In light of my posts about preparation for the Millennium and unity in the Church, I would like to make some limiting remarks in order to show the context in which I hold those beliefs. I am a premillennialist (though not a dispensationalist). I believe that Christ will rule on earth for a thousand years following His return. I believe that He will return following the rule of the Antichrist. I do not subscribe to Dominion Theology and I am not an adherent of the New Apostolic Reformation (“NAR”).
I believe that revival should be built on the twin pillars of the Spirit and the Bible. Any revelation that is received should always be submitted to the authority of the word of God. If it does not align with what Scripture teaches, then it is to be rejected, no matter how ecstatic we may feel about it. I also believe that the Bible teaches general principles, which we may apply in our lives, but also must be understood in its proper context.
The Church must be led by the Spirit, but the Church has been given teachers, pastors, and scholars, who are the legitimate organs to explain the use of history, archaeology, textual analysis, and other disciplines to help us understand the development of the Bible, and the world in which it was written. True Christian philosophers and theologians can help us navigate the spiritual truths taught by the Bible and the process by which we interpret the Bible – their work can be invaluable in keeping Christians on the path of exegesis and away from the snare of eisegesis.
I stand by my statements that Christians are seated in God’s Divine Council now, that they will rule on earth with Christ during the Millennium, and that they can exercise influence in this world now in a variety of ways. There are even Christians in Parliament. However, I do not wish to be understood as holding the view that Christians will somehow conquer the earth and hand over its rule to Christ when He returns. I rather think the opposite is true. Like Pope Benedict XVI, I echo Christ’s question about finding faith on earth when He returns.
I do not wish to diminish the wonderful things that God is doing right now, especially in the Muslim world (see, for example, the work of Hormuz Shariat). Nevertheless, we should not lose sight of the fact that the world is a dark place and that those Muslim nations are, by and large, ruled by governments unsympathetic to Israel and the West or else largely ineffective in curbing the excesses of Islamic zealots. In Europe hedonism, abortion, financial misfeasance, suppression of free speech, and cultural relativism continue apace. While the question of whether the final beast empire is a revived Roman empire or an Islamic empire continues to be discussed in eschatology circles, it is certainly reasonable to see Europe as a problem zone in the end times rather than a place that will entirely resist the Antichrist.
Lastly, we should all be wary of false unity, a unity that tries to prevent Christians from asking legitimate questions and consulting the word of God. Christ did not forbid His disciples from asking questions, and neither did the Apostles forbid the Church. St John told his congregations to test the spirits, to determine whether they came from Christ or the dark side. Christ warned us about false prophets in the end times. We would be wise to read this statement in conformity with the Apostles’ warnings in their letters to the early Church. In other words, these prophets can take the form of people claiming to be Christian, not only of proponents of other religions.
If I can give one piece of advice in this post, it is to stay with what you know and trust. If you are genuinely seeking God in your private life and the congregation you attend, God will lead you into the plans He has for the end of the age. Central to this move should be worship, prayer, and study of the word of God.
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
James 1:5, Berean Study Bible
Thank you for this excellent exposition of your personal stance Nicholas, as well as all the useful links. Am pleased we’re almost on the same page, but at least reading the same scriptures albeit perhaps on opposite pages of the same open book.
Agree 100% on the ‘twin pillars’, as foretold by Smith-Wigglesworth in first half of 20th Century, and which the Baptist Union officially recognised in recent years according to a local Spirit-led Baptist pastor who operates in the strong gift of prophecy.
Now, where/how do we get trained to ‘rule and reign’ with the Lord upon His return?
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Thanks for the info about the BU, of which my own church is a member; I did not know about that.
I see training to rule and reign as following the patterns of heroes of our faith: Our Lord, King David, the Prophets, the Apostle Paul, and so on. I believe Christians get experience that prepares them for that task from their church work and their secular experiences. David started as a shepherd, became a minstrel to the king, fought a giant, and led a band of outlaws before becoming King.
For example, I believe that Christians who serve as accountants, politicians, businessmen, treasurers, etc all gain valuable experience for the stewardship of money. I believe that the Millennium will see the nations functioning essentially on capitalist lines – though their governments may have various welfare provisions. I do not interpret the structure of the Jerusalem Church in Acts 2 as a commandment for us to force socialism/communism on people. I believe that this was a voluntary choice on the part of those Christians, but was not a requirement. The churches founded by Paul saw people carrying on their daily jobs and contributing money to the Church – but not necessarily ceding “control of the means of production” to a board of elders.
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Then, perhaps one of the footnotes to my latest may intrigue you.
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Do you mean this one: “Sharon’s session was the first in a track on principles behind wealth creation for a nation, introducing it with: “This morning we’re at a fresh place in our covenant – everything old is being left behind as we move into a fresh phase of ‘more’.”
It’s my personal wish the Lord would use me to help with wealth creation, corporate law, and creativity. But, I’m still not really sure where I fit into the Kingdom or the larger scheme of things – existential angst, etc. In my prayers, I pray for Israel and the Temple a lot.
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Training to reign with Christ.
May I be so bold to ask what that means. Im trying to put myself in your shoes for a moment here. I guess Jesus is gonna line us up and ask us who can do what. Or, maybe take a written placement exam. Jesus is gonna need capable office help. (;-D
We have all read where Christ comes back with an army of thousands of his saints, all riding horses. This is the second coming. Where did he get those saints. The Marys think those are all catholic saints. By the way, one of their saintly top holymen went to serve his prison term today….good brother Pell. Anyway….the saints who are with Jesus are the saved he picked up in the rapture. We,the saved, will be changed and will know what to do and what we are. No classroom needed.My god is a strong god and doesn’t need mans help to teach us or do anything for us. Maybe other people have weak gods who needs our help.
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