Spring Warrior Church of Christ

7432 S. Red Padgett Road

Perry, FL 32348
584-5176

Prove All Things Vol. 1 No. 41

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21

What is Premillennialism? By Scott Mixon, rsmixon@perry.gulfnet.com

[11/14/01]

The basic theory of Premillennialism teaches that we are now living in a

period before the 1000-year reign of Christ. Christ originally came to establish
his kingdom but the world was too wicked and crucified Him. The church was
established as an after thought until He returns. A rapture of the saints will occur
at His coming, followed by seven years of tribulation on earth caused by the Anti-
Christ. The battle of Armageddon will be the time Christ puts down all evil. He
will then establish His Kingdom on earth and reign for 1000 years. Finally, there
will be judgment, followed by Heaven and Hell. Specific beliefs will vary between
different religious groups and denominations, but that is the basic theory.

When compared to the word of God, we find undeniable discrepancies in

the theory of Premillennialism. For example, Premillennialism teaches that the
Kingdom has not yet been established because the world was not ready for it
when Christ came. The Church was established as a substitute or an after
thought until the Kingdom can be established. However, Jesus speaks of the
Church and the Kingdom as being one and the same in Matthew 16:16-18.

In Ephesians 3:10-11 Paul declares the Church was in God’s eternal plan.
According to Daniel 2:31-45, the Kingdom was established during the Roman
Empire. Isaiah 2:2-4 also predicted that the “mountain of the Lords house”
(God’s rule) would be established in the “last days.” Peter would later state that
they were living in the “last days” in Acts 2:16-17. Jesus said the Kingdom would
come with power in the lifetime of some then living in Mark 9:1 and it did. When
the Holy Ghost came on Pentecost, power came, and with it the Kingdom, the
Church, was established in Acts 2:4.

According to Premillennialism, Christ is not yet King. However, Zechariah

prophesied Christ would sit and rule as King and Priest in Zechariah 6:12-13.
Acts 2:29-36, Ephesians 1:20-23 and Hebrews 1:8 all declare He is now ruling.
John 18:36-38 says He reigns in a Kingdom that is not of this world, but spiritual.

Bibleweb.com, Copyright © 2001 Scott Mixon All Rights Reserved

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 If the Kingdom is not already established, then Paul the Apostle did not
know it, for brethren at Colosse were described as being in the Kingdom in
Colossians 1:13. The Apostle John taught he was in the Kingdom in Revelation
1:9. John also described those purchased by the blood of Christ as being a part of
the Kingdom and Priesthood in Revelation 1:5-6; 5:9-10.

Many people would like to have the ability to predict the future. Many
religious leaders have taken advantage of man’s desire to know the future by
promoting and teaching “Premillennialism.” Premillennialism has become
popular because it claims the Bible has foretold both current world events as well
as those soon to occur. Whenever a catastrophic or highly visible world event
occurs, such as the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, people who believe
the theory of Premillennialism begin to anticipate the “beginning of the end.”

Premillennialism ignores what God’s word says about date setting. The
Bible is very specific about the time of the Lord’s coming, “For you yourselves
know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when
they say, ‘peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor
pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape” I Thessalonians 5:2-
3 and II Peter 3:10.

This is an overview of a few areas where Premillennialism contradicts the

Bible. In a series of future articles, we will explore in more detail the many
contradictions of Premillennialism with plain and simple Bible passages.

Bibleweb.com, Copyright © 2001 Scott Mixon All Rights Reserved

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