And They Came to Life and Reigned with Christ for a Thousand Years -- Revelation 20:1-15

The Twenty-Eighth in a Series of Sermons on the Book of Revelation

For many Christians, the mere mention of the millennium (the thousand years of Revelation 20) brings to mind images of lions lying down with lambs, children safely playing with poisonous snakes and Jesus ruling over all the nations of the earth while seated on David’s throne in the city of Jerusalem.  It is argued that Jesus’ rule guarantees a one thousand-year period of universal peace upon the earth.  But is this really what we find in Revelation chapter 20?  No, it is not.  

The question of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ and the proper interpretation of Revelation 20 has been a divisive one almost from the beginning of the Christian church.  In those churches in which I was raised, premillennialism was regarded as a test of orthodoxy and anyone who wasn’t premillennial was probably either a theological liberal or a Roman Catholic, neither of whom took the plain teaching of the Bible very seriously.  Premillennialism, which is far and away the dominant view held by American evangelicals, teaches that in Revelation 20, John is describing that period of time after Jesus Christ returns to earth.

At first glance, the premillennial argument is iron-clad.  If Revelation 19 describes Jesus Christ’s second coming, then what follows in Revelation 20 must describe what happens after Christ’s return.  On this view, Christ’s return comes before the thousand years begin, hence his coming is “pre” millennial, or before the millennial age. 

Premillennarians believe that when John speaks of a thousand years, he means a literal one thousand years.  The first resurrection, mentioned by John in this passage, is thought to be a reference the bodily resurrection of believers at the end of the age when Christ returns.  Premillennarians believe that when John speaks of the binding of Satan, which begins the thousand years, he must be referring to that period of time after our Lord returns when Satan is literally bound with a chain by an angel, placed in a pit, and thereby prevented from deceiving the nations while Christ is ruling on the earth.  It is the binding of Satan which guarantees the thousand years of peace supposedly mentioned in this passage.

Having been taught premillennialism from my earliest youth, it came as a quite a shock when I learned that the historic Protestant position taught by all the Reformers, the Lutheran and Reformed churches which they founded, and expressed in all of the Reformed confessions, and which is still held by the vast majority of our theologians, is that known as amillennialism.  Although amillennialism literally means “no millennium,” it is better to understand this as a present millennialism.  Amillennarians believe that the millennial age refers to the present reign of Jesus Christ in heaven and that the thousand years is a symbolic reference to the entire period of time between Christ’s first coming and his second advent. 

To read the rest of this sermon, click here 
 

Eric Clapton's Autobiography

Eric Clapton's long-awaited autobiography, Clapton, will be interesting reading for those who grew up on Hendrix, Cream and Led Zeppelin.  To this day, I can't listen to a Cream song without thinking of old friends, good times and my 1965 El Camino complete with an eight-track tape player in the glove-box.  I spent many an hour with my Luxman amp and massive JBL speakers cranked up loud in my bedroom listening to Cream while I did homework.  My poor mother . . .

Clapton's life story is pretty much what you'd expect--drugs, girls and music.  The book is basically the story of Clapton's struggle with various addictions (primarily heroin, alcohol, and Pattie Boyd Harrison) and his never-ending quest to create the ultimate blues album.  Clapton is pretty straight-forward throughout.  No boasting about his conquests.  No repentance either.  He is remarkably humble about his talent and accomplishments and has played with about every rock and blues musician you can name.

While my interest in Clapton stems from his Cream days, Clapton looks upon that phase of his music as frustrating, drug-fueled and ego-driven.  The famous Cream jams (from their various "live" albums) were indeed chemically sustained.  This is an era which Clapton does not recall with fondness.  I guess it was better to listen to Clapton, than it was to be Clapton.

The turning point in Clapton's life came when he finally achieved sobriety about twenty-years ago.  Ironically, Clapton claims to have found no real happiness in life until some years later when he met and married his current wife who gave him three daughters.  Here's a guy who had everything the world tells us we need to have (more money than you can count, fame which secures whatever you want), and yet, who is not at all happy until he stops drinking, finds the love of his life and then settles down to raise his family.  Funny how that works.

There's no conversion story or happy ending.  Clapton was married and had his children baptized in the Church of England.  His "god" is the unknown higher-power of the twelve-step program.  But in light of the questions he raises, you certainly get the sense that if someone in his circle could only explain law-gospel to him, as well as explain to him that the power of music comes from the fact that we are divine-image bearers who will sing God's praises for all eternity, he just might listen.  Maybe the grace of God will reach him yet.

There are some minor surprises.  Clapton doesn't say as much about the tragic death of his son, Conor, as you might expect.  This tragedy occurred when Clapton was just finding himself after giving up alcohol.  He describes being completely numb to pretty much everything after so many years of heavy drinking.

Clapton also speaks about hanging out with his good friend Jimi Hendrix back in the day.  The two of them would go from club to club throughout London and then jam with whatever band happened to be playing.  Imagine a local garage band plugging away, only to be joined on stage by Clapton and Hendrix!  Now that would have been a blast for the band as well as for those lucky enough to have been in the audience.

All in all, a good read.  But know what you are getting in advance. 

MP3 of My Interview on KFUO (Issues, Etc.)

I was interviewed yesterday by Todd Wilkens from Issues, Etc., on Monday.  We discussed my recent article "Using God" in Modern Reformation.  Click here: Modern Reformation - Articles

To hear the broadcast, Click here: KFUO Home

BTW--Ken Samples followed me yesterday (he was discussing Islam), and Horton is on today.

Just How Bad Is John Hagee's Theology?

It is hardly breaking news that Hagee's got some weird hyper-dispensational ideas about Israel and that he's become very active in certain political circles.  But what about these comments?

"Jesus did not come to be the Messiah"

Jesus was killed as part of a "Calvary Conspiracy"

Jesus "did not claim to be the Messiah"

Check it out for yourself, Click here: John Hagee Jesus NOT Messiah(audio|video perfect)

All of this nonsense so as to sell his book, "In Defense of Israel."  

Some Interesting Links

Ain't paganism grand?  If you want to "lower your carbon footprint" you just abort your baby.  Click here: FOXNews.com - Woman Aborts Child To Help Save the Planet - International News | News of the World | Middle East Ne

Pastors, next time your church plans to host the local ecumenical rally, make sure you know who's turn it is to preside over the service!  Click here: Church rejects interfaith service on its property

"Praise the Lord" and "lock and load!"  Should chaplains be armed?  Click here: Army chaplains want right to carry weapons to protect themselves against the Taliban | the Daily Mail

I hate it when someone coughs up a ten pound hair-ball!  Talk about a gross picture . . .  Click here: FOXNews.com - Surgeons Remove Ten-Pound Hairball From Teen Girl's Stomach - Health News | Current Health News | Me

Surprise, surprise, the Paulk brothers are caught in another sex scandal.  And your uncle the bishop?  Well . . .  He's really your father.  Click here: Sex scandal hits Atlanta-area megachurch (OneNewsNow.com)

Who Said That?

"I do think that Paul actually makes a clear distinction in time between the future justification or judgment (those are the same word, basically), and present justification, which is on the basis of faith. I think he keeps those in absolute and appropriate tension throughout, because the point about justification by faith in the present is that it is the anticipation in the present, on the basis of faith, of the verdict which will be issued in the future on the basis of the entirety of the life led."

Leave your guess in the comments section below.  Please, no google searches! 

Update on Sunday, November 25, 2007 at 07:52PM by Kim Riddlebarger

The notion of an initial justification by faith and a final justification according to the whole life (works) comes from N. T. Wright.  The quote comes from a dialogue between Wright and James D. G. Dunn (Click here: An Evening Conversation on Paul)

Take a Guess . . .

Check out these numbers from a well-known Christian endeavor.  These are from fiscal 2004.  Pretty amazing.  If you want to take a guess as to who's they are, leave it the comments section below.  723 million in assets???? 

Revenue
Primary Revenue	$171,777,759
Other Revenue	$16,374,320
Total Revenue	$188,152,079
Expenses
Program Expenses	$83,257,366
Administrative Expenses	$20,559,642
Fundraising Expenses	$15,550,134
Total Functional Expenses	$119,367,142
Payments to Affiliates	$0
Excess (or Deficit) for the year	$68,784,937
Net Assets	$723,135,061

This One Cracked Me Up!

Three pastors were having lunch in a diner.

One said, "You know, since summer started I've been having trouble with bats in my loft and attic at church. I’ve tried everything--noise, spray, cats--nothing seems to scare them away."Another said, "Me too. I've got hundreds living in my belfry and in the attic. I've even had the place fumigated, and they won't go away."

The third said, "I baptized all mine, and made them members of the church. Haven't seen one back since!"

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

As for me and my house, we will celebrate Thanksgiving this year by attending Christ Reformed's Thanksgiving Service (led by Rev. Marcelo Souza--some of you may know him as Guy de Brasil) and then we are off to my mother-in-law's house nearby for traditional Thanksgiving fare.

Lord willing, I'll be home in time for a nap in my favorite recliner when the tryptophan coma hits.  Hopefully, I'll be conscious enough later to finish up a couple of books I've been reading (Eric Clapton's Autobiography and some background reading for my current sermon series on Judges) and then, if I have room, gobble up some leftovers.

So, I'll be around this weekend and if I feel like it, I'll post.  If not, I'll be back on Monday.

Meanwhile, I wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving!  As the Psalmist says (Psalm 107:1-9), 

1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble

3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

4 Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in;

5 hungry and thirsty,their soul fainted within them.

6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.

7 He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in.

8 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!

9 For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. 

 

When the LORD Gives Us the Land -- Joshua 2:1-14

The Third in a Series of Sermons on the Book of Joshua

Redemptive history is a term we use often at Christ Reformed. It simply refers to the fact that the Bible is the historical account of Jesus Christ saving his people from their sins. Throughout this history of redemption, we encounter some very interesting people. In our text this time–Joshua, chapter 2–we have the account of a woman who is a notorious sinner, yet who appears in the genealogy of Jesus, someone who is commended in the New Testament as a model of both great faith and godly deeds. Her story begins in Joshua 2 with the account of two spies sent by Joshua, who enter a tavern in Jericho to gather information on their enemies. The tavern’s owner (who happens to be a prostitute) helps the spies at the risk of her own life, even lying to the authorities to protect the spies whom she is hiding in her house. The woman then helps the spies leave and enter the city, even leaving a secret signal–the famous scarlet cord–in her window. Remarkably, this Canaanite prostitute happens to be the first convert in Canaan to Israel’s God. Her name is Rahab and she is both a prostitute and an ancestor of Jesus.

As we continue our series on the Book of Joshua, we now come to the fascinating story of Rahab, a Canaanite woman who has heard about YHWH and believes that Israel’s God will give to Israel that land he has promised to his people. In this chapter, the focus shifts away from Joshua and the Israelites–who were still on the plains of Moab and who were preparing to cross over the River Jordan to possess the land–to the Canaanites and what was going on in the city of Jericho, before the Israelites take the city. This chapter serves as an important bridge to chapter 6, where we find the account of Jericho’s capture.

There are other interesting comparisons in this chapter. We have the favorable comparison between Joshua as the strong and courageous leader of Israel and Rahab, who is likewise very courageous and who will be the first of her people to come to faith in YHWH. Then there is the contrast between Rahab’s faithfulness and Israel’s unfaithfulness as seen in Achan’s sin, the theme of chapter 7. All and all, this is an interesting and important section of Joshua and many of themes found here will reappear throughout the literature of western civilization–a lady with a past who becomes a heroine. This is an important episode in Israel’s history, and a dramatic and compelling story in its own right.

To read the rest of this sermon, click here