Amillennialism Described & Defended

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Amillennialism Described & Defended

Series: The Millennium · 2 of 5

1/24/2002 (THU) | Bible: Matthew 24

All sermons by
Chris Hand
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i posted this at least once, but i'll bump it again............z

(Hebrews 12:27) And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

(Hebrews 12:28) Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

(Hebrews 12:29) For our God is a consuming fire.

We received the kingdom, way back then. It certainly aint future!

The idea of a literal 1000 year reign of Christ on this earth is refuted by the fact that in all of the references to 'the end' in the Gospels and epistles, we see no hint of such a notion. What we see is that Christ is coming back once in the clouds of heaven, that being the last day this heaven and earth will exist. Things will get worse and worse until that last day and the end will come. God will then create a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. No longer will there be flesh and blood since corruption does not inherit incorruption.

I cannot accept what many call 'amillennialism' since, while defending the truth that there can be no literal reign on earth, they reckon the figurative 1000 years to be presently in effect.  This does not fit with the sequence of events in Rev. Those murdered for not accepting the Mark of the beast are those partaking in the "first resurrection" who live and reign with Christ for a 1000 years. There is a deductive chain of reasoning that is behind the notion that the sequence cannot be literal and therefore the 1000 year period and that first resurrection cannot be something that has not yet happened. That chain of deductive reasoning is the enemy of literal truth. Identifying that chain of deductive reasoning and then abandoning it is how someone can deliver themselves out of the unsoundness that it is.
The beast has not yet become manifest. When he is, then a mark of some sort will be required and hence many Christians will die for refusing it. The literal sequence shows the first resurrection to occur after the beast is manifested and after many Christians have died as the result. The normal 'ammillennialist' view does not agree with the literalness of the text showing the first resurrection to not have occurred yet since the beast has not yet become manifest.

Revelation is a highly metaphorical book.

Why do you insist on a literal understanding of it?

the beast was one of the roman emperors (probably nero) & rome.
the whore was apostate jerusalem and the herods (edomite converts, not true jews).

iron kingdom toes Daniel 2.

long over.

Daniel 2 states clearly in the days of THOSE kings (rome and herods) the kingdom was established.

Psalm 2
The Reign of the LORD’s Anointed

1Why do the nations ragea
and the peoples plot in vain?
2The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,
3“Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”

4He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
5Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6“As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”

7I will tell of the decree:
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9You shall breakb them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

10Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11Serve the LORD with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

.....

Acts 4
The Believers Pray for Boldness

23When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,d said by the Holy Spirit,

“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
26The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed’

27for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servantsf to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

I am completely on your side that the 1000 years is symbolic. It is not literal. Like the 'ten days' in the beginning of Rev. is not literal. But there is a clear sequence of events. I am calling for looking for alternative perspectives so we don't deny that the beast has not yet been manifest and hence the tribulation that the world has not ever witnessed before. I believe the mark of the beast is yet to happen and the big antichrist is to be made manifest. Yes some things are symbolic yet others are literal such as in the beginning of Rev. when he says he comes in the clouds. Let us openly challenge whatever does not completely fit. Just because an explanation has been provided, doesn't mean it is right.

What you do is you read the rest of the NT and crosscheck events. Everything is laid out, like Jesus coming back in the clouds. That way we know it's future.

You don't build your entire eschatology around a single book of the bible, especially a highly metaphorical one. It leads to error. For example. what is "the big antichrist"?

Antichrist is a verb. There are many antichrist. Everyone who one denies Jesus is the Christ is antichrist.

There are many antichrists but there is also THE antichrist who is to appear at the end.
I absolutely do not build on a single book. That is why I reject a literal 1000 years. But there is a better explanation than the standard amillennial view that says the 1000 year period is transpiring now. There is no reason from anywhere in the NT why I should accept that. That 1000 year period, not literal, happens after what I understand to be the battle of Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38, 39. The antichrist is destroyed after that battle. There is a first resurrection after that major victory. Can you think of another special resurrection after another major victory?

Have it your way.

I've already had my first resurrection though.

Let's think this out a little bit.
True, those having received the Holy Spirit experience a resurrection from the death of their past lives. The question is, is that what Rev 20 is referring to when it refers to the first resurrection, which happens to occur after a major battle? The context is clearly world events. It is interesting to consider that there was a special resurrection after another major victory. When Jesus died graves of many saints were opened and they appeared after Jesus was resurrected. That was a special resurrection not prophesied to occur.  It seems like that first resurrection prior to Jesus' return in the clouds, spoken of in Rev 20, is another special resurrection. In this case after the beast is destroyed, those who lost their lives under his reign of terror are rewarded with resurrection. The big main resurrection of the last day is when Jesus returns in the clouds. I understand that to be what Rev 20:9-15 refers to.
We can find things in common with the battle of Rev 19 and Ezekiel 38, 39.
There is clearly a sequence of events outlined in Rev chapters 19-22.
I appreciate the stand against the folly that assumes Jesus is going to reign on this earth for a 1000 years. But the better way to go instead of denying the sequence of events of Rev 19 -22, is to simply admit not having an explanation for those things, but even without an explanation, we cannot throw out the plainness of speech of Jesus and Paul and Peter that give a clear picture of what is to happen. A 1000 year reign is absurd in light of what the Gospels and epistles clearly reveal.
The error of adopting the 1000 year reign is akin to a builder, who after laying the foundation of a building, can't understand the next set of blueprints and concludes that he must now go and get rid of the foundation that he just built! So it is with those assuming that Jesus will reign on the earth for 1000 years. The foundational plainly spoken things in the Gospels and epistles forbid that one should even consider a literal reign on the earth.