1. Eschatology and Ecclesiology
Millennial Systems – Part II
Theonomy & Preterism

2. Two Major Theological Systems, Three Major Eschatological Systems
Covenant Theology – Developed in 16th and 17th centuries; based on the theological covenants of works, grace, and redemption (none of which are explicit in Scripture).
Dispensational Theology – maintains clear distinction between church and Israel and consistently interprets scripture literally.
Eschatological Systems
Premillennialism
Amillennialism
Postmillennialism
All three systems are named with regard to the relationship between the return of Christ and the millennium (1000 year reign) described in Revelation 20.
Read Rev 20:1-10

3. Diagram of Premillennialism
Believer’s judged before
bema seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10).
Christ’s 2nd Coming,
Sheep & Goats Judgment
Rapture
1st Res.
2nd Res.
Great White Throne
Judgment
OT & Trib. Saints
Present Church Age
Tribulation
7 years
Millennium
1000 years
Eternal State

4. Diagram of Amillennialism
Christ’s 2nd Coming
All Judgments
Church Age = Millennium
Eternal State
2nd Resurrection
(physical)
1st Resurrection
(spiritual)

5. Diagram of Postmillennialism
Christ’s 2nd Coming
All Judgments
All Resurrections
Church Age
1st Res.
(spiritual)
Golden Age
Eternal State
2nd Res.
(physical)

6. Postmillennialism
Holds that Christ will return after the millennium (which should not be interpreted as a literal 1000 years).
“Postmillennialism is that view of the last things which holds that the kingdom of God is now being extended in the world through the preaching of the gospel and the saving work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of individuals, that the world eventually is to be Christianized and that the return of Christ is to occur at the close of a long period of righteousness and peace commonly called the millennium” (Loraine Boettner, The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views, 117).
Most recently developed of the three systems; dealt a mortal blow by world events, especially two world wars, by now making a comeback. We want to talk about the New Postmillennialism.

7. The New Postmillennialism
Theonomy means “God’s Law.” The Mosaic Law code is not only in force for individuals, but is also to be brought to bear on society at large.
“The Christian goal for the world is the universal development of biblical theocratic republics, in which every area of life is redeemed and placed under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the rule of God’s law” (David Chilton, Paradise Restored: An Eschatology of Dominion, 226).
“Biblical law is our tool of dominion. It enables us to subdue sin in inner places (the moral sphere) and outer places (the dominical sphere)” (Gary North, Unconditional Surrender, 73).
Reconstructionism emphasizes the means by which dominion takes place.
“Our goal is world dominion under Christ’s Lordship, a ‘world takeover’ if you will; but our strategy begins with reformation, reconstruction of the church. From that will flow social and political reconstruction, indeed a flowering of Christian civilization” (Chilton, 214).
Dominion Theology emphasizes the need to move beyond individual salvation to society and institutions.
Goes beyond preaching the Gospel to more radical political and social action.

8. Evaluation of Postmillennialism
Historically and realistically, the world clearly is not becoming more submissive to the Law of God.
The NT teaches that moral and spiritual conditions will get worse, not better, towards the end of this age (Matt 24:4-14; 2 Tim 3:1-5).
God’s kingdom will only come when Christ comes; church history teaches us that when men have attempted to “bring in the kingdom,” the results were disastrous.
Theonomy fails to see the clear distinction between the Church and Israel and misapplies the Mosaic Law to the Church.
While there are a lot of similarities between the church and Israel, there are also clear distinctions. It is not the church’s mission to take the Mosaic Law and bring the nations in submission under it. In order for the kingdom to be brought in, the king must be present!

9. Preterism
Preterism (“that which is past”) teaches that the bulk of prophecy, including the Book of Revelation, was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Two types:
Moderate – “sees the Tribulation and the bulk of Bible prophecy as fulfilled in events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in A.D. 70; but they still hold to a future Second Coming, a physical resurrection of the dead, an end to temporal history, and the establishing of the consummate new heaven and new earth” (Thomas Ice, Introduction, The Great Tribulation, Past or Future?, 7). Kenneth Gentry and R C Sproul are moderate preterists.
Full or Consistent - “Extreme or consistent (as they like to call themselves) preterism believes that the Second Coming, and thus the resurrection of believers, is all past. For all practical purposes all Bible prophecy has been fulfilled, and we are beyond the millennium and even now in the new heaven and the new earth Both Dr. Gentry [a moderate preterist] and I believe that such a position is heretical, for it denies a bodily resurrection of believers and a future second coming of Christ” (Ibid.).

10. Basic Positions & Problems of Preterism
Overall Interpretive Approach
Approach prophetic passages both literally and figuratively; maintain that the analogy of faith and “apocalyptic genre” permit this.
“Much of biblical prophecy is cast in an apocalyptic genre that employs graphic imaginative language and often mixes elements of common historical narrative with the figurative language of poetry” (R. C. Sproul).
“Specifically, to see the words about Christ’s second coming in Revelation 1:7 as fulfilled in AD 70 when the temple was destroyed necessitates allowing a particular genre to override normal rules of interpretation” (Thomas, “The New Interpretation of Bible Prophecy,” p. 35).
Theological system of postmillennialism drives interpretation of prophetic passages.

11. Basic Positions & Problems of Preterism
Interpretation of Matthew 24:34
"Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”
Preterism maintains that this verse requires a first century fulfillment of Matt 24:4-31.
Other alternatives are:
The generation that sees the beginning of these events will also see the end.
The generation (or “race”) that Jesus is referring to is those within the nation that have rejected Him as Messiah.
Matthew 23:35-36: “that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation.”

12. Basic Positions & Problems of Preterism
Dating of the Book of Revelation
Preterists must date the Book of Revelation prior to AD 70, in order for it to be prophecy.
Overwhelming evidence, both external and internal, points to a AD date (See article by Robert Thomas, “Theonomy and the Dating of Revelation”).

13. Basic Positions & Problems of Preterism
Timing Texts in Revelation
Phrases like “must shortly take place” (Rev 1:1) and “I am coming quickly” (Rev 2:16; 3:11; 22:7, 12, 20) are fundamental to the preterist position; they argue that these require a first century fulfillment.
Benware’s response: these words refer to manner rather than time.
An alternative view: these texts intend to inculcate the thought that Christ’s return is imminent, it could happen at any time. This has been the expectation of the Church from Paul’s day forward (1 Thess 4:17).

14. Basic Positions & Problems of Preterism
Interpretation of the Olivet Discourse
Preterists view the prophecies made by Christ in Matt as fulfilled in AD 70; Christ’s “coming” was the judgment on the nation of Israel.
Such a view requires a figurative interpretation of the events described here, and ignores God’s covenant commitments to Israel.
When Matt is compared to Zech 12-14, it is clear that Christ returns to deliver a repentant Israel, not judge a faithless Israel.
Luke 21:28: "But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

15. Basic Positions & Problems of Preterism
Interpretation of the Olivet Discourse
Preterists have differing understandings of the “abomination of desolation” in Matt 24:15:
Unrighteous acts of wicked zealots who invaded prior to the Roman destruction;
The Roman destruction itself;
The corrupting of the temple by apostate Israel.
The Bible (Dan 9:27; Matt 24:15; 2 Thess 2:3-8; Rev 13) presents this “abomination” as centering on an individual in the holy place itself.

16. Basic Positions & Problems of Preterism
Interpretation of the Olivet Discourse
Preterists understand the “coming” of the Lord Jesus in Matt 24:37ff, not as a visible re-appearing in the future only, but as a “judgment coming” on Jerusalem in AD 70.
Response: Christ’s parousia in the NT consistently refers to His bodily return.
Christ said His coming would be accompanied by amazing cosmic disturbances in the heavens (Matt 24:29-31). Admitting the difficulty of this passage for the preterist position, Sproul argues that the language is “metaphorical and consistent with the poetry of fervor used by Old Testament prophets” (as cited in Benware, p. 181).
Response: the background for Christ’s description is the Day of the Lord in the OT (e.g. Joel 2:1-10, 30-31; 3:12-17). These are literal cosmic disturbances which did not take place in Jerusalem in AD 70. Further, the Day of the Lord also includes Israel’s repentance and deliverance by Messiah.
Some preterists would see two comings, with a future visible return still to be fulfilled.

17. Some Final Conclusions
Preterism is inconsistent in its interpretive approach, moving in and out of literal interpretation as its postmillennial system dictates.
Preterism ignores God’s covenant commitments to the nation of Israel, which culminate with her restoration after a long period of unfaithfulness.
Preterism creates a second meaning for Christ’s coming, which amounts to no coming at all.

18. Next Week: The Tribulation
Syllabus pp
Benware pp