Eschatology
The Millennium: Can We Safely Neglect this Doctrine?
I have to admit: Before I cracked open the books, I didn’t give the doctrine of Jesus’ thousand year reign a second thought.
Shoot–I hadn’t even given it a first thought.
But am I any less of a Christian?
And could I continue as a healthy, functioning Christian without this doctrine?
In other words, can Christians safely neglect the doctrine of the millennium?
Before we answer that question, let’s explore three different positions on this particular doctrine: amillennialism, postmillennialism and premillennialism.
Amillennialism
According to this position, we are in the millennium. At Christ’s death, God reduced Satan’s power so the gospel could be effectively preached in this age.
This position declares that Christ’s one thousand year reign [a figurative number by the way] is a heavenly–and not an earthly–kingdom.
That means Revelation 20 is being fulfilled as we speak. It also means that there WILL NOT be a future kingdom.
This is it.
This reign will continue until Christ’s return when unbelievers will be raised to judgment and believers to eternal bliss.
Postmillennialism
This view holds that Christ’s return will occur AFTER the millennium.
In the meantime, this view sees the power of the gospel gradually growing over a very long time [the millennium, again, is a figurative thousand years] so that the world becomes more and more Christ-like…culminating in his second return.
As you can guess, this doctrine becomes very popular during times of pervasive peace and prosperity when we see strong influences of Christianity dominating our society.
Premillennialism
This view sees Christ’s return BEFORE the millennium–but AFTER the tribulation. In other words, Christ’s return inaugurates his thousand year earthly reign.
At the beginning of this time Christ will cast Satan into the bottomless pit and believers will be raised from the dead.
At the end of this period Christ will release Satan from his prison who then attempts one last time to defeat Christ but is in turn summarily defeated.
Once Satan is defeated, final judgment will ensue–unbelievers to hell, believers to heaven.
Warning: Be Careful with This Doctrine
Listen: As with any prophetic, future doctrine interpreting the exact meaning of the millennium is both complex and difficult.
Our conclusions will be less certain than with other doctrines…
And although I think a strong case can be made for one position over the others [I'll explain in a minute what that is], I also think it is VERY IMPORTANT to extend a large measure of grace when discussing this topic.
Putting aside questions of positions for a minute, what are we supposed to do with this doctrine? What’s at stake if we neglect it? Can we achieve personal applications from it?
To help us think through this I’ve adapted a few questions from Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology. When you get a minute, answer these questions in the comments section. My answers are indented.
Questions to Ask Yourself about the Millennium
Do you have any conviction about Christ’s return: Whether it is amillennial, postmillennial or premillennial?
Yes. I affirm it is premillennial. I believe the stronger scriptural case lies with premillennialism. Furthermore, I believe the other positions create problems they can’t solve like amillennialisms slip into two returns for Christ .
How does your present view of the millennium affect your Christian life?
This is hard. Because it is in the distant future. But I would have to say it compels me to make my salvation sure, stimulate the faith of other believers and evangelize unbelievers despite my fears.
What do you think it will be like to live in a glorified body with Christ as King over the world? What sort of emotions and attitudes might you experience?
To the first question, weird. I don’t think I could confidently talk about such a state. I have zero reference point–expect for Christ’s resurrected body. So it may be the same, except without sin, disease or death. As far as emotions, I can only say it will probably be a deep sense of gratitude.
Lastly, do you really look forward to such a kingdom?
I confess: Not until I brushed up on the topic. I do now, though. In fact, I have a growing desire to learn more, because if you think about it contemplating such a kingdom and our place in it can only cause a far-reaching hope that sinks into every corner of our lives–changing us in ways Christ intended.
What about you? How would you answer these questions? Leave your answers in the comments.
And naturally your answers will depend on what position you hold, but don’t be afraid to share if we don’t agree. I’d still love to hear from you. I want to grow together.
Resurrection: Why It’s Necessary to Fight for a Precise Definition
“All who died will come to life.” That is the doctrine of resurrection in seven words.
It’s probably one of the most visible and enduring doctrines of the Christian church.
In fact, as a nation we celebrate the resurrection–Christ’s resurrection that is.
But I doubt most Americans–let alone professing Christians–could articulate a clear explanation of this doctrine.
I know I couldn’t until I cracked open the books.
Let’s change that.
How Important Is the Doctrine of the Resurrection?
Ask anybody–whether they believe in a physical resurrection, a metaphorical one or not at all–and all will agree that Jesus’ Resurrection is the center of Christianity.
Indeed, Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:14
Gary Habermas, who’s written 15 books on the Resurrection said, “It’s the center of Christianity.”
Popular atheist Christopher Hitchens said:
I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.
Indeed, Christianity hinges on the resurrection of Jesus. But not all believe it unfolded the same way–that is as a physical, bodily resurrection.
Alternative Views of Jesus’ Resurrection
John Shelby Spong believes the Resurrection is real. But Spong asserts it’s mythological at best.
His logic?
Since it’s impossible to translate a God-event like Jesus’ resurrection, the Gospel writers resorted to what they had in hand–mythological language…
That means it would be a mistake to read into the Gospel accounts a literal risen Jesus walking around and eating.
Unfortunately, Spong never sufficiently explains why communicating an event like the risen Jesus barbecuing fish and chumming around with old friends is problematic.
Seems pretty straightforward to me.
John Dominic Crossan thinks the Resurrection is best understood as a metaphor–a message that Crossan says is easy to understand.
But a metaphor misses the point. It loses the reality of God in the world.
Furthermore, former president of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary James Emery White said, ”There’s no sense that any of the earliest followers had the remotest sense that this event was metaphorical.”
And finally, historian and atheist philosopher Richard Carrier argues that the resurrection Paul spoke about was spiritual and not physical–a notoriously-slippery-slope notion William Lane Craig debunks.
But why should we care about the precision of Jesus’ resurrection? I mean can’t we “get the message” with out getting all technical?
One good reason why precision is so important is that Jesus’ own resurrection tells us what our future resurrection will look like.
Old Testament Hope of a General Resurrection
General resurrection is not a Christian invention.
In fact, many Greek philosophers like Plato believed that at death the soul would be released from the body to reunite with the divine spirit.
Hebrews looked at it differently. The dead entered Sheol with their bodies and expected God to ransom them from this prison:
Moreover, their general belief in the goodness of God led the Jewish people to assume that the righteous dead would one day see God. Job said: “And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God.” Job 19:26
In a sense, God’s goodness was the foundation for this expectation.
New Testament Hope of General Resurrection
By Jesus’ time, as the Hebrew vision of general resurrection took shape, there were two competing positions on the topic.
The Sadducees and the Pharisses.
The Saducees dismissed general resurrection because they believed it was irrelevant to this life ["Look mom--a secular humanist!"] and was not included in the Law of Moses.
Pharisees, on the other hand, believed in a life after death that required a resurrection.
But why is the the Old Testament short on resurrection content while the New Testament presents a robust look?
Namely because the hope of the believer’s future resurrection rests upon the resurrection of Christ:
And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. Colossians 1:18
[See also 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 and 1 Peter 1:3-5.]
Five Elements to the General Resurrection
What does this general resurrection look like? Glad you asked. Here are five ways.
Transformed Body
Who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Philippians 3:21
New Dwelling
For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling 2 Corinthians 5:2
New Clothing
For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 2 Corinthians 5:4
Resurrection to Life
And come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. John 5:29
Resurrection to Judgment
Having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. Acts 24:15
Now, not all who sought identification with the early Christian church proclaimed a future resurrection of the body.
Instead, they preached a spiritual awakening that already passed. This view, adopted by Hymenaeus and Philetus, and by later Gnostics, was condemned by Paul in 2 Timothy 2:17-19.
The Over-Looked Accomplishments of a General Resurrection
Christ’s resurrection accomplishes at least three things.
One, it validates the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth. Two, Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates God’s triumph over death. And three, it establishes and under girds our hope of a future life beyond this world.
That last point accomplishes something very important…and often overlooked when it comes to the general resurrection: it inspires our evangelism.
Here’s how.
As C. S. Lewis noted, “We’ve never met a mortal.” And if humans are immortal, then we live on after death–either in heaven or hell.
If in heaven, then we want to share this good news. If in hell, then we want to warn. This means the doctrine of the general resurrection actually informs the rather remote doctrines of comfort and compassion.
Earthly suffering sucks. But eternal sucks way more.
In the end, as a Christian, it’s impossible to sever this life from the life of the next. We do our mortal brothers and sisters injustice if we think otherwise.
Let me know what you think.
Soul Sleep [Deviant Doctrine to Avoid]
What happens to the human soul when a person dies?
Does it disintegrate the moment a person’s brain flat lines like materialists argue?
Or does it survive the body to live forever?
Of course most Christians agree that the soul survives.
However, not everyone agrees on what happens to that soul once a person dies.
Roman Catholics insist they trudge through purgatory.
Sects like the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists, on the other hand, believe the soul remains unconscious until resurrection day.
This is called “soul sleep.” Or “conditional immortality.”
Soul Sleep: Biblical Proofs
Sects who embrace the soul sleep concept base their beliefs off of a host of verses:
Who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see…. 1 Timothy 6:16
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. Genesis 2:17
The soul that sins shall die. Ezekiel 18:20
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
At first blush it seems they might have a case. But they don’t. These verses have been wrenched out of their context.
Here’s how.
Soul Sleep: Where These Sects Went Wrong
Yes, First Timothy 6:16 suggests that it is God alone who has immortality. No argument from me. But in no way can we assume that he’s the only one.
In fact, Paul argues it’s BECAUSE God is the author of immortality that he is also the giver of immortality. We live forever because God sustains us.
I’ll admit, the notion of death in Genesis 2:17 is peculiar simply because Adam and Eve don’t actually die. At least not right away.
What’s going on? Here we have the promise of [future] physical death AND [immediate] spiritual death…
But the spiritual death the author of Genesis had in mind isn’t the soul sleep kind. No.
He had in mind the deadness in our desire for God…we turn the corner from agents who can sin to to agents who are slaves to sin, blind to his beauty and incorrigibly bent to reject his son Christ.
What about Ezekiel and Romans? They simply echo the notion that physical and spiritual death is the punishment of sin. Adam’s original sin.
Okay. If souls don’t sleep while they wait for resurrection, what do they do? Here’s what the Bible teaches.
Orthodox View of the Soul After Death
Traditional Christians affirm that the human soul survives death. But not in a slumber.
In Matthew 10:28 Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
The Apostle Peter suggested that death meant the “shedding of this body” and union with Christ in spirit.
Paul echoed a similar sentiment when he said, “I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” Philippians 1:23.
Then you have the spirits of the martyred tribulation saints in heaven who cry: ”O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Revelations 6:10
The clincher, of course, is Jesus who said to the thief on the cross, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” Luke 23:43.
Conclusion
As you can see, the biblical evidence for soul sleep is lacking while evidence for the souls immediate union with God is strong. In a nutshell, when a redeemed person dies his soul is united with God immediately to wait the final resurrection of his body…
And when an unregenerate person dies, he is immediately ushered out of the presence of God to await final judgment.
Now, it’s your turn. What did I miss? Got any questions? Share your thoughts. Brutal and all.
Death: A Doctrine We Can’t Neglect
Death looms over us all.
It frightens some and elates other.
Drives us to noble works and dreadful deeds.
Perhaps no single force has worked so powerfully on man as his knowledge that he must surely die.
Kierkegaard called the knowledge of one’s own death the essential fact that distinguishes us from animals.
Yet, we spend our days thinking about everything but death.
Look at the billion dollar age-defying industry and you see what cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker might call symptoms of death denial.
Even our sermons are geared to the here and now: stable marriages, stout muscles, serene minds and safe investments.
Strange society, indeed: we strive to preserve the LEAST enduring part of our beings–the body. And we do this in spite of substantial words the Bible has to say about death.
Maybe you’ve never thought of death as a Christian doctrine. Or one that deserves much attention. But indeed, it is a doctrine and it does deserve healthy consideration.
Let me show you how and why.
Physical Death: The Lowdown
The Bible speaks of death in three ways: physical, spiritual and eternal.
For plants and animals, death is nothing more than the end of life. But for humans it’s more. It’s the separation of the soul from the body. It’s a passage of one kind of existence to another.
In ancient Israel, death was a natural end to life. So the goal of an Israelite was to live long and die in the presence of children and grandchildren. For example:
And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. Genesis 35:18
But where did they believe the soul departed to? Ancient Hebrews regarded death as the soul’s entrance into Sheol–where the deceased were cut off from God and community.
In spite of this grim fate, Psalm 139:7-8 proclaims that God the redeemer is in both heaven and Sheol. In fact, he is able to bring a person out of Sheol:
It’s only in Ecclesiastes do you find outright pessimism expressed in the face of death. And that book probably shows considerable non-Hebraic influence.
Spiritual Death: The Lowdown
Abel was the first human recorded in the Bible to die. Cain, his brother, murdered him. But the first mention of death in a physical AND spiritual sense occurred in Genesis 2:17:
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.
In other words, death was a result of sin.
That’s why the New Testament sees death NOT as a personal event but a theological problem: sin introduced death and death involves separation from God.
This is spiritual death.
Romans 3:23 says it this way: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” They are spiritually cut off from God. But when we are born again–when Christ redeems us–we are raised from spiritual death and reunited spiritually with God.
Eternal Death: The Lowdown
Eternal death is the third version of biblical death. This is known as the second death–and it appears in Revelation 2:11:
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.
This is the everlasting separation from God in hell. It occurs after the final judgment.
In the meantime, the devil is the lord of death–the very god of this world that Christ conquered paradoxically by dying.
Death Defeated by Christ’s Resurrection
Paul saw death–all versions–as an enemy, an enemy conquered by Christ’s resurrection:
The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15:26
In fact, the major point of New Testament passages like 1 Corinthians 5:7; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Philippians 2:8 and 1 Peter 3:18-19 is that Jesus did not remain dead but defeated the devil, took the power of death and ascended in victory.
This naturally rules out notions of purgatory or soul sleep, doctrines that contradict the sufficiency of Christ’s death. Christ’s death and resurrection removed the curse of death once and for all.
How Christians Should View Death
So even though Christians still die physically, death can never separate us from Christ. We do not grieve like the rest of people who have no hope.
Instead, our mourning is enhanced by our anticipation of our own transition from this life to the next.
Phillip Yancey once said “we need a renewed awareness of death” and “a faith, in the midst of our groaning, that death is not the last word, but the next to the last.”
A proper view of death–both the beautiful and the ugly–allows us to articulate to the godless the joy found in the hope we have secured in Christ’s own death and resurrection.
That is fundamental to the gospel.
Furthermore the paradox is that we can fully engage and enjoy our commission to subdue the earth when we realize that our half-baked, corrupt crafts will transform into eternal, incorruptible objects that glorify God in the future resurrection. A topic we will visit next in this series.
What About You?
Do you have a healthy respect for death? Are you living in the light that one day you will die? And how do you cope with that truth? Do you put your trust in Christ or this culture?
I look forward to your thoughts. Brutal and all.
Hell: What’s at Stake If We Neglect It?
Hell doesn’t get much press.
Blame it on the Enlightenment and its fear of all things supernatural.
To be fair, Enlightenment writers were reacting to a gross abundance of commentary on hell.
In fact, this environment forced Erasmus to remark that some Paris theologians wrote so well about hell that they evidently had been there themselves!
However, contemporary Christians have lost their backbone on this important biblical doctrine. That’s troubling for many reasons. Let me show you what I mean.
Hell: A Ghastly Nightmare
The doctrine of hell is a repulsive doctrine. In fact, it’s hard to believe someone just made it up. But the Bible says a lot about hell. Mostly in the words of Jesus himself.
First off, what is hell? The orthodox meaning is eternal punishment for those who reject God and His grace.
What does that punishment look like? Outer darkness. Weeping. Gnashing of teeth. Fire.
Fire, no doubt, is symbolic. But this shouldn’t comfort the lost because fire is symbolic of something much worse.
How much worse? We just don’t know.
We do know that hell will last forever and in addition to physical agony, occupants will experience unrelenting guilt and regret due to their decision to reject God’s offer of mercy in Christ.
Objections to Hell
As noted above, some people simply dismiss hell as superstition. These are your skeptics and atheists.
Then there are your evangelicals…
Some evangelicals–Unitarians, for example–believe in universalism–the idea that everyone will eventually be saved. But Jesus’ words are unmistakable: “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matthew 25:46
Others believe in postmortem evangelism. These evangelicals insist the dead will be given another opportunity to repent after death. Again, the Bible doesn’t support this notion. Just the opposite: “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” Hebrews 9:27
Finally, you have your annihilationists who believe that the wicked are exterminated at death. But annihilationists must hold this belief in the face of ample biblical reference to hell being eternal.
Now let me ask you: Why are so-called evangelicals busy reducing, revising and removing the biblical doctrine of hell when those who were evangelicals in the past would’ve ferociously resisted such ideas?
Here’s your answer: Hell is marked by so much awkwardness and embarrassment evangelicals are looking for anyway out of this doctrine.
The Logical Reason Behind Hell
Yes, hell is terrible. But NOT the least bit unfair. It is simply a gesture by God to honor those who reject him, his love and his offer of grace through Christ.
In essence, he gives them what they want: separation from God.
However, because of sin everyone deserves hell… including both those who accept God’s offer of rescue through Christ and those who reject it.
Yet hell is not a fate God wants people to experience:
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. 2 Peter 3:9
The Benefits of the Doctrine of Hell
Yes, even though hell is a horrifying doctrine, it does provide certain benefits.
One benefit is a sense of relief and gratitude for God’s mercy and forgiveness and promise of heaven. Mercy and forgiveness and heaven are meaningless if there is no depth…
We would certainly respond one way to a friend who kept us from stepping into a puddle. Quite another way to a friend who kept us from stepping off the edge of a cliff.
Another benefit involves our future and reminds us how important life decisions are here and now. The doctrine of hell motivates us to share the gospel when we know the outcome for those who reject Christ or remain in their sins is eternal physical agony.
Why We’ve Lost Our Backbone Over Hell
Yet, in spite of these benefits, contemporary Christians have lost their convictions about hell. There is at least one good reasons for this: Our view of the nature of God has changed.
In an attempt to shed any repulsive concepts attached to God, we redefine him to suit our preferences. Here are four ways we’ve done that.
1. We redefine God’s love so that it resembles sentimentalism and indulgence minus God’s hatred for sin. In turn, we love the sinner and ignore his sin.
2. Hell seems so excessive, so we limit God’s holiness. However, the traditional doctrine of hell argues that eternal punishment is a just penalty for an insult against the infinite holiness of God.
3. We limit God’s knowledge to suggest that he doesn’t stop decades of megadeath simply because he didn’t see it coming. This is the heresy of open theism.
4. We minimize God’s justice by arguing that it would be easier to persuade a skeptic to embrace a God without wrath and righteousness.
But what’s more important: That we properly market God to our culture? Or that we stand up for orthodoxy–no matter the cost?
What’s at Stake if We Neglect the Doctrine of Hell?
Here’s the deal: The Bible presents hell as a concrete reality. It’s existence is not up for Debate. Revision. Or vote. To do otherwise is to pervert the truth, reduce the sting of sin and minimize the threat of hell.
So WHAT if hell is scandalous or too out of step with the contemporary mind?
That won’t make it go away.
We must deal with it. As Christians, that means defending it’s classic treatment. If we don’t, what’s at stake? Our very concept of God and the gospel are diluted.
And where does this end? Our culture gets to define our model of God? To do so would be to feed on lies. And I don’t want that to happen. Do you?
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