Premillennialism

Prophet, True or False?

• 1889- “The battle of the great day of God Almighty…which will end in A.D. 1914… is already commenced.”

• 1904- “The stress of the great time of trouble will be on us soon, somewhere between 1910 and 1912…”

• 1914- “The great crisis, the great clash…is very near. Armageddon may begin next spring.”

Prophet, True or False?

• 1915- “The present great war in Europe is the beginning of the Armageddon…”

• 1922- “The date 1925 is even more distinctly indicated by the Scriptures than 1914.”

• 1923- “Our thought is, that 1925 is definitely settled by the Scriptures.”

• 1925- “…Scriptures definitely fix the fact…we may expect 1925 to witness the return of these faithful men (Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob)”

Prophet, True or False?

• 1931- “There was a measure of disappoint-ment on the part of Jehovah’s faithful ones on earth concerning the years 1914, 1918, and 1925… and they also learned to quit fixing dates.

• 1941- “Armageddon is surely near…soon …within a few years.”

• 1946- “Armageddon… should come some-time before 1972.”

Prophet, True or False?

• “…now it is firmly maintained that by the autumn of the year 1975 the Battle of Armageddon will have been fought and God’s new would will have been established.”

- W.C. Stevenson, circuit servant• “Within months, or at the most five years, the

end of the world as we have known it will occur and a thousand year reign of Jesus will begin.”- Eroll Burton, 8.24.69

Premillennial Doctrine is 2nd in Popularity only to “Faith Only”

• Most Protestant churches teach it,

• Along with Adventists, Jehovah’s Wit.

• Charismatic groups & Pentecostals

• Ryrie & Scoffield Study Bibles

• Ted Armstrong, Hal Lindsey

• Pat Robertson, John MacArthur

• Tim LaHaye & his Left Behind series

• And even some churches of Christ

Some Misunderstanding May Be Harmless

• If one thinks “Lucifer” is Satan in Isaiah 14:12… what harm will there be?

• If one thinks “heaven” is described by the city four-square in Revelation 21… what harm will there be?

But Premillennialism?

• It encourages “alarmism”

• It misinterprets O.T. Scriptures(Abraham’s promises and O.T.

prophecies)

• It disparages the kingdom(makes church a substitute,

removes king)

• It twists N.T. Scriptures(perverts Matthew 24 &

Revelation 20 among others)

What is Premillennialism?

• Theopedia- it teaches that the second coming will occur before a literal thousand-year reign of Christ from a literal throne in Jerusalem here upon the earth.

• Added to this are common theories of the rapture, the tribulation, and Armageddon.

Last judgment

millennium

millennium

millennium

Symbolic millennium

7 yr. tribulation

2nd coming

ET

ER

NIT

Y

2nd coming for the church

2nd coming with the church

Post-tribulational premillennialism

tribulation

Dispensational premillennialism

Postmillennialism

Amillennialism

Beginning the Misunderstanding

• Jesus came to set up a kingdom. He failed and was killed so He went back and left the church as a substitute.

• When He returns again He will set up His kingdom in Jerusalem and reign for 1,000 years, thus finally fulfilling Abraham’s land promise.

What Promise Remains Unfulfilled?

• Great nation promise?

Genesis 12:1-2

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go

forth from your country, And from

your relatives And from your

father's house, To the land which I

will show you; 2. And I will make

you a great nation, And I will bless

you, And make your name great;

And so you shall be a blessing;

Exodus 1:8-10

Now a new king arose over Egypt,

who did not know Joseph. 9. He

said to his people, "Behold, the

people of the sons of Israel are

more and mightier than we.

Deuteronomy 1:10

`The LORD your God has multiplied

you, and behold, you are this day

like the stars of heaven in

number.

What Promise Remains Unfulfilled?

• Great nation promise? FULFILLED

• Blessing for all promise?

Genesis 12:3

And I will bless those who bless

you, And the one who curses you

I will curse. And in you all the

families of the earth will be

blessed."

Galatians 3:8-9

The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by

faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying,

"ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU .“ 9. So then

those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.

What Promise Remains Unfulfilled?

• Great nation promise? FULFILLED

• Blessing for all promise? FULFILLED

• Land promise?

Genesis 15:18

On that day the LORD made a

covenant with Abram, saying, "To

your descendants I have given

this land, From the river of Egypt

as far as the great river, the river

Euphrates:

Joshua 21:43-45

So the LORD gave Israel all the

land which He had sworn to give

to their fathers, and they

possessed it and lived in it…. Not

one of the good promises which

the LORD had made to the house

of Israel failed; all came to pass.

Nehemiah 9:7-8

"You are the LORD God, Who chose Abram And brought him out from Ur of the Chaldees, And gave him the name

Abraham. 8. "You found his heart faithful before You, And made a covenant with him

To give him the land of the Canaanite, Of the Hittite and the Amorite, Of the Perizzite,

the Jebusite and the Girgashite-- To give it to his descendants. And You have fulfilled

Your promise, For You are righteous.

Joshua 23:14

"Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know

in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your

God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed.

1 Kings 8:56

"Blessed be the LORD, who has

given rest to His people Israel,

according to all that He promised;

not one word has failed of all His

good promise, which He promised

through Moses His servant.

What Promise Remains Unfulfilled?

• Great nation promise? FULFILLED!Great nation promise? FULFILLED!

• Blessing for all promise? FULFILLED!Blessing for all promise? FULFILLED!

• Land promise? FULFILLED!Land promise? FULFILLED!

Premillennialism begins wrong Premillennialism begins wrong and is propped up on error.and is propped up on error.

Ephesians 5:17; 3:4Ephesians 5:17; 3:4

1 John 4:1; John 8:321 John 4:1; John 8:32

Ephesians 5:17; 3:4

So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the

Lord is.

By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight

into the mystery of Christ,

Premillennialism begins wrong Premillennialism begins wrong and is propped up on error.and is propped up on error.

Ephesians 5:17; 3:4Ephesians 5:17; 3:4

1 John 4:1; John 8:321 John 4:1; John 8:32

Where do Where do YOUYOU stand stand with regard to truth?with regard to truth?