The ConsummationAmillennialismC.S. Noren, 2017

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When is Satan Bound? Luke 10:1: After this the Lord appointed

seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. (ESV)

Luke 10:17-19: The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. (ESV)

When is Satan Bound? Matthew 12:22-29: [22] Then a demon-oppressed man who was

blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. [23] And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” [24] But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” [25] Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. [26] And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? [27] And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. [28] But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. [29] Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. (ESV)

When is Satan Bound?

Satan is bound at the first coming of Christ. We see it in Christ’s earthly ministry. Wilderness for 40 days. Casting out demons. Disciple’s ministry.

This is especially seen in the death and resurrection of Christ.

The gospel goes out to the world.

Eschatological Ages

New Testament View of End Time Ages:

This Age The Age to Come

The Two Ages

THIS AGE

Inaugurated with the first coming of Christ.

Temporal.

THE AGE TO COME

Inaugurated at the second coming of Christ.

Eternal.

Comparing the Ages.This Age Age to ComeMatthew 28:20: Christ will be with us until the end of the age.

Matthew 13:40: The weeds will be thrown into the fire.

Mark 10:30: This age has homes, fields, families.

Mark 10:30, Luke 18:30: Eternal life is a reward.

Luke 18:30: Material rewards given to us in this life.

1 Timothy 6:19: Life that is truly life.

Galatians 1:4: The present age is evil.

1 Corinthians 15:50 Flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom of God.

2 Corinthians 4:4: Satan, the god of this age, blinds people’s minds to the truth

Galatians 5:21: Those who live evil lives will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 1:20-21: Christ reigns in this present age.

Ephesians 1:21: Christ will reign in the age to come.

Demarcation of the Ages

Matthew 13:39: The harvest is the end of the age, angels are the harvesters.

Matthew 13:40: The weeds will be burned at the end of the age (judgment).

Matthew 13:49: The angels will separate the wicked from the righteous.

Premillennial vs. AmillennialIssue Premillennialism AmillennialismDeath at 2nd coming Not conquered. Conquered.

Consistent with 1 Corinthians 15:22-27; 50-56

Sin at 2nd coming Remains. Eliminated. Consistent with Romans 8:18-23, 2 Peter 3:8-13

Final judgment at 2nd coming

Delayed until the end of the millennium.

Accomplished. Consistent with 2 Peter 3:8-13, Matthew 25:31-46, 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10

What About the Millennium? How are we to interpret the

millennium in Revelation 20? Revelation 20: 4: They came to life and

reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Chapter 19: The beast and his armies

defeated. On the surface, the millennium appears

to come after Christ returns and defeats Satan.

Interpreting Revelation The Analogy of Faith: The clear parts of

scripture interpreting the less clear parts. Understand the literary genres of the Bible.

Epistles and didactic teaching. Gospels▪ Historical narratives.▪ Parables

Revelation▪ Epistle▪ Prophecy▪ Apocalypse

Apocalypse

Apocalypse “An apocalyptic writer makes use of

symbols and numbers to depict in word pictures the great conflict between the forces of evil and righteousness…” (A Case for Amillennialism: Understanding the End Times, Kim Riddlebarger, p. 198)

Apocalypse

The form of apocalyptic writing itself becomes a form of prophecy.

Symbols play a key role in understanding apocalyptic prophecy.

Need to understand the symbols in their historical context. Old Testament context. Roman context. New Testament context, especially the

analogy of faith.

Recapitulation

Reading sequences in literature can be read: Chronologically: Each sequence follows

the other in chronological sequence. Recapitulation: Each sequence is part of

a pattern that is repeated in different ways.▪ Revelation visions are arranged topically, not

chronologically.▪ Cycles of judgment increase in intensity

describe the periods between the 1st and 2nd coming of Christ.▪ Revelation 20 describes the same pattern.

How to Read Revelation

We are living in the period of the realized millennium. The already of Christ’s rule. The not yet of suffering in the

tribulation. Read Revelation through the eyes of

progressive parallelism or recapitulation.

7 major sections, running in a progressive parallel description of the history of the church.

7 Progressively Parallel Sections

1. Rev 1-3: The Glorified Christ and the letters to the churches

2. Rev 4-7: The Seven Seals – The church’s suffering.

3. Rev 8-11: The Trumpets – The church’s avengement.

4. Rev 12-14: The Woman and the Dragon

5. Rev 15-16: The Bowls of Wrath – final visitation of God’s wrath

6. Rev 17-19: The Fall of Babylon and the Beasts

7. Rev 20-22: The Doom of the Dragon, Judgment, Victory

Recapitulation ExampleRevelation 12:7-11 Revelation 20:1-6v. 7: Heavenly scene. v. 1: Heavenly scene.vv. 7-8: Angelic battle against Satan.

v. 2: Implied angelic battle with Satan.

v. 9: Satan cast to earth. v. 3: Satan cast into the abyss.v. 9: The great dragon, leads the world astray.

vv. 2-3: The dragon, serpentvv. 3, 7-8: released to deceive the nations

v. 12:: Satan’s time is short v. 3: Satan set free for a short time.

v. 10: Satan’s fall resulting in the kingdom of Christ and his saints.

v.4: Satan’s fall resulting in the kingdom of Christ and his saints.

v. 11: The saint’s kingship. v.4 The saint’s kingship.

Revelation 20:1-3 Then I saw an angel coming down from

heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. (Revelation 20:1-3 ESV)

Interpreting v. 1-3

Angel, representing Christ. 1000 years, a symbol of the power

and intensity of Christ’s reign. Spans from Christ’s first coming to his

second coming. Satan bound is when Christ bound

Satan from deceiving his people en masse, and the gospel can go to the nations.

Satan will be unbound at the end of the age.

Revelation 20:4-6 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to

whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4-6 ESV)

Interpreting v. 4-6

Shift our focus from Satan to the saints in heaven. Christ’s saints are victorious. Disembodied souls in heaven. The first resurrection, either:▪ When a person comes to Christ and spiritually

rules with Christ.▪ Or the believer’s death and translation to

heaven.

Summary

Amillennialism is the view that the millennium occurs between the first and second comings of Christ.

The number 1000 is symbolic of the completeness and intensity of Christ’s reign.

The tribulation also occurs during this time, but also intensifies when Satan is unbound.

Summary We presently live in “this age”. Spiritually we taste “the coming age”. The already but not yet. This view is consistent with the NT teaching

of one judgment when Christ returns. Victory is ironically achieved through

suffering. An intense tribulation is coming. Christ is reigning now. Christians look forward to the second

coming.

Application

Christ is here and for you now, whether you see him or not: Look to Christ, not idols or

substitutes. Christ will win! Go where Christ is. Go be a priest… work and mediate in

God’s kingdom

Appendix: What About… ? There are usually three questions I

get about Amillennialism: What about Revelation? (dealt with) What about “one taken and one left

behind” passages? What about “being caught up in the

clouds and taken away” passage?

…but what about one taken? Matthew 24:36-42

[36] “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. [37] For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. [38] For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, [39] and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. [40] Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. [41] Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. [42] Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. (ESV)

…but what about one taken? Matthew 24:40, 41:

Emphasis is on being ready. Cannot judge by external appearances.

People pursuing same activities, one will be taken, one left.

It is referring to the separation of those who are ready from those who are not.

“Taken” often refers to judgment. For example, Israel was taken into captivity.

…and what about caught up? 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

[13] But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. [14] For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. [15] For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. [18] Therefore encourage one another with these words. (ESV)

…and what about caught up? 1 Thessalonians 4

Metaphor of a triumphant, conquering general returning to the city.▪ Trumpets sound.▪ Messenger announces the coming general

and army with a loud voice.▪ The people of the city go out to meet the

general and participate in the victory parade that comes into the city.