Millennialism, End Times, and the Reign of Christ (Part 11) - Errors 7-15 of Premillennialism

For a master copy of the outline, click here: Millennialism 5. Error #7: The kingdom of God/heaven was not set up at the first coming of Christ because of the Jews' rejection of Christ. A. The kingdom was setup at the first coming of Christ, just as it had been prophesied to be. i. In the days of the Roman empire (Luk 3:1-3), John the Baptist and Jesus came preaching that the kingdom of heaven (Mat 3:1-2; Mat 4:17) and the kingdom of God (Mar 1:15) were "at hand." ii. At hand - Within easy reach; near; close by. a. ""At hand" is never a positive affirmation that the person or thing said to be "at hand" will immediately appear, but only that no known or predicted event must intervene." (Scofield Reference Bible, note on Mat 4:17) b. Jesus disagrees with Scofield (Mar 14:42-43). iii. Jesus said that "the time is fulfilled" (Mar 1:15); the days of the Roman empire were present and the promised kingdom was within easy reach. iv. As a letter fulfillment of the prophesy of Daniel which said that "the God of heaven [would] set up a kingdom" (Dan 2:44), the kingdom was called the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven (Mat 4:17 c/w Mar 1:15). v. There is absolutely NO DOUBT that the kingdom of God was set up at the first coming of Christ (Luk 11:20). B. The kingdom of God was being pressed into in the first century (Luk 16:16). C. How can something be pressed into that doesn't exist? D. The kingdom of heaven was suffering violence and being taken by force in the first century (Mat 11:12). E. How can something suffer violence that doesn't exist? F. For more proof that the kingdom of God/heaven was setup at the first coming of Christ, see Section IV,5,A,i. G. For proof that the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are the same thing, see Error #6. 6. Error #8: Jesus did not assume the throne of David at His first coming. A. Jesus was raised up to sit on David's throne when He was resurrected from the dead (Act 2:30-33). B. David's throne is in heaven, not on earth (Psa 89:35-37 c/w Eph 1:20). C. For more proof that Jesus began reigning on David's throne at His resurrection, see Section IV,5,B. 7. Error # 9: David will be resurrected and alive when Christ is given David's throne. A. In the Davidic covenant, God specified to David that Christ's kingdom would be setup when "thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers" (2Sa 7:12). B. Peter declared the fulfillment of that condition, saying that, "David...is both dead and buried" (Act 2:29) when he declared that Christ had been raised up to sit on David's throne (Act 2:30-31). C. But where is David when Christ is seated on his throne according to the Dispensational theory? i. According to Dispensationalism, the righteous (including David) are resurrected before the tribulation, seven years prior to Christ reigning on David's throne in the millennial kingdom. ii. Therefore, according to Dispensationalism, when Christ is raised up to sit on David's throne, David is not sleeping in the grave, but has been alive in his new body for seven years. 8. Error #10: The church will not go through the tribulation. A. Far from promising that the church would not go through the tribulation, Jesus promised that His disciples would go through tribulation (Joh 16:33). B. The church has been enduring tribulation since the days of the apostles. C. Christians enter the kingdom of God through much tribulation (Act 14:22). D. The church will be on earth to give glory to God until the end of the world (Eph 3:21). i. Therefore the church will go through the tribulation until the last day. ii. The only tribulation the church will not be on earth for is that of the last day during which we will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air (1Th 4:16-17). iii. Just as Noah and Lot lived among the wicked until the day of judgment, so will it be with the church (Luk 17:26-30). E. For more proof that the church will go (and has gone, and is going) through the tribulation, see Section IV,6,B&C. F. The "great tribulation" in Mat 24:21 happened during the few years leading up to and culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD (see Section IV,6,D). 9. Error #11: The Second Coming of Christ will be in two stages. A. According to Dispensationalism, the first stage, at which he resurrects the righteous dead and raptures the church to heaven, is secret, silent, and invisible. B. The second stage is open and visible in which he returns to destroy the kingdom of the antichrist. C. The Second Coming of Christ, at which He resurrects dead and raptures the church to meet Him in the air, will be anything but silent (1Th 4:16-17). i. It will happen with a SHOUT! ii. Shout v.- 1. a. A loud, vehement cry expressing joy, grief or pain, fear, triumph, warning, encouragement, etc.; a loud cry to attract attention at a distance; a tumultuous uproar by a large body of people. iii. It will be with the VOICE of the archangel. iv. It will be with the TRUMP of God! a. Trump n. - Trumpet b. Trumpet n. - 1. a. A musical wind-instrument (or one of a class of such) of bright, powerful, and penetrating tone, used from ancient times, especially for military or other signals... c. It will be with the GREAT SOUND OF A TRUMPET (Mat 24:31). D. The Second Coming of Christ, at which He resurrects the dead and raptures the church to meet Him in the air, will be anything but invisible (Mat 24:30-31). i. Christ shall APPEAR in heaven. ii. They shall SEE the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven. iii. It's not only the elect that will see him: the wicked will too since they will mourn when the SEE Him. E. The great falling away and the coming of the man of sin precede the coming of the Lord (2Th 2:1-4). i. Paul besought the brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the second coming) and our gathering together unto Him (the "rapture") (2Th 2:1), which he referred to as the day of Christ (2Th 2:2). ii. He said that "that day" (the day of Christ, which is the day of His coming when He gathers us together unto Him - c/w 1Th 4:16-17) shall not come until there come a falling away first and the man of sin be revealed who sits in the temple of God showing himself to be God (the antichrist) (2Th 2:3-4). iii. Therefore, the idea that the church will be raptured (gathered unto Christ) prior to the tribulation (falling away) and the antichrist (man of sin) being revealed is completely false and is the complete opposite of what the scripture teaches. 10. Error # 12: The precise time of the visible coming and appearing of Christ can be known (this is a logical implication, but likely not taught by DP'ers). A. Jesus said that no man will know the day of His return (Mat 24:36). B. If the Dispensational Pre-Trib rapture theory is true, then anyone living in the seven years after the rapture would know exactly when Christ's appearing in the clouds will be. C. All they would have to do is count seven years from the day of the rapture. 11. Error #13: The "day of Christ" and the "day of the Lord" are two different days. A. "The 'day of Christ' relates wholly to the reward and blessing of saints at His coming, as 'day of the LORD' is connected with judgment." - C.I. Scofield B. That is pure nonsense. C. The day of Christ is when Jesus returns to reward and bless his saints and destroy the wicked (2Th 2:1-8). i. On the day of Christ, the saints are gathered unto Christ, which is obviously a reward and a blessing (2Th 2:1-2). ii. On the day of Christ, the wicked man of sin will be destroyed, which is obviously a judgment (2Th 2:2-3,8). D. The day of the Lord is when Jesus returns to reward and bless his saints and destroy the wicked (1Th 4:16-5:4). i. On the day of the Lord, the saints are caught up alive to meet the Lord in the air, which is obviously a reward and a blessing (1Th 4:16-17 c/w 5:1-2) ii. On the day of the Lord, the wicked will be destroyed, which is obviously a judgment (1Th 5:2-3). E. The day of the Lord and the day of Christ are the same day, which is why this day is called the day of the Lord Jesus (2Co 1:14), the day of Jesus Christ (Phi 1:6), and the day of the Lord Jesus Christ (1Co 1:8). 12. Error #14: The law of Moses will be reinstituted and the animal sacrifices will resume during the millennium. A. The law of Moses with its animal sacrifices is abolished (2Co 3:11-13). B. It was added until Christ came (Gal 3:19). C. God made a new covenant with His people which made the first old (Heb 8:13). D. Jesus brought us a better testament (Heb 7:22), and therefore God will not revert to an inferior one at some future time. E. The law with its sacrifices was inadequate to make the people perfect (Heb 10:1-3). F. It is not possible to the blood of animals to take away sin (Heb 10:4). G. God had no pleasure with the sacrifices and offerings under the law (Heb 10:5-8). H. This is why Christ came and took away the law of Moses and established the new testament (Heb 10:9). I. Jesus made ONE OFFERING of HIS BODY for sins which perfected FOREVER them that are sanctified (Heb 10:10-14). J. With the new covenant in place, by which God no longer remembers our sins, there is NO MORE OFFERING FOR SIN (Heb 10:15-18). K. The idea that the law of Moses and its animal sacrifices will be reinstituted in the millennium is a blasphemous heresy which shows utter contempt for the one all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ. 13. Error #15: Jesus offered the kingdom to the Jews and when they rejected it, God setup the church which was a "parenthesis" in history until God finally sets up his kingdom in the millennium. A. The church, which is the bride of Christ, was God's plan from before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4 c/w Eph 5:25-27). B. It was the law of Moses which was the "parenthesis" in history (Gal 3:19). i. The Dispensationalists tell us that it was the church which was added because of Israel's sin of rejecting Christ and His kingdom. ii. In fact it was the law that was added because of sin (Gal 3:19). C. The church was not an afterthought which God had after the Jews outsmarted and overpowered Him in His plan to make Christ the king of Israel. i. The OT prophets prophesied that the Jews would reject Christ their king (Psa 2:1-6 c/w Act 4:25-28). ii. All the events which happened to Christ were prophesied in the OT, but some professing Christians today, like the disciples in Jesus' day, don't believe what was written of Him (Luk 24:25-27). D. The church was not God's plan B, but it was rather His only plan. i. The plan of God to incorporate the Gentiles into the same body as the Jews (the NT church) was made known to the OT prophets, but not as it was revealed in the NT (Eph 3:3-6). ii. As adv. - 1. Of quantity or degree: In that degree, to such extent iii. Mystery - A religious truth known only from divine revelation; usually (cf. sense 5), a doctrine of the faith involving difficulties which human reason is incapable of solving. iv. In other words, God did not reveal His plan for the NT church to the prophets in the same degree and extent as he did to Paul and the apostles. E. The light of the NT shining in the dark places of the OT (2Pe 1:19) shows us that the church was revealed in the OT. i. Paul taught none other things than what Moses and the prophets did: that Christ should suffer, rise from the dead, and show light unto the people of Israel AND to the Gentiles (Act 26:22-23). ii. The OT prophets prophesied that God would visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name (Amo 9:11-12 c/w Act 15:14-17). iii. The OT prophets did prophesy of the Gentiles being made fellow heirs with the Jews in the NT church (Rom 15:9 c/w Psa 18:49; Rom 15:10 c/w Deu 32:43; Rom 15:11 c/w Psa 117:1; Rom 15:12 c/w Isa 11:10). iv. God had long ago prophesied of bringing the Gentiles into the church to provoke the Jews to jealousy (Rom 10:19 c/w Deu 32:21; Rom 10:20-21 c/w Isa 65:1-2). For a master copy of the outline, click here: Millennialism