The Millennium and the Resurrection
by several signs? What will constitute the glory of the second coming? What is the purpose of the Lord's return?
References for Further Study:
Berkhof, Reformed Dogmatics, II, pp. 309–318; McPherson, Christian Dogmatics, pp. 446–449; Dahle, Life After Death, pp. 268–
390; Snowden, The Coming of the Lord, pp. 123–155.
THE MILLENNIUM AND THE RESURRECTION
A. The Question of the Millennium. On the basis of Rev. 20:1–6 some believe that there will be a millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ, either before or after His second coming. Others, however, deny that Scripture warrants the expectation of such a millennial kingdom in any sense of the word. Consequently, there are three theories with respect to this matter, namely, the a-millennial, the post millennial, and the pre-millennial theory. The first is purely negative and therefore does not call for any separate discussion. It is the view adopted in this work, and holds that the second coming of Christ, the general resurrection of the dead, and the final judgment all synchronize; and that therefore the present spiritual kingdom of God passes right over into the eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ. The other two views call for a brief discussion.
1. POST-MILLENNIALISM. Post-millennialism teaches that the second coming of Christ will follow the millennium. The millennium is expected during the gospel dispensation, in which we are now living, and at the close of which Christ will appear. a. Two Kinds of Post-Millennialism. Some conservative scholars, both past and present, are of the opinion that the gospel, which will
gradually permeate the entire world, will in the end become much more effective than it is at present and will usher in a period of rich spiritual blessings, which will be followed by a brief apostasy, a terrible final conflict with the forces of evil, and thereafter by the simultaneous occurrence of the advent of Christ, the general resurrection, and the final judgment. A great deal of present-day post-millennialism, however, is of an entirely different type. It does not believe that the preaching of the gospel and the accompanying work of the Holy Spirit will bring the millennium, but that this will be the grand result of a perfectly natural process of evolution. Man himself will usher in the new era by education, improved legislation, and social reforms. b. Objections to Post-Millennialism. The fundamental idea of this doctrine, namely, that the whole world will gradually be won for Christ and will in the main be Christian when Christ returns, is not in harmony with the Scriptural representation of the end of the ages,
Matt. 24:6–14, 21, 22; Luke 18:8; 21:25–28; 2 Thess. 2:3–12; 2 Tim.
3:1–13; Rev. 13. Some Post-Millennialists feel this and therefore introduce the idea of an apostasy and a tribulation just previous to the return of Christ, but they minimize these and represent them as events which have little effect on the main course of religious life.
Moreover, the related idea, rather common in post-millennial representations, that the present age will not end with a great and sudden change, but will pass almost imperceptibly into the coming age, is also contrary to Scripture, Matt. 24:29–31, 35–44; Heb. 12:26,
27; 2 Pet. 3:10–13. There will be a crisis so great that it can be called "the regeneration," Matt. 19:28. Finally, the modern idea that man, by education, legislation, and social reform, will bring in the perfect reign of Christ, is contrary to all that the Bible teaches on this point.
The future kingdom cannot be established by natural, but only by supernatural means.
2. PRE-MILLENNIALISM. Pre-millennialism holds that Christ, at His return, will raise up all the righteous dead, will convert the Jews and bring them back to the Holy Land, will re-establish the national kingdom of the Jews in unprecedented glory and power, and will then rule this kingdom with His saints for a thousand years. a. The Pre-Millennial Scheme. According to Pre-millenarians the Old
Testament prophets predict the glorious re-establishment of the kingdom of David in the days of the Messiah. Christ intended to establish the kingdom when He was on earth, but because the Jews refused to repent, postponed it to the time of His return. Meanwhile
He established His Church, which is gathered out of Jews and gentiles. The gospel will prove insufficient, however, to convert men on a large scale. Finally, Christ will appear in the air, raise up all the dead saints, and snatch them away with the living believers to celebrate the wedding of the Lamb. There will be a period of tribulation on the earth, during which Israel will be converted and brought back to the Holy Land. At the end of the period of tribulation
Christ will come down to earth and judge the nations. The sheep and the goats are separated, Satan is bound for a thousand years, antichrist is destroyed, the tribulation saints are raised up, and the millennium is ushered in. The kingdom now established is a kingdom of the Jews with world-wide dominion. Christ and His saints rule at Jerusalem, and the temple and its sacrificial worship is restored. The world is now speedily converted. After the millennium follows the final battle with Satan and his hosts, after which Satan is cast into the bottomless pit. Then follows the resurrection of the unbelievers and the final judgment at the great white throne. The Church is transferred to heaven, and Israel remains forever on earth. b. Objections to Pre-Millennialism. This theory is based on an unwarranted literalism in the interpretation of the prophets and fails
to take account of the spiritual interpretation suggested by the New Testament. It makes the kingdom of God an earthly and national kingdom, while the New Testament clearly represents it as spiritual and universal. It goes contrary to those passages of Scripture which clearly represent the kingdom as a present reality, Matt. 11:12; 12:28;
Luke 17:21; John 18:36, 37; Col. 1:13. While the Bible speaks of the resurrection of the just and the unjust in a single breath, Dan. 12:2;
John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15, and represents the resurrection of the righteous as occurring at the last day, John 6:39, 40, 44, 54; 11:24, it separates the resurrection of the righteous from that of the wicked by a period of a thousand years. Contrary to Scripture, it speaks of three
(four) resurrections and four judgments. It fails to explain how glorified saints and sinners in the flesh can live and associate together in a world in which sin and death are still rampant. Finally, it erroneously seeks its main support in a passage (Rev. 20:1–6) which represents a scene in heaven and makes no mention whatever of the Jews, of an earthly and national kingdom, nor of the land of Palestine.
B. The Resurrection. Scripture teaches us that at the return of Christ the dead will be raised up.
1. SCRIPTURE PROOF FOR THE RESURRECTION. It is sometimes said that the Old Testament contains no proof for the resurrection of the dead; but this is hardly correct. Christ finds proof for it in Ex. 3:6, cf. Matt. 22:31, 32. It is implied in the passages that speak of deliverance from sheol, Ps. 49:15; 73:24, 25; Prov. 23:14, and is expressly taught in Isa. 26:19, and in Dan. 12:2. The New Testament, however, contains clearer and more abundant proof. Jesus argues the resurrection of the dead over against the denial of the Sadducees,
Matt. 22:23–33, and teaches it very clearly in John 5:25–29; 6:39, 40, 44; 11:24, 25; 14:3; 17:24. The classical passage of the New
Testament is 1 Cor. 15. Other important passages are 1 Thess. 4:13– 17; 2 Cor. 5:1–10; and Rev. 20:13.
2. THE CHARACTER OF THE RESURRECTION. The resurrection taught in Scripture is: a. A Bodily Resurrection. There were some in the days of Paul, and there are many today, who believe only in a spiritual resurrection.
But the Bible clearly teaches a resurrection of the body. Christ is called "the firstfruits" of the resurrection, and "the firstborn" of the dead. This implies that the resurrection of His people will be like His, and this was a bodily resurrection. Moreover, the redemption in Christ is said to include the body, Rom. 8:23; 1 Cor. 6:13–20. Finally, the resurrection of the body is clearly taught in Rom. 8:11; and in 1
Cor. 15. In this chapter Paul argues that the body of the resurrection will be identical with the body that was deposited in the earth, though it will have undergone important changes. b. A Resurrection of Both the Just and the Unjust. Some present-day sects deny the resurrection of the ungodly. The Adventists and the Russellites both believe in their total extinction. It is sometimes said that Scripture does not teach the resurrection of the wicked, but this is clearly erroneous, Dan. 12:2; John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15, though it must be admitted that their resurrection does not stand out prominently in Scripture. c. A Resurrection of Unequal Import for the Just and the Unjust. The resurrection of the just is an act of deliverance and of glorification.
The body is raised from the grave and re-united with the soul, but the great point in their resurrection is that their bodies are now endowed with a life that is glorious and blessed. This transformation is wanting in the case of the wicked. In their case the re-union of body and soul issues in the extreme penalty of death.
3. THE TIME OF THE RESURRECTION.
a. Scripture Indications as to the Time. According to Scripture the resurrection coincides with the return of Christ, and with the end of the world, and immediately precedes the final judgment. Notice how it is connected with the second coming of Christ, 1 Cor. 15:23; Phil.
3:20, 21; 1 Thess. 4:16; with the last day, John 6:39, 40, 44, 54; 11:24, and with the final judgment, John 5:27–29; Rev. 20:11–15. b. The Theory of a Double Resurrection. Pre-millenarians believe that the resurrection of the righteous and of the wicked are separated by a thousand years. They base their contention especially on 1 Cor.
15:23–28; 1 Thess. 4:13–18; and Rev. 20:4–6. But none of these passages prove the point. The first does not speak of the resurrection of the wicked at all. The second merely says that the dead in Christ shall be raised up before the living saints are caught up in the clouds.
And the third does not even refer to a bodily resurrection. Whenever the Bible mentions the resurrection of the just and the unjust together it does not give the slightest hint that the two are to be separated by a long period of time. It clearly teaches that the resurrection of the righteous, too, will be at the last day, John 6:39,
40, 44, 54; 11:24.
Questions for Review:
What is the difference between a-millennialism, post-millennialism, and pre-millennialism? What is the view of post-millennialism?
What two kinds of post-millennialism should we distinguish? What objections are there to this theory? What is in general the premillenarian view? How do Pre-millenarians conceive of the course of events? What are the objections to pre-millennialism? How can the resurrection be proved from the Old Testament? What proof does the New Testament contain? How can the resurrection of the body be