Postmillennialism: Alive and Well on Planet Earth

How could anyone be a postmillennialist today? The world is obviously getting worse and worse and worse. All we are waiting for now is the final apostasy of the church so that God can rapture the faithful remnant out the world. It is a well-known fact that postmillennialism only gains in popularity before the turn of the century, when everyone is brimming with hope for a new century. Now that we are well into a new century and a new millennium, no one could possibly be optimistic about the future. Postmillennialism is dead.

Actually, postmillennialism is alive and well on planet earth, even in the 21st century, even with the dark clouds of economic disaster overhead.

I am an unabashed postmillennialist. I have many friends who are likewise eschatological optimists. Although the current majority report among Reformed folk is Amillennialism, it has not always been this way, not will it always be this way. Postmillennialism is on the rise!

God's word presents the Kingdom of God as triumphant. Premillennialists postpone this triumph until the second coming of Christ and are pessimistic about the Kingdom of God until then. Amillennialists relegate this triumph to heaven and are pessimistic about the Kingdom of God on earth. Thus, the triumph of the Kingdom of God is either for another era (Premillennialism) or for another realm (Amillennialism). Both of these are radically mistaken. The triumph of the Kingdom of God will happen in our current era and on the earth.

The preeminent theme of Daniel is the Kingdom of God. Daniel reveals some absolutely crucial details about the chronology of the Kingdom of God. If you miss these details, then you will completely misunderstand what Jesus and the apostles say about the Kingdom of God.

We are going to look briefly at the second and seventh chapters of Daniel. Each chapter contains some crucial information about the Kingdom of God. We will then examine a few other passages that illuminate our understanding of the Kingdom of God.

Daniel 2
In the second chapter of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream of a great image made of gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Daniel explains that these four materials represent four successive kingdoms that will rule the earth.

Daniel then tells Nebuchadnezzar that Babylon is the head of gold, which is the first kingdom. We can easily figure out what the other three kingdoms were.

1. Gold = Babylon
2. Silver = Persia
3. Bronze = Greece
4. Iron = Rome

However, Daniel also speaks of another kingdom.

"And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever" (Daniel 2:44).

From this statement, we learn a couple of important details about the Kingdom of God.

1) God will set up a kingdom “in the days of these kings.” During the reign of Babylon, Persia, Greece, or Rome, God will set up a kingdom. Initially, this means the kingdom of God began sometime between 604 BC (the date of the prophecy) and AD 476 (the fall of the Roman Empire).

2) The Kingdom of God will be indestructible, never-abandoned, triumphant, universal, and eternal.

We learn more about the Kingdom of God when we examine what happened to the image that Nebuchadnezzar saw.

"You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth" (Daniel 2:34-35).

From this, we learn a couple of more details about the Kingdom of God:

1) A stone shatters the image. What is this “stone cut without hands”? This is an obvious reference to the Kingdom of God that “breaks in pieces and consumes all these kingdoms.”

2) The stone becomes a great mountain and fills the whole earth. The Kingdom of God starts as a stone, then becomes a mountain, filling the earth. Thus, the Kingdom of God begins small (a stone) and grows larger (a mountain) and eventually fills the whole earth.

Thus, from Daniel 2, we derive a globally triumphant expectation for the Kingdom of God.

Daniel 7
In the seventh chapter of Daniel, he sees a vision of four beasts: a lion, a bear, a leopard, and an unspecified beast. These symbols are explained to Daniel.

"Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever" (Daniel 7:17-18).

The four beasts represent four kingdoms, the same four kingdoms which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream.

1. The Lion = Babylon
2. The Bear = Persia
3. The Leopard = Greece
4. The Beast = Rome

However, the kingdom will be given to the saints of the Most High forever. This is described further at the end of the chapter.

"Then the kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And all dominions shall serve and obey Him" (Daniel 7:27).

Again, the Kingdom of God will be everlasting and universal.

In the midst of his vision of the four beasts, Daniel also has a vision of the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man.

"I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:13-14).

The Ancient of Days is God. The Son of Man is Jesus. Daniel saw a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ.

The Ancient of Days was sitting on his heavenly throne (Daniel 7:9-10). The Son of Man is “coming with the clouds of heaven.” Many think this is a description of Jesus coming to the earth. However, this is incorrect. The Son of Man does not come from the Ancient of Days. He comes to the Ancient of Days.

At this moment, the Ancient of Days gives the Son of Man a kingdom, which is described as universal, eternal, indestructible. This is the same Kingdom of God that has been described throughout the book of Daniel.

Daniel 7:13-14 provides the point in time of the establishment of the Kingdom of God: when the Son of Man comes to the Ancient of Days. This is a description of the ascension. When Jesus ascended to heaven, he ascended to the throne of the universe. He was placed at the right hand of God.

Psalm 110
The New Testament writers quote Psalm 110:1 more than any other Scripture. This is another key passage to understanding the Kingdom of God.

"The LORD said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool'" (Psalm 110:1).

Translators use small capitals in “LORD” to show that David is using God’s personal name, Yahweh. Thus, David wrote, “Yahweh said to my Lord.”

Who is David’s Lord? Does he have any Lord’s but God? No. This is a reference to a distinction among God. We understand that David’s Lord is Jesus. Yahweh is a reference to the Father.

Thus, David is writing that the Father will say to the Son, “Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool.”

What does it mean “till I make Your enemies Your footstool?” This is common battle language to describe the defeat of enemies. The defeated kings would be brought before the victor, and the victor would place his foot on their neck, signifying total victory.

Thus, Jesus will sit down at the Father’s right hand and stay there until the Father has defeated all of Jesus’ enemies.

We learn three significant things from this verse:

1) Jesus will sit at God’s right hand at a certain point in time. This is a reference to the ascension, as multiple passages make clear (Mark 16:19; Acts 23:32-36; Acts 5:30-31; Romans 8:34; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:1-3; 8:1; 10:12-13; 12:2).

2) When Jesus first sits at God’s right hand, not all of his enemies are defeated. This was true of Jesus’ ascension.

3) Jesus will sit at God’s right hand until a certain point in time – namely, until God defeats all of his enemies. Thus, Jesus is still at God’s right hand until his enemies are defeated.
This integrates well with what we learned from Daniel 2 and 7.

a) The Kingdom of God is established at the ascension of Jesus: when the Son of Man comes to the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7) is also when David’s Lord sits at the right hand of Yahweh (Psalm 110).

b) The Kingdom of God grows: the stone becomes a mountain and fills the whole earth (Daniel 2) as all God’s enemies are subdued (Psalm 110).

This triumphal expectation carries forward into the gospels, yet Jesus adds to our understanding of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus and the Kingdom
Jesus and John came with the same message.

" In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!'" (Matthew 3:1-2).

"Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel'" (Mark 1:14-15).

Both said that the Kingdom of God was at hand. This meant that the Kingdom of God was near. It was close to being inaugurated.

In Matthew 13, Jesus told a series of parables about the Kingdom of God. We will look at two which particularly correspond with Daniel.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

"Another parable He put forth to them, saying: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches'" (Matthew 13:31-32).

The idea here is that the Kingdom of God starts out small, in fact smaller than any other seeds, but once it is grown, it is greater than all other herbs and becomes a tree.

Jesus highlights the principle that the Kingdom starts inauspiciously, but it grows surprisingly large. This matches what Daniel said about the growth of the Kingdom. It starts as a stone but becomes a mountain, just as a mustard seed becomes a large tree.

The Parable of the Leaven

"Another parable He spoke to them: 'The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened'" (Matthew 13:33).

Jesus also compared the Kingdom of God to leaven or yeast. Leaven starts out as a proportionately small ingredient in a loaf of bread, but it effect the entire load, causing it to rise. This matches what Daniel said about the growth and the universality of the Kingdom of God. The stone becomes a mountain which fills the earth, just as a pinch of yeast spreads throughout the entire loaf.

Jesus’ Promise
Jesus gave a sterling promise regarding the Kingdom of God.

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18).

Jesus promises to build his church. Jesus uses a play on words saying, “You are Peter (rock), and on this rock (stone), I will build my church.” Remember, that according to Daniel 2, the Kingdom of God begins with a stone. Again, we also encounter the indestructible nature of the Kingdom of God. Not even the gates of Hades, that is death, will prevail against it. The Kingdom of God will triumph over all of its enemies.

Building the Kingdom
How is Jesus building his Kingdom?

"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen." (Matthew 28:18-20).

Jesus ascended to the right hand of God and is ruling and reigning over the universe through the church. The church’s mandate is to make disciples of all the nations. Become a mountain. Grow into a tree. Leaven the entire loaf.

The Second Advent of Jesus
When this is finished, then Jesus will return.

"For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet" (1 Corinthians 15:25).

The return of Jesus marks the end of history.

"But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power" (1 Corinthians 15:23-24).

Here’s a summary of the major events in the Kingdom of God:

1) The first coming of Jesus Christ (death, resurrection, ascension, Pentecost).
2) The growth of the Kingdom of God and subduing of enemies.
3) The second coming of Jesus Christ.
4) Jesus delivers the Kingdom to God the Father.

We live in the time between the two advents of Jesus Christ. Until his second coming, Jesus Christ is ruling and reigning through the church.

Where’s the Triumphant Kingdom?
The problem for us today is that we do not see the triumphant kingdom. We do not see the stone becoming a mountain, or the mustard seed growing into a tree, or the yeast leavening the loaf.

We do not see the church conquering all the kingdoms of the world. We do not see the enemies of the church being crushed and turned into chaff.

We look at the world and wonder how we should interpret God’s promises. However, this is not how God’s people should think. This is how pagans think.

We need to look at God’s promises and wonder how we should interpret the world.

Many Christians have this exactly backwards. They look at the triumphant promises of God, then look at the decline of our society, and conclude that the triumphant promises must be for another age (Premillennialism) or another realm (Amillennialism).

We need to interpret history through the Bible, not the Bible through history. We need to trust that God got it right. We need the eyes of faith.

The decline of Western civilization is what it is. We have abandoned God, and now, we are paying the price. However, the church is flourishing in other parts of the world.

For example, in China, there are more Christians than there are people in the United States. More are converting each week than there are members in many of our evangelical denominations. Meanwhile, conservative Episcopalians in America are seeking help from the Anglican church in Africa. We are witnessing a shift in the global center of the church.

However, we must not mistake America for the church. God has blessed America like no other nation, but as we speed towards apostasy, we will likely be cursed like no other nation.

Things are getting worse in America and in the west, but things are not getting worse for the church. From the perspective of two millennia of history, we can see the triumph of the church. The church is now alive and well on every continent and in every country. There are relatively few people groups that have never heard the gospel. And, the best is yet to come.

We can be pessimistic about Europe, pessimistic about America, and pessimistic about Western culture. But, we cannot be pessimistic about the church. We are to be unapologetically optimistic about the future of the church.

Jesus Christ is building his church, and nothing will prevail against it. We expect the triumph of the Kingdom of God. This is the message of Daniel, the message of the Psalms, the message of Jesus and the Apostles. This is the message of the Scriptures.

The reports of the death of Postmillennialism have been greatly exaggerated. Postmillennialism is alive and well on planet earth.

The Right Hand of God

Here is the sermon I preached yesterday for Ascension.

Today is known as Ascension. We are celebrating Jesus Christ ascending into heaven.

Ascension Day is forty days after Easter, which means that technically, Ascension Day is always on a Thursday. Some churches hold services on Thursday to celebrate Ascension, but most churches celebrate on the next Sunday, which is six weeks after Easter.

To many people, the word ascension means “to go up,” as in to ascend a ladder or staircase. In this sense, Jesus did ascend on a cloud. His disciples were left looking “up” in the sky to where Jesus had ascended.

However, there is a more profound meaning to the word ascend. When a prince is crowned as king, he is said to have ascended to the office of king. In history books, we read about such and such a king ascending to the throne. Since the king is the “highest” office, the word ascend is appropriate to the action.

When Jesus ascended to heaven, both of these definitions of ascend were fulfilled. Jesus literally rose into the clouds and was taken up into heaven. He physically ascended. The disciples were left looking up at the clouds where he departed.

Moreover, when Jesus ascended to heaven, this also marked his ascension to the throne of King. He sat down at the right hand of God and received a kingdom. He became King.

So, for Jesus, his ascension into heaven was also his ascension to the throne of the Universe as the King.

Therefore, as we celebrate Ascension today, we are doing far more than just remembering the occasion when Jesus rose on a cloud into heaven.

Today, we celebrate the crowning of Jesus Christ as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

The Right Hand of God
This morning, we are going to trace an Ascension theme through the Scriptures. We are going to look at what it means that Jesus is currently at the right hand of God.

This truth is well-known to us, but the church as a whole regularly misses the full impact of this truth.

The phrase “Right Hand of God” appears eight times in the NT. This concept is referenced a minimum of twenty times. We are going to be examining many of these this morning, but we will start by reading Mark’s brief account of the ascension.

"So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God" (Mark 16:19).

What does it mean that Jesus is at the right hand of God?

The Blessing of the Right Hand
We do understand that the right hand is a place of blessing.

Jacob Blessed Ephraim
When Joseph brought his sons to Jacob for a blessing, Jacob blessed the younger instead of the older by putting his right hand on the younger son, Ephraim.

"And Joseph said to his father, 'Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.' But his father refused and said, 'I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations'" (Genesis 48:18-19).

The right hand was the place of blessing.

Jesus Will Bless the Sheep
At the final judgment, Jesus will place the sheep at His right hand.

"And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world'" (Matthew 25:33-34).

We understand from these passages and others that the right hand is the hand of blessing. However, the fact that Jesus is at the right hand of God means far more than simply he is blessed.

Let’s go back to the Scriptures and determine what this means. Where does this concept come from? Who talks about Jesus being at the right hand of God.

Psalm 110
David was the first one to write about Jesus sitting at the right hand of God.

"Yahweh said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool'" (Psalm 110:1).

The New Testament writers quote Psalm 110:1 more than any other OT text. This verse must contain a foundational theme for understanding the New Testament.

This verse is easy to misunderstand. The Lord said to my Lord. Yahweh said to my Lord. Yahweh said to David’s Lord.

Who is David’s Lord? Does he have any Lord’s but God? No.

This is a reference to a distinction among God. We understand that David’s Lord is Jesus. Yahweh is a reference to the Father.

Thus, David is writing that the Father will say to the Son, “Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool.”

We learn two significant things from this verse:
1) Jesus will sit at God’s right hand at a certain point in time.
2) Jesus will sit at God’s right hand until a certain point in time – namely, until God makes all of Jesus’ enemies “his footstool.”

What does it mean “till I make Your enemies Your footstool?” This is common battle language to describe the defeat of enemies. The defeated kings would be brought before the victor, and the victor would place his foot on their neck, signifying total victory.

Thus, Jesus will sit down at the Father’s right hand and stay there until the Father has defeated all of Jesus’ enemies.

We now have three remaining questions related to chronology:
1) When did Jesus sit or when will he sit at the right hand of God?
2) When did the Father or when will the Father defeat all of Jesus’ enemies?
3) What happens after the Father defeats all of Jesus’ enemies?

1) When Did Jesus Sit at the RH of God?
When did Jesus sit down at the right hand of God? Think back to the brief description of Mark.

"So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God" (Mark 16:19).

After Jesus was ascended, he sat down at the right hand of God. Mark holds that Psalm 110:1 began to be fulfilled in the ascension.

Peter says the same thing at Pentecost, even quoting Psalm 110.

"This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."' Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:32-36).

Peter said the same thing to the Jewish Council.

"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:30-31).

Paul says that Jesus is currently at the right hand of God.

"Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us" (Romans 8:34).

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God" (Colossians 3:1).

The author of Hebrews says that Jesus sat at the right hand of God at his ascension.

"God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:1-3).

"Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens" (Hebrews 8:1).

"Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).

What is Jesus Doing at the Right Hand of God?
Some have the idea that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God, biding his time, waiting to return to the earth so that he can set up his kingdom on earth. However, this is not what the Scriptures teach.

Jesus has already been given all authority.

"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth'" (Matthew 28:18).

Just before Jesus was ascending, he told the disciples that all authority in heaven and earth were given to him.

Peter affirms this:

"Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him" (1 Peter 3:22).

All authority has been given to Jesus Christ.

Paul goes further:

"Which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:20-23).

Paul makes it explicit that because Jesus is at the right hand of God, he is now ruling over the universe. He is over every other power and over every other name. All things have been placed under his feet.

2) When Will the Father Defeat All of Jesus’ Enemies?

Now that we have confirmed that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God, we need to ask, how long will Jesus sit at the right hand of God? The answer is until God defeats all of Jesus’ enemies.

The author of Hebrews states this:

"But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool" (Hebrews 10:12-13).

Jesus is at the right hand of God waiting until his enemies are defeated.

Now, waiting does not describe all that Jesus is doing. He is interceding for us. He is ruling over his Kingdom. He is building his church.

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18).

Jesus is building his church. We are his temple. He dwells in us through his Spirit, and we are being used by him to spread his kingdom.

In other words, how is God defeating all of Jesus’ enemies? This received an initial fulfillment in the first century as God destroyed the temple and Jerusalem.

The book of Revelation describes the destruction of the great harlot, which is Jerusalem. In a mighty way Jesus’ enemies were literally destroyed in ad 70.

Yet, this does not describe the complete fulfillment of Psalm 110:1. Jesus continues to have enemies today. There are many who hate the Jesus and the gospel.

How is Jesus defeating his enemies? Through the gospel, through the spread of the church.

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:18-19).

Jesus said that he would build his church on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. He continues to build the church and to rule it by his Spirit working through us.

We are ruling and reigning with Jesus Christ right now. We are participating in the kingship of Jesus at this moment.

We are worshiping him as our King. As we go out from here, our task is to declare to the nations that there is one King. We are to disciple the nations, to bring them to the feet of King Jesus.

So, Jesus is reigning from heaven at the right hand of God. We do not know how long this will take, but he will stay there until all his enemies are defeated.

3) What Happens after All of Jesus’ Enemies are Defeated?

Jesus said that he would return.

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them" (Matthew 25:14).

"After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them" (Matthew 25:19).

An angel explained it to the disciples like this:

"Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).

After Jesus’ enemies are defeated, then Jesus will return to the earth.

When will Jesus return? The Bible teaches us that we need to be agnostic when it comes to predicting when Jesus will return. We do not know.

I believe that Jesus could return right now. The Father could cataclysmically and catastrophically defeat Jesus’ enemies in one moment, just like he did in ad 70.

I also believe that Jesus could return a long ways from now, perhaps thousands or millions of years from now. As one pastor quipped, we may still be in the early church. The Father could gradually defeat all of his enemies.

However, Jesus will remain in heaven until all his enemies are defeated. Only then will he return.

Paul describes what happens at his return after enemies have been defeated.

"Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet" (1 Corinthians 15:24-25).

After Jesus’ enemies are defeated. The Father has placed everything under Jesus’ feet, and then Jesus returns to the earth, executes the final judgment, and then delivers this kingdom back to God the Father.

We see that history is fulfilled in God defeating and subduing all of Jesus’ enemies. Then Jesus returns to earth, judges the nations, completes the final unification of heaven and earth.

Then Jesus turns and gives the kingdom back to God as a gift.

"Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all" (1 Corinthians 15:28).

The purpose of history is that God may be all in all. The purpose of history is the glory of God.

The chief end of the universe is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.

Daniel 9 (The Seventy Weeks - part one)

The seventy weeks of Daniel are the fount of much debate about eschatology. Many solutions have been offered, but most are speculative and difficult to prove. I am not going to offer a comprehensive answer, but I do want touch on a few issues over the next couple of posts.

The seventy weeks comes from the first portion of Daniel 9:24.

“Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city.”

The angel Gabriel is delivering a message to Daniel. He says, “Seventy weeks are determined for your people and your holy city.”

“Your people” obviously refers to Israel. “Your holy city” obviously refers to Jerusalem. Gabriel is saying that something is going to happen to Israel and Jerusalem in “seventy weeks.”

If we take “seventy weeks” in a wooden sense, then Gabriel is saying that something is going to happen in one year and four months. However, most understand that Gabriel is referring to a much longer period of time.

The Hebrew word for weeks actually means “seven.” Thus, seventy weeks could be translated seventy-sevens. This is referring to seventy groups of seven, which would be 490. Most scholars understand that Gabriel is speaking of years. Something is going to happen in 490 years.

Unfortunately, Dispensationalists do not take this literally. They argue that the 490 years are not consecutive. That is, they assert that after 483 years, then God is going to “stop the clock” for an undisclosed period of time, and then “re-start the clock” for the final seven years at some point in the future.

However, this violates literal, normal, rational communicative principles. No one speaks like this.

If I tell my wife that I’ll be home in ten minutes, only to arrive two hours later, I could not escape by saying, “I was not including the time I stopped by a bar to watch the basketball game.”

Daniel 7 (The Heavenly Vision)

Last time, we looked at chapter seven of Daniel and the four beasts that he sees in a vision. In the midst of this vision, Daniel encounters a heavenly vision which is often misunderstood and misapplied. Let’s look at this part of the vision.

I watched till thrones were put in place,
And the Ancient of Days was seated;
His garment was white as snow,
And the hair of His head was like pure wool.
His throne was a fiery flame,
Its wheels a burning fire;
A fiery stream issued
And came forth from before Him.
A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
The court was seated,
And the books were opened (Daniel 7:9-10).

In Daniel’s vision, he sees “the Ancient of Days” sitting on his throne. This is obviously a reference to God seated in heaven. The hair like wool and the flaming eyes are exactly what John describes in Revelation 1:14. Daniel goes on to describe this vision further:

I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:13-14).

Daniel sees “One like the Son of Man.” This is Jesus’ favorite title of self-designation. Daniel saw a vision of Jesus Christ.

Notice what the One like the Son of Man is doing: he is “coming with the clouds of heaven.” What does this mean? What are the clouds of heaven? Is this what the Son of Man rides on as he comes to the earth?

Not at all. Look at the next line of description: “He came to the Ancient of Days.” This is describing the Son of Man coming to heaven, coming up to the throne of God. Once the Son of Man comes up to the Ancient of Days, he is given a kingdom and everyone serves him. This is the everlasting kingdom of God given to the Son of Man.

Consider verses 13-14 carefully. Most people read this as a description of the second coming, that Jesus returns to the earth “on a cloud” and sets up his kingdom there. However, this is not what the text is describing.

Daniel is seeing Jesus receive his kingdom, but he receives it upon coming to heaven. When did Jesus go to heaven? At his ascension. Daniel sees Jesus ascending to heaven and being given the everlasting kingdom.

The phrase “the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven” is not describing the second coming, but the ascension. Thus, every time that Jesus uses this phrase, we should understand that he is referring to his ascension, not the second coming.

For example, when Jesus says, “Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” (Matthew 16:28), he is not referring to the transfiguration or his second coming. He is referring to his ascension. This makes much more sense given the context.

Furthermore, when Jesus says in the Olivet Discourse, “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30), he is not referring to the rapture or the second coming. He is referring to his ascension. Obviously, this has major implications for interpreting the rest of the Olivet Discourse.

Notice that this is neither “spiritualizing” nor “allegorizing,” but allowing the Old Testament to speak plainly. Dispensationalists routinely ignore the origin of the phrase “Son of Man coming on the clouds.” However, this is unmistakably referring to the ascension of Jesus Christ.

Daniel 7 (The Four Beasts)

The theme of the book of Daniel is the kingdom of God. Despite the fact that Israel was in captivity, God promised to build his kingdom on earth. In chapter two of Daniel, God revealed that his everlasting kingdom would be established after the four earthly kingdoms of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome.

We find a similar message in chapter seven. Daniel has a vision of four animals: a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a beast (Daniel also sees a heavenly vision which we will examine more carefully in the next post).

Daniel is given details regarding each of these animals, but without getting bogged down, most commentators agree that each of these animals corresponds to the empires from the vision in Daniel chapter two.

· The Lion = Babylon
· The Bear = Persia
· The Leopard = Greece
· The Beast = Rome

Notice the interpretation given:

Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever (Daniel 7:17-18).

Just as in the vision of the statue in chapter two of Daniel, the kingdom of God follows the four earthly kingdoms. The kingdom of God is an everlasting kingdom.

Thus, a straight-forward reading of Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 leads to the expectation of four empires (Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome) followed by the kingdom of God.

I maintain that this is precisely what happened. At the first coming of Christ, the first three kingdoms had already disappeared. Jesus established his kingdom, which eventually led to the demise of the Roman empire.

Certainly, there have been other kingdoms and other empires, but the kingdom of Christ was established during the latter days of the Roman empire. Jesus’ kingdom has been growing gradually ever since, much like yeast leavens a loaf of bread (Matthew 13:33). It started small, like a mustard seed, but it is growing, and one day, it will be the largest kingdom (Matthew 13:31-32). It began as a stone, but eventually becomes a mountain that fills the whole earth (Daniel 2:35).

In the next post, we will examine the heavenly vision from chapter seven of Daniel.

Daniel 2

One of the main selling points of Dispensationalism is their claim to take the Old Testament seriously. While I heartily embrace this noble intention, Dispensationalists regularly fail to realize their goal. This is especially noticeable in the book of Daniel.

I am going to attempt a few posts that survey of some of the important eschatological passages in the book of Daniel. Let’s start with Nebuchadnezzar’s vision in chapter 2 of Daniel.

Daniel describes Nebuchadnezzar’s vision:

“You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay” (Daniel 2:31-33).

To summarize:
Head = Gold
Chest & Arms = Silver
Belly & Thighs = Bronze
Legs = Iron
Feet = Iron and Clay

Daniel goes on to describe what happens to this image:

“You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:34-35).

To summarize: a stone strikes the feet, and the whole image is shattered. The stone becomes a great mountain which fills the whole earth.

Daniel then gives the interpretation:

“You are this head of gold” (Daniel 2:38).

Nebuchadnezzar is the head of gold.

“But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours” (Daniel 2:39a).

Notice that Daniel says, “another kingdom,” meaning that he is speaking not just of persons, but of kingdoms. So, the head of gold is not just Nebuchadnezzar, but also his kingdom, Babylon.

The next kingdom, the chest and arms of silver, must refer to Persia, which conquered Babylon.

“Then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth” (Daniel 2:39b).

The third kingdom is the third part of the image, the belly and thighs of bronze. This must refer to Greece, which conquered Persia.

“And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others” (Daniel 2:40).

The fourth kingdom is the fourth part of the statue, the legs of iron. This must refer to Rome, which conquered Greece.

Daniel adds these details:

“Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay” (Daniel 2:40-43).

Notice that Daniel is still describing the fourth kingdom. Although it starts out strong (iron), it becomes a mixture of strength and fragility because the iron and clay cannot adhere to one another. This describes the latter stages of the Roman empire.

Daniel then describes the stone cut without hands:

“And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold--the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure” (Daniel 2:44-45).

In the days of the Roman empire, God will set up his kingdom, which is unconquerable, universal, unbreakable, and unending. A natural reading of the text understands that the kingdom which succeeds Rome is the kingdom of God. The catalyst for this kingdom is the stone cut out without hands, which is obviously a reference to Jesus Christ.

This is precisely what happened. John and Jesus announced the nearness of the kingdom. Following his death and resurrection, Jesus ascended to the throne of the kingdom, which he has been ruling ever since.

Thus, we are given a succession of five kingdoms: Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and the kingdom of Christ.

Despite Daniel’s interpretation of the vision, Dispensationalists insist that the kingdom of Christ has not yet come; it is still future. Some Dispensationalists argue that we are still under the Roman Empire, which is odd considering Rome crumbled 1500 years ago.

Others Dispensationalists argue that we are in limbo between the “first” Roman empire (legs of iron) and the “revived” Roman empire (feet of iron and clay). Yet, this belies a straight-forward reading of the text. The legs and the feet describe two phases of the same kingdom: a strong phase and a weak phase. Dispensationalists insert the entire church age between the legs and the feet.

Here we see a recurring difficulty that Dispensationalists have with Daniel: they manipulate Daniel’s timetable with the insertion of gaps. By inserting gaps, they are rejecting Daniel’s eschatology.

Intro to Eschatology

Dispensationalism is known for it’s peculiar eschatology. Premillennialism itself is not peculiar; this has enjoyed support throughout the history of the church.

The peculiarity of Dispensational eschatology has to do with the novel idea that the church is an interruption in God’s plan of dealing with ethnic Jews. Dispensationalists argue that the church is a “parenthesis” or an “intercalation” between Pentecost and the rapture of the church. Once the church is out of the way, God can get back to his main program, ethnic Jews.

This peculiar eschatology is really the direct result of Dispensational ecclesiology. The radical separation of Israel and the church in eschatology is fueled by the radical separation of Israel and the church in ecclesiology. Ontology affects history. Dispensational ecclesiology drives Dispensational eschatology.

My journey out of Dispensationalism began by examining my eschatology. While I was shaken by a fresh reading of the Olivet Discourse, I clung to Dispensationalism for several years because of my ecclesiology.

For this reason, I felt it was more crucial to deal with some foundational issues in ecclesiology (and hermeneutics). While I have not exhausted the relationship between Israel and the church, one must eventually deal with Dispensational eschatology.

Many of my eschatological arguments will be based upon the ground already covered in Jesus, Israel, and the Church. If you have not read these entries or listened to these lectures, please see the links in the side bar on the right.

In a nutshell, I will be writing on these three thesis regarding the kingdom of Jesus:

1) Jesus established his kingdom in his first coming.
2) Since his ascension, Jesus has been ruling and building his kingdom through the church.
3) The consummation of the kingdom is when Jesus returns to judge the nations.