A Study of Eschatology

Revelation 20: 1-10

Mankind has longed in his soul for an age in time when peace, prosperity and perfection would be the plan of every day. The 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ on the earth that happens directly after the time of the Tribulation will be such a time.

There this this one remaining event to deal with as the LORD Jesus sets up His Reign as KING of kings and LORD of lords. He will have Satan placed in prison. The prison is called the “bottomless pit” or the “abyss” and it is not identified as a specific local, nor is it the lake of fire where the beast and false prophet are. An angel who has the key to this place also has more power that Satan as He is able to over power the devil and place him in chains.

There are not many people who have not heard the lyrics to the hymn – Joy to the World, by Isaac Watts. But there may even be some of us that do not know that the song fits the Second Advent of Christ during the Millennium better than it does His First Advent. Let's take a look at the song. It will be only during the Millennium that these words will find complete fulfillment. And during the Millennium we will witness this truth – first hand since we will be in the first resurrection. It just may be that this song or one similar to it will be sung.

Evidence of a New Dispensation – Revelation 20:1-6

This portion of scripture is the only text which is explicit in explaining that our LORD's earthly reign will last for 1,000 years. This fact however does not mean that only church age believers; believe this. Early church fathers who were taught by Jewish dispensationalist, from the Torah and from the Old Testament, such as; Justin Martyr and Irenaeus calculated that the earthly reign of Messiah would be for a 1,000 years. C.I Scofield in his study of dispensationalism pulls from the Old Testament many passages that prophets spoke of regarding this period of time. Psalm 72:1-20; Isaiah 9:6-7; 11:1-9; 24:22-23; 30:15-33; 35:1-10; 44:1-28; 49:1-26; 65:17-25; Micah 4:1-4, Matthew 25: 31-32 and 1 Corinthians 15:24-28.

There are Three Views

The history of the church will show that there are three views that seek popularity concerning the Millennium. These are:

1. Post-millennialism is an invention by Unitarian minister Daniel Whitby around 1750AD. He taught that the church would bring about the Millennial Reign of Christ through the preaching of the Gospel. He taught that as more people became converted that when the correct number was reached than Christ would come down and set up His Reign. This view gain popularity, but by World War One it became abundantly clear that the world was not getting better but worse. Then when World War Two broke out, this teaching all but vanished. In recent years thought this view is regaining a small revival.

2. A-millennialism teaches that a literal 1,000 years is not promised as the reign of Christ. Instead it is the church that inherits the blessings associated with the millennium and that Christ remains in heaven and reigns through the church right this very moment through an allegorized millennium. This view was developed by Augustine in the fourth century and remains a common view in many “reformed churches”

3. Pre-millennialism, this is the oldest view of the three and holds that Christ will physically return to earth to put down His enemies and reign over the earth for a literal 1,000 year length of time. This view is found in writings of the early church fathers and remains the most common view among evangelicals.

A Look at the Millennial Need:

We live in a world of mixed humanistic views, mixed religion and a condition of extreme evil. One could think that God has given ample time for Satan to see the tragic results of His rebellion. We could also conclude that man left alone to himself cannot improve on what God has completed by creation. So why not just be done with the whole event of time and move on to our eternal estate? There may be more reasons why there is going to be a millennium, but here are four to think about.

1. There are many promises in the Word of God that provide for “reward” to the people of God for faithful service. Isaiah 40:10, Matthew 5:12, 16:27 and 25:34; Colossians 3:24; and Revelation 22:12. These promises are completed in the Millennium.

2. The disciple's prayer or better known as the LORD's prayer states clearly that there is a Kingdom to come to the earth, Matthew 6 and Luke 11. This is not the same kingdom of when the LORD Jesus reigns in the heart of believers (as it is now), but a future kingdom when the lion will graze in the field like the cow. Isaiah 11:1-9.

3. The Millennial kingdom will redeem Creation from the curse. Romans 8 describes this time when God will relieve the curse. At this present time the animals, all vegetation and all of the elements of the earth mourn.

4. The most critical reason I believe is that the depravity of mankind and the necessity of the crucifixion of the LORD Jesus Christ will be understood. The Millennial reign of Christ will answer the question. What mankind have fallen into sin if Satan would not have caused Adam and Eve to reject the promises of God?

The Millennium will be a time of peace, prosperity, purity, perpetual health and personal joy. All of these promises are for the people of earth to have, and all of these things we have for a shortened period of time, but during the millennial years these qualities of life will be extended to what God had intended in the beginning. You may recall that in the beginning and before sin and the depravity of mankind gained such a grip on the world that people lived nearly 1,000 years. We want to believe that this time was odd or strange, we even look at the millennial in the same light – strange. But this is not strange to God, He lives forever. Scriptural references. Micah 4:2-3; Isaiah 11:6-9; Isaiah 25:9, 66:23; Isaiah 35; Zechariah 13:2; Isaiah 65:20; Isaiah 9:3-4;12:3; 14:7-8; 25:8-9; 30:29; 42:1 and verses 10-12. Jesus will literally reign during this time, but we can determine from passages like Jeremiah 30:9, Ezekiel 34:23 and Hosea 3:5 that David in His glorified resurrected being, will serve as the LORD's vice-regent.

Papa “J” Says

How obedient is obedient? Like all of us, we have been looking up at the “Big Dipper” or the “moon”, even the “sun”. Like all of us! I've never seen one of these “Creations” ignore the Creator. This is when obedience turns into - “True Worship” Luke 19:38-40

The Devotional

I don't know much, but I am pondering this most everyday. Are you not just a little tired of all of the “drug” commercials? If you watch any local, ABC, NBC, CBS or other commercial infested television station, you will find that nearly every commercial break is loaded with “drug” commercials. Many of these potent pills will work to correct a condition, but often will do more harm than good while attacking other parts of the body and mind makeup. My answer to health care insurance is to flush all of these pharmaceutical companies and the pills produced by them, down the toilet. This would save billions of dollars! Also doctors would do corrective medical practices rather than offering a drug that may help one area of illness, while causing another problem and then offers another pill to neutralize that problem. This seems to me be the route cause of many medical issues these days. WE ARE SIMPLY – OVER MEDICATED! Then after over drugging; when we cannot stand or walk any more, we allow state run programs to buy us motorized wheel chairs to get around. What are we doing to ourselves? Well for one thing we are buying into a system that has a drug recipe for everything. The Word of God calls this sorcery. Galatians 5:20, the Greek word is pharmakeia. And this folks is where we get our word today for pharmaceutical. Maybe I should go to the doctor, I think I need something for my condition of “wrathful outbursts” Nah! The fruit of the Spirit works better and lasts longer than the average daily pill. This is not to say that we should dump all of our medications, but we do need to be very selective about the things we so willing shove down our throats these days.

1 Corinthians 9

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 Where is our servants attitude today? Should we look for this attribute in our church leaders only? The apostle states clearly that he is free from all, what does he mean by this? Actually to be free from all is to be a servant of all and when we allow God to teach us this amazing characteristic we will be free from the law to serve those still under the law and those outside the law.

Now I know that sounds like a lot of double talk, but think this through. If you serve a person in accordance with the standard that the apostle uses here, then you are not obligated to do any more. Your service is complete because you have gone beyond those who are under the law and those who are outside the law. Truly this is the pathway of mercy and grace.

This is why the gospel of Jesus Christ is so confusing these days. We preach mercy and grace and we destroy the message because we believe we are better than this nationality, or smarter than this culture, or stronger than that poor individual next to us. We fail because we are not all things to all people. We are losing the battle of serving all for the sake of Christ and His Gospel.

Papa J says

Do not look at work as a chore, or pace the floor over what to do next. All things like this are the labors of 
evil. Look to the LORD, He always knows the next step will establish your thoughts. Proverbs 16:3

The Devotional

How often we do things that offend people, mostly this is not intentional; at least I am supposing this to be true. I remember a time when I was released from active duty after four years in the Navy. I went to work in a factory as a shipper and receiver and was pals with an older man who was the company’s rigger. The company made boat parts and many of the items that were made were required to be tested and this was the primary responsibility of this man. I did not get along with people and he sort of took me aside and taught me that life was more than what I was putting into it. He kept me out of trouble and in all of this watch care. He never looked for a reward. Over a year ago I spent some time sharing in one of these emails a little more detail about him and someone asked me if he was a believer in Christ. I do not know, I was not a believer at the time, but I thought even then that he was a different sort. He lived alone, worked hard and had a dog that he often talked about. Sometime after I returned to the Navy, I heard that he was out walking his dog one evening and was killed by someone who hit the two with their automobile. He had a life, he had income and he had his entertainment. I asked him once to go have a beer with me, his reply was. “No thanks Jesse, life is more than having a beer” In those days I never understood what he meant, but today as God has permitted I believe that my friend meant that life is about caring and sharing even when the reward is not there, sometimes the reward is just another offensive statement by someone who doesn’t understand.

1 Corinthians 9

1 Corinthians 9:1-18 Knowing who we are in Christ is a good thing and it is not that others do not know as well. But I believe like the apostle here that many people offend because of ignorance, but there are a few who; because of jealousy, or pride, or indifference ignore their responsibility to reward the care giver. I also believe that the apostle is focused on these who are knowingly ignorant, rather than the ones who are not mature enough to recognize the results of their actions.

The Corinthian church is like many churches today. Pastors look to the congregation to support the work of the ministry. While looking they support their wives, raise their children and sometimes cry out to God to meet the pending need, what ever it may be. To be expected many men who preach the gospel leave the ministry or take part time employment. All seem to struggle as the church matures over the understanding full stewardship.

All of this is part of full time ministry and woe is the one who does not preach the gospel because of a lack of support. Godly men will go on and preach even when the tools of an equipping team are not present. The reward is always to preach the word of God, in season and out of season and be ready to give a reasonable defense, for there is a time approaching when people will not have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. 2 Timothy 4:2.

The Devotional

Papa J's rules for Livin #170

Do you find it strange, like I do, that when you know the local authority is corrupt and a law is breached; their judgment of our action seems justified. Proverbs 16:10-12

The world around us does not have a right standard to live by. Oh, there is the Constitution, but have you noticed how it is always under the attack of people who claim that the Constitution is in need of repair. Yes, we do have a pillar of how to live free, how to have liberty, how to experience justice and how to pursue peace within the nation and around the our borders. This pillar of righteousness and justice though is not a stand alone pillar that operates in a vacuum. In the early sixties our schools fell to secular humanism. Prayer and the Bible were told to take a sabbatical from the everyday influence it had in our public schools. Then, as our young people were molded into this influence and became adults we took another step. The separation of church and state. More and more people are being educated with curricula that is full of secular achievement. So some might ask, “what does secular mean”? The Webster Dictionary defines the word in this manner. “Not religious, not connected to the church.” The word secularize, takes the thought one step further; “to change from religious to civil control” After swooning our nation away from the pillar of Creation, the pillar of Marriage, the pillar of Family and the Pillar on Nationalism, we have become a nation without THE KING. JUDGES 21:25. I would conclude that this “Post Modern Secularist” condition is an evil that wears the same clothing of a religion that is rapidly gaining control of our schools, our government and our freedom. God is not willing that any of these so called religious or non-religious (view) perish. But God is also unwilling that we should give up those pillars that protect and support the pillar of the Constitution of the United States of America.

1 Corinthians 8

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Now we may be thinking. What has all of the above have to do with this chapter in First Corinthians? I am glad you are thinking! Idolatry is adultery to God as we just looked at this in 1 Corinthians 6:9 and if you do a word search in the Old Testament on the two words you will see that God alone is to be worshiped, thus those who worship idols are committing adultery.

When we say that to be secularist or religious positions can be tolerated we are actually agreeing with these positions of idolatry and God is not please. As believers in Jesus Christ we should not be knowingly ignorant of our responsibility to offend the conscience of people, that would include our own conscience. In other words we must be kind and tenderhearted. Philippians 2:15 and Matthew 5:15-16.

Then, of course if a person will be led to Christ by our desire to be led by the power of the Holy Spirit, we must be further willing to be led by the Spirit and not offend these weak babes in Christ by actions that cause them to stumble. Yes we have liberty, but for the sake of Christ and offending the conscience of others, we must be willing to accept those cultural obstacles that always seem to be there. God will direct the path for each of us to take, even when the path is obscure with stumbling blocks. Proverbs 16:9.

The Devotional

Papa J's rules for Livin #169

You have heard it said; That there is a time and place for everything under the sun. But there is a better place where time ceases to exist! Revelation 21:22-27

When fighting fires it is good to have singleness of mind. Your mind cannot be distracted by by letting fear control you and you cannot focus on things that are not essential to safety. Your mind and thinking must be clear. Any distraction can be deadly or harmful to you or those around you. Before I became qualified as a firefighter and I think it was the first very big fire that I went to, a barn was burning and I was assigned to the outside in a wooded area to knock down any fire that threatened to catch the woods on fire. Several trees were burning and a team of about five of us were moving from tree to tree. The problem was is that we were in the path of the fire because of being downwind. Tree after tree lit up and our radio communication was not working. I was sent to get more help and as I moved closer to the burning barn the smoke became so intense that I could not see. Since I did not have an air pack my breathing became labored and I felt the panic gaining control in my mind. I thought about running, that would be a mistake, keep calm I said to myself. Then I said, someone else should be doing this not me. Maybe that younger guy who doesn't have a wife, he should have done this, not me! I even thought I was going to die and about that time, someone's hand grabbed hold of my bunker coat and pulled me out of the smoke. Clear fresh air was just a foot or two away. At least two problems are evident here. One; I was not qualified to be where I was. Two; I was distracted in my mind from the existing danger.

1 Corinthians 7

1 Corinthians 7:25-40 Many pastors avoid passages like the one we are in, or they pick and choose the topics that are less of a struggle to share. If I were ever critical over this, I take it all back. These are most difficult. Not because of the tough spots of interpretation, but because of the personal areas that are touched on by the apostle Paul. And what makes things even more difficult is that at the end of the chapter, he says, almost as an afterthought, “Oh, by the way – I think I also have the backing of the Spirit of God in this.”

The apostle is very bold about having singleness of mind in serving God in that the distractions of the everyday world will take us from a fully devoted, personal relationship with the LORD. I am sure he is correct and if you have been saved for any length of the time you know this is true as well. So, I believe that the one thing on Paul's heart is not legalism as some have suggested, but stewardship. If I compartmentalize my relationship to the LORD, I will never find the time to serve Him as I should.

Having concerns for a wife or a virgin, of being married or unmarried, of devotion to duty or devotion to the LORD, of pleasing the spouse or the LORD. All of these are issues of life, and there are many that separate us from the singleness of mind that we should have with Jesus our LORD. If we fail to put Christ first in our life, the distractions of life will overcome us. But as we should all know that if we sanctify Christ as LORD in heart first, then our suffering through these issues of life will be in the right spiritual perspective that God has ordained for all of us. 1 Peter 3:13-17.