I believe in this post that I can disprove the pre-trib rapture and premillennialism using only the Scriptures. Proverbs 18: 13 says that, “He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him.” So I ask you humbly, as a fellow servant in the kingdom of our Lord and Savior, please consider this post with an open heart and mind.
North American churches are overrun with dispensational premillennialism and its eschatology. Its teachings about a seven-year treaty between Antichrist and Israel, a secret pre-trib rapture, and a 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth can be very exciting to the Christian.
Opening your newspaper to find out that Iran is calling for the destruction of Israel once again, or Russia and Turkey are becoming buddies and appear ready to strike the Jews, can be addicting to those that think events like these are signaling the soon coming of Christ. It is no wonder this view of eschatology is so popular in churches in the west.
Sadly, I don’t believe the Scripture supports any of these ideas and so I am concerned for my brothers and sisters in Christ who I believe to be looking for the wrong thing.
I wanted to put forth some Scriptures in this post to show why I think the two-age model (amillennialism) is correct and why the three-age model of premillennialism and a pre-trib rapture does not fit the Scriptures.
I am writing this post primarily for those who are undecided on this topic or for those who may have never been introduced to amillennial eschatology. I find that most Christians I speak with, especially in North America, have never heard of anything other than premillenialism.
First off, what do I mean by two-ages and three-ages?
The amillennialist believes that the Bible only describes two ages after the cross. The church age which we are currently in, and the age to come which happens with Christ’s second coming and the immediate creation of the New Heavens and Earth when he returns.
The premillennialist believes in three ages after the cross. The church age that we are currently in, the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth (the millennium), and the New Heavens and Earth after the 1,000 years are over.
So which one is correct? Let us start by looking at some Scriptures and see how Jesus Himself and Paul viewed this.
Matthew 12: 32, “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”
Luke 18: 29-30, “Truly, truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Luke 20: 34-35, Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage but those that are accounted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage.”
Ephesians 1: 21, “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but in the age to come.”
So Jesus and Paul only knew of two ages.
I think by looking at some further Scriptures to see how this current age ends, we can rule out any possibility of a 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth and therefore disprove premillennialism. Let us proceed and take a look at the next set of Scriptures.
Matthew 13: 47-50, “The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
2 Peter 3: 10-13, “But the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things are to be dissolved, what manner of person ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
2 Thessalonians 1: 7-10, “And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when he comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints…”
Some premillennialists will say that they only believe in two ages just like the amillennialist, and not three, by saying that the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth begins “the age to come” and continues on into the new heavens and new earth and they are both part of the same age.
But is this true from Scripture? Is the millennium and the new heavens and earth both part of the same age to come? Scripture says no and here is why:
What did the last Scripture I quoted in 2 Thess mean by “in that Day”?
John 6: 39, “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.”
John 6: 44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6: 54, “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 11: 24, Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
So we know “in that Day” in 2 Thess is the “last day” when saints are resurrected. The last day can only mean the last day of our current age.
The premillennialist will say that the “last day” happens at the end of the church age although some will say it happens 7 years later at the end of the tribulation. By saying this they can still have the “age to come” beginning with the 1,000 year reign of Christ and continuing into the new heavens and new earth.
SO IN ORDER TO MAKE PREMILLENNIALISM WORK THEY MUST SAY THAT THE LAST DAY IS BEFORE THE 1,000 YEAR REIGN OF CHRIST ON EARTH.
So if we can prove that the “last day” is not before the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth then premillennialism is proven false. What does the Scripture say?
From the Scriptures I have already quoted in this post we know that the good and bad are gathered together on the same day (Matt 13). The bad are thrown in the Lake of Fire.
2 Thess and 2 Peter say that the earth is burned up with flaming fire and the heavens are dissolved when the Lord returns.
Where do we find similar language in the Bible? The Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation 20: 11, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.”
There is no more place for the heaven and earth because they were dissolved with flaming fire at Christ’s return just like 2 Thess and 2 Peter describe.
The premillennialist says the Great White Throne judgment is only for the wicked because the righteous were raised a 1,000 years earlier at the beginning of the millennium. But does the Scripture say this?
We know from John 6:39, John 6:44, John 6:54, and John 11: 24, that I quoted earlier, the righteous are raised on the last day. So is the last day of this age really the end of the church age and the beginning of the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth like the premillennialist claims?
When are the wicked raised and judged?
John 12: 48, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him; the word that I have spoken will judge him IN THE LAST DAY.”
WE HAVE THE WICKED BEING RAISED AND JUDGED ON THE LAST DAY. THE SAME DAY THE RIGHTEOUS ARE RESURRECTED. Are there two last days? Logic says no.
We have proven using Scripture that premillennialism is false. The last day can only be the Great White Throne Judgment. There is no 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth. Do we have even more Scriptures to support this? Yes we do.
Job 14: 12, “So man lies down and does not rise till the heavens are no more. They will not awake nor be roused from their sleep.” When are the heavens no more? Hint: Rev 20: 11
Daniel 12: 2, “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
John 5: 28-29, “Do not marvel at this; for the HOUR is coming in which ALL who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth. Those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation.”
All of these things happen on the last day. That day is the Great White Throne Judgment. When both the righteous and wicked are raised and judged. The wicked are thrown into the Lake of Fire (Matt 13 quoted earlier also Rev 20: 15) and the righteous go into the new heavens and earth.
POST CONTINUED IN FIRST REPLY (only a little bit left)
North American churches are overrun with dispensational premillennialism and its eschatology. Its teachings about a seven-year treaty between Antichrist and Israel, a secret pre-trib rapture, and a 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth can be very exciting to the Christian.
Opening your newspaper to find out that Iran is calling for the destruction of Israel once again, or Russia and Turkey are becoming buddies and appear ready to strike the Jews, can be addicting to those that think events like these are signaling the soon coming of Christ. It is no wonder this view of eschatology is so popular in churches in the west.
Sadly, I don’t believe the Scripture supports any of these ideas and so I am concerned for my brothers and sisters in Christ who I believe to be looking for the wrong thing.
I wanted to put forth some Scriptures in this post to show why I think the two-age model (amillennialism) is correct and why the three-age model of premillennialism and a pre-trib rapture does not fit the Scriptures.
I am writing this post primarily for those who are undecided on this topic or for those who may have never been introduced to amillennial eschatology. I find that most Christians I speak with, especially in North America, have never heard of anything other than premillenialism.
First off, what do I mean by two-ages and three-ages?
The amillennialist believes that the Bible only describes two ages after the cross. The church age which we are currently in, and the age to come which happens with Christ’s second coming and the immediate creation of the New Heavens and Earth when he returns.
The premillennialist believes in three ages after the cross. The church age that we are currently in, the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth (the millennium), and the New Heavens and Earth after the 1,000 years are over.
So which one is correct? Let us start by looking at some Scriptures and see how Jesus Himself and Paul viewed this.
Matthew 12: 32, “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”
Luke 18: 29-30, “Truly, truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Luke 20: 34-35, Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage but those that are accounted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage.”
Ephesians 1: 21, “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but in the age to come.”
So Jesus and Paul only knew of two ages.
I think by looking at some further Scriptures to see how this current age ends, we can rule out any possibility of a 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth and therefore disprove premillennialism. Let us proceed and take a look at the next set of Scriptures.
Matthew 13: 47-50, “The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
2 Peter 3: 10-13, “But the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things are to be dissolved, what manner of person ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
2 Thessalonians 1: 7-10, “And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when he comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints…”
Some premillennialists will say that they only believe in two ages just like the amillennialist, and not three, by saying that the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth begins “the age to come” and continues on into the new heavens and new earth and they are both part of the same age.
But is this true from Scripture? Is the millennium and the new heavens and earth both part of the same age to come? Scripture says no and here is why:
What did the last Scripture I quoted in 2 Thess mean by “in that Day”?
John 6: 39, “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.”
John 6: 44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6: 54, “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 11: 24, Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
So we know “in that Day” in 2 Thess is the “last day” when saints are resurrected. The last day can only mean the last day of our current age.
The premillennialist will say that the “last day” happens at the end of the church age although some will say it happens 7 years later at the end of the tribulation. By saying this they can still have the “age to come” beginning with the 1,000 year reign of Christ and continuing into the new heavens and new earth.
SO IN ORDER TO MAKE PREMILLENNIALISM WORK THEY MUST SAY THAT THE LAST DAY IS BEFORE THE 1,000 YEAR REIGN OF CHRIST ON EARTH.
So if we can prove that the “last day” is not before the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth then premillennialism is proven false. What does the Scripture say?
From the Scriptures I have already quoted in this post we know that the good and bad are gathered together on the same day (Matt 13). The bad are thrown in the Lake of Fire.
2 Thess and 2 Peter say that the earth is burned up with flaming fire and the heavens are dissolved when the Lord returns.
Where do we find similar language in the Bible? The Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation 20: 11, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.”
There is no more place for the heaven and earth because they were dissolved with flaming fire at Christ’s return just like 2 Thess and 2 Peter describe.
The premillennialist says the Great White Throne judgment is only for the wicked because the righteous were raised a 1,000 years earlier at the beginning of the millennium. But does the Scripture say this?
We know from John 6:39, John 6:44, John 6:54, and John 11: 24, that I quoted earlier, the righteous are raised on the last day. So is the last day of this age really the end of the church age and the beginning of the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth like the premillennialist claims?
When are the wicked raised and judged?
John 12: 48, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him; the word that I have spoken will judge him IN THE LAST DAY.”
WE HAVE THE WICKED BEING RAISED AND JUDGED ON THE LAST DAY. THE SAME DAY THE RIGHTEOUS ARE RESURRECTED. Are there two last days? Logic says no.
We have proven using Scripture that premillennialism is false. The last day can only be the Great White Throne Judgment. There is no 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth. Do we have even more Scriptures to support this? Yes we do.
Job 14: 12, “So man lies down and does not rise till the heavens are no more. They will not awake nor be roused from their sleep.” When are the heavens no more? Hint: Rev 20: 11
Daniel 12: 2, “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
John 5: 28-29, “Do not marvel at this; for the HOUR is coming in which ALL who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth. Those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation.”
All of these things happen on the last day. That day is the Great White Throne Judgment. When both the righteous and wicked are raised and judged. The wicked are thrown into the Lake of Fire (Matt 13 quoted earlier also Rev 20: 15) and the righteous go into the new heavens and earth.
POST CONTINUED IN FIRST REPLY (only a little bit left)
