I thought I might put up a short post explaining a bit
more my understanding of how the land of Israel fits into Christian theology.
My eschatology is what is called “historic premillennialism”. The reason it is
called as such is to distinguish it from “dispensational premillennialism”.
These theologies are very different in their understanding of the people of God,
the covenants, and several other things, but many Christians today are not
really aware of these differences. Because of the dominance of dispensational
premillennialism among futurists, particularly in the United States and
Australia, many people simply think that all premillennialists are the same.
This is not correct.
However, an area where all premillennialists agree is in
the idea of a future, literal millennial reign of Christ on earth, centred from
a rebuilt Jerusalem. I would argue that the Christian crusades of the 11th
to 13th centuries, and the modern Judeo-Christian crusade of the 20th to 21st
centuries and counting, are human attempts to fulfil a prophecy that the Lord
Jesus Christ himself will fulfill when he returns. In that light, then, all
human attempts to re-establish a Jewish, or perhaps even Christian Kingdom, by
force in the land of Israel are destined to fail eventually. And cause much global unrest in the process.
The crusader effort failed for this reason; Christ was
not riding at the head of the army. Hilaire Belloc made a practical case for
why they failed in his book The Crusades. I recommend you read it,
because it is fascinating history. But whatever the practical reasons, the
effort was destined to fail because Christ was not yet ready to establish his
kingdom. The current Judeo-Christian crusade is obviously failing for very similar
and just as practical reasons. By Judeo-Christian I mean the alliance between
Jewish Zionists and Christian Zionists who both believe it is the Jewish peoples God-given right to inhabit the land of Israel. Israel has not managed to
conquer all of the land, though, far from it. Most of the land is inhabited by
non-believers who deny Christ is Lord, and therefore the covenant curses are
still in effect, because only in Christ can those curses be broken. The power
of the United States is diminishing, and though Israel was able to switch from
British support to American support in the past, there is no rising
pseudo-Christian[1]
power looking to align with Israel’s quest to conquer the promise land again.
This might change, but it is not looking good at the moment, and Israel’s war
is only speeding up the process of causing them to lose the international
support they need for their crusading efforts to conquer the land. Their quest
conflicts with their means of achieving it. This is really a demonstration of
the Deuteronomy 28 curses and their effect; those who rebel against God undermine theor own goals. The land is not meant to be taken back by human force.
I emphasize that the land is not going to be returned
back to righteous by human force conquering it and establishing military
garrisons in the region, for a reason. I think there is a possibility the land
could be retaken, or reconquered by mission work, that is the spreading of the
gospel among all the people’s in the land. I leave this expection here in part
because I think my postmillennial friends might have a point, that the world
may be completely won over, at least for a time, by the spread of the gospel.
But also because I just don’t think you can ever take revival off the table.
God does miraculous things through the advance of his gospel. But, be that as
it may, this does not mean that humans should be trying to fulfill this through
the sword. If you want to fulfil this properly then there are many Christian mission organisations that will send you.
All this to say that the debate, for me, is not over
whether Jerusalem is for God and his people, because it is. The debate is over when this
occurs, for whom it occurs and how it occurs. I would agree completely with Justin Martyr, the Great Church Father and Apologist, on
this issue. Martyr tells us this in his Dialogue with Trypho, the Jew,
“CHAPTER LXXX -- THE OPINION
OF JUSTIN WITH REGARD TO THE REIGN OF A THOUSAND YEARS. SEVERAL CATHOLICS
REJECT IT. And Trypho to this replied, "I remarked to you sir, that you
are very anxious to be safe in all respects, since you cling to the Scriptures.
But tell me, do you really admit that this place, Jerusalem, shall be rebuilt;
and do you expect your people to be gathered together, and made joyful with
Christ and the patriarchs, and the prophets, both the men of our nation, and
other proselytes who joined them before your Christ came? or have you given
way, and admitted this in order to have the appearance of worsting us in the
controversies?" Then I answered, "I am not so miserable a fellow,
Trypho, as to say one thing and think another. I admitted to you formerly, that
I and many others are of this opinion, and [believe] that such will take place,
as you assuredly are aware; but, on the other hand, I signified to you that
many who belong to the pure and pious faith, and are true Christians, think
otherwise. Moreover, I pointed out to you that some who are called Christians,
but are godless, impious heretics, teach doctrines that are in every way
blasphemous, atheistical, and foolish. But that you may know that I do not say
this before you alone, I shall draw up a statement, so far as I can, of all the
arguments which have passed between us; in which I shall record myself as
admitting the very same things which I admit to you. For I choose to follow not
men or men's doctrines, but God and the doctrines [delivered] by Him. For if
you have fallen in with some who are called Christians, but who do not admit
this[truth], and venture to blaspheme the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob; who say there is no resurrection of the dead, and that
their souls, when they die, are taken to heaven; do not imagine that they are
Christians, even as one, if he would rightly consider it, would not admit that
the Sadducees, or similar sects of Genist , Meristae, Gelilaeans, Hellenists,
Pharisees, Baptists, are Jews (do not hear me impatiently when I tell you what
I think), but are [only] called Jews and children of Abraham, worshipping God
with the lips, as God Himself declared, but the heart was far from Him. But I
and others, who are right-minded Christians on all points, are assured that
there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a thousand years in Jerusalem,
which will then be built, adorned, and enlarged, the prophets Ezekiel and
Isaiah and others declare.”[2]
Justin Martyr taught that there was to be a literal thousand
year reign where the saints of Christ, together with the Old Testament saints,
who are also saints of Christ, will reign and rule together from Jerusalem. Not
all Christians believed this, as he notes, some genuine believers saw it
differently, these might be the precursors to Amillenialism, or some unknown
theology that we do not know of today, but many “right-minded Christians on all
points, are assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a
thousand years in Jerusalem, which will then be built, adorned, and enlarged,
the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah and others declare.” I think the grand scope of biblical teaching fits with Martyr’s teaching here.
Premillennial theology is the most ancient recorded
theology we have from outside the Scriptures. Irenaeus taught much the same
thing as Martyr here, and he wrote even earlier, and has some connections to
the Apostle John.
On many other aspects of theology Historic Premillennial theology
is very similar to Amillennial, or the spiritualist, school of theology. Historic Premillennial
theology also sees that Israel and the Church are a continuation of the same
people of God, just with different covenants and conditions of entry. Both
schools interpret many of the prophecies given to Israel as being fulfilled in
the Church, or more accurately in Christ and through faith in him. Both schools believe God has cast out unbelieving Israelites from being
the people of God, but that he also extends them an offer of reincorporation if they
turn again to him in faith; in fact both schools believe this event is prophesied to one day happen, after the fullness of the Gentiles is brought in.
One might ask, why then do we need a millennial reign?
Why could Jesus not simply return and bring about the New Heavens and the New Earth, and save us a lot of time? The answer to this is really rather simple,
if hard for some to accept. The reason for the millennial reign of Christ is to
fulfil many of the Old Testament prophecies about God’s people reigning over
those who reject God in this world. Many examples could be given, Zechariah 14
especially comes to mind. But there are many examples in passages in Isaiah,
Ezekiel, Jeremiah, the Psalms and other Old Testament books, as Martyr himself
notes. There are also indications of this in the book of Revelation, here is
one,
“24 But to the rest of you
in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call
the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden.
25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who
keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27
and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in
pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will
give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches’” (Rev. 2:24-29).
This verse confirms two things: 1) God intends to fulfill
his promise for his people, the Church (his gathering or congregation), to rule over this world. 2) These
promises are fulfilled only for those who have trusted in Jesus, therefore they
apply not to physical Israel, but spiritual Israel, that is the Church, which is Jew and Gentile in makeup. The Church
of the Lord Jesus Christ will reign with him over the nations, and the
Millenium serves as the time for this rule,
“1 Then I saw an angel
coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and
a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the
devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the
pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the
nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be
released for a little while.
4 Then I saw thrones, and
seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I
saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for
the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had
not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and
reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come
to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6
Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the
second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and
they will reign with him for a thousand years” (Rev. 20:1-6).
As the son of David, and the Messianic heir of the
Davidic Kingdom, Jesus will return to this earth to reclaim his throne,
vindicate his people - that is all who believe in him whether Jew or Gentile - and he
will reign over the nations of the world and his people will reign with him, “21
The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also
conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’” (Rev. 3:21-22). This promise is
given so much in Scripture that it is hard not to take it as a literal promise
that will be fulfilled in a future kingdom on this world. God tells us of a day when his people will be vindicated in this world before all who denied him and persecuted them.
Of course Postmills believe this will be fulfilled by the
spread of the gospel, but Premills believe it will be fulfilled by the 2nd advent of Christ himself, which I believe best fits with the prophesies in the Scriptures.
But both schools of thought are correct in asserting that the Church will reign ascendant over
this world, even before the New Heavens and the New Earth.
I do think it is possible Jesus will begin the
restoration of the nations to their own proper boundaries (c.f. Acts 17:26-29)
in this period, as part of his re-establishing order and justice on the earth.
So there is no reason why this would not mean that believing Jews would be restored
back to their promised land, if they wish to go there. But I do think that because all the promises of
God are yes and amen in Christ (2. Cor. 1:20-22), there is no reason why the
saints both Jew and Gentile will not rule together from the centre of God’s Kingdom
on earth. This is what Martyr believed, this is what he said to Trypho the Jew,
and I would agree with him.
So, the question is not is God done with the land of
Canaan, and will Israel, the nation, be once again restored? The real question
is when will Jesus reign from Jerusalem and who will reign with him? The
answer, I think, is in the Millennium and all believers will reign with him,
and be his representatives around the world. This is the level 2 that God is
preparing us for, our glorious reign with him on this earth, and what a glorious day to look forward to. And after this,
then there is the New Heavens and the New Earth, where we have even more to look forward
to.
List Of References
[1] It
is clear the United States is not truly Christian, nor is their militaristic
ideology.
[2]
Justin Martyr; Grapevine Press. Dialogue with Trypho: A Conversation on Faith
and Salvation (Grapevine Press) (pp. 158-159). Kindle Edition.
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