Thank you for taking the time to share your video, it’s a very thoughtful take on eschatology that handles scripture carefully. I’ve never heard of Optimistic Amillennialism prior to your video and I currently lean towards historic premillennialism in large part because of the way other interpretations handle the restoration of Israel (Roms 9-11, Jer 31:31-37, Acts 1:6-7, Ezk 36-37 etc.), along with the Antichrist figure. Your view does not dismiss these scriptures or try to allegorize them, but effectively incorporates them. Very nicely done.
For much of my Christian life, I was what you might call a Classical Premillennialist. But, even then, I held to that belief very loosely. But, I don't hold to any particular view anymore. Jesus said he was coming back and to be alert and watchful. That's what I'm trying to do.
This was a very thought out and comprehensive explanation for optimistic amillennialism eschatology. I have never heard of such a view, it interests me explore this more.
Thank you so much brother for taking the time to make these videos. Many of them, and this one in particular, have been very edifying for me. This was such a clear explanation of the view of optimistic amillenialism. I look forward to some of your sermons on the subject.
As someone still figuring out their eschatology (currently wrestling between historic premillennial and amillennial; from here, it's any man's game 🙃), this is already proving extremely helpful. Always appreciate your videos! May our God bless you abundantly
@@santtuhyytiainen I haven't heard that one before. I would think that the a-millennial view of what the millennium means would negate any concept of a pre-millennial period at the end.
@erc9468 You've misunderstood me. In my view, amillenials are right about the realities of this age but they misslable it as the millenial reign of Christ. I hold the Millenium to be a thousand-year-reign of Christ and His saints on this Earth after He has defeted the Man of Lawlessness at Armageddon, ruling over all the nations, as is writen in the prophets and the Revelation.
@ About the fact that Revelation was written almost 2000 years ago and was going to happen "soon", "at hand" "at the door". Jesus said he would come in the life his disciples, MAtt 24:34, Matt 16:28-29, etc. many other places. This is a past event.
This is great. I have literally said recently that I am optimistically a mill. I like some parts of post mil but need to question others . I have not watched yet but am starting right now. Can't wait!
I really liked the way you explained things. As a premillenial, I like that you guys use charts too. One thing I would suggest is that you don't conflate dispensationalism with premillenialism. While dispeys are premil, not all premil are dispeys. I have found it easier to explain when I stick with pre, a-, and post-. But I really liked the video and would love to use it in the future when I teach on end times views if possible.
I appreciate this description of optimistic amil. Particularly the emphasis that it’s not all spiritualized, and that you include the material/physical resurrection into a new heavens and earth (Also real/material/physical), or what I’d describe as “the Eden that God wanted all along” to share with us.
John Murray referred to 'Optimistic Amillienialism' before the the term was coined, as 'Mild Postmillenialism' but the doctrines are equivalent. Iain Murray in his book "The Puritan Hope" gave a good account of this view.
Many students wondered why Vol. II of Murray's commentary on Romans came out 6 years after Vol. I. It's because he changed from amil to postmil. The amil Robt. Reymond critiques his Romans nicely in his 1998 Systematics (Th. Nelson; rev'd ed. 2001).
I decided long ago that eschatology is far too precious to some people. I finally settled on the idea that two people sitting on a park bench arguing about the difference between their two viewpoints. Suddenly Christ appears to take his children home and both are pulled into the air and one says, “See!” But the key point is that both are taken. Eschatology is not the determining factor for salvation.
No but it opens our eyes. Mudflood was Armageddon, the golden is past, the earth is flat, 1,000 years have been covered up, we’re an orphan train remnant
It's not the determining factor, but God wants us to know and understand it or He would not have put it in scripture. It's a very important doctrine that will guide how you live as a believer, and in Revelation God promises a blessing to those who know it and study it. Also eschatology has its roots in the OT going all the way back to Genesis and the beginning of the Hebrew people. It's the foundation to the covenants God made with Isreal that extend all the way till the end of the age and it affects the church.
@Yeshuite NO, the earth is not flat, and not one scripture supports that. I'm sure you'll pull up scripture, but unfortunately as I have found, it's scripture taken grossly out of context because the person trying to prove a flat earth by scripture, doesn't understand, hyperbole, figures if speech, symbols etc... It's a failure of understanding hermeneutics, a failure of understanding context.
@@mariosangermano love your confidence. Waters above and waters below and firmament are all just figures of speech. Don’t fall for the enlightenment, scientism Jesuit led Copernicus heliocentric model. We went to the moon too right?
Excellent video. I’d say we amillennialists probably define the “success” of the Church differently than our Post-mil brothers. I think that we will succeed in the Great Commission in that we build the church and spread the gospel and church to every nation. I don’t think that the whole world will be Christian. We are still in a sin-tainted fallen world.
The prophets foretold that the Christ would subjugate all His enemies and they will be forced to be liars unto Him (that is, to feign obedience). Think about it, at the end of the day, no matter how wicked the world gets, we still keep track of time from Christ's birth, globally. Every American politician is forced to pay lip service to God and Christ. I do think at the end of the day "the Lord one and His Name One" (as the prophet Zechariah foretold) will be the story where all the world knows the Name of Christ and will be forced to reverence it as supreme above all other gods (even though they do it out of fear and not out of love). And so Christ will have subdued every enemy under His feet--though they still remain enemies. It was not too long ago when if you weren't a professing Christian (even the loosest sense of the word was better than none), no one wanted to do business with you...
I'm an optimist that God will gather in all the elect that he chose from before the foundation of the world. Not one will be lost! However, I am also realistic that the opposition to Christ will also continue until the harvest of wheat and tares. The elect Jews will also come to fath but I don't see in Romans a mass conversion at the end.
I enjoyed your video. I tend to vacillate between Post Millennialism and Optimistic Amillennialism. I agreed with much of what you said. I laughed when you said that the Post Mils are too optimistic...
I love you preacher! I am also in the PCA and a preacher of many years. While I am Amill (not optimistic), I suggest that you add to your Expanded Diagram, under the Return of Christ, the verse Matt.24.36 where Jesus stated that He (in His human nature) did not know, then, when He was returning (Date Unknown). I look at you regularly. You are a blessing to the Church of Christ, in general, not only to the Presbyterian (PCA). SDG!
Excellent video. Thank you! I didn't know optimistic Amil was an option, but that's totally what I am. I have previously said I was postmil but with amil leanings. 😂 thanks for giving me a label!
I love your explanation. I have been studying this topic for years and came to believe the amillenial view. While I agree with postmillenials on a lot of things, a lot of the difference came down to methodology. And it seems to me they are committing the same error first century Jews made in expecting an earthly conquering king. While I believe that is our future hope, the “already” of Christ’s kingdom is a spiritual kingdom.
Thank you for clearly explaining the differences. between you and J. Piper (I think Hist. Premil?) - super helpful. Your vlogs have always helped better my understandings, even if I don't 100% agree. To me, only Amillennialism fits with my understanding that the Bible is the infallible word of God and "All Scripture is God-breathed" 2 Tim 3:16(?). I also believe in the definitions provided in Galatians as the literal Word of God (if you know you know).
I came to Postmillenialism a few years back and was pretty cagey 😂 Now I think I lean more optimistic Amil but I’m not worrying about it too much. I know I’m optimistic and absolutely reject Dispensationalism so that’s what really matters haha
Honest question for amillenialists: If you believe the 1,000 years described in scripture was intended to be interpreted symbolically, do you believe there are also other examples of specific units of time referring symbolically to some unspecific length of time? I asked AI and it came up with dumb answers like 40 days and nights referring to the Great Flood and Christ's period of fasting and like Christ rising from the dead on the third day.
1. Pastor Everhard at 0:48 - 1:25: "If you are Reformed, let's say you part of a Presbyterian church and you subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith, well, the Westminster Divines in the 1640s did something pretty wise and that is, when they wrote out their sections of the Confession, on the end times or eschatology, they wrote it in such a broad and skeletal way that multiple different perspectives could conceivably subscribe to the Confession. And so within Westminsterian doctrine, you do have those who hold to amillenilism, as well as those who hold to post-millenialism, and then there's people like me who are kind of in between and we call that optimistic amillenialism." 2. Pastor Everhard's detailed eschatological chart at 1:25-34 displays The Man of Lawlessness [2 Thess 2:3] who appears in between Many Jews Saved and the Judgement of the World. 3. Quoting from the Free Presbyterian Church of North America's webpage Westminster Confession of Faith (1647}: A. The original text of 1646, from the manuscript of Cornelius Burges, Assessor to the Westminster Assembly, with the Assembly’s proof texts, as published in the modern critical edition of 1937 by S. W. Carruthers. B. Chapter XXV. Of the Church. Article VI - There is no other head of the Church, but the Lord Jesus Christ;(n) nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof; but is that Antichrist, THAT MAN OF SIN, and SON OF PERDITION, THAT EXALTETH HIMSELF, in the Church, against ALL THAT IS CALLED GOD.(o) (n) Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22. (o) Matt. 23:8, 9, 10; II Thess. 2:3, 4, 8, 9; Rev. 13:6. [fpcna org /beliefs/wcf/] 4. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 (KJV): 1Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and THAT MAN OF SIN be revealed, THE SON OF PERDITION; who opposeth and EXALTETH HIMSELF above ALL THAT IS CALLED GOD, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 5. By comparing the identical capitalized portions of 2 Thessalonians 2: 3-4 with the WCF's Chapter 25, Article 6 and its footnote (o) referencing II Thess 2:3, isn't obvious that the Westminster Divines identified "the Pope of Rome ... that Antichrist" with "THAT MAN OF SIN ... SON OF PERDITION ... EXALTETH HIMSELF, (against/above) ALL THAT IS CALLED GOD"? 6. In this, the 17th century Westminster Divines were merely codifying in their Confession what already was the 16th century tradition of all the Protestant Reformers, including the major movement leading figures of Martin Luther (Lutheranism), John Calvin (Reformed), Thomas Cranmer (Church of England) and John Knox (Church of Scotland/Presbyterianism), which was to identify the Pope of Rome as the Antichrist in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, even though that Bible passage does not use the word 'Antichrist' as a name for "THAT MAN OF SIN ... SON OF PERDITION." 7. The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith's Chapter 26. Of The Church, Article 4 is identical to the WCF's Chapter 25, Article 6, but then adds "whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming" (Footnote 8: 2 Thessalonians 2:2-9), thereby confirming the Protestant Reformation tradition identifying the Pope of Rome as the Antichrist who Jesus Christ will destroy at His second coming. [1689 london baptist confession com/26/] 8. Pastor Everhard at 19:04 - 20:20: "We do need to mention the presence of antichrists and I say that plural on purpose, not by a slip of the tongue because that's what John teaches in 1 John, Chapter 2 ... [Verse 3: Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (KJV)] ... and so though we do not deny that there will be a person, the man of lawlessness to come, talk about that in just a moment, we don't deny that there will be a personal Antichrist with a capital 'A', but all the while we do see the repetition of anti-christic figures throughout the whole of the church age and even through the Millenium. OK? So there are, in fact, many antichrists and these can be religious leaders that are apostates or heretics that unfortunately take many souls with them to their destruction by their false teachings and heresies and such. And unfortunately from time to time does afflict the church though it does not cause to cease or destroy the church in any ... final sort of way. All right now, speaking of Antichrist, we do hold that there will be one personal Antichrist who is called the man of lawlessness and he's described in 2 Thessalonians Chapter Two." 9. Two questions for Pastor Everhard: A. Since you concur with (1) the 16th century Protestant Reformers and (2) the 17th century Westminster Confession of Faith and 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith that 2 Thessalonians 2 equates "the man of lawlessness" with the "Antichrist", do you also concur with them that this "man of lawlessness", this "Antichrist" is "the Pope of Rome"? B. Could you please list all or at least some of the major "anti-christic figures throughout the whole of the church age ... OK?" 10. And if the King James Bible was good enough for St. Paul and St. John ...
I see myself in Amil position, however, I am currently going through all the different views, and I have to say, this was interesting. I will definitely keep this in mind while I examine the views available. But I don’t think it will matter what we think, in the end, God is God, and I’m not.
At what point does amillennialism see the beginning of the millennium? Is the beginning of the millennium the resurrection and ascension of Christ, or rather the destruction of Jerusalem?
My premillenial view seems to be near identical with amillenialism. What makes me a premillenialist is that I reserve the term Millenium to the thousand-year-reign of Christ on this Earth between His Second Coming and the Eternity in the New Heavens and the New Earth.
Sounds like classical Premillenialism. While I'm in agreement with the O.P, you keep excellent company with C.H. Spurgeon, Robert Murray M'Cheyne, and Andrew Bonar.
I leave eschatology as a topic of interesting disucssion that we shoukd engage each other with but find that it results in needless hostility amongst the body. I do find that one of the biggest weaknesses of Amillennialism is its lack of historical continuity with early Christian thought. The dominant eschatology of the first few centuries was Premillennialism, which taught that Christ would return before a literal thousand-year reign on Earth. Amillennialism only gained prominence with Origen’s allegorical interpretation and Augustine’s symbolic millennium in the 4th and 5th centuries. This shift away from a literal reading of prophecy suggests later theological development rather than original apostolic teaching. Amillennialists interpret Revelation 20’s 1,000 years as symbolic, yet this contradicts Old Testament and New Testament prophecies describing Christ’s physical rule on Earth. Zechariah 14 speaks of His reign after standing on the Mount of Olives. Isaiah 11 describes a future kingdom of peace. Acts 1 records the disciples asking about Israel’s restoration, and Jesus does not dismiss their expectation. Revelation 20 explicitly states that those resurrected will reign with Christ for a thousand years. If prophecies about Christ’s first coming were fulfilled literally, there is no reason to spiritualize those about His second coming. A major logical issue in Amillennialism is its claim that Satan is already bound (Revelation 20:2-3). If he is bound now, why does the New Testament repeatedly warn about his active deception? 1 Peter 5 calls him a “roaring lion” seeking to devour, and 2 Thessalonians 2 describes an end-times deception through the Antichrist. If Satan were truly bound and unable to deceive the nations, these warnings would be unnecessary. Premillennialism resolves this contradiction by teaching that Satan’s binding is a future event. The greatest failure of Amillennialism and Postmillennialism is their inability to explain the modern re-establishment of Israel in 1948, something Premillennialists long anticipated. For centuries, non-Premillennial systems dismissed Israel as irrelevant, believing the Church had permanently replaced it. Yet prophecies in Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Zechariah explicitly describe Israel’s national restoration, which has now happened. This directly contradicts the Amillennial and Postmillennial frameworks, which had no expectation of Israel’s return. Beyond Israel’s restoration, Premillennialism seems close to predicting two other key developments: Middle East peace negotiations and the potential rebuilding of the Third Temple. Daniel 9:27 describes a covenant involving Israel before the Tribulation, and today Saudi Arabia and Israel are actively working toward a peace agreement. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 states that the Antichrist will enter the temple and declare himself God, which presupposes a literal Third Temple. If serious plans for its construction emerge, Amillennialism and Postmillennialism will be left without an explanation, further weakening their credibility.
Pre, post, “a”, I don’t know. But when the Bible in several places in Revelation specifically says 1,000 years, I’m going to go with “God means what he says”.
What I find amusing about the amillennialist view is that you will say that Revelations 20 is not a literal "thousand" years, but then take everything else written in Revelation word-for-word. Which is it?
@catpocalypsenow8090 I get that there's a lot of symbolism in Revelation. All of John's writings have symbolism in them, including the Gospel of John. Like you said, Revelation is nonlinear. But what do you make of Revelation 20? Satan is bound during the church age? He's not free to deceive the nations? All of the people who were beheaded for Jesus are resurrected and reign with him now? Where's Jesus at? I don't see him ruling the Earth anywhere. Isn't he supposed to be in heaven now at the right hand of the father? When Matt talks about an "optimistic" amillennialism, this is what I think of. Amillennialism, in general, is far too optimistic and raises more questions than answers. This is why I tend to lean more historic premillenial. It's what the original church fathers believed, and it's what I'm inclined to follow. I could be wrong. I'm open to learning more about other eschatological views, but this is what makes the most sense to me.
@@ronv7995 you're right, I shouldn't have put it that way. It's just that Matt tends to be very black and white over issues like this. I wouldn't base my fellowship with other believers over something as unclear as eschatology.
I’ve looked at things pretty closely to the way you’ve explained here (very well btw). I’ve considered the part of Rev 20 where Satan is “unchained” for a short time prior to the Coming of Christ as being the same time period as the “man of lawlessness.” All of the evil of that time is due to the evil one being allowed to “ deceive the nations” again (similar to how he was allowed to prior to his being bound at the cross. This may be parallel with other parts of Revelation referring to a time when the witness of the church is “overcome” such as when the Two Witnesses are killed for a time, the world rejoicing at their demise etc. Not sure if this is entirely correct but I lean in that way. I’ve come to believe there is a great need for humility and wisdom in trying to understand that book (as well as the rest of prophecy).
The WCF has been modified through the years. The original, and the Second London Baptist Confession both state that 'the Pope of Rome ...is that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ...' both being Article XXV: Of The Church. Later WCF versions say 'The Lord Jesus Christ is the only head of the Church, and the claim of any man to be the vicar of Christ and the head of the Church, is unscriptural, without warrant in fact, and is a usurpation dishonoring to the Lord Jesus Christ'. Does that help?
@@lionelscout I hold to the Unmodified Original, The Pope is, was, and, until the Final Coming of Christ at the End of the age, Will be, the Antichrist.
I am an optimistic Premillennial who agrees with John Gill view on Christ's spiritual reigning that will conquer the world after the beast system is destroyed. National Israel will be saved and agrees Edwards Optimistim before Christ comes and Rules on the earth
Garden-variety amils teach there's no discernable change in the spiritual condition of the world prior to the 2nd coming. I.e., Christ's reign over the nations undetectable. How would optimistic amils distinguish themselves from this view from Scripture that is different from, say, a postmil? Is there necessarily a general improvement (more and greater ups than downs)?
I really enjoy your videos. However, on this topic the more I hear the different views on eschatology from different sources and try to determine which one is most faithful to Scripture rather than tradition I always end up in the camp of the Premillennialists. Many many more scriptures are either ignored or spiritualized in the Amillennial and Postmillenial view and it's very difficult to see any systematic connection between all the verses, OT and NT. Listening to a John MacArthur for instance, everything fits in a tight framework. I'm still listening to all the views but so far I have found the Premillennial view the most satisfying for it's ability to connect all the dots so to speak, for all the end time verses, without having to spiritualize or ignore many of them.
As a historic premil, I see very little practical difference between your view and my own. Mostly semantics. Either way, things will get bad for a short time and then Christ will come.
Two things. 1. Adding to the general confusion on the subject with yet another term, "optimistic amillennialism," is so unnecessary. 2. Your diagram on Postmillennialism (4:56) is unclear. The two different colored arrows on the left are confusing, as are the texts below. Postmillennialism is basically about everything on earth getting better and better. But that is made unclear in this diagram.
Thank you for any a very informative video. I'm amillennial and have learned from watching your video that I too am an optimistic amillennial as I also believe that the Jewish people will come to Christ in large numbers before Christ's final return. Many thanks.
I Agree with the Amil view that Christ has been reigning since His ascension, amidst His enemies (Psalm 110), and the last enemy to be destroyed in the Lake of Fire is death. I believe the church fled into the wilderness in the first century, and as you believe, have been in a state of persecution by the "beasts" in the wilderness, namely the Roman Empire in it's pagan then papal forms, for the last 2000 years. "Rome" is the fourth dreadful beast that Christ will destroy at His coming, which is how we know the "man of sin" is from Rome. As the Reformers believed, I believe the succession of Popes of Rome fulfill the 2 Thessalonians 2 son of perdition, and we're not done with "him" yet, even though today's church has no idea who he is. They mostly believe that the man of sin is some mystery guy in the future. Yet they believe they won't have to worry much about him because they'll have been raptured. As mentioned, I believe we are still in the wilderness and that we are now in Satan's little season where he is able to deceive the ethnos/nations again. How does he take them captive at his will? Through fear of (physical) death. Rev. 20:9 says (after Satan gathers his army) that they "compassed the camp of the saints about..." That's the clue that tells us we are still "camping" in the wilderness, surrounded by this last Romish beast. As a historicist who believes that prophecy is simply our world history told in advanced, I believe it's important to consider the fact that if we, as Christians, don't know our world's history, we cannot understand prophecy. With that said, there are some historicists who have made excellent headway in mapping out history as it relates to biblical prophecy. They have made solid arguments that point to the fact that we currently sit somewhere AFTER the 6th vial of God's wrath and are in the midst of the 7th. If you look at Revelation 16:12, the drying up the Euphrates river is symbolic of the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1922, which gives us a timestamp for the ending of the 1000 year reign. Hence, Satan's little season. This is confirmed in Revelation 16, 19, & 20. I noticed those chapters on your chart, so I assume you've seen that correlation, too. Knowing that the harlot Roman Catholic church serves the beast system, I believe it's prudent, based on church history, to assume that we will once again enter into an inquisition of those who will not join her. Look for big names to continue joining her. I also believe Trump will be used by the Vatican/Jesuit powers to play the (futurist) role of man of sin, further deceiving the nations, which will eventually wonder after the beast because they don't know his true identity. Just my 2 cents on the topic. I could be wrong, but I think I'm close.
@@karlernstbuddenbrock371 My new life in the New Jerusalem/New Heavens and Earth/ New Covenant in Christ is my hope. I have eternal life because of his second coming, and salvation (Heb 9:28). What is your hope? Sure hope it isnt waiting for a second coming that will never happen again.
Obviously, our understanding of the nature of the Millennium is by no means a salvation issue, but with that said, I do disagree with the Reformed understanding of the Millennium, as I do believe that Premillennialism is the natural reading and interpretation of the scriptures. It's not just Revelation 20:1-9 that I think clearly teaches this, but especially Zechariah 14, which seals the deal for me. From that passage, we read that the Lord's feet will stand on the Mount of Olives (Zec14:4), the Lord will be King over all the earth (Zec14:9), Jerusalem will be safely inhabited (Zec14:11), all the nations that are left will go up year by year to Jerusalem to worship the Lord on the feast of tabernacles (Zec14:16) and any that don't will be punished with no rain, including Egypt (Zec14:17-19) and the Lord's House or temple will be present (Zec14:20). If that's not enough, let Isaiah 2:1-4 speak for itself: "1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." I struggle to reconcile all these passages with an a-mill or post-mill understanding. I'm in good keeping also, as the early church for the most part believed in Premillennialism, including the author of the Epistle of Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Victorinus, Hippolytus of Rome, etc. It was only later with people like Origen, Eusebius and Augustine, when Amillennialism became more prevalent, as they believed that passages like Revelation 20 should be spiritualised and not taken literally, which becomes too subjective at that point. The literal reading makes the most sense to me.
A couple of things . . . When Jesus said in Matthew 24:2 "There will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down" He was not talking about the physical city. God cares about spiritual dynamics, not earthly ones. The Jews, Jerusalem, and Israel that were covenanted with God (based on keeping God's law) had come to an end. The Jews were corporately identified as belonging to God, being His bride, being His people, and as such receiving God's blessings and care. However, the old covenant was based on the Jews remaining obedient. If they went after other Gods and forsook Yahweh, which they did repeatedly, God would end them and they would be like any other nation of the earth. That is the background story: Israel's apostasy and God's rejection of them. In ISa 50:1 and Jer 3:8, we find that God divorced Israel because "backsliding Israel had committed adultery" and Judah "she also went and played the prostitute" (Jer 3:8). Divorce was instituted by God under Moses so that when God's covenant bride Israel became adulterous (seeking other lovers) God could legally divorce her. Later, Jesus undid this law and returned it to its original state of no divorce for any cause. 1 Kings 9:6-7 But if you shall turn away from following me, you or your children, and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; (7) then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have made holy for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all peoples. Luke 19:44 is the fulfillment by God of His promise to end Israel as His people and to make them undistinguished on the earth. Why? Because they rejected Christ who came to deliver them from their bondage. Now Jerusalem, the city, was never laid even with the ground, not one stone upon another. That never happened. But Jesus spoke in spiritual ways about spiritual things (which carnal ears and eyes cannot perceive). Jerusalem with the Jews has no more standing with God. The city is not a "Holy City" because it is to remain in bondage and the children inside it (the Jews) are also remaining in captivity. Spiritual captivity. Luk 19:44 And lay you low, and your children within you, and they shall not leave in you a stone upon a stone, because you did not know the time of your inspection.' Recall that the slave woman Hagar represented a covenant according to the flesh. The free woman is in covenant with God according to the Promise (Messiah). The Jerusalem below (the Jews) corresponds by type to "the Jerusalem that now is" which is the Jews in rebellion against God. The other Jerusalem is heavenly corresponding to the free-woman according to God's salvation promise. If you are set free by Christ from captivity and bondage to sin then you belong to the heavenly Jerusalem and are among the "children of promise" (Gal 4:28). Galatians 4:25-26 for this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and does correspond to the Jerusalem that now is, and is in servitude with her children, (26) and the Jerusalem above is the free-woman, which is mother of us all, Gal 4:28 And we, brethren, as Isaac, are children of promise Paul goes to great lengths to explain that "the children of the flesh" which are the "seed of Abraham" do not belong to Christ but rather it is "the children of the promise are reckoned for seed" (Rom 9:8). The Promise was never to corporate Israel as a nation. The promise of salvation is to the Israel of God, all those chosen for salvation before the foundation of the world. While heavenly Israel's namesake, earthly Israel, did not obtain salvation but because of their rebellion they were left spiritually hard, with dead eyes and ears and the gospel of Christ remains a "stumbling block" that will crush them. The Jews continue in spiritual darkness to this day "and their back do You always bow down" with sin. Romans 11:7-10 What then? What Israel does seek after, this it did not obtain, and the chosen did obtain, and the rest were hardened, (8) according as it has been written, 'God gave to them a spirit of deep sleep, eyes not to see, and ears not to hear,' -- unto this very day, (9) and David says, 'Let their table become for a snare, and for a trap, and for a stumbling-block, and for a recompense to them; (10) let their eyes be darkened -- not to behold, and their back do You always bow down.' Paul goes on to explain that this blindness that leaves the Jews out of the salvation picture and the Gentiles in, is not a complete hardening, meaning some Jews are part of God's Elect. Paul explains that both Jew and Gentile can be grafted into the Olive Tree (Christ) but a corporate grafting (as was the case under the old covenant with national Israel means that unbelief and faithlessness that comes from an unregenerate heart will end with you being cut off. Just as national Israel was not connected to the Root (Christ) and was cut off to be burned as dead branches so too the Gentiles who are dead (though corporately joined to God and feign to be Christians) are subject to the same end, being cast out. They were never saved and like Israel of old, fell "the severity of God" (Rom 11:22). Rom 11:25 For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of this secret -- that you may not be wise in your own conceits -- that hardness in part to Israel has happened till the fulness of the nations may come in; and so all Israel shall be saved, according as it has been written, 'There shall come forth out of Sion he who is delivering, and he shall turn away impiety from Jacob, Rom 11:27 and this to them is the covenant from Me, when I may take away their sins.'
Lastly, Paul wraps up the discussion of national Israel versus spiritual Israel. Though God has hardened national Israel and they remain spiritually blind and continue rejecting Christ, there remains the heavenly Israel that is the anti-type or reality. It is that Israel that Christ came to save, who are covenanted with God under the new covenant in Christ's blood and are those whom God will "take away their sins." (vs 27). Though national Israel rejected God, they were never those to whom the "Promise" was directed, it was to those whom God loved and covenanted before the world was created to save. The Jews's failure to receive their Messiah means God's rejection of them is a blessing to the Gentiles, for now they are grafted into Christ (the Olive Tree). When all the Gentiles who God the Father covenanted to redeem (and whom the Som died to redeem) have been brought into the Kingdom, then God's salvation program is complete. But again, a "partial hardening has happened to Israel" (Rom 11:25), and some are to join the heavenly Israel of God. Not all, not all of Israel. Paul has said already they are to be bowed down with sin always, spiritually blind and deaf, and be "vessels of wrath made for destruction" and "for dishonor" (Rom 9:22). But according to Election, God "prepared beforehand for glory" those "whom He also called" both Jew and Gentile, "If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant who will be saved" (Rom 9:28). Earthly Israel is not completely cut-off from salvation. But it is a small remnant of the whole (of Gentiles and Jews) that God will save. Under no circumstances should we envision that "all earthly Israel" will be saved. Then why does God say, "A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and so all Israel will be saved" (Rom 11:25)? "In this way all Israel will be saved." In what way? The Jews remain spiritually blind as a nation. Their hearts remain hardened in rebellion against Christ. Those Gentiles elected to salvation, before the world was formed, are brought into the Kingdom throughout the new covenant period. The Israel of God; redeemed Jew and Gentile, are "the children of the promise" who "are counted as seed" who like Isaac (a child of the Seed) God says "I have loved Isaac" (Rom 9:13). This heavenly Israel is loved by God and thus are those that God "will show mercy to" and "have compassion on" whom God "prepared beforehand for glory" (Rom 9:23) are the "remnant that will be saved (Rom 9:27). The Jews saved by God and the Gentiles saved by God, when all are brought into God's storehouse, then "all Israel will be saved." No, not national Israel. God is talking about the remnant from off the earth that God covenanted to redeem. When everyone Christ died to redeem (all those given Him by the Father to save) is regenerated to life by God's Spirit, then all of heavenly Israel, the New Jerusalem (not the dirty city in the Middle East) will have been saved. God's salvation program is completed. Therefore, there is no future glorious salvation for national Israel. There is no future where most of the world turns to Christ and becomes saved. Except for the remnant of Jews and Gentiles that God has determined to show compassion upon, we would all be likewise "vessels of wrath prepared for destruction" (Rom 9:22). We would all be under God's wrath and be subject to destruction like unto Sodom and Gomorrah which was destroyed by God. But God did give Earth a Seed (Christ is the Seed), that provided salvation to a remnant that is eternally the Israel of God. Rom 9:29 And as Isaiah foretold, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made to resemble Gomorrah.” Lastly, if you made it this far, there is no mysterious figure that will arise called "the man of sin." In the Cliff Notes version, God saves all His people Israel (not national Israel, heavenly Israel). Then as the salvation program concludes God tests the faithfulness of His churches (all churches you see on the street corners). Will the churches remain faithful to the end? It is the end times (the end period of these last days that began with Pentecost) and now the churches (just as ancient Israel also rebelled) begin to abandon God. Satan, who had been restrained from overthrowing God's people (so that the Gospel could go into all the world and His Elect be saved) is not released to attack the churches. They fall for Satan's lies and replace the word of God (The Bible) with the words of corrupt men. Satan gains ascendency, he rules in the churches through false christs, false prophets (declaring lies as truth), and lying teachers preaching a false gospel that cannot save. Thus, like ancient Israel, which listened to lying prophets, worshipped Baal, and rejected Yahweh, the new covenant churches find pleasure in wickedness (but think they are doing God's will just as Israel also believed). Just as the church in the wilderness fell and was destroyed by Babylon/Assyria (types of the dominion of Satan) likewise the end time church will be tested and fall and find on judgment day that they are being cast out. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no one deceive you in any way because it will not come until the apostasy has come first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, (4) who is opposed and self-exalted against everything called God, or object of worship, so that he sits as God in the sanctuary of God, putting himself forward as God. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-10 Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. (7) For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way. (8) Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and destroy by the manifestation of his coming; (9) even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (10) and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn't receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Mat 24:24 For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones. Mat 24:25 "Behold, I have told you beforehand. Before Christ returns at the end of the age, the modern churches will be filled with people claiming to belong to Christ, but who are deceived and are lawless ones. Satan will be ruling in the churches deceiving, and the "abomination of desolation" is now "standing in the holy place" (Mat 24: 15). The deception of Satan through sinful pastors/teachers/prophets includes lying "signs and wonders" of the Pentecostal/Charismatic affiliations to lead people astray from the truth. The Chosen or Elect are kept by God's indwelling Spirit and are not deluded into worshipping a false christ. They see the "deception of wickedness" because the Elect "love the truth." But not so for "those who are being lost" the vessels of wrath take over the church and stand ruling where they should not be. They are called "beasts" because they are like unreasoning animals set for the slaughter. Such will be the rotting carcasses of the church (now called a "great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immortality" (Rev 19:2). It will be inhabited by everything unclean "there is where the vultures gather together" (Mat 24:28). There is an idea that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, which means, that the modern church can never fall into rebellion. Not true. Yes, the Israel of God, redeemed by Christ, cannot fall into rebellion and perish. But corporately people sitting in pews (and pastors too) feigning to belong to God certainly can and will follow after Satan. Why wouldn't they, unless God the Holy Spirit restrains their desire for sin. Corporate Israel certainly rebelled despite plain warning from God and their house was left to them desolate because of their spiritual idolatry. It is easy for some to miss the apostasy in the churches today because of the lack of spiritual discernment. Most churches preach "peace and safety" not knowing their error and that "sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape" (1Th 5:3). Yes, the children of Satan will surround and conquer God's church and make it a synagogue of Satan. But God's Elect are "all children of Light and children of the day. We don't belong to the night, nor to darkness" (1Th 5:4). The modern churches have adopted Arminianism and semi-Pelagianism, they have lying signs and wonders which are the "spirits of demons performing signs (Rev 16:14), they have a social gospel, and have forbidden women and homosexual pastors. Their church leadership is asleep in the dark, blind leaders of the blind, for whom "the day of the Lord" will "come like a thief in the night" (1Th 5:2) because they are blind, not observing Christ, spiritually naked with their sins exposed in shame. But the Elect are not fooled, "Behold, I come like a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his clothes, so that he doesn't walk naked, and they see his shame." (Rev 16:15).
Lastly, Paul wraps up the discussion of national Israel versus spiritual Israel. Though God has hardened national Israel and they remain spiritually blind and continue rejecting Christ, there remains the heavenly Israel that is the anti-type or reality. It is that Israel that Christ came to save, who are covenanted with God under the new covenant in Christ's blood and are those whom God will "take away their sins." (vs 27). Though national Israel rejected God, they were never those to whom the "Promise" was directed, it was to those whom God loved and covenanted before the world was created to save. The Jews's failure to receive their Messiah means God's rejection of them is a blessing to the Gentiles, for now they are grafted into Christ (the Olive Tree). When all the Gentiles who God the Father covenanted to redeem (and whom the Som died to redeem) have been brought into the Kingdom, then God's salvation program is complete. But again, a "partial hardening has happened to Israel" (Rom 11:25), and some are to join the heavenly Israel of God. Not all, not all of Israel. Paul has said already they are to be bowed down with sin always, spiritually blind and deaf, and be "vessels of wrath made for destruction" and "for dishonor" (Rom 9:22). But according to Election, God "prepared beforehand for glory" those "whom He also called" both Jew and Gentile, "If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant who will be saved" (Rom 9:28). Earthly Israel is not completely cut-off from salvation. But it is a small remnant of the whole (of Gentiles and Jews) that God will save. Under no circumstances should we envision that "all earthly Israel" will be saved. Then why does God say, "A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and so all Israel will be saved" (Rom 11:25)? "In this way all Israel will be saved." In what way? The Jews remain spiritually blind as a nation. Their hearts remain hardened in rebellion against Christ. Those Gentiles elected to salvation, before the world was formed, are brought into the Kingdom throughout the new covenant period. The Israel of God; redeemed Jew and Gentile, are "the children of the promise" who "are counted as seed" who like Isaac (a child of the Seed) God says "I have loved Isaac" (Rom 9:13). This heavenly Israel is loved by God and thus are those that God "will show mercy to" and "have compassion on" whom God "prepared beforehand for glory" (Rom 9:23) are the "remnant that will be saved (Rom 9:27). The Jews saved by God and the Gentiles saved by God, when all are brought into God's storehouse, then "all Israel will be saved." No, not national Israel. God is talking about the remnant from off the earth that God covenanted to redeem. When everyone Christ died to redeem (all those given Him by the Father to save) is regenerated to life by God's Spirit, then all of heavenly Israel, the New Jerusalem (not the dirty city in the Middle East) will have been saved. God's salvation program is completed. Therefore, there is no future glorious salvation for national Israel. There is no future where most of the world turns to Christ and becomes saved. Except for the remnant of Jews and Gentiles that God has determined to show compassion upon, we would all be likewise "vessels of wrath prepared for destruction" (Rom 9:22). We would all be under God's wrath and be subject to destruction like unto Sodom and Gomorrah which was destroyed by God. But God did give Earth a Seed (Christ is the Seed), that provided salvation to a remnant that is eternally the Israel of God. Rom 9:29 And as Isaiah foretold, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made to resemble Gomorrah.” Lastly, if you made it this far, there is no mysterious figure that will arise called "the man of sin." In the Cliff Notes version, God saves all His people Israel (not national Israel, heavenly Israel). Then as the salvation program concludes God tests the faithfulness of His churches (all churches you see on the street corners). Will the churches remain faithful to the end? It is the end times (the end period of these last days that began with Pentecost) and now the churches (just as ancient Israel also rebelled) begin to abandon God. Satan, who had been restrained from overthrowing God's people (so that the Gospel could go into all the world and His Elect be saved) is not released to attack the churches. They fall for Satan's lies and replace the word of God (The Bible) with the words of corrupt men. Satan gains ascendency, he rules in the churches through false christs, false prophets (declaring lies as truth), and lying teachers preaching a false gospel that cannot save. Thus, like ancient Israel, which listened to lying prophets, worshipped Baal, and rejected Yahweh, the new covenant churches find pleasure in wickedness (but think they are doing God's will just as Israel also believed). Just as the church in the wilderness fell and was destroyed by Babylon/Assyria (types of the dominion of Satan) likewise the end time church will be tested and fall and find on judgment day that they are being cast out. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no one deceive you in any way because it will not come until the apostasy has come first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, (4) who is opposed and self-exalted against everything called God, or object of worship, so that he sits as God in the sanctuary of God, putting himself forward as God. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-10 Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. (7) For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way. (8) Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and destroy by the manifestation of his coming; (9) even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (10) and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn't receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Mat 24:24 For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones. Mat 24:25 "Behold, I have told you beforehand. Before Christ returns at the end of the age, the modern churches will be filled with people claiming to belong to Christ, but who are deceived and are lawless ones. Satan will be ruling in the churches deceiving, and the "abomination of desolation" is now "standing in the holy place" (Mat 24: 15). The deception of Satan through sinful pastors/teachers/prophets includes lying "signs and wonders" of the Pentecostal/Charismatic affiliations to lead people astray from the truth. The Chosen or Elect are kept by God's indwelling Spirit and are not deluded into worshipping a false christ. They see the "deception of wickedness" because the Elect "love the truth." But not so for "those who are being lost" the vessels of wrath take over the church and stand ruling where they should not be. They are called "beasts" because they are like unreasoning animals set for the slaughter. Such will be the rotting carcasses of the church (now called a "great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immortality" (Rev 19:2). It will be inhabited by everything unclean "there is where the vultures gather together" (Mat 24:28). There is an idea that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, which means, that the modern church can never fall into rebellion. Not true. Yes, the Israel of God, redeemed by Christ, cannot fall into rebellion and perish. But corporately people sitting in pews (and pastors too) feigning to belong to God certainly can and will follow after Satan. Why wouldn't they, unless God the Holy Spirit restrains their desire for sin. Corporate Israel certainly rebelled despite plain warning from God and their house was left to them desolate because of their spiritual idolatry. It is easy for some to miss the apostasy in the churches today because of the lack of spiritual discernment. Most churches preach "peace and safety" not knowing their error and that "sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape" (1Th 5:3). Yes, the children of Satan will surround and conquer God's church and make it a synagogue of Satan. But God's Elect are "all children of Light and children of the day. We don't belong to the night, nor to darkness" (1Th 5:4). The modern churches have adopted Arminianism and semi-Pelagianism, they have lying signs and wonders which are the "spirits of demons performing signs (Rev 16:14), they have a social gospel, and have forbidden women and homosexual pastors. Their church leadership is asleep in the dark, blind leaders of the blind, for whom "the day of the Lord" will "come like a thief in the night" (1Th 5:2) because they are blind, not observing Christ, spiritually naked with their sins exposed in shame. But the Elect are not fooled, "Behold, I come like a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his clothes, so that he doesn't walk naked, and they see his shame." (Rev 16:15).
Thanks for this brother. Honestly, we should stick to Scripture. The evangelisation of nations is an obvious fact, see Acts 3 19-25. I think imagining the new world is great if you don't read the Bible. I think either people's pain or their fear drives them to keep a little things close to them. Yet clearly the Bible mentions a resurrection, and that was the belief. Life being breathed into dry bones... I am glad a preacher says it's not just a disembodied realm, everything I read took me a while to realise that we do look at things with pagan minds. All the verses about God's creation convince me there are animals in God's kingdom even after all of wickedness is put away and churned up.
I would disagree with the chart on post-mil. I’ve been post-mil for a while and have never seen it charted as such. Instead it’s more like the optimistic amil chart. The church age is the success age although it obviously has to grow and improve over time. The one difference you could add is the overlap of the New Covenant and the Old covenant until 70AD when the Old finally comes to pass. It was a good job though!
Optimistic amillennialism is simply postmillennialism without a future golden age (of the Edwardsian/Puritan kind). And those who think they’re postmil, but do not hold to a future golden age, are not truly postmil, but optimistic amil. Some guys just want the title of postmil, but not the whole package. I’m a future golden age believer, but I’m Historic Premil all the way 😎
You are neglecting so many prophecies with such linear thinking, e.g. Isaiah 49:6 and dozens of prophecies regarding the Gathering of Jacob/ both Houses of Israel and those who are born from above. Why the double millennium/ 2,000-year wait, for example? (Hosea 6:2 and Luke 21:24).
Why have the man of lawlessness as one man , we often use singular man in representing all men or host of men . Modern man, prehistoric man , etc. this is the idea here because it says it works in them meaning more than one.
Jesus said like it was in the days of Noah and Sodom, that is how it be when he returns. Judgement, as you put it. Doesn’t sound like all the nations being saved to me.
@JudeStradtner It does not refer to Armageddon. This battle occurs _before_ Jesus returns and ends with Him destroying all the armies that are present. In Rev. 17:14 and Zech. 14, we are told that these armies will actually try to fight Him as He returns. At this point, the Millennium has still not started. That starts with Christ going to Jerusalem to finally inherit David's throne as Gabriel prophesies in Luk. 1.
The time of the church is rapidly coming to an end, the Gospel is not flooding the earth, look around and see. Read Thess. 1 & 2 and see that the early church believed in a rapture prior to the tribulation followed by the millennium and is supported by the rest of the Bible. Read Revelation and see that the tribulation encompasses the whole world and will not be mistaken or unknown by anyone when it occurs.
Not necessarily. It's just a shorthand way of talking about how much the impact of Christ's reign, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit in tandem with the gospel upon this present age, will transform secular affairs in accordance with the righteousness of God. I don't see those terms as ad hominem, even though some might perceive them that way.
@@jf1858 it’s admittedly very vague. At what point is one “optimistic”? Pastor Everhard seems to mark the delineation as how one views Romans 9-11 and the future conversion of a mass of Jews. Is that enough to be optimistic? Is anything less than that a failure to be optimistic?
Oh it's definitely 100% accurate. Completely informs your view of how this earth goes in the long run. The grand majority of people I meet who hold to premil views are either doom/gloom or apathetic (worse imo) when it comes to politics and the future. Their mindset is very often less than a generation out when it comes to building up successful Christian institutions because they think the church loses on earth. I know peoples outlook can vary but the pessimism vs optimism generalization is absurdly accurate and not just a name-call.
I am Historic Premil. So was John Gill, C.H. Spurgeon, and many of the Puritans (per Joel Beeke/Mark Jones Doctrine for Life). But I do so optimistically.
Please keep in mind, brother and sisters, the Lord Christ need not come in that final coming to resurrect the dead for Him to catch you as a thief. He may yet give His Church a visitation (as He has done in times past, even in 70 AD) and in such times the wicked are destroyed in one way or another (as He threatened to do to some of the seven churches in Revelation)
I struggle with this post mil and amil eschatology. It seems to eventually lead to full preterism. The fella who wrote Paradise Restored eventually went full preterist. And several others go that way too. I had to stop studying full preterism because it became very depressing to me. If the blessed hope is just to make this present world Paradise, through the “church”, and we are living in the new heavens and the new earth now…man, what a disaster. It was destructive to my mental health. I can’t live without hope of the resurrection and the physical and literal return of Christ. I’m still a Premil dispensationalist, it’s the only view that let’s me sleep at night. But I’m thankful for this video, helps clarify some things. It’s very VERY difficult to hear clear general explanation of amil and post mil… especially alone by myself. ( This is a good video Pastor Matt.
@@jerem0621 our hope is the return of Jesus, the resurrection, and a new Heaven and new earth. Anything less than that to me is not eschatology. Dispensationalism adds a lot to that scheme, but at least it doesn’t take away Jesus’ return.
I'm not a fan of the term 'optimistic' indescribing amillennialism. Amillennialists are very optimistic in the 'city of God', just not in the 'city of man'. Check out Dr Kim Riddlebarger's book on Amillenialism.
Matthew & Company, the Westminster divines were wise when they wrote, in 31.3, "All synods or councils since the apostles’ times, whether general or particular, may err, and many have erred; therefore they are not to be made the rule of faith or practice, but to be used as a help in both.". They, the divines, by implication, correctly acknowledged that their eschatological view may not be correct. Here are two eschatological thoughts, (1) Holy Scripture Teaches us that a true Jew is a person who trusts Jesus alone [Rom.2:28,29]; it is not a biological thing. No longer is there an Old Covenant Jew or Israelite or Benjaminite and so on; the Old was passing away in c. AD30-70 and ceased to be in 70. Therefore all this talk about a great in-gathering of Jews at a supposed end of time is a mis-understanding of Rom.9-11 in that, to say again, a Jew, a true Jew Is a Christian. Let's use an analogy. If i, today, say that i am a Bohemian; does that make me a Bohemian? Of course not. That nation has ceased to exist. I may say i am a Bohemian. I may feel like i am a Bohemian etc. but i can not be a Bohemian because that people group, that nation, that covenantal system no longer exists. By the way, please don't read into my analogy more than the simple point i intended to make. Thanks. (2) The new earth spoken of in the new heavens and new earth Passages [Isaiah 65 & 66 and Rev.21 & 22] is a metaphor for New Covenant livng, our present reality. People are getting saved on the new earth [Rev.22:2]. There is birth and death and sinners on the new earth [Isaiah 65:17ff]. Where a saint, today and evermore, goes at death, is the third heaven [2 Cor.12] and the new earth [Isaiah & Rev.] should not be equated with the third heaven. To reiterate, the Romans 9-11 Passages have been fulfilled in our past. Rev. 20 was the transition period from c. AD 30-70. We are now living in Rev. 21 & 22 which is a Jewish idiom for life in Christ, New Covenant living. By the way, the other big new heavens and new earth Passage, 2 Peter 3 was understood by John Lightfoot and John Owen metaphorically. They understood the ending of the old heavens and earth to be the ending of the Old Covenant way of relating to God, namely, typologically...Jesus Is The antitype!!! Thanks for listening. 🙂
@@NoMoreGatekeepers They didn't expect Jesus to return in their lifetimes, they recognized that they were in the end times, which is in line with Amillennialism.
Your view as well as the post millennial view leave out so many pertinent scripture that you put yourselves so far away from Christ, teaching another gospel and rendering yourselves delusional. If you do not believe the scriptures, the word of God Himself, then how can you ever be reasoned with?
One of the clearest explanations I have heard. This is what I most closely hold to.
Thank you for taking the time to share your video, it’s a very thoughtful take on eschatology that handles scripture carefully. I’ve never heard of Optimistic Amillennialism prior to your video and I currently lean towards historic premillennialism in large part because of the way other interpretations handle the restoration of Israel (Roms 9-11, Jer 31:31-37, Acts 1:6-7, Ezk 36-37 etc.), along with the Antichrist figure. Your view does not dismiss these scriptures or try to allegorize them, but effectively incorporates them. Very nicely done.
It’s stunning to me that Everhard doesn’t make a distinction between dispensational, premillennialism and historical premillennialism.
For much of my Christian life, I was what you might call a Classical Premillennialist. But, even then, I held to that belief very loosely.
But, I don't hold to any particular view anymore.
Jesus said he was coming back and to be alert and watchful. That's what I'm trying to do.
This was a very thought out and comprehensive explanation for optimistic amillennialism eschatology. I have never heard of such a view, it interests me explore this more.
Thank you so much brother for taking the time to make these videos. Many of them, and this one in particular, have been very edifying for me. This was such a clear explanation of the view of optimistic amillenialism. I look forward to some of your sermons on the subject.
I am a postmillennial, however I agree with Pastor Everhard's understanding of millennium.
This was well done. Thank you for, as others have said, that clear presentation.
I went from dispensational (Left Behind Theology) to Amillennialism fairly recently. This helps much!
As someone still figuring out their eschatology (currently wrestling between historic premillennial and amillennial; from here, it's any man's game 🙃), this is already proving extremely helpful. Always appreciate your videos! May our God bless you abundantly
I have found amillenial view of Church Age paired with premillenial view of time between Armageddon and Eternity to be very satisfying.
@@santtuhyytiainen
I haven't heard that one before. I would think that the a-millennial view of what the millennium means would negate any concept of a pre-millennial period at the end.
@erc9468 You've misunderstood me. In my view, amillenials are right about the realities of this age but they misslable it as the millenial reign of Christ. I hold the Millenium to be a thousand-year-reign of Christ and His saints on this Earth after He has defeted the Man of Lawlessness at Armageddon, ruling over all the nations, as is writen in the prophets and the Revelation.
@ About the fact that Revelation was written almost 2000 years ago and was going to happen "soon", "at hand" "at the door". Jesus said he would come in the life his disciples, MAtt 24:34, Matt 16:28-29, etc. many other places. This is a past event.
This is great. I have literally said recently that I am optimistically a mill. I like some parts of post mil but need to question others .
I have not watched yet but am starting right now. Can't wait!
Very helpful. I have been looking for a good explanation of Optimistic Amil.
I really liked the way you explained things. As a premillenial, I like that you guys use charts too.
One thing I would suggest is that you don't conflate dispensationalism with premillenialism. While dispeys are premil, not all premil are dispeys. I have found it easier to explain when I stick with pre, a-, and post-.
But I really liked the video and would love to use it in the future when I teach on end times views if possible.
I agree with your statement, and I myself say the same thing to others.
Love this! Thank you
I’m always wishing that anyone in the amillennial view would apply their viewpoint in revelation
Amil makes the most sense to me based on the text.
I appreciate this description of optimistic amil. Particularly the emphasis that it’s not all spiritualized, and that you include the material/physical resurrection into a new heavens and earth (Also real/material/physical), or what I’d describe as “the Eden that God wanted all along” to share with us.
John Murray referred to 'Optimistic Amillienialism' before the the term was coined, as 'Mild Postmillenialism' but the doctrines are equivalent.
Iain Murray in his book "The Puritan Hope" gave a good account of this view.
Many students wondered why Vol. II of Murray's commentary on Romans came out 6 years after Vol. I. It's because he changed from amil to postmil. The amil Robt. Reymond critiques his Romans nicely in his 1998 Systematics (Th. Nelson; rev'd ed. 2001).
I decided long ago that eschatology is far too precious to some people. I finally settled on the idea that two people sitting on a park bench arguing about the difference between their two viewpoints. Suddenly Christ appears to take his children home and both are pulled into the air and one says, “See!” But the key point is that both are taken. Eschatology is not the determining factor for salvation.
No but it opens our eyes. Mudflood was Armageddon, the golden is past, the earth is flat, 1,000 years have been covered up, we’re an orphan train remnant
Of course! It's tertiary but none the less worthy of thought since it works it's way into our practical manner of life.
It's not the determining factor, but God wants us to know and understand it or He would not have put it in scripture. It's a very important doctrine that will guide how you live as a believer, and in Revelation God promises a blessing to those who know it and study it.
Also eschatology has its roots in the OT going all the way back to Genesis and the beginning of the Hebrew people. It's the foundation to the covenants God made with Isreal that extend all the way till the end of the age and it affects the church.
@Yeshuite NO, the earth is not flat, and not one scripture supports that. I'm sure you'll pull up scripture, but unfortunately as I have found, it's scripture taken grossly out of context because the person trying to prove a flat earth by scripture, doesn't understand, hyperbole, figures if speech, symbols etc... It's a failure of understanding hermeneutics, a failure of understanding context.
@@mariosangermano love your confidence. Waters above and waters below and firmament are all just figures of speech. Don’t fall for the enlightenment, scientism Jesuit led Copernicus heliocentric model. We went to the moon too right?
Awe Matt.. PostMil guy right here. Thx for the amil review.
Excellent video. I’d say we amillennialists probably define the “success” of the Church differently than our Post-mil brothers. I think that we will succeed in the Great Commission in that we build the church and spread the gospel and church to every nation. I don’t think that the whole world will be Christian. We are still in a sin-tainted fallen world.
The prophets foretold that the Christ would subjugate all His enemies and they will be forced to be liars unto Him (that is, to feign obedience). Think about it, at the end of the day, no matter how wicked the world gets, we still keep track of time from Christ's birth, globally. Every American politician is forced to pay lip service to God and Christ.
I do think at the end of the day "the Lord one and His Name One" (as the prophet Zechariah foretold) will be the story where all the world knows the Name of Christ and will be forced to reverence it as supreme above all other gods (even though they do it out of fear and not out of love). And so Christ will have subdued every enemy under His feet--though they still remain enemies.
It was not too long ago when if you weren't a professing Christian (even the loosest sense of the word was better than none), no one wanted to do business with you...
Could I get a copy of your chart? Is it online somewhere?
Yes. I’d like a copy as well
Someone please let me know if this chart becomes available. Thanks in advance.
I'm an optimist that God will gather in all the elect that he chose from before the foundation of the world. Not one will be lost! However, I am also realistic that the opposition to Christ will also continue until the harvest of wheat and tares. The elect Jews will also come to fath but I don't see in Romans a mass conversion at the end.
^ agree
Great video. How about doing a video showing your pastor's office, books, etc.
I enjoyed your video. I tend to vacillate between Post Millennialism and Optimistic Amillennialism. I agreed with much of what you said. I laughed when you said that the Post Mils are too optimistic...
Happy Friday everyone
Amen. Thank you.
Great summary, sir. Very concise.
I read that G.I. Williamson coined the term, "Non-utopian Postmillenial." Thank you for this informative video.
I love you preacher! I am also in the PCA and a preacher of many years. While I am Amill (not optimistic), I suggest that you add to your Expanded Diagram, under the Return of Christ, the verse Matt.24.36 where Jesus stated that He (in His human nature) did not know, then, when He was returning (Date Unknown).
I look at you regularly. You are a blessing to the Church of Christ, in general, not only to the Presbyterian (PCA). SDG!
Excellent video. Thank you!
I didn't know optimistic Amil was an option, but that's totally what I am. I have previously said I was postmil but with amil leanings. 😂 thanks for giving me a label!
I love your explanation. I have been studying this topic for years and came to believe the amillenial view. While I agree with postmillenials on a lot of things, a lot of the difference came down to methodology. And it seems to me they are committing the same error first century Jews made in expecting an earthly conquering king. While I believe that is our future hope, the “already” of Christ’s kingdom is a spiritual kingdom.
Thank you for clearly explaining the differences. between you and J. Piper (I think Hist. Premil?) - super helpful. Your vlogs have always helped better my understandings, even if I don't 100% agree. To me, only Amillennialism fits with my understanding that the Bible is the infallible word of God and "All Scripture is God-breathed" 2 Tim 3:16(?). I also believe in the definitions provided in Galatians as the literal Word of God (if you know you know).
Eschatology is such a blind spot for Reformed Christianity.
There were many Puritans that were premillenial.
I'm an optimistic premillenialist. 😀
@anitasmith203 I like it.👍
Great job!
I came to Postmillenialism a few years back and was pretty cagey 😂
Now I think I lean more optimistic Amil but I’m not worrying about it too much.
I know I’m optimistic and absolutely reject Dispensationalism so that’s what really matters haha
thanks for a great explanation
Good job. This is appreciated.
Do you have a diagram of this amilleniallism chart ?
Well explained! I wonder if you could comment on the "preterist/idealist" framework in a future video?
Honest question for amillenialists: If you believe the 1,000 years described in scripture was intended to be interpreted symbolically, do you believe there are also other examples of specific units of time referring symbolically to some unspecific length of time? I asked AI and it came up with dumb answers like 40 days and nights referring to the Great Flood and Christ's period of fasting and like Christ rising from the dead on the third day.
1. Pastor Everhard at 0:48 - 1:25: "If you are Reformed, let's say you part of a Presbyterian church and you subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith, well, the Westminster Divines in the 1640s did something pretty wise and that is, when they wrote out their sections of the Confession, on the end times or eschatology, they wrote it in such a broad and skeletal way that multiple different perspectives could conceivably subscribe to the Confession. And so within Westminsterian doctrine, you do have those who hold to amillenilism, as well as those who hold to post-millenialism, and then there's people like me who are kind of in between and we call that optimistic amillenialism."
2. Pastor Everhard's detailed eschatological chart at 1:25-34 displays The Man of Lawlessness [2 Thess 2:3] who appears in between Many Jews Saved and the Judgement of the World.
3. Quoting from the Free Presbyterian Church of North America's webpage Westminster Confession of Faith (1647}:
A. The original text of 1646, from the manuscript of Cornelius Burges, Assessor to the Westminster Assembly, with the Assembly’s proof texts, as published in the modern critical edition of 1937 by S. W. Carruthers.
B. Chapter XXV. Of the Church. Article VI -
There is no other head of the Church, but the Lord Jesus Christ;(n) nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof; but is that Antichrist, THAT MAN OF SIN, and SON OF PERDITION, THAT EXALTETH HIMSELF, in the Church, against ALL THAT IS CALLED GOD.(o)
(n) Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22.
(o) Matt. 23:8, 9, 10; II Thess. 2:3, 4, 8, 9; Rev. 13:6.
[fpcna org /beliefs/wcf/]
4. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 (KJV):
1Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and THAT MAN OF SIN be revealed, THE SON OF PERDITION; who opposeth and EXALTETH HIMSELF above ALL THAT IS CALLED GOD, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
5. By comparing the identical capitalized portions of 2 Thessalonians 2: 3-4 with the WCF's Chapter 25, Article 6 and its footnote (o) referencing II Thess 2:3, isn't obvious that the Westminster Divines identified "the Pope of Rome ... that Antichrist" with "THAT MAN OF SIN ... SON OF PERDITION ... EXALTETH HIMSELF, (against/above) ALL THAT IS CALLED GOD"?
6. In this, the 17th century Westminster Divines were merely codifying in their Confession what already was the 16th century tradition of all the Protestant Reformers, including the major movement leading figures of Martin Luther (Lutheranism), John Calvin (Reformed), Thomas Cranmer (Church of England) and John Knox (Church of Scotland/Presbyterianism), which was to identify the Pope of Rome as the Antichrist in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, even though that Bible passage does not use the word 'Antichrist' as a name for "THAT MAN OF SIN ... SON OF PERDITION."
7. The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith's Chapter 26. Of The Church, Article 4 is identical to the WCF's Chapter 25, Article 6, but then adds "whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming" (Footnote 8: 2 Thessalonians 2:2-9), thereby confirming the Protestant Reformation tradition identifying the Pope of Rome as the Antichrist who Jesus Christ will destroy at His second coming. [1689 london baptist confession com/26/]
8. Pastor Everhard at 19:04 - 20:20: "We do need to mention the presence of antichrists and I say that plural on purpose, not by a slip of the tongue because that's what John teaches in 1 John, Chapter 2 ... [Verse 3: Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (KJV)] ... and so though we do not deny that there will be a person, the man of lawlessness to come, talk about that in just a moment, we don't deny that there will be a personal Antichrist with a capital 'A', but all the while we do see the repetition of anti-christic figures throughout the whole of the church age and even through the Millenium. OK? So there are, in fact, many antichrists and these can be religious leaders that are apostates or heretics that unfortunately take many souls with them to their destruction by their false teachings and heresies and such. And unfortunately from time to time does afflict the church though it does not cause to cease or destroy the church in any ... final sort of way. All right now, speaking of Antichrist, we do hold that there will be one personal Antichrist who is called the man of lawlessness and he's described in 2 Thessalonians Chapter Two."
9. Two questions for Pastor Everhard:
A. Since you concur with (1) the 16th century Protestant Reformers and (2) the 17th century Westminster Confession of Faith and 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith that 2 Thessalonians 2 equates "the man of lawlessness" with the "Antichrist", do you also concur with them that this "man of lawlessness", this "Antichrist" is "the Pope of Rome"?
B. Could you please list all or at least some of the major "anti-christic figures throughout the whole of the church age ... OK?"
10. And if the King James Bible was good enough for St. Paul and St. John ...
Matt: Do you have a printout of your chart that we might download? Thanks!
Agree and well done !
I see myself in Amil position, however, I am currently going through all the different views, and I have to say, this was interesting. I will definitely keep this in mind while I examine the views available. But I don’t think it will matter what we think, in the end, God is God, and I’m not.
Is there some way we could download a copy of that chart?
At what point does amillennialism see the beginning of the millennium? Is the beginning of the millennium the resurrection and ascension of Christ, or rather the destruction of Jerusalem?
Is there a link to the charts? Would love to use them. If not, is it ok to copy them?
I’m still waiting for Jesus to rule on earth like in heaven. That way no more having imperfect man run the earth.
That happens after he returns.
My premillenial view seems to be near identical with amillenialism. What makes me a premillenialist is that I reserve the term Millenium to the thousand-year-reign of Christ on this Earth between His Second Coming and the Eternity in the New Heavens and the New Earth.
Sounds like classical Premillenialism. While I'm in agreement with the O.P, you keep excellent company with C.H. Spurgeon, Robert Murray M'Cheyne, and Andrew Bonar.
Helpful!
A pdf copy of your lesson on this ?
I leave eschatology as a topic of interesting disucssion that we shoukd engage each other with but find that it results in needless hostility amongst the body.
I do find that one of the biggest weaknesses of Amillennialism is its lack of historical continuity with early Christian thought. The dominant eschatology of the first few centuries was Premillennialism, which taught that Christ would return before a literal thousand-year reign on Earth. Amillennialism only gained prominence with Origen’s allegorical interpretation and Augustine’s symbolic millennium in the 4th and 5th centuries. This shift away from a literal reading of prophecy suggests later theological development rather than original apostolic teaching.
Amillennialists interpret Revelation 20’s 1,000 years as symbolic, yet this contradicts Old Testament and New Testament prophecies describing Christ’s physical rule on Earth. Zechariah 14 speaks of His reign after standing on the Mount of Olives. Isaiah 11 describes a future kingdom of peace. Acts 1 records the disciples asking about Israel’s restoration, and Jesus does not dismiss their expectation. Revelation 20 explicitly states that those resurrected will reign with Christ for a thousand years. If prophecies about Christ’s first coming were fulfilled literally, there is no reason to spiritualize those about His second coming.
A major logical issue in Amillennialism is its claim that Satan is already bound (Revelation 20:2-3). If he is bound now, why does the New Testament repeatedly warn about his active deception? 1 Peter 5 calls him a “roaring lion” seeking to devour, and 2 Thessalonians 2 describes an end-times deception through the Antichrist. If Satan were truly bound and unable to deceive the nations, these warnings would be unnecessary. Premillennialism resolves this contradiction by teaching that Satan’s binding is a future event.
The greatest failure of Amillennialism and Postmillennialism is their inability to explain the modern re-establishment of Israel in 1948, something Premillennialists long anticipated. For centuries, non-Premillennial systems dismissed Israel as irrelevant, believing the Church had permanently replaced it. Yet prophecies in Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Zechariah explicitly describe Israel’s national restoration, which has now happened. This directly contradicts the Amillennial and Postmillennial frameworks, which had no expectation of Israel’s return.
Beyond Israel’s restoration, Premillennialism seems close to predicting two other key developments: Middle East peace negotiations and the potential rebuilding of the Third Temple. Daniel 9:27 describes a covenant involving Israel before the Tribulation, and today Saudi Arabia and Israel are actively working toward a peace agreement. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 states that the Antichrist will enter the temple and declare himself God, which presupposes a literal Third Temple. If serious plans for its construction emerge, Amillennialism and Postmillennialism will be left without an explanation, further weakening their credibility.
I would say I am a historical pre-millennialist
Pre, post, “a”, I don’t know. But when the Bible in several places in Revelation specifically says 1,000 years, I’m going to go with “God means what he says”.
He owns the cattle on a thousand hills.
Who owns the cattle on hill number 1,001?
(Many times in the bible "thousand" just means "a whole lot.")
Optimistic doesn't jide. It should just be standard. Those who get saved, get saved. Those who don't, don't.
What I find amusing about the amillennialist view is that you will say that Revelations 20 is not a literal "thousand" years, but then take everything else written in Revelation word-for-word. Which is it?
We take symbolic things symbolically in Revelation. If you look carefully, you'll notice that Rev 20 cannot follow Rev 19 chronologically anyway.
@catpocalypsenow8090 I get that there's a lot of symbolism in Revelation. All of John's writings have symbolism in them, including the Gospel of John. Like you said, Revelation is nonlinear. But what do you make of Revelation 20? Satan is bound during the church age? He's not free to deceive the nations? All of the people who were beheaded for Jesus are resurrected and reign with him now? Where's Jesus at? I don't see him ruling the Earth anywhere. Isn't he supposed to be in heaven now at the right hand of the father?
When Matt talks about an "optimistic" amillennialism, this is what I think of. Amillennialism, in general, is far too optimistic and raises more questions than answers. This is why I tend to lean more historic premillenial. It's what the original church fathers believed, and it's what I'm inclined to follow. I could be wrong. I'm open to learning more about other eschatological views, but this is what makes the most sense to me.
@toadster_strudel "What Find amusing about ..." Is just the wrong attitude and is unhelpful. Just saying.
@@ronv7995 you're right, I shouldn't have put it that way. It's just that Matt tends to be very black and white over issues like this. I wouldn't base my fellowship with other believers over something as unclear as eschatology.
@catpocalypsenow8090 It can if Rev 19 is understood as describing the judgment of Rome and not the second coming of Christ.
My parents are premillennial. My kids a postmillennial. Me? I’m just a millennial.
I’ll see myself out.
No… please stay and share more 😂
I’ve looked at things pretty closely to the way you’ve explained here (very well btw). I’ve considered the part of Rev 20 where Satan is “unchained” for a short time prior to the Coming of Christ as being the same time period as the “man of lawlessness.” All of the evil of that time is due to the evil one being allowed to “ deceive the nations” again (similar to how he was allowed to prior to his being bound at the cross. This may be parallel with other parts of Revelation referring to a time when the witness of the church is “overcome” such as when the Two Witnesses are killed for a time, the world rejoicing at their demise etc. Not sure if this is entirely correct but I lean in that way. I’ve come to believe there is a great need for humility and wisdom in trying to understand that book (as well as the rest of prophecy).
Review the image vision in Daniel. The stone/mountain, which is God’s kingdom, destroys the last ten-toes kingdom. It doesn’t rule along side them.
I thought the confessional view is that the Papacy "is" the antichrist of scripture, not just another antichrist? Great video.
The WCF has been modified through the years. The original, and the Second London Baptist Confession both state that 'the Pope of Rome ...is that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ...' both being Article XXV: Of The Church.
Later WCF versions say 'The Lord Jesus Christ is the only head of the Church, and the claim of any man to be the vicar of Christ and the head of the Church, is unscriptural, without warrant in fact, and is a usurpation dishonoring to the Lord Jesus Christ'. Does that help?
@@lionelscout I hold to the Unmodified Original, The Pope is, was, and, until the Final Coming of Christ at the End of the age, Will be, the Antichrist.
I am an optimistic Premillennial who agrees with John Gill view on Christ's spiritual reigning that will conquer the world after the beast system is destroyed. National Israel will be saved and agrees Edwards Optimistim before Christ comes and Rules on the earth
Garden-variety amils teach there's no discernable change in the spiritual condition of the world prior to the 2nd coming. I.e., Christ's reign over the nations undetectable.
How would optimistic amils distinguish themselves from this view from Scripture that is different from, say, a postmil?
Is there necessarily a general improvement (more and greater ups than downs)?
Can we please stop conflating Premillennialism with Dispensationalism? Historic Premillennialism far predates it.
Obviously it's pronounced "ah-millenial" - heresy!
Just kidding, great video as always Pastor Matt :)
I really enjoy your videos. However, on this topic the more I hear the different views on eschatology from different sources and try to determine which one is most faithful to Scripture rather than tradition I always end up in the camp of the Premillennialists. Many many more scriptures are either ignored or spiritualized in the Amillennial and Postmillenial view and it's very difficult to see any systematic connection between all the verses, OT and NT. Listening to a John MacArthur for instance, everything fits in a tight framework. I'm still listening to all the views but so far I have found the Premillennial view the most satisfying for it's ability to connect all the dots so to speak, for all the end time verses, without having to spiritualize or ignore many of them.
No one does charts like Clarence Larkin 😂
I don't know, have you seen a dispansationalist? Their charts go crazy
Optimistic Amil = Early onset Postmillennialism 😆
Agreed!
So optimistic amils believe God’s promises while pessimistic amils do not believe God’s promises of evangelism? That’s what I got out of it.
Amen
As a historic premil, I see very little practical difference between your view and my own. Mostly semantics. Either way, things will get bad for a short time and then Christ will come.
Two things. 1. Adding to the general confusion on the subject with yet another term, "optimistic amillennialism," is so unnecessary. 2. Your diagram on Postmillennialism (4:56) is unclear. The two different colored arrows on the left are confusing, as are the texts below. Postmillennialism is basically about everything on earth getting better and better. But that is made unclear in this diagram.
Thank you for any a very informative video. I'm amillennial and have learned from watching your video that I too am an optimistic amillennial as I also believe that the Jewish people will come to Christ in large numbers before Christ's final return. Many thanks.
I Agree with the Amil view that Christ has been reigning since His ascension, amidst His enemies (Psalm 110), and the last enemy to be destroyed in the Lake of Fire is death. I believe the church fled into the wilderness in the first century, and as you believe, have been in a state of persecution by the "beasts" in the wilderness, namely the Roman Empire in it's pagan then papal forms, for the last 2000 years. "Rome" is the fourth dreadful beast that Christ will destroy at His coming, which is how we know the "man of sin" is from Rome.
As the Reformers believed, I believe the succession of Popes of Rome fulfill the 2 Thessalonians 2 son of perdition, and we're not done with "him" yet, even though today's church has no idea who he is. They mostly believe that the man of sin is some mystery guy in the future. Yet they believe they won't have to worry much about him because they'll have been raptured.
As mentioned, I believe we are still in the wilderness and that we are now in Satan's little season where he is able to deceive the ethnos/nations again. How does he take them captive at his will? Through fear of (physical) death. Rev. 20:9 says (after Satan gathers his army) that they "compassed the camp of the saints about..." That's the clue that tells us we are still "camping" in the wilderness, surrounded by this last Romish beast.
As a historicist who believes that prophecy is simply our world history told in advanced, I believe it's important to consider the fact that if we, as Christians, don't know our world's history, we cannot understand prophecy.
With that said, there are some historicists who have made excellent headway in mapping out history as it relates to biblical prophecy. They have made solid arguments that point to the fact that we currently sit somewhere AFTER the 6th vial of God's wrath and are in the midst of the 7th.
If you look at Revelation 16:12, the drying up the Euphrates river is symbolic of the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1922, which gives us a timestamp for the ending of the 1000 year reign. Hence, Satan's little season. This is confirmed in Revelation 16, 19, & 20. I noticed those chapters on your chart, so I assume you've seen that correlation, too.
Knowing that the harlot Roman Catholic church serves the beast system, I believe it's prudent, based on church history, to assume that we will once again enter into an inquisition of those who will not join her. Look for big names to continue joining her. I also believe Trump will be used by the Vatican/Jesuit powers to play the (futurist) role of man of sin, further deceiving the nations, which will eventually wonder after the beast because they don't know his true identity. Just my 2 cents on the topic. I could be wrong, but I think I'm close.
I learned a new word today: "antichristic" ...nice😁
Doesn't matter which "mill" you are, if you believe in a future "second" (or "third") coming of Christ- it's not Biblical.
And so your hope is for what?
@@karlernstbuddenbrock371 My new life in the New Jerusalem/New Heavens and Earth/ New Covenant in Christ is my hope. I have eternal life because of his second coming, and salvation (Heb 9:28). What is your hope? Sure hope it isnt waiting for a second coming that will never happen again.
Full preterism
@ Amen!
Obviously, our understanding of the nature of the Millennium is by no means a salvation issue, but with that said, I do disagree with the Reformed understanding of the Millennium, as I do believe that Premillennialism is the natural reading and interpretation of the scriptures. It's not just Revelation 20:1-9 that I think clearly teaches this, but especially Zechariah 14, which seals the deal for me. From that passage, we read that the Lord's feet will stand on the Mount of Olives (Zec14:4), the Lord will be King over all the earth (Zec14:9), Jerusalem will be safely inhabited (Zec14:11), all the nations that are left will go up year by year to Jerusalem to worship the Lord on the feast of tabernacles (Zec14:16) and any that don't will be punished with no rain, including Egypt (Zec14:17-19) and the Lord's House or temple will be present (Zec14:20).
If that's not enough, let Isaiah 2:1-4 speak for itself:
"1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."
I struggle to reconcile all these passages with an a-mill or post-mill understanding. I'm in good keeping also, as the early church for the most part believed in Premillennialism, including the author of the Epistle of Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Victorinus, Hippolytus of Rome, etc. It was only later with people like Origen, Eusebius and Augustine, when Amillennialism became more prevalent, as they believed that passages like Revelation 20 should be spiritualised and not taken literally, which becomes too subjective at that point. The literal reading makes the most sense to me.
A couple of things . . .
When Jesus said in Matthew 24:2 "There will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down" He was not talking about the physical city. God cares about spiritual dynamics, not earthly ones. The Jews, Jerusalem, and Israel that were covenanted with God (based on keeping God's law) had come to an end. The Jews were corporately identified as belonging to God, being His bride, being His people, and as such receiving God's blessings and care. However, the old covenant was based on the Jews remaining obedient. If they went after other Gods and forsook Yahweh, which they did repeatedly, God would end them and they would be like any other nation of the earth. That is the background story: Israel's apostasy and God's rejection of them.
In ISa 50:1 and Jer 3:8, we find that God divorced Israel because "backsliding Israel had committed adultery" and Judah "she also went and played the prostitute" (Jer 3:8). Divorce was instituted by God under Moses so that when God's covenant bride Israel became adulterous (seeking other lovers) God could legally divorce her. Later, Jesus undid this law and returned it to its original state of no divorce for any cause.
1 Kings 9:6-7 But if you shall turn away from following me, you or your children, and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; (7) then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have made holy for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
Luke 19:44 is the fulfillment by God of His promise to end Israel as His people and to make them undistinguished on the earth. Why? Because they rejected Christ who came to deliver them from their bondage. Now Jerusalem, the city, was never laid even with the ground, not one stone upon another. That never happened. But Jesus spoke in spiritual ways about spiritual things (which carnal ears and eyes cannot perceive). Jerusalem with the Jews has no more standing with God. The city is not a "Holy City" because it is to remain in bondage and the children inside it (the Jews) are also remaining in captivity. Spiritual captivity.
Luk 19:44 And lay you low, and your children within you, and they shall not leave in you a stone upon a stone, because you did not know the time of your inspection.'
Recall that the slave woman Hagar represented a covenant according to the flesh. The free woman is in covenant with God according to the Promise (Messiah). The Jerusalem below (the Jews) corresponds by type to "the Jerusalem that now is" which is the Jews in rebellion against God. The other Jerusalem is heavenly corresponding to the free-woman according to God's salvation promise. If you are set free by Christ from captivity and bondage to sin then you belong to the heavenly Jerusalem and are among the "children of promise" (Gal 4:28).
Galatians 4:25-26 for this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and does correspond to the Jerusalem that now is, and is in servitude with her children, (26) and the Jerusalem above is the free-woman, which is mother of us all,
Gal 4:28 And we, brethren, as Isaac, are children of promise
Paul goes to great lengths to explain that "the children of the flesh" which are the "seed of Abraham" do not belong to Christ but rather it is "the children of the promise are reckoned for seed" (Rom 9:8). The Promise was never to corporate Israel as a nation. The promise of salvation is to the Israel of God, all those chosen for salvation before the foundation of the world. While heavenly Israel's namesake, earthly Israel, did not obtain salvation but because of their rebellion they were left spiritually hard, with dead eyes and ears and the gospel of Christ remains a "stumbling block" that will crush them. The Jews continue in spiritual darkness to this day "and their back do You always bow down" with sin.
Romans 11:7-10 What then? What Israel does seek after, this it did not obtain, and the chosen did obtain, and the rest were hardened, (8) according as it has been written, 'God gave to them a spirit of deep sleep, eyes not to see, and ears not to hear,' -- unto this very day, (9) and David says, 'Let their table become for a snare, and for a trap, and for a stumbling-block, and for a recompense to them; (10) let their eyes be darkened -- not to behold, and their back do You always bow down.'
Paul goes on to explain that this blindness that leaves the Jews out of the salvation picture and the Gentiles in, is not a complete hardening, meaning some Jews are part of God's Elect. Paul explains that both Jew and Gentile can be grafted into the Olive Tree (Christ) but a corporate grafting (as was the case under the old covenant with national Israel means that unbelief and faithlessness that comes from an unregenerate heart will end with you being cut off. Just as national Israel was not connected to the Root (Christ) and was cut off to be burned as dead branches so too the Gentiles who are dead (though corporately joined to God and feign to be Christians) are subject to the same end, being cast out. They were never saved and like Israel of old, fell "the severity of God" (Rom 11:22).
Rom 11:25 For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of this secret -- that you may not be wise in your own conceits -- that hardness in part to Israel has happened till the fulness of the nations may come in; and so all Israel shall be saved, according as it has been written, 'There shall come forth out of Sion he who is delivering, and he shall turn away impiety from Jacob,
Rom 11:27 and this to them is the covenant from Me, when I may take away their sins.'
Lastly, Paul wraps up the discussion of national Israel versus spiritual Israel. Though God has hardened national Israel and they remain spiritually blind and continue rejecting Christ, there remains the heavenly Israel that is the anti-type or reality. It is that Israel that Christ came to save, who are covenanted with God under the new covenant in Christ's blood and are those whom God will "take away their sins." (vs 27). Though national Israel rejected God, they were never those to whom the "Promise" was directed, it was to those whom God loved and covenanted before the world was created to save. The Jews's failure to receive their Messiah means God's rejection of them is a blessing to the Gentiles, for now they are grafted into Christ (the Olive Tree). When all the Gentiles who God the Father covenanted to redeem (and whom the Som died to redeem) have been brought into the Kingdom, then God's salvation program is complete.
But again, a "partial hardening has happened to Israel" (Rom 11:25), and some are to join the heavenly Israel of God. Not all, not all of Israel. Paul has said already they are to be bowed down with sin always, spiritually blind and deaf, and be "vessels of wrath made for destruction" and "for dishonor" (Rom 9:22). But according to Election, God "prepared beforehand for glory" those "whom He also called" both Jew and Gentile, "If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant who will be saved" (Rom 9:28). Earthly Israel is not completely cut-off from salvation. But it is a small remnant of the whole (of Gentiles and Jews) that God will save. Under no circumstances should we envision that "all earthly Israel" will be saved.
Then why does God say, "A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and so all Israel will be saved" (Rom 11:25)? "In this way all Israel will be saved." In what way? The Jews remain spiritually blind as a nation. Their hearts remain hardened in rebellion against Christ. Those Gentiles elected to salvation, before the world was formed, are brought into the Kingdom throughout the new covenant period. The Israel of God; redeemed Jew and Gentile, are "the children of the promise" who "are counted as seed" who like Isaac (a child of the Seed) God says "I have loved Isaac" (Rom 9:13). This heavenly Israel is loved by God and thus are those that God "will show mercy to" and "have compassion on" whom God "prepared beforehand for glory" (Rom 9:23) are the "remnant that will be saved (Rom 9:27).
The Jews saved by God and the Gentiles saved by God, when all are brought into God's storehouse, then "all Israel will be saved." No, not national Israel. God is talking about the remnant from off the earth that God covenanted to redeem. When everyone Christ died to redeem (all those given Him by the Father to save) is regenerated to life by God's Spirit, then all of heavenly Israel, the New Jerusalem (not the dirty city in the Middle East) will have been saved. God's salvation program is completed.
Therefore, there is no future glorious salvation for national Israel. There is no future where most of the world turns to Christ and becomes saved. Except for the remnant of Jews and Gentiles that God has determined to show compassion upon, we would all be likewise "vessels of wrath prepared for destruction" (Rom 9:22). We would all be under God's wrath and be subject to destruction like unto Sodom and Gomorrah which was destroyed by God. But God did give Earth a Seed (Christ is the Seed), that provided salvation to a remnant that is eternally the Israel of God.
Rom 9:29 And as Isaiah foretold, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made to resemble Gomorrah.”
Lastly, if you made it this far, there is no mysterious figure that will arise called "the man of sin." In the Cliff Notes version, God saves all His people Israel (not national Israel, heavenly Israel). Then as the salvation program concludes God tests the faithfulness of His churches (all churches you see on the street corners). Will the churches remain faithful to the end? It is the end times (the end period of these last days that began with Pentecost) and now the churches (just as ancient Israel also rebelled) begin to abandon God. Satan, who had been restrained from overthrowing God's people (so that the Gospel could go into all the world and His Elect be saved) is not released to attack the churches. They fall for Satan's lies and replace the word of God (The Bible) with the words of corrupt men. Satan gains ascendency, he rules in the churches through false christs, false prophets (declaring lies as truth), and lying teachers preaching a false gospel that cannot save. Thus, like ancient Israel, which listened to lying prophets, worshipped Baal, and rejected Yahweh, the new covenant churches find pleasure in wickedness (but think they are doing God's will just as Israel also believed). Just as the church in the wilderness fell and was destroyed by Babylon/Assyria (types of the dominion of Satan) likewise the end time church will be tested and fall and find on judgment day that they are being cast out.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no one deceive you in any way because it will not come until the apostasy has come first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, (4) who is opposed and self-exalted against everything called God, or object of worship, so that he sits as God in the sanctuary of God, putting himself forward as God.
2 Thessalonians 2:6-10 Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. (7) For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way. (8) Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and destroy by the manifestation of his coming; (9) even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (10) and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn't receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Mat 24:24 For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.
Mat 24:25 "Behold, I have told you beforehand.
Before Christ returns at the end of the age, the modern churches will be filled with people claiming to belong to Christ, but who are deceived and are lawless ones. Satan will be ruling in the churches deceiving, and the "abomination of desolation" is now "standing in the holy place" (Mat 24: 15). The deception of Satan through sinful pastors/teachers/prophets includes lying "signs and wonders" of the Pentecostal/Charismatic affiliations to lead people astray from the truth. The Chosen or Elect are kept by God's indwelling Spirit and are not deluded into worshipping a false christ. They see the "deception of wickedness" because the Elect "love the truth." But not so for "those who are being lost" the vessels of wrath take over the church and stand ruling where they should not be. They are called "beasts" because they are like unreasoning animals set for the slaughter. Such will be the rotting carcasses of the church (now called a "great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immortality" (Rev 19:2). It will be inhabited by everything unclean "there is where the vultures gather together" (Mat 24:28).
There is an idea that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, which means, that the modern church can never fall into rebellion. Not true. Yes, the Israel of God, redeemed by Christ, cannot fall into rebellion and perish. But corporately people sitting in pews (and pastors too) feigning to belong to God certainly can and will follow after Satan. Why wouldn't they, unless God the Holy Spirit restrains their desire for sin. Corporate Israel certainly rebelled despite plain warning from God and their house was left to them desolate because of their spiritual idolatry.
It is easy for some to miss the apostasy in the churches today because of the lack of spiritual discernment. Most churches preach "peace and safety" not knowing their error and that "sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape" (1Th 5:3). Yes, the children of Satan will surround and conquer God's church and make it a synagogue of Satan. But God's Elect are "all children of Light and children of the day. We don't belong to the night, nor to darkness" (1Th 5:4). The modern churches have adopted Arminianism and semi-Pelagianism, they have lying signs and wonders which are the "spirits of demons performing signs (Rev 16:14), they have a social gospel, and have forbidden women and homosexual pastors. Their church leadership is asleep in the dark, blind leaders of the blind, for whom "the day of the Lord" will "come like a thief in the night" (1Th 5:2) because they are blind, not observing Christ, spiritually naked with their sins exposed in shame. But the Elect are not fooled, "Behold, I come like a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his clothes, so that he doesn't walk naked, and they see his shame." (Rev 16:15).
Lastly, Paul wraps up the discussion of national Israel versus spiritual Israel. Though God has hardened national Israel and they remain spiritually blind and continue rejecting Christ, there remains the heavenly Israel that is the anti-type or reality. It is that Israel that Christ came to save, who are covenanted with God under the new covenant in Christ's blood and are those whom God will "take away their sins." (vs 27). Though national Israel rejected God, they were never those to whom the "Promise" was directed, it was to those whom God loved and covenanted before the world was created to save. The Jews's failure to receive their Messiah means God's rejection of them is a blessing to the Gentiles, for now they are grafted into Christ (the Olive Tree). When all the Gentiles who God the Father covenanted to redeem (and whom the Som died to redeem) have been brought into the Kingdom, then God's salvation program is complete.
But again, a "partial hardening has happened to Israel" (Rom 11:25), and some are to join the heavenly Israel of God. Not all, not all of Israel. Paul has said already they are to be bowed down with sin always, spiritually blind and deaf, and be "vessels of wrath made for destruction" and "for dishonor" (Rom 9:22). But according to Election, God "prepared beforehand for glory" those "whom He also called" both Jew and Gentile, "If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant who will be saved" (Rom 9:28). Earthly Israel is not completely cut-off from salvation. But it is a small remnant of the whole (of Gentiles and Jews) that God will save. Under no circumstances should we envision that "all earthly Israel" will be saved.
Then why does God say, "A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and so all Israel will be saved" (Rom 11:25)? "In this way all Israel will be saved." In what way? The Jews remain spiritually blind as a nation. Their hearts remain hardened in rebellion against Christ. Those Gentiles elected to salvation, before the world was formed, are brought into the Kingdom throughout the new covenant period. The Israel of God; redeemed Jew and Gentile, are "the children of the promise" who "are counted as seed" who like Isaac (a child of the Seed) God says "I have loved Isaac" (Rom 9:13). This heavenly Israel is loved by God and thus are those that God "will show mercy to" and "have compassion on" whom God "prepared beforehand for glory" (Rom 9:23) are the "remnant that will be saved (Rom 9:27).
The Jews saved by God and the Gentiles saved by God, when all are brought into God's storehouse, then "all Israel will be saved." No, not national Israel. God is talking about the remnant from off the earth that God covenanted to redeem. When everyone Christ died to redeem (all those given Him by the Father to save) is regenerated to life by God's Spirit, then all of heavenly Israel, the New Jerusalem (not the dirty city in the Middle East) will have been saved. God's salvation program is completed.
Therefore, there is no future glorious salvation for national Israel. There is no future where most of the world turns to Christ and becomes saved. Except for the remnant of Jews and Gentiles that God has determined to show compassion upon, we would all be likewise "vessels of wrath prepared for destruction" (Rom 9:22). We would all be under God's wrath and be subject to destruction like unto Sodom and Gomorrah which was destroyed by God. But God did give Earth a Seed (Christ is the Seed), that provided salvation to a remnant that is eternally the Israel of God.
Rom 9:29 And as Isaiah foretold, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made to resemble Gomorrah.”
Lastly, if you made it this far, there is no mysterious figure that will arise called "the man of sin." In the Cliff Notes version, God saves all His people Israel (not national Israel, heavenly Israel). Then as the salvation program concludes God tests the faithfulness of His churches (all churches you see on the street corners). Will the churches remain faithful to the end? It is the end times (the end period of these last days that began with Pentecost) and now the churches (just as ancient Israel also rebelled) begin to abandon God. Satan, who had been restrained from overthrowing God's people (so that the Gospel could go into all the world and His Elect be saved) is not released to attack the churches. They fall for Satan's lies and replace the word of God (The Bible) with the words of corrupt men. Satan gains ascendency, he rules in the churches through false christs, false prophets (declaring lies as truth), and lying teachers preaching a false gospel that cannot save. Thus, like ancient Israel, which listened to lying prophets, worshipped Baal, and rejected Yahweh, the new covenant churches find pleasure in wickedness (but think they are doing God's will just as Israel also believed). Just as the church in the wilderness fell and was destroyed by Babylon/Assyria (types of the dominion of Satan) likewise the end time church will be tested and fall and find on judgment day that they are being cast out.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no one deceive you in any way because it will not come until the apostasy has come first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, (4) who is opposed and self-exalted against everything called God, or object of worship, so that he sits as God in the sanctuary of God, putting himself forward as God.
2 Thessalonians 2:6-10 Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. (7) For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way. (8) Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and destroy by the manifestation of his coming; (9) even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (10) and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn't receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Mat 24:24 For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.
Mat 24:25 "Behold, I have told you beforehand.
Before Christ returns at the end of the age, the modern churches will be filled with people claiming to belong to Christ, but who are deceived and are lawless ones. Satan will be ruling in the churches deceiving, and the "abomination of desolation" is now "standing in the holy place" (Mat 24: 15). The deception of Satan through sinful pastors/teachers/prophets includes lying "signs and wonders" of the Pentecostal/Charismatic affiliations to lead people astray from the truth. The Chosen or Elect are kept by God's indwelling Spirit and are not deluded into worshipping a false christ. They see the "deception of wickedness" because the Elect "love the truth." But not so for "those who are being lost" the vessels of wrath take over the church and stand ruling where they should not be. They are called "beasts" because they are like unreasoning animals set for the slaughter. Such will be the rotting carcasses of the church (now called a "great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immortality" (Rev 19:2). It will be inhabited by everything unclean "there is where the vultures gather together" (Mat 24:28).
There is an idea that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, which means, that the modern church can never fall into rebellion. Not true. Yes, the Israel of God, redeemed by Christ, cannot fall into rebellion and perish. But corporately people sitting in pews (and pastors too) feigning to belong to God certainly can and will follow after Satan. Why wouldn't they, unless God the Holy Spirit restrains their desire for sin. Corporate Israel certainly rebelled despite plain warning from God and their house was left to them desolate because of their spiritual idolatry.
It is easy for some to miss the apostasy in the churches today because of the lack of spiritual discernment. Most churches preach "peace and safety" not knowing their error and that "sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape" (1Th 5:3). Yes, the children of Satan will surround and conquer God's church and make it a synagogue of Satan. But God's Elect are "all children of Light and children of the day. We don't belong to the night, nor to darkness" (1Th 5:4). The modern churches have adopted Arminianism and semi-Pelagianism, they have lying signs and wonders which are the "spirits of demons performing signs (Rev 16:14), they have a social gospel, and have forbidden women and homosexual pastors. Their church leadership is asleep in the dark, blind leaders of the blind, for whom "the day of the Lord" will "come like a thief in the night" (1Th 5:2) because they are blind, not observing Christ, spiritually naked with their sins exposed in shame. But the Elect are not fooled, "Behold, I come like a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his clothes, so that he doesn't walk naked, and they see his shame." (Rev 16:15).
No way I’m reading all that. Good grief
Thanks for this brother. Honestly, we should stick to Scripture. The evangelisation of nations is an obvious fact, see Acts 3 19-25. I think imagining the new world is great if you don't read the Bible. I think either people's pain or their fear drives them to keep a little things close to them. Yet clearly the Bible mentions a resurrection, and that was the belief. Life being breathed into dry bones...
I am glad a preacher says it's not just a disembodied realm, everything I read took me a while to realise that we do look at things with pagan minds. All the verses about God's creation convince me there are animals in God's kingdom even after all of wickedness is put away and churned up.
I would disagree with the chart on post-mil. I’ve been post-mil for a while and have never seen it charted as such. Instead it’s more like the optimistic amil chart. The church age is the success age although it obviously has to grow and improve over time. The one difference you could add is the overlap of the New Covenant and the Old covenant until 70AD when the Old finally comes to pass. It was a good job though!
Optimistic amillennialism is simply postmillennialism without a future golden age (of the Edwardsian/Puritan kind). And those who think they’re postmil, but do not hold to a future golden age, are not truly postmil, but optimistic amil. Some guys just want the title of postmil, but not the whole package.
I’m a future golden age believer, but I’m Historic Premil all the way 😎
No sound
You are neglecting so many prophecies with such linear thinking, e.g. Isaiah 49:6 and dozens of prophecies regarding the Gathering of Jacob/ both Houses of Israel and those who are born from above. Why the double millennium/ 2,000-year wait, for example? (Hosea 6:2 and Luke 21:24).
Jason Staples and Palmer Robertson have a more likely exegesis of Romans 11. Just two modern proponents of the more pessimistic view
These prophetic theories are hilarious. Very few professing Christians can define the gospel Christ came to earth to proclaim.
I'm one of those all of Israel meaning all of the elect whether they be jew or gentile people, yet I'm still optimistic lol
It took 24 minutes to say you don’t understand eschatology. Good grief… the state of modern evangelicals…
Why have the man of lawlessness as one man , we often use singular man in representing all men or host of men . Modern man, prehistoric man , etc. this is the idea here because it says it works in them meaning more than one.
Jesus said like it was in the days of Noah and Sodom, that is how it be when he returns. Judgement, as you put it. Doesn’t sound like all the nations being saved to me.
You seem to have left out Satan's Little Season (Revelation 20:3 ) , which we are told comes after the Millennial reign .
This probably refers to Armageddon but I could be wrong. I'm not very educated on eschatology, though I do hold to amillennialism.
@JudeStradtner It does not refer to Armageddon. This battle occurs _before_ Jesus returns and ends with Him destroying all the armies that are present. In Rev. 17:14 and Zech. 14, we are told that these armies will actually try to fight Him as He returns. At this point, the Millennium has still not started. That starts with Christ going to Jerusalem to finally inherit David's throne as Gabriel prophesies in Luk. 1.
@ I would strongly disagree with that
The time of the church is rapidly coming to an end, the Gospel is not flooding the earth, look around and see. Read Thess. 1 & 2 and see that the early church believed in a rapture prior to the tribulation followed by the millennium and is supported by the rest of the Bible. Read Revelation and see that the tribulation encompasses the whole world and will not be mistaken or unknown by anyone when it occurs.
The whole "optimistic-pessimistic" thing is just catch words used to try to make the other guy feel bad
Agree
Not necessarily. It's just a shorthand way of talking about how much the impact of Christ's reign, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit in tandem with the gospel upon this present age, will transform secular affairs in accordance with the righteousness of God.
I don't see those terms as ad hominem, even though some might perceive them that way.
@@jf1858 it’s admittedly very vague. At what point is one “optimistic”? Pastor Everhard seems to mark the delineation as how one views Romans 9-11 and the future conversion of a mass of Jews. Is that enough to be optimistic? Is anything less than that a failure to be optimistic?
@jf1858 nobody said "ad hominem"...
Oh it's definitely 100% accurate. Completely informs your view of how this earth goes in the long run. The grand majority of people I meet who hold to premil views are either doom/gloom or apathetic (worse imo) when it comes to politics and the future. Their mindset is very often less than a generation out when it comes to building up successful Christian institutions because they think the church loses on earth. I know peoples outlook can vary but the pessimism vs optimism generalization is absurdly accurate and not just a name-call.
I am Historic Premil. So was John Gill, C.H. Spurgeon, and many of the Puritans (per Joel Beeke/Mark Jones Doctrine for Life).
But I do so optimistically.
Pre mil and post mil are opposite errors but very closely connected
The Dispensationalist rapture is based on a false interpretation of Daniel 9:27.
Please keep in mind, brother and sisters, the Lord Christ need not come in that final coming to resurrect the dead for Him to catch you as a thief. He may yet give His Church a visitation (as He has done in times past, even in 70 AD) and in such times the wicked are destroyed in one way or another (as He threatened to do to some of the seven churches in Revelation)
I struggle with this post mil and amil eschatology.
It seems to eventually lead to full preterism. The fella who wrote Paradise Restored eventually went full preterist. And several others go that way too.
I had to stop studying full preterism because it became very depressing to me.
If the blessed hope is just to make this present world Paradise, through the “church”, and we are living in the new heavens and the new earth now…man, what a disaster. It was destructive to my mental health.
I can’t live without hope of the resurrection and the physical and literal return of Christ.
I’m still a Premil dispensationalist, it’s the only view that let’s me sleep at night.
But I’m thankful for this video, helps clarify some things.
It’s very VERY difficult to hear clear general explanation of amil and post mil… especially alone by myself. (
This is a good video Pastor Matt.
As an amillennialist I emphatically reject preterism
@ Nice. Many do not though. It’s a depressing view of scripture.
@@jerem0621 our hope is the return of Jesus, the resurrection, and a new Heaven and new earth. Anything less than that to me is not eschatology. Dispensationalism adds a lot to that scheme, but at least it doesn’t take away Jesus’ return.
Only the ones that truly get it go Full Preterist.
Thats very nice, it just isn't biblical
I'm not a fan of the term 'optimistic' indescribing amillennialism. Amillennialists are very optimistic in the 'city of God', just not in the 'city of man'. Check out Dr Kim Riddlebarger's book on Amillenialism.
Matthew & Company, the Westminster divines were wise when they wrote, in 31.3, "All synods or councils since the apostles’ times, whether general or particular, may err, and many have erred; therefore they are not to be made the rule of faith or practice, but to be used as a help in both.". They, the divines, by implication, correctly acknowledged that their eschatological view may not be correct.
Here are two eschatological thoughts, (1) Holy Scripture Teaches us that a true Jew is a person who trusts Jesus alone [Rom.2:28,29]; it is not a biological thing. No longer is there an Old Covenant Jew or Israelite or Benjaminite and so on; the Old was passing away in c. AD30-70 and ceased to be in 70. Therefore all this talk about a great in-gathering of Jews at a supposed end of time is a mis-understanding of Rom.9-11 in that, to say again, a Jew, a true Jew Is a Christian. Let's use an analogy. If i, today, say that i am a Bohemian; does that make me a Bohemian? Of course not. That nation has ceased to exist. I may say i am a Bohemian. I may feel like i am a Bohemian etc. but i can not be a Bohemian because that people group, that nation, that covenantal system no longer exists. By the way, please don't read into my analogy more than the simple point i intended to make. Thanks. (2) The new earth spoken of in the new heavens and new earth Passages [Isaiah 65 & 66 and Rev.21 & 22] is a metaphor for New Covenant livng, our present reality. People are getting saved on the new earth [Rev.22:2]. There is birth and death and sinners on the new earth [Isaiah 65:17ff]. Where a saint, today and evermore, goes at death, is the third heaven [2 Cor.12] and the new earth [Isaiah & Rev.] should not be equated with the third heaven. To reiterate, the Romans 9-11 Passages have been fulfilled in our past. Rev. 20 was the transition period from c. AD 30-70. We are now living in Rev. 21 & 22 which is a Jewish idiom for life in Christ, New Covenant living. By the way, the other big new heavens and new earth Passage, 2 Peter 3 was understood by John Lightfoot and John Owen metaphorically. They understood the ending of the old heavens and earth to be the ending of the Old Covenant way of relating to God, namely, typologically...Jesus Is The antitype!!!
Thanks for listening. 🙂
If Jesus is supposed to return now, why did the apostles expected it to happen in their generation? Were the inspired apostles mistaken?
Though they were inspired, they were not all-knowing. Jesus said only the Father knows.
@@AndrewHennenJesus was also very clear with time stamps.
>If Jesus is supposed to return now, why did the apostles expected it to happen in their generation?<
what Scripture do you have that says this?
@@NoMoreGatekeepers They didn't expect Jesus to return in their lifetimes, they recognized that they were in the end times, which is in line with Amillennialism.
@JudeStradtner @tomtemple69 Matthew 24:34 is straight from Jesus’ mouth.
Your view as well as the post millennial view leave out so many pertinent scripture that you put yourselves so far away from Christ, teaching another gospel and rendering yourselves delusional. If you do not believe the scriptures, the word of God Himself, then how can you ever be reasoned with?