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The Coming Man and the Kingdom of God
Excerpts from "The Coming Man" and " Ages of the Kingdom of God" ... two works on eschatology by the Rev. Dr. Steve R. Woods ... with a quotation from Mr. David Icke
Foreword There is a war in progress presently and you are in it! You are either on the side of Christ Jesus or you are on the side of the Devil. There is no middle ground. There are those in theological circles who have interpreted prophetic writings from the Bible and elsewhere, but so much of what the prophets have had to say is very puzzling. Likewise, there are those who do not know so much about theology, but who sense that something terrible is afoot in the world today. These are fearful of a one world government that they see on the horizon. It comes with amazing alacrity, and it seems to approach with dread inevitability.
Unfortunately, few have understood prophecy well both from the perspective of the Scriptures and as well from the perspective of these trends and practices which are discernable in the world. The book that you hold in your hand bridges that gap. It is a most valuable resource. It is a beginning, wherein the complicated tapestry of Biblical prophecy and world events has been partially and logically unraveled, piece by piece.
These are indeed dangerous times, and they are getting more dangerous each day for those who would seek the truth. The “powers that be” in the coming new world order are ruthless and evil, and those who tell the truth about the real nature of things are placing themselves at risk. Many have been discredited, imprisoned, and killed because they have ascertained too much. No country and no people are exempt.
Most people have no idea about what is really happening in the world. Some have discovered information, only to be too intimidated to make it known, and they have therefore kept silent. So read on if you dare to know the truth, and may the God of heaven give you courage to stand firm without wavering, even in the face of great persecution and suffering which is sure to come sooner or later.
Preface
Read this first! Read this Foreword before you begin to read this book.
I want you to get ready to be stunned ... not because it is my desire to shock you, but because the information presented here is shocking by its very nature. I want you to know as you read this material that I understand many of the consequences of publishing a work such as this, even before it has gone to press.
Some folks will laugh. They will think these postulations to be absurd. I predict that they will make every attempt to malign the messenger in the media, especially in the secular media, but perhaps also even in the mainstream Christian media. It is unfortunate that the church, especially in the western world, has become so terribly complacent. Friends, our little world is not as secure around us as we would dare to think that it is!
However, I encourage you to consider these things more thoughtfully than that. I encourage you to give these ideas a fair hearing. Perhaps every detail will not be borne out as prophetic history unfolds into the eschaton, but the topic is very important. Consider that much of what is proposed herein may very well be right on the money, and if it is, then the import of what is written here is even more significant, particularly for the church. Moreover, these interpretations must not be ignored, especially by the church.
Before you begin, I will concede that many of these ideas seem outlandish and far-fetched, but to be sure, they all conform to the Holy Writ, which I most strongly contend is the inerrant and infallible Word of God Himself, fully authoritative in all things about which it speaks. That is my primary presupposition. Consider that nothing in the Scripture is in error, yet some texts of Scripture describe events and personages which just seem too incredible to be true. To be sure, much of it is incredible, but it is all true.
Let nothing, then, in the Holy Writ seem to us to be too incredible to be true, for it is all true. Let no one persuade you that Biblical texts must be interpreted in an eisegetic (or otherwise defective) way, simply because to employ a more hermeneutically sound exegesis would result in a finding that is just too unbelievable. My friends, the Holy Word may not be watered down to our liking, for it is all true in every detail.
There is a great problem in the church today which results from eisegesis, that is, making the Holy Scripture say what we want it to say. This robs the Word of its power. It rather must be interpreted to say what it says. Many would corrupt the plain grammatical sense of the Holy Writ, for example, in the sixth chapter of Genesis, where the narrative just says things that militate against our limited sense of reason. We must understand that our reason is limited. This same sense of false logic ends up tacitly denying inerrancy by unnecessarily and all too often allegorizing the texts of the Bible.
For example, because some cannot understand how the descendants of Noah and his immediate family alone could have repopulated the whole world, they postulate that the great flood was merely a local flood. This denies inerrancy. God promised never to destroy the world by flooding again. If the flood of Noah was only a local flood, God has very often broken that promise, as many local floods have occurred since that time! God does not break His promises. Many other examples could be cited.
So be encouraged to read carefully, and read completely. Read the body of this book, and read every endnote and appendix. Look at every internet site that is referenced. Every bit is important. This is not a book that you will be able to skim and still understand.
Be a Berean! Test everything that you read here by the Holy Scriptures to see if our propositions are valid. Tolerate no wavering from what the Scriptural texts actually say, not from what we think it is reasonable or rational for those texts to say. The truth is far stranger and more elaborately conceived than any fiction that could be created in the minds of men. Know, however, that the truth is out there, and it is a fascinating truth. At the same time, it can be a dangerous truth. Still, it is incumbent upon us to seek the truth, wherever that leads us. Many will not like what we have stated here. Some may even be violently opposed to these teachings because for some, they may hit a little too close to home. Nevertheless, these ideas must be put forth. They cannot be hidden, and thus, let me encourage others to expand upon this work as God grants them understanding.
I realize that these ideas may shake the church up a bit ... Good! The church is desperate need of real revival, and perhaps a second reformation. All too many denominations have abandoned the truth of the Holy Writ in favor of the traditions of men, esoteric experience, and rationalism, which is manifested most recently in postmodern deconstructionism. Nevertheless, the Bible is truth from God Himself; whether one believes it or not, it is no less true. The church, the called out assembly of the believers, needs to return to the Word, in every detail.
Indeed, a great time of testing, trial, and tribulation comes! I do not even pretend to know when such a time may commence, but I know that today it is one day closer to fruition that it was yesterday. Thus, let us be watchful as Christ Himself commanded.
Prepare, then, to embark upon this journey. May the love of Christ Jesus be with you, and may you feel the presence and communion of the Holy Spirit as you go. May the one true and wise God go with you and grant you His peace. May He grant you His grace and providential care, and may He impart great wisdom and discernment to you as you read. Let nothing you encounter dismay you, for nothing can separate the people of God from His love and care. Christ Jesus, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, our Savior and Master, is coming again to receive His elect unto Himself, that where He is, there we may be also. Maranatha, come quickly Lord Jesus! ...
... Hitler spoke of the “Coming Man.” It is that coming man who will lead the nations and kingdoms of this world in open rebellion against our Lord, our Savior, our Master, and our King Christ Jesus at His return. The Coming Man will speak all manner of blasphemy, and will seek to deceive all people so that they will follow him and reject Christ. There is much to be learned from the experience of the world with the Third Reich, there is much to be learned from the observation of the maturing efforts toward a new world order based upon a one-world government. There is much to be learned from our familiarization with methodologies to genetically and environmentally prepare a man to be that well-fit receptacle of possession for the dragon, that old serpent himself which is Satan. Times loom on the horizon which are both terrible and at the same time glorious. Let us take comfort as we peer into and through the gloom in order that we will watch effectively for the coming of the Savior, who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, whose kingdom shall never perish.
Introduction
First, it is my belief that the topic of this work is of great import to the church as we watch for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and as we presently observe the events which are inevitably leading up to His glorious appearing. Although some do not share my convictions in this regard, the Holy Bible clearly admonishes us to be prepared for His coming. Second, because of the nature of this work, it was important to refer to events, personages, and other entities giving proper consideration to their placement in time. This work is very much concerned with the proper placement of things in time. Therefore, it was impractical, and indeed, impossible, to use only verbs in the past tense, as is typically the convention for scholarly work. Put simply, this project dealt with the past, the present, and the future, and it was thus very important to regard ideas from an appropriate temporal perspective. To be sure, then, the tense and syntax of verbs herein has reflected this appropriate temporal perspective. This writer contends that the “scholarly” injunction against present and future tenses in “scholarly” work has always been unnecessary and contrived, and in this case particularly, the observations of such injunctions would have done a disservice to the reader, and therefore were not observed.
The writer has considered a great number of dissertations and other so-called “scholarly” works, and has concluded that these typically do little to edify the Body of Christ, that is, the Church. Most seem to be written by “scholars” to “scholars” and even the “scholars” who read them do not often understand much about what the “scholars” that wrote them are actually trying to say. The “reading scholars” like to impose lots and lots of restrictions and qualifications upon the “writing scholars” to the point where the original intent of the “writing scholar” is seriously obscured and often the message is completely lost. It may be time for a serious reappraisal of the whole means of doctoral education. Perhaps a reformation of sorts is long overdue; but that will have to be our topic for another day!
This book presents a theory. It shall, no doubt, be seen by many, even most, as a very controversial theory (One of my very best friends in the ministry likes to call it “speculative theology”). So be it. Yet, it is an important and interesting theory. It is a theory which should set the cognitive juices of Christian thinkers a-flow. It is a theory with regard to the eschatological interpretation of the seventh and eighth heads of the Biblical Beast. It is a theory which posits that, indeed, history has already witnessed the seventh head of the Beast in the person of Adolf Hitler and in the empire of Nazi Germany and its Axis associates. It is a theory about the methodologies which may be utilized to prepare and produce the eighth head of the Beast as well. This theory, being a theory, is not proven, but it, as a whole, is highly evidenced; and that alone should give us great pause, as it may not now be disproved. It is here contended that Adolf Hitler and the countries that he ruled meet all the Scriptural qualifications for the seventh head; and thus, as all criteria are met, it is likely that Hitler was indeed this seventh antichrist. It is further here contended that there is no other historical figure which meets all these qualifications and satisfies all the Biblical criteria such that any other could be regarded as a viable candidate for this title, as was Hitler. Thus, it is not our mission to prove that Hitler was the seventh head; only that he and his empire cannot be disqualified by Holy Scripture.
For example, Nero Caesar qualifies as an antichrist, but as the head of the sixth Beast empire, not the seventh. No Romish Pope satisfies all the Scriptural qualifications necessary to receive the title of seventh head. Napoleon Bonaparte does not satisfy all the criteria as Adolf Hitler does, even though the former was certainly the military equal of the latter; and even though the false prophet Nostradamus seemed to name them both as antichrists.
There is no one else in history to qualify to bear this diabolical mantle. Thus, either the seventh head was Adolf Hitler, or the seventh head is still in the future. These are the only two real possibilities. However, the seventh head must appear while the prophetic clock has been stopped and the 70th week of years foreseen by Daniel is awaited.
In the Book of Daniel (9:24ff.), seventy weeks are determined, and then those seventy weeks are broken down into component parts. This period of time began when the decree came forth from the king of Medo-Persia to rebuild Jerusalem (the street and the wall – v.25). Then after a period of seven weeks of years plus 62 more weeks (a total of 69 weeks) of years, Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself (v.26). This stopped the clock (on April 6 [10 Nisan -- Passover] AD32 – exactly 173,880 days after the Medo-Persian decree was rendered). Then (v.26) the prince – the Roman Beast – the sixth head – shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. This took place in AD70 during the Jewish Revolt of AD66 – AD73.
Ever since, the sword has been out after the scattered Israelites, and until 1948, they remained dispersed. They are now (i.e., AD2000) in the process of being regathered in unbelief,[1] but they are not yet fully regathered into their land. The sixth Beast (legs of iron) has persisted on into the present time and will persist until the end-time Beast arises. He has merely lain incohesive for most of that interim time. Daniel saw this Beast as one who would break in pieces and tread under foot. Finally a man (Head of the Beast) would come who would confirm the covenant with the many (children of Israel) for one week (the seventieth week of years, or seven years). But he shall prove false, and he is the final abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet according to Jesus Christ.
Daniel does not envision the seventh head of the Beast as described in Revelation. However, we know that the clock has stopped between the time that Messiah has been cut off and the time that the covenant is confirmed, at which time the clock is restarted for that final seven years. The clock must be stopped between the cutting off of Messiah and the confirmation of the covenant with many by antichrist. This was a time period not elucidated by Daniel. Then it is known that this one who is the covenant confirmer (and covenant breaker), is the abomination of desolation, the one about whom Jesus spoke (Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21). That one is the eighth head (spoken of by John in Revelation) who must operate after the covenant is confirmed with Israel, not before.
Therefore, the seventh head spoken of by John, must be manifested and operate after the overt demise of the sixth head, though possessing a close tie to the sixth head (with many characteristics of the sixth). He, by the same token, must arise after the clock has been stopped by the rejection of Christ Jesus (Messiah being cut off from the Israelite people, who remain blinded in part -- the natural branches severed away, as they are depicted in the Epistle of Paul to the Romans). He must also operate before the overt regathering of the Israelites, as the eighth must make and break a covenant with the “many,”[2] that is, Israel as a nation and a political kingdom.
This regathering began after World War II., and continues today. How many constitute “the many” cannot be ascertained with certainty, but a covenant confirmed for seven years, made by a powerful political figure who could not be disqualified as the eighth head, if it were confirmed today, could not be refuted from Scripture as the apocalyptic sign which would restart the prophetic clock and commence the seventieth week of Daniel.
The breaking of this covenant will entail the cessation of sacrifice and oblation, and it will entail the “overspreading of abominations.” Does this indicate that the Temple must be rebuilt? Could it be merely a tabernacle? Consider that there must be an actual holy place in view. Jesus said so in Matthew 24:15! It is necessary for such a holy place to exist during the time of the sixth head and the eighth head, but not during the days of the seventh. Thus, Hitler qualifies! Someone could arise in the future and prior to the completion of the regathering, who also could qualify, but consider that this is unnecessary for the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. Not only that, but also, it seems unlikely that Daniel could have envisioned the regathering and not, at the same time, envision the seventh head; if the seventh head were to arise subsequent to the start of such a regathering. The prophecy of Daniel only makes sense, being consistent with New Testament prophecy, under the condition that the seventh head would rise and fall prior to the regathering of the nation (that is, Koine Greek: ethnos, i.e., “people group”) of Israel into their land. To be sure, it is not here contended dogmatically that Adolf Hitler was the seventh head, but rather that he and his Nazi Axis empire qualify; and as they qualify, it is likely that the world now ought to watch, not for the rise of the seventh head of the Beast, but rather for the eighth and final head. Further, if one emperor and his empire qualify, why should there be another to arise?
Thus, we must consider that we have seen the seventh head if one such as this meets all the Scriptural qualifications for such. Some might object to this identification saying that it cannot be true because, after all, Adolf Hitler and his Third Reich were destroyed. They might assert that the seventh head would not have lost the war. To this, it must be countered that all of the previous Beast empires met their demise by one means or another. Some did meet their demise, as did the Third Reich, very abruptly and by conquest as did the Babylonian Empire which fell to the Medo-Persians during the days of Daniel the prophet of God, and as did the Medo-Persian Empire over a ten year period before the conquering Macedonian Greek armies under Alexander the Great. The old Hamitic Egyptians fell before the Hyksos, but regained power after a period of approximately 150 years, only to fall again before the Mesopotamian powers, and finally to the Romans. The Romans lingered after the traditional date for the fall of the Western Empire in A.D. 476, surviving as a single cohesive political entity in the East until A.D. 1453. Roman power, it may be argued, continued on in the West under many flags and banners, none of which alone achieved clear dominance in world affairs, but as a group, formed the nucleus of political, military, and economic power in the world. It must be apprehended that these powers of darkness which rule the Beast kingdoms and which are the principalities and powers at work manipulating the world political, military, and economic scene even today, are not at peace with each other. They struggle vainly against the sovereign God and those who serve Him, but they, to their own detriment, struggle against each other. Selfishness and greed are part of their nature. Fallen angels, demons, and those who walk the earth who are under their influence and control cooperate when they perceive it to be in their own self interest to do so. Remember, they are evil.
Look carefully at the encounter between Jesus Christ and the Pharisees concerning the casting out of a devil in Matthew 12:22-28. Jesus was accused by the Pharisees of casting out devils by the power of Beelzebub. The Lord told them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation ... if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall his kingdom stand?” Indeed, Jesus was saying more here than perhaps has historically been understood by the church. The fact is that the kingdom of Satan is divided against itself, and it cannot and will not stand. Where the church tends to see the kingdom of Satan as monolithic, it is not. Jesus told us that it was not so; it is divided against itself as well as opposed to God. This is why sometimes we are puzzled when one powerful demonically controlled group or individual does harm to another. We should not be surprised. Take heart! Jesus told us plainly that the kingdom of Satan is divided and it cannot stand.
As you read the material which is presented here, it is my hope and prayer that the Lord may lead you to a greater understanding, and that He might, indeed, give you an understanding of this issue such that you might add to this work and carry that understanding even further for others. The goal here is simply to glorify God, and to enlighten and edify the Body of Christ Jesus. May God use this humble instrument as He deems fit, and may He use others of you as instruments of His will to accomplish His purposes in the world as well. So God bless you as you read these words. May He enlighten you. May He motivate you to carry this work forward from this point. May the Christian community be called anew to be true to the command to “watch.”
[1]Ezekiel 36:24-36 and Deuteronomy 30:1-9.
The Thesis: Hitler is the Seventh Head
The thesis for this research is that Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany are uniquely historically qualified to represent the seventh head of the Beast identified in Revelation 13.[1] Many have identified Hitler as a type of the Beast, along with many other men who have been identified as types of the antichrist throughout history, especially since the fall of the Western Roman Empire. In the church age, these would include Stalin, Mao, Napoleon, Charlemagne, and a host of others. To be sure, most futurist scholars and commentators believe that the seventh head is yet a future manifestation of the Beast, while most preterist writers believe that even the eighth head has already come and gone in the person of Nero, Domitian, or some other Roman Emperor; or it has been manifested as the Roman Empire itself. In contrast with both these views, it is proposed here that the seventh head of the Beast has already been manifested, and that we now watch for and await the eighth. This theory identifies Adolf Hitler, specifically and uniquely, as the seventh head, and therefore not merely a type, as the previously mentioned tyrants would have to be characterized, who have arisen and fallen throughout history. Many, of course, believe that the coming antichrist will not be a man, but rather will be a world system of government without a unique human leader. Some have speculated that the antichrist will be a supercomputer, or even an extraterrestrial alien. However, it may be established with reasonable certainty that antichrist is a man. While it is argued by preterists and it is true that the spirit of antichrist has been active throughout this age, the specific manifestation of the eschatological phenomenon will be a human manifestation. Satan is a mimic. In order for him to exalt himself as God, he must, in a sense, at least, act like God. The Son of God, Christ Jesus, was fully human and fully divine. Therefore, it stands to reason that the Satanic Messiah will be fully human and likewise entirely imbued with Satanic spirituality.
[1]Note that the thesis must be stated this way because it cannot be absolutely proved that Adolf Hitler and the Nazi empire are the seventh head and his beastly kingdom spoken about in the prophetic Scriptures, any more than it can be proved absolutely that the old Roman empire is the sixth, or that Egypt is the first or Assyria is the second, etc. What may be shown, however, is that Adolf Hitler and his empire meet uniquely all the Biblical criteria relevant to the seventh head of the Beast (and conversely then, that no other historical world empire meets these criteria which would qualify it as the seventh empire), just as Egypt meets the criteria for the first head, and Assyria, the second, and Rome the sixth. Note that three intermediate kingdoms mentioned specifically by Daniel are more directly identified (i.e., Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Macedonian Greece).
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The following is from David Icke (http://www.davidicke.com/icke/index1a.html (June, 2000)):
So which Rothschild was the grandfather of Hitler? My thanks to a website correspondent for the additional, updated, information to this article, a man has researched this story in some detail. Alois, Hitler's father, was born in 1837 in the period when Salomon Mayer was the only Rothschild who lived at the Vienna mansion. Even his wife did not live there because their marriage was so bad that she stayed in Frankfurt. Their son, Anselm Salomon spent most of his working life in Paris and Frankfurt away from Vienna and his father.
Father Salomon Mayer, living alone at the Vienna mansion where (Alois) Hitler's mother worked, is the prime, most obvious candidate. And Hermann von Goldschmidt, the son of Salomon Mayer's senior clerk, wrote a book, published in 1917, which said of Salomon:
"……by the 1840s he had developed a somewhat reckless enthusiasm for young girls..."
and
"He had a lecherous passion for very young girls, his adventures with whom had to be hushed up by the police."
And Hitler's mother, a young girl working under the same roof would not have been the subject of Salomon's desire? And this same girl became pregnant while working there? And her grandson becomes the Chancellor of Germany, funded by the Rothschilds, and he started the Second World War which was so vital to the Rothschild-Illuminati agenda? And the Illuminati are obsessed with putting their bloodlines into power on all "sides" in a conflict? And the Rothschilds are one of their most key bloodlines? And it is all a co-incidence?
HITLER WAS A ROTHSCHILD!!
The Second World War was incredibly productive for the Illuminati agenda of global control. It led to an explosion of globally-centralised institutions, like the United Nations and the European Community, now Union, and many others in finance, business, and the military. Precisely what they wanted. It also put countries under an enormous burden of debt on loans provided to all sides by...the Rothschilds and the Illuminati. The Rothschilds had long had a plan to create a personal fiefdom for themselves and the Illuminati in Palestine and that plan involved manipulating Jewish people to settle the area as their "homeland."
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**From "Ages of the Kingdom of God" by Dr. Steve Woods (www.Lulu.com/stevewoods):
Common Views of the Kingdom of God
What are these predominant eschatological constructs?[1] What is their appeal? What difficulties do they encounter when evaluated in the light of the Holy Writ?
Postmillennialism:
Postmillennialism may be described as a system of eschatology which contends that the Kingdom of God exists presently, and that it is growing into full maturity through the evangelization of the whole world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Wherever the lost sinner is converted, they contend, the Kingdom of God is present. Thus, rather than being a literal kingdom, the Kingdom of God is found in the hearts of men.
Peace and righteousness must come inevitably as an ever greater percentage of the population of the world undergoes conversion. Thus, the Kingdom on earth arrives gradually, one converted sinner at a time. To the postmillennialist, the prophecies concerning the Great Tribulation are usually attributed to the events surrounding the Jewish revolt against Rome in A.D.66, and the subsequent fall of Jerusalem in A.D.70, although some see a time of future tribulation during which Satan is again loosed upon the world to deceive the nations. It is only after this millennial time that Christ shall return bodily, in their view. At His return, there will come a general resurrection of both the just and unjust, and the final consummation of all things will be realized as a permanent reality.
Well, what are the merits of this postmillennial view? What have astute theologians seen in the Scriptures which causes them to espouse this construct? The answers to these questions fall into two main categories, and these must be examined individually.
First, there has been an historical argument for postmillennialism. Early in the history of the church in the first few centuries just subsequent to the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, the church grew phenomenally. Theologians like Augustine observed this growth and postulated that the whole world would be evangelized, and moreover, that the church must be the infant Kingdom of God which was maturing into its full manifestation. Later, of course, this historical argument seemed to falter as the church grew ever more corrupt and carnal, necessitating its reformation in the middle of the second millennium after Christ. Instead of maturation into a state of worldwide peace and righteousness because of the Gospel, the world has more recently been plunged into wars of ever increasing destructiveness, while, at the same time, the percentage of the world population even nominally claiming to be truly Christian is dropping instead of rising.
Second, however, it must be pointed out that these historical observations were not made without compelling Scriptural evidences. Augustine, following Tyconius before him, noted passages in the Bible which indicated this kind of a construct. He cited the parable of the strong man in Mark 3:27 as such an indication. “No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.”[2]
The strong man, said Augustine, is Satan. His goods represent Christians whom he formerly had under his rule. He is bound, shut up in the abyss, so as to be kept away from Christians. Satan, then, is bound during the whole period from the first coming of Christ to the second, and is therefore unable to deceive the nations of which the church is constituted. At the end of this age, he will be loosed to test the church and then will be finally and completely subjugated.[3]
Although it becomes very difficult to make an effective and convincing argument that Satan is bound in the present age such that he can no longer deceive the nations,[4] this kind of an idea regarding the growth of the Kingdom of God slowly and steadily upon the earth is reinforced by other texts of Scripture.
In the second chapter of the Book of Daniel, the prophet records the interpretation given to him by God of the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. In Daniel 2:35, it is noteworthy that the stone which smote the image became a great mountain, and it filled the whole earth. The stone did not start out as a great mountain; rather over time it turned into a great mountain! Looking down to verse 44, it may be seen that it is in the days of the former worldly kings that God sets up His Kingdom. This Kingdom of God then subsequently must “break in pieces” and “consume” all the other worldly kingdoms. Postmillennialists would point quickly and emphatically to this text and claim with merit that the Kingdom of God does not come about instantaneously, but rather it comes to its full manifestation over some period of time; perhaps even a lengthy period of time.
In support of this clear prophecy from the prophet Daniel, Jesus Christ Himself gave evidence of such a slow maturation process of the Kingdom of God. Consider the parables recorded in Matthew 13. Wedged between the parable of the wheat and the tares and the interpretation given by Jesus of that parable, there lie two short parables of the Kingdom; these are the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the leaven.
In the parable of the mustard seed,[5] the Kingdom of Heaven[6] is said to be like the mustard seed, which, of course, starts in a minuscule state but grows to be quite large. In the parable of the leaven, the Kingdom of Heaven is likened to this small amount of leaven which grows, spreads, permeates, radically acts upon, and irreversibly changes the whole environment into which it is introduced.
Postmillennialists would contend that this is necessarily descriptive of the way that the Kingdom of God is to be grown upon the earth. The Gospel is like leaven. It changes the world over the course of time. The Kingdom grows from very humble beginnings in the first century (like the humble mustard seed) to be a great tree giving shelter to all kindreds who lodge there.
Moreover, it is most notable that these two short parables are circumscribed before and after in the text of Scripture by the parable of the wheat and tares, and its interpretation by Christ Jesus. Thus, they would contend that the age wherein the evil and the righteous grow together before the harvest must be the present age, and therefore, the other two short parables must describe the present age as well. If all these premises are true, then the present age is the age of the growth of the Kingdom of God. This kind of reasoning is essential to the validity of the postmillennial construct.
Amillennialism:
Amillennialists would agree that the descriptions of the Kingdom of God must apply to the present age, even though they would disagree with postmillennialists on other aspects of their eschatological construct. Amillennialism encounters great difficulty with Scriptural texts such as Revelation 20 which seem to place the millennium (and thus the literal manifestation of a Kingdom of God on earth) in a time context subsequent to the return of Christ, but before the final consummation of all things. Indeed, all preterist constructs have this difficulty to some extent as well.
Likewise, amillennial constructs must claim that Satan is bound in the present age, for they recognize no subsequent ages prior to the final consummation of all things. With regard to the nature of the supposed binding of Satan in the present age (or the gospel age, as he refers to it), well respected amillennial advocate Anthony Hoekema offers us this description:
This (i.e., the binding of Satan) does not imply that Satan can do no harm whatever while he is bound. It means only what John says here: while Satan is bound he cannot deceive the nations in such a way as to keep them from learning about the truth of God. … when the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations of the world to gather them together to fight against the people of God. … This , however, he cannot do while he is bound. We conclude, then, that the binding of Satan during the gospel age means that, first, he cannot prevent the spread of the gospel, and second, he cannot gather all the enemies of Christ together to attack the church.
Of course, this argument proves too much. Actually, nothing is said by John regarding the idea that “binding so as to no longer deceive the nations” entails “keeping them from learning the gospel truth of God.” In fact, the apostle Paul declares that “the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not;” meaning that Satan blinds the eyes of the lost to the gospel message. The matter of the degree of the Satanic deception is not at issue here. If it be true (and likely it is true) that the ability of Satan to deceive is lessened from what it once was, this still does not in any way satisfy the Biblical criterion which defines his eschatological binding. If he deceives the nations at all, then he is not bound!
Amillennialism struggles to explain texts such as Revelation 5:10 which clearly refer to a time in the future from the time of the writing of the Apocalypse, when Christians will rule and reign with Christ on the earth. Many attempt to cite textual variants which negate the futuristic aspect of that text, but these arguments, at best, are extremely dubious, and, more likely, entirely unmeritorious. Yet, amillennialism must depend totally upon such tortured explanations for its support.
Additionally, amillennialism stumbles at texts which describe a coming time of peace and righteousness such as Isaiah 11 or Isaiah 65; and with texts which indicate that more than one resurrection of the dead lies ahead, such as Revelation 20 or Daniel 12:2. Here the resurrections of Revelation 20 must be declared to be different types of resurrections, one spiritual and one physical, when there seems to be no hermeneutical mandate for such a distinction.
Rushing the unfolding plan of God to the final consummation of all things with no intervening ages seems unwarranted by the testimony of Holy Scripture. Under this construct, too much must be “spiritualized” and declared to be mere symbols and allegories, when there would seem to be greater truths present. Moreover, by no means are the amillennialists the only group to seem to want to rush the plan of God to its ultimate outworking.
Premillennialism:
Premillennialism is arguably the most popular view in the evangelical church today among those who trust in the infallibility of Holy Scripture. Premillennialism is not a monolithic construct, and, in fact, a wider range of views are held in this camp than are likely held in the other two.
Premillennialism holds that there will be a literal Kingdom of God upon the earth, and that such a literal manifestation of the Kingdom has not yet commenced. Christ Jesus spoke to Pilate in John 18:36, saying that His Kingdom was not at that time present. They all consider apocalyptic writings such as the Book of Revelation to tell of events that are primarily in the future; although they will generally admit that prophecies of future events often have limited or partial or typological fulfillments in previous ages. For example, a premillennialist might admit that Jesus Christ spoke in Matthew 24 of the fall of Jerusalem which would occur in AD70, but they would quickly add that the events of AD70 cannot satisfy the entire prophecy and therefore a future fulfillment is necessitated.
The premillennial camp attempts to make more literal interpretations of apocalyptic Scriptures than do the others. This is not to deny symbolism or allegory where these clearly exist, but it is to take Scripture as literally as is reasonably possible. Moreover, premillennialists are to be commended for their intricate study of every detail of Scriptures relating to eschatology. They have done more to call attention to the need for Christians to watch faithfully for the coming of their Lord than have the other camps typically.
Millard Erickson further explains as follows:
The first major feature of the premillennial system is an earthly reign of Christ that is established by His second coming … This reign means that there will be complete peace, righteousness, and justice among men. … Jesus Christ will be bodily present. … Further, this earthly millennium will not come into reality through a gradual process of progressive growth or development. Rather, it will be dramatically or cataclysmically inaugurated by the second coming. While the millennium expected by postmillennialists may begin so gradually that its beginning will be virtually imperceptible, there will be no doubt about the beginning of the millennium as premillennialists envision it. The return of Christ will be … readily observable by anyone, and consequently unmistakable.
At this point, there is no need for us to pursue differences among the sundry premillennial eschatological constructs with regard to the timing of the rapture, or the apprehension of the 144,000, or anything else. These are important distinctions, but the key element upon which we must focus is well stated by Dr. Erickson, and is believed by virtually all who wear the premillennial badge. That “this earthly millennium will not come into reality through a gradual process of progressive growth or development” is common to all premillennial constructs, and therefore, this must be reconciled with the parables of our Lord Jesus Christ (in particular, the parables of the wheat and tares, the mustard seed, the leaven, and to some extent, the strong man) if premillennialism, in any form, (i.e., dispensational, classical or historical or other) may be proven to be in complete accordance with the Holy Writ.
What Have We Learned?
To be sure, all popular constructs of the eschaton are beset with difficulty when compared to the Bible. The cage of our old expectations, then, must be rattled. Everything in that cage which does not accord with the Word of God must fall out, and only that which is in lockstep with that infallible and authoritative Word must remain. When the cage is purged, new information must be added which is derived from the Holy Scriptures and not from our preconceived notions. Every effort must be made to discard our preconceived notions and the eisegetic manipulations of Scripture which result therefrom, and to replace those notions with sound exegesis, letting the Scriptures speak through us, rather than insisting upon ourselves speaking through the Scriptures. Let us sincerely seek out what it is that God has to say about the eschaton and its coming Kingdom.
Here the attempt shall be made to begin that process. Hopefully, it will be a process whereby others who follow this work will add to it and refine it, changing the views herein espoused when such change is warranted by sound exegesis, but also accepting these views when they are found to be in agreement with Scripture, even when they rebel against much of what we have heretofore believed and accepted about prophetic history, both past and future.
[1]The only eschatological constructs which will be considered are those which are put forward by those who uphold and affirm the infallibility, inerrancy, and full authority of the Bible in all things about which it speaks. There are myriads of interpretations of prophecy and apocalyptic texts which seek to undermine the validity of biblical truth claims, and these are not considered. This writer is one who believes that the Bible is true; that is our primary presupposition, and it is a very defendable premise which has been defended ably by other scholars. (See for example; Montgomery, John W. God’s Inerrant Word. Newburgh, IN: Trinity Press, 1974)
[3]Millard Erickson. A Basic Guide to Eschatology: Making Sense of the Millennium. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998, p.60 (Quote taken largely from the former work by Hans Bietenhard, The Millennial Hope in the Early Church, pp.28-29).
[4]Revelation 20:2-3. Note that “nations” (Greek, ethnos) in the Scripture refers to people of common genealogy and heritage. Political entities with geographic boundaries are called “kingdoms” in Scripture. Satan seems no more bound in this age than he was in the Old Testament, with regard to his ability and propensity to deceive the nations.
[6]We do not wish to enter into a long discussion on this point as most theologians agree that the terms “Kingdom of God” and “Kingdom of Heaven” may be used interchangeably. The Gospel of Matthew was intended primarily and initially for a Jewish audience which was uneasy about using names for God, and thus Matthew used the term “Kingdom of Heaven.” Later Masoretes, for example, would not render vowel pointings for the Tetragrammaton because they felt that it was unlawful to speak the name of God (i.e., Jehovah or Yahweh??? ... we can only surmise, though some claim ancient knowledge indicating a correct pronunciation of Jehovah). Note that the parallel passage in Luke 13:18-20 (Luke was a Gentile writer) uses the term “Kingdom of God” in rendering the same parables.
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