This belief simply does not conform to what we read in the Bible.
Us Reformed Amillennial Covenant Theologians use the plainer words of the bible to interpret the more mystical, symbolic texts.
And so we are back to 1 Thess. What is Paul writing to them about? What concern of theirs is he addressing? Is this all about an 'end times table' - a list of events so we can lock it into our end times calendar?
No. He's not out to tickle our curiosity about those things. In just the previous verses he had been praising them for their love for each other and how great it was - but to help it grow even more, work hard, and provide for each other. Then in the context of that - he remembers that they were concerned about what happens to their loved ones that have died?
1 THESSALONIANS 4 & 5
“13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope."
Ok - so what is he writing about now? How the gospel addresses that hope!
"For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words."
Apparently this is where you would have Paul switch topics to a CME?
But there's no rational reason for him to do so - because he is still discussing those who have died and their fate - and us meeting them. The focus shifts slightly to whether or not we will actually meet them.
5 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep,
but let us be awake and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober,
putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So - for the Covenant Theology / Amil position:-
1. It's consistent with Paul's opening concern - to address their fears for their dearly departed.
2. There's no MENTION of the fire or changing topics.
3. He's merely pointing out that - just as Jesus said - we will not know when the Day of the LORD will happen because it happens like a thief!
4.This is consistent with Matt 24 and 25 which describe THAT DAY as being like a thief - and then have all these images of catching people unaware - but culminating in the Lord returning suddenly on his throne and separating the sheep and goats forever!
5. Paul mentions the dead returning with Jesus when he returns "like a thief" and then we will be with them forever. That's salvation! But then in the section you want to be about a CME (that doesn't actually mention a CME!) - he talks about being prepared and staying in the faith so that we CAN 'receive salvation'. He's still talking about the same subject!
MATTHEW 24 and 25: After answering the disciples about the destruction of THAT temple in AD 70, (1-35), Jesus goes on to discus the end of the world. So the Lord returns like a thief in the night, which is like Matt 24's days of Noah, two men in the field, two women with the hand mill, thief in the night surprising the master of the house, faithful and wicked servants (with the gnashing of teeth!), maidens waiting for the bridegroom, good and lazy investors, and finally the sheep and goats - with eternal punishment and eternal life.
What we then have is that the PLAIN reading of Matthew 24 and 25 corresponds perfectly to Paul writing about what happens to the Thessalonian's dead loved ones - and how we might meet them again. The Lord will return, with angels, the dead are raised, and we are saved FOREVER - and the ungodly meet destruction.
We also see this in 2 Thessalonians 1
5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the
Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will
punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with
everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be
glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
Now I admit that the very next chapter 2 Thessalonians 2 is troubling for my specific TOTALLY-non-futurist Amil position. That is - I find myself siding with those theologians who argue that the Lord really could return in 5 seconds - and there's no need for a third temple or global antichrist figure or anything like that.
But I can respect those Amillennials like Dr Kim Riddebarger who are a little bit futurist. They do not have huge future end times tables and do read most of Revelation as historical or idealist. (That symbolic sermon on suffering I keep going on about.) But I think I remember even the great mathematician turned theologian - D.A. Carson is a 'pointy end' futurist - in that the general suffering and persecution we experience as Christians will suddenly increase in the last period before the Lord returns. We shall see. I do not want to be side-tracked by the anti-Christ debate at this stage. I just want to point out that while Paul says the Lord will return like a thief - in 2 Thessalonians 2 he shows we WILL NOT MISS IT and all evil will be exposed and judged on that day - that it is so universal that even Emperors and antichrists will be blown away by it.
OK - I can't resist.
THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS:
While these are fairly plain texts - the Return of the Lord does use some metaphor like 'fire' and a great 'trumpet'. But just as I'm not sure the normal laws of physics about sound are in mind when the 'trumpet' is blown - I'm not sure a normal figure standing in an actual temple has to be actually in that position
when the Lord returns!
That is - Paul seems to be implying that the AOD will happen when the temple is destroyed. Titus marched on the temple in AD 70. Paul could be warning them that this is a significant theological event - be prepared. Because many early Christians were Jews before becoming Christians - so they would want to know what that event Jesus talked about in Matthew 24 actually meant!
But Paul blurs the timetable. He doesn't explain exactly when the 'lawless one' will be revealed. The language also seems intentionally vague and all-encompassing. What is Paul doing - and are there any precedents in biblical literature?
Fortunately there are - and it seems on this very subject!
AMALGAMATING ALL EVIL INTO ONE FIGURE:
EZEKIEL & GOG: Gog was first mentioned in the bible way back in Genesis. Then Ezekiel wraps up all his more literal, local judgments into a more end-times theological piece about ALL evil being judged - ALL God's enemies. It's symbolic. It's bits and pieces of Ezekiel's own descriptions of Egypt and Tyre and Ammon etc all rolled into one huge, metaphorical enemy. Then Ezekiel employs 3 symbolic acts of judgement to show how utterly and thoroughly these enemies of God will be destroyed. They cannot be literal - because each is so devastating nothing would be left for the next!
JOHN AMALGAMATING DANIEL'S 4 BEASTS INTO ONE FIGURE:
John does the same thing and rolls all Daniel's beast-kingdoms into one great enemy of God. (Revelation 13.) John combines the lion, bear, leopard, and specifically 10 horns of the beasts in Daniel 7. In Revelation 13 Rome arrives in Asia Minor via the sea - exactly how Rome historically approached Asia Minor. Like Ezekiel - John's message is both particular AND generalised. He is writing to encourage his generation suffering under Rome - but he also knows he is writing to all Christians across all these Last Days between Jesus Resurrection & Return. John had Rome in mind - but also dressed up Rome in such a way that it encompassed ALL the bad bits of Daniel's enemy kingdoms - and Rome represents an archetype of ALL the enemies of God.
PAUL'S MAN OF LAWLESSNESS
This amalgamation metaphor is what I think Paul is using. In AD70 - Caesar Titus lay siege to Jerusalem for 5 months. The "eagles" of the Roman army circled Jerusalem. When they finally went in and sacked Jerusalem and burned the temple to the ground, the Roman soldiers sacrificed to the Eagle. THAT is the AOD. The Romans used
ballista to throw stones that looked like giant hail we see in Revelation, and had various crude
thermal projectile weapons they could also use. This seems in accordance with 2 Thess 2:9 - "The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie." It's up there with Revelation 13:13 "And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people." The fall of the temple was going to be a big deal to early Christians - especially those who had been Jewish. They would need to know what it meant. The temporary nature of the temple seems to be in mind even in Hebrews 8. It explains that Jesus is our great temple and high priest, and that "By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will SOON disappear." Jesus warned in Matthew 24 that the temple would be gone before THAT generation had disappeared - and lo and behold! - within about 40 years it was gone.
To me it all comes together.
Ezekiel amalgamated all evil into Gog. John amalgamated all Daniel's kingdoms together in his description of Rome - and this becomes the "Great Babylon" that falls on the last day. Paul also seems to be thinking of when Rome will destroy the temple - but that they will be 'revealed' and judged on the last day. Paul seems to be trying to comfort them that the Lord cannot have returned yet because he said the temple would fall - but also on that day - remember everyone who does such things basically represent God's enemies - and will one day be judged when the Lord returns.
You JUST used this same implied insult against someone else in another thread!
