DEFINING AMILLENNIALISM

A Quick Look at Amillennialism

What Amillennialism Is Not:
It does not deny the existence of a millennium.
It is not a product of either a particular Protestant denomination or a product of Roman Catholicism.
It does not require one to be a pedobaptist or immersionist.
It does not require one to be a Calvinist or Arminian.
It does not require one to be a Covenant theologian or anti-covenant theologian.
It is not liberalism.
It is not as divided as Premillennialism.
It does not symbolize everything in the Bible.
It does not have a non-literal understanding of the Bible.
It is not the materialistic view of the millennium as held by all Premillennialists.
It does not hold to a literal "golden age" on earth like the many Postmillennialists.
It is not "replacement theology."

What Amillennialism Is:
It follows a “grammatical-historical” literal interpretation of the Scriptures.
It looks at the Bible as a unit which contains no contradictions.
It believes there is no “gap” in Daniel’s prophecy of Seventy Weeks, but that it was fulfilled with the desolation of the Temple and destruction of Jerusalem by Titus and the Roman army in 70 A.D. (as the Tribulation judgment against non-believing Israel).
It agrees with evangelical preterism that the prophecies concerning the nation Israel have been historically fulfilled, for the most part, and all remaining prophecies concerning Israel will be fulfilled in the church which has always been the “Israel of God.” (Eph. 1:23; Galatians 6:6)
It believes explicitly in the millennium of Revelation 20.
It interprets the one thousand year period mentioned only in Rev. 20 as a complete period of time, the length of which is only known by God. (Such symbolism is hermeneutically consistent with Psalm 50:10 and 1Chron. 16:15).
It believes the millennial kingdom of Christ began with His incarnation and will consummate at His Second Coming.
It could better be called a “Realized Millennium.”
It believes that the millennium is the literally the spiritual reign of Christ on earth in the kingdom of His church and in the saints in heaven.
It believes entrance to the on-going millennium is gained solely through the new birth, and that John refers to this as the first resurrection in Revelation 20:6 (supported by Eph. 2:1,5,6 and Colossians 2:13 and 3:1.)
It believes that every person who is born again immediately becomes a child of the King and immediately begins an eternal reign with that King, and that the present phase of that reign is a mere foretaste of what lies beyond the Second Coming.
It believes that Satan has only such power as God permits and must bow to the authority of the Gospel as a bound and defeated foe because of the Cross, unable to stop the spread of the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the world (Revelation 20:3).
It believes that although he cannot prevail against the Church, Satan still goes about as a roaring lion tempting, defying, deceiving, until Christ shall put him down finally at His Second Coming.
It believes that good and evil will exist side by side until the harvest, which Jesus said will be the end of the world (Matt. 13:39).
It believes that Satan will be allowed to mount one final climactic antichrist rebellion and apostasy just before the Second Coming (Revelation 16:14; 20:7,8).
It believes in only one first resurrection and only one last trump.
It believes the Second Coming of Christ to be a literal, visible, bodily coming.
It believes that at the Second Coming all the saints, living and dead, will be raptured to meet the Lord in the air, given new spiritual bodies, and then escort their King to the earth.
It believes that the millennium will end with the Second Coming of Christ followed by the judgments of the living and the dead, saved and lost (Matt. 13:24-30; 47-53) and the creation of a new heaven and earth.
It views the Second Coming as the consummation of the Redemption story prior to everlasting glory on the New Earth.

LEFT BEHIND AND THE RAPTURE

Amazing what is taught on this subject in todays church. Look at the basic beliefs of what these people called dispensationalists teach and lets go over them compared to the scriptures.

These are the main teachings of dispensationalism: Israel and the church is seperate people of God, Daniels 70 weeks are divided, Jesus returns two more times, he gathers the church in secret and leaves the lost behind, there are tribulation saints saved after he takes the church, Jesus returns and reigns for 1000 years literally fulfilling Davids throne prophecys, and there are two judgement days.

Is any of this in the bible? It is amazing to me as i studied this subject that not one of these points not only are false, but they are totally opposite from what scripture teaches. Lets examine these beliefs.

They teach that Israel and the church are seperate.
Really? The prophecys in the old testament say God will save the gentiles within the new covenant and that they will be one people. He also said the Spirit would be within man to let him live out the commandments. Isnt this clearly what the church is?
Jesus said at the Lords supper that this is the blood of the new covenant. What was he talking about? Everything Jesus did was a fulfillment of old testament prophecy and this is what proves he is the messiah. He is clearly speaking of the new covenant promised to Isreal. He even tells them he has another flock who will become one flock with them, the gentiles. Clearly the prophecys of Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, and Joel are explaining the future body of Christ. Peter proclaimed this in his first sermon. Paul explains how this works in Ephesians 2, Galatians 2 thru 6, and Romans 9 thru 11.
No where did Jesus or the apostles point towards a future fulfillment. It was finished. It was fulfilled.

As far as seperating Daniels 70 week prophecy I think this one is also quite easy. No prophecy in scripture is ever divided for one. Two, if it isnt 490 years which is 70 weeks of biblical prophecy, then isnt this a lie? Of course.
Three, doesnt God determine the timeframe and that its not dependant on man following it.
Four, the whole point of the prophecy was that after the 70 weeks the new covenant was ushered in. This was the time frame of the end of the old covenant.
Five, Jesus is the prince of Daniel. No where is it an antichrist. The people who were to come were the church and by them the old covenant was destroyed. This happened when Stephen preached the history of the jewish church in the temple and they rejected it and then stoned him. Then the new covenant was begun because the gospel was then preached to the semaritans and gentiles, clearly according to Jesus, not considered the house of Israel (matthew 10) in the flesh. This is the only possible time when the prophecy was fulfilled since 34ad was the 490th year. It had to be fulfilled that year. The destruction of the temple in ad70 was the result of this rejection and is what is talked about in Daniel 9 as being on the wing of the abomination that causes the desolation. The prophecy is about the new covenant taking over the old one and this happened in 34ad. The result of it was the destruction of the literal temple which happened in 70ad, also prophecied by Christ.
Six, Jesus wasnt annointed in 27ad by happenstance. His annointing began the last week of the prophecy and in the middle of the week Jesus was crucified ending sacrifice and all observances in Gods eyes.
It isnt fulfilled in 70ad or 2070ad. It could have only been fulfilled in 34ad. God doesnt lie. 490 years is 490 years! The whole point of the prophecy is the beginning of the new covenant. Christs annointing began the last week of the prophecy.

Next is the teaching that Jesus returns two more times: one in secret and then he lands on earth. What? Didnt Jesus say to the disciples in private that he would not come in secret but that every eye would see him, the world would mourn, and the angels would gather the saints.
Matthew 24 is clear. It even says after the tribulation. It doesnt get any clearer (Matthew 24 clearly teaches against a pretrib rapture but more accurately is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70ad).
The bible is clear in every point that Jesus returns and destroys all the lost and gathers the elect at the last trumpet on the last day. It is elementary. Paul in 1 corinthians 15 is clear its at the last trumpet. Peter says he destroys the earth at his coming in 2 peter 3. Jesus says he returns and gathers us on the last day in John 6. Paul says in 2 thessalonians 1 that at Christs appearing he destroys the lost and and antichrist. He even says in chapter 2 of 2 thessalonians to be not deceived but our gathering is not until the antichrist is revealed and he isnt revealed until verse 8 when Jesus returns. No secret rapture anywhere and no two seperate gathers.

John 5 says all that are in the graves are gathered together and so does matthew 25. Revelations 20 emplys the saved are also at the judgement since it states clearly that if you arent found in the book of life you will be thrown in the lake of fire. No where does the bible hint of two judgements. The dispensationalists use 1 corinthians 3 to show there argument but it never says only Christians are there. It only warns us what we build on Christ will be judged. This does not contradict the rest of scripture. Its just a warning to us as believers to live Godly which is Pauls whole point for the letter to the corinthians because they were carnal.
Daniel 12 says some at the judgement are saved and some lost. This flows right along with the rest of scripture.
Jesus even states in the last chapter of revelations that he is coming to judge ALL on their works. Jesus said as the days of Lot so will it be at his return for when Lot came out of the city that same day God destroyed Sodom and Gommorah so will it be when Christ returns. This is clear as it gets.

Now the millenium. Is keys, bottomless pit, chains, and the number 1000 ever literal in scripture or symbolic?
John wrote Revelations using biblical terms to explain what he saw. It was symbolic language in alot of his visions explaining a real event. Dispensationalists yell out that they always stay literal but clearly they are symbolic also when ever they want to be. are there 10 horns and a real dragon. How about a woman? They dont mind using symbolism as long as they want to teach their belief.

There are two teachings very vital in understanding scripture: 1 a prophet is subject to a prophet and 2 there is no prophecy of private interpretation. Using these guidelines you simply have to use these words in Revelations 20 just like it is in the rest of scripture. Keys clearly in scripture means having control of something. Chains means you are bound to something (Paul was bound to the gospel). Bottomless pit is a spiritual place on the earth everywhere else in scripture. 1000 is a number symbolic of God and his time or number of a specific thing like he owns cattle of 1000 hills and he promised Abraham 1000 generations. Clearly he owns all the hills and 1000 generations would mean we have still got at least 12,000 more years before he returns. Not likely since he said he would do a short work on the earth. The chapter is a symbolic chapter of a specific time and if we examine the subject matter we will see that this period is during the new covenant or church age.

The subject matter of Revelations 20 is that the ones that are part of the first ressurection will be saved from the second death. Clearly Jesus is the first ressurection as told in John 5 and colossians 1. Revelations 3 tells us to live Godly to escape the second death. It never talks about saints during a second ressurection or the fact that a second ressurection of saints ever occurs literally.
Satan is bound by the gospel which is why Jesus said you have to bind a strong man to pillage his house which is what Jesus is doing now.
Revelations says after Christ went to the thrown that he cast satan into the bottomless pit and this is where he is roaming the earth devouring souls because his time is short. This is clearly the age in which we are in now. Satan is bound from a position of authority not reigning over the earth and this is what this means. We are bound to the gospel Paul says but it doesnt mean we arent doing anything, it just means we are bound to do a specific thing. Satan is bound awaiting his judgement as are the angels he deceived in heaven.
Lastly after the 1000 years the lost are ressurected and satan is loosed (because we are gathered up-no church here on earth to be bound by). Like in heaven with Michael, we then have a spiritual battle between the lost and satan against the church in Jerusalem from above. It even says they went on the breadth of the earth up to Jerusalem. Its a spiritual war. The judgement is here where all the lost are destroyed by fire. Remember, Jerusalem is above in heaven according to God now, which we are a part of (Galatians 4, Hebrews 12), not on earth.
Be careful trying to read the bible without spiritual glasses or you will do like the jews in Jesus' day and miss what is really being said. We are a spiritual people, worshipping a spiritual God, with a spiritual body awaiting us (1 corinthians 15). If you try to literalize clear symbolic teachings you will miss understanding the word of God.
Its not what Hal Lindsey, Tim Lahaye or the local baptist church teaches, its what Gods word says.

BIBLICAL SALVATION

What is true salvation? Many views are taught on this subject and this blog is to state the facts as clear as possible so that theres no confusion. The best way to look at this subject is to see what the Savior said himself. Here are a few passages from Christ. Lets look at John chapter 10.
verses 4 and 5:
4And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

now verse 27: 27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me

Both of these passages suggest one main point. We who are saved follow Christ. Lets get more info on this subject. Look at Matthew 25:31-46 and John 15:2,6:
31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

These passages go on even further to show the importance of following Christ. As Christians, we by the power of the Spirit, are the workmanship to do Gods work and by not doing this leads to grave consequences. A fruitless worker shows no evidence of salvation.
Paul stated in his writings that the ones who fall away weren't ever saved to begin with or they never would have fallen away. Paul clears this up for us in Romans 6 when he stated that since we are dead to sin we can no longer live in it. The Spirit gives us new life. James also said be doers of the word and not hearers or we condemn our own selves.

Alot of people today have watered down salvation into a club it seems. Just sign the paper and get Baptized and your in. The problem with this though is the whole reason we are saved; to do the work of the Father. Just like Matthew said about Christ, you did these things to me meant
you knew me. A true believer carries his cross and follows Christ and the fruits are holy, not living a life serving sin.

At the end of the Bible in Revelations 22 Jesus gives one last warning:12And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
13I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Dont you want to please Jesus. Dont you want to enter that city.

IT STARTS WITH THE EYES

It is said that the eyes are the windows of the heart. Most of what we take in in life is what we see making this organ our most pleasurable and also most dangerous. The eyes were the door to sin for us. When Satan enticed Eve to take of the fruit, the eyes of man were opened and they saw their own nakedness. Somehow when their spirit in God was alive they could not see as we do now as sinners. They had a power to not see sin.

There are many warnings in the word for us not to let our eyes control our hearts. David saw Bathsheeba and gazed upon her and the sin was conceived. It was not a glance but a stare. This is a warning. Its the stare that conceives the sin. Other lusts from seeing also are talked about in scripture and not just on our thoughts on fornication like David. Lot saw the plains of Jordan and its flowing waters and he lusted after it. This ultimately led to him and his family setting up their home in the sin citys of Sodom and Gommorah. Once they sin was embedded in their heart it remained. Lots wife when they fled the city, looked back and turned into salt. She had the lust in her heart for the sinful environment. She could not fight the temptation to look back. The daughters then got their father drunk and had sex with their father when they had settled after leaving the citys. They had learned these practices there.

Whats the warning here? Isnt it guard the eyes? Be very careful in what you see because it sets up camp in the heart and the seed always grows. The word tells us to keep our eyes on Christ. He will guide our paths. What you feed your eyes will grow, weither good or bad. If you dont feed your heart with evil that you take in visually, those seeds die. Its so important to Christ, that he warned us to pluck out our eye if it offends us. The warning here is that your lusts from visions can keep you from heaven.

What can we do then? Guard your eyes. Study Gods word and fill your hearts with his desires so that you wont want to look upon sinful things. We now have the Holy Spirit to give us power to overcome this sin. Greater is he within us than he that is in the world. God has the best plans for us and our eyes draw us from that plan. Because its the door to our desires we must always be mindful of the eyes.

The plus in steering away from lusts of the eyes are many. Our wives become so much more special when all of our desires are only focused on them. We can then take advantage of the full fruits of our covenant. You also cut out the desires to want to buy things which also gets us in trouble. The list goes on and on. Just remember the words of Christ and let the Spirit guard the gate. He is the best gatekeeper.