Understanding the Millennial Views and Servant-Savior in Isaiah
Exploring the concept of the millennium in Christian theology and the significance of the Servant-Savior in the book of Isaiah, highlighting key verses and interpretations. Dive into the different millennial views at Bethlehem College & Seminary and the overall structure of Revelation 20.
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Celebrating the Celebrating the Servant Servant- -Savior Savior The Gospel of Isaiah Jason S. DeRouchie, PhD Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Theology Bethlehem College & Seminary www.jasonderouchie.com Bethlehem Baptist Church, 2017
The Millennium: An Argument for The Millennium: An Argument for Realized Millennialism Realized Millennialism Thesis: The millennium is realized during the church age as God limits Satan s deceptive powers and lets deceased Christians reign with Christ in heaven (Rev 20:1 6). The millennium began at Christ s resurrection and Pentecost and is concluded by a resurgence of Satan and his servants deceptive assault against the church (20:7 9) followed by their defeat and eternal judgment (20:10).
Millennial Views at Bethlehem Millennial Views at Bethlehem Historic Premillennial Dispensational Premillennial Postmillennial Amillennial (Realized) Panmillennial (Undecided) Steller Naselli (50%) McGlothlin Tomlinson Westerholm McConnell Nelson Meyer (10%) Delk (mid-trib) Rigney Tabb Naselli (50%) Crutchmer Myers Griffith Steddom(25%) Howard Meyer (90%) Bowers Poteat Currie Viezbicke Stokes Johnson Livingston Stark Davitch Beckman Kramer Anderson Pickering Holst Steddom(75%) Crabtree
An Unmentioned Significant Isaiah Text o Isa 49:6, 8 9, 25. [The LORD] says: It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth [see Luke 2:79; Acts 13:47; 26:22 23] . 8 In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages, 9saying to the prisoners, Come out, to those who are in darkness, Appear. 25 For thus says the LORD: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued, for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children. Jesus fulfills God s promise to deliver prisoners from the tyrant. Every exorcism proved this.
The structure of Rev 20:110 o An overview of the 1,000 years (20:1 6) The temporary binding of Satan (20:1 3) The first resurrection and spiritual reign of deceased saints (20:4 6) o Following the 1,000 years (20:7 10) Satan s brief release, global deception, and the war (20:7 9) The final defeat of Satan and his powers in the lake of fire (20:10)
o The first resurrection and spiritual reign of deceased saints (Rev 20:4 6) Rev 20:4 6. 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. 5The 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. o The lost who have no share in the thousand year reign and no protection from God s punishment.
o The first resurrection and spiritual reign of deceased saints (Rev 20:4 6) Rev 20:4 6. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5The 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. John 5:28 29. An hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear [the Son of Man s] voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. 2nd resurrection o
o The first resurrection and spiritual reign of deceased saints (Rev 20:4 6) Rev 20:4 6. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5The 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. John 5:28 29. 1 Thess 4:16 17. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 2nd resurrection o
o The first resurrection and spiritual reign of deceased saints (Rev 20:4 6) Rev 20:4 6. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5The 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. The pattern: Believers Non-believers First death Physical Physical First resurrection Spiritual (immediate) Second resurrection Physical Physical Second death Spiritual (immediate)
Parallels between Revelation 12 and 20 Support an Amillennial Reading Revelation 12 Revelation 20 Open with a heavenly scene 12:7 Angelic battle with Satan 20:1 20:2 12:7 8 Satan s fall to earth or the abyss (cf. Rev 2:13) 12:9 20:2 3 Satan s title and purpose Satan s short time 12:9 10, 12 12:12 20:2 3 20:2 3 Christ s kingdom and his saints The saints testimony 12:10 11 20:4 12:11 20:4
o Rev 12:911. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short! The devil has been thrown down.
o Rev 12:911. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short! Christians are those who are not deceived but persevere in following Christ.
o Rev 12:911. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short! Satan s final end is drawing close.
Responses to Premillennialism o The four-part ending of Revelation is patterned after the four-part ending of Ezekiel. Rev 20 22 Ezek 37 48 The resurrection of the saints The messianic kingdom 20:4a 20:4b 6 37:1 14 37:15 28 The final battle against Gog and Magog 20:7 10 38 39 The new temple and new Jerusalem 21:1 22:5 40 48 Rev 20:4. And they came to life [kai ez san] and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Ezek 37:10. And the breath came into them, and they came to life [kai ez san] and stood upon their feet.
Responses to Premillennialism o The four-part ending of Revelation is patterned after the four-part ending of Ezekiel o The final battle(s) in Revelation explicitly allude to the single final battle in Ezekiel 38 39.
Final Battle(s) in Rev 19 20 Prophecy against Gog in Ezek 38 39 Birds called to gather for the great supper (19:17) Birds and wild animals called to gather for the sacrifice (39:17) eat the flesh of kings captains mighty men horses and their riders (19:18) eat the flesh of the mighty the princes horses and charioteers (39:18, 20) Gog and Magog (20:8) God Magog (38:2) Deceived nations gathered for battle (20:8) Innumerable army like sand (20:8) Many nations against Israel (38:9, 15) Innumerable army like a cloud (38:9, 16) fire came down from heaven (20:9) fire on Magog (39:6; cf. 38:22)
o Premillennialists assert that the events of Rev 19:11 21 chronologically precede those in 20:1 60. However, Rev 16:14; 19:19; and 20:8 all speak of the battle (ton polemon), following the initial (articleless) description of the last battle in 11:7 (cf. Zech 14:2).
o Rev 11:7. And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make a war [Greek: polemon] on them and conquer them and kill them. o Rev 16:14. For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for the war [ton polemon] on the great day of God the Almighty. o Rev 19:19. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make the war [ton polemon] against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. o Rev 20:7 8. And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for the war [ton polemon].
o Premillennialists assert that the events of Rev 19:11 21 chronologically precede those in 20:1 60. However, Rev 16:14; 19:19; and 20:8 all speak of the battle (ton polemon), following the initial (articleless) description of the last battle in 11:7 (cf. Zech 14:2). This parallelism suggests that all these texts are referring to the same single, culminating battle from different angles. And if Rev 20:1 6 precedes this great battle mentioned in both 19:19 and 20:8, then the millennium must also precede the final judgment at Christ s second coming that 19:11 21 describes.
o Revelation is naturally read as seven progressively parallel cycles, with different sections providing recaps or blow-up expansions of earlier sections and all detailing some aspect of the church age and the move from Christ s first to second coming and beyond. Prologue (Rev 1:1 20) 1. The seven letters to the churches (2:1 3:32) 2. The seven seals (4:1 8:1) 3. The seven trumpets (8:2 11:19) 4. The seven visions of warfare (12:1 14:20) 5. The seven bowls of plagues (15:1 16:21) 6. The seven visions of victory (17:1 19:21) 7. The seven visions of the end and new creation (20:1 22:5) Epilogue (20:6 21)
The Structure in Isa 24:2125:12 o Immediate Context: The Lord s emptying the land, making it desolate (24:1). o Stage 1: Restraining and then punishing the wicked (24:21 25:5) The temporary imprisonment (and future punishment) of all those hostile to YHWH s reign (24:21 23) The praises from the saved remnant at the humbling of the rebels (25:1 5) o Stage 2: The feast for the saved and the swallowing up of death (25:6 12) The actions of God (25:6 8) The cry of the saved (25:9 12) 1. The Church Age 2. The Defeat 3. The Destruction 4. The Praise
The seven cycles are shaped around two scrolls, the second of which is more graphic than the first. Prologue (Rev 1:1 20) 1. The seven letters to the churches (2:1 3:32) Section Related to Scroll 1 (4:1 11:19; see 5:1 5) Prologue (4:1 5:14) The seven seals (6:1 8:1) 2. Prologue (8:2 6) The seven trumpets (8:7 11:19) 3. Section Related to Scroll 2 (12:1 22:5; see 10:1 2, 8 11) 4. The seven visions of warfare (12:1 14:20) Prologue (15:1 16:1) The seven bowls of plagues (16:2 21) 5. 6. The seven visions of victory (17:1 19:21) 7. The seven visions of the end and new creation (20:1 22:5) Epilogue (20:6 21)
Prologue (Rev 1:120) 1. The seven letters to the churches (2:1 3:32; cf. 2:1 7, 8 11, 12 17, 18 29; 3:1 6, 7 13, 14 22) Section Related to Scroll 1 (4:1 11:19; see 5:1 5) Prologue (4:1 5:14) The seven seals (6:1 8:1; cf. 6:1 2, 3 4, 5 6, 7 8, 9 11, 12 7:17; 8:1) 2. Prologue (8:2 6) The seven trumpets (8:7 11:19; cf. 8:7, 8 9, 10 11, 12, 13 9:12; 9:13 11:14; 11:15 19) 3. Section Related to Scroll 2 (12:1 22:5; see 10:1 2, 8 11) 4. The seven visions of warfare (12:1 14:20; cf. 12:1 2, 3 6, 7 18; 13:1 10, 11 18; 14:1 13, 14 20) Prologue (15:1 16:1) The seven bowls of plagues (16:2 21; cf. 16:2, 3, 4 7, 8 9, 10 11, 12 16, 7 21) 5. 6. The seven visions of victory (17:1 19:21; cf. ch. 17; ch. 18; 19:1 5, 6 10, 11 16, 17 18, 19 21) 7. The seven visions of the end and new creation (20:1 22:5; cf. 20:1 6; 7 10, 11 15; 21:1, 2 8, 9 27; 22:1 5) Epilogue (20:6 21) See http://loveintruth.com/revelation/course
