialists would argue that the world is getting better. Consider:
1). Numbers of Christians
At the time of Jesus death, less than a hundred. At the present time there are millions, maybe billions of Christians.
2). The message of the Kingdom
During the Old Testament era, the message of the Kingdom was confined to one nation - Israel. Now, the message of the kingdom has permeated and is permeating all nations.
3). Morals and Social Benefits
Before Christ - slavery, polygamy, oppression of women and children, almost complete lack of political freedom, poverty, primitive medical care. Now - polygamy and slavery have nearly disappeared. Although oppression still goes on they are highly disapproved of, through the influence of the church great strides have been made against poverty and political oppression, and medical care has been improved.
4). The Bible
At the time of Christ the Scriptures were not available to the average individual. Furthermore, up until the time of the reformation, the Bible was not translated into the vernacular of any nation. Now, the Bible is translated in the vernacular of 98% of the people of the world.
5). While all of the above is subject to debate and does not prove conclusively that the postmillennial position is correct, it does show that a pessimistic view of history can be very short sighted. Also, if it can be proven that the Bible has an optimistic view of history, as the postmillennialist claims, then it is reasonable to interpret the world around us from an optimistic framework.
C. Postmillennialism has a humanistic element to it. It looks to man to bring in the kingdom of Christ, not the supernatural intervention of Christ.
1. Postmillennialists counter by saying that their view is grounded in confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit, working through God’s appointed means, of preaching and evangelism. Also, their confidence is not in the abilities of man but the promises of the Bible.
2. This argument can also be used against almost any Christian endeavor. The Bible clearly teaches that God is sovereign over all things, yet He uses secondary causes to bring His sovereign will to pass.
III. Biblical Rational for Postmillennialism
A. The Dominion of the Kingdom is to extend to all the earth.
1. Zechariah 9:9-10
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.
** Notice that this promise is tied to the first coming of Jesus (see verse 9 “Humble and mounted on a donkey.”) not his second coming. In other words, Christ’s dominion reign begins at His first advent and extends throughout the earth.
2. Matthew 13:31-33 and Luke 13:18-21
Matthew 13
31 He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;
32 and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger
than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR
come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES."
33 He spoke another parable to them, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven,
which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened."
Luke 13
18 So He was saying, "What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it?
19 "It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden;
and it grew and became a tree, and THE BIRDS OF THE AIR NESTED IN ITS
BRANCHES."
20 And again He said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?
21 "It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it
was all leavened."
* Notice here that the Kingdom of heaven fills the whole earth. Also, in Matthew these two parables form a triad along with the parable of the the wheats and the tares just before them. They describe the way the kingdom grows and fills the whole earth.
** It is also worth mentioning that many try to find some significance in the fact that sometimes the Bible speaks of the “Kingdom of Heaven” and the “Kingdom of God.” Please note that Matthew and Luke both report the same incident from the life of Jesus here. Matthew translates Jesus’ words “Kingdom of Heaven,” while Luke translates them “Kingdom of God.” The kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are the same thing. Different terminology is used to describe the same reality.
B. The Kingdom of God fills the earth incrementally, not suddenly.
1. See above - Matthew 13 and Luke 13
In these parables the kingdom comes via growth, not catastrophe.
The images are wheat, seed and leaven, all of which grow over a period of time.
2. Psalm 110:1
The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."
Notice the following:
a. The destruction of the enemies of Jesus seems to involve a process.
b. The location of Jesus during this period of crushing the enemies - at the right hand of the Father (not physically on earth).
c. The commencement of the process => the Resurrection
Ephesians 2:20 - 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Acts 2:22
22 "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know --
23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge
of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to
death.
24 "But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death,
since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.
25 "For David says of Him, 'I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY
PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL
NOT BE SHAKEN.
26 'THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE
EXULTED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE;
27 BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES,
NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.
28 'YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU
WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.'
29 "Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
30 "And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN
TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON
HIS THRONE,
31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE
WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh
SUFFER DECAY.
32 "This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.
33 "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having
received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured
forth this which you both see and hear.
34 "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:
'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,
35 UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR
FEET."'
36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has
made Him both Lord and Christ -- this Jesus whom you crucified."
Notice the following:
1). Christ’s dominion over all things commenced at the resurrection according to Ephesians 2:20
2). Acts 2:30 quotes 2 Samuel 7:16 and Psalm 89:29
2 Samuel 7:16
"Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.""
Psalm 89:29
"So I will establish his descendants forever And his throne as the days of heaven.
And, Acts 2:31 says that these promises are fulfilled in the
resurrection of Christ. The assumption of the Davidic throne (i.e. the eternal kingdom of 2 Samuel 7:16) occurs at the resurrection.
3). Acts 2:33 says that Jesus exaltation to the right hand of the father (at the resurrection) is the commencement of the Davidic kingdom.
3. The Conclusion of the process - I Corinthians 15:23-25 and I Cor. 15:50-54
a. I Cor. 15:23-25
23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming,
24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
Notice the following:
1). Verse 25 summarizes verses the reign of Christ in verses 23 and 24. The reign of Christ begins at “Christ the first fruits” and ends at His coming, which ushers in the end.
2). Premillenialists insert a 1000 year gap between the word coming” in verse 23, and “then” in verse 24. Postmillenialists and amillenialists believe that the end is ushered in with the 2nd coming of Christ.
b. I Cor. 15:50-54
50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.
55 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"
Notice the following:
1). Premillennialists teach that the rapture (I Cor. 15:51-53) precedes the millennium. Hence, the reference in I Cor. 15:24 to Christ’s coming would include the rapture. A 1000 year interval would follow, then would come “the end” of the millenium in verse 25. The “end” of the millennium would happen when the final enemy - “death”- is destroyed.
2). However, I Cor. 15:54 teaches clearly that the rapture spoken of in verses 51-53 is the event which signals the conquering of death. Hence, the rapture has to occur at the end of the millennium and it is the event that ushers in the eternal state, not the earthly reign of Christ. Verse 54 gives us the timing clue for when death is conquered and the eternal state begins - it happens “when this perishable (v. 50 - “flesh and blood”) will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal (again “flesh and blood”) will have put on immortality.
c. I Thessalonians 4
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
1). This description of the rapture appears to be the same as that
described in I Cor. 15.
2). The only time indicators in this passage are that it occurs at the last trumpet and with the shout and with the voice of the archangel. The last trumpet is mentioned in I Cor. 15 which would indicate that I Thess. 4 and I Cor. 15 would harmonize nicely in their timing.
IV. Miscellaneous Info on Postmillennialism
A. Postmillennialism and amillennialism are nearly identical in many ways. The main
difference is that postmillennialism expects a golden age where Christ reigns supreme on earth through the church, whereas amillennialism does not.
B. Postmillennialists don’t believe that every individual will be saved but that there will come a time when the vast majority of people will. Premillennialists should not Have a problem with this particular aspect of postmillennialism because they also believe that sin will be present in the millennium, just greatly minimized.
C. Postmillennialists do believe in a “final apostasy” just prior to the return of Christ to judge the world. Charles Hodge says “The great truth set forth in these prophesies is, that there was future . . . a great apostasy in the Church; that this apostasy would be Anti-Christian (or Anti-Christ), ally itself with the world and become a great persecuting power . . . (which will) be over taken with a final destruction when the Lord returns.
D. Postmillennialists expect suffering for Christians. Greg Bahnsen - “Evangelical Postmillennialists are painfully aware that those who belong to Christ - the church - are appointed to suffering in this world and will inevitably undergo persecution and affliction, in following their Savior and King.”
E. “Evangelical Postmillennialists teach the glorious, personal return of Jesus Christ at the end of history to judge the world.” - Greg Bahnsen.
PS: If you made it to the end then congratulations! My point is that quoting entire chunks of theology at each other isn't really going to prove anything. Surely open and honest debate is interacting openly and honestly with the other viewpoints and challenging loopholes. Note the word "open". That means move out from your anonymous pillowcase.
Blessings to you.
Post a Comment