Churchwork
04-21-2006, 07:01 AM
Here we see that the premillennial view was believed in the first century (http://www3.telus.net/trbrooks/Earlychurchfathers.htm) (e.g. Barnabas) in addition to the Word showing premillennialism (last week unfulfilled because there has been no abomination of desolation - and other reasons - described as proof John wrote Revelation about 95 A.D., not 70 A.D.). Justyn Martyr was premillennial also..
And as expected, the minority spiritual hold this view because it is the spiritual reality.
Rev. 20.3 says "he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished: after this he must be loosed for a little time."
Today the nations are deceived and Satan is the god of this world, so you know that the 1000 years has not started yet. Let go of your headiness if you think the 1000 years is now.
The reason Satan is let loose for a short while, while Jesus is reigning in Person on earth during the millennium is because it is show many still had yet some hidden sin. It will be quite unlike the Great Tribulation. Because Satan is only allowed to operate for just a brief time at the end of the millennium, it shows that the Lord and His Christians shall rule the nations with an iron rod, that is, we shall use force to subjugate the people. Whoever acts evily will be immediately destroyed. Satan can easily deceive these people when he is released for one last horrah.
Rev. 3.10 says, if a believer were to "keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that [hour] which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."
The only way God can assure this promise is to physically remove the person at first rapture like an Enoch before the flood. Today, because of martyrdom, God can not promise we will not be killed. And many believers choose to live carnally still, so they will lose rewards of the millennium, and also have to go through the Tribulation in the time of testing. But it is God's utmost desire to receive us to the throne (Rev. 7.9) before the Trumpets of the Tribulation (chapters 8 to 11).
So why does God want us to know this? Because there is rewards in the millennium, "they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years" (20.6).
He wants to reward overcomers in Christ. Even one does go through the Tribulation, may still have opportunity to be an overcomer perhaps as a martyr (see the 5th seal and mention of martyrs rewarded in Rev. 20.4).
If you believe in historicalism, not only may it be an indication of unsalvation, but you will certainly lose your reward of reigning with Christ during the 1000 years if you are saved.
There is the regeneration of the person, "according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration" (Tit. 3.5).
But, there also needs be the regeneration of the world: "And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel"; "all the tribes of the earth" (Matt. 19.28, 24.30).
The 12 tribes of Israel are on earth. The throne in heaven can not come down while the throne on earth still remains. Only after the millennium is the earthly throne done away with as the earth is burnt up.
God works in long transitions from the OT period of 4000 years to the dispensation of grace of 2000 years to the millennium of 1000 years. Do you notice anything? This is an exponential progression.
And as expected, the minority spiritual hold this view because it is the spiritual reality.
Rev. 20.3 says "he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished: after this he must be loosed for a little time."
Today the nations are deceived and Satan is the god of this world, so you know that the 1000 years has not started yet. Let go of your headiness if you think the 1000 years is now.
The reason Satan is let loose for a short while, while Jesus is reigning in Person on earth during the millennium is because it is show many still had yet some hidden sin. It will be quite unlike the Great Tribulation. Because Satan is only allowed to operate for just a brief time at the end of the millennium, it shows that the Lord and His Christians shall rule the nations with an iron rod, that is, we shall use force to subjugate the people. Whoever acts evily will be immediately destroyed. Satan can easily deceive these people when he is released for one last horrah.
Rev. 3.10 says, if a believer were to "keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that [hour] which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."
The only way God can assure this promise is to physically remove the person at first rapture like an Enoch before the flood. Today, because of martyrdom, God can not promise we will not be killed. And many believers choose to live carnally still, so they will lose rewards of the millennium, and also have to go through the Tribulation in the time of testing. But it is God's utmost desire to receive us to the throne (Rev. 7.9) before the Trumpets of the Tribulation (chapters 8 to 11).
So why does God want us to know this? Because there is rewards in the millennium, "they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years" (20.6).
He wants to reward overcomers in Christ. Even one does go through the Tribulation, may still have opportunity to be an overcomer perhaps as a martyr (see the 5th seal and mention of martyrs rewarded in Rev. 20.4).
If you believe in historicalism, not only may it be an indication of unsalvation, but you will certainly lose your reward of reigning with Christ during the 1000 years if you are saved.
There is the regeneration of the person, "according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration" (Tit. 3.5).
But, there also needs be the regeneration of the world: "And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel"; "all the tribes of the earth" (Matt. 19.28, 24.30).
The 12 tribes of Israel are on earth. The throne in heaven can not come down while the throne on earth still remains. Only after the millennium is the earthly throne done away with as the earth is burnt up.
God works in long transitions from the OT period of 4000 years to the dispensation of grace of 2000 years to the millennium of 1000 years. Do you notice anything? This is an exponential progression.