Nowmillennial Dispensationalism: A Biblical Examination of the Millennium and the Kingdom of God

Nowmillenial Dispensationalism

A Biblical Examination of the Millennium and the Kingdom of God

Steve Urick

AuthorHouse™

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© 2009 Steve Urick. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 9/28/2009

ISBN: 978-1-4389-9993-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4670-5865-0 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2009907707

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

Contents

Preface

1

2

3

Appendix I:

Appendix II:

Appendix III:

Appendix IV:

Appendix V:

Appendix VI:

Epilogue

Glossary

Recommended Book List

(For Further Study

on Millennialism

and the Kingdom of God)

All Scripture quotes are taken from the Authorized King James Bible.

NOWMILLENNIAL DISPENSATIONALISM

First Edition

Copyright © 2000 by Steve Urick

Other paperbacks and

booklets by the author include:

Acts One Dispensationalism

The Fundamentals of the Christian Faith

Christian Discipleship and the Local Church

Evangelism and Christian Apologetics

Practical Christian Living

Major Cults and False World Religions

False Teachings and Divisive Movements

The Church in the Coming Great Tribulation

Signs of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ

and the End of the World

The Truth About Roman Catholicism

The False Gospel of Sacramental Salvation

The Person and Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ

Crash Course Training in One-on-One Evangelism

Copies and information can be obtained by contacting:

Gospel Press

P.O. Box 100092, Cudahy, WI 53110 U.S.A.

www.gospelpress.org

or check:

www.authorhouse.com

www.amazon.com

Nowmillenial Dispensationalism

is Part III in a prophecy trilogy.

Part I is titled:

Signs of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ

and the End of the World.

Part II is titled:

The Church in Coming Great Tribulation.

Life is short but eternity is forever.

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or

whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

1 Corinthians 10:31

"When they therefore were come together,

they asked of him, saying, Lord, will thou at this

time restore again the kingdom to Israel?"

Acts 1:6

Preface

The topic of the Millennium is an interesting and much pondered doctrine by many Christians. Questions concerning the reign of Christ in the future kingdom, its purpose, and its scriptural basis is especially scrutinized by students of Bible prophecy. Debates between premillennialism (pre: before; millennial: thousand-years) and amillennialism (a: no; millennial: thousand-years) are endless and much has already been written on the subject by many capable theologians. Of course, there are some Christians who don’t care much about the subject and like to call themselves panmillennialists because they figure it will all just pan out in the end. But that glib and simplistic attitude, though humorous, will never do for the serious student of eschatology (meaning the study of last things or future events in the Bible).

When I first began writing about the Rapture in Part II of this prophecy series, titled: The Church in the Coming Great Tribulation (which defends the posttribulational Rapture teaching), I was a staunch premillennialist for almost 21 years. I really did not start out to write about the Millennium at all. But as I studied the doctrine of the Day of the Lord, and compared Matthew 24-25 and 2 Peter 3:7-13, it became apparent that the premillennial view of Revelation 20 had trouble harmonizing with these other New Testament prophecies. After comparing scripture with scripture, I became convinced, according to the hermeneutical rule of first mention principle (tracing a word or phrase from its first mention to its last mention in the Bible), the bottomless pit that Satan is bound in (Rev. 20:1-3) is quite possibly the bottomless pit he will be let out of sometime during the 70th Week of Daniel, around its mid-point (Rev. 20:7 cf. 9:2-11; 11:3, 7; 13:1-5; 17:7, 8). Thus Satan, who is called the great red dragon (Rev. 12:3, 9) or the scarlet beast (17:3), is now bound during the Church Age until he is let out of prison at the end of the age for a little season (20:3). Hence, I became what I now call a nowmillennialist.

I chose that name because I believe amillennialism (meaning no millennium) is really a misnomer which wrongly implies there is no Millennium. As a result, many Bible students reject amillennialism when, in fact, its basic tenet is biblical. The truth is there is a millennial reign of Christ. But in all likelihood it is not the sort of millennial reign that premillennialists envision. Yet I remain a dispensationalist; that is, I believe God has been working out His divine plan down through human history, in various ages, and will continue to do so during the final 70th Week of Daniel, when God deals specifically with the nation of Israel, which includes the future Great Tribulation period of 42 months, just prior to the Second Advent of Christ to earth.

As a student of Bible prophecy I know what many Christians in the premillennialist camp are wondering and thinking. I also know many of the false interpretations made by traditional amillennialists who spiritualize away certain literal promises made to Israel in the Old Testament and apply them instead to the Church today. This book gives fresh insight and clear answers to questions that have many Christians confused or divided over the doctrine of the Millennium. It may even thread the needle between the two major camps. However, depending on one’s interpretation of the thousand years mentioned in Revelation 20:4-6, I know there will always be disagreements between Christians on the subject. Though the topic is important, it should not divide believers in that we separate from those who disagree with our own view (whether or not a church makes it a standard for orthodoxy or for congregational membership is another matter that its leaders must decide). Each side has its strong points.

In my opinion, there are only two possible millennial interpretations of Revelation 20—premillennialism and nowmillennialism (nowmillennialism is similar but not the same as traditional amillennialism, since it maintains certain dispensational distinctions between Israel and the Church). Since both views use literal interpretation methods, one must determine if Revelation 20 follows chronologically after chapter 19 (premillennialism) or whether Revelation 20 begins a new cycle and recapitulates (retraces) a sweeping look at the entire Church Age, from the defeat and binding of Satan at the Cross (or sometime afterwards), to the Second Coming of Christ at the end of the age (nowmillennialism). In coming to my conclusion, I did a lot of comparing of other clear passages of Scripture first before settling in on a final interpretation of Revelation 20.

But always remember, the Bible is the ultimate and final authority (not any man’s interpretation) because it alone is divinely inspired from cover to cover and is without error (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21). Like the noble Bereans that Paul commended in Acts 17:10-11, we must examine any and all teachings by God’s Word to determine if it is true or not. It is my prayer that this book will glorify God, edify and instruct the reader, and help promote true Christian unity, based on sound Bible doctrine.

[Note: If you do not have a clear understanding of Dispensational Theology, or the doctrine of the Day of the Lord, I recommend you read Appendix II in this book and read Part II of this prophecy trilogy: The Church in the Coming Great Tribulation.]

1

Tribulation, Wrath,

and Judgment Day

In Part II, The Church in the Coming Great Tribulation, I wrote about how the Rapture and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will come posttribulationally, as a thief in the night, immediately before the Day of the Lord’s wrath is poured out upon the world. Christians are told to WATCH and be sober and ready for that day, so it won’t take them by surprise (1 Thess. 5:2-6; 2 Pet. 3:10-14). Hence, the Rapture will not be a signless event that can happen at any moment. Jesus and Paul both gave us several clear signs that must occur before the Rapture will happen, such as the revealing of the man of sin (Antichrist) in a Jewish temple in Jerusalem, whom the Lord will destroy at His return (Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:3-8; Rev. 19:11-20), and the cosmic signs in the heavens at the end of the Tribulation (Matt. 24:29-31; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; Rev. 6:12-17; 11:15-20; 16:17-21). This means Christians should not expect to be immediately raptured, but captured and killed instead by the forces of Antichrist for a little season (42 months) before Christ returns at the end (Rev. 13:5-7, 15).

Now the question that arises is if Christians must go through the Tribulation, won’t they have to experience the wrath of God as well? The answer is two-fold:

First, divine wrath in the Bible is reserved for the enemies of God, not His people. (God is not out to punish His people, although there will be a sifting and purifying of the Church during that time of persecution). God’s wrath is coming upon all those who obey not the gospel of Christ, and turn their backs on God to practice wickedness, and walk after their own lusts (Jn. 3:36; Heb. 4:2-3; 2 Thess. 1:8; Jude 4-5; 15-19; Rev. 9:4). There are also specific judgments that are poured out upon only those who follow the Antichrist and receive his mark, such as scorpion-like creatures that torment men, painful sores, scorching heat, fire and brimstone, etc. (cp. Rev. 9:4-5; 14:9-10; 16:2, 8; 19:19-21).

Second, Jesus and Paul never promised that Christians would be exempt from all of the effects of the Great Tribulation, but they are exempt from the Day of the Lord’s wrath, which is a separate event from the Tribulation that comes immediately afterwards, when the cosmic signs in the heavens occur, and the surviving Christians are then raptured; that is, caught up to meet the Lord Jesus in the air (Matt. 24:29-31; 1 Thess. 4:16-17). Jesus said unless those days be shortened, there would be no one left alive to be saved, but FOR THE ELECT’S SAKE those days will be shortened (Matt. 24:22). Just as in any wartime situation, Christians are not exempt from being maimed, tortured, and brutally killed. So it will be during the Great Tribulation.

Three Final Judgments

The Bible teaches that mankind has sinned against a holy God and is therefore headed for judgment. As a result, God is going to judge in various ways. There are three main judgments listed in the Bible:

1. The Judgment (Bema) Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10).

2. The Judgment of the Nations (Matthew 25:31-46).

3. The Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).

Premillennialists (from the classic dispensationalist camp) say all three judgments are different and separate, each one having different people present, at different times and different places. The judgment of the living nations will happen at the Second Coming of Christ, and the Great White Throne Judgment (of the dead) one thousand years later.

Amillennialists say all three judgments are one and the same. They say when the Lord Jesus returns at the end of the age all the dead (saved and unsaved) will be raised together and judged at the same time. Some will enter into eternal life (and the kingdom of God) and the rest will depart into eternal damnation in hell. In short, we all enter into the eternal state immediately at Christ’s return.

In amillennial and premillennial, post-trib rapture camps, the Judgment Seat of Christ is seen as happening on earth at the posttribulational Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In the pre and mid-trib rapture camps, the Judgment Seat of Christ is seen as being only for