First, I also believe everything the prophets have declared will come to pass. But the issue is, whether it is in a spiritual way or in a natural physical way, which is the ultimate bone of contention.
Second:
Idealism simply refers to one's view of Revelation. It is that it is not chronological but rather a series of intra-Advent recaps.
Postrib: I believe the tribulation is ongoing in the intra-Advent but will intensify near the end.
Amil is: when Jesus comes that is it!
Thirdly, I was trying to give you a general outline of the centrality of Christ and the introduction of His spiritual kingdom at the First Advent in Amil thinking, not a physical kingdom as the Pharisees anticipated at the First Advent and Premils anticipate at the second coming. Both miss the meaning of prophecy after prophecy by forcing their mistaken theological beliefs and a hyper-literalist meaning on them that the Holy Spirit never intended.
With Premils, they not only invent an additional age to that which Jesus and the NT recognized, but they then conveniently dump prophecy after prophecy into this supposed future age. This is problematic. This is seen when the OT prophet mentions where it relates to. Because Premil lacks any corroboration in Scripture for a future 1,000 years’ age after the second coming, it invents 2 “last days” periods to allow Premil to fit. Mark 1 now, and Mark 2 after the second coming. Premils also invent 2 new heavens and new earths. Mark 1 they relate to their alleged future millennium and is sin-cursed and corrupt. Mark 2 is perfect and incorrupt and they equate it to 1,000 years+ after this.
Last days
Let us start with the subject of "the last days."
Isaiah 2:2-4 says, speaking of the Lord’s first Advent, “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. 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. 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."
Micah 4:1-3 parallels this teaching, saying, “in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”
Is this spiritually speaking of the intra-Advent period or is it talking about some new age in-between this evil age and the age to come?
The correlation between Isaiah’s vision and that of Micah is undoubted and remarkable.
But what is these prophecies all about?
The whole thrust of these passages surrounds a new anticipated day when Messiah would come and usher in true peace. Of course, many trip up with passages like this with their literalist mind-set. They fail to see that peace with God is not some purely abstract earthly thing. It would be wrong to understand or interpret the prophetic words in both of these texts in a natural literal carnal sense. It is not referring to the cessation of physical violence. The termination of war or military conflict does not constitute true peace in God’s eyes.
The last days
The NT assists us in locating this period. We do not need to speculate.
Christ’s earthly ministry ushered in the period of the ‘last days’. Hebrews 1:1-2 declares, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.”
1 Peter 1:18-20 also confirm the fact that says, “Christ … was manifest in these last times for you.”
The ‘last days’ commenced with the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ and will terminate with His glorious Second Coming. Hebrews 9:26 says, “now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin.”
In Acts 2:16-21 Peter shows that the last days were active and ongoing at Pentecost, saying, “this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh.”
John testified in I John 2:18 that he was actually in the last days: “Little children, it is the last time.”
1 Corinthians 10:11 says, “the ends of the world are come.”
Speaking of his day, James 5:1-3 says, “Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.”
These passages demonstrate that we are in the end times since Christ’s first Advent and that the last days don’t relate to another age after Christ’s appearing, as Premillennialism imagines. The “last days” clearly relate to the intra-Advent period and find their conclusion at the “last day” – Christ’s Coming. I see the “last day” (singular) of the “last days” (plural) as the all-consummating appearing of Christ, which witnesses the total destruction of the world/wicked and a general resurrection / judgement. I believe Scripture shows that the “last days” (plural) terminate at the “last day” (singular) with the raising and judging of both the righteous (John 6:39-44, 54, 11:23-24) and the wicked (John 12:48). In all these references, the wording in the original for “last day” is always the same – eschatee heemara. The Greek word eschatee used here comes from the root word eschatos, from where we get our word English eschatology, and simply means end, last, farthest or final.
The reality is: Scripture shows that the last days relate to the intra-Advent period and Christ's heavenly reign upon a heavenly throne over the nations. It described the enlightenment of the nations, which has been ongoing for 2000 years. Amils believe that the last days were ushered in with the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ and will see their consummation on the last day – at Christ’s one final future Coming. They see the intra-Advent period as covering redemptive history.
Peace in the kingdom
Hatred and turmoil are a thing that lies hidden within the heart. This is what Christ came to address and heal. These predictions are talking about a peace that accompanies the acceptance of Christ (the Messiah) as Lord and Savior. It is a spiritual peace. It is a spiritual peace that chance a heart from hatred to love. The peace we are looking at comes with the Prince of peace and is manifested through His kingdom. The king and the kingdom cannot in any way be divorced.
A few chapters after Isaiah 2:2 in Isaiah 9:6-7 we get further detail on what this new period would usher in: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."
Prophesying of Christ the Old Testament prophet declared in Micah 5:2 & 5: “thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting ... And this man shall be the peace.”
The Old Testament prophets were constantly looking for Messiah and the true peace that He would introduce. Regardless of the success of Israel’s leaders (kings, judges, priest) they were imperfect and simply preparatory to the Coming perfect King who was the eternal personification of peace.
Zacharias prophesied in Luke 1:76-79 of Christ, “And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Zechariah 9:9-10 predicted: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass … and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from river even to the ends of the earth.”
The prophets recognised that this “peace” was not simply an ethnic thing pertaining exclusively to natural Israel but was a spiritual thing that would affect all nations. This is what Isaiah 2:2-4 and Micah 4:1-3 is speaking of. We learn: “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.” What is more we don’t need to speculate about the time-period in view, the text confirms: “in the last days it shall come to pass.”
This passage vividly shows salvation going out to the nations of the world after the cross. It shows the establishment of the kingdom of God (described here as “the mountain of the Lord's house”), above all other kingdoms of the earth (described here as mountains) and smaller ethnic groups (described here as hills).
Isaiah 57:19-21 predicts in tandem with Isaiah 2 and Micah 4:1 reference the promised peace for all nations that attends entering the kingdom: “Peace, peace to him that is far off (the Gentiles), and to him that is near (the Jews), saith the LORD; and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.”
This is talking about the great commission!!!
Isaiah receives a symbolic vision 500 yrs before Christ of an approaching new order of peace. Isaiah described the blessing that this new order would bring and the scale of its influence. Interestingly (and graciously for us) it was a new arrangement that would embrace “all nation.” Gentiles would be brought unto an equal footing with Jews in regard to the Gospel opportunity.
Ephesians 2:13-15 confirms this, saying: “now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.”
The nations have been united in peace through the Prince of peace, and His shed blood on Calvary.
Colossians 1:19-20: “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him.”
Christ is our peace - now! A major difficulty I have with Premillennialism is that it postpones so much current blessing and projects it into a supposed period in the future that (I believe) will never be. It therefore totally nullifies countless ongoing fulfilments. This is a disturbing factor engrained within the doctrine. This passage under review is a case-in-point.
Because Christ is peace, He imparts that peace to us upon salvation. When we receive Him we receive peace. We get the full package. Jesus said in John 16:33, “in me ye might have peace.” Colossians 3:15 consequently instructs us: “let the peace of God rule in your hearts.”
Many that live in nations that would be viewed in an earthly sense as peaceful or free are in reality filled with strife, hatred and turmoil. Scripture makes it clear: “There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked” (Isaiah 48:22). Conversely, Scripture after Scripture repeatedly depicts entry into the kingdom of God and a relationship with Christ as man’s only true peace. In fact Romans 14:17 tells us "the kingdom of God is ... peace."
Peace only comes through salvation. Jesus said in that wonderful passage in John 14:27 during His earthly ministry, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” If someone is redeemed then they have entered into the peace of God through the Prince of Peace. Here was the fulfilment of this reading in operation. Here was the “Prince of Peace” in operation. Peace is not merely a future hope, it is a present reality. It’s an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:7 says, “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
The redeemed of all nations that come into the kingdom of God no longer “lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." They have experienced true peace and have been reconciled unto a holy God. As a consequence, their weapons of war have been made redundant; they now operate with the tools of peace. Former enemies are miraculously reconciled “in Christ” through the blood of Jesus. The prince of peace has affected a supernatural change by way of conversion. Out goes the old and in comes the new. What was once used to destroy others has been supernaturally changed to bless others. Ancient enemies are unified within God’s great spiritual kingdom. They enter into heaven's peace.
Conclusion
Isaiah 2 and Micah 4 fit perfectly with the Amillennial concept of the kingdom but totally contradicts the Premillennial idea. Firstly, there are no wicked in our kingdom and there are no physical wars involved or allowed in our kingdom. It is a spiritual kingdom that is inhabited solely by God’s people and who eternally enters into the peace of God.
I said I would be considered your so called premil before I put anything else up and I talked about Ephesians 1. That fact that we only have an earnest puts the New Covenant in a state comparable to a signed contract that hasn`t been fully implemented.
