Thu, Oct 18th - 7:59PM

The Millennium

What is the basis for insistence that the Millennium of chapter twenty of the Book of Revelation is a literal one thousand year period? Is the word "thousand" always used in the Bible in the absolute mathematical sense and never to mean a great number or amount? “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.” (Psalm 50:10) If the cattle upon a thousand hills belong to God does that mean the cattle on hill #1001 do not belong to Him? Also consider: “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (II Peter 3:8) The argument for a completely literal hermeneutic is self-defeating as those who use this argument also insist that some parts of the Bible are figurative, allegorical, or typical. (E.g., Revelation 1:4, 20; 17:9-12; etc.)  

The Millennium of Revelation 20 began with the binding of Satan at the first advent. “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:2) “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.” (Matthew 12:28-29) “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:17-20) “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” (John 12:31) The Devil is bound in that he is unable to deceive the nations in the way he did previous to the first advent. (Revelation 20:3; Psalm 2:8-12; 72:1-19; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:34-36; 14:27; Romans 16:25-26) Christ will return at the end of the millennium. (Revelation 20:7-9, 12-13; John 5:28-29; II Thessalonians 1:7-9) 

 “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4-6) The first resurrection is the new birth; those who belong to Christ have been raised from the dead spiritually. There are two resurrections: one is taking place now through the salvation of sinners and the other is the future physical resurrection of the dead. (John 5:21-29; Romans 5:17, 21; 6:11-23; Ephesians 1:20-2:6; Colossians 3:1-3) There will be a general bodily resurrection of the dead at the second coming and the Bible does not teach a gap between the resurrection of the saved and the resurrection of the unsaved. (John 5:28-29)

Further reading:

Rapture and Resurrection by Greg L. Bahnsen www.cmfnow.com/articles/pt025.htm

Confidence About the Earthly Triumph of Christ's Kingdom, By Dr. Greg Bahnsen www.cmfnow.com/articles/pt074.htm  

The Person, Work, and Present Status of Satan by Greg Bahnsen www.cmfnow.com/articles/pt015.htm

The Historical Setting of the Writing of Revelation by Greg Bahnsen www.cmfnow.com/articles/pb057.htm

Hermeneutics in the Book of Revelation by Greg Bahnsen www.preteristarchive.com/Modern/1984_bahnsen_revelation-method.html

DISPENSATIONALISM – CATEGORIZED SCRIPTURE LIST http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/dispensationalism.html  

The Postmillennial View, by Jay Rogers

www.forerunner.com/eschatology/X0001_1._Postmil.html   

Sun, Oct 7th - 10:02PM

The Law & The Gospel

The Law awakened conscience and disciplined moral faculties. The ancient Israelites were like an heir being trained and prepared with a view toward adoption. (Galatians 4:1-5) Just as the head of a household must set standards for his family, God set standards to preserve His truths and principles, protect His people from evil influences, and distinguish them from the heathen; also, the Law, God's standards of righteousness, made the sinful carnal adamic nature manifest, thus showing the need for redemption and a redeemer. (Psalm 119:142; Romans 3:20; 3:31; 5:20; 7:7; Galatians 3:19, 24; I Timothy 1:9)

The Law will always stand as God's standards of righteousness but the Law itself had no saving power. "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." (Romans 3:31) "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." (Romans 7:12) "But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully." (I Timothy 1:8) "Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth." (Psalm 119:142)

Everyone is obligated to obey God. "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

The Bible does not teach equality of sins; this can be seen in the differences in the severity of penalties prescribed in the Old Testament. However, one sin or violation of one law is sufficient to make one guilty before God and break fellowship with God. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10)

Everyone will be judged by works. "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (John 5:28-29) "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works." (Revelation 20:11-13)

But good deeds, good works, or right living cannot and will not save anyone. "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6) "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (II Corinthians 5:17-21) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Teaching God's holy law (standards of righteousness) is needful so that fallen men can see themselves as sinners in need of a savior. The Law served to manifest the sinful nature, man's depravity, and to pronounce everyone guilty before God and thus demonstrate the need for redemption and a mediator. "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." (Romans 3:19-20) "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." (Romans 7:7) "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin." (Romans 7:12-14) "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:3-4) "Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator." (Galatians 3:19) "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." (Galatians 3:24) "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust." (I Timothy 1:9-11) "For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God." (Hebrews 7:19)

One great end of the Gospel is to deliver fallen men from the penalty of sin and restore them to a position of obedience to God's holy law (standards of righteousness). The New Birth is the beginning of a spiritual sanctification. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2) "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." (Romans 6:11-22) "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee." (Titus 2:11-14)

Mon, Oct 1st - 12:21PM

Satan's Ministers

The Bible warns us that Satan puts religious counterfeits in churches. (II Corinthians 11:14-15; II Peter 2; Jude) This is not meant to start a witch hunt, just a warning to be alert to Satan’s devices. (II Corinthians 2:11; 11:3-4; Ephesians 6:10-12; I Peter 5:8)

In one chapter of the book "He Came To Set The Captives Free" an ex-Satanist explained the tactics that she and fellow Satanists used to infiltrate churches and make them ineffective. I was trying to find if her testimony was online and found this picture.