20 major reasons to reject the Premillennial doctrine

sovereigngrace said:

Revelation 19:11-16: “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

In this narrative He comes as the Lord of glory and removes all evil with the power of His Word. He returns as a man of war to destroy all those left behind. Revelation 19:11 says, “in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” The imagery surrounding Christ in this reading is that of wrath and judgment. The nations have missed their day of opportunity like the wicked in previous judgments, now they must face their deserved recompense of destruction and eternal punishment. Christ comes in glory and power to pour out wrath, and we learn "His eyes were as a flame of fire.” Here we see the indignation that Christ has for these enemies of God upon the earth. Those that are left behind of the nations – without exception – are trampled into a lost eternity on this moment of time.

The solemn language relates to the wrath of God being poured out on those left behind at the Coming of Christ. This proves that “the nations” will not survive the wrath that emanates from Christ. How can any nation survive this closing destruction? This is final justice being meted out of the lost.

“Smite (or patasso) the nations.”

Christ is seen pouring out His wrath without mixture upon the nations as He smites them in His fury with “a sharp sword” that comes “out of his mouth.” What is the result of this act? It shall “smite the nations” that have missed the catching away. This is what awaits the nations. They are going to be smitten. The word for “smite” in this text is the Greek word patasso, which means to strike with a weapon or to smite fatally. It means to smite down, cut down, to kill, slay.

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah predicted in Isaiah 13:13: “I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.”

What sword?

Isaiah 26:21 adds: “For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.”

Earlier in Revelation 2:16, we find Jesus predicting: “I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”

Christ is not coming as Saviour of the world at the end but as its Judge. This is a solemn day for the wicked. Here we see the great final battle of the ages between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. On one side on earth you have the wicked confederacy of the beast’s armies on earth (namely all the wicked) arrayed against the armies of heaven (appearing in the sky) which relates to the people of God that are redeemed.

There are clearly two opposing armies in view here in this reading: the army of God, led by Christ, and the army of Satan. One is totally victorious; the other one is totally annihilated. This is talking about two kingdoms that are at war - the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. This is consistent with repeated Scripture.

There are only 2 peoples on this earth in God's eyes - the redeemed and the wicked. These both are armies in conflict with each other. When Jesus returns the elect are caught up, the wicked are destroyed. These 2 peoples/armies carry one of 2 marks - God's mark or the world's mark of reprobation. This is a book full of symbolism denoting the great battle between light and darkness. There are only two different peoples in this life, they are walking two different roads, in two different directions, to two different destinations. The Christian is bound for heaven; the sinner is bound for hell. One group has the mark of the Father the other the mark of the beast. One is rescued in the marriage of the lamb, the other is destroyed.

The army of heaven (embodying the redeemed of all ages) returns after being caught up for the marriage of the lamb, leaving just one army on earth – the wicked. That is why this passage makes clear that this ‘left behind’ army is totally destroyed. This clearly rebuts Premil and forbids it. It leaves no goats left to saturate its millennium. Revelation 19:19 describes the righteous redeemed army, which includes the elect of all time (those that possess the spiritual robes of Christ's righteousness). It is this company that is rescued by Christ before He pours out His wrath upon the wicked. This will be like the destruction of the wicked in Noah and Lot’s day. The world was destroyed by water in Noah’s day and Sodom was obliterated by fire in his day.

Let us be clear: He is coming to smite down the nations, not corral them into some sin-cursed, goat-infested, death-blighted thousand-years age. It says that “he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” This is not a pretty sight. This is not loose talk by God. This is not something that the nations should look forward to. What awaits the nations that have rejected Christ is utter destruction and devastation. The nations left behind are totally destroyed. Christ destroys them by the very utterance of His mouth.

The two words interpreted “fierceness” and “wrath” here are thumos and orge which are regularly employed in the New Testament to mean ‘fierceness, indignation, wrath and vengeance’. The word orge carries the additional meaning of ‘violent passion’. Clearly the Lord is not happy with those left behind. Like those left behind in Noah’s day and Sodom they face an awful end, as they receive the reward of their rejection of Christ.

Revelation 2:25-27 says, “that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule (poimaino) them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be ‘broken to shivers’ (suntribo): even as I received of my Father.”

The concluding phrase (“shall they be broken to shivers”) is actually taken from the lone Greek word suntribo (Strong’s 4937) meaning to crush completely, i.e. to shatter. This would suggest a total obliteration of the wicked at His appearing.

We cannot ignore the crucial words suntribo (to break to shivers) in Revelation 2:25-27 and patasso (to smite) in Revelation 19:15.

The same Shepherd who will comfort His sheep (the elect) will also destroy the goats (the wicked). This teaching is taken from Psalm 2:1-12. See what it is saying: “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.Thou shalt break (ra` a`) them with a rod of iron; ‘thou shalt dash them in pieces’ (naphats) like a potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

Why do you also ignore the Hebrew here? The Hebrew word ra` a` means to spoil: literally, by breaking to pieces; figuratively, to make (or be) good for nothing. The Hebrew word naphats here derives from a primitive root; to dash to pieces, or scatter.

The picture here is of a Shepherd with a rod. However, this is NO ordinary Shepherd with NO ordinary rod. The Shepherd here is Christ, and He is coming in His wrath at the end of this age to deal with the wicked thus the significance of the rod of iron. He is a jealous Shepherd who is finally coming to destroy those that have rejected Him. The shepherding is clearly associated with the FINAL separation.

The Lord encounters only 2 types of people when He comes – saved or lost, sheep or goats. The sheep enter into their eternal inheritance; the goats receive their eternal punishment. Nothing could be simpler. You invent some 3rd group of humans that are too righteous to be destroyed at the second coming, yet too wicked to be rescued, yet Premil argue among themselves who they actually are. The reality is: they don't exist.

Nowhere in any of these passages is there any insinuation of a 1,000 years shepherding (or ruling) over the nations -as Premil alleges. What is more, Nowhere in Rev 20 is there any mention of (1) a rod of iron, (2) Christ on earth, (3) and therefore Christ ruling on earth with a rod of iron for 1,000 years. You will only find that in the Premil textbooks.

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DavidPT said:

What I have underlined in verse 29 is meaning during the 6th seal events. .

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DavidPT said:

Why would there still be another 7-10 years after the conclusion of the 70th week?

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keras said:

That is purely your opinion. You fail to support it with scripture and the descriptions of both events do not match.

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sovereigngrace said:

The Premil kingdom is not at all pristine and Eden-like. That is the Amil "new earth." Premils cannot decide whether their alleged future millennium is corrupt or pristine, whether it is the new heavens and new earth or whether it is a rerun of our age.

The Premil new earth is full of sin, sinners, death, widespread deception and feigned worship. It has Christ deceived by multiple millions of charlatans making their way to Jerusalem to watch the slitting of throats of goats and lambs for sin futile useless offerings. We then see the wholesale millennial evangelistic bust when Satan at the drop of the hat claims the millennial inhabitants for himself (as the sand of the sea)? This whole proposal is a massive sham.

Peter speaking to the religious Jews in Acts 3:19-21 confirms the concluding nature of the Second Advent, saying, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he (God) shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution (apokatastasis or reconstitution) of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”

The Jews to whom Peter was addressing knew the “restitution of all things” meant a re-creation of the world which would restore it to an Eden-like, pre-flood, condition with the curse removed. Premillenialism doesn’t allow this. This school of thought holds to a new earth blighted by all the various evils of the curse and scared by increasing violence which mirrors our sin-cursed age. In the end the Premil millennium ends up in anarchy, the saints being finally surrounded by the wicked as the sand of the sea. Iniquity has prospered in an age supposedly governed by Christ with an iron rod. This just doesn’t add up.

There is a BIG difference between how Amils interpret Revelation 20 and what Premils attribute to it. In fact, it is day-and-night. You see your millennial age as some type of perfect or semi-perfect glorified or semi-glorified state with Christ and the saints reigning in their glorified bodies (even though you cannot find it in the text). Amils see it as this current imperfect age on this current corrupt earth.

Despite the glory, supposed personal rule of Christ on earth and the so-called submissiveness of the nations that Premils attribute to their millennial kingdom, surely we are looking at the biggest religious turn-around in history in the Premil scenario – with the swift overthrow of the majestic unchallenged sovereign righteous rule of Christ on a semi-glorified earth with a “rod of iron” overturned which the en-mass desertion of billions of millennial inhabitants to Satan in the greatest global uprising in history from the four corners of the earth as “the sand of the sea” against the “camp of the saints”?

This purported millennium of bliss of submissiveness that Premils try to portray ends up an unmitigated debacle. Amils and Postmils look forward to eternal bliss at the second coming. Creation will be finally purged of wickedness, all the wicked, rebellion and all corruption forever.

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Jamdoc said:

Seems you don't understand the Millennial Kingdom at all.
Premillennialists still see a perfect new heavens and new earth after this world is destroyed, we just see a 1000 year reign on THIS earth, in a state that is better than it is now because it is directly ruled by the Lord Jesus Christ and God's Law, and Satan will be absolutely powerless for 1000 Years. Not your weaksauce spiritualizing 1000 years where Satan creates Islam, Mormonism, etc, you know, deceiving the nations, while you claim that just because the gospel is spreading that's the same as Satan deceiving the nations "no more". You've taken an act of God that is awe inspiring and reduced it to something common and simplistic, just people preaching the gospel.
You turn scripture into hyperbole and combine a bunch of different events into 1 event even when they are given with completely different details.

Have you in any of your wall of text posts addressed how Revelation 19's second coming of Jesus has Him coming with a sword on a white horse and having carrion birds feeding on the corpses afterward which doesn't fit the idea of Jesus' second coming instantly consuming the entire world in fire.

How do you reconcile Revelation 19 as being the same event as Zephaniah 3:8?

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BABerean2 said:

What happens to this rotten, sin-cursed planet when Christ returns as a thief?

Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Rev 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

What is described above is an earthquake that moves all the islands and destroys the mountains.
What would this do to the surface of the present earth?

Peter was looking for the New Heavens and the New Earth, on the Day of the Lord, when He comes as a thief in 2 Peter 3:10-13.
Many of us are looking for the same thing as Peter.

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Jamdoc said:

How are Carrion birds feeding on corpses if the entire planet is destroyed.

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DavidPT said:

This alone shows that even your interpretation can't work. What you have submitted from Revelation 12:17, this part---and went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus---is meaning this in Revelation 13:7---And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them.

According to Revelation 20:4, unless one wants to claim John was mistaken when he recorded what he did in that verse, these saints that satan goes off to make war against in Revelation 12:7 and Revelation 13:7, they are not martyred after the thousand years during satan's little season, they are already martyred before satan is even loosed, therefore there is zero connection with that of Revelation 12:7 and Revelation 13:7, with that of satan's little season after the thousand years.

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BABerean2 said:

I happens on the same day.

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sovereigngrace said:

Ok, let us establish what you believe

Is there sin in your future millennium?
Are there sinners in your future millennium?
Is there sickness in your future millennium?
Is there crying in your future millennium?
Is there dying in your future millennium?
Is there rebellion in your future millennium?
Is there decay in your future millennium?



Scripture has a habit of concentrating on different aspects of the Lord’s coming. Sometimes the focus is Christ. Sometimes the focus is man. Sometimes the focus is the fate of the universe. Sometimes the focus is the wicked. Sometimes the focus is a righteous. Sometimes the subject is humans. Sometimes it is angels. Sometimes it is the visible realm and sometimes it is the invisible realm. Sometimes the subject is the living, sometimes the subject is the dead. Sometimes the subject is heaven. Sometimes the subject is earth. Sometimes the subject is hell. Sometimes it is the beast. Sometimes it is Satan. This does not negate the fact that many simultaneous things can be happening at the one time. Remember, Scripture can only talk about one subject at a time.

Zephaniah 1:2-3 says, “I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD. I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD."

Zephaniah 3:8 says, “Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

These passages show that the destruction that occurs when Jesus comes will be wholesale. None will be able to survive it. What replaces the removal of this current corrupt set-up is a new perfect world free of sin and sinners, crying and dying, death and decay. This couldn't be any more climactic.

This leaves a massive problem for Premils: there are no wicked to populate their so-called future millennium.

The whole thrust of Revelation 19 surrounds a climactic end to the world. Like the rest of Scripture, it records the complete rescue of the saints in the “marriage of the lamb” and the complete destruction of the wicked when the fowls consume the entire wicked left behind. The passage makes no allowance for goats-survivors in this great destruction passage or mortals squeezing into a supposed future millennium. This reading seems to fit in with the scriptural pattern of an all-consummating Coming - all the wicked being consumed.

Revelation 19:11-16, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall shepherd them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

A plain reading of the passage before us reveals that Christis coming back with wrath to execute judgment and destroy all those left behind. He is not going to reward men for their rebellion by leading them unto the glorified new earth. Neither is Christ coming to engage in some ill-fated war against evil for a thousand years – that is not remotely in the text. The King of kings and Lord of lords will not have to fight for victory. He already won that decisively at the cross.

Christ is seen pouring out His wrath without mixture upon the nations as He smites them in His fury with “a sharp sword” that comes “out of his mouth.” What is the result of this act? It shall “smite the nations” that have missed the catching away. This is what awaits the nations. They are going to be smitten. The word for “smite” in this text is the Greek word patasso, which means to strike with a weapon or to smite fatally. It means to smite down, cut down, to kill, slay.

Let us be clear: Heis coming to smite down the nations, not corral them into some sin-cursed, goat-infested, death-blighted millennial age. It says that “he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” This is not a pretty sight. This is not loose talk by God. This is not something that the nations should look forward to. What awaits the nations that have rejected Christ is utter destruction and devastation. The nations left behind are totally destroyed. Christ destroys them by the very utterance of His mouth.

The two words interpreted “fierceness” and “wrath” here are thumos and orge which are regularly employed in the New Testament to mean ‘fierceness, indignation, wrath and vengeance’. The word orge carries the additional meaning of ‘violent passion’. Clearly the Lord is not happy with those left behind. Like those left behind in Noah’s day and Sodom they face an awful end, as they receive the reward of their rejection of Christ.

Verses 17-18 says, “I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. The loipoy (or remaining ones) those left behind were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”

Please see that the wicked are destroyed by the sword of His voice. This is complete wholesale total destruction - for those left behind. There are no survivors!

The feasting part of the marriage supper of the Lamb is a symbolism depicted the destruction of the wicked. Why can this not be a symbolic depiction of the return of Christ and the events that accompany it (including the destruction of the wicked)?

The first part of the narrative outlines a detailed account of the assignment given to “the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven” by the heavenly messenger. The “fowls” are instructed to “come and gather” themselves “together unto the supper of the great God” in order that they would “eat”:

1. The flesh of kings,
2. The flesh of captains,
3. The flesh of mighty men,
4. The flesh of horses, them that sit on them,
5. The flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

This passage powerfully and solemnly reveals the full extent of the devastation that is to be focused upon the wicked on the day of God’s wrath. In perfect keeping with the rest of Scripture, this narrative graphically shows us that the destruction that occurs will be immediate, absolute and total and that, at this stage – after “the marriage of the Lamb” (Rev 19:7) – everyone left behind will be completely consumed; the birds of heaven filling themselves with “the flesh of all men.” Significantly, the suffix “both free and bond, both small and great” is added in order to fully impress the enormity and all-inclusive nature of this feast.

Conclusion

The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ will be a unique day in the annals of human history and unprecedented in its all-consummating character. Obviously, no other day has ever seen the end of the world and the final complete defeat of every last enemy of righteousness, truth and Almighty God. Neither has any other day seen the destruction of all wickedness by way of fire before. Notwithstanding, the Lord draws our specific attention to two notable days in human history to compare it with, and to fully illustrate the character and finality of this all-consummating day. These two particular days are familiar to most and are found in Holy Writ (both in the Old Testament), and give us an unparalleled insight into the nature, extent and detail of judgment on that impending last day. While, evidently there is no previous individual bygone historic example of a total global annihilation of the wicked by fire, these two individual days, when joined together, vividly portray what will occur on the final day of time. These two former days being (1) the day that Noah entered into the ark and (2) the day that Lot was rescued out of Sodom.

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DavidPT said:

If what I have underlined are not referring to the same events, this indicates you think the stars fall from heaven on 2 separate occasions within a few years of each other.

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DavidPT said:

Blood moon: Also known as a total lunar eclipse.

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Jamdoc said:

If when Jesus second coming consumes all the wicked with the brightness of His coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8), and you refer to that as the whole world being destroyed by Fire as in 2 Peter 3:10 or Zephaniah 3:8 as the same event, then there are no Carrion birds, and no corpses to feed on, because the whole planet is destroyed.

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sovereigngrace said:

Who are qualified to escape the destruction of Christ upon the wicked and on what grounds?

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sovereigngrace said:

And when are you going to address the rest of the post?

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BABerean2 said:

Mat 13:37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
Mat 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
Mat 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
Mat 13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
Mat 13:41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
Mat 13:42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.


2Th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2Th 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
2Th 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.


2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.



Rev_18:9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,


Rev_18:18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!


Everything, and everyone who is not fireproof is going to burn sometime that day.

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sovereigngrace said:

As I showed you in the last post, the rule of Christ has been ongoing from His ascension. When He comes again that is to separate the sheep from the goats, reward the sheep and destroy the wicked.

Remember the disciples were probably all there when Christ announced that He was removing the kingdom favor from the physical nation and giving it to a new spiritual nation. Jesus asked the religious Jews in Matthew 21:42-44, “Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” The disciples had a spiritual

This truth must surely have provoked intrigue in the disciples’ minds that were gradually being drawn out of the old covenant system into the new covenant reality. It might even have had a bearing upon the question being asked in Acts 1:6. Being citizens of Israel, they probably wanted lucidity on this matter before Christ ascended to the father.

The instruction in this narrative from the Savior begs an obvious question for Premils (especially in the light of their thinking on Acts 1:6): is the teaching of Christ in Matthew 21:42-44 also speaking of a future earthly millennial kingdom? Of course, the answer is ‘no!’ This teaching is speaking about the spiritual blessing and favor that would be taken from physical Israel and the old covenant theocracy and transferred to the New Testament Church after the cross. The same disciples that asked the question reference the kingdom in Acts 1:6 would probably have witnessed this incident in the temple in Matthew 21 as He informed Israel’s leaders of the great seismic change that was occurring in their midst. Even if they didn’t have a full revelation of the gravity of this turn-around, this must have been a great talking point for both Christ’s disciples and the religious Jews.

We can detect a lack of consistency here with the Premil argument and mode of interpretation. It seems like they interpret the kingdom of God as spiritual when it suits and then change it to refer to their future millennium when it fits their own partial understanding.

Why would this question not be spiritual? Such an understanding would fit better with the context and the repeated New Testament teaching on the spiritual advice of the kingdom. Jesus said in Matthew 24:13-14: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

The new covenant arrangement was completely different from the old. The kingdom of God referred to all those that had experienced the favor of God by coming to Christ and exhibiting the “fruits” of salvation. Israel’s willful rejection of God’s only provision for sin and uncleanness was God’s means for reaching the nations. It is not strange that the disciples would have wondered at Israel’s part on the new playing field and the new impending awakening. Would Israel ever again enjoy spiritual blessing?

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Jamdoc said:

Both of you guys keep doing the same thing. Taking multiple events and rolling it into a single event.

There are 2 events described, Jesus returning on a white horse and slaying people with a sword coming out of His mouth, and consuming the entire planet in the fire of His jealousy. They're not the same thing or the same event. It doesn't matter how much scripture you throw at me describing the world being consumed in fire, because I believe that is going to happen too. But I place it at the end of Revelation 20, not in Revelation 19. One has fire from heaven, the other does not.

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