P2 Interpreting Revelation 20:1-10 - The Amillennial approach and a Premillennial response

Revelation 20:4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Introduction:
Yesterday we began looking at some of the interpretive issues the lie with the study of Revelation 20.  We explored the commonly held areas of agreement and discovered that there is far more agreement on the latter part (20:11-15) than there is on the first part (20:1-10).  In narrowing our focus to Revelation 20:1-10, we briefly listed and explain four prevailing interpretive positions on Revelation 20:1-10:
1. Classical Premillennialism
2. Dispensational Premillennialism
3. Amillennialism
4. Postmillennialism

Today we want to feature the Amillennial position and consider a Premillennial response in how Amillennialists typically outline and interpret revelation 20:1-10.

How Amillennialism handles Revelation 20:1-10
First of all let me place a chart depicting the Amillennialist position for the reader's reference:1


The reader will notice no reference to a literal millennium in the chart - hence the name "a" (meaning no) and "millennium" (meaning 1,000 years).  Amillennialists deny a literal, future 1,000 year earthly phase to Christ's kingdom and instead state that His Kingdom is totally spiritual and totally now.  Excellent Bible teachers and pastors, present and past, such as Baptists Dr. Sam Storms and Dr. Hershel Hobbs and Presbyterians like Dr. A.A Hodge and Dr. Sinclair Furgenson are articulate holders of the Amillennial position.  In comments such as their's on Revelation 20:1-10, we can note the following features of the Amillennial position on Revelation 20:1-10:

1. Revelation 20:1-6 refers to the conversion of believers and resurrection of the human spirit in this current age.  Many Amillennialist cite Jesus' statements in John 5:24-28 in His references to describing salvation in terms of a spiritual resurrection or regeneration from spiritual death, followed by what will indeed be a literal resurrection. 

2. Revelation 20:7-10 deals with Christ's spiritual reign in heaven, a reign that began upon His ascension into heaven and which will conclude upon His return to this earth to raise the dead, judge sinners and usher in the eternal state.

3. The number "1,000" is a symbolic number referring to a general period of time, as evidenced in passages such as Psalm 90:4 "a thousand years are as a day unto the Lord". 

4. Amillennialists typically treat Revelation 20:11-15 as referring to the final physical resurrection of both the righteous and unrighteous together, with the first resurrection referring to salvation and the second resurrection referring to physical resurrection. 

5. In Dr. Timothy Paul Jones overview of eschatology or endtime events, he notes the following strength of Amillennialism: "Satan is already bound, and the saints are already reigning! That's how amillennialists see what God accomplished through the work of Jesus on earth. Because Jesus has been "lifted up" on the cross, Satan has already been cast down" (John 12:31). The powers of darkness have been disarmed (Colossians 2:15). The Son of God has gained power over death (1 Corinthians 15:56-57; Revelation 1:18; 9:1; 20:1). 2

The seeming strengths of the Amillennial viewpoint
In light of the above outline of how Amillennialists would typically handle Revelation 20, we can note three seeming strengths that one will find being championed by holders of Amillennialism:

1. Simplicity.  The strengths of this position are first of all its utter simplicity.  Out of all the millennial positions, the Amillennial position is the least complicated, the most widely held viewpoint across all Christian communions (even some Baptists would assert their belief in Amillennialism). 

2. Taking serious the symbolism of the Book of Revelation. A second strength lies in the fact that it tries to take seriously the Book of Revelation being an apocalyptic book that can speak of events in symbolic terms. 

3. Reading Old and New Testaments in light of Jesus' statements on endtime events. Thirdly the Amillennial viewpoint on Revelation 20 attempts to read virtually all of prophetic scripture, Old and New Testament, and Revelation 20, in light of Jesus' statements in the Gospels and the unfolding of the Kingdom theme in the New Testament. 

A premillennial response to the Amillennial viewpoint
As a premillennialist, I first and foremost want to say I deeply respect my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who espouse Amillennialism.  Many of my own favorite authors, preachers and friends hold to this position.  Furthermore, though a very important area, viewpoints on the millennium have never been used throughout church history as constituting the central "dogmas" or "1st order" heaven and hell beliefs necessary for Christianity to be Christianity. Thus there can be allowance for liberty in this area (even though I would say one needs to know where they stand on the issue). With that said, let me comment briefly on the Amillennialist position from a premillennial perspective:

1. To say Revelation 20:1-6 refers to salvation or regeneration in this age is to break the flow and continuity of subject that flows from Revelation 1-19. The key focus of Revelation is Christ's second coming. To suddenly throw Revelation 20 back to Christ's first coming is to introduce, in my estimation, an unecessary disruption.

2. As much as I do see Christ inaugurating some spiritual component of His Kingly reign in heaven over His church, to say that the Kingdom is entirely spiritual is going to far and not considering other passages that seem to refer to an earthly phase to Jesus' reign. (Zechariah 12-14; Matthew 25)

3. Amillennialist typically try to read Old Testament passage in light of new ones.  However, it seems they switch directions and assert the number "1,000" being symbolic because of what is read in Psalm 90. The number "1,000" is repeated no less than six times by John, which tells us that the number cannot be just a symbolic number.  Rather, the emphasis by John would lead to the plain and simple conclusion that this is a literal 1,000 years.

4. To combine the resurrection of the righteous and unrighteous together into one general resurrection is to ignore passages such as Daniel 12 and John 5:24-28 where there appears to be at least two resurrections in view.  If we read Revelation 20 in light of such passages, the only conclusion one can reach is that there is going to be a resurrection of the righteous, with an intervening 1,000 years, ending with the reusrrection of the wicked in Revelation 20:11-15. 

5. As much as this writer would assert our spiritual positions in the heavenly realms with Christ as being an "already" reality, nonetheless there are a lot more things that are "not yet".  For one thing, if Satan is bound, then what do we do with passages such as 1 Peter 5:8 that assert Satan roaming to and fro over the earth?  It would seem that the binding of Satan is yet future and that this would more naturally fit with the future contexts of Revelation 19 and 21-22. 

6. With regards to the seeming strengths, as everyone knows, majority opinion does not consistitute there being a necessarily all-right opinion.  Second, in as much Revelation is an apocalyptic book with symbols, we must not go to far into the ditch of saying that everything is necessarily that way.  Obviously John is using symbolic language, however he is also referring to literal realities.  Obviously the differences between the Amillennial and Premillenial arguments lie in just how much literal and how much symbolism is being communicated in the text.  Thirdly, usings Jesus' statements on endtime events is commendable for interpreting all of the prophetic scriptures.  However let the reader note that Jesus taught from a Jewish background and connection with God's promises to Israel and Abraham.  So many of those texts speak of a literal component to the future kingdom.  This particular observation is why why Premillennialism believes that Jesus' reign will include a future 1,000 year period on earth.  

MORE TOMORROW..

Endnotes:
1. http://www.bibleistrue.com/qna/endtimeschartamillennial.gif

2. Timothy  Paul Jones. Rose Guide to End Times Prophecy. Page 283

P1 Interpreting Revelation 20:1-10 - Interpretive issues and the various positions on the millennium

1

Revelation 20:1-3 "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time."

Introduction:
There are certain chapters in the Bible that legitimate and Godly Christian people differ upon in terms of interpretation.  Revelation 20 stands among one of the most discussed and at times hotly debated chapters among the 1189 chapters of God's Word. Today we want to begin noting some key positions that one finds when studying this amazing chapter of the Book of Revelation. 

Points upon which all Bible believing Christians agree in interpreting Revelation 20
Before getting to the differing interpretations, let us first consider what all Christians agree upon with regards to Christ's second coming generally and Revelation 20 in particular.

1. Clearly all are in agreement that Christ will have a literal, bodily, visible return.  According to Bible Teacher John MacArthur, 1 out of every 25 New Testament passages speak on His return. In all the major positions held about what we read in Revelation 19-20, virtually all interpreters are united in affirming that Revelation 19:11-21 is speaking about Christ's literal, bodily return to earth.

2. In my consideration of the major viewpoints on Revelation 20 from listening to lectures, sermons and readings of nearly all the major creeds and confessions of church history, it has been observed that the latter half of Revelation 20 (vss 11-15) finds near unanimous agreement.  Throughout church history the major areas of emphasis on this particular section of Revelation have been the resurrection of the dead and final judgment. 

3. Southern Baptists fall within the mane of the historic Christian church on the subject of Christ's return.  The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 reads in its article on "Doctrine of Last Things: "God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord." 

In considering the above three points, there is general uniformity on Revelation 20:11-15 speaking of the final judgment that will occur as the final and ultimate event that closes out history and proceeds the Eternal State of Revelation 21-22.  What this means then that our area of focus can be narrowed down to Revelation 20:1-10.         

Why there are differences of interpretation on Revelation 20:1-10

   The real areas of difference of interpretation on Revelation 20 chiefly arise from how the first ten verses are handled and read. I am sure readers could add five more differences to the list I have below.  Yet in order to avoid making this post to cumbersome, we will stick to the five major areas one finds consistently in the literature on this subject.  The areas of difference arise from the following considerations:

1. Is Revelation 20:1-10 recapping current history from Christ's resurrection to 2nd coming or is it following from His 2nd coming in Revelation 19:11-21?

2. Is the reference to "First Resurrection" speaking of salvation or of a future resurrection of the righteous at Christ's return?

3. Is Revelation 20:1-10 detailing more than one resurrection or is there only one general resurrection of both righteous and the wicked at the end of history? Many will include discussion of 20:11-15 in answering this question.

4. Is the Kingdom of Jesus Christ only spiritual and present, spiritual and earthly with an already/not yet component or entirely earthly in the future?

5. Is the number "1,000" a literal reference to a future 1,000 year reign of Jesus or is it a symbolic round number referring to His current reign in Heaven over the earth or a little bit of both?

Listing out the four major interpretations of Revelation 20:1-10
Three major positions, with one having two variations (and thus a total of four views in all), exist in determining the answers to various interpretive issues and questions outlined above.  Though many details could be cited, for sake of simplicity, we will for now just list each viewpoint, their names and the broadest definitions. The reader is also encouraged to consult the chart included at the beginning of today's post.

 1. Premillennialism - Those who hold to this teach that, when Christ returns, He will set up a literal earthly kingdom for 1,000 years, followed by a brief loosing of Satan to deceive the nations, the Great white throne judgment and then the bringing in of the "New Heavens and New Earth".  The reason for the name "premillenialism" is due to the prefix "pre" referring to "before" and "millennium" being "1,000 years". As stated earlier, two variations exist within the Pre-millennial interpretation which for now we will just list their names: 

a. Classical Premillennialism 
Sometimes called "Post-Tribulational Premillennialism".

b. Dispensational Premillennialism.
Sometimes called "Pre-tribulational Premillennialism

2. Amillennialism.
This position teaches that Christ began His reign at His ascension into Heaven and is ruling and reigning over a spiritual kingdom right now.  Being that it denies a literal 1,000 year reign of Christ, the term "A-millenialism" is used (a=no and millennium = 1,000 years).  History (according to this view) will continue in its downward spiral and at the end Christ will return, judging the world and Satan, and bring about the new heavens and new earth. 

3. Post Millennialism 

This position teaches that Christianity will continue to increase until the whole world is taken over by the gospel.  Though not every individual will be saved, yet post-millennialists contend that every nation will eventually see many of their people saved.  It generally teaches that the church will continue to evangelize until so many people are converted that Christ will then return at the end of the future golden age or "millennium" )post = "end" millennium= 1,000 years).  Post-millennialists take passages such as Psalm 2 and missionary passages such as Matthew 28:18-20 to refer to the triumph of the gospel over unbelief.  

MORE TOMORROW.....

Endnotes:
1. The above image comes from the following link: http://bereanbiblestudygroup.com/2010/08/rev-69-17-seals-5-and-6/

God strengthens and grows His church through preaching

Acts 5:42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.


Introduction and Review:
Yesterday we considered the ways in which God strenghtens and grows His church.  We suggested that one of the chief ways is through corporate prayer.  We noted through the book of Acts that every time the church prayed in Acts 3-8, some area of ministry was strengthened.  In the Gospels we saw how Jesus had ordained the pattern to continue from what was set for the temple and synogogue of His day.  Prayer was to be priority! Then finally we looked at the New Testament epistles to see how much prayer continued on into the later part of the Apostolic era and saw the without question - corporate times of prayer and prayerfulness among God's people in the church was one of the ways used by God to strengthen and grow His church. 

As we turn our attention yet again to Acts 3-8 and other passages, we ask the question: "how is it that God grows and strenghtens His church?" We saw the first method to be that of prayer.  However there is a second important method: preaching.  Once more we will consider mainly Acts 3-8, followed by a few reflections on Jesus' pattern of ministry, with some final observations in the Epsitles to discern whether or not preaching is yet another way God has prescribed to strengthen and grow His church.

God strengthens and grows His church through preaching as seen in Acts 3-8
It is truly amazing how many sermons and instances of preaching we find throughout the Book of Acts.  Whenever we count up the sermons, addresses and exhortations given by the Apostles and their associates, we end up with roughly 20 such examples.  Just as we saw with the pattern of prayer in yesterday's post, we see that when the Word of God was preached, strengthening and growth occurred. For example in Acts 3:11-26 we see Peter preaching his second sermon, expounding further on the miracle of the healing of the lame man at the Gate called Beautiful in 3:1-10. Peter ties the miracle to the activity and person of the resurrected and Ascended Christ in heaven.  Thereupon his conclusion of that sermon, we read the outcome in Acts 4:4 
"But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand."

Then we read later on in Acts 4:5-12 and in Acts 5:29-32 of Peter preaching twice more, and with God strengthening the church in some area and conversions being the result.  In Acts 7:1-60 we see one of the fullest and complete sermons recorded in Acts.  Stephen is the keynote speaker and before it is all said and done, he will be recorded as the church's first martyr. 


Stephen's preaching undoubtedly led to persecution but also to advancement in the cause of Christ. God indeed strengthens His cause and grows His people spiritually or numerically (or both) through preaching.  

Jesus' pattern of preaching in His ministry
Mark 1:38 records for us the early conviction Jesus had about preaching: He said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.” In Luke's Gospel we see Jesus reading and expounding from the scroll of Isaiah, describing how He had fulfilled the contents of Isaiah 61:1-2a.  In Matthew we see recorded a number of sermons - from his inaugural Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 to his final Sermon "The Olivet Discourse" of Matthew 24-25.  It is not hard to see Jesus' priority on preaching and how He used it to advance the cause for which He came - to go to the cross and to unfurl to the people the Kingdom of God. 

How we see God using preaching in the Epistles
We could say in all fairness that the Epistles represent the outcomes of and in some cases, the preaching of the Apostles.  The Book of Hebrews for instance may very well had been a sermon and extended exposition of Psalm 110 and Genesis 14 as the author aimed to explain to His readers why Christ is superior to the Old Covenant Judaism.  The Epistle to the Romans has Paul detailing the place of preaching in the conversion of sinners in Romans 10:11-17 and the strengthening of saints.  Galatians 1 begins addressing what consistutes solid gospel preaching from counterfiet versions.  Then of course the epistles of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus have instructions given to Timothy and Titus as to how they ought to preach in the church and how preaching equips the church to live and do the will of God.  1 Timothy 4:13-16 plainly states:  "Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. 15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you."

Conclusion:
Today we have looked at how God uses preaching to strengthen and grow His church. We saw in Acts 3-8 how God used the sermons of the Apostles to motivate the church in its forward movement and how God brought about the conversion of many souls. In the Gospels we saw how Jesus had made preaching on of the chief priorities in His earthly ministry.  Then in the Epistles we saw how preaching is the very fabric of the life of the church, without which the church cannot be strengthened nor ever hope to grow. 

God strengthens and grows His church through prayer

Acts 3:1 "Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. "


Introduction:

Edmund P. Clowney writes the following in his book: "Living in Christ's Church": "The Jesus who went to heaven also comes to dwell with His disciples. He went to prepare His Father's house, the place where God dwells with men (John 14:1-3; Revelation 21:3). But before He comes with the Holy Angels He comes in the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-18). That coming took place at Pentecost. With the rushing wind of the Spirit the promise of the Father was kept and the New Testament church became the dwelling place of the Living God."1  In reflecting on Clowney's thoughts, it strikes me how the church as God's temple ought to be not only characterized by the presence of the Living God.  In being so, it ought to be known for how it prays together.



The Book of Acts is the Holy Spirit's Divine record of the first 30 years of the early church from Jesus' final commands at His ascension and the church's birth at Pentecost to its worldwide missionary efforts led by the Apostle Paul.  Acts 1-2 details the beginning stages and Acts 3-8 details for us the transitions and growing pains of the early church.  In today's post we aim to focus on some passages in Acts 3-8, along with other scriptures, in order to answer the following question: "How did God strengthen and grow the church?"  Below we will suggest that one of chief methods God utilizes in growing and strengthening His church is that of prayer

Some observations from Acts on prayer in the life of the church. 
As soon as the Lord Jesus Christ had ascended into heaven in the sight of the apostles in Acts 1:11, the very first thing they did was to tarry in the upper room in Jerusalem to wait and pray.  As we quoted above, the apostles right after the day of Pentecost were going up to the temple to pray. (Acts 3:1) Truly it is interesting how much the early church prayed in those early days, and yet how little emphasis is placed on prayer in so many churches today.  Again we come to Acts 4 and find the early church praying in Acts 4:32-31.  As that incredible prayer meeting drew to a close we read in Acts 4:31 - "And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness." 

Then of course we arrive at Acts 6 where the church was at a crossroads as to what do do in the care of widows.  Upon the suggestion of the Apostles the church did the following as recorded in Acts 6:4-5 "But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. 6 And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them." Now in each of those instances where the church came together and prayed, the outcome was a strengthening of ministry, of the people and of the proclamation of the Word.  

Jesus set the pattern for His Father's House to be a "house of prayer"
Jesus in the course of His earthly ministry expressed the following pattern of prayer for His people in Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17 and Luke 19:46 as them coming together at the "house of prayer". God has so ordained that prayer and intercession be one of the chief ways in which He will come alongside us and in us to strengthen and grow the church.  As a beginning pattern that had been ordained from the days of the tabernacle and temple, Jesus demonstrated that such a pattern was to also mark the New Covenant church. It would also be suggested by this author that the set pattern of Jesus greatly informed the practice of the New Testament church. As those apostles and early statesmen led the church under the Holy Spirit's leading, they taught the church the primacy of prayer in both the church's life and individual Christian life. 

How prayer operates in church life in the epistles
A quick scan of all 21 new Testament epistles will yield the vital role prayer played in the strengthening and growth of the early church. In understanding what qualifies as a standard method used by God in strengthening His church, we must see it prescribed by Jesus, practiced in the book of Acts and expounded upon in the Epistles. Just by listing a sample of references, one can see that this clearly is one of the chief methods employed by God to be used in the church today: Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 11:3; 2 Cor 5:20; Eph 6:18; Col 1:9; 1 Thess 5:17; 2 Thess 1:1; 1 Tim 2:1-2; 4:5; 2 Tim 4:16; James 5:16; 1 John 5:13 and Jude 20.  I am certain there are many more, but the reader can take note that scarcely is there any instruction written and composed by the Holy Ghost to Christ's church that does not emphasize the need for prayer.  

Conclusions
We have looked today at how God strengthens and grows His church by way of prayer.  We noted through the book of Acts that every time the church prayed in Acts 3-8, some area of ministry was strengthened.  In the Gospels we saw how Jesus had ordained the pattern to continue from what was set for the temple, tabernacle and synogogue of His day.  Prayer was to be priority! Then finally we looked at the New Testament epistles to see how much prayer continued on into the later part of the Apostolic era and saw the without question - corporate times of prayer and prayerfulness among God's people in the church was one of the ways used by God to strengthen and grow His church. 

Endnotes:
1. Edmund P. Clowney. Living in Christ's Church. Great Commission Publications. 1986. Page 27

Life Applications on Christ's coming millennial kingdom

Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

Introduction:

These past several days have been devoted to taking a closer look at the events surrounding Christ's second coming and Kingdom Reign. Undoubtedly there is much more to be said about these two chapters, and certainly Revelation 20 - being that chapter 20 by itself is one of the most contested areas of Bible interpretation.  But I thought that for today's post we would consider what applications we can draw for life today before plunging any further.  Though Christ's Millennial Reign (at least in the estimation of this blogger) lies in the future, nonetheless the realities of Christ's coming kingdom do reverberate into this present age in which we live.  Four particular areas in the Bible utilize Christ's coming Kingdom to focus present day living: 

1. Prayer

2. Person of Christ

3. Promises of God
4. Perseverence

Prayer

This first practical area in applying the truths of Christ's coming Kingdom is actually defined by Jesus Himself.  Notice His famous model prayer - "The Lord's Prayer", in Luke 11:1-4 "It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” 2 And He said to them, “When you pray, ay: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 3 ‘Give us each day our daily bread. 4 ‘And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’”  In another place in Luke, Luke 18:1-8, we see Jesus utilizing His coming Kingdom in the context of prayer.  In Luke 18:1 we read - "Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart." As Jesus then tells his parable of the widow and the unjust judge, he closes with this application in Luke 18:8 "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”  Truly the coming Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ provides the horizon for our prayer life so that we pray according to God's eternal timeframe rather than the the timeframe of this life.  Furthermore in the parallel account of Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus ends the prayer there with the idea that the Kingdom that is coming is also at the same time having a present impact on believers today: "For yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever, amen." But notice the second life application of Christ's coming Kingdom....

Person of Christ

Several posts back we had compared Jesus' names, characteristics and actions in Revelation 1 and 19-20.  We won't rehearse those here, however what is remarkable is how Christ's coming Kingdom makes us a Christ-centered people.  For one thing, in the celebration of the Lord's table we are urged to focus our attention on His coming kingdom.  Take for instance 1 Corinthians 11:26 "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes." I often remind our church when we celebrate the Lord's supper that we are a people of the two comings: Christ's accomplished redemption at His first coming and what will be His accomplished return at His second coming. The coming Kingdom focuses our attention on Jesus Christ.  As Hebrews 12:2 reminds us - "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

So in thinking upon Christ's coming Millennial reign, we have noted how such a truth applies to our prayer life and focusing us more upon the Person of Jesus Christ.  But now notice a third life application....

Promises of God

God's great and precious promises in His Word are what comprise the backbone of daily Christian living. (2 Peter 1:3-4) When we consider the passages in the Bible on Christ's coming Kingdom (chief among them being Revelation 19 & 20), we note that one of the purposes for Christ's establishing His Kingdom here on this earth is to fulfill promises made to His people.  There will be undoubtedly promises fulfilled to the church and there will be promises fulfilled to Israel.  The Bible uniformly declares that God never lies and that He always keeps His promises. (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Malachi 3:6; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18). 

For one thing God promised to Abraham and his descendants that they would dwell in the land of promise. (Genesis 12:1-7) Despite their failure, God's promises to Israel remain firm and He promises in scores of places to restore her so that she can finally fulfill what He had ordained for her from the beginning. (Zechariah 12-14; Romans 11:25-26) An earthly stage to Christ's Kingdom is necessary for God's promises to Israel to be completed.  Indeed if God breaks His promises to Israel, then that jeopardizes any hope we as Gentile believers may have in the here and now.

We also note that Christ's coming Kingdom means that Christ's promises to His church to rule and reign with Him will be realized.  Indeed we enjoy the positional priviledge of having spiritual positions in the heavenly realms in Christ. (Ephesians 2:6-10) The Kingdom undoubtedly right now has been inaugurated in heaven with Christ seated over His church. (compare Acts 2:34-36)  However in order for us as The Church to have the fulfillment of Christ's promises to us, we too need a Millennium wherein we can rule and reign with Jesus for 1,000 years (Revelation 1:5-7; 20:4-6); judge the angels (1 Corinthians 6:3) and along with Israel to be prepared for what will be the final wedding at the end of all things following the Millennial reign of Jesus. (Revelation 21-22) .

All of the more than 8,000 promises in the Bible hang on such truths as these. The coming Kingdom of God has so much application to daily life.  May these life applications of prayer, the person of Christ and the promises of God be the areas in which we utilize the reality of coming Kingdom of Christ as revealed in Revelation 19-20 and other places. So Christ's coming millennial kingdom as bearing on our prayers, focus on the Person of Christ, understand the promises of God and fourthly....


Perseverance
A quick journey through the epistles of the New Testament will reveal how much the coming Millennial Kingdom is used by the Holy Spirit to encourage perseverance in the here and now.  Romans 16:20 has Paul reminding his readers of how soon they will in some way crush Satan under their feet, an event that may very well be tied to what we read in Revelation 20:1-3.  Persevering in preaching is tied to the reality of Christ's coming kingdom in 2 Timothy 4:1.  Perseverance in Godly living and practical holiness have as the basis of their motivation Christ's coming kingdom.  Other scriptures that encourage present perseverance are linked directly to the coming kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 2:12; Hebrews 12:28-29; James 5:8; Jude 24-25)


Conclusion:


Four particular areas in the Bible utilize Christ's coming Kingdom to provide the following life applications for today: 

1. Prayer

2. Person of Christ
3. Promises of God
4. Perseverance

3. Promises of God
4. Perseverence

A Poem - The Coming Kingdom

A Poem - The Coming Kingdom

2,000 years has come and gone, and we lift our heads on high

Awaiting the Savior to return, our redemption draweth nigh

When He comes, this age will end, the church will defy the ground

A raptured resurrected church, with glory rushing around

Earth's final gasp will usher forth with the coming evil realm

The final rebellion, predicted to be set with satan at the helm

The church meanwhile in glorious bliss will stand to give account

The failures of life will burn away and Christ's work will amount

She will be prepared as a glorious bride to wed her loving Lord

For Christ will had gathered His chosen ones to be in one accord

Then comes wrath, the cosmos shakes, the earth a darkened mass

Quaking, shaking, fearsome sounds, Christ is coming fast

Hording armies will raise their swords to fight the Eternal King

With one swipe of His terrible sword their sudden defeat will ring

The Kingdom Age, a millennium long, Christ will reign supreme

With Satan bound and Israel restored the Kingdom will certainly gleam

The Kingdom will close, Satan released for a final attempt to rebel

To lead a final war against the King, with nations 

choosing hell

The Final Judgment commences, unbelievers raised to

contempt

Sadness swells, tears are wiped from saints who are exempt

Heaven and earth will be made anew, Christ and His church shall be

The glorious saints, in resurrected form will praise Him eternally

Comparing the actions of Jesus Christ in Revelation 1 & 19-20

Revelation 1:5-6 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— 6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.

Introduction:

Yesterday we compared the descriptions of Jesus Christ that we find in Revelation 1 & 19-20.  We noted at least four physical descriptions that match the Post-resurrected and exalted Christ in both passages.  We ended yesterday's post with the main application being from Hebrews 13:8 - that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Today's post will conclude what has been a three part series on comparing the two great visions of Jesus Christ in both Revelation 1:4-16 and 19:11-20:6.  To guide us through a comparison of these two texts, we have been noting three headings: Jesus' names, descriptions and actions.  As we already noted, we covered in yesterday's post the description of Jesus Christ, with His names in the post prior to yesterday's. In today's post we will focus our attention on how John describes Jesus' actions in Revelation 1 & 19-20.  As the reader notes the actions listed below, pray and ask the Spirit of God to show you the glory of Jesus Christ in each action.

1. According to Revelation 19:11 and 20:5, Jesus' coming will entail three principle activities: judgment, waging war and reigning. 
In Revelation 1:5 we see reference to Jesus Christ ruling in Heaven. In Revelation 1:7 we see Christ coming to restore His people Israel, along with His coming to judge. Then in Revelation 1:16 we see Jesus described in terms corresponding to He readiness to make war with His enemies. Therefore from these two sets of passages, we see both a heavenly aspect of Christ's reign followed by what will be an earthly aspect of His reign. 

2. In Revelation 1:7 and 16 we see reference to Jesus' four main activities in His second coming and Kingdom: restoring, waging war, judgment and reigning.  In look at Revelation 19-20 we can note the following eight point method by which Jesus is going to accomplish all of these things:

a. slaying. Revelation 19:15

b. tending. Revelation 19:15

c. treading the winepress of wrath. Revelation 19:16

d. seizing the anti-Christ and false prophet. Revelation 19:20

e. casting of the false prophet and anti-Christ into the lake of fire. Revelation 19:20

f. Raising tribulation martyrs and Old Testament Jewish believers from the dead. (based upon Daniel 12:1; John 5:24-28;  Revelation 20:4)

g. Restoring the then living nation of Israel who looks upon Him in faith at His return. (Romans 11:25-26; Revelation 1:7; 7:1-8; 14:1-5)

h. Beginning His 1,000 year or Millennial reign upon the earth (Revelation 20:1-6) 

Conclusion:
In the past three days we have considered the following comparisons between revelation 1 and 19-20: Jesus' names, descriptions and activities.  The aim has been to show the reader how glorious and awesome Jesus Christ is and will be at His second coming.  The other aim to was to demonstrate how much uniformity and continuity there is from beginning to end in the book of Revelation.  May these studies prove edifying and spiritually uplifting to the reader as we look forward to the blessed hope of the glorious appearing of our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13)