The Millennial Kingdom Part Three
Notes
Transcript
Handout
What lenses shape the Amillennial view?
The first lens is the presupposition that God’s Kingdom is a spiritual one, and will have a physical and temporal manifestation on earth. Berkhof in his Systematic Theology states, “Reformed Theology is mindful of the fact that the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is represented as an eternal and not a temporal kingdom.” This is, of course, inferring that it is not limited to a thousand year reign of Jesus.
The second lens is the prioritization of the metaphorical over the literal interpretation of the passage. They choose to do this because other prophesies are interpreted this way. A good example would be Matthew 2:14–15 “And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”” Matthew is quoting part of Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” Here Matthew interprets Israel is as a metaphor for Jesus. The tricky bit is how does one choose to use a metaphorical lens or a literal lens. It is poor study methods to only use one lens. The rule of thumb should be: which lens fits the context best. There is obviously no consensus on that for Revelation 20:1-6.
The metaphorical lens was popularized in the third century by Origen and Augustine. “Origen believed that Rev 20:4–6 is a description of growth from conversion in the present life to life in heaven.” Augustine, in his book, “City of God,” in chapter 20:6-19 interprets Revelation 20:1-6 with three conclusions:
First, “the resurrection mentioned in Rev 20:1–6 refers to a spiritual regeneration that happens at conversion.”
Second, “the Millennium itself expresses the continual battle between Christ and His body with Satan in the Church age.”
Third, “after Christians struggle against Satan and refrain from hypocrisy and sin, they will finally be resurrected and ushered into the eternal state.”
Abner Chou, “Millennialism,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).
Beale, an Amillennialist, defines it this way. “The millennium started at Christ’s resurrection and will be concluded at his final coming.” He explains his reason for a symbolic interpretation with this statement, “...the objects he sees and what he hears are seen and heard in a vision, they are not first to be understood literally but viewed as symbolically portrayed and communicated, which is the symbolic level of the vision.”
G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 1999), 973.
Here is a graphic to illustrate the Amillennial interpretation.
What other Scriptures would support that we are part of Christ’s reign now?
Some examples would be John 18:36; Ephesians 1:15-23; Colossians 1:13-14; Colossians 2:15; Matthew 16:19; Matthew 28:18-19.
Lets take a look at them now.
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints,
16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
In these verses we have a different interpretation of the “already-not-yet tension” of the Kingdom of God.
What are some truths that this interpretation highlights?
First, it highlights the power of the resurrection binding Satan in our lives now.
Second, it brings the idea of ruling with Christ, not only as a future event, but as a present reality.