70 Weeks of Prophecy
The Bible vs Premillennialism
Part 2
by Elder Brian Moore
The pivotal questions behind the Premillenial and Amillennial arguments lie in the when, what and where of the Kingdom of God. Both, the Old and New Testaments embody Gods purpose for his children on earth and in Heaven. When reading the scriptures these facts are clearly defined and detailed. The Premillennialist “read things into” the scriptures that are not present and openly deny the things that ARE present. It is best understood that when trying to determine what the bible says in regards to something that we should let the bible itself tell us what it means, rather than relying on essays, dictionaries, encyclopedias or the local Arminian News Network. Let the bible define the bible! Throughout the remainder of this article I hope to use the bible to show that the Amillennial view is not only the correct view but that it is the biblical view of Gods’ Kingdom.
The first consideration that needs to be taken into account are the phrases, Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven. Many premillennialist will argue that the two are distinctly different in order to avoid answering questions that refute their position. In the New Testament the phrase “Kingdom of God” occurs 68 times in ten different books. In contrast the phrase, “Kingdom of Heaven,” occurs 32 times and is only found in the book of Matthew. It is important to note that Mark and Luke interchange the phrases in relation to Matthew. The interchangeability of these phrases, in regards to the same story, parable or event is evident that the context of scripture is what needs to be taken into consideration and not the phrase. However, for the sake of the argument I will list a few scriptures here for reference. Compare (Matthew 11:11-12 with Luke 7:28) ( Matthew 13:11 with Mark 4:11 and Luke 8:10) ( Matthew 13:24 with Mark 4:26) ( Matthew 13:31 with Mark 4:30 and Luke 13:18) (Matthew 13:33 with Luke 13:20) (Matthew 18:3 with Mark 10:14 and Luke 18:16) ( Matthew 22:2 with Luke 13:29) Once these scriptures have been examined it appears that the two phrases are interchangeable and the authority of this conclusion comes from the bible itself. In addition to these scriptural comparisons the most enlightening evidence comes from the Lord Himself in Matthew 19:16-24 in the parable of the rich young ruler. In verse 23 we read “Then Jesus said to his disciples, I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” Then in the very next verse (24) we read “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” I would like to reiterate, that although the phrases are used interchangeably, it is the context in which they are used that is important in determining their meaning. Premillennialist often like to argue that one phrase refers to the temporal spiritual kingdom and the other refers to the literal 1,000 year kingdom. But, as we have shown above this crafty maneuver will not hold water.
The final consideration of importance will be the when and where of the Kingdom. I have often said that when the phrases “Kingdom of God, or “Kingdom of Heaven” are used it is vital that the reader make no assumptions and pay close attention to the context within which the phrase is used. With that said, let me remind you that the premillennial position believes that the Kingdom was literally postponed due to the Jews rejection of the messiah. Once again we shall use the bible to interpret the bible.
In order to better understand the premillennial position it is necessary to realize the perspective from which many of their adherents view the prophecies of the Old Testament. When national Israel viewed the prophecies concerning the coming Messiah, it was viewed as “A” coming, a one time coming. I am persuaded that this was one of the many reasons that the Jews rejected the Lord. Several of the prophecies concerning the second coming of the Lord were viewed as being so powerful and majestic that Christ, in his meek and lowly state, could in no way be the Messiah of prophecy. The premillennialist, view the prophecies concerning the Messiah in much the same way as national Israel. This leads them to speculate that everything should be taken literally. One of the major reasons that national Israel viewed these prophecies as “A” coming is because they were expecting a natural king in a natural kingdom, the idea of a spiritual kingdom was not at the front of their thinking.
The true New Testament Church views the prophecies of the Old Testament from a different perspective. This perspective allows us the convenience of knowing that some of the prophecies were in regard to Christ’s first coming and that some were in regard to His second coming. When one is able to see this, by rightly dividing the word of truth, it becomes rather clear which coming is being discussed in the prophecies. This particular vantage point allows us to better understand the significance of Christ’s first coming, the assurance of his second coming and the spiritual aspect of His Kingdom. National Israel anticipated a natural king, seated on a natural throne reigning over a natural kingdom. The adherents of premillennialism are looking for and anticipating the same natural kingdom as those who made up national Israel. Those who are blessed to understand the truth, realize that the kingdom is not of this world and that it is spiritual in design.
