The Prophecies of Paul: 1 and 2 Thessalonians

For B. B. Warfield's view of Paul's predictions about the "Coming of the Lord", "Man of Sin", "Restraining Power", and "Restrainer" -- read pages 30-44 of his article on "The Prophecies of Paul:1 and 2 Thessalonians" (here)

The salient points of the article are summarized in a power point slide show (here).

If you want the bottom line only, here it is. For comparison I have inserted Gary DeMar's views from his book "Last Days Madness".

Man of Sin: Single emperor or line of emperors? Probably the latter.


(While a political man of sin is plausible, a better fit is a religious man of sin, ie., Jewish religious leaders led by the high priest – DeMar)

Restraining Power: appears to be the Jewish state.

(Roman civil government – DeMar)

The Restrainer: possibly James of Jerusalem

(possibly King Agrippa – DeMar)

The Apostasy: obviously the great apostasy of the Jews.

(DeMar agrees with Warfield on the Apostasy.)

Rev. Joe Morecraft's sermon on 2 Thessalonians 2 is connected with Warfield's views and is helpful. (here)

Changing My Thinking

Every month I try to post at least once, thinking that I would not again post much about eschatology since I tentatively decided on Amillennialism in March of last year, the easiest viewpoint that I could come to at that time.

Then came my pastor's preaching. I had thought this issue would just go away, almost like those who say they believe in "panmillennialism"--it will all PAN out. But with my pastor's preaching on this issue didn't go away.

When this blog started in January of 2009, I looked for answers from Revelation; from two other bloggers here that January; and later from selected authors. I didn't consider passages such as Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13. I easily rejected Dispensationalism, but did not look at the rest of Scripture for a view on the end times. I did not consider the KINGDOM of CHRIST as equal to a viewpoint of the end times.

Different views on the end times use different Scripture either literally or figuratively. Dispensationalists use a literal 1000 to be in the future and then they use Matthew 24 figuratively. Postmillennialists use Matthew 24 literally. Yet Christ said events he predicted would come in the lifetime of His hearers. Revelation is not a message to the church about the end of history, but is a figurative message to seven churches to not give up the faith.

My Postmillennialist pastor, Dr. Kenneth Talbor, President of Whitefield Seminary where I am working on a counseling degree,  has been preaching on Christ's kingdom as explained throughout Scripture. He points out that the verb, parousia, which is used 24 times in the New Testament,  must be used in context. Parousia, meaning, the kingdom of Christ, is a time period that has already begun. The second coming, he says, is an ongoing event. The kingdom is underway now. 

Consider Luke 17:21--the kingdom is within you. In Mark 13 Jesus proclaimed that the Kingdom of God is near and that the generation at the time of Christ would see "these things take place". My pastor says that 70 AD, Christ's generation,  when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, is the inaugual event of His parousia, the first judgment, of which there are many judgments. Christ told His followers to flee to the mountains when they saw these signs and they did flee when they saw these signs. That was the first judgment--the end of Israel.

Dr. Talbot says we have more to do. Don't study the newspapers as the dispensationalists do, but study our duties in His kingdom. We are in the event! The hyperpreterists say that Christ came in 70 AD and we are in the state of perfection. Not so! Just look around. Instead we have kingdom duties of spreading the gospel.

Christ is going to come again for the final judgment. When history as we know it is over Christ will return to establish His kingdom on earth. Matthew 24:31 is not about the rapture, but about Christ's reign over all things.

Christianity Today, June 2011

Coming on the heels of my pastor's preaching over the past year, I read this article by Matthew Dickerson who writes:

As much or more than any theological concern, biblical teaching on end times should be approached with humility. When Jesus taught about end times, he spoke in parables and metaphors. p. 39

In Matthew 24 Jesus uses the metaphor of the days of Noah. Unbelievers in Noah's day perish with the flood, but Noah and family are left behind on earth.

Dickerson continues, 

This world is our home. It is the home God made for us, blessed us with, and instructed us to take care of. Viewing it as our home is critical to our mission as caretakers. I, for one, look forward to being left behind, like Noah and his family--only with my new and resurrected body. (p.41)  

So I am a

          Postmillenialist ! !                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

My Dispensational Friend

Adam has been invited to this blog, but has declined. Even so Adam e-mails me comments. Here are some recent ones:

• "I know that you are not crazy about dispensationalism, but have you ever the theory or idea that the seven churches in Revelation represent seven different periods of time (or covenants)? For example, the first church (Ephesus) could represent the Adamic period of time (or covenant) because it says: 'Remember the height from which you fell.' (Adam fell) And it also says: 'the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.' The tree of life was in the Garden of Eden, which was a paradise on earth for a while. Then the next church (Smyrna) could be the Abrahamic period of time (or covenant) because it says: 'you are rich.' Abraham was incredibly wealthy according to Genesis 13:2. And it also says: 'suffer persecution for ten days.' Abraham sent his servant out to get Rebecca, and they wanted to keep her ten days (Genesis 24:55)."
• Then another time Adam wrote: "I personally believe we are the church of Philadelphia in Revelation. The name 'Philadelphia' means 'brotherly love.' "
• Adam furthermore writes: "The apostle Paul himself was a dispensationalist. How do I know this? Because he said: 'If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God
  which is given me to you."' Ephesians 3:2 and 'Wherefore I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God.' Colossians 1:25
• February 7, 2010 Adams writes:  "You know that I am fascinated with the rapture. There are three things that are associated with it: 1) a shout 2) a voice and 3) a trump. (1 Thessalonians 4:16) But did you know that the fall of Jericho in the Old Testament is also a"picture" of the rapture? You have 1) a shout 2) the voice of Joshua 3) trumpet blast "...the people will go up, every man straight in." (Joshua 6:5)"

Hopefully some of your out there will respond to Adam's interpretations.

Mark 8:12 and Luke 21:36

Keith, who will never post here he indicated, e-mailed me: "Like I say I'm a pan millenialist - I have faith it will all "pan" out in the end and find no reason to sift through contradictory hints from the Bible. Real answers are not there and Jesus even warned against speculation. Mark 8:12. Don't mean to be brusk, but that is what I think."

I was thinking about Mark 8:12 where Christ asked the pharisees, "Why does this generation seek a sign?" Yes, Keith, I should not look for the signs. Clinton, you are not a sign--see previous post. But, still, the study of Revelation promises a blessing.

Adam, who I have been trying to get to post because he is a pretribulation dispensationalist, e-mailed me "I tried to post but I'm not sure if it went through or not. 'Watch ye therefore and pray always the ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.' (Luke 21:36) Escape what? The tribulation!" He also e-mailed me about a dispensational conference near here that included LaHaye himself--you mean they just keep up these conferences noting the signs? What do they think about Mark 8:12 as Keith noted! Adam, I don't agree with your ideas about the tribulation. But I will keep a watch and keep thinking and reading and praying.

Earl is busy now and Bill is off studying other issues. Since I am the only one posting of late, I will take a break and concentrate on my other blogs. Hopefully someone will pick up the slack. But I am still enjoying the blessings of Revelation.

I preordered a DVD and will post when I view it. “The Late Great Planet Church: The Rise of Dispensationalism”, can be preordered at http://store.nicenecouncil.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=671

Israel in Prophecy or Just in the News This Week?

Chief amillennial spokesman Kim Riddlebarger writes in "A Case for Amillennialism": "Much like modern dispensationalists expect Jesus to reign over the nations in the future millennial kingdom, the Jews expected the Messiah to establish a political kingdom whereby Israel would rule over the Gentile nations. This explains why the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah. The New Testament, however, equates Israel's restoration, prophesied in the Old Testament, with Jesus' kingdom--a kingdom not of this world (John 18:26)."

He writes earlier in the book: "Another significant eschatological theme in the Old Testament is the promise that the nation of Israel will be gloriously restored in the distant future. Leading dispensationalists believe these prophecies refer to national Israel even though the authors of the New Testament apply them to the church."

Meanwhile I wonder how dispensationalists this week take Secretary of State Clinton's encouragement of two states for Israel and Palestine.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5840294.ece

Still wondering how it will all turn out and grateful for my faith, that is faith, that doesn't have all the answers.