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Future History 101

Part 7: The Millennial Reign

WHAT IS THE MILLENNIAL REIGN

+ The period of time associated with Revelation 20:1-6

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the abyss and

a great chain in his hand. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is

the Devil and Satan, and bound him for 1,000 years. He threw him into the

abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it so that he would no longer deceive the

nations until the 1,000 years were completed. After that, he must be released

for a short time. Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were

given authority to judge. I also saw the people who had been beheaded

because of their testimony about Jesus and because of God’s word, who had

not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on

their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with the

Messiah for 1,000 years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the

1,000 years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is

the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power

over them, but they will be priests of God and of the Messiah, and they will

reign with Him for 1,000 years. -Revelation 20:1-6 HCSB

+ The Millennial reign is by far the most debated subject in Eschatology

“A short passage in the book of Revelation has been the subject of vast

eschatological investigation. It is the passage that speaks of a ‘millennium.’

Whole systems of eschatological thought have been labeled and identified in

accordance with the place the millennium holds within each system.”

-R.C. Sproul, The Last Days According to Jesus p. 193

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR VIEWS OF THE MILLENNIAL REIGN

+ Premillennialism


Pre (Before) Millennium (1,000 year reign)

Premillennialism is the belief in a 1,000 year reign of Christ on the earth will

follow the Second Coming and precede the Eternal State (New Heavens and

New Earth.)

History:

Premillennialism is the oldest view of eschatology according to church

history. All of the early church fathers were premillenialists. The view was

known as Chiliasm (Millennium.) The early church believed in an earthly

kingdom reign of Christ following the Second Coming but preceding the

Eternal State. See below the following comments by early church fathers:

Clement of Rome (AD 30-100) and Justin (AD 110-165)

“And the fact that it was not set of the seventh day equally with the other

days, ‘and there was evening, and there was morning,’ is a distinct indication

of the consummation which is to take place in it before it is finished, as the

fathers declare, especially Saint Clement, and Irenaeus, and Justin the martyr

and philosopher.”

-Justin, Fragment XV comments by Anastasius. emphasis added

Papias (AD 70?-155)

“That there will be a period of a thousand years after the resurrection from

the dead when the kingdom of Christ will be set up an material form on this

earth.” -Papias, Fragments of Papias 3.12

Irenaeus (AD 120-202)

“But when this Antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he

will reign for three years and six months, and sit in the temple at Jerusalem;

and then the Lord will come from heaven and the clouds, and the glory of the

Father, sending this man and those who followed into the lake of fire; but

bringing in for the righteous the times of the kingdom, that is, the rest, the

hallowed seventh day; and restoring to Abraham the promised inheritance,

and which Kingdom the Lord declared ‘that many coming from the east and

from the west should sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’”

-Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book V Chapter XXX. emphasis added Hippolytus (AD 170-236)


And six thousand years must needs be accomplished, in order that the

Sabbath may come, the rest, the holy day on which God rested from all this

works. For the Sabbath is the type and emblem of the future kingdom of the

Saints, when they shall reign with Christ, when he comes from heaven, as

John says in his Apocalypse.

-Hippolytus, On the HexaËmeron, Fragments from Commentaries. emphasis added

Two Major Types of Premillennialism:

Dispensational Premillennialism:

Dispensationalism maintains a strong distinction between Israel and

the Church. Popularized in the mid 1800s by John Nelson Darby and in

the early 1900s by C. I. Scofield, Dispensationalism has shaped several

generations of Pastors and Theologians (See Part 6: Old Testament

Portrayal of Christ, Section C.) Classic Dispensationalism teaches that

there are two separate covenant peoples of God: Israel and the church.

The view of pretribulational rapture found its start in

Dispensationalism. Dispensationalists see that the church must be

removed for God to begin working with Israel as a covenant people

again. Dispensationalists teach that once the church is raptured, the

tribulation will begin along with the revelation of the Antichrist.

“Dispensationalism is a system of theology primarily concerned with

the doctrines of ecclesiology and eschatology that emphasizes the

historical–grammatical meaning of Old Testament prophetic passages

and covenants, a distinction between Israel and the church, and a

future salvation and restoration of the nation of Israel in a future

earthly kingdom.”

-Michael J. Vlach, Dispensationalism: Essential Beliefs and Common Myths p. 50. emphasis added “The pre-trip rapture view has traditionally been an important part of

Dispensationalism. It may even be the most recognizable facet of

dispensational theology.”

-Michael J. Vlach, Dispensationalism: Essential Beliefs and Common Myths p. 56

Historic Premillennialism:

Historic Premillennialism gets its name from the History of the Early

church. Historic Premillennialism was the eschatology of the early

church (the people closest to the Apostle’s teaching.) As it is probably

obvious at this point in the work, Historic Premillennialism is the

position to which I personally hold and believe. All of the rebuttals


given toward other positions in this work are offered from the

Historic Premillennial position.

On most major points Historic Premillenialists find themselves in

agreement with Dispensationalists, but there are significant

differences. The greatest difference is in the understanding of the

covenant people of God. Historic Premillenialists argue that there is

one not two covenant peoples. Historic Premillenialists do not believe

that the church has replaced Israel (Replacement Theology,) rather

they believe that gentiles have been grafted into the covenant

promises with believing Israel. They also believe at the end of the

seven-year tribulational period, Israel as a nation will be re-grafted

into the covenant with gentiles and believing Jews, when they call out

to Jesus as their Messiah.

Because Historic Premillenialists do not maintain a hard distinction

between Israel and the church, they do not hold to a pretribulational

rapture. Historic Premillenialists see the church going through the

Great Tribulation and being raptured just prior to the Second Coming

of Jesus Christ, when God will reveal his wrath against unbelieving

humanity. The posttribulational rapture was the position of the

Church fathers.

“The early church placed the return of Christ after the period of great

tribulation. This is called a posttribulation position.”

-Gregg Allison, Historical Theology p. 685

Historic Premillenialists accurately cite there is no promise in the

New Testament that teaches the church will not go through the

Tribulation. The rapture is the resurrection of the saints of God, and

Revelation 20:5 clear states that the Dawn of the Millennium will

coincide with the “First Resurrection.” If the rapture (a resurrection)

occurs at the beginning of the Great Tribulation, how could the

resurrection at the beginning of the Millennium be called the “first.”

Also, Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 confirms several things will

happen before the rapture: the apostasy, the revelation of the

Antichrist, and the Abomination of Desolation.

The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were

completed. This is the first resurrection. -Revelation 20:5 HCSB emphasis added

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being

gathered to Him: We ask you, brothers, not to be easily upset in mind

or troubled, either by a spirit or by a message or by a letter as if from

us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has come. Don’t let anyone


deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy

comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of

destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god

or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s sanctuary, publicizing that

he himself is God. -2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 HCSB emphasis added

Pretribulationalists are quick to point out that the rapture will come

like a thief in the night. They say if the rapture occurs at the end of the

tribulation, how could the rapture come like a thief? Two verses are

cited to make this point:

Now concerning that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels

in heaven, nor the Son, except the Father only -Matthew 24:36 HCSB

For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come

just like a thief in the night. -1 Thessalonians 5:2 HCSB

In response to using the preceding verses to point to an imminent

rapture, the verse should be read in context. “That day” in Matthew

24:36 is not referring to a pretribulational rapture but the Second

Coming of Jesus at the end of the Great Tribulation. In 1 Thessalonians

5:2, Paul is saying that the Day of the Lord will surprise unbelievers

but not believers. Believers will be able to discern the times and know

when the return of Christ is imminent. No one will know the day and

hour, but believers will know the return is close. Just as Jesus told his

followers in Luke 21:28 HCSB, “But when these things begin to take

place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is

near!”

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days: The sun will be

darkened, and the moon will not shed its light; the stars will fall from

the sky, and the celestial powers will be shaken. Then the sign of the

Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth

will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of

heaven with power and great glory. He will send out His angels with a

loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from

one end of the sky to the other. “Now learn this parable from the fig

tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you

know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these

things, recognize that He is near, at the door! I assure you: This

generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take

place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass

away. “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows, neither the

angels in heaven, nor the Son, except the Father only.

-Matthew 24:30-36 HCSB emphasis added


About the times and the seasons: Brothers, you do not need anything

to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the Day

of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. When they say,

“Peace and security,” then sudden destruction comes on them, like

labor pains come on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But

you, brothers, are not in the dark, for this day to overtake you like a

thief. For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We do not

belong to the night or the darkness. -1 Thessalonians 5:1-5 HCSB emphasis added Pretribulationalists will also say that the early church believed the

coming of Christ to be imminent, and therefore, point out that the

pretribulational position is the only position that can maintain

imminency. Consider this quote by Dr. Gregg Allison:

“Many Christians believed Christ’s return to be imminent, as Cyprian

expressed: ‘Already his second coming draws near to us.’ The sense of

imminency was not equated with immediacy, however. According to

Cyprian, Christ gave instructions about events that must proceed his

return in order to prepare the church to be strong in perseverance,

‘lest an unexpected and new dread of mischief’ would shake the

church. He underscored Jesus’ is teaching that ‘wars, famines,

earthquakes and pestilence would arise everywhere, and adversity

would increase more and more in the last times.’ This fact made the

return of Christ imminent, not in the sense of immediate, but as not

far off.” -Gregg Allison, Historical Theology p. 684 emphasis added

Descriptions of the Millennial Reign:

1. The Kingdom will last a literal 1000 years

Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were

given authority to judge. I also saw the people who had been

beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because

of God’s word, who had not worshiped the beast or his image,

and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their

hands. They came to life and reigned with the Messiah for

1,000 years. -Revelation 20:4 HCSB

2. Jesus will physically reign from Jerusalem with his glorified Saints

Then all the survivors from the nations that came against

Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the

LORD of Hosts, and to celebrate the Festival of Booths. Should

any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to

worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, rain will not fall on them.


-Zechariah 14:16-17 HCSB

3. The kings of the earth will come to offer tribute to Jesus

In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound

till the moon is no more. He will rule from sea to sea and from

the River to the ends of the earth. The desert tribes will bow

before him and his enemies will lick the dust. The kings of

Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the

kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts. All kings will

bow down to him and all nations will serve him.

-Psalm 72:7-11 NIV

4. The curse of the Fall will be reduced

In her, a nursing infant will no longer live only a few days,

or an old man not live out his days. Indeed, the youth will die at

a hundred years, and the one who misses a hundred years will

be cursed. People will build houses and live in them; they will

plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They will not build and

others live in them; they will not plant and others eat. For My

people’s lives will be like the lifetime of a tree. My chosen ones

will fully enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor

without success or bear children destined for disaster, for they

will be a people blessed by the LORD along with their

descendants. -Isaiah 65:20-23 HCSB

5. Nature will be dramatically altered

The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down

with the goat. The calf, the young lion, and the fatling will be

together, and a child will lead them. The cow and the bear will

graze, their young ones will lie down together, and the lion will

eat straw like the ox. An infant will play beside the cobra’s pit,

and a toddler will put his hand into a snake’s den.

-Isaiah 11:6-8 HCSB

On that day there will be no light; the sunlight and moonlight

will diminish. It will be a day known only to Yahweh, without

day or night, but there will be light at evening. On that day

living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the

eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea, in

summer and winter alike. On that day Yahweh will become

King over all the earth, Yahweh alone, and His name alone.

-Zechariah 14:6-9 HCSB


6. It will be a time of unparalleled peace

In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s house will be

established at the top of the mountains and will be raised

above the hills. All nations will stream to it, and many peoples

will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the

LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about

His ways so that we may walk in His paths.” For instruction

will go out of Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

-Isaiah 2:2-3 HCSB

In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s house will be

established at the top of the mountains and will be raised

above the hills. Peoples will stream to it, and many nations will

come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about His

ways so we may walk in His paths.” For instruction will go out

of Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will settle

disputes among many peoples and provide arbitration for

strong nations that are far away. They will beat their swords

into plows, and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will

not take up the sword against nation, and they will never again

train for war. But each man will sit under his grapevine and

under his fig tree with no one to frighten him. For the mouth of

the LORD of Hosts has promised this. -Micah 4:1-4 HCSB

7. The entire world will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord

None will harm or destroy another on My entire holy

mountain, for the land will be as full of the knowledge of the

LORD as the sea is filled with water. -Isaiah 11:9 HCSB

9. Near the end of the Millennium, Satan will be loosed and deceive

the nations and bring them against Jerusalem

When the 1,000 years are completed, Satan will be released

from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations at the

four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for

battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea.

-Revelation 20:7-8 HCSB

10. God will destroy His enemies and cast Satan into the Lake of Fire

forever

They came up over the surface of the earth and surrounded the

encampment of the saints, the beloved city. Then fire came


down from heaven and consumed them. The Devil who

deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur

where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be

tormented day and night forever and ever. -Revelation 20:9-10 HCSB

11. At the End of the Millennial reign Jesus will hand the kingdom over

to God the Father

But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at

His coming, those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end,

when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when He

abolishes all rule and all authority and power. For He must

reign until He puts all His enemies under His feet. -1 Corinthians 15:23-25 HCSB

12. After the millennial reign God will completely restore all of

creation wiping away death, sorrow, pain, and tears forever.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven

and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer

existed. I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down

out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her

husband. Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look!

God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them.

They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and

be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no

longer, because the previous things have passed away. Then

the One seated on the throne said, “Look! I am making

everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are

faithful and true.” -Revelation 21:1-5 HCSB


+ Amillennialism

Amillennialism is the belief in no millennium.

A (no) Millennium (1,000 year reign)

Amillennialists teach that there will be no future millennium, and that there

will only be one future resurrection, including both believers and

unbelievers. Amillennialists interprets Revelation 20:1-6 to be allegorical

rather than literal. Amillennialism is by far the simplest view to understand.

History:

Amillennialism was first promoted by Augustine (AD 354-430)

“Augustine established the amillennial understanding of Revelation 20.

Specifically, he linked the binding of Satan for a thousand years (verses 2-3)

with Jesus’ words about binding the strong man (Mark 3:27.)”


Amillennialism has been the majority view of the Christian church, and it still

remains to be the majority view to this day.

Amillennialism is the primary position of the Roman Catholic Church.

Variations from Amillennialism:

Full-Preterism: The belief that all prophecy was fulfilled in AD 70,

including the Second Coming of Christ and the

Resurrection.


Partial-Preterism The belief that nearly all prophecy was fulfilled in AD

70, including the reign of the Antichrist and the time of

Great Tribulation, but Partial-Preterism believes the

Second Coming of Christ and the Resurrection is still

Future.

Main Points:

1. There is no future Millennium, the thousand-year reign refers to the

Church Age.

-Amillennialists point out that the Millennium is only explicitly

mentioned in Revelation 20:1-6. They cite that basing a doctrine on

one location in the Bible is not sound.

2. The “first resurrection” referred to in Revelation 20:6 is a spiritual

resurrection rather than physical one (referring to Christians who are now in

heaven reigning with Christ.)

-Amillennialists hold firm to the belief in only one resurrection.

Meaning, no future rapture of believers, rather a resurrection of both

believers and unbelievers at the same time. Three passages are often

cited to show just one resurrection:

Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to

eternal life, and some to shame and eternal contempt. -Daniel 12:2 HCSB emphasis added

Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are

in the graves will hear His voice and come out, those who have done

good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done

wicked things, to the resurrection of judgment.

-John 5:28-29 emphasis added

And I have a hope in God, which these men themselves also accept,

that there is going to be a resurrection, both of the righteous and the

unrighteous. -Acts 24:15 HCSB emphasis added

3. The church age began at Pentecost, and upon its conception, the church

replaced Israel as God’s covenant people (Replacement Theology.)

-Amillennialism teaches that all of the Old Testament promises to

Israel are fulfilled by Christ’s relationship with the church.

4. Satan was bound at the beginning of the church age


-Amillennialism teaches that Satan was bound that, “he may no longer

deceive the nations.” Therefore, because Satan is currently bound, the

Gospel will go forth unhindered. Amillennialists teach Jesus when he

began the church, bound Satan “the strong man.” Amillennialists also

refer to Jude 1:6 showing that all of the fallen angels are currently

bound.

How can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his

possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob

his house. -Matthew 12:29 HCSB emphasis added And He has kept, with eternal chains in darkness for the judgment of

the great day, the angels who did not keep their own position but

deserted their proper dwelling. -Jude 1:6 HCSB

5. The Eternal State will begin at the second coming of Christ, at the

immediate close of the Church Age.

-Because Amillennialism teaches there is no future millennium, the

eternal state (New Heavens and New Earth) will begin immediately

after the second coming of Christ.

Responses to the Main Points:

1. The Bible only explicitly mentions the Millennium in Revelation 20:16, but

the Bible does not have to mention truths multiple times to make the passage

literally true. Also, Revelation 20 is a natural place to find the teaching of the

Millennium (At the end, where it will occur.)

“The Bible only needs to say something once in order for it to be true

and something that we must believe. The story of the confusion of

languages at the Tower of Babel, for example, is only taught in Genesis

11:1-9, yet we believe it to be true because Scripture teaches it.

Similarly, even if only one passage taught a future millennial reign of

Christ, we still should believe it.”

-Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology p. 1117

2. Every other instance in the New Testament where the word “resurrection”

(anastasis) is used, it always refers to physical resurrection.

Anastasis- resurrection from the dead

-Fredrick Danker, A Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament p. 71

3. The church age did begin at Pentecost, but the New Testament does not

teach that the church has replaced Israel. Rather Paul teaches us in Romans

11, that gentiles have been grafted into the promise given to Israel by Jesus


Christ, and at the end of the Church age the Israel will call out to Jesus as

their Messiah. God will graft Israel as a nation back into the promise. (See

Part 3: The Covenants and Part 4: The Fullness of Time)

4. The New Testament teaches elsewhere that Satan is not currently bound.

Consider the following verses:

Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like

a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be

firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being

experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.

-1 Peter 5:8 HCSB emphasis added

-How can Satan be bound in the bottomless pit and prowl around like

a lion? How could Christians resist a bound foe in the bottomless pit?

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,

against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness,

against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. -Ephesians 6:12 HCSB emphasis added

-Our battle is against Spiritual forces of evil. How can all the demons

and Satan be bound if we are battling against them?

But every spirit who does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is

the spirit of the antichrist; you have heard that he is coming, and he is

already in the world now. -1 John 4:3 HCSB emphasis added

-The spirit of Antichrist (the spirit of Satan) is at work in the world.

How can Satan be bound in the bottomless pit and be at work in the

world as well?

5. If there is no Millennium, what happens to the promises made in the Old

Testament about the coming kingdom age? Jesus taught his disciples there

was coming a day when the kingdom will be restored to Israel.

-God promised a day where the effects of sin would be removed and a

golden age for the people of God. Compare the following verses:

In her, a nursing infant will no longer live only a few days, or an old

man not live out his days. Indeed, the youth will die at a hundred

years, and the one who misses a hundred years will be cursed.

-Isaiah 65:20 HCSB emphasis added He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer

exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous


things have passed away. -Revelation 21:4 HCSB emphasis added

-Revelation 21:4 is clear there will be no more death in the New

Heaven and New Earth. Isaiah 65:20 still speaks of an age with death

but in a limited form. Isaiah cannot be referencing the New Heavens

and the New Earth, he is pointing to the future Millennial kingdom of

God.

-When the Disciples asked Jesus if he was going to restore the

kingdom to Israel at the time of his ascension, Jesus did not deny the

restoration of the kingdom of Israel. Jesus simply told them now was

not the time.

So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, are You

restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” He said to them, “It is

not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His

own authority. -Acts 1:6-7 HCSB emphasis added

+ Postmillennialism

Postmillennialism is the belief that Jesus will return after the Millennium.

Post (after) Millennium (The Church Age)

Postmillennialists teach that Jesus will return for his church after the

millennium and after Gospel has Christianized the world. Postmillennialists

interpret Revelation 20:1-6 to be allegorical rather than literal.

Postmillennialism is a very optimistic view of the future of the world.

History:

During the first Great Awakening, Jonathon Edwards is noted as being one of

the earliest promoters of postmillennialism. Edwards along with others

during his day were seeing mass conversions of people being saved by God. It


was a position that was later adopted by Charles Finney and other

Charismatic leaders during the Second Great Awakening. Since,

postmillennialism is the belief that the world will become increasing more

Christian, it was the catalyst for several Christian movements pushing for

social, moral, and political reforms.

“It (Postmillennialism) was fueled by the prosperity and expansionism

during the presidency of Andrew Jackson. It also led to Christians

championing numerous reform causes like the abolition of slavery, the

prohibition of alcoholism through the temperance movement, and the

suffrage movement to give women the right to vote.”


The popularity of Postmillennialism has waned through the years. After the

twentieth century brought forth two world wars, widespread secularism, the

rise of Islam, the general acceptance of Darwinian evolution, and the sexual

revolution, many postmillennialists began to reexamine their eschatology.

Main Points:

1. The Great Commission portrays that the Gospel will go forth unto all the

nations until the entire globe has become Christianized, and then the end will

come.

2. Because postmillennialists believe that the world will become largely

Christianized, they believe that the world is currently becoming more

Christian.

Responses to the Main Points:

1. The Great Commission does command believers to take the Gospel to the

entire world, but Jesus told his disciples that the majority would reject the

Gospel. Jesus called the Gospel the “narrow way” and stated that few would

find it. The Gospel will go forth, but the world will not be “Christianized” until

the Millennial Reign of Christ (Premillennial view,) when the entire world is

filled with the knowledge of the Lord.

Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is

broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through

it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and

few find it. -Matthew 7:13-14 HCSB emphasis added

2. No one is going to deny that the church is growing today and more people

are coming to Christ today than any other time in History. However, just as

the church is growing, evil is growing as well through: false religion,

secularism, materialism, immorality, and liberalism. Jesus promised in


Matthew 16:18 “the gates of hell” would not prevail against his church, but he

did not promise that the church would expand until it converted every soul

on earth. In fact, Paul taught there would be a falling away from the faith in

the last days in the following passages:

Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come

unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is

revealed, the son of destruction.

-2 Thessalonians 2:3 HCSB emphasis added

Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from

the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of

demons, through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared.

-1 Timothy 4:1-2 HCSB emphasis added

But know this: Difficult times will come in the last days. For people

will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers,

disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable,

slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is

good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than

lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness but denying its power.

Avoid these people! -2 Timothy 3:1-5 HCSB emphasis added CONCLUSION

“The Millennial Reign” concludes Future History 101. Feel free to refer back through the

work, as Future History 201 is built on the foundational principles found here in this study.

Future History 201:

Part 1: The Seventy Weeks of Daniel

Part 2: The Times of the Gentiles

Part 3: The Seventieth Week

Part 4: The Beast

Part 5: The False Prophet

Part 6: The Abomination of Desolation

Part 7: The Second Coming

future history 101 - easthaven · -michael j. vlach, dispensationalism: essential beliefs and...

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