Daniel's 70th week

[Al Touthentop]

Maybe in the Twilight Zone, but not in the real world. Isn't China, for example, a dominion? Does it look like China is or ever has served and obeyed Him? Keep in mind, in Daniel 7 it says ALL dominions, and not some dominions will and some dominions won't, shall serve and obey Him. It clearly says all will. That has to equal forced compliance.

People in every nation, including China, are disciples of Christ.

 

[Al Touthentop]

The issue is aligning our desires with God's desires. God has laid out how He is going to bring the Kingdom of God to here on earth to be the ruling kingdom over all kingdoms on the earth. And to translate the living and raise the dead in Christ.

He laid out how he WAS going to do it and then did it.

Some of you here are fighting God every step of the way.

Look in a mirror.

 

[Al Touthentop]

15 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.

.

That you can read that passage and see it as a literal sword when we know it is the WORD is really bizarre.

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

That battle is happening right now. The kingdom isn't earthly.

Ephesians 6:17
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

 

[Al Touthentop]

So you disagree then, that the following, when comparing to Revelation 21, are not speaking of the same era of time?

Isaiah 60:11 Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.

Isaiah 60:20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
21 Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.


Clearly both verse 12 and 14 in Isaiah 60 are meaning during this same period of time. Verse 21 says---Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever.

Yes. THY people. Those who follow Christ.

One can't inherit the land for forever in an age that doesn't last for forever. Therefore the next age has to be meant, the everlasting age.

Terrible exegesis to take a figurative prophecy and apply it to a carnal situation. If you understand that the kingdom is spiritual, then you can reconcile these things. They don't mean what you think because you are reading them as a carnally minded person. Paul said that those who do this read the old testament with a veil on. When you remove the veil in Christ, you see these things differently. It's a choice. Your choice is obvious.

You want all of those prophecies to mean literal lands and owning of things forever. Ultimate fantasy of humans is to be able to be 'spiritual' and keep all of their stuff after they die. What is important to such a person?

What's important to you that this is how you read scripture? What would be the point of any of this were it earthly? That you get to be on the winning side when Jesus comes and tells off his "enemies?"

 

[DavidPT]

Do you realize how silly this idea is that Jesus would come to earth and force everyone to obey him? That's what the earthly millennium doctrine stipulates. Forced obedience. It's not going to happen because God has never worked that way. At no point in history has God forced anyone to obey him. Jesus is 'sitting' on his 'throne' right now.

Revelation 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.


Revelation 15:4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Zechariah 14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.


Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest --------And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Maybe you can't see it, and I'm sure you can't, but I sure can. Clearly Zechariah 14:16-19 fits after the judgments involving the seven last plagues. Clearly Zechariah 14:16-19 makes no sense after the 2nd coming unless there is a thousand years after the 2nd coming, followed by a little season of satan. Clearly Zechariah 14:16-19 depicts forced obedience during that time.

 

[DavidPT]

Terrible exegesis to take a figurative prophecy and apply it to a carnal situation. If you understand that the kingdom is spiritual, then you can reconcile these things. They don't mean what you think because you are reading them as a carnally minded person. Paul said that those who do this read the old testament with a veil on. When you remove the veil in Christ, you see these things differently. It's a choice. Your choice is obvious.

You want all of those prophecies to mean literal lands and owning of things forever. Ultimate fantasy of humans is to be able to be 'spiritual' and keep all of their stuff after they die. What is important to such a person?

What's important to you that this is how you read scripture? What would be the point of any of this were it earthly? That you get to be on the winning side when Jesus comes and tells off his "enemies?"

Even if I was wrong about the land, and that it wasn't meaning geographically, but was meaning in some other sense, this is still meaning in the next age, the everlasting age, regardless. That means one then has to explain, if they are Amil, how verse 12 and 14 in Isaiah 60 fit with their position, the fact those things are meaning in the next age, and not in this age instead.

 

[sovereigngrace]

The issue is not the power of Jesus.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

The issue is aligning our desires with God's desires. God has laid out how He is going to bring the Kingdom of God to here on earth to be the ruling kingdom over all kingdoms on the earth. And to translate the living and raise the dead in Christ.

Revelation 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Some of you here are fighting God every step of the way.

The opposite is the truth. Christ reigns now and will do for all eternity

 

[DavidPT]

The opposite is the truth. Christ reigns now and will do for all eternity

While that is true, the 7th trumpet still hasn't sounded yet though.

Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out, that if what I have underlined is not true until the seventh angel sounds first, that means it's not true before then. Which means it is not currently true. And until what I have underlined is fulfilled first, how can---and all dominions shall serve and obey him(Daniel 7:27)--already be true before then?

 

[sovereigngrace]

While that is true, the 7th trumpet still hasn't sounded yet though.

Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out, that if what I have underlined is not true until the seventh angel sounds first, that means it's not true before then. Which means it is not currently true. And until what I have underlined is fulfilled first, how can---and all dominions shall serve and obey him(Daniel 7:27)--already be true before then?

That is when all rule and authority has finally and eternally been put down and Christ will destroy his enemies (1 Cor 15).

 

[Al Touthentop]

Even if I was wrong about the land, and that it wasn't meaning geographically, but was meaning in some other sense, this is still meaning in the next age, the everlasting age, regardless.

Yes, because the law of Moses had an expiration date. The kingdom of God has no expiration date.

That means one then has to explain, if they are Amil, how verse 12 and 14 in Isaiah 60 fit with their position, the fact those things are meaning in the next age, and not in this age instead.

The age after the law was abolished and the kingdom was established. The age we live in right now.

 

[Al Touthentop]

While that is true, the 7th trumpet still hasn't sounded yet though.

Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out, that if what I have underlined is not true until the seventh angel sounds first, that means it's not true before then. Which means it is not currently true. And until what I have underlined is fulfilled first, how can---and all dominions shall serve and obey him(Daniel 7:27)--already be true before then?

You are mistaken when you take everything in Revelation as being about the future. John says specifically that things in the vision are what were, are and will be.

"Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

The angels there are are talking about what is. What has become. The grammar and the language say this. This isn't talking about a future event, it's talking about the past. He is king and he will reign for ever and ever. He was king when John wrote that vision as he was told and some of the things refer to what has already happened, things that John had already seen.

 

[Douggg]

That is when all rule and authority has finally and eternally been put down and Christ will destroy his enemies (1 Cor 15).

You left out the thousand years reign of Jesus following Satan being cast into the bottomless pit, then being released at the end of the thousand years, to be destroyed when he is cast into the lake of fire where the beast and false prophet will have been cast a thousand years earlier.

 

[sovereigngrace]

You left out the thousand years reign of Jesus following Satan being cast into the bottomless pit, then being released at the end of the thousand years, to be destroyed when he is cast into the lake of fire where the beast and false prophet will have been cast a thousand years earlier.

This is a figurative number indicating an indeterminate period. This began at the first resurrection - Christ's. He was the firstfruits from the grave. We are still in that period. It covers Christ's Messianic reign upon the throne of David over true Israel - the redeemed.

 

[sovereigngrace]

You are mistaken when you take everything in Revelation as being about the future. John says specifically that things in the vision are what were, are and will be.

"Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

The angels there are are talking about what is. What has become. The grammar and the language say this. This isn't talking about a future event, it's talking about the past. He is king and he will reign for ever and ever. He was king when John wrote that vision as he was told and some of the things refer to what has already happened, things that John had already seen.

I have to disagree. John talks about all three. This is why I am not Preterist. I feel they make the same mistake that Futurists make, only with the past. Preterism is an overreaction to Dispensationalism. Everything is past tense in their world. But biblically and in Revelation it is not! It is past, present and future. You highlight that above. Preterism pigeon-holes its advocates. Its position on Revelation is speculative, non-corroborative and wrong. In symbolic form and apocalyptic language, it describes the intra-Advent period. It ignores the several notable references to the future return of Christ. We are basically looking at several recaps. The focus is Christ, not Titus coming in AD70.

Using other Scripture to interpret Revelation proves my thesis on the passage in question.

By clear implication, if the last trump relates to the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ there must be others that precede it. Revelation seems to support this weighty inference. Moreover, the seven trumpets outlined in Revelation chapters 8 to 10 are the only set of prophetic trumpets in Scripture. In the light of the explicit teaching and consistent pattern relating to the last trump elsewhere in the New Testament, and in order for our viewpoint to be true, accurate, compatible and complete (and all truth must fulfil this demanding criteria), the last trumpet in Revelation – number seven – must be a clear, vivid picture of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Notwithstanding, when the Bible student carefully analyses the graphic descriptive detail of the seventh trumpet in Revelation in the light of other like Scripture he is left in no doubt to its subject matter and its startling cohesion with other prophetic readings. Only a blinkered eschatology student could deny that the last trumpet outlined in Revelation 10 is anything other than the same last trumpet outlined in other New Testament passages and a beautiful symbolic picture of the one final glorious Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 10:1-11 declares, describing the seventh trumpet, “And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.”

The symbolism and authority surrounding this great heavenly angel proves beyond a doubt that it is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ and a picture of His glorious Second Coming. We will the symbolism shortly.
Revelation 10:5-7 says of the Second Advent and the concluding last trumpet, “And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.”

There is clearly a major dilemma here for you those who take Revelation to be a literal chronological unfolding of last day events. They must surely concede, if they are going to be consistent with their view that everything after Revelation 11 (which also makes reference to the seventh trumpet) is in the realm of eternity and the after-life. After all Revelation 10 plainly records that with this particular event “there should be time no longer.” For those who would lightly dismiss this important narrative as anything other than a magnificent picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and His glorious Second Coming, they do foolishly ignore the great wealth of explicit and consistent end-time teaching on this subject and divorce the undoubted harmony of this chapter from the rest of New Testament prophetic teaching.

The chronological hypothesis in relation to the complete book of Revelation is defective in the extreme as, by its very nature, it must project chapters 11-22 into ‘the age that is to come’, as from this chapter on, time shall clearly be no more. If the dispensationalist is consistent, it must exclude the prophetic relevance of chapters 11-22 to the Church and mankind today or to any generation preceding the Second Coming of the Lord. In reality, the chronological theory capitulates at this juncture, like other similar readings, enjoying not even the remotest support. In fact, it undermines the very character and import of the book of Revelation which embodies a number of repeated cycles outlining God’s Sovereign dealings with both the righteous and the wicked. Dealings that include the great overall battle between good and evil, between Christ and Satan, the Church and its enemies.

We must first of all recognise, this is the second of seven similar symbolic parallels relating to intra-advent period, each of which take us up to the one final future all-consummating Coming of Christ (the day of God’s wrath) and the end of the world (when time shall undoubtedly be no more). This pattern of repeating the record of the same event from different angles is common throughout Scripture on most themes, none more that the glorious Coming of Christ.

The third parallel in Revelation 11:15 also makes reference to the seventh angel with the last trump, again being in complete agreement with consistent New Testament teaching (including the conclusion of the second parallel in Revelation 10) on this single, final, all-consummating nature of the Second Advent, saying, “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

The next verse, verse 18 then reveals how the Second Advent ushers in the general judgment, saying, “And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest (1) give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest (2) destroy them which destroy the earth. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.”

One cannot help but note the finality attached to the sounding of the seventh trumpet. This is particularly striking when you then compare this to the trumpet passages that connect to the Second Coming of the Lord. The link is unquestionable.

Whichever way you look at it, there is an unquestionable finality surrounding the echo of the seventh trumpet. This corresponds with the conclusiveness associated with Second Coming passages elsewhere in Scripture. Let us look at some of the all-consummating detail.

Totally disagree. Your proposition only survives if you ignore the detail that accompanies the 7th trumpet, and you refuse to interpret Scripture with Scripture. The 7th trumpet details fits in with other trumpet Scripture that shows the Second Coming to be the end.

· “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ.”
· “he shall reign for ever and ever” – not a thousand years or for a measurable time-span.
· The time of God’s “wrath is come.”
· We have a general judgment where Christ will “give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints” and judge the wicked at the same time. He will “destroy them which destroy the earth.”
· “the mystery of God” will be “finished.”
· “time” shall be “no longer.”

It is hard to see how the Holy Spirit could have made it more final. All the bases are covered. All the boxes are ticked. The finishing of “the mystery of God” at the “sound of the last trumpet (trumpet 7) ushers in the end of time (chronos) and the beginning of eternity.

This is the time when “The kingdoms of this world” have finally “become the kingdoms of our lord, and of his Christ” and “he shall reign” NOT for 1000 years as some would have us believe but “for ever and ever.”

This is the end of the old temporal sin-cursed order and the introduction of the new eternal glorified order. Also, the undoubted finality surrounding the echo of the seventh trumpet proves beyond doubt that it is the last trump – the final trumpet sound for all mankind. “The kingdoms of this world” have finally “become the kingdoms of our lord, and of his Christ” and “he shall reign” not for 1000 years as some would have us believe but “for ever and ever.” Those who reject such evidence do so (in the main) in order to support the Pretribulationist doctrine.

The respective chronological views dismiss the correct translation “there should be time no longer” and replace it by ‘there should be no more delay’. However, those who do such are still faced with insurmountable mountains, some of which we have already highlighted. Moreover, this is an undoubted forced interpretation, which must be opposed on several fronts.

Firstly, this is undoubtedly the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ – the end – it has absolutely nothing to do with delaying the days.
Secondly, the King James Version interprets the passage correctly and in context: “chronos ouketi estai”
‘Time - no longer – there shall be’!!!

Thirdly, the above interpretation of the Greek in this passage is in perfect and harmonious agreement with their consistent usage everywhere else in Scripture. Those who interpret it otherwise probably do so in an attempt to justify the Pre-mil theory, and the myriads of goats that their paradigm produces during their millennium.

Also, the interpretation of these Greek words in this passage, in the AV, is in clear and absolute agreement with their consistent usage throughout the rest of Scripture. Those therefore who interpret it otherwise probably do so to explain away the undoubted finality of the Second Coming or to support the inconsistent Pre-mil theory. The word chronos in this reading, which is rendered “time” in the AV, carries the consistent meaning of “time” or “times” in Scripture. A thorough examination of the usage of the word finds that it is right here to interpret chronos as time. The King James Version translations are:

‘time’ 32 references,
‘season’ 4 references,
‘a while’ 4 references,
‘long as’ 4 references,
‘began’ 3 references,
‘space’ 2 references.
‘oftentimes’ 1 reference,
‘ago’ 1 reference,
‘old’ 1 reference,

Significantly, whichever one of these English words that one prefers, we assuredly know, it shall be “no more” at the one final future all-consummating Second Advent.

As for the Premillennialist interpretation, we find:

‘delay’ 0 times.

The translating of chronos as ‘delay’ in this passage by some of the modern versions therefore is clearly unsustainable and is completely out of keeping with the context of the reading and the standard usage of the word in the rest of the New Testament. The King James Version interprets are therefore correct in interpreting the word as “time” in this reading.

Significantly, the remainder of the NASB translation of the passage (which interprets the word delay) also declares, “when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished.” Therefore, the whole import and wording of the remainder of the passage perfectly supports the King James Version rendering and confirms the all-consummating nature of the Second Advent, which says, “when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should beetelesthee (or) finished.” It should be noted that the word etelesthee is a very strong all-consummating word that is rightly translated “finished” in this reading and is consistently interpreted, and means, completed, concluded, expired and accomplished.

This is the time when “that which is in part shall be done away,” when “that which is perfect is [finally] come” the time when we shall “know even as also” we are “known” (1 Corinthians 13:9-12).

What is more, and notably, the NASB Translation interprets chronos as “time” 30 times, “times” 5 times, “long” 5 times, “long ages” 2 times, “exact time” 1 time, “while” 5 times “period” 2 times, “age”1 time, “all” 1 time, “long” 1 time, and “delay” only 1 time. This is a faulty interpretation designed by bias translators to justify the Premil doctrine.

 

[sovereigngrace]

Yes, because the law of Moses had an expiration date. The kingdom of God has no expiration date.



The age after the law was abolished and the kingdom was established. The age we live in right now.

The old covenant ended and the new covenant began with Christ's death and the ripping of the temple curtain in two but we are still in "this [evil] age" and awaiting "the age to come." Christ only recognizes two ages in His teaching – “this world/age” and “the world/age to come.” One is current, corrupt and temporal and the other is impending, perfect and eternal. These terms are commonly used in the New Testament when contrasting the toil and trouble of the here-and-now with the glory and pristine nature of the hereafter. These two common phrases are found in different places in the New Testament, along with several other similar expressions, referring to time and eternity.

 

[sovereigngrace]

While that is true, the 7th trumpet still hasn't sounded yet though.

Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out, that if what I have underlined is not true until the seventh angel sounds first, that means it's not true before then. Which means it is not currently true. And until what I have underlined is fulfilled first, how can---and all dominions shall serve and obey him(Daniel 7:27)--already be true before then?

I agree! But the detail surrounding the sounding of that last (seventh) trump is totally climactic and ushers us into an eternal perfect age not some bipolar age of justice and injustice, deliverance and bondage, light and darkness, righteousness and unrighteousness, perfection and sin, glorification and corruption, sin and sinlessness, immortality and mortality, peace and harmony and war and terror.

 

[Douggg]

This is a figurative number indicating an indeterminate period. This began at the first resurrection - Christ's. He was the firstfruits from the grave. We are still in that period. It covers Christ's Messianic reign upon the throne of David over true Israel - the redeemed.

Jesus is coming and His reward is with Him. And here you and Al are, operating in the amil mode.

 

[Al Touthentop]

The old covenant ended and the new covenant began with Christ's death and the ripping of the temple curtain in two but we are still in "this [evil] age" and awaiting "the age to come." Christ only recognizes two ages in His teaching – “this world/age” and “the world/age to come.” One is current, corrupt and temporal and the other is impending, perfect and eternal. These terms are commonly used in the New Testament when contrasting the toil and trouble of the here-and-now with the glory and pristine nature of the hereafter. These two common phrases are found in different places in the New Testament, along with several other similar expressions, referring to time and eternity.

I don't know that we can be that tight about the interpretation of the "age to come." I haven't really dived into this but there are no univocals in scripture.

We're in the age past the age of the old covenant. That old age ended when the law was fulfilled. And we are part of an eternal kingdom right now, so why wouldn't this be that age?

 

[Al Touthentop]

Jesus is coming and His reward is with Him. And here you and Al are, operating in the amil mode.

And we agree with the scripture that he came and is coming again. That he established the eternal kingdom and he'll come back on the last day for judgement. We're not arguing with scripture and trying to make it mean that God is going to come back with machine guns to kill the Taliban. That's not the sort of warfare that we as Christians are fighting and God isn't going to ever fight that sort of war.

 

[sovereigngrace]

I don't know that we can be that tight about the interpretation of the "age to come." I haven't really dived into this but there are no univocals in scripture.

We're in the age past the age of the old covenant. That old age ended when the law was fulfilled. And we are part of an eternal kingdom right now, so why wouldn't this be that age?

Because Scripture locates "the age to come" at the second coming and carefully describes in detail the pristine Edenic nature of it. There is no way we are there yet. This age is depicted as an "evil age" that is blighted with sin, sinners, death, decay and Satan. The age to come is depicted as a "righteous" age that is marked by perfection, eternal rest, total bliss, a renewed creation, a glorified existence and the restoration of all things. The curse is finally and eternally lifted. It marks the change from time to eternity. We are clearly not there yet.

I have studied the subject in depth. Here are some of my findings:

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 (or aion or age) began.”

This text takes us from the beginning to the end. It shows us that from the beginning of time God’s people have been looking of the glorious climactic return of Christ to usher in the end of time and decomposition. This covers the whole old covenant and new covenant era. This confirms that this age began” at the beginning of time, and terminates when Jesus comes. This totally negates the Preterist position.

The whole sense and meaning of the word apocatastasis here is ‘a restoration of things to its first state’ (or ‘to return to its former state’). Webster's 1828 Dictionary says, “’Restitution’ means ‘The act of recovering a former state or posture, the putting the world in a holy and happy state’.”

In everyday language, it refers to a return to the original place. For example, the return of a ship to its home port; in astronomy it meant the cyclical return of a planet to the point where it was found earlier; in medicine it meant the return of a patient to health (recovery).

The “last day” of this age is marked by cataclysmic change. The whole of creation will undergo a wholesale purge of all corruption. This involves the fiery renewal of the globe, the heavens and the elements. It sees the destruction of the wicked and all wickedness. It sees the glorification of the elect in order to equip them to populate the new perfected earth with Jesus.

Philippians 3:20-21 says, “we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall metaschematizo (or) change our vile body, that it may be summorphos (or) fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able (or, canst) hupotáxai (or) subdue (or subordinate) all things unto himself.”

Paul identifies the time of the subduing or subordinating of “all things unto himself” with the occasion of the Second Coming, which expressly sees the final act of redemption and the fulfilment of the glorification process. This is unquestionably the conclusion of history – the “times of restitution (or reconstitution) of all things.”

Constantly throughout the Word of God we see that “this present evil age” is equated with suffering and pain. The age to come is depicted as an eternal rest and safety. Romans 8:16-18 explains, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time (or kairos) are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall (or mello or hereafter) be revealed in us.”

In this reading, Paul is simply comparing the testing and trials that God’s people currently endure in this current life, which is plagued with all the consequences of the fall, and the joy of the eternal state when Christ comes that is totally purged of the curse. The portrayal of this age correlates with Galatians 1:4 that labels “this present time” of “sufferings” as “this present evil age.” Paul speaks of a time when “the children of God” will be “glorified together” at His return. He assures his audience that the difficulties of this life are nothing “to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” when Christ appears. His whole focus is the glory that will be finally and eternally realized at Christ’s return.

Romans 8:19-23 continues, “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption (phthora or decay) into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body.”

God in His providence and infinite wisdom has ordained a day when He will finally bring time, evil and the bondage of corruption to an end. This passage speaks of an approaching climactic event in history that will eventually and eternally release all creation from a position of current anguish and despair to a place of total liberation and relief. In fact, there can be no doubt; the central focus of this whole passage is the yearning of “the whole creation” for the day when “the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” There is indeed a termination to the “bondage of corruption” – it is the one and only future all-consummating Coming of Christ.

There is a direct connection between the liberation of “creation” and the liberation of the “sons of God.” Both the creature and creation are waiting for “the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body” – or resurrection day. This is the day when both will simultaneously be delivered from the aforementioned “bondage of corruption.” The day of redemption is shown throughout Scripture to be the second coming of Christ. It is there is that man experiences the final part of redemption – the redemption of his body.

R.C. Sproul expounds: “In this present darkness, the curse extends to the end of the earth— to our lives, to our labors, to our businesses, to our relationships. All suffer under the pangs of the curse of a fallen world. That’s why there’s a cosmic yearning, where all of creation groans together waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, waiting for that moment when the curse is removed.”

This earth has been gradually degenerating since the fall. That is why people lived a lot longer at the beginning and why the earth would have probably produced a great deal more bountifully. Because of its degenerating state, creation will be regenerated and brought back to its pristine state. We see that in Psalm 102:25-27, which predicts, “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.”

This earth is depicted in Scripture as gradually decaying to such a stage that it needs replaced. The surface of this earth is metaphorically likened unto a well-worn overcoat that needs replaced with a brand-new spotless garment. This is shown throughout the sacred pages to occur at the second coming. Christ is not going to replace the current tattered earthly coat with another deteriorating coat, as Premillennialists imagine. No! But rather a new perfected garment.

We see that also in Hebrews 1:10-12 tells us, “Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old (palaioo) as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed (allasso): but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.”

These passages confirm the reality of the ongoing existence of the bondage of corruption. Comparing this earth to a fading and deteriorating garment, the writer tells us that the current heavens and earth is waxing old. The Greek word employed here for “wax old” is palaioo which means worn out, decaying or to declare obsolete.

These passages assure us that current imperfect decay earth/heavens is going to be replaced soon by a perfect arrangement. Creation is going to experience a supernatural overhaul because of its damaged and deficient character. The import here is of the current deteriorating and decaying heavens and earth being changed and replaced with a new non-decaying vesture. Of course, repeated Scripture locates this at the Second Coming of Christ.

1 Corinthians 13:8-13 parallels, “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect (or teleios) is come, then that which is in part shall be done away … For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

The Greek word teleios (Strong’s 5046) which comes from the Greek word telos (Strong’s 5046), which we are very familiar with meaning ‘the conclusion of an act or state (termination [literally, figuratively or indefinitely], result [immediate, ultimate or prophetic], purpose); specifically, an impost or levy (as paid)’. It is speaking about the end – the consummation. In fact, the all-consummating Coming of Christ.

The limitations of this age are contrasted with the glory and the perfection of the age to come. After the Lord’s return, temporal gifts like prophecies, tongues and the gift of knowledge shall all vanish away. Why? We don’t need them anymore as we will have a full and perfect understanding of truth. However, “Charity never faileth.” A billion years into eternity we will still need love. We will love Christ throughout eternity. Love will never cease.

This age

(1) We know in part
(2) We see through a glass, darkly

The age to come

(1) “That which is in part shall be done away”
(2) “when that which is perfect is come … then shall I know even as also I am known.”