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"Sometime between April 16 and 23, 1957, Armageddon will sweep the world! Millions of persons will perish in its flames and the land will be scorched."
-- The Watchtower magazine
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News: Kingdom Come: The Final Victory
Posted on Thursday, April 19 @ 17:40:38 PDT by John Noe |
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by John Noe
This month, on April 3, 2007, the final book in the best-selling LEFT BEHIND series was released. It is titled, Kingdom Come: The Final Victory. Sad to say, this view (dispensational premillennialism), presented here by authors Tim LaHaye and Jerrry Jenkins, is the prominent view in American evangelicalism. Tragically, it is unbiblical. Here are a few brief reasons why:
This view believes that the kingdom Jesus was presenting in the 1st century belongs to the Jews. Therefore, it was withdrawn by God at the Cross when the Jews refused to receive Jesus as their Messiah and the type of kingdom He was offering. When Jesus returns, however and very soon now (after also unbiblical concepts of a so-called Rapture and 7-year period of tribulation), he will then set up his Jewish kingdom on earth in Israel for a 1,000 years. In the meantime, we Christians today have a faith and a Savior without a mighty kingdom.
BUT THINK ABOUT THIS! If this view is biblically correct, why was the Apostle Paul, some thirty years after this supposed kingdom-withdraw event "boldly and without hindrance" still preaching "the kingdom of God" as a then present reality (see Acts 28:31; also 19:8; 20:25-27). Apparently, some one like Peter or the Holy Spirit forgot to clue him in that the kingdom had been withdrawn? And what "kingdom" were they in-process of receiving in Hebrews 12:28? And what kingdom was Jesus talking about in some of his post-resurrection appearances (Acts 1:3)?
Fact is, next to the person and work of Jesus, the kingdom is the most important and all-encompassing concept of Scripture, as well as the most-basic and central teaching of Jesus Christ.
Then why aren't more responsible voices presenting, preaching, and teaching a biblically consistent view of the kingdom?
Equally sad to say, the next most popular view of the kingdom (amillennialism) maintains that while it is here now, it is only here in a "foretaste, in some sense, already/not yet." BUT what what did Jesus or any NT writer teach about these disclaimers or qualifications? NOTHING! Absolutely, NOTHING!
Another sad fact is, the kingdom is no longer the central teaching of his Church, nor does it hardly ever get taught in most churches.
Why not? There are some other sad reasons.
1. We don't know how. A kingdom orientation was and is not part of the tradition we grew up in.
2. We lack an effective biblical theology of the kingdom, as well as eccesiology -- most of what has been taught and believed about the kingdom is wrong!
3. The kingdom is activistic in society. And, we are comfortable with a complacent, pieistic version of Christianity that is far removed from that modeled and taught in the New Testament.
4. We are intimidated by the Left Behind crowd and their successes. Therefore and in essence, we have adbicated this area of our faith to them.
Notables Who Know This to Be True:
Dallas Willard terms this kingdom deficiency, "the great omission" in his most recent book by this title and the primary reason "why . . . today's church [is] so weak" in his book, The Divine Conspiracy, 40f.
Darrell Guder calls it "reductionism of the gospel" in his book, The Continuing Conversion of the Church, xiiif.
Robert Lynn laments that “the gospel we proclaim has been shrunk” in his article “Far as the curse is found” in Chuck Colson’s Breakpoint Worldview magazine, Oct. ’06, 14.
For more on this issue, check out the three kingdom-restoration papers (presented at recent meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society). Go to www.prophecyrefi.org and click on the fourth panel down.
For Christ & Kingdom,
John Noe, Ph.D.
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Re: Kingdom Come: The Final Victory (Score: 1)
 by chrisliv on Thursday, April 19 @ 19:56:57 PDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | Nice,
Simple, spot-on points that refute Dispensational Futurism.
"Another sad fact is, the kingdom is no longer the central teaching of his Church, nor does it hardly ever get taught in most churches."
So, what is the central teaching in the state-incorporated, 501 (c) 3 "Church"?
One of the central teachings is none other than mindless obedience to the hostile kingdoms of the World System, i.e., Statist Idolatry. Notice the US federal govt./military flag posted near every "Church" podium/pulpit.
Sadly enough.
John, I like your "For Christ & Kingdom" as an upgrade to the typical "God & Country" nonsense.
Peace to you all,
C. Livingstone |
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- by tom-g on Wednesday, April 25 @ 10:07:28 PDT
- by chrisliv on Wednesday, April 25 @ 11:17:22 PDT
- by Ed on Wednesday, April 25 @ 17:19:50 PDT
- by chrisliv on Wednesday, April 25 @ 18:26:25 PDT
Re: Kingdom Come: The Final Victory (Score: 1)
 by Sam on Thursday, April 19 @ 23:26:37 PDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | John,
I know we have our disagreements, but with what you have presented here, my hand would gladly grip yours and say, "amen." The day is coming, though....lights such as yourself are/will have an impact.
Sam |
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Re: Kingdom Come: The Final Victory (Score: 1)
by Starlight on Friday, April 20 @ 06:34:13 PDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | John,
Thankfully also this month there was a release of another new book by author Hank Hanegraaff. Hank’s book is a full frontal assault upon the Dispensational approach and is somewhat of a follow-up of his fictional series starting with the “Last Disciple” regarding the tribulation days of AD70. His new book “The Apocalypse Code” appears to have been written for the general public and is not what you would classify as a scholarly examination. It teaches the basics for a proper discernment of the Olivet Discourse and Revelation (except unfortunately chapters 21 and 22). This puts Hank squarely in the Amillennial camp which clearly manifests itself in areas of the book.
The good news though is it takes on the futility of Dispensationalism and its ridiculous stances concerning Israel etcetera. For those who are interested I recently purchased the book on Amazon and have posted comments under a couple of the reviews. I highly recommend that many of us get this book and help promote it to some of our churches and friends who may not be quite ready for the full version of preterism yet. This book in my estimation is a natural stepping stone for many and will eventually lead many to full preterism eventually.
http://www.amazon.com/Apocalypse-Code-Bible-REALLY-Matters/dp/0849901847/ref=sr_1_1/002-3623376-0096004?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177074089&sr=1-1
Of course sad to say your analysis is mostly correct concerning Kingdom living. But this is not a new problem and it will ever be with us. I will add this caveat though to our Preterist thinking. Even though we recognize the corruption of theology that abounds within the Body of believers there are actually rays of light if we would look for them. Many of us are acquainted with non preterist that quite correctly focus their lives upon living as Christ would have them. Many are not enmeshed in the theological issues as deeply as many of us preterist and actually do a good job of Kingdom living without fully understanding all the ramifications of prophecy. Of course our drive as preterist is to enlighten them even more correctly but sometimes we also need to stop and smell the roses and recognize the good fruit Christ is producing even among ignorance.
Blessings
Norm
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Re: Kingdom Come: The Final Victory (Score: 1)
 by Kyle Peterson (peterson.kyle@gmail.com) on Friday, April 20 @ 07:08:11 PDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | | John, I can't agree more. It's imperative that more and more congregations acknowledge the reality of the kingdom (now) and demonstrate to one another how to live as such. It seems like so many churches are just "marching in place" until some sort of sign arrives. |
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Re: Kingdom Come: The Final Victory (Score: 1)
by Fredrico on Friday, April 20 @ 14:09:38 PDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | John,
I think that was good. I also enjoyed the three papers on the kingdom-restoration.
Blessings,
Fred |
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Re: Kingdom Come: The Final Victory (Score: 1)
by tom-g on Wednesday, April 25 @ 09:47:34 PDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | Hey Dr. Noe,
I am intimately familiar with this series by La Haye and Jenkins. Approximately a year ago there was the possibility that I would have an opportunity to debate La Haye on the radio. As a result I studied all of the books in the series and cataloged the many points that I would use as reference in the debate. As you can well guess that debate never occurred.
I, unlike most Christians, do not abdicate the high ground of scriptural literal interpretation to the Dispensationalists (herein after designated DP), in fact I deny it of them and claim it for non futurist interpretations. It is my contention that only by logically interpreting the scriptures literally can preterism follow.
As you know, DP is a double Pre, double Second Coming system based upon three basic points.
1.) The PRE tribulational first phase of the second coming of Christ FOR his church in a secret rapture, and the second phase the PRE millennial return WITH his church when every eye shall see him and he sets up his kingdom to rule and reign for 1000 years in the millennium. There is a great emphasis here in differentiating between the three Greek words used for coming; apocalypse, epiphany and parousia.
2.) The Church and Israel are always to be kept separate and distinct. The Church was a mystery never revealed or spoken of in the OT. The purpose for the millennium is to fulfill the promises made to Israel in the OT that have never been fulfilled and it is in the millennium when they will be fulfilled. D. D. Pentecost in his major DP book "Things To Come" makes it an important doctrinal point by saying that if the promises made to Israel in the OT were fulfilled by the Church, there would be no need for a millennium.
3.) All scripture is to be interpreted literally, this is the foundation for establishing their first two points.
I was prepared to refute La Haye on the fist two of these points by not relinquishing the high ground on the third. Their whole system falls apart from two basic preterist arguments.
1.) Refuting the first by denying their altering the logically literal meaning of the pronoun "You" contrary to the laws of grammar and altering it to a non literal "them or they" (a pronoun has no literal meaning other than its antecedent noun which it agrees with in gender and number); changing the pronoun "This" to "That"; changing verb tenses from present tense to future tense; changing the meaning of the term "Generation"; etc, etc. All of which are non literal uses of words
2.) The second by refuting the semantic game played with the terms Christ and Messiah. The English Language does not have a single word for the Greek word Christ or for the Hebrew word Messiah therefore both of these words have been transliterated from the original into English. DP then plays on the different words as though they had two different meanings and application. For DP there is the Jewish Messiah, and the Christian Christ. All that is necessary to refute this is Jn. 1:41 "We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted the Christ", as can be seen directly by scriptural authority they both are one and the same words in different languages having the same meaning. At all times it is grammatically correct to use the meaning for a word in place of the word itself, this ensures that you are continually using the word correctly. So, for DP if they were to consistently use the Greek word Christ at all times in the OT, their "Messianic Prophesies" would become Christian prophesies; their Messianic Psalms" would become Christian Psalms; their references to the "Messiah" would become references to Christ. But most important of all, the promises of God to Israel through their Messiah, would become the promises by God to the Church through Christ. Pentecost understood this, that's why he said there is no reason for a millennium if the Church were fulfilling Israel's promises.
So, Dr. Noe, you ask about the Ki
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- by Reformer on Wednesday, April 25 @ 16:31:18 PDT
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