Premillennialism is the belief that Christ will\nphysically return to earth (Acts 1:6-11; Rev. 1:7), set up a throne in\nJerusalem (Matt. 19:28), and reign over the whole earth for a thousand years\n(Rev. 20:1-6). Amillennialism (no-millennium) denies this literal future reign\nof Christ and claims that Christ is currently reigning over the world\nspiritually. Postmillennialism holds that Christ is coming to earth after the\nChurch brings in the kingdom by progressively Christianizing the world before\nChrist\u2019s return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arguments\nfor Premillennialism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many arguments for premillennialism.\nContrary to the opposing views, the premillennial view is based on a\nconsistent use of the literal historical-grammatical interpretation of\nprophetic passages of Scripture. There are many good reasons for believing\nin a literal millennial reign of Christ are noteworthy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Without a\nMillennium God Lost the Battle in History<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n God started human history by creating human beings in\na literal Paradise (Gen.1-2). It had trees, plants, animals, and rivers (Gen.\n2). It had a specific geographical location on earth, by the Tigris and\nEuphrates rivers (Iraq). There was no sin, evil, or suffering there. Our first\nparents Adam and Eve lived in a perfect physical environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But this Paradise was lost by sin. Being tempted by\nthe Devil, Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit (Gen. 2:16-17), thus bringing\npain, suffering, and death on themselves (Gen. 3:14-19) and on all mankind\n(Rom. 5:12; Rom. 8:18-25). They were expelled from the Garden which was sealed\noff and guarded by an angel (Gen. 3:24). So, the Tempter won the first battle.\nHe brought death, its results, and its fear on mankind (Heb. 2:14).<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the Paradise lost is never regained, then\neventually God is the loser and Satan the winner. If physical death is not\nreversed by physical resurrection (Jn. 5:28-29), then Satan gains the ultimate\nvictory (Heb. 2:14). And if a literal Paradise is not restored, then God lost\nwhat He created. But God is omnipotent (Rev. 19:6) and cannot ultimately lose.\nHence, there must be a literal Paradise regained such as we have in the\npremillennial view of the End of history. Otherwise, God did not reverse the\ncurse and gain the victory over Satan, the damaged earth, and the fallen human\nrace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But God will regain the Paradise that was lost. This\nHe will do this by a literal resurrection (1 Cor. 15:12-19; Luke 24:39-43) and\nby the literal reign on earth of Christ the Last Adam. He will reign until\ndeath is actually defeated (1 Cor. 15:24-27. But this will not be until the end\nof the millennium (Rev. 20:4-6) and the beginning of the New Heaven and Earth\nof which John says, \u201cAnd God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and\nthere shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there\nbe any more pain: for the former things are passed away\u201d (Rev. 21:4). So, only\nby a literal reign of Christ on earth, such as the millennium shall be, will\nthe true Paradise be restored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Without A\nMillennium History Has no Climax<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It is widely acknowledged that a linear view of\nhistory (that history is moving forward toward a final Goal) is the result of\nthe Judeo-Christian revelation. History is said to be His-story for God has\nplanned it and is moving it (Dan. 2, 7) forward toward its End (Eschaton). But\nwithout a literal historical millennium on earth there is no real End to\nhistory. According to a traditional amillennial view, human history merely\nstops, but it never really comes to a climax. It simply ends and then the\neternal state begins. However, on the premillennial view, the millennium is not\nthe first chapter of eternity; it is the last chapter of time. It is the time\nwhen, by Christ\u2019s reign, sin, suffering, and death will be finally overcome.\nFor only \u201cThen the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the\nFather after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power\u201d (1 Cor.\n15:24-25). But Christ only does this through His millennial reign which ends in\nthe final resurrection (Rev. 20:5). So without a literal millennium there is no\nreal End to history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Without a\nMillennium God Would Break an Unconditional Land Promise to Abraham.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham and his\ndescendents forever. This Land covered everything west of the Jordan River from\nEgypt to Iraq. \u201cThe Lord made a covenant with Abram saying: \u2018To your\ndescendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river,\nthe River Euphrates\u2019\u201d( Gen. 15:18). God said to Abraham: \u201cI give to you the\nland in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting\npossession\u201d (Gen. 17:8). \u201cFor all the land which you see I give to you and your\ndescendants forever\u201d (Gen. 13:15).<\/p>\n\n\n\n This land promise was also unconditional since only\nGod sealed it by passing through the split sacrifice while Abram slept. God\nsaid to Abram, \u201cBring Me a three-year old heifer, a three year old female goat,\na three year old ram\u2026and cut them in two\u2026. Now when the sun was going down, a\ndeep sleep fell upon Abram\u2026. And it came to pass when the sun went down and it\nwas dark, that behold, there was a smoking oven and burning torch that passed\nbetween those pieces. On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram,\nsaying, to your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to\nthe great river, the River Euphrates\u2026\u201d (Gen. 15:9-18).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bible declares that \u201cThe gifts and the calling of\nGod are irrevocable\u201d (Rom. 11:29). God\u2019s promises don\u2019t depend on our faith but\non his faithfulness. For \u201cIf we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He\ncannot deny Himself\u201d (2 Tim. 2:13). God\u2019s promise was immutable. For \u201cWhen God\nmade a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore\nby Himself\u2026. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of\npromise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two\nimmutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have\nstrong consolation\u201d (Heb. 6:13-18).<\/p>\n\n\n\n But this land promise to Abraham has never yet been\nfulfilled. However, according to the Bible it will yet be fulfilled (Matt.\n19:28; Acts 1:6-8; Rom. 11) in the future in the thousand year reign of Christ\n(Rev. 20:1-6). Even after the days of Joshua (21:43), the land promise was yet future\n(Jer. 11:5; Amos 9:14-15). Without a literal national fulfillment, such as the\nmillennium, God would have broken an unconditional covenant-which is impossible\n(Heb. 6:17-18)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Without a\nMillennium God would Break an Unconditional Throne Promise to David<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n God promised David that he and his descendents would\nreign on a throne in Israel forever. He declared, \u201cWhen your days are fulfilled\nand you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you,\nwho shall come from your body, and\u2026I will establish the throne of his kingdom\nforever\u2026. My steadfast love will not depart from him\u2026. And your house and your\nkingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established\nforever\u201d (2 Sam. 7:12-16).<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was an unconditional promise to David and his\ndescendants for God declared that: \u201cMy steadfast love I will keep for him\nforever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. I will establish his\noffspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. If his children\nforsake my law\u2026then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their\niniquity with stripes, but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be\nfalse to my faithfulness\u2026.I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that\nwent forth from my lips. Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not\nlie to David. His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun\nbefore me. Like the moon it shall be established forever\u2026\u201d (Psa. 89:28-37).<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, no descendent of David is now-nor has been\nfor over 2500 years-reigning on a literal throne in Jerusalem. But Jesus\npromised that Christ, a descendent of David, would do so in the future (Matt.\n19:28). So, this unconditional and everlasting promise has not yet been\nliterally fulfilled. Without Christ\u2019s return and perpetual reign God would have\nbroken this unconditional promise. But this is impossible (Rom. 11:29).\nTherefore, there must yet be a literal Messianic reign of Christ on earth such\nas is promised in the millennium (Rev. 20:1-6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n As hymn-writer Isaac Watts put it,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus shall reign where e\u2019er the sun<\/p>\n\n\n\n Does its successive journeys run;<\/p>\n\n\n\n His kingdom spread from shore to shore,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Till moons shall wax and wane no more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To Him shall endless prayer be made,<\/p>\n\n\n\n And endless praises crown His head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His name like sweet perfume shall rise<\/p>\n\n\n\n With every morning sacrifice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Only\nPremillennialism Employs a Consistent Hermeneutic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To deny premillennialism is to deny the consistent\napplication of the literal historical-grammatical interpretation of the Bible.\nFor the non-premill view fails because: 1) It takes parts of the Bible\nliterally but not all (e.g., prophecy); 2) It takes part of the prophets\nliterally (First Advent) but not all of the Second Advent texts; 3) It takes\npart of the Gospels literally, namely, Christ\u2019s death and resurrection (Matt.\n26-28) but not all of Jesus\u2019 predictions made in the Gospels, namely, His\nstatements about His Second Coming (Matt. 19:28; Matt. 24-25); 4); It takes\npart of a verse literally but not the rest. When quoting Isaiah Jesus stopped\nin the middle of a sentence and pronounced it literally fulfilled (in His First\nComing), but the rest of the verse speaks of His Second Coming which must be\ntaken literally too (cf. Isa. 61:1-2 cf. Luke 4:18-21); 5) It takes one\nresurrection literally but not the other (Rev. 20:5-6; John 5:28-29). But the\ntwo are listed together in the same texts. Both are said to involve people\ncoming out of graves (Jn. 5:25-28) where dead bodies reside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Further, if the non-literal (spiritualized)\ninterpretations of amills and postmills were applied to other sections of\nScripture it would undermine the fundamentals of the Christian Faith. If\napplied to Gen. 1-3, it would deny the historicity of Adam, the Fall, and the\nDoctrine of Creation. (If the End isn\u2019t literal, then why should the Beginning\nbe literal?) If applied to the texts about the Cross, it would deny the\natonement. And if applied to the resurrection narratives, it would deny\nChrist\u2019s victory over death. In short, applying the same hermeneutic, which non-premills\napply to prophecy, to other parts of the Bible would deny the fundamentals of\nthe Christian Faith. This is why premillennial-ism is based on a kind of\nhermeneutical fundamental of the Christian Faith. There are three kinds of\nfundamentals: 1) Doctrinal fundamentals (e.g., the Trinity, Deity of Christ,\nSacrificial Atonement, and Resurrection). These are a test of evangelical\nauthenticity. 2) Epistemological fundamentals\u2013Inspiration and inerrancy of\nScripture). This is a test of evangelical consistency. 3) Hermeneutical\nfundamentals (a literal hermeneutic and premillennialism that results from it).\nThis too is a test of evangelical consistency. So, to deny the foundation of\npremillennialism, is logically to undermine salvation fundamentals as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6.\nPremillennialism Adds Urgency to Evangelism.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Premillennialism, especially in those who hold the\nimminency of Christ\u2019s return, creates a certain sense of urgency not generated\nby the other views. For if Christ is coming before the millennium at a time we\nknow not, then believers should live in a constant sense of expectation. Jesus\nsaid, \u201cOccupy till I come\u201d (Luke 19:13) and \u201cNight is coming, when no one can\nwork.\u201d If one believes his time is limited and Christ may come at any moment,\nthen he will have more of a sense of urgency about evangelism. This, of course,\nis not to say that there is no sense of urgency in the other views for everyone\nis going to die and some will die at any given moment. But there is a far\ngreater sense of urgency if one believes it could be our last opportunity to\nreach anyone at any moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is no coincidence that many of the modern\nmissionary movements (William Carey, David Livingston, and Adoniram Judson) and\nevangelistic efforts (John Wesley, Billy Sunday, D. L. Moody, and Billy Graham)\nwere headed by premillennialists. For the belief in an imminent premillennial\ncoming of Christ gives a great sense of urgency in reaching the world before he\nreturns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7.\nPremillennial Imminency Adds an Incentive for Holiness<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It is not that there are no other incentives for\ngodliness, but certainly the imminent premillennial expectation is an added\none. For no true believer wants to be caught in sin when Jesus returns. The\napostle John declared: \u201cBut we know that when he appears, we shall be like him,\nfor we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies\nhimself, just as he is pure\u201d (1 Jn. 3:2-3). Paul declared that this \u201cblessed\nhope helps in \u201ctraining us to renounce ungodliness\u201d and to set apart a people\n\u201czealous for good works\u201d (Titus 2:14). So, the sense of imminency has a\npurifying effect on one\u2019s life. It also has a sobering effect. As Peter said,\n\u201cThe day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a\nroar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in\nit will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind\nof people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives\u201d (2 Pet.\n3:10-11).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Answering\nSome Objections<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Opponents of premillennialism have offered many\nobjections. Some have already been answered above. Others are trivial and do\nnot warrant the time necessary to answer them. However, a few deserve comment\nhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Objection\nOne: The millennium is mentioned only once in the Bible (Rev. 20).<\/strong> Thus, it is argued, that it cannot be an important\ndoctrine. If it were, it would be mentioned more often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Response: First of all, one mention in the Bible makes\nsomething true since God cannot err (Heb. 6:18), and the Bible is God\u2019s word (2\nTim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21). What is more, the word \u201cmillennium\u201d occurs six\ntimes in the Bible which makes it not only true but important. John wrote: \u201cAnd\nhe seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and\nbound him for [1] a thousand years\u2026so that she might not deceive the nations\nany longer, until [2] the thousand years were ended. After that he must be\nreleased for a little while.. They came to life and reigned with Christ for [3]\na thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until [4] the\nthousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is\nthe one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no\npower, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with\nhim for [5] a thousand years. And when [6] the thousand years are ended, Satan\nwill be released from his prison\u201d (Rev. 20:1-7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, the length of Christ reign is only mention in\nRevelation 20, but the fact of his reign is mentioned numerous times in both Old\nand New Testaments (See Isa.11; Zech. 12, 14; Mat. 24; Acts 1:6-8; Rev. 19,\n20).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Third, while premillennialism is not one of the\nessential salvation doctrines (see our Conviction without Compromise, Part\nOne), nonetheless, as mentioned above (in Point 5), premillennialism is based\non an interpretation fundamental. And denying the literal interpretation of\nprophecy (which is the basis of premillennialism), logically leads to denying\nsalvation fundamentals as well. For if Genesis or the Gospels were allegorized\nor spiritualized in the manner that opponents of premillennialism do, it would\nundermine the basic salvation essentials of the Faith too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Objection\nTwo: The promises to Abraham and David were said to be \u201cforever,\u201d but the\nmillennium is only a thousand years.<\/strong>\nHow can a thousand years be a fulfillment of these promises that it will be\nforever?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Response: The Hebrew word for \u201cforever\u201d (olam) or\n\u201ceverlasting\u201d can mean a long period of time, not literally without end. The\nmountains are called \u201ceverlasting\u201d (Deut. 33:15). Psalm 89 seems to designate\nthat \u201cforever\u201d (vs. 28, 36) will be as long as the sun and the moon last (vs.\n36-37), and they will not shine in eternity (Rev. 21:23). Since the Bible says\nthere will be and end of the millennium (Rev. 20:4-6) and Paul said there will\nbe and \u201cend\u201d of Christ\u2019s reign on earth (1 Cor. 15:24), then the limited\nmeaning of \u201cforever\u201d as a long period of time (i.e., a thousand years) would\nexplain the problem. However, once Christ reigns and delivers the kingdom to the\nFather it will literally go on forever (1 Cor. 15:24). So, in this sense\nChrist\u2019s reign will be eternal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Objection\nThree:<\/strong> Premillennialists are not Consistent.<\/strong> It is objected that even the\npremill view takes some prophetic passages symbolically and figuratively, such\nas the seven \u201cstars\u201d (angels),\u201clamp stands\u201d (churches), and \u201cbeasts\u201d (world\npowers) in the book of Revelation. If so, why should not \u201ca thousand years\u201d be\nsymbolic of a long period of time and \u201c144,000\u201d from the \u201ctwelve tribes of\nIsrael\u201d (Rev. 7, 14) be symbolic of the Church, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Response: First, figures of speech are not contrary to\na literal interpretation since even they are based in a literal meaning. For\nexample, just because there is a \u201ckey\u201d (a symbol of secure containment) to the\nbottomless pit where the Devil is consigned for a thousand years does not mean\nthere is no real Devil. Second, the Book of Revelation identifies many things\nas symbols, but it gives their literal meaning (cf. Rev. 1:20). Third, all\nthese symbols represent literal people, things, and events. Fourth, the worlds\n\u201ctribe\u201d and \u201cresurrection are never used figuratively in the Bible. Even\nsymbols have a literal meaning (Rev. 1:20). Fifth, the rule of thumb still\nstands: \u201cIf the literal sense makes good sense, then seek no other sense lest\nit result in nonsense.\u201d Finally, amillennial interpretations are inconsistent\nfor in the same passage (Rev. 20) they take one \u201cresurrection\u201d literally and\nthe other one spiritually. \u201cThey came to life [at first resurrection] and\nreigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to\nlife [at the second resurrection] until the thousand years were ended.\u201d John\ngoes on to say, \u201cBlessed and holy is the one who shares in the first\nresurrection! Over such the second death has no power\u2026and they will reign with\nhim for a thousand years.\u201d (Rev. 20:4-7). But if the second resurrection is\nliteral (as amills admit), then so is the first resurrection literal since it\nis described by the same phrase in the same passage and it is called \u201cthe first\nresurrection\u201d (Rev. 20:5-6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Objection\nFour: The Prophecies about Israel are fulfilled spiritually by the Church.<\/strong> According to this \u201creplacement theology,\u201d Israel was\ndisobedient and lost the conditional promises God made to them. Thus, God\nreplaced Israel with a new \u201cspiritual Israel\u201d (Gal. 6:16) known as the Church\nwho fulfill the \u201cnew covenant\u201d made with Israel (Jer. 31 cf. Heb. 8).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Response: First of all, the Abrahamic and Davidic\ncovenants were not conditional, as shown above (in Points 3 and 4); they were\nunconditional (cf. Rom. 11:29).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, nowhere in the New Testament is the Church\ncalled \u201cSpiritual Israel.\u201d The passages in Galatians 6:16, which uses the term\n\u201cIsrael of God,\u201d is equivalent of \u201cthe true circumcision\u201d (Phil. 3:3 NASB) who\nworship God in spirit and put no confidence in the flesh. Both of these mean\nliteral Jews who have accepted Jesus as their Messiah and are living in his\ngrace, not trying to attain salvation by keeping the law (cf. Rom. 10:1-4).\nSecond, although the new covenant was made with Israel, its benefits were not\nlimited to Jews. Even Abraham was told \u201cthrough you all the families of the\nearth will be blessed\u201d (Gen. 12:3). And the prophets often spoke of Gentile\nsalvation (Acts 15:17 citing Amos 9:11-12).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Third, the New Testament Church (where Jew and Gentile\nare in one spiritual body) was not known in the Old Testament (Col. 1:26-27)\nbut \u201cwas not made known to the sons of men in other generations\u201d but only in\nthe time of the New Testament \u201capostles and prophets\u201d (Eph. 3:5-6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fourth, the New Testament refers to a future literal\nkingdom for Israel, even after the time of Christ. Jesus disciples asked when\nhe would \u201crestore the kingdom to Israel\u201d (Acts 1:6-8). Even after the Church\nbegan (in Acts 2), Peter promised to \u201cthe men of Israel\u201d (Acts 3:12) the\n\u201crestoring of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy\nprophets long ago\u201d (Acts 3:21). Romans 11 speaks of national \u201cIsrael\u201d being\nreincrafted after \u201cthe fullness of the Gentiles as come in\u201d (Rom. 11:25-26).\nThis he says in the context of reminding them that \u201cthe gifts and calling of\nGod are irrevocable\u201d (11:29). Nowhere, does the Bible affirm that God\u2019s\nunconditional land and throne promises to Israel will be fulfilled by the Church.\nTo be sure individual believers receive the spiritual salvation benefits (Rom.\n4; Gal. 3) promised to Gentiles in the Old Testament (Gen. 12:3; Amos 9:11-12),\nbut never does the Bible affirm that the irrevocable promises to national\nIsrael will be fulfilled in the church. These promises are yet to be fulfilled\nin a literal millennial reign of Christ on earth (Acts 19:29; Rev. 20:1-6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Our spiritual forefathers did not put premillennialism\nin our doctrinal statement because they thought it was unimportant. To the\ncontrary, premillennialism is based on a hermeneutical (interpretation)\nfundamental: the literal historical\/grammatical interpretation which underlies\nall the salvation essentials of the Faith. Giving it up belies to serious\nproblems for the future of the church. First, we are giving up the very basis\nfor all the fundamental Christian doctrines. Second, there is the underlying\ntendency to sacrifice important doctrines for the sake of unity, fraternity, or\nmultiplicity (growth). Yielding to this tendency sets a bad precedent for\nfuture deviation on even more important issues. One final thought. It is of\nmore than passing significance to note that few, if any, evangelical groups\never move from premillennialism to liberalism. However, this is not true of\namillennial and postmillennial views. So, it is not without good reason that\npremillennialism is a safeguard against liberalism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Premillennialism is the belief that Christ will physically return to earth (Acts 1:6-11; Rev. 1:7), set up a throne in Jerusalem (Matt. 19:28), and reign over the whole earth for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-6). Amillennialism (no-millennium) denies this literal future reign of Christ and claims that Christ is currently reigning over the world spiritually. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[526,535],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n