1 Eschatology in the Radical Middle -Review-Session 3 Eschatology in the Radical Middle -Review-
2 Dispensa-tional Premillen- nialism Historic Premillen- nialismThe Four Main Factions Amillen-nialism Walvoord Hoekema Dispensa-tional Premillen- nialism Historic Premillen nialism Eschatology Postmil-lennialism Boettner Ladd
3 Are they friends?
4 Remember, despite this
5 They agree on the essentials of premillennialismThree questions: How is it possible to believe in the millennial kingdom without dispensational premillennialism? Why would dispensational premillennialists accuse historic premillennialists of being amillennialists (not a compliment)? Why would historic premillennialists deny amillennialism despite agreeing on Israel=Church? d
6 Historic PremillennialismGeneral Comparison of Dispensational Premillennialism & Historic Premillennialism
7 Eter- nity Historic Premillennialism (HP) Amillennialism “And the deadDispensational Pre-millennialism (DP) 2nd Phase of the First Resurrection: The OT saints & Tribulation Martyrs Second Resurrection: All the unbelievers judged & sent to the Lake of Fire 1st Phase of the First Resurrection: Believers who died in the NT era Eter- nity 1st Resur-rection 1st Resur-rection 2ndResur-rection Historic Premillennialism (HP) Amillennialism 1st of the First Resurrection After the Rapture 2nd of the First Resurrection After the 2nd Coming 1st Judgment: Judgment Seat of Christ (to determine rewards for the believers) 2nd Judgment: Sheep & Goat Judgment (the righteous enter the millennium) “And the dead in Christ will rise first.” One indubitable rapture verse for DP 1 Thess. 4:16-7: For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God And the dead in Christ will rise first. 1 Thess. 4:17: Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 1st of the First Resurrection After the Rapture 2nd of the First Resurrection After the Second Coming 1st Judgment: Judgment Seat of Christ (for the believers) 2nd Judgment: Sheep & Goat Judgment (for the millennium) Great White Throne Judgment Rev. 20:11-15: Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. The Sheep & Goat Judgment (Matt. 25:31-46) for those who are alive at the 2nd Coming: To determine who can enter the millennial kingdom kingdom. The gap between premillennialism and amillennialism is wide & substantial. But it’s the gap between DP and HP that clearly reveals why DP and AMIL think differently regarding eschatology. The Second Resurrection (unbelievers) After the millennium The Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:20) for the believers occurs here (for rewards) 3rd Judgment: Great White Judgment (unbelievers) After the millennium
8 Dispensational PremillennialismEter- nity 1st Resur-rection A 1st Resur-rection B 2ndResur-rection Historic Premil- lennialism 1st Resur-rection B Eter- nity 2ndResur-rection
9 One step away from becoming a liberal!32 “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left ” Matt. 25: 31: “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.” Sheep & Goat Judgment 46 “These (goat) will go away into eternal punish- ment, but the righteous (sheep) into eternal life.” Walvoord One step away from becoming a liberal! Amillennialist What made Walvoord label Ladd that way? Ladd
10 ? B. What’s So Different about Dispensational Premillennialism &Historic Premillennialism ? Is it Splitting Hairs?
11 Historic Premil-lennialism Dispen-sational Premil-lennialismYes Yes Historic Premil-lennialism Dispen-sational Premil-lennialism Israel Church Israel Church
12 1. Dispensational Premillennialism“[Dispensational] premillennialism is found principally on interpretation of the OT. If interpreted literally, the OT gives a clear picture of the prophetic expectation of the Israel.”* Okay but meaning what? *p. 67 in Hoyt
13 Meaning . . . All the promises that God made to Israel in the OT (not to the Church since she didn’t exist then) will be fulfilled by Israel.
14 A key promise God made to Israel: A political kingdom in which the King of the Jews from the Davidic lineage (a.k.a., Messiah) will rule the nations. Is. 9:7: Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteous- ness from this time forth and forevermore The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Ps 22:28 (NASB): For the kingdom is the Lord’s and He rules over the nations.
15 did Jesus offer to the Jews?A literal understanding of this type of OT passages is then applied to the New, including the kingdom that Jesus offered to the Israelites: A millennial kingdom ruled by the Messiah, assisted by the priestly Israel, over the nations Millennial kingdom God owes Israel an earthly kingdom in which they rule, led by their king. OT NT So, what kind of kingdom did Jesus offer to the Jews? Matt 6:33: But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "All references to the Gospel have to do with the coming of the Messiah to rule the earth in the millennial kingdom" Millennial Kingdom millennial kingdom literal Charles Ryrie
16 Hey, not so fast! 2. Historic Pre- millennialismYou shouldn’t literally interpret the OT “and then fit the NT into it.” Why not? It’s because “the OT did not clearly foresee how its own prophecies were to be fulfilled.” In fact, “they were fulfilled in ways quite unforeseen by the OT itself and unexpected by the Jews.” Ladd, p. 27
17 a. Two examples from Hosea1: she conceived and bore a son And the Lord said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.” 2:5: “I will go after my lovers,. . . 13 She decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot.” 1:2b: The Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” Later Gomer, after a brief period of faithfulness said: Hosea Gomer GOD Israel
18 recalls His love for Israel.But God immediately recalls His love for Israel. Was this a prophecy? It was a historical recounting of what God did for the Israelites enslaved in Egypt 700 years earlier. Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” OT
19 “Out of Egypt I called my son.” A historical recountingBut God immediately recalls His love for Israel. I didn’t know Hosea 11:1 was a prophecy. I neither foresaw nor expected it. Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” 2:14-5 So [Joseph] got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” To the OT Jews: A historical recounting of what God did for Israel 700 years earlier. But in Matthew, Hosea 11:1 turns into a Messianic prophesy. OT
20 Along with that historical recall, God makes a promise to Israel.1:10 “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted.” 2:23 “I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’ I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’” “In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’
21 But, Paul does something unexpected in his letter to the Church in Romethat would have shocked the OT Jews. He applies the promise made to the Israelites in the OT to the Church in the NT, made up mostly of Gentiles. How dare you do that?
22 and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one . . .”My people My loved one Paul, in speaking to the Roman Christians, many of whom were Gentiles, wrote: Even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles [ ] 25 As he says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one . . .”
23 The OT promises to Israel are fulfilled in the Christian Church.”We “cannot be sure how the OT prophecies of the end are to be fulfilled,” that is, unless the NT explains and interprets them for us. The OT promises to Israel are fulfilled in the Christian Church.” b. Ladd’s con-clusion NT OT
24 Dispensational Premillennialism Strongly Disagrees!Dispensational premillennialism disagrees. Israel in the OT and the Church in the NT are separate and mutually exclusive entities. Lindsey: “I believe that God’s purpose for Israel and His purpose for the Church are so distinct and mutually exclusive . . .” Dispensational Premillennialism Strongly Disagrees! Charles Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible
25 “The OT promises to Israel are fulfilled in the Christian Church.”DP “The alert reader will say, ‘This sounds like amillennialism.’ And so it does” (p. 27). Except for one scripture (chapter) that Ladd recognizes, which often makes amillennialists feel quite defensive!
26 didn’t know what to make of Rom. 11:25-6.That is, there is at least one NT passage where Israel and the Church are clearly distinguished. didn’t know what to make of Rom. 11:25-6. Sproul who allegedly said that “he is only certain of one thing—it is not the dispensational premillenial position”,
27 Israel, not Church will fulfill this promise.Romans 11:25-6a (NASB) For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved Church Israel, not Church will fulfill this promise. Ethnic Israel
28 When it comes to Romans chapter 11, What Sproul once ad- mitted in an interview: When it comes to Romans chapter 11, he agreed with Charles Hodge (19th century Reformed theologian) and believed that there was something in the future specially for the ethnic Jews of Israel. Natural branch: Ethnic Israel Grafted branch: Church (Gentiles) 23 If they don’t persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
29 but not for the same reason given by dispensational premillennialists.“The OT promises to Israel are fulfilled in the Christian Church.” “The alert reader will say, ‘This sounds like amillennialism.’ And so it does” “I am a premillennialist” (p. 40); but not for the same reason given by dispensational premillennialists.
30 So then, who really fulfills God’s promise of the kingdom?Millennial Kingdom Spiritual Kingdom Is it a literal, physical kingdom, or a spiritual, invisible kingdom?
31 C. Different Views on What Constitutes the Church Affects Whether or not the Kingdom Has Already Come
32 Disp. PremillennialismAmillennialism Church: The gathering of those who are chosen by God’s grace—a remnant. Apostle Paul applies “remnant” both to the 7,000 faithful Jews in the OT as well as to the NT church. Yes, the Church existed in the OT (mostly within Israel). Disp. Premillennialism Church: The gathering of those in whom dwells the Holy Spirit, a spiritual phenomenon that first occurred in Acts 2. The church is the New Covenant community: “This cup is the new cove- nant in my blood” (Lk. 22:20). No, the Church, having begun in the NT, did not exist in the OT. They profoundly differ on how the Church is defined: And this affects whether one believes in the rapture or a literal millennium kingdom. chosen by grace
33 1. What does the Scripture say?then the millennial kingdom hasn’t happened yet. If dispensational premillennialism is correct If amillennialism & historic premillennialism are correct then the spiritual kingdom must already be here. 1. What does the Scripture say?
34 The kingdom of God is within* you Spiritual Israel is already here!Yes, already If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you (Matt. 12:28). The kingdom of God is within* you (Lk. 17:21). *entos: inside God’s Kingdom Promised to Spiritual Israel is already here! By his death [Christ] might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil (Heb. 2:14) K
35 The kingdom of God is within* youYes, already If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you (Matt. 12:28). The kingdom of God is within* you (Lk. 17:21). *entos: inside No, not yet I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God comes (Lk. 22:17). Father, Your Kingdom come (Matt. 11:2).
36 A Sad Reality of the ChurchThe Radical Middle 2. We need the paradigm of the Radical Middle to sort through this. A Sad Reality of the Church Love Word Spirit Knowledge Emotion Doctrine Experience Word Spirit Unity Cessationist Charismatic
37 This is the Radical Middleboth and together at the same time completely fully advocated pursued
38 We need the paradigm of the Radical Middle to sort through this.A Sad Reality of Eschatology Love You don’t know the Bible. Liberals come out from your camp. Rapture is an absurd idea. You guys are wooden literalists. Millennial Spiritual Kingdom Kingdom Church Church= Israel Israel Unity D. Premillennialist Amillennialist
39 God’s Kingdom in the Radical-MiddleThe Spiritual Kingdom of Christ is ALREAY here in its fullness.. The present rule of King Christ is in the hearts of believers. The Messianic Kingdom is NOT YET here. It will be established on earth at Christ’s Second Coming Nations rule
40 Not Necessarily! Historic Premillennialism (HP)No, it’s because the Messianic Kingdom on earth —lasting for 1,000 years — is explicitly taught in Rev. 20:1-6. HP is based not on the literal interpretation of the OT but on the New. The Messianic Kingdom is NOT YET here. It will be established on earth at Christ’s Second Coming Not Necessarily! Is this because God owes Israel a kingdom in accordance to dispensational premil-lennialism? They will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years (Rev. 20:6 NASB).
41 Wouldn’t it be far better just go straight to heaven?If not for fulfilling the promise made to Israel, then, what reasons does the Bible give for the millennial kingdom before the eternal state? Amillennialists: Wouldn’t it be far better just go straight to heaven? HP: Already fulfilled through the Church.
42 the millennium in God’s redemptive plan.If not for fulfilling the promise made to Israel, then, what reasons does the Bible give for the millennial kingdom before the eternal state? Actually the Bible doesn’t say much about the purpose of the millennium in God’s redemptive plan.
43 for the Millennial Kingdom beforeThe Purpose for the Millennial Kingdom before Ushering in the Eternity
44 DP 1. The demography of the millennial Glorified saints1 Cor. 15:52, 3: “. . . in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed the mortal with immortality . . .” Mortal men The survivors of the Armageddon who enter the millennium as believers Zech. 14:16: “The survivors from all nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD . . .” DP
45 Then the glorified saints will assist Christ to govern the kingdom.“They will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years” (Rev. 20:6).
46 2. We can reasonably posit concerning2. We can reasonably posit concerning the purpose of the millennium like this: The reality of Phil. 2:10-1 has never been materialized in the world at any time: 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He (Jesus) humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
47 Jesus is Lord! Jesus is Lord! Jesus is Lord!9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
48 Jesus is Lord! Jesus is Lord! Jesus is Lord!The earthly rule of the Messiah over the nations may be when the exaltation of Christ takes place.
49 Another plausible reason:Incredibly, the NATIONS —after being blessed by the benevolent reign of Christ lasting for 1,000 years— REBEL AGAINST GOD. Nations
50 Nations This one who tempted the LordRev. 20:7-10: When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four cor- ners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. Nations This one who tempted the Lord
51 Nations 9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
52 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
53 Hell is an overkill; no one deserves it.The final rebellion would vindicate God and His justice once and for all! What many have said: Bell: “Smile, there is no hell.” Dawkins: “The God of the OT is a petty, unjust,. . . a vindictive, bloodthirsty bully.” Hell is an overkill; no one deserves it.
54 because it will reveal two things:The final rebellion would vindicate God and His justice once and for all because it will reveal two things: How wicked men truly are, as Prophet Jeremiah had told us “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick” (Jer. 17:9a) How God had been patient all along “The Lord is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9b). What many have said: Bell: “Smile there is no hell.” Dawkins: “The God of the OT is a petty, unjust,. . . a vindictive, bloodthirsty bully”