There's more than one way to look at the future... and to understand what the Bible predicts will happen to this tired old world of ours. One way to make sense of it all goes by the name of "Biblical Postmillennialism", which can be defined as the belief that the visible, physical return of Christ occurs after the long period of history described in Revelation 20, in which the people of Christ "reign with Christ" for "a thousand years."

How Can Anyone Believe That ???

II Timothy 3:16,17 The whole Bible is true and is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness.

II Timothy 2:15 Some parts of the Bible are to be understood literally and some are to be understood figuratively. The Bible itself provides the means to know the difference.

What Is It That "PostMills" Are Actually Saying ???

The Lord Jesus Christ will return to the earth physically and visibly. Acts 1:11

The New Testament writers plainly stated that some of the "end-of-the-world" Old Testament prophecies were to be understood not literally but figuratively --- and these guys were NOT mistaken. Acts 2:14-21 (Joel 2:28-32). Compare similar O.T. prophecies regarding similar "end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it" events: Babylon: Isaiah 13:9,10 Edom: Isaiah 34:4 Samaria: Amos 8:9 Egypt: Ezekiel 32:7,8

The New Testament writers expected "the coming of Christ" within their own lifetimes -- and these guys were NOT mistaken. Matthew 16:28; 26:63,64 I Corinthians 7:29-31 James 5:1-9 Revelation 1:1-3

God has created the world for His own glory; and intends to be glorified in the salvation of "a great multitude… from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues." Philippians 2:9-11, Revelation 5:9; 7:9

God is omnipotent and altogether sovereign and is not in any way restrained in His plan to save "a great multitude." Psalm 135:5,6

How Can They Believe That? Part I

Matthew 24

Vss.1, 2 The Lord prophesies about the destruction of the temple. Vs. 3 The disciples ask a question about timing and about signs: the timing of the destruction of the temple and the signs of Christ's coming and the end of the age. Vss. 4f. The Lord answers the question(s). Vss. 4-14 He warns about misleading events which were actually "the beginning of birth pangs." He states that the one who endures to the end ("of the age") will be saved. He declares that the gospel will be preached "in the whole world" (Luke 2:1, Acts 11:28, Revelation 3:10) and then the end ("of the age") will come. Vss.15-22 He speaks of the "abomination of desolation" (Luke 21:20) and "a great tribulation." Vss.23-28 He issues more warnings about being misled re: "the coming of the Son of Man." Vss.29-31 He explains that immediately after "the ribulation of those days," a great destruction will occur. (Isaiah 13:10) "Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven." Then "the tribes of the land will mourn." Then "they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven." (Daniel 7:13) Then the angels ("messengers") are sent forth so that the elect are gathered together. Vss.32-35 Then some details regarding timing: How to know when He is near The limit: "this generation will not pass away" Summary of vss.1-35 All that the Lord revealed up to verse 35 was to be fulfilled within that one generation. In other words: to verse 35, He is explaining that the temple will be destroyed in A.D. 70 and that its destruction will be one of the "birth pangs" leading up to the worldwide preaching of the gospel and the worldwide ingathering of "the elect."

Vss.36f. "BUT of that day and hour…" Words of instruction regarding the physical return of Christ to judge the world, and three parables to illustrate the fact that the physical return of Christ will occur a long time in the future (24:48 "`My Master is not coming for a long time'…"; 25:5 "Now while the bridegroom was delaying…"; 25:19 "Now after a long time…")

Then comes a description of Christ's return to the earth to judge "all the nations." Summary of vss.36 - 25:46 "That day and hour" is the Lord's reference to the time of His physical return to earth: an event we now know to have been almost unimaginably far off in the future to His listeners.

How Can They Believe That?, Part II Revelation 20 Where Do We Start? An understanding of Revelation 20 must be built upon an understanding of Revelation 1-19.

An understanding of Revelation 1-19 must be built upon an understanding of the rest of Scripture, perhaps particularly what Jesus Himself had taught about the future. e.g. Revelation 6 predicts war (vss.1, 2), international conflict (vss.3, 4), famine (vss.5, 6), pestilence (vss.7,8), persecution (vss.9-11), an earthquake (vs.12) and "the destruction of the sun, moon and stars." (vss.12,13)

In Mark 13, the Lord taught that before the temple would be destroyed (in A.D. 70), His disciples should expect wars (vs.7), international strife, famines and earthquakes (vs. 7), persecutions (vss.9-13) and "the destruction of the sun, moon and stars." (vs.29)

The similarities between Revelation 6 and Mark 13 suggest that the catastrophic destructions depicted in Revelation 1-19 are in fact the Lord's judgement on the nation of Israel culminating in the destruction of the temple in A.D.70.

Revelation 20 is a depiction of what happens "next" (i.e. after A.D.70)

Vss.1-3 Christ's defeat of the devil is described. (Compare Luke 10:18,19; Colossians 2:15; I John 3:8)

Vss.4-6 Following the defeat of Satan, there begins a long period of history in which Jesus Christ reigns as King and His people reign with Him. In other words, in Jesus' Name, the people of Christ disciple the nations of the world. (Compare Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 16:19,20; I Corinthians 15:25, Ephesians 1:20-23 and Ephesians 2:6)

Vss.7-10 This long period of Christian history ends with a last attempt on the part of the devil to defeat the saints of the Lord.

Vss.11-15 As in Matthew 24 and 25, the long history of Christ's servants at work in the world concludes with the Lord sitting on a throne to judge the whole world.

In Conclusion: What will be the effect of all of this? or, How spectacular will "the millennium" be?

Of course, no one can say definitively, but… In Ephesians 3:20,21, the apostle Paul writes of God doing "exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think."

Habakkuk 2:4, 14 reveals that in the days when "the righteous will live by faith," "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

In Revelation 5:9,10, the Lord is addressed as He who "wast slain and didst purchase with [His] blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And [He] hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God."

In Revelation 7:9, John sees "a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues…"

In other words, it looks to be VERY spectacular!

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chilton, David. The Days of Vengeance: An Exposition of the Book of Revelation. Ft. Worth, Texas: Dominion Press, 1987.

Gentry, Kenneth L., Jr. Before Jerusalem Fell: Dating the Book of Revelation: An Exegetical and Historical Argument for a Pre-A.D.70 Composition. Tyler, Texas: Institute for Christian Economics, 1989. Gentry, Kenneth L., Perilous Times, A Study in Eschatological Evil, Texarkana, Arkansas: Covenenat Media Press, 1999.

Kik, J. Marcellus. An Eschatology of Victory. Nutley, New Jersey: The Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1971.

Murray, Iain. The Puritan Hope: A Study in Revival and the Interpretation of Prophecy. Edinburgh, Scotland: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1971.

Sproule, R.C. The Last Days According To Jesus. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1998.