Problems with Premillennialism
Premillennialism
is a system of eschatology which teaches that there will be a thousand year
reign of Christ in this old earth after the second coming of Jesus. Premillennialists
believe that Christ along with the resurrected saints will rule over the
unresurrected unbelievers for a thousand years. There are many varieties of
views within Premillennialism. Some holds that the Old Testament animal
sacrifices and Levitical priesthood will again be reinstituted in the
millennium. They are called Dispensational Premillennialists. Others denies
this. Whether one is dispensational premillennialists or not, all
premillennialists shares some common beliefs. It is illustrated below:
If you are a
premillennialists, there are several things that you should necessarily
believe:
1.
You must
necessarily believe that physical death will continue to exist beyond the
time of Christ's second coming.
Reason:
There are unbelievers present in the millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:7-10). Premillennialists
also believe that there will be many nations coming to believe in Christ during
the millennium. They will be in physical, unglorified bodies. So they will be
subjected to death. Premilennialists also cites Isaiah 65:20 and Ezekiel 44:22 as
referring to the millennial kingdom of Christ. Isaiah
65:20: “No more
shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out
his days, for the
young man shall die a
hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be
accursed.” Ezekiel
44:22: “They shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman, but only virgins of the offspring of the
house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.”
2.
You must
necessarily believe that the natural creation will continue, beyond the
time of Christ’s second coming, to be subjected to the curse imposed by the
fall of man.
Reason:
All premillennialists must concede that unbelievers will continue to populate
and infect the earth during the millennial reign of Christ. They believe that
the earth will continue to be ravaged by war and sin and death, even though it
is after the thousand year reign (Revelation 20:7-10).
3.
You must
necessarily believe that the new heavens and new earth will not be introduced
until 1,000 years after the second coming of Christ.
Reason:
Since in the New Heaven and New Earth there is no sin, rebellion, and death,
the millennial kingdom cannot be a part of the New Earth (Rev. 21:1, 4, 5, 8).
4.
You must
necessarily believe that unbelieving men and women will still have the
opportunity to come to saving faith in Christ for at least 1000 years
subsequent to his return.
Reason:
According to premillennialism, countless millions of people will be born during
the course of the millennial reign of Christ. They will be given an opportunity
to respond in faith to the claims of the gospel, so says the premillennialists.
Some also claims that millions of people will believe in Jesus Christ during
the millennium.
5.
You must
necessarily believe that unbelievers will not be finally resurrected until
at least 1000 years subsequent to the return of Christ.
Reason:
All premillennialists affirm that the final resurrection of the unsaved
occurs at the close of the millennial kingdom.
6.
You must
necessarily believe that unbelievers will not be finally judged and cast
into eternal punishment until at least 1000 years subsequent to the return of
Christ.
So what’s wrong with believing these things, asks the premillennialists? What’s wrong is that these many things that premillennialists must believe, the New Testament explicitly denies. Let us study some New Testament passages: 1 Corinthians 15:20-28; 1 Corinthians 15:50-57; Romans 8:18-23; 2 Peter 3:8-13; Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; John 5:28, 29.
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What Premillennialists believe: Enemies
of the Kingdom will still be present on this earth after the second coming of
Jesus
What Bible teaches: The last enemy will
be destroyed at the Second Coming of Jesus. After that there shall be no longer
any enemies present in the world where the believers are living
Verses: 1 Corinthians 15:20-28; 1
Corinthians 15:54, 55
Explanation:
1 Corinthians 15:25, 26
says that the last enemy to be defeated by Christ is death.
1 Corinthians 15:25, 26: “25 For he must reign until he has put all his
enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
This means that, after
the defeat of death there remains no other enemies that is yet to be defeated.
All other enemies have to be defeated before death is defeated. The question is
when will the defeat of death happens? When is death’s death? 1 Corinthians
15:51-56 answers it explicitly.
1 Corinthians
15:51-56: “51Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all
sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the
imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the
mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where
is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The
sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The defeat of death occurs
when the righteous shall be resurrected. It happens at the second coming of
Jesus. When the saints shall resurrect then, Paul says, will come to pass the
scripture “death is swallowed up in victory.” What is the prophecy that he is
referring to? It is Isaiah 25:8:
Isaiah 25:8: “He will swallow up
death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all
faces, and the
reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”
The
Premillennialists does not believe that Christ will abolish death at his second
coming. He believes that death will continue on into the 1,000 year earthly
reign of Christ. How could that be if Paul is saying that the defeat of death
(the last enemy) will occur at the resurrection of the saints at the second
coming of Christ?
Isaiah
25:8 not only predicts that “He will swallow up death forever”, but also that “the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces.” According to Revelation, this happen when the New Heaven
and New Earth is revealed.
Revelation
21:4: “He will
wipe away every tear from their eyes,
and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor
crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
It is
clear from all the above passages that the defeat of death will occur at the
second coming of Jesus Christ. The Lord will wipe away all the tears from His
people’s eyes at the Second Coming of Jesus. The New Heavens and New Earth will
be revealed at the second coming of Jesus.
Conclusion:
1.
The defeat of the last enemy (the death) shall occur
at the Second Coming of Jesus.
2.
It is contradicting the Scriptures to say that the
enemies of the saints will continue to be present in the world and they will
wage war against the saints (Revelation 20:7-10) after the defeat of the last
enemy at the second coming.
3.
Therefore, the millennium of Revelation 20 is
before the defeat of the last enemy (death) at the Second Coming of Jesus
Christ.
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What Premillennialists believe: Men in
unresurrected bodies will enter the Kingdom of God.
What Bible teaches: Only the
resurrected body shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Verses: 1 Corinthians 15:50-52
Explanation:
1 Corinthians 15:50-52: “I tell you this,
brothers: flesh and
blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the
imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We
shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”
Paul argues that
to inherit the kingdom of God a person requires not only a new birth and a
spiritual transformation, but also the resurrection and transformation of the
human body. Only those whose body is transformed into perfection (resurrection)
shall inherit the kingdom of God. Paul records the resurrection of believers after
stating that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
Pre-millennialists
say that unbelievers who do not receive a resurrected body will experience the
prosperity and righteousness of God's Kingdom in the Millennium. This is
contrary to the Word of God.
Conclusion:
1.
Paul writes that the resurrection is necessary
to inherit the kingdom of God.
2.
Therefore, when the kingdom of God comes in its
fullness at the coming of our Lord, no un-resurrected persons will enter and experience
it.
3.
The theory of pre-millennialism is unscriptural.
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What Premillennialists believe: the
natural creation will continue, beyond the time of Christ’s second coming, to
be subjected to the curse imposed by the fall of man.
What Bible teaches: This earth will be
completely restored at the same time when the saints will be resurrected.
Verses: Romans 8:18-23
Explanation:
Romans
8:18-23: “18 For
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth
comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For
the creation waits with
eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to
futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to
corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know
that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And
not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as
sons, the redemption of our bodies.”
Creation eagerly
awaits the revelation of the sons of God. The creation is waiting for the
return of Christ. Why is creation waiting for the redemption of the body of
God's children? Because, that is when their restoration will take place. Then
only everything becomes new. When God's children are glorified, creation itself
will be redeemed from the bondage of corruption. Creation is embodied here as a
person. That is why it is written creation waits and hopes for the resurrection
of the saints. God's children and this creation are deeply connected. Just as
we are together in the present fall, curse, and suffering, so will we be
together in redemption and in the glory of the future.
If we believe
that creation will not be freed from the bondage of decay at the time of our
redemption, it means that we do not take seriously the fullness and
completeness of redemption.
Some
pre-millennialists think that this nature will undergo an imperfect change
before the millennium, and a complete and final change after the millennial
reign. Can it not then be argued that our redemption will be complete only a
thousand years after the coming of the Lord?
The description
of the redemption of the saints and this creation in Paul's epistles is similar
to the new heavens and new earth mentioned in 2 Peter 3: 10-13 and Revelation
21: 1.
Conclusion:
1.
All creation awaits the resurrection of the sons
of God. That is because the redemption of the earth and of all creation will
take place on that day.
2.
Pre-millennialists, however, believe that the
earth will be redeemed only a thousand years after the resurrection of the
saints.
3. Pre-Millennialism is therefore unscriptural.
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What Premillennialists believe: the new
heavens and new earth will not be introduced until 1,000 years after the second
coming of Christ.
What Bible teaches: New Heaven and New
Earth will be established at the Second Coming of Jesus.
Verses: 2 Peter 3:8-13
Explanation:
2
Peter 3:3, 4, 8-13: (Verse 3, 4) “3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will
come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful
desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming?
For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were
from the beginning of creation” (Verses
8-13) “8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved,
that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as
one day. 9 The Lord is not
slow to fulfill his
promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward
you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach
repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will
come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar,
and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the
earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 11 Since all these things are thus to be
dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and
godliness, 12 waiting for
and hastening
the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt
as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
Peter's subject
is the promise of the Lord. It is clear that the promise is the coming of the
Lord as a thief, the day of the Lord, and His coming.
So what happen
then?
1. The heavens will pass away. At the Second Coming of Christ the cleansing of the present heaven and earth will take place. The heavens will pass away on the day of the Lord.
2.
The new heavens and the new earth will come down
as the eternal abode of God's people. Our hope is the second coming of the
Lord. In that day of God, the present heaven and earth make their way to the
new heavens and the new earth.
3.
What are we waiting for? 2 Peter 3: 11-13 says:
“Since all these things are thus to be
dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and
godliness, 12 waiting
for and hastening the coming of the day of
God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they
burn! 13 But
according to his promise we are waiting for new
heavens and a new earth in which
righteousness dwells.” We are waiting for the new heavens and new earth.
|
Note: A
response to a Pre-millennial argument Premillennial argument: The day of the Lord lasts over 1000 years. They say this because the day of the Lord is spoken of as “great” day and cannot be compared to the normal 24-hour day. Also, “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years” (2 Peter 3:8). So they argue that the day of the Lord spans a thousand year period. A Response: Our objection is not that the Day of the Lord is literally a
day of 24 hours, it is rather based on the following considerations: 1.
The Pre-millennial understanding contradicts
the clear implications of the passage that the destruction of the Day of the
Lord is swift destruction. The analogy of the flood implies (v. 6) swift
destruction (Matt. 24:37-44; Luke 17:22-27). The analogy of the thief (v. 10)
implies swift destruction (Matt. 24:42, 43; 1 Thess. 5:2ff.) 1
Thessalonians 5:2, 3: “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is
peace and security,” then sudden
destruction will come upon
them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” A
destruction that takes place over a period of 1000 years is anything but
swift and sudden. 2.
In 2 Peter 3:3-13 the day of the Lord is a
synonym for the parousia (second coming of Jesus). To affirm that the day of
the Lord lasts over 1000 years is to affirm the same with reference to the
Second Coming. The connection between the mention in verse 9 of the Lord’s
“promise” and the substitution of the phrase, “day of the Lord”, in verse 10
confirms this identification. 3.
Verse 9 makes plain that the alternative to
repentance before the Second Coming is perishing. A 1000 year “day of the
Lord” or parousia undermines the starkness of this alternative. 2 Peter
3:9, 10: “The Lord is not
slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient
toward you, not wishing that any should
perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will
come like a thief….” For these reasons, it is impossible to
understand the day of the Lord as consisting of a 1000 year period. |
Conclusion:
1.
The earth will be cleansed when the Lord comes
as a thief. The new earth will be revealed.
2.
We are waiting for a new heaven and a new earth,
not a millennial reign on the old earth.
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What Premillennialists believe: unbelieving
men and women will still have the opportunity to come to saving faith in Christ
for at least 1000 years subsequent to his return. Millions of people will seek
the Lord in the Millennium.
What Bible teaches: Not a single soul
will get an opportunity to get saved after the Second Coming of Jesus.
Verses: 2 Peter 3:9, 10; 1
Thessalonians 5:2, 3; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10
Explanation:
2
Peter 3:9, 10: “The Lord is not slow to
fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward
you, not wishing that any should
perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will
come like a thief,
and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly
bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that
are done on it will be exposed.”
Peter explains why the Lord is not coming now. The reason is that
no one should perish. If there is a chance of salvation even after the Lord’s
coming, then there is no meaning for the explanation of Peter concerning the
delay of Lord’s coming. Lord is waiting for all who are yet to be saved to get
saved. Therefore, when the day of the Lord comes, no unbeliever will have the
opportunity to be saved. The door of salvation will be closed forever at the
Second Coming of Christ.
What does Apostle Paul says?
1 Thessalonians 5:2, 3: “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will
come like a thief
in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace
and security,” then sudden
destruction will come
upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”
It is written that the wicked will suddenly be destroyed when
the day of the Lord comes. Do we have the authority to oppose God's Word when
it is clearly stated? How can it be true that many will be saved in the Lord's
day? Can we say that the destruction will not come suddenly on the day of the
Lord but only after a thousand years? No. It is not permissible to believe
contrary to the Word of God.
2 Thessalonians 1:5-10: “This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God,
that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are
also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers
it just to repay with
affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are
afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from
heaven with his mighty angels 8 in
flaming fire, inflicting
vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey
the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment
of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and
from the glory of his might, 10 when
he comes on that day to
be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed,
because our testimony to you was believed.”
Conclusion:
1.
The delay of the coming of the Lord is for the
salvation of all the elect.
2.
When the day of the Lord comes, unbelievers
will suddenly be destroyed.
3.
Not a single unbeliever will be saved after
the coming of the Lord.
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What Premillennialists believe: Unbelievers
will only be resurrected thousand years after the resurrection of the
believers.
What Bible teaches: Believers and
unbelievers will be resurrected at the same time.
Verses: John 5:28, 29
Explanation:
John 5:28, 29: “ Do not marvel at this, for an hour is
coming when all
who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come
out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who
have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”
Let us first examine how pre-millennialists interpret this
passage. Pre-millennialists interpret the word "hour" in John 5:28 as
a period of 1000 years, since the word "hour" in John 5:25 covers the
entire New Testament period.
First, our argument is not that the word “hour” should mean
literal 60 minutes duration. Rather, if “hour” in John 5:28 and John 5:25 are exact parallels, then
we have to affirm that believers and unbelievers must be resurrected throughout
the Millennial Reign, just as the rebirth of human beings in John 5:25 takes
place throughout this hour. If the hour here is thousand years, then the voice
of Jesus will continue for a thousand years. Then we have to believe that billions
of resurrections will take place throughout the thousand years. Is this what
John is stating? No.
But what does John say? All who are in the tombs will hear his voice. It refers to the resurrection of all who are in the grave on the last day. That voice will be raised once in that hour. On the last day, all who are in the graves (believers and unbelievers) will rise, hearing the voice of the Son of God. Here John is referring only to a universal resurrection. Therefore, the Scriptures only mentions one general resurrection of both believers and unbelievers.
Conclusion:
1.
Unbelievers
will be resurrected at the same hour as when the believers hear the voice of
Jesus and are resurrected. All (not some) who are in the tomb will
hear His voice and comes out of their tomb.
2.
It is
unscriptural to believe that believers will be resurrected at the coming of the
Lord and that unbelievers will be resurrected a thousand years later.
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What Premillennialists believe: Final
Judgment will occur only thousand years after the second coming of Jesus.
What Bible teaches: the Final Judgment
will occur at the Second Coming of Christ.
Verses: Matthew 25:31-46; 2
Thessalonians 1:5-10
Explanation:
Matthew
25:31-46: (Verse 31-33) “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before
him will
be gathered all the nations, and he will
separate people one from
another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And
he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left….” (Verse 46) “And these will go away into eternal
punishment, but the
righteous into eternal life.”
Here we read that the Last Judgment will take place at the
Second Coming of Christ, leading some to eternal destruction and some to eternal
life. How can this be right, when the wicked are judged and thrown into the
lake of fire only after a thousand years of rule?
We must understand
that when the Son of Man comes he will sit on the throne, and when the Son of
man comes he will gather all nations, and when the Son of man comes he will set
them apart and gives them eternal reward. All of this happen when the Son of
Man comes in his glory.
Paul also state the same point in his epistle to the
Thessalonians:
2 Thessalonians 1:5-10: “This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God,
that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are
also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers
it just to repay with
affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are
afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from
heaven with his mighty angels 8 in
flaming fire, inflicting
vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey
the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment
of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and
from the glory of his might, 10 when
he comes on that day to
be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed,
because our testimony to you was believed.”
The eternal
judgment of sinners will take place when Jesus Christ comes, not a thousand
years after that. Paul says that it will occur when He comes to be glorified in
his saints. Since this judgment is seen in Revelation 20: 11-15 after the
millennium, it must be understood that the Millennial Reign takes place in this
new testament church age.
Those who persecuted
the Thessalonians in the first century will be punished with eternal punishment
when Jesus Christ comes again (2 Thessalonians 1: 6, 9). They must be
resurrected if they are to be condemned to eternal punishment. Therefore, unbelievers
of all ages will be resurrected at the Second Coming of Christ, not after a
thousand years after the Second Coming.
When Paul says
that those who do not obey the gospel will suffer eternal damnation when the
Lord comes, it is a grave mistake to say that some who does not obey the gospel
will have the opportunity to come to saving faith after the Second Coming.
Conclusion:
1.
The Last Judgment will take place at the Second
Coming of the Lord.
2.
Unbelievers will be resurrected at the second
coming of the Lord.
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Summary
When we look at
what the New Testament passages say what will happen at the Second Coming of
Jesus Christ, we can conclude that there is no place for a thousand years of
reign on this old earth after His Second Coming. The Second Coming of Jesus
Christ will bring about the general resurrection, the Last Judgment, the end of
sin and curse, the end of death and the coming of the new heavens and the new
earth.
Since the New
Testament rejects a pre-millennial reign of Christ, it doesn’t mean that the
millennial reign of Christ does not exist.
If pre-millennialism is wrong, believers should try to understand what
the true millennial reign is.
If the doctrine
of the millennium which we hold contradicts other passages of the Bible, why
not abandon our doctrine in which we have come to believe? Why not follow the
view of the Millennium which is in harmony with God's Word? May God give us
grace, wisdom and courage to abandon the doctrine of men and to understand and
preach the word of God. All glory to him. Amen.
(The writings are not original to the author of this blog. It is taken from other sources and has been edited, sometimes paraphrased)
References:
1. Storms, Samuel C. Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative.
2. Waldron, Samuel E. The End Times Made Simple.
You are purposefully introducing false "Strawmen" into your argument systematically as you go. You are basically trying to misrepresent Premillenial eschatology in an effort to support your own position, Amillenialism. This whole post is a waste, because it is "intellectually Dishonest". Sad really. Imo
ReplyDeleteBrother, i am really sorry if you have feeled the way you feeled.
DeleteCan you tell me where i have mis-represented premillennialists?