Millennialism, End Times, and the Reign of Christ (Part 12) – Errors 16-18 of Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, Preterism

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1. Error #16: There are different plans of redemption and different gospels for the Jews under the law and for the Gentiles under grace (this is held by some, though not all, Dispensationalists).
   1. God has only ever had one plan and means of redemption for all people: grace.
      1. God has always saved His people by the election of grace, both under the OT law of Moses, and in NT times (Rom 11:5).
      2. God saved Jacob by His electing mercy prior to the law of Moses (Rom 9:11,16).

• Isaac was born of the Spirit (born again), just like Gentiles are today (Gal 4:28-29 c/w Tit 3:5 c/w Joh 3:3-8).

1. The apostles taught that Jews and Gentiles are all saved the same way: by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (Act 15:11).

1. Some Dispensationalists teach that Paul preached the gospel of the kingdom to the Jews, and the gospel of grace to the Gentiles.
   1. There is only one gospel (1Co 15:1-4).
   2. A curse is pronounced on anyone who preaches any other gospel than the one Paul preached (Gal 1:6-9).

• Preaching the gospel of the grace of God and preaching the kingdom of God are the same thing (Act 20:24-25).

1. Paul preached the same gospel to the Jews and Gentiles (Act 20:21; Act 13:42-43; Rom 1:16; Gal 2:1-2).
2. Peter likewise preached the same gospel to the Gentiles as he did to the Jews (Act 15:7-11).

2. Error #17: The 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy (Dan 9:24-27) takes place during the seven years of tribulation between the “rapture” and the Second Coming of Christ (actually, the 2nd and 3rd comings of Christ).
   1. There is no basis in Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy for inserting thousands of years between the 69th and 70th weeks.
   2. The prophecy states that 70 weeks are determined upon thy people (the Jews) and upon thy holy city (Jerusalem) (Dan 9:24).
      1. Determined ppl. – 1. Terminated, ended.
      2. At the end of the 70th week, the Jews as a nation and a people, and Jerusalem as God’s holy city would be ended.

• Pushing the 70th week into the distant future, beginning with the “rapture” and ending with the coming of Christ, doesn’t help the Dispensationalist’s position at all because at the end of the 70th week Israel and Jerusalem are ended, which makes it impossible for Jesus to rule over Israel from Jerusalem during the millennium which supposedly happens after the 70th week.

1. According to the prophecy, the Messiah would be cut off after the 69th week (Dan 9:25-26).
   1. The Messiah would make an end of sins, make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness during the 70 weeks (Dan 9:24).
   2. Jesus made an end of sins by being cut off (Isa 53:8,10-12).

• If the end of sins was made during the 70 weeks, and the Messiah was cut off (whereby He made an end of sins) after the 69th week, therefore the Messiah was cut off during the 70th week.

1. In that Jesus was cut off in approximately 33AD in the midst of the week (Dan 9:27), that places the 70th week beginning in approximately 30AD directly after the 69th week, just as any sane man not reading the Scofield Reference Bible would conclude.

1. The abomination of desolation which happens during the 70th week (Dan 9:27) was identified by Jesus Christ to be armies compassing Jerusalem (Mat 24:15-21 c/w Luk 21:20-24).
   1. Jesus said that that would happen during that generation (the generation in which He was living) (Luk 21:32).
   2. It happened in 70AD.

• Therefore the 70th week is not yet future.

1. For more information on the abomination of desolation and the Olivet Discourse in general, see the Olivet Discourse four part series.

3. Error #18: Jesus is the head of the church, not the king of the church.
   1. Jesus is the king/head of the church which is His kingdom.
      1. A head is a king (1Sam 15:17).
         1. Head – A person to whom others are subordinate; a chief, captain, commander, ruler, leader, principal person, head man.
         2. King – 1. The usual title of the male sovereign ruler of an independent state
      2. Jesus is the head/king of the church (Eph 5:23).

• Jesus became the head/king and ruler of the universe and the church when he was raised from the dead and set at God’s right hand (Eph 1:20-23; 1Ti 6:15).

1. This happened when Christ was resurrected and raised up and seated on David’s throne as king (Act 2:29-33).

1. For more proof that Jesus began reigning on David’s throne at His resurrection, see Section IV,5,B.

II.    The errors of Postmillennialism.

1. Error #1: There will be universal preaching and acceptance of the Gospel, and a complete and total victory of the kingdom of God over the forces of Satan and unbelief.
   1. Jesus taught that there are few that will ever be on the way which leads to life and many on the way which leads to destruction (Luk 13:23-24 c/w Mat 7:13-14).
   2. The parable of the sower, which is an illustration of preaching the gospel, shows that only one out of the four groups of people that are preached to ever bring forth fruit (Luk 8:11-15).
   3. The elect are called a remnant (Rom 11:5).
   4. Remnant n. – That which remains or is left of a thing or things after the removal of a portion; the remainder, rest, residue. Now applied only to a small remaining part.
   5. Jesus said the kingdom is given to a little flock (Luk 12:32).
2. Error #2: Christ will return to an almost entirely Christianized world.
   1. Jesus asked rhetorically that when He returns, will He find faith on the earth? (Luk 18:8).
   2. The obvious implication is that faith on earth will be negligible when He returns.
   3. Jesus said His Second Coming would be as the days of Noah (Mat 24:37) at which time there were only eight righteous people on the earth which was filled with violence (Gen 6:11).
   4. Jesus said His Second Coming would be as in the days of Lot (Luk 17:28-30) at which time Lot was living in a city full of vile sinners.
   5. In the latter times, rather than embracing the faith in droves, people will be departing from the faith (1Ti 4:1).
   6. The last days are described as perilous times where sin abounds (2Ti 3:1-5).
   7. Rather than growing more virtuous as time goes on, evil men will wax worse and worse as we come to the end (2Ti 3:13).
   8. The day of Christ will be preceded not by great awakening and revival, but a falling away (2Th 2:1-3).

III. The (major) errors of Preterism (Full Preterism).

1. Error #1: The Second Coming of Christ was spiritual and happened in 70AD when Christ returned to take vengeance on Israel and destroy Jerusalem.
   1. This false doctrine requires most of the passages in the Bible which refer or relate to end times to be spiritualized such as:
      1. Jesus’ bodily ascension into heaven and His bodily return.
         1. Since Preterists deny that Christ returned bodily, they also deny that He ascended to heaven bodily.
         2. Jesus was resurrected bodily (Luk 24:36-40).
         3. Jesus ascended into heaven bodily (Luk 24:50-51).
         4. Jesus’ return will be in like manner as His ascension (bodily) (Act 1:11).
      2. The bodily resurrection of all men.
         1. Since the Preterists teach that the resurrection happened at 70AD, it therefore cannot be a bodily
         2. The resurrection will be bodily: all that are in the graves shall come forth (Joh 5:28-29).
         3. The Holy Spirit who raised Jesus bodily from the dead will quicken (make alive) our mortal bodies (Rom 8:11).
         4. Long before the invention of Preterism, Job knew that after his death he would see God in his flesh (Job 19:25-27).

• The resurrection happening on the last day (Joh 11:24; Joh 6:39; Job 14:12).

1. There were members of the church at Corinth who were Preterists, not believing in a bodily resurrection, whom Paul soundly refuted (1Co 15:12-19).
2. Paul warned Timothy about a couple of Preterists named Hymenaeus and Philetus who taught by their profane and vain babblings that the resurrection was past already (2Ti 2:16-18).
3. There were Preteristic heretics writing counterfeit epistles to the church in Thessalonica saying that the day of Christ was at hand (Within easy reach; near; close by) in the first century (2Th 2:2-3).

2. Error #2: The destruction of the earth is figurative and we are living on the new earth now.
   1. If this is true, we are of all men most miserable (1Co 15:19).
   2. Thankfully it’s not.
   3. The heavens and the earth shall pass away by fire with the elements melting with fervent heat (2Pe 3:10-12).
   4. That hasn’t happened yet.
   5. The new heaven and the new earth will not be created until after the first heaven and the first earth are passed away (2Pe 3:13 c/w Rev 21:1 c/w Isa 65:17).

IV. Appendix A: The full text of Margaret Macdonald’s 1830 vision.

1. “It was first the awful state of the land that was pressed upon me. I saw the blindness and infatuation of the people to be very great. I felt the cry of Liberty just to be the hiss of the serpent, to drown them in perdition. It was just ‘no God.’ I repeated the words, Now there is distress of nations, with perplexity, the seas and the waves roaring, men’s hearts failing them for fear. Now look out for the sign of the Son of Man. Here I was made to stop and cry out, O it is not known what the sign of the Son of Man is; the people of God think they are waiting, but they know not what it is. I felt this needed to be revealed, and that there was great darkness and error about it; but suddenly what it was burst upon me with a glorious light. I saw it was just the Lord himself descending from Heaven with a shout, just the glorified man, even Jesus; but that all must, as Stephen was, be filled with the Holy Ghost, that they might look up, and see the brightness of the Father’s glory. I saw the error to be, that men think that it will be something seen by the natural eye; but ’tis spiritual discernment that is needed, the eye of God in his people. Many passages were revealed, in a light in which I had not before seen them. I repeated, ‘Now is the kingdom of Heaven like unto ten virgins, who went forth to meet the Bridegroom, five wise and five foolish; they that were foolish took their lamps, but took no oil with them; but they that were wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.’ ‘But be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is; and be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.’ This was the oil the wise virgins took in their vessels – this is the light to be kept burning – the light of God – that we may discern that which cometh not with observation to the natural eye. Only those who have the light of God within them will see the sign of his appearance. No need to follow them who say, see here, or see there, for his day shall be as the lightning to those in whom the living Christ is. ‘Tis Christ in us that will lift us up – he is the light – ’tis only those that are alive in him that will be caught up to meet him in the air. I saw that we must be in the Spirit, that we might see spiritual things. John was in the Spirit, when he saw a throne set in Heaven. But I saw that the glory of the ministration of the Spirit had not been known. I repeated frequently, but the spiritual temple must and shall be reared, and the fullness of Christ be poured into his body, and then shall we be caught up to meet him. Oh none will be counted worthy of this calling but his body, which is the church, and which must be a candlestick all of gold. I often said, Oh the glorious inbreaking of God which is now about to burst on this earth; Oh the glorious temple which is now about to be reared, the bride adorned for her husband; and Oh what a holy, holy bride she must he, to be prepared for such a glorious bridegroom. I said, Now shall the people of God have to do with realities – now shall the glorious mystery of God in our nature be known – now shall it be known what it is for man to be glorified. I felt that the revelation of Jesus Christ had yet to be opened up – it is not knowledge about God that it contains, but it is an entering into God – I saw that there was a glorious breaking in of God to be. I felt as Elijah, surrounded with chariots of fire. I saw as it were, the spiritual temple reared, and the Head Stone brought forth with shoutings of grace, grace, unto it. It was a glorious light above the brightness of the sun that shone round about me. I felt that those who were filled with the Spirit could see spiritual things, and feel walking in the midst of them, while those who had not the Spirit could see nothing – so that two shall be in one bed, the one taken and the other left, because the one has the light of God within while the other cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven. I saw the people of God in an awfully dangerous situation, surrounded by nets and entanglements, about to be tried, and many about to be deceived and fall. Now will THE WICKED be revealed, with all power and signs and lying wonders, so that if it were possible the very elect will be deceived. – This is the fiery trial which is to try us. – It will be for the purging and purifying of the real members of the body of Jesus; but Oh it will be a fiery trial. Every soul will he shaken to the very centre. The enemy will try to shake in every thing we have believed – but the trial of real faith will be found to honour and praise and glory. Nothing but what is of God will stand. The stony-ground hearers will be made manifest – the love of many will wax cold. I frequently said that night, and often since, now shall the awful sight of a false Christ be seen on this earth, and nothing but the living Christ in us can detect this awful attempt of the enemy to deceive – for it is with all deceivableness of unrighteousness he will work – he will have a counterpart for every part of God’s truth, and an imitation for every work of the Spirit. The Spirit must and will be poured out on the church, that she may be purified and filled with God – and just in proportion as the Spirit of God works, so will he – when our Lord anoints men with power, so will he. This is particularly the nature of the trial, through which those are to pass who will be counted worthy to stand before the Son of man. There will he outward trial too, but ’tis principally temptation. It is brought on by the outpouring of the Spirit, and will just increase in proportion as the Spirit is poured out. The trial of the Church is from Antichrist. It is by being filled with the Spirit that we shall be kept. I frequently said, Oh be filled with the Spirit – have the light of God in you, that you may detect Satan – be full of eyes within -be clay in the hands of the potter -submit to be filled, filled with God. This will build the temple. It is not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord. This will fit us to enter into the marriage supper of the Lamb. I saw it to be the will of God that all should be filled. But what hindered the real life of God from being received by his people, was their turning from Jesus, who is the way to the Father. They were not entering in by the door. For he is faithful who hath said, by me if any man enters in he shall find pasture. They were bypassing the cross, through which every drop of the Spirit of God flows to us. All power that comes not through the blood of Christ is not of God.  When I say, they are looking from the cross, I feel that there is much in it – they turn from the blood of the Lamb, by which we overcome, and in which our robes are washed and made white. There are low views of God’s holiness, and a ceasing to condemn sin in the flesh, and a looking from him who humbled himself, and made himself of no reputation. Oh! it is needed, much needed at present, a leading back to the cross. I saw that night, and often since, that there will be an outpouring of the Spirit on the body, such as has not been, a baptism of fire, that all the dross may be put away. Oh there must and will be such an indwelling of the living God as has not been – the servants of God sealed in their foreheads – great conformity to Jesus – his holy holy image seen in his people – just the bride made comely by his comeliness put upon her. This is what we are at present made to pray much for, that speedily we may all be made ready to meet our Lord in the air – and it will be. Jesus wants his bride. His desire is toward us. He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. Amen and Amen Even so come Lord Jesus.”  (Dave MacPherson, The Rapture Plot, pages 249-252)