Do we believe in the power of the Gospel ?
Do we believe in the success of the Great Commission?
Is Jesus Christ Lord of lords or does the devil rule the earth?
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: ... Rom 1:16
...The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 1 John 3:8
... All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Mat 28:18
...with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. Rev 5:9
...I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. Rev 7:9
... he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, ...Eph 1:20
Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 1 Cor 15:24-25
...the ruler of the kings of the earth. ..Rev 1:5
For too long we have adopted a negative view about the future, we have believed that the devil controls this world, it is getting worse and only the Second Coming of Jesus will defeat the devil. In believing these things we have handed over the world to Satan and forgotten that the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work (1 John 3:8). For an optimistic eschatology that believes in the power of the gospel to rescue people from the kingdom of Satan, and the power of the gospel over sin, see my essay on postmillennialism. Now I am not saying that we should all be postmillennialists, I am simply saying that now is a good time to re-evaluate our eschatology and to 'Test everything. Hold on to the good'. (1 Th 5:21)
For many years I have been involved in the creation evolution debate, believing it to be an important issue because how we think of our origins dictates how we think of ourselves. However recently I have realized that for the Christian the issue of our origins is mainly settled (God did it) and that we should seek to convince others of this truth. For the Christian the issue of what happens to us when we die has also been settled, but what we think about the destiny of this world is of far greater importance because it has a greater impact on what we do while on earth. Our beliefs about the future have a great impact on our current actions.
It seems that we have taken on board a pessimistic view of the future that is combined with the view that Jesus is coming back within a few years or that we will be raptured within a few years. We see evil and Satan triumphing in this age only to be destroyed at the Second Coming. As a result we have tended to adopt a ghetto like mentality - we gather in our churches and praise the Lord while the world gets ever worse and we say to ourselves - the bible predicts terrible times in the last days so there is nothing we can do about it. However even a cursory study of history will tell you that times have been far worse than this. What would happen if we change our thinking and say - well maybe it will be another millennium before Christ returns - then we would plan for the long term, take our responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission more seriously, be salt and light to the world and get out to change society for the better - because our children are going to have to live in this society. If Jesus does return earlier than we believe, so what? At least we will be found doing our Fathers business.
Two hundred years ago our universities were Christian, now they are secular humanist, what has gone wrong? We have failed to refute secular thinking, in part this is due to the modern tendency to denigrate thinking as non-spiritual. However there is a big battle going on to win the hearts and minds of people. We need bright Christians who are able to publicly refute the errors of modern thought and philosophy. We also need to challenge our own thoughts about the future. As this new millennium starts and all the Y2K hype is behind us, it is timely to re-examine our eschatology and plan for the long haul.
Formerly we lived in a largely Christian society, now it is increasingly becoming a post-Christian society. How did this happen? It happened in small increments, although it was given a push forward through the publication of Darwin's Origin of the Species in 1859. Well Phillip Johnson 1 believes that evolution could be discredited in ten years time. Will we be in a position to offer an intellectual alternative such as intelligent design? Will we be able to offer the gospel of Jesus Christ to a thirsty world? Will we push forward towards a society that is glorifying to God. Society came to be the way it is through small steps and it will be through small steps that society can be changed for the better. God did not give the enemies over to the children of Israel in one battle, it was through a series of battles. Deu 7:22
Do we believe in the second petition of the Lord's prayer 'your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven' (Mat 6:10). Or are we to fail to enter the land because of unbelief thinking that our enemies are too powerful for us? Or do we not even believe in a better society because our prophetic system tells us that there isn't one? The future consequences of our current eschatology are enormous.
In some Christian circles the use of the mind is seen as unspiritual, this is unbiblical nonsense. See my article on the Christian and the mind which is a plea for Christians to use their mind, and is aimed towards apologetics.
I have now carried out an evaluation of postmillennialism, which is an optimistic eschatology and which believes in the triumph of the gospel in this age and the success of the Great Commission.
I have also written several articles rebutting the pretribulational rapture theory. Why have I done this, why do I think it is important? Firstly because I think it is unscriptural. Secondly because it has the danger of fostering complacency about future persecution, because the church will be raptured before the tribulation comes. Thirdly because it undermines the main mission of the church to fulfil the Great Commission. This is because according to the pre-trib theory much evangelisation will be carried out by the 144,000 during the tribulation when the church has already been raptured. However scripture is clear that Jesus will not come before the church has accomplished its task of the Great Commission (Mat 24:14, Mark 13:10, Rom 11:25). The church in the West needs to regain its vision for mission and put effort and finance into the Great Commission in those countries that are largely non-Christian or who have not even heard the gospel.
Other essays on this site that evaluate alternative eschatologies are:
- A short introduction to Preterism.- introduction and critique 5 Nov 99
- A Critical Look at Christian Reconstruction, Theonomy and Dominion Theology- Links and essays in Word 97 format - 13 Mar 00
- A Critique of the Premillennial View of Scripture and Review of its Historical Development with a consideration of Revelation chapter twenty verses one to six Alan Nairne Apr 00
- Does the nation of Israel have a distinct future apart from the church in the kingdom of God? Alan Nairne 5 Jan 00
- The Rapture and the Second Coming 14 Aug 99
- A rebuttal of the pretribulation rapture and another rebuttal
- Will the Church go through the Great Tribulation? short article
- A detailed study of the Great Tribulation 27 Sep 99
Footnote:
- 1Objections Sustained : Subversive Essays on Evolution, Law & Culture by Phillip E. Johnson
Books: linked to
- Jesus, Paul and the End of the World : A Comparative Study in New Testament Eschatology by Ben Witherington III. See review by Tekton
- R C Sproul. The Last Days according to Jesus. Baker books. 1998. This discusses the preterist view of prophecy, especially regarding Mat 24. Amazon
- Thomas Ice and Kenneth Gentry Jr., The Great Tribulation, Kregel, 1999. Compares the partial preterist verses futurist view of Matthew 24. Amazon
- Gary DeMar, Last Days Madness : Obsession of the Modern Church, 1999, This is a welcome corrective to the current last days madness. Partial preterist view.Amazon More books like this available from their prophecy books website.
- Dave MacPherson, The rapture plot, 1995. The origins of the pre-trib rapture theory. Amazon
- David Chilton, Paradise restored: A Biblical Theology of Dominion, 1985. Postmillennial. Amazon See free books from the Institute of Christian Economics
- James Stuart Russell, The Parousia: A Critical Inquiry into the New Testament Doctrine of Our Lord's Second Coming. The 1890's classic exposition of full-Preterist Christianity. Amazon
- Keith A Mathison. Postmillennialism: an eschatology of hope, 1999, 287 pp. This book gives a detailed description of postmillennialism. It deals with the history, OT and NT, and theological considerations including objections to postmillennialism. It includes a brief 14 page critique of full preterism (see J S Russell). Amazon
- Kenneth L., Jr. Gentry, He Shall Have Dominion : A Postmillennial Eschatology Hardcover (September 1992) Inst for Christian Economics; ISBN: 0930464621 Amazon He Shall Have Dominion is as convincing as it is Biblical! This book is the most biblical, insightful, common-sense eschatalogical treatise in print. This book is about victory! Jesus is Victor. Dr. Gentry leaves no stone unturned. He deals seriously with ALL of the arguments typically leveled at Postmillennialism. Read it for yourself. Gentry proves that Postmillennialism is the eschatology and philosophy of history that is contained in HOLY Scripture.
- Darrell L Bock. Three views on the Millennium and Beyond. Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, Amillennialism. Zondervan, 1999, 333pp. Amazon
- Gleason L. Archer (Editor), Three Views on the Rapture : Pre; Mid; Or Post-Tribulation? (Counterpoints) by Paul D. Feinberg, Richard R. Reiter (Contributor). 1996, 272 pages.Three Views on the Rapture assumes a premillennial eschatology and contrasts the three primary rapture views. It is scholarly and probably not for the average reader.Amazon
- Stanley J. Grenz, The Millennial Maze: Sorting Out Evangelical Options. IVP, 1992, 239 pages. Amazon.
- Gary North, Gary Demar, Christian Reconstruction: What It Is, What It Isn't. Paperback - 219 pages (June 1994) Inst for Christian Economics. In today's world, Christians have been told that there is nothing they can do to improve society. This idea is the devil's own lie. Christians have believed this, but the results have been anything but neutral: secular humanism, New Age mysticism, and abortion on demand. In the name of neutrality, Christians have handed the world over to Satan and his covenanted disciples.Amazon
- Keith A. Mathison, Dispensationalism : Rightly Dividing the People of God? Paperback - 160 pages (July 1995) Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Company. You don't have to have a PhD to understand his writing style. Mathison's treatment is complete and concise. Single-best layman's intro to Dispensational criticism. Amazon
- Greg L. Bahnsen, Kenneth L Gentry, House Divided : The Break-Up of Dispensational Theology Hardcover (November 1989) Inst for Christian Economics; Amazon
- J. Marcellus Kik, Eschatology of Victory Paperback (February 1992) Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Company; Amazon
- William E Cox, Amillennialism Today, Paperback (January 1992) Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Company. 143 pages. Defining and explaining 'amillennialism' . Cox shows that our understandings of eschatology, the second advent, the resurrection, the judgement, and the final state should be determined by the entirety of Scripture (not just Revelation 20). Amazon
- William E Cox, An examination of Dispensationalism, 1992, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co, 61 pages. An antidote to dispensationalism. Amazon
- William E Cox, Biblical studies in Final things, 1992, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co. 226 pages. Covers Daniels 70th week, Israel and the church, tribulation, antichrist, second coming, resurrection, judgement, millennium, Rev 20, etc.
- Craig A. Blaising, Darrell L. Bock, Progressive Dispensationalism. Hardcover (November 1993) Baker Book House; A non-technical discussion of Progressive Dispensationalism Amazon
- Robert Horton Gundry First the Antichrist : A Book for Lay Christians Approaching the Third Millennium and Inquiring Whether Jesus Will Come to Take the Church Out of the Tribulation
- George Eldon Ladd Blessed Hope
- Robert Horton Gundry The Church and the Tribulation
- Millard J. Erickson A Basic Guide to Eschatology : Making Sense of the Millennium
- Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones The Church and the Last Things : Great Doctrines of the Bible Vol 3. 1998. At long last we have in print what the great doctor thought about the last things including Daniel and Revelation. This book is full of common sense.
- Josephus; The Complete Works by William Whiston, Flavius Josephus Hardcover - 1200 pages (January 1999) Thomas Nelson; Amazon $11:18
- Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War (The Penguin Classics) by G. A. Williamson (Translator), E. Mary Smallwood (Photographer) Paperback - 511 pages Reissue edition (April 1984) Viking Pr Amazon $11:16
- Eusebius : The History of the Church from Christ to Constantine by Eusebius, G.A. Williamson (Translator) Paperback - 434 pages (April 1990) Penguin USA (Paper) Amazon $12.76
Miscellaneous Links:
- Biblical Prophecy ~ And Last Things ~ History & Overview / Amillenialism Historic Premillenialism / Dispensational Premillenialism Critiqued Postmillenialism / Preterism
- Biblical Eschatology from the Baptized Way - Anthony Lawson
- Kingdom of Sovereign Grace - Calvinistic
- Reformed Eschatology (Centre Reformed Theology Apologetics)
- Charles H. Spurgeon and Eschatology: Did He Have a Discernible Millennial Position? by Dennis Michael Swanson
- Center for Millennial Studies - Richard Landes
- Millennialism: Competing Theories
- Amillennialism or realized eschatology?
- Eschatology ~ Rapture, Tribulation, Second Coming, Pre-Millennialism, Post-Millennialism, A-Millennialism ~ (The Baptist Pillar)
- An Examination of Dispensationalism by William E. Cox
- Unmasking Pre-Trib Fallacies - Larry Simmons
- The Post-Tribulation Rapture - by William Arnold III
Premillennial
- Eschatology WebRing Information Site
- Lamb & Lion Ministries
- Eschatology - John Fok
- Will His Coming Be Premillennial Or Postmillennial? ~ By J. E. Cobb, from the book The Second Coming of Christ
Post Tribulation Rapture
- The Post-Tribulation Rapture - by William Arnold III
- The Last Trumpet - by Tim Warner (Large site)
- The Second Coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - post-trib
Amillennial
- Mountain Retreat - Tony Warren - see eschatology
- Lectures Notes on Eschatology - Samuel Waldron - see also theonomy one of the better sites
- A Defense of (Reformed) Amillennialism - Prof. David J. Engelsma
- Amillennialism: Refuted By the Word of God By the late T. P. Simmons
- Amillennialism Examined Jeffrey Khoo
Postmillennial
- Some Questions and Answers on Eschatology or Are we just polishing brass fixtures on the Titanic? by Tom Albrecht
- Postmillennialism by Loraine Boettner. From 'The Millennium' by Loraine Boettner Scanned and edited by Michael Bremmer (book)
- Eschatology - Are You A Dispensationalist? Foundation for Biblical Studies
- Hope For the Future: An Introduction to Postmillennialism by Jeffrey Todd and Veronica Ann McCormack
- Confessional Postmillennialism Andrew Sandlin
Full preterist
- The Study of Eschatology - Don Preston
- The Preterist Archive - Todd D Dennis
- Anti-rapture page - Bob Mahlstedt
- Are We in the Last Days? An Introduction to Preterism by Greg Loren Durand
Christian Reconstruction, Theonomy and Dominion Theology
See my other related essays:
- The Biblical basis of Postmillennialism. Part 1 Apr 00
- The Rapture and the Second Coming 14 Aug 99
- A rebuttal of the pretribulation rapture and another rebuttal
- Will the Church go through the Great Tribulation? short article
- A detailed study of the Great Tribulation 27 Sep 99
- A short introduction to Preterism.- introduction and critique 5 Nov 99
- The fall of Jerusalem and the future of the Jews Dec 99
- Does the nation of Israel have a distinct future apart from the church in the kingdom of God? Alan Nairne 5 Jan 00
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