Historic Premillennialism Is What The Apostles Taught
For those of us who are seeking the truth, as Christians who have been warned about deception, we should look at history. This means we do not cancel out what does not fit a certain worldview, like the amillennialists do. We look at all of biblical history, without cherry picking certain time frames.
It seems no one wants to hear about, or admit to sin. Even more so, people do not want to change their doctrinal beliefs. To repent means to recognize the error of your ways, change your mind, and change direction.
I will readily admit to countless errors, sin, and misunderstandings throughout my own life. Many of the doctrinal differences seemed plausible. I tried to examine them with an open mind. For a period of time, I thought the Darby, Scofield dispensational teaching was what all Christians believed. It took many years to see the flaws in the teaching that do not align with what the bible actually says.
By the grace of God, we are given many chances to repent, and change our minds. I read about the warnings to avoid being deceived in various verses, and know they are to be taken seriously, not metaphorically. Christ came to save sinners. We do not know the minds and hearts of other people like He does. But we do know our own mind, and heart, and we have God’s word as an instruction manual.
Our belief in Jesus, His death on the cross, and His resurrection – is the central salvation message. To what degree the interpretations, or distortions of the gospel message will place people in peril, or under God’s wrath is not fully known.
We can only go the warnings in the bible, and see for ourselves if we are off-track in what we believe to be true. The bible warns us that many false prophets are in the world. This does not suggest Satan is bound, or that Christ is ruling over the earth at present. When He returns, He will rule with a rod of iron. Satan will be bound, and will not be able to deceive us.
Matthew 24:11-12
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
For months I was listening to Robert Caringola’s views from “Truth in History” followed by his book “The Present Reign of Jesus Christ”. I now realize that taking the liberty to define things as being strictly metaphor, is a method used if you don’t accept the meaning of the words. I also see how history can be made to fit into a belief system that may, or may not be true.
The bible contains a mixture of metaphor, figures of speech, and literal meanings throughout. We are all capable of distinguishing one from the other. We should all read the bible, and study it for ourselves, because not all scholars, in spite of their elitism, have prioritized truth.
Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. We do live in a world where time as we know it, is linear. Yesterday is past, today is the present, and tomorrow is the future. Our hope is in the future, based on what Christ did for us in the past. His grace carries over into the present, and into the future. Only He knows the entire detailed scope of it all, which is why we must trust Him, and have faith.
The topic of Christ’s millennial reign on earth is of great interest to me. For many Christians, as we listen, read and learn, we have come to realize the different points of view. We soon realize the prevalent viewpoints are that of amillennialism, which is essentially a Catholic doctrine that was established in the 4th century, and dispensationalism, which came much later, around 1830.
The Reformation in the 1500’s was not the great awakening. It brought about mass confusion, conflict, and violence. It challenged certain aspects of Catholic doctrine, but clung to the basics. Therefore it created some watered down versions of Catholic traditions and beliefs.
The amillennialism viewpoint is one of the main Catholic beliefs upheld throughout the Reformation. Another belief is that Christians immediately go to heaven when they die, with heaven described as the eternal state. They skip the millennial reign entirely, and believe when Christ returns, all things happen at once, with no thousand year transition.
To make the claim that Christ is ruling from heaven now, and Satan is bound – seems preposterous to me. The world is full of corruption, violence, wars, exploitation, deception, and is getting worse, not better.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2 Timothy 3:13
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
Mark 13:19-22 prior to the return of Christ
21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:
To suggest Christ is ruling on earth now, with a rod of iron, as King of Kings is simply not true. Saying so, does not make it true. The devil roams the earth looking for who he can devour. If Satan is currently bound, why does the bible call him “the god of this earth”? Why does it say he is roaming the earth? There are at least 100 bible verses warning us about the influences of Satan. None of those verses claim Satan is currently bound or restrained.
The bible tells us there will be persecution, tribulation, family betrayal, and perilous times prior to Christ’s return. How can such a description align with what amillennialism claims?
1 Peter 5:8
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
2 Corinthians 4:4
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
1 John 4:1
For those who believe in this Catholic doctrine, or ponder it, what do you envision yourself doing in heaven? Do you see yourself as being one of the twenty-four elders sitting on thrones as described in the Book of Revelation? Or do you see yourself floating on the clouds, playing a harp?
Or do you envision a Garden of Eden with trees, fountains, fruit trees, and vineyards in heaven? If so, where would the garden be located? Or is it more like a dream state? If it is thought to be real, one might wonder where the soil comes from, and why the sky isn’t green.
If you believe Christians go straight to heaven, and unbelievers go straight to hell, what about all the verses that describe a judgement day? Do people go to hell without facing judgement?
The bible says there will be a great white throne of judgment after the 1000 year reign. The dead who were not believers, and who are not part of the millennial reign on earth, will be resurrected to face judgment. Is that also viewed as being metaphorical? What about the Lamb’s book of life?
You have to believe all of what the bible tells us, or reject it. Where is the middle ground when it comes to death, and resurrection? Half way to heaven? Half way to hell?
In the book of John, the bible says no man has ascended to heaven. The bible does not describe people living in heaven at present. It says Christ is seated on the right hand of God. It does not say He is surrounded by all the believers who have died since His death and resurrection.
The bible says that believers are going to reign with Christ on earth, not in heaven. There are dozens of verses to support this.
Do the amillennialists claim that all the verses about Christ reigning on earth are also metaphorical? Where does it end? How can such a claim be metaphorical? Do some of them believe it refers to the new heaven, and the new earth (which comes after the 1000 year reign)?
However when the new heaven, and new earth is ushered in, God will also be coming down from heaven to be present with His people. When the bible tells us Christ will reign on earth, it is referring to the 1000 year reign following the second coming of Christ. When the time comes, Satan will be bound, and Christ will rule with a rod of iron. Things will improve dramatically.
At the end of the 1000 year reign, the rest of the dead are resurrected, and judged. Satan is let loose for a short period of time, and then is defeated once and for all. After all sin, and death is overcome, the kingdom of God will come down from heaven, and be complete. There will be no more sin, no more crying, no more death.
To try and bypass the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth, creates all kinds of problems when it comes to understanding the bible, the prophecies, and the sequence of events laid out in the scriptures. It negates all of the hope, and faith we have in those promises.
The concept of the dead being asleep, is carried throughout both the Old Testament, and the New Testament. What I read, and have come to believe is that when we die, we sleep until Christ returns. Whether or not we have any awareness of the passing of time is unclear.
John 3:12-13
Or what about the many verses that describe dead people as being asleep, awaiting the resurrection, which happens when Christ returns?
Daniel 12:2
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Psalms 13:3
3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Job 14:10-12
10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
Acts 7:59-60
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:6
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 15:18-20
18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
1 Thessalonians 4:14-17
Throughout my lifetime, I found these imaginations of going immediately to heaven to be fanciful, but never that convincing. Then I became indoctrinated with dispensationalism. The verse in Matthew 7:16, which tells us by their fruits you will know them, cannot be overlooked, or ignored. We do so at our own peril.
Now that I believe we do not go to heaven immediately, but will sleep until Christ returns, at which time we will be resurrected and receive a new body, it makes more sense. I do not believe in a pre-tribulation, or a mid-tribulation rapture, which is not in the bible, and never did make sense to me.
Having reconciled these things, the hope, and good news of the gospel is much more powerful. A thousand year period of peace and prosperity on earth with Christ ruling, is something to look forward to. It is easy to envision a restored Garden of Eden where people can live without fear. The whole earth will be full of the knowledge of God. Imagine what we are going to learn?
We cannot push our beliefs onto others. But we are called upon to study and test all things, to read the bible for ourselves, and to warn others.
Matthew 7:13-
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Amillennialists believe that Revelation should be read as a metaphor, and that most of prophecy has already happened. Dispensationalists claim it should be taken literally. Dispensationalism does have a premillennial viewpoint, however John Darby, and Scofield added a great deal that is not in the original bible.
One takes away the millennial reign of Christ on earth, and the other adds seven dispensations, a pre-tribulation rapture, and the separation of the state of Israel. Neither are in the original Apostolic teachings.
At what point do we call the different interpretations a different gospel? I am not sure, because the essence of Christian belief is found in one of the most central and famous verses in the bible.
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
I realize the amillennialist, and dispensational viewpoints, when combined, are held by the majority of Christians. Many Christians have been taught these things by the denominations they belong to, as being gospel truth.
In this quest for the truth, and the scope of certain things I do not understand, I have looked back to what the Apostles believed, as well as those who were closely connected to the Apostolic teachings, between the 1st and 3rd centuries.
“Truth in History” and Robert Caringola’s book conveniently left out the most crucial teaching, and historical timeframe that confirms the belief in a literal 1000 year millennial reign. Personally, I will accept the beliefs of the Apostles, those who wrote the bible, and those who were close to the source, before I believe the later Catholic teachings of St. Augustine.
Who were some of the writers, in the immediate Apostolic time frame? Here is what Papias had to say:
“I shall not hesitate also to put into ordered form for you, along with the interpretations, everything I learned carefully in the past from the elders and noted down carefully, for the truth of which I vouch. For unlike most people I took no pleasure in those who told many different stories, but only in those who taught the truth. Nor did I take pleasure in those who reported their memory of someone else’s commandments, but only in those who reported their memory of the commandments given by the Lord to the faith and proceeding from the Truth itself. And if by chance anyone who had been in attendance on the elders arrived, I made enquiries about the words of the elders
-what Andrew or Peter had said, or Philip or Thomas or James or John or Matthew or any other of the Lord’s disciples, and whatever Aristion and John the Elder, the Lord’s disciples, were saying. For I did not think that information from the books would profit me as much as information from a living and surviving voice.” -Papias
“there will be a millennium after the resurrection of the dead, when the kingdom of Christ will be set up in material form on this earth.”
– 2 Papias, Fragments, chapter 6 as quoted in Eusebius Ecclesiastical History
Another early church historical writer Tertulian (A.D. 160-230) wrote the following:
“But we do confess that a kingdom is promised to us upon the earth, although before heaven, only in another state of existence; inasmuch as it will be after the resurrection for a thousand years in the divinely-built city of Jerusalem” – Against Marcion, book 3, chapter 25.
Justin Martyr (A.D. 100-165) wrote the following:
“But I and others, who are right-minded Christians on all points, are assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a thousand years in Jerusalem, which will then be built, adorned, and enlarged, as the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah and others declare.”
“And further, there was a certain man with us, whose name was John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied, by a revelation that was made to him, that those who believed in our Christ would dwell a thousand years in Jerusalem; and that thereafter the general, and, in short, the eternal resurrection and judgment of all men would likewise take place.” – Dialogue With Trypho (@ A.D. 140) The Millennium
Lactantius (A.D. 250-330) wrote:
“But when the thousand years shall be completed, the world shall be renewed by God, and the heavens shall be folded together, and the earth shall be changed…” -12 The Divine Institutes, book 7, chapter 26.
For those who have added to, or taken away from the Apostolic teachings, the scriptures, the word of God – there is a clear warning given toward the end of the Book of Revelation.
Revelation 22-18-19
The truth is very important.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-11
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
Matthew 7:13-14
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