- Nov 28, 2018
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So, I discovered another end times view that I think is interesting and want to share to get other's thoughts about it. I personally agree with it and it's probably what I lean towards (albeit tentatively.)
New Creation Millennialism (or NCM) is a viewpoint that sees both premillennialism and amillennialism as having serious weaknesses.
For instance, premillennials have to contend that two separate resurrections is not explicit in Scripture and that what is the purpose of the Millennium if the wicked dead are also resurrected. If the Millenium is the fully realized Kingdom of God, then what place in it is there for the unrighteousness?
However, amillennialism isn't without it's own issues, particularly with the binding of Satan. If he's shut up in a pit, then how can he also be prowling the earth like a roaring lion? He can supposedly no longer deceive the world, yet much of the world is deceived.
This is where NCM comes in. It's like amillennialism in that it interprets much of Revelation symbolically (preferring the recapitulation model of amillenialism) rather than a strictly chronological sequence of events like premillennialism. Also, like amillennialism, NCM only recognizes two ages: the current Church Age and the Age to Come/New Creation.
However, unlike amillennialism (but like premillennialism) NCM sees Revelation 20 as still in the future and expects the Millennium to be a literal physical kingdom established on the earth.
Instead of a separate era that occurs before the New Creation, NCM sees the Millennium as part of the New Creation. In other words, it's better to think of the Millennium as a phase of sub-era of the New Creation rather than its own separate age.
The Millennium is simply the era of the New Creation when Satan and the unrighteous dead (the second death) are imprisoned in Sheol (NCM is agnostic as to whether the Millennium will be a literal 1000 years or just figurative of an unspecified length of time.) During this time, Satan cannot deceive the people of God, who at this time are residing in and reigning over the New Creation.
When the Millennium is over, Satan and the wicked dead (the Gog and Magog mentioned in Revelation) will be released and try to destroy the kingdom of God, but ultimately fail
The two main proponents of this view are Tom Schreiner and J Webb Mealy. Schreiner seems to hold to the traditional Protestant view of eternal conscious torment, so after their attack, the wicked will suffer in hell for eternity.
Mealy, on the other hand, seems to be an annihilationist. He understands the "lake of fire" as connected to the fire from heaven and that in Greek, the word use for lake can mean a temporary pool of water (like a puddle left behind by rain or pool created by a tide.) So, he sees the lake of fire as what is left behind from the fire from heaven rather than a separate physical location.
What are your thoughts on this view?
New Creation Millennialism (or NCM) is a viewpoint that sees both premillennialism and amillennialism as having serious weaknesses.
For instance, premillennials have to contend that two separate resurrections is not explicit in Scripture and that what is the purpose of the Millennium if the wicked dead are also resurrected. If the Millenium is the fully realized Kingdom of God, then what place in it is there for the unrighteousness?
However, amillennialism isn't without it's own issues, particularly with the binding of Satan. If he's shut up in a pit, then how can he also be prowling the earth like a roaring lion? He can supposedly no longer deceive the world, yet much of the world is deceived.
This is where NCM comes in. It's like amillennialism in that it interprets much of Revelation symbolically (preferring the recapitulation model of amillenialism) rather than a strictly chronological sequence of events like premillennialism. Also, like amillennialism, NCM only recognizes two ages: the current Church Age and the Age to Come/New Creation.
However, unlike amillennialism (but like premillennialism) NCM sees Revelation 20 as still in the future and expects the Millennium to be a literal physical kingdom established on the earth.
Instead of a separate era that occurs before the New Creation, NCM sees the Millennium as part of the New Creation. In other words, it's better to think of the Millennium as a phase of sub-era of the New Creation rather than its own separate age.
The Millennium is simply the era of the New Creation when Satan and the unrighteous dead (the second death) are imprisoned in Sheol (NCM is agnostic as to whether the Millennium will be a literal 1000 years or just figurative of an unspecified length of time.) During this time, Satan cannot deceive the people of God, who at this time are residing in and reigning over the New Creation.
When the Millennium is over, Satan and the wicked dead (the Gog and Magog mentioned in Revelation) will be released and try to destroy the kingdom of God, but ultimately fail
The two main proponents of this view are Tom Schreiner and J Webb Mealy. Schreiner seems to hold to the traditional Protestant view of eternal conscious torment, so after their attack, the wicked will suffer in hell for eternity.
Mealy, on the other hand, seems to be an annihilationist. He understands the "lake of fire" as connected to the fire from heaven and that in Greek, the word use for lake can mean a temporary pool of water (like a puddle left behind by rain or pool created by a tide.) So, he sees the lake of fire as what is left behind from the fire from heaven rather than a separate physical location.
What are your thoughts on this view?
